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what we’ve been up to

October 17, 2010 By corrie 46 Comments

Well tomorrow we leave the hospital and I’m definitely looking forward to being home and getting on with life as a bigger family. Retro daddy has done an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G job keeping things running at home and bringing everyone in to see us each day. We’ve been enjoying warm baths and opening our eyes…….

and being idolised by big sister Keira who is totally smitten and has wanted to spend every night in the hospital with us

and of course we’re feeding…..oh boy the feeding. I forgot how much time you spend parked on your behind feeding! But I’m so happy miss elodie is so good at it. Even if I only get one hours sleep because all she wants to do is feed and cuddle…..it sure beats feeding two babies at once who don’t want to feed.

And I just love staring……….getting to know all of her little features like the way her little bottom lip curls in and looks oh so adorable. And so tomorrow real life starts…………..and we can get out of the hospital gown and into some cute clothes.

Filed Under: baby

tomorrow……..

October 11, 2010 By corrie 52 Comments

well there are no cobwebs and there’s certainly no sorrow but before the sun comes out I’ll be heading off to the hospital and I just can’t help but sing this little song today……..tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow, you’re only a day away……………………And Keira made me laugh by saying, ever so seriously ‘girls don’t have hair like that, she doesn’t look like a girl, mummy!’.

Thank you for all the sweet wishes you’ve been sending me and I look forward to sharing some baby photos with you then…………..

Filed Under: baby, hospital, pregnancy, youtube

and the fabric keeps coming….

October 11, 2010 By corrie 7 Comments

Today as we were picking up fabric from the warehouse (so I could get my hot little hands on it before little one arrives), retro daddy said ‘so is that it for the year?’…..I lied and said ‘oh yes I think so’. It’s not really, I know I have still have a few more designs coming and then there is Rosalie Quinlan’s range still to arrive…………

Please bear with me as I have a backlog of orders from Thursday to get out in the post (anyone waiting for an order will get a little something extra in their order). Edited to add the fabrics are now up in the store here and here. All orders received before midday tomorrow will be posted out in the afternoon otherwise I’ll still take orders which will be shipped the week commencing 18th October!

Filed Under: cosmo, fabric, japanese fabrics, retro mummy, store

this mummy went to hospital

October 9, 2010 By corrie 31 Comments

but not to have my baby! Unfortunately, the pity party continues here at retro mummy as my OB put me into hospital on Friday. I’ve spent the last 2 days hooked up to a drip to rehydrate this poor little sick body of mine. I had to listen to the little newborn cries of other babies and a little part of me was aching to have my own baby but thankfully the sensible part of me said get better first and enjoy the birth of your baby next week. But oh those little newborn cries! I had my own lovely room, the best midwives, almost 8 litres of fluid pumped into me and lots of rest.

And as a result I now have colour in my face, a smile, some energy and am starting to feel my normal self. Today, you’ll find me at home in my pj’s, eating jelly and directing the family from the couch. My to-do list is a mile long as we only have 3 full days (yes, really) till baby arrives and so many things still to do but thankfully retro daddy is on the case. I had great plans that this weekend I’d be cooking up loads of healthy meals for the family to eat while I’m in hospital but am now planning super easy meals that retro daddy can manage to make and the kids will eat. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure dinner would be sponsored by Domino’s every night!

Filed Under: hospital, parenting, pregnancy, retro daddy

new fabrics

October 5, 2010 By corrie 8 Comments

Thank you for your kind words yesterday. It’s another home day here as I’m still munching away on hydralyte ice blocks and not straying too far from the bathroom, but so grateful all the little people are better. And just when I thought I couldn’t possibly fit more fabrics in this house………another box arrived jam packed full of 10 bolts of fabric. I have a few favourites. This is cinderella……………it reminds me of the fairy tale fabrics when I first started my store

then there are the large russian dolls which make the best appliques ever!

or maybe alice in wonderland – the colours are so modern and gorgeous

these and more are all up in the store here……….

Filed Under: japanese fabrics, kokka, retro mummy, russian dolls, store

the bug

October 4, 2010 By corrie 13 Comments

Remember when it was just you? Ok, you might have to really go back now. And remember when you got sick? You’d take a day or two off work, catch up on some oprah on the couch and take it easy. All you had to do was worry about yourself and getting better. Fast forward to running a family and when someone gets sick…….well in our experience everyone gets sick and mummy works overtime keeping up with caring for everyone.

Keira picked up a tummy bug on thursday and it kept me busy for a few days…the dr said it would pass in 48 hours but it didn’t. By Sunday retro daddy was down and yesterday all 5 of us were down and eating hydralite icey poles (best invention eveeeeer!) and lying on the couch. We took it in turns to change nappies on the twins but really we could have permanently manned a nappy change station………it was non stop nappy action. There wasn’t much chance to sleep last night and retro daddy and I had a ‘buddy’ each and took it in turns to grab more towels, change pj’s, change nappies until about 5am……yawn.

So today you can’t enter my laundry on account of the piles of laundry which I’m madly washing and drying, mummy and daddy are exhausted while the kids are back to their normal rowdy selves. On the plus side we did all cosy up on the couch yesterday afternoon to watch Home Alone 3 and other kids movies, I read over 40 pages of Eat Pray Love and cast on a new baby kina (photos of a finished kina coming tomorrow)…..so not all bad.

Filed Under: knitting, parenting, reading

sisterly love

October 3, 2010 By corrie 28 Comments

Yesterday, I managed to whip up a dress in the christmas fabric I was just itching to use. I had planned just to get my little model Keira to pose in it but before I knew it tillie was whipping her clothes off and insisting on a ‘dwess’ too. So they modelled sweetly while the rain stayed away…………

but sweet faces don’t last long these days…………

Somehow I also managed to cut out a few more dresses and am feeling pretty proud of myself. It was much more exciting than sorting out the kids toys……again. But with 9 days and counting I really need to get sorted at home today……………

Filed Under: dress, photos, sewing

endings and beginnings

October 1, 2010 By corrie 18 Comments

I know I’m supposed to be slowing down and taking it easy but it’s never a dull moment here. Firstly, I was told the sad news this week that Notebook the lovely magazine is closing. You can read a bit more about that here. My first thought was for all of the gorgeous people who worked there and worked so hard. Of course that means the magazine’s Craft Room closes too. So rather than passing the management on as planned this week I’m finalising everything and hoping that it’s all squared off before baby arrives. The last issue will be the November issue which will be out later this month and I’ll be sure to treasure it. I’ve learnt so much this year on the job and it’s been a real honour to work for them!

And then on the home front, retro daddy leaves his job of 6 years next week to start a new job. It’s not something you normally do – leave your job just before baby number 4 arrives. But I’m so proud of him as it’s that big next step we’ve been waiting for. I think I’ve told him 100 times how proud I am of him and I still am. Let’s not pretend that raising a family of 6 in Sydney is cheap – no wait, just raising a family full stop. It does involve travel interstate every week but I think I can manage……….

So new job for retro daddy, new baby at home for retro mummy……..it’s all happening here. Oh and I joined twitter too! You’ll find me as retromummy, I figure I can keep up with the world while I’m in hospital for 6 days without my precious laptop!

Filed Under: notebook magazine

feeling festive fabric

October 1, 2010 By corrie 16 Comments

As I walked into SL yesterday, I turned to my mum and said this is one of the stores I never brave on my own with these three. Only 20 minutes later and there was high pitched screaming that my mum could hear from the other end of the store – that would have been Tillie. The only way we got out of the store with a scrap of dignity was by buying each of them a pair of princess shoes – yes Finn wore snow white high heels out of the store and people were doing a double take.

but anyway back to my festive fabrics….I picked up these lovely Michael Miller fabrics which will be added to my festive fabric stash and used for christmas shortie pj’s (for the little people of course, you won’t catch me in anything above the knee and certainly not this summer), christmas stockings, some applique, a table runner and perhaps a bunting!

and this fabric – well I took what they had and that was only 2 1/2 metres but enough to make some very sweet summer dresses for christmas. It’s a gorgeous festive fabric and I just love red and white at Christmas time. Do you have a festive fabric stash too????

Filed Under: fabric, parenting, shopping, spotlight

new shoes

September 29, 2010 By corrie 18 Comments

Well today was a new day! Everyone woke up happy including this mummy because she knew retro daddy was home for the day and then a gymboree order had arrived on her doorstep. We decided to head up to Avalon for some lunch and to pick up some Salt Water sandals ……we were in desperate need of summer sandals for both girls. Is it wrong that I think miss keira also needs a few other colours in her wardrobe? I’m thinking silver next…….

I won’t mention the tantrum that went on when they didnt’ have miss tillie’s size. She was so after a pink pair too that even when I just wanted to work out her size she’d pull her feet away from the blue ones and refused to have them near her. So retro daddy took her down the street and I figure I now have an excuse to get keira another pair while I hunt down a pair for miss tillie.

Filed Under: gymboree, shopping

one of those days

September 28, 2010 By corrie 13 Comments

Firstly, don’t worry – the Cottee’s $1,000 giveaway is coming back. Sorry, but the Terms & Conditions just have to be approved but all of your entries have been saved and the competition will go live again in the next day or two! But boy it’s been one of ‘those’ days. A day where I think my children have woken up and secretly conspired that it should be ‘make it hard for mummy’ day. Firstly, just getting out of the house is hard enough……no wait just getting ready to get out of the house is hard enough.

Then you get to the bottom of the stairs and little people want to go and climb them again while you are standing at the car ‘nicely’ hurrying them along. We had to make a trip to the GP’s for a referral before the paed visit tomorrow and of course I sit next to the lady with 3 girls under 5 making it 6 kids under the age of 5 spread over a few chairs n-o-i-s-y but at least they were entertained for most of the half hour wait for a 5 minute appointment.

time for a ride on the trampolines at the mall – something keira had no interest in last year but was desperate for all weekend! Meanwhile, Tillie had a huge tantrum the entire time, jealous as she wanted to be with keira. Love that person walking by who said ‘listen to that naughty child crying’ – oh nice one lady, real nice….I could hear you!

then it was a quick morning tea stop (make a mess in the nice cafe) for babycino’s and banana bread before braving Big W for some fold out couches. Dear Lord if I’d known how much fighting would go on with Finn desperate for a barbie couch or the huge tantrum the twins had at the checkout – well we would have avoided the store and couches. I’m beetroot red trying to pay for everything, trying to lift Finn from the floor who was doing his deadweight trick with his feet hovering over the floor and my mum is pushing the pram telling everyone we’re leaving and laughing to keep it lighthearted and I’m thinking get me out of here……now!

this one is to show Daddy how high she got

And then we came home to play outside, fight some more over the fold out couches (everyone wants Keira’s Barbie one it turns out), drive grandmummy home, watch the latest Nanny McPhee movie on foxtel and this little guy just summed up how I felt……………pooped!

And that was my day…and I still have bathtime and getting them all off to sleep before daddy comes home . And he is actually looking forward to his 6 days with the little people while I’m in hospital – good luck with that!

Filed Under: parenting, twins

dresses, dresses and more dresses

September 27, 2010 By corrie 20 Comments

Deciding to do Mathilda’s next month with a new bub is not something I would have done with my other babies. But we have sooooo many bolts of fabric here at casa retro that I decided I just had to go. Retro Daddy will be my helper for the day (can’t wait to see him in action at my very girly stall) and I promised him I would be ready for the market before bub arrives (2 weeks, 2 days and counting). I have 40 dresses coming with me and just had to share some of my favourite fabric combinations so far.

I love this aqua print – it’s certainly a break from pink for me – and I loved that the binding fabric was already in my stash from last summer. A combination that was meant to be!

And this Flower Sugar number is very pretty and shabby chic, it reminds me so much of Cath Kidston.

and another Flower Sugar dress – I am loving this combination too, so summery and Keira’s favourite!

And although I have 40 dresses, of course I still need to add retro mummy name labels, price tags and give them a final press….maybe next week.

Filed Under: dress, japanese fabrics, sewing, store

where do weekends go?

September 26, 2010 By corrie 14 Comments

yes, where do weekends go! You wake up on saturday morning with it all ahead of you and before you know it it’s sunday night and you’re getting ready for the week of pre-school/outings/work and so on. And this weekend flew by. Saturday we did shopping (I now have a few pairs of pretty pyjamas for my hospital bag and a new baby bouncer), odd jobs around the house mixed in with a bit of AFL – secretly I think retro daddy is happy it was a draw because now he has another excuse to get some beer and chips into the house for a saturday afternoon in front of the tv while I look after the little ones!

Sunday was church and we were rostered on reading and morning tea which means getting there early and leaving late but I love the chatting while you’re on morning tea (retro daddy doesn’t see this benefit as he chased the kids around the playground in the sun for an hour). Then it was sushi train for lunch, a bit more shopping as I hunted around for the perfect slippers for my hospital bag (work with me here – I’m in there for 5 nights and everything so far screams grandma not new mother).

And the afternoon was spent doing more jobs around the house including cleaning the pool and washing the weatherboards and windows out the back. I should point out that I sat on the couch and ‘supervised’ the work while doing my knitting. Here is my Baby Kina progress so far, it’s going well (ok I’m not so proud of the edging down the front) and is a quick knit. I should be finished this week and can’t wait to put it in baby’s wardrobe……

Hope you had a great weekend too!

Filed Under: homes, knitting

Win a HP Photosmart Wireless e-All-in-One

September 22, 2010 By corrie 35 Comments

a new project

September 22, 2010 By corrie 14 Comments

Nothing like starting a new project before you finish your last one. Story of my life. But when a bag of wool from Bendigo arrives on your doorstep and your whole body aches from the growing baby inside your little body then there is nothing to do but start a new project and get a little satisfaction (and rest!).

Over the weekend I discovered these very cute patterns and think the Baby Kina will be perfect for my little bub in the warmer weather. I also love that you can buy the pattern for bigger girls and their mummies too. To buy the patterns just follow this ravelry link for more details, but basically you just pay US$5 per pattern to her paypal address (kidstricots@gmail.com) and just let her know which pdf patterns you would like in english. Too easy.

I’m making it up in Bendigo 4ply Luxury and just using a smaller needle. So in between 2 loads of washing and entertaining the twins you’ll find me on the couch today…….

Filed Under: bendigo, knitting, patterns