happenings...

Afternoon M'dears

I have been away from facebook most of this week getting orders finished up and in the post, I'm hoping to have the rest posted out by next Thursday (at the latest!)

I have had so much fun sewing with the latest mama skirt fabrics...
so summery!

Here's a pic of some of the skirts that left for their new homes yesterday.

 

 

Aren't they pretty!!!
I was tempted to keep the one in the middle ;)
i've also sewn up OVER 150 little hand quilted coasters in the last 2 weeks! Whoa!!

I've also been giving our blog a spring clean/face lift! Hope you like it! It only took me 12hrs! ;)

We added to our brood 2 weeks ago....
Here name is Lou~Lou and she is such a JOY!

 

Lou~Lou was a rescue kitty from the dump! Our girls wonderful/fantastic/special family daycare educators looked after her and hand fed her for the first 8 weeks of her life!
Below is a pic of Lou~Lou before her eyes and ears opened...awww!

Best get back to it, I have a hot date with a sewing machine and my order book.... then searching for a sugar free cake recipe for miss 11's, 12th Birthday this Sunday!.....Oh and maybe think about making a  start on organising and  packing for our move on the 21st! Eeeek!

Ps...Any sugar free cake recipies would be appreciated...just link me in the comments! TIA xx

Love

Share Winner

Evening lovelies!! Sorry for the delay in announcing a winner! I've had this post ready to go but forgot to push PUBLISH! Eeeeek! Sorry xx

I'm here to announce the lucky winner of our "SHARE" competition!!

BUT before I do i'd like to take the opportunity to Thank those lovelies who took the time to share!
Thank You!! xx

Without further a do....

The Lucky WINNER is....

Kelly Brown! Yay Kelly!!

Please email me at convo_1rubyroad@yahoo.com and we can arrange delivery of your prize!!

Food...glorious FOOD!

Evening dear ones,

I promised a recipe for apple pikelets...sans sugar!
so here it is!!

1.5 cups of S/R flour ...white spelt flour works as long as you turn it into S/R first!
(1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 to 1/2 of a teaspoon of salt to every 1 cup of all-purpose flour.) Wholemeal flour does NOT work! Lol....I tried!!
300ml of butter milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1tbs xylitol or 2tbs caster sugar, stevia/natvia
1/2 cup pureed apple (fresh preferably!)
butter for frying

Method
combine flour and sweetener of choice in bowl, make a well in the centre. Whisk egg and buttermilk together in a jug. Add egg mix to flour, whisk till smooth. Stir in puree.

Heat fry pan over medium, melt a dob of butter and spoon batter into pan. There good to turn when small bubbles form. Eat cold...OR straight away with butter!! YUM...

My kids went NUTS for these! The apple adds a natural sweetness and is a great way to use up apples that have lost their crunch!!!

Eat for brekky or in a lunchbox cold.

These were all that was left after brekky....they were all gone by lunch!!

Other things we have had this week are:

Simple coconut cake

Preheat oven to 180

1cup shredded or dessicated coconut
1cup S/R flour
1cup full cream milk
1/2 cup Xylitol  OR 1 cup sugar
 (we used just under a half a cup of Xylitol...note when using xylitol you won't get the same rise results as sugar)

Method:
In a medium bowl add all ingredients and mix well till combined. Pour into a greased round cake tin and bake for approx 35mins.

Tastes yummy warm for afternoon tea

I also discovered some fresh whole egg mayo in the fruit section at woolies so we've been enjoying using that!

Crunchy Tuna wraps..
Whole wheat mountain bread
Large can of tuna (good quality) in pure olive oil (chilled would be best!)
stalk of celery (chopped into tiny pieces)
1 cob of sweet corn removed from husk OR small tinned corn
about 2-3 good dessert spoons of your fresh mayo
alfalfa or shredded lettuce
makes about 5-6!

method
drain oil from tuna, add to bowl. Add your chopped celery, corn and fresh mayo stir till combined.
On your piece of mountain bread add mix down one side (like a tuna sausage!) then put your alfalfa or lettuce on top or beside (be careful not to over fill!) then roll them up and enjoy!
My Father in law had 2!

Miss 5 LOVES beetroot so today I made a simple beetroot dip for her. It consists of a decent sized baby beet chucked in the food processor and chopped tiny but not pureed. Along with about half a tub of cottage cheese pulsed in the food processor to combine.
It still has the beetroot flavour but can now be spreaded onto a sandwich or use plain crackers to dip!
I broke up pieces of the mountain bread, drizzled with olive oil and cracked some sea salt over them and placed under the grill....YUM!

I have to say that eating healthy has been more expensive...initially BUT I've found some GREAT Organic, Additive free, Low or NO sugar alternatives at Woolies and Aldi that are in our budget without the usual sugar and preservative laden foods we'd buy...and I'm feeling so much more confident in feeding my kids Fresh foods!
Just a side note: We use full fat milks, cheeses and yogurts. I believe in getting back to basics is eating foods as close to their natural state as possible and osteoporosis runs in females in my family so I'm dosing myself and girls up on calcium now!!! Lol

Hope you got some ideas there for healthy snacks for your family


Love

Chocolate Chip Cookies (wigth chickpeas!!)

Evening Lovelies :)

As promised a recipe for the chickpea/choc chip cookies!!!!!

Preheat your oven to 180 degree (moderate)
line a cookie sheet or baking tray with non stick baking paper

Ingredients:

half a cup of Xylitol (sugar free, diabetic)  (I used just under half a cup and they were sweet enough for us)
OR 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup of organic butter (or reg butter or marg)
2 large organic free range egg whites (save the 2 yolks for homemade mayo!)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 425g can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 cups of choc chips (I used pure cocoa nubs from the health food shop, and only 1 cup....this ingredient is expensive!!) Lol
3/4 cups of chopped walnuts or macadamias (optional)
3/4 cups of raisins (optional) raisins will increase the sugar/fructose content
2 cups of organic all purpose flour (or reg...I'm on an organic diet)
1/2 old fashioned steel cut oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

in a bowl cream the butter and xylitol (or brown sugar), when nice and creamy smooth beat in the 2 egg whites and vanilla till mixed.
Add in the choc chips and drained/rinsed chick peas (might want to use a tea town around your bowl if using beaters or a kitchen aide...they fly everywhere!! LoL) (add in the nuts and raisins now too)
Add the flour, oats, baking soda, salt. Mix on a low speed until a thick dough forms.

Roll into tablespoon size balls and place onto baking tray, press gently with a fork.
Bake till golden...Approx 12-15mins.
DO NOT OVER BAKE!
Transfer to a cooling rack and ENJOY!

Store in an airtight container for around 3+ days.

Next time I cook these I'll be adding some chai seeds to gibe them some added extra nutrition wise. About a table spoon should be plenty :)

These are SUPER yummy and my hubby and 4 kids have not even batted an eyelid at the chickpeas or xylitol! There is NO yucky aftertaste with xylitol compared to stevia or natvia also! Yay!!!

 

I'm currently turning this

 

into homemade slowcooked, sugar free tomato sauce!

 I'll let you know the results!!!!!

 

Love

houses

Hello again!

As I mentioned in my last post that we had finally taken the plunge and purchased our first home!

We have spent most of this year looking and dreaming about our family home... my dreams were vastly different to my hubbies! :/

Our house is the second we have had under contract in as many months with the first one not coming back with a satisfactory building and pest :(
I have been the primary negotiator in everything and it has taught me A LOT about sales people and myself!!!

I ALWAYS get asked all the time if I live at 1 ruby road (no I don't!) but I couldn't resist looking up houses for (crosses fingers) that last time for a while and here's what I uncovered!

Houses of 1 ruby road!

Houses of 1 Ruby road!!!!http://www.trulia.com/property/3083622170-1-Ruby-Rd-Chadds-Ford-PA-19317

http://www.newenglandmoves.com/property/details/507360/MLS-71436508/Lot-1-Ruby-Road-Gardner-MA-01440.aspx

 

 

How CUTE are they??? Totally up my ally or road ;)
Can't wait to share pics of our little 60s cottage in the next month...(once the tenant is out)
Sqeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :D

Long time no speak

Good morning lovelies!

A Lot has happened since my last post!!!
To much to go into great detail over except to reiterate... GET REGULAR PAP SMEARS!!!
(and make sure you don't have your nickers in your dress!!)  ;)

I did previously make a vow to you all to keep my blog updates more regular...
didn't do very well did I?!! :/

Most of us handmaidens that use facebook as a selling and communication tool will be telling you of the changes to facebook, and the detriment it's having to us all. So I have promised myself I will not let my little 1 ruby road disappear into oblivion nor will I let my fellow business/hobbyists either!
I plan to blog a minimum of twice per week...
Some post will be business related, Some will be showcasing other businesses....
And some will be about me, my family life and goings on!... after all I am the queen of the over share! ;)

I plan to be doing tutes for you all on various things....
having guest tutorials and appearances also.

I hope to be sharing PLENTY of DIY tutorials for around the home soon....
as we have just negotiated the purchase of our first home! SCARY and exciting!!!
It's a fixer upper so there will be plenty of topics for me to be talking about! Eeeek!

I have also been waiting to launch our next mama skirt photo competition. I have just linked a subscribe button to my facebook page HERE so if you subscribe there will be more details regarding that emailed SOON!

So here's to the next stage in my little humble life...
hope you come along for the ride with us by subscribing to us via email and our blog!!



Add caption

Early Bird Ticket WINNER!

Evening dearest lovelies,

Thank You all for wanting to be an early bird ticket holder to tonights market mayhem! Lol
Your support means the world to me!!

So without further a do...
tonights winner is lucky number 13!
So by what I can see on my screen (and all I can go by) the winner is
KATHERINE LANG!

Katherine PM me on my facebook page which skirt you'd like and i'll set up your listing hun

Good luck to you all nabbing that skirt you are after!!!

Early Bird Ticket Winner!

Hi there lovelies!!!
Thanks for wanting to win a chance to purchase a Mama skirt early tonight :D

Before I announce the winner, I'd like to take the chance to welcome the new comers and to introduce myself and 1 ruby road.
I'm Kylie Graham, loving wife to Josh and proud mummy to and 4 beautiful daughters. (Kaitlyn 11, Mikayla 9, Sarannah 4 and Addisyn 2)
We live in Bundaberg Qld, but don't drink Bundaberg rum...however we probably eat to much Bundaberg sugar! ;)
I turn 30 in 10 days and am totally addicted to drinking tea and my fave food is pumpkin!

I started 1 ruby road just shy of 2 years ago after catching the sewing bug....it is my passion and obsession! I am mostly self taught and have made some wonderful and long lasting friendships on facebook amongst the handmade community.
I really have a love for vintage and kitch and the 40s and 50s are my era!

Vintage fabrics and tea cups are my weakness!!!!

WELCOME!!!!!

No without further a do....
the winner is!!!

Lucky number 1..
Jesse Payten Hughes!!

Congratulations!

Jesse just message me through facebook your shopping choice and i'll make it available for you to purchase!

Is the day over yet??!

HELLO!
Long time NO speak!

I had planned to write a blog post this morning on a topic that is really very important and serious!
It will begin that way BUT the message might go off on a tangent!

Also...

I am the Queen of over shares....this is probably one of those times!!! Lol


Okay...


Today I had a Gino appointment for the dreaded pap test.
Now....I have to be honest and I'm really very ashamed with myself, that this was my first visit in 9 years! There is no logical excuse other than I was so busy looking after my little people I just got on with it. I have all my bodily parts crossed that everything comes back clear!

Okay....
This was how my day was supposed to go...

9:40am pap smear
11.10am big girls choir performance
12:00 visit a quilt shop I have been itching to see for the first time
1:30 home for an afternoon of sewing delight!

Here's how it went....

9:40am:
Arrived at my appointment...nervous as hell, but there and ready to get the show on the road!

10.10am:
Finally seen by doctor (Fail number 1) went through the usual stuff...YUCK!
When finishing up the lady doctor informs me "you might want to put a pad on....you are just about to get your period"! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! (Fail 2)
I have only just started getting my periods in the past 5 months because I had been breastfeeding...
I hadn't been expecting them so was COMPLETELY unprepared!
I quickly settled my bill ran to Woollies that is in the same arcade and it is now...

11:05am
I do a quick calculation...min 15 min drive to town, finding a park, running to the hall.
 I had missed the girls performance! (EPIC FAIL 3)
Oh and they won their competition so (DOUBLE EPIC FAIL) :(

...I compose myself and calmly walk to the toilets and get myself prepared for my impending "visitors" (intruders more like!) Okay all better!
My fringe has been bugging me so I decide to quickly duck into my hairdressers and ask for a trim....
no appointments till 12pm.

Hmmmm....

I didn't have brekky so I thought the perfect treat after my "ordeal" would be the new Franky Mag and a visit to one of the swanky cafes on the water front. We have been here 10 months and never visited them!! I found my park and quickly browsed the little shops windows as I went from menu board to menu board....trying to find the perfect delight. I settled on one right across from the   beach, I exchanged chat to the waitress about my lovely teacup pendant and my cute cats eye sunnies and was seated. I opened my magazine...Oh the bliss!

Feeling Very proud of myself for finally having an exam and for visiting a cafe on my own I began to read. A lady in her 60's bustled up to my table and leaned in....she began to quietly say....

I just had to come and tell you dear....
your skirts tucked into your nickers, everyone can see what you had for breakfast!
Ha...WHAT? I hadn't even eaten yet! :/
I think I turned white then beetroot red!
I had walked through the shopping centre....the hairdressers.....the newsagents...through the car park.....down the cafe strip ALL with my bum showing! (SUPER DUPER EPIC FAIL 4)!!!

NOW slight interruption here. Yesterday hubby caught me with my hands in the sink and tucked my skirt into my nickers....I yelled get out of it! He then asked if I'd know if I ever had tucked my skirt into my jocks (his words) ??? I said "OF COURSE"! What type of idiot wouldn't???!!!
Well this kind of idiot I suppose! :/

Deary me!

11:50
Delish meal was finally delivered. I devoured it BUT missed my appointment (FAIL 5)

Arrrg! By now I am thinking just find a hole and sink into it miss Kylie!

11:15
I drove to my hair dresses and she confirmed I had missed it and I could not explain to her the chain of evens that had caused me to not be on time....
I'm not sure she would have even believed me! Or worse laughed me out of her shop!

I proceeded to drive home and be a sulky pants, lick my wounded ego...
and see proud parents posting pics on facebook of their kids singing in the choir! :(

That was my day from hell!

I needed to share it as I think I'll wake up tomorrow and think it was all a dream! I would like to believe it never happened BUT then I would have to have a pap smear ALL over again!

So....although I went off on a massive tangent PLEASE get yourself booked in for an exam if you haven't been in the last 12-24 months. I am sure it will be far less painless for you than it was for me! Lol

Kylie xxx







     

And 8 Grahams became 10!!!!

Today was a working day but ended up operation
"make miss 4 smile day"!
Miss S has been very down and teary about the realities of our moving away from friends and family...we are 7 months in to our big move (time has FLOWN!) and she is now old enough to understand that nanny, poppy, grandma, grandad, auntie, uncle and cousin aren't down the road....
And that we won't be going back to our old home or be visiting her old kindy.
So I spent the day researching and purchasing 2 baby guinea pigs! She has been on at me for ages for a guinea pig or her ears pierced....Guinea pig it was!!!
They are SO cute and called frizzle and frazzle! I wanted Cash and Roy but the kids said NO :(
So we have 2 perfect little 6 week old lads...to go with our 2 little doggies (Milly and Astro boy)....
to go with our 4 little princesses....that go us....frazzled mummy and daddy!
And we wouldn't have it any other way!!!

I hope they last all the "loving" and "attention" that has been slathered on them!!!
I shall show you pics tomorrow :D


Love

No More Boobies 1 month on

This post if for the lovelies that read my story and had it resonate with them....or if it just pulled at the heart strings!

On the 1st of January  we trialed weaning my miss 27months....she had missed a feed due to all of our new years activities and it hadn't seemed to bother her....so I set out to see how she went (and my boobs) if we happened to miss another day of feeds....or only have 1 feed...
well you know the story!

I have to tell you it was a very emotional ride for me...
I missed that closeness with her and mourned the fact that I would never get that back!
I loved my title of a "breastfeeding mother"..... I wore that badge with honour for over 2 years
(even if people snickered at me!)
It was a hard thing to let go of....

What made it easier is I had a couple of weak moments....Addy was over tired and kept grabbing at my top as I tried to lay her in her cot for her daily nap. She had done this for over a week and I was feeling ever so guilty that I was taking my breasts away from her when she wasn't fully ready!
So with hubby at work (he would have scorned me) as she stood in her cot I let her have a suckle...
she had about 3 sucks on each side and promptly dropped to her knees and dozed off!
Hmmmm...

We had the same thing the very next day...so I gave her a little bit as a trial...same thing!
I realised she wasn't after my milk but that piece of security and comfort she has always had...I often let her fall asleep at the breast :/

So the next day we had long cuddles and we had a little chat...we talked about how mummies boobies were still there (she would often climb on my lap just to check!) and now we can share them with cuddling really tightly....and she has been known to slip her hand inside my shirt to hold them when she is overtired or stressed :/ 

Letting her know that they were still there instead of saying 'boobie all gone" was a much better option!
We turned a corner over night....both of us! She was okay with it and remarkably so was I!

My milk has pretty well dried up now....and I am left with nothing! (boob wise)
I had hoped for a little more but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess!

Which had brought me to thoughts of a boob job....just to re-fill....like you do your ink cartridges ;)

But as a mother to 4 young and very impressionable daughters....one who has just hit puberty I have another dilemma...is it just vanity? And what kind of role model am I being for them if I can't accept my body for what it is!

Why does parenting have to be so hard sometimes??!

I'd be very interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter!!

Love

Our Mama Skirt Comp WINNERS!!!!!!!!!

Hi There Lovelies!

Hope you are enjoying our new look....facebook, bigcartel and now our blog....next is our own web site! Eeeep....2012 is going to be big for us!

Okay....so our little mama skirt competition wasn't as huge as I would have liked....but I have decided to make it a quarterly event!
Good for everyone I think....skirts for you and advertising for us!
I'd love more pics and imagination next time PLEASE!!!!! :D

Okay so shall I announce the winners????
or keep stalling??? ;)

Okay, Okay here they are....

The winner of our Mama's in their "Mama's" category is...Drum roll....
Jeni from Handmade Love. with 46+  votes
Here's her entry:

Now for our second category...for those without Mama's (yet!)

And the winner is......Drum roll......

Kristi B from LivvysLoves with 101+ votes!

here's her entry:

If I were to win a Mama skirt, the first outing I would take it on is to this same beautiful park to blow bubbles with my baby girl, Livvy (and then I would wear it as often as I could get away with it ;p)

Congratulations Lovely Ladies!!!!
I would ALSO like to thank those that took the time to enter, It means so much to me that you would love to own one of my skirts! I hope you all enter again in 1st May 2012....the competition will run for a month...voting begins as soon as the entries come in so the sooner you get your entries to me the sooner you can start gathering your votes!!!!

Love

Whats that smell???

Hello Lovelies,

I rr shenanigans!

Miss 4 says "Mummy, Mummy, come quick, come quick"!!
She grabs my arm and yanks me to the pantry.
"Mummy, Daddy's done a fart in the cupboard and shut the door"!!
I open the door and take a whiff...Yes, YES it does smell like dads farts!!!
We begin to rip apart everything looking for the culprit......potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, a pumpkin.....
NOTHING!

The smell still doesn't get any better throughout the day....
We tell daddy that the pantry smells like farts....his farts! when he gets home from work.
He go's on the search looking for the culprit too.....all the while denying his farts smell like that!!!
He lifts up one of 2 egg cartons in the cupboard....nope number 1's all good,
number 2 is a little bit suss!
He carefully pulls out each egg one by one and takes a whiff.....nope, nope, nope, nope.....
Oh hang on...Sarannah is this the smell you can smell???
YES!!!!!! Yes.....it's a smelly egg fart she yells!!!

Bahahahahahahaha.......apparently daddy's farts smell like rotten eggs!

Daddy carefully carries the stinky fart egg outside (so it doesn't explode) and Sarannah and him throw it over the fence into the spare paddock like it's a bomb!

Just another day here at 1rr HQ...
Love my kids...they are solid gold!
Just wanted to document a little story that totally made my day, something I can look back on with find memories.


Hope you all have a Fab Friday!!!

Love
        Ky xx

day 6 of no boobie

Hi Ya Lovelies,

Just wanted to check in with you all after my blog post called "bye bye boobie".
it's day 6 of NO boobie and mummy is still not engorged....
That's great news! or is it? :(
Addy has been asking here and there (everyday) for her boobie and jumping up on my lap pretty regularly and having a quick peek as if to see if they are still there!
She has even offered me hers!

With this new revelation of me no longer being a breastfeeding mother....wow, never put it like that....excuse me as I go and have a sob! I liked saying I'm a breastfeeding mother!!!

Not being a breastfeeding mother means I can have the odd glass or 2 of moscato if i choose...
But not feeding means I have to make some adjustments in my diet. As you may well know I have a MASSIVE sweet tooth...and an apple pie (single pie...not the whole thing!) and bowl of custard per night addiction.
I have a pretty high metabolism but along with breastfeeding I was lucky any extra calories I consumed...(and there were A LOT!) got burned right up!

I now have to start to watch my intake.....B*&%#, Bugger, BUM!

Another thing...which is only a vanity thing and I'm a little embarrassed to admit...but
I wanted to get some sexy pin up style pics for my 30th to give to hubby....before I stopped feeding...
right BEFORE a feed! So although they may have been veiny (photo shop editing YAY!) they (my boobies) would be FULL...literally.... not flip em, flop em! Not that they were ever big enough to really do that anyway...they are more of a smear on my chest now!!
VERY sexy.... :/

Oh well I wonder can I have boobies photo shopped onto my body? Not to big...not to small...Miranda Kerr size would be perfect! Actually the body too....maybe they could just superimpose my head onto her body?? Minus the wrinkles?! and teeth whitened after my copious amounts of English breakfast tea drinking!

Blah.....I'll just get him a playboy! (not really)

Day 6 and 7 of grateful

So...I have a couple of things to be grateful for...(yesterday and today)
and no they aren't that I'm no longer a breastfeeding mother...I think that may take a long while for me to be grateful for that!

They are the beach...
I am grateful for it's beauty, it's power, how it can make people happy without even trying.
 I am grateful that that when I walk along it's shore it shares it's treasures with me and the other people who are walking along it share a smile and hello with me too.
I am SUPER grateful that this is one of the beaches in close proximity to our new house.

AND

I am grateful for fruit...sensory overload...looks amazing...smells totally amazing,

 and the taste...heaven.

I am grateful my girls appreciate fresh fruit as much as me!

PLEASE don't forget to get your entries into our photo competition in ASAP!

Love

         Kylie xx

being grateful

Hi ya lovelies,

After the topsy tervy year we had last year...family losses, moving away from family and friends, new jobs, schools, daycare, broken everything....including my wrist! I was feeling pretty cruddy at times!

But after by chance switching on the telly to sunrise this morning (I NEVER watch daytime TV!)
Divine intervention?? I came across a segment on 365 days of grateful.
I LOVE the idea!
I have a LOT to be grateful for but with the drudgery I fail to see it sometimes!
So while a lot of you are doing a photo challenge this year I am doing the 361 days (minus the 5 days into the year and the extra 1 for the leap year!) of grateful, a photo blog!
HERE 's the link to the original blog....it's SO inspirational!

I am determined to view this year in a different light and be GRATEFUL for the small things!

So who's with me??

I am always going to be grateful for my children....that's a given!

*I am grateful that my children are the best of friends <3

*I am grateful for green.....it is so calming and good for the soul.

Green to me means life...our palms have come back to life after the last lot of rain we got

(our wedding!)

Green is my most fave colour EVER

This is what I look at from my sewing room window...

it's simple and beautiful....it inspires me :)

Till Tomorrow

Day 4 of NO Boobie and we are doing fine!!

Love
         Kylie x

Ps. don't forget our photo competition!!

Bye Bye Boobie :(

Hi Ya Lovelies,

Tonight's blog is something I though I would never be writing about....I thought it would never end!
But Alas it now has and I'm SAD!

What am I talking about??
Boobie Feeding....
As most of you know I have a little girl named Addisyn....she is 2.3 years old and the apple of my eye.
She is also a breast feeder....a boobie addict!
It has been great feeding her as due to medical complications giving birth I wasn't able to successfully feed her 3 older sisters for very long.

Addy is the size of the average 18 month old so it didn't look or feel weird (to me) to be still feeding her.....although MOST people I know thought it was gross and I was the brunt of a many a boobie joke (must I say it was from males and women who haven't had kids yet!)


I am very proud I made it to 2 years and my original goal was 6 months but she was just to efficient at it....even self feeding if I wasn't paying attention!

Well anyway....today is day 3 of no feeds :(
And quite by mistake! Addy forgot to have a feed on the 2nd of this month....
I was amazed I wasn't engorged! She had built up quite a supply and if I went 8hrs without her feeding I was usually bursting :/
So I told myself I'd be strong while ever I wasn't engorged so we can do only one feed per day then finally drop the 1 feed so I don't get mastitis..(for the 6th time!)
I was happy to do this over as many months as it took.

We'll here we are and I'm still fine....No engorgement......weird!
Addy is still asking for it...but I have managed to get her distracted with cups of water/milk and a cuddle.

I should be rejoicing at having my body back but I'm REALLY sad!
I wish I'd have known her feed on the 1st of January was going to be her last one....I think I would have videoed it or something?
I know I would have snuggled with her a bit longer savoring the ultimate bond between a mother and child. :( :( :(

Gosh, I'm getting teary!
I guess my baby is all growed up!

I know my story is not one many of you will be able to sympathise 100% with....because the percentage of breast feeding after 1 is pretty low.

But I guess it's like the first day of school.....the feeling that your baby really isn't a baby anymore.

*Sigh....

Maybe I'll let hubby get his way with baby number 5? Or not??!..

Love

        Kylie x

a precious memory i'll never forget xx

Mama Skirt Photo Competition!

Hi ya Lovelies :)

You would have all heard me mention about doing a photo competition involving my mama skirts.
Well here are the details....

I am seeking some nice pics of you...REAL...LOVELY...SEXY Mama's wearing your mama skirts.
You can do them staged in a certain artistic style or just random candid craziness!
Edited or unedited.

ALL pics will be for usage on my page...my blogs and any other advertising or forms of media...
so in a nutshell I have the rights to use them as I see fit.
 (please note...I have the utmost respect for you all and would never abuse you or your photo's!)

The person I deem the Winner is set to win themselves or a lucky recipient of their choosing a custom Mama Skirt and free registered postage. Total value $61.

You will also somewhat become the face of 1 ruby road mama wear!

Please think this over as to if you are happy to see yourself in an occasional ad, blog post or logo.

I know there are a few Mama skirts getting around  but there are still a lot of you that haven't been able to purchase one yet.... So you are not going to miss out either.
I would like to see the poses you WOULD do and the places you'd take your mama if you owned one.
Serious.. or better still just down right ridiculously funny photos will only be accepted! ;)
(Please put a little blurb of what you are doing or would be doing in your mama so we know what you are trying to express!)

These I might put on my page as an album for everyone to vote on....

The Fair winner (or if it gets Nasty....please ladies play nicely!) the person I deem to be the fair winner will also nab themselves a custom mama skirt and free registered postage ($61 value!)

all valid entries (the ones that put a little thought into it) will also receive a vintage coaster to rest their cup of tea on.

So please get snapping and send your entries to convo_1rubyroad@yahoo.com

Let's give it a solid month to do it in and draw this little competition on Friday 3rd of Feb 2012.
*At what ever time my children allow! All winners will be posted on the blog and notified via email.


Now Get SNAP~ SNAP ~SNAPPING!!

Kylie  x

The Wedding!



Hi Lovelies,

I have been promising pics and details of my big day....we'll I had best get them down now before I forget the already sketchy details!



As you all know the lead-up to the big day was hectic and stressful!!
I had organising, sewing, baking food preparing etc..all to be done with a hubby away for work....Eeeeeeek!
Lucky my amazing mummy came to the rescue!

Thursday was spent sewing Addy's dress (most of it anyway)

Baking LOTS of baking!!


Our Dessert buffet menus was...
Caramel Pecan Pie
Vanilla Slice (I still have the blisters from whipping the custard for an hour straight!)
Chocolate brownie (hubby's specialty...and of the 2 batches he made there was NONE left!)
Melting Moments
Banana Bread
Scones
Caramel Covered Apples
Toffee Apples (for the kiddos)
Meranges (for the kiddos)
Chocolate Crackles (for the kiddos)
and my mother in law bough
Banana and walnut cake, angle cakes and pumpkin scones!
NOM NOM NOM!!
We had a tea bar to wash down all the cakies (Addy's word!)


Our mains where Wood Fired Pizza's with a top your own pizza buffet! Went down a TREAT!


The morning of the Wedding was raining!! I tried not to stress about the weather and just worked on making miss 8's dress....why did I decide to make them to measure?? Makes it so much harder and time consuming! :/
Hubby was rushing all over town doing last minute bits and pieces....

I FINALLY finished the dress at 1:30pm.....wedding to commence at 3:30.....

guests start to arrive early to help where they can and I haven't even showered,waxed my eyebrows (totally DIY wedding!!) or Anything yet! Arrrrrg!

I shower and attempt to put my hair in hot rollers but it was futile due to the poor weather...Grrrr you humidity!
(I know this is a little gross....but worth a mention as to how bad things were going....I am a breastfeeding mum (2years 3 month GO ME!)....I have not had any "visitors" for  3 years....(with gestation included)....but sure as shit I had a little visitor as I stepped out of the shower!!! OMFG....of all times to make a return....on my wedding night?!
Poor hubby :/ ......

More guests show up and don't want to "Alarm" me but the power has just gone out in Bundaberg and a Severe Weather Warning has just been issued for our area with torrential rain, possible hail, lightning and damaging winds! AWESOME!

Now I start to panic!!


So our beautiful beach lookout ceremony was moved to our backyard just to be on the safe side...
In a panic my girlfriends try to hide our Wood fired pizza oven to make a nice area to say our vows....
oh yeah I haven't written any yet! By now I am being very vague and decision making has been taken out of my hands as people can see I'm sleep deprived and stressed! My girlfriends attack my head with their straighteners to try and get some curl into my hair  mean while the sun is trying VERY hard to shine for me.

They throw my head pieces together (VERY roughly) and whack a bouquet in hands that they had whipped up no more than 20mins before!

Then it dawns on us we need music!
They grab my iPhone and pop it in our stereo and play "Can't help falling in love with you" covered by Chris Isaak......I immediately start bawling!!!


My stunning older daughters walk ahead and my 2 little princesses hold my hands...


I look up and all our guests are crying!


My best friend is our officiant and welcomes everyone and tells them of our beautiful journey together...tears are welling again!
Hubby is prompted to say his vows and I'm glad he wants to go first as I have NOTHING prepared....I want to see what he has to say so I can then pull an amazing piece of romantic literally genius out of my hat!


He proceeds to pull out a piece of paper to in fact read a poem he has written me....so that's what he has been doing on these business trips late at night while I have been up sewing the 80....YES 80 meters of bunting! ;)


A tear hangs on the corner of his eye and he begins to choke up with emotion....I'm GONE!

My hubby is a man a few words and painfully shy so for him to do that in front of everyone was worth all the lotteries in the world to me....How am I going to top that?? But wait there's MORE....he jumps behind the curtain that is hiding the pizza oven and unveils a Huge canvas that has the words of his poem written on it...then he hands us all pain to put our hand prints on it! WoW.....how did he keep this secret??!

He got the look from his friends as if to say..."Man...why have you gone and set the bar so high"!
We did our prints and cleaned up, it was then my turn to speak...and well....I had Nothing! Nothing!
I do remember I said something along the lines of I remember seeing you on the first day of grade 9 and knowing I had to make you mine.....that was my attempt at a poem! LAME! I am pretty sure I ended it saying I loved everyone?!

My 2 oldest daughters then stepped forward to give a speech they had spent weeks preparing for...while I was sewing obviously!
They were AMAZING! There was not a man, woman or child there that was not reduced to a blubbering mess! And their beautiful words showed a side of love and respect that we thought we wouldn't see till they were grown and had babies of their own! Thinking about it still brings a tear to my eye....SO proud!


The sun was shining the whole time!


From here we got into drinks and eating our desserts first....why the heck not? I needed it after the start we had, had!


Lots of our guests that were driving a distance to get home, so they left before dark... before the storm closed in. Which to our surprise it never did! It just provided us with a lovely cool breeze and a heck of a light show that we couldn't have made look better with pyrotechnics if we tried!


Things weren't set up at all like I had planned.....no one really sat at my fancy tables with vintage crochet cloths and china....but they ate drank and were merry....can't ask for more than that?!

We wound it up by 11pm and my girl friends and I showered and curled up on the lounge and watching bridesmaids sipping wine! The perfect end to a perfect day.....Nothing went to plan....just like my life but I like it that way! xxx

We didn't get any of the photos we had planned so we are going get all dressed up again to do a ceremony re-shoot....which I am actually looking forward to....that way I can say some things to hubby that I omitted the first/second time! ;)

Thanks for going on this ride with me....

if any of you are interested all things were handmade and or vintage and our budget came in at $2000 total.

Here's some pics in NO particular order! ;) 











Love

Love
Kylie x





Sorry for the randomness but I have no idea how to move the pics around in context :/