New Adventure!

For those who know me know that I love handbags, they also know that I love a bargain and that I'm also a pretty good bet to impulse buy! That is why I am sitting in my home office surronded  by handbags, yes, boxes and boxes of handbags that I bought from the Hills in Thailand to create our latest venture and online store www.bohospirit.com.au
I saw these bags on Etsy a while ago and instantly fell in love.  They are made using up cycled baby carriers, woven by the women in the Hill Tribes around Thailand & Laos.  These bags are detailed, brightly coloured and beautifully intricate, designed to disguise the babies on the backs of their mothers as flowers to keep them from being stolen by the spirits.  My heart melted when I read the story and then it sang a little when it clicked that instead of buying the bags from a reseller, I could by the bags directly, fair trade and the money that I paid could go directly to the tribes and the women.

I bought 80 and created www.bohospirit.com.au  

Most of the bags are complete original one off designs, made from vintage fabric and cannot be replicated. I love so much about these bags and I hope that other will share in this boho spirit by purchasing from my site:

I LOVE: 

• Fairtrade, nothing feels better than helping out another mother! 
• The story behind the fabrics
• One off original designs, no one anywhere will ever have the same handbag as you! 
• www.bohospirit.com.au  bags are just quietly, much cheaper than similar hmong bags listed on Etsy, Ebay etc.

Come on over, I'd love you to look around and if you're feeling the bags like I feel the bags, buy one, all the styles listed are here in my office ready to go to their new home!

xxx

Life is Art

Today I stumbled across this quote.  I didn't write it but it resonates with me.  I stuck in my head all afternoon and every time I thought of it, it made me smile.  I spent tonight searching for the author to credit them but to no avail so to who ever you are, thank you.

I think everything in life is art.  

What you do, how you dress, 

the way you love someone and how you talk. 

Your smile and your personality, 

what you believe in and

all of your dreams. 

The way you drink your tea, how you decorate your home

or party; your grocery list, the food you make, 

how your writing looks and the way you feel. 

Life is art. 

                           - anonymous 

I hope this also brings you a smile 

xx Kristy

Project Gallery Wall - Update

I've finished the gallery wall in the little girls room.  I'm happy because once I got started it took no time at all, all of their lovely things are on display and the best part they like it!! I know this because they pointed at it and said "gook", Pippa loved it so much she sat down, pointed and said "gook".  Too cute.

Excuse the image quality I couldn't find the charger for the good camera....a project for another day!

The gallery is made up of so many things that we love, a mixture of my own prints, gifted frames, art works, diy pieces and lovely little bits.  I plan to add & change things to the wall as they girls grow.

Next is my sons room!! Loving gallery walls!

xxKristy

Organising the masses

At the end of last year our home was chaos.  The triplets had well and truly turned our lives upside down and while I stuck to their routine like our lives depended on it, the rest of us just fit everything in when we could. So my resolution for 2012 was to get everything organised and I mean everything.
I started out around the house, some room change, toy clean out, linen cupboard clean up.  I bought boxes, containers and a label maker and I got to work. It wasn't too hard and things seemed a bit more settled and spacious.   I was ready to move onto the next level of organising......schedules!
We've been working to "The Schedule" for the past three weeks, so far it's been a great success, our morning run smoothly and it means that the lady that comes to give me time out can pick up where I left off....... Here it is

 {I started with a chore list for the big kids}

 My Mum was horrified at how many chores they each have, but my husband & i think its fair and the kids don't complain so it can't be too bad. 

 

{Then I went onto a morning & afternoon routine for the big kids}

{ Then schedules for the kids who stay home }

{ And finally a cute cover } 

 I needed a way to put them together so the kids could easily get to it, flick through it (and have no excuses! ) 

So I : 

1. Printed the sheets

2. Laminated the sheets

3. Punched a hole in the top left side of each sheet 

4. Threaded the sheets on a key ring

5. Hung on a hook in the kitchen next to the calendar & my organisation station. 

Voila ! 

It is working for us really well. The kids get it out every morning and stick to it, there is much less stress & rush before school and as a bonus the kids are learning some great life skills. It also helps to maximise my time so that I can fit in some blogging, designing and gym time.  Happy days! 

xxKristy 

Project Gallery Wall

Our house is pretty squashy and we're forever shuffling around to try and make more room, our latest move has the triplets in the back room of the house, perfectly quiet for their lunch time sleep but the room is un inspirationally bland.  It's saving grace is a pastel purple feature wall from the previous owners little girl. The plan to brighten up the girls room (now that their 14 months over stimulation from decor isn't a factor) a gallery wall.
I am so excited and have been pinning my favourites like a women possesed on Pinterest.
I am still in dreaming faze and I thought I would share with you some of my favourites.

 {from hisugarplum.blogspot.net}

I love the mix of the prints, photos, letters & words.  I sell so many prints that have been inspired by my kids, I'd love a place like this to display them. 

{from andbabymakes3.com}

I think this is my favourite, bright, happy and perfectly girly.  The round frames add so much interest.  I wonder where I can get that crown?

{from cape27blog.com}

This is a simple and elegant gallery style display.  I love it because it is so easy to add or change frames and other tid bits. 

{from cape27blog.com}

My heart skipped a beat when I saw this one. So calm, so lovely, so perfectly in proportion.  I think I may even design a new range of patterned prints.

So where to from here?

 I will decide on the prints, photos and other bits I want to go on the wall. 

Sort out what frames I have, the ones that could do with a new colour and hopefully I won't need to spend too much on additional frames.   I'll decide on a wall layout.  Some ideas here .   Then I'll get down to business.! 

I'm excited to see the end result and will share when I'm done! 

Do you have a gallery wall? I'd love to see some pictures or hear about it! 

A range of lovely prints available on my website. www.thatmamagotsoul.com.au

xxKristy

Sunny Days!

I'm inspired by the book I am reading,  "A New Earth"  by Echart Tolle.  A lot of the topics he covers in the book have hit home for me and I have started to implement some of his strategies (with hiccups of course)
I am being mindful about living in the moment, taking life one moment at a time and not getting caught up i my own expectations. So today I am simply happy that the sun is shining. I am ignoring the fact that the mosquitos are hatching, the grass is soggy, the kids have been running mud through the house the entire day and the air is so humid its hard to breath and I'm smiling because its summer and it's not raining!

Happy Sunny 4th of Feb, enjoy it because the forecast is for 27 days of rain!
xxKristy

Epic Fail!

Tomorrow is the last day of January and I confess, I failed the photo a day challenge...so many excuses, so little time!  Epic Fail!