Oh hello giveaway - you are loved!

Are you a fan of oh hello friend?

If not, I think you should be. I love popping on over each day and seeing all the beautiful eye candy, craft projects and design inspiration that Danni has to share.

And this latest giveaway is SO exciting ...

see ...

sleepless (well almost) in Seattle ...

After my amazing week with the P's Leslie and I caught an early early morning flight to Seattle (after staying up much too late finishing sewing a million aprons ... well it felt kinda like a million never ending aprons that late at night! And thanks Mr Nick for wrapping them up so nicely for us too - seriously! :)

We were pretty excited because this was the start of our bloggy meetup, which we had been planning for about a year. A fun time where we would spend a weekend with a bunch of fellow bloggers whom we had never met (well Leslie had been lucky enough to meet a few) but who we had prayed for, cried with, constantly emailed, had many hour long phone chats, facebooked and become dear dear friends and close sisters in Christ ...

and we were also probably exhausted from our week of fun and craft room mess making times as we both slept pretty much the whole flight! Although we did enjoy it when our hostesses sang "Goodmorning Goodmorning" to us and also sang goodbye as we landed (The same lady I mentioned in my last post) very funny + strange!  :)

Our flight was the first one to arrive into Seattle and we eagerly awaited the arrival of this lady and her littlest one. Excitedly trying to work out exactly what terminal she was coming from and standing at the top of the escalator and spotting her coming up it, waving and shouting was such an exciting moment!!!

Once again it was surreal standing there in the airport with these two amazing ladies. Trying to let it soak in that this was real!

Then we headed out side where it was cold and awaited 2 carfulls of very excited girls to arrive...
This one and this one and this one and this one too...

Chelley even tried to jump out of an almost still moving car and run across three lanes of traffic just to hug us. Crazy lady! :)

some fun Seattle moments:

- the start of Andi's standing on chairs to get our attention and organize things.
- Meeting Misha, her hubby and cute kids when they dropped her off at the hotel. 
- late night talks all cramped in one hotel room (we had to hire three rooms to fit us all in but couldn't be separated until it was very much bedtime and then we talked a lot once we were in bed too!).
- Staying in the classy 'Sheraton Hotel' and gazing out onto the famous city below
- Experiencing tipping a hotel bellboy - this was like another language for me :)

- My first PF Changs experience yummo! and trying to understand how much to tip - still Such a foreign thought!
-  a 3 storey anthropology!!! need I say more...

- Having Andi capture Fairlight's and my expression (we were the only two who had never actually been into a store before) as we first walked in. Andi - we need copies!! :)
- 2 yr old Rose 'buying stuff' at anthro - cutely walking up to the counter where her mum was purchasing a few things and putting her little stash of handles on the counter as if to say "Just these thanks"

 - Enjoying Seattle's pretty buildings and super clean streets (Sydney people you could learn a few things here!) with bare but pretty in season twiggy branches

- Pretty Pretty cherry blossoms lining the streets

- Experiencing Pikes Place Markets.

- oohing and aahing and buying flowers at the market (not knowing that they had something to do with me...)

 - Taking SO many photos of Pikes Place

- Getting asked what magazine/paper we were from because of all our big slrs and picture taking of the pretty colourful fruit and veggies. see? ...

- visiting the world's first ever Starbucks and grabbing a hot tea on a brisk morning.
- Fairlight and myself getting to taste a macroon for the first time from a cute and cozy bakery. (LOVE that we were able to experience a few 'firsts' together on this trip!)
- Having to take pictures of our macroons before we ate them - such a blogger thing!

- Receiving my first Martha Stewart wedding mags - yay!
- Sharing beds and stories and chats into the night with this lady.

 - Getting to help pick up Amanda and Miss Jilly up from the airport with Dawna and Misha - while the others went to finish some 'errands'. Little did I know that they were up to secret things that I wasn't to know about yet :D
- Letting the Aussie 'help' with directions on the i something er rather -  eek! :)
- Stopping off at another Starbucks (they closed all our local Starbucks over here now except one I know of in the city...) where we met up with the sweet fun and beautiful Miss Nikki - who completed our group.
- an incredibly fun and chatty trip with Niki all the way to Seabrook on the Washington state coast where we had hired a beautiful beach house for our relaxing trip together - This girl can SO do a better aussie occer accent than me :P !!!

And I guess some of us weren't all that sleepless :)

coming soon to a theatre near you!

Continued post(s) of my USA travels coming up soon, I promise. Sorry it has taken so long - I have had the busiest last couple of days and weekend (there is some news to report), I am also sick and got up this morning at 3:45 am to get M and his family down to Sydney and the airport (they are holidaying in New Zealand right now - are you jealous too :)!!

But have no fear - I will back soon. Wild horses couldn't drag me away (anyone else love that saying too!??!)

a week with the P's ...

Leslie's is one of those blogs I have read from back to front. Devouring every word and being totally inspired by her crafting, homemaking, mothering, love for her husband and the Lord and for just being real. With Leslie you get the good and the bad and its all beautiful and it's all so her ....

and yes she is aware that I have stalked her for years too ;)

While reading her blog I always thought how cool it would be to meet her one day - little did I know I would actually get to see this become a reality. Leslie was the one who got to pick me up from LA airport when I flew in from Sydney. The first bloggy friend I got to meet and hug on my trip. I was SO excited when my plane arrived I could hardly wait and luckily got through customs in like 5 mins! And we got to spend a whole week together in beautiful Cali with her lovely little family too.

some of my favourite moments from staying with this family:

- Leslie praying over our first breakfast together, the week and the rest of the bloggy meet up girls just after she'd picked me up from the airport and we stopped for a bite to eat.

- the gps telling us to "make a u-turn" then when we made a u-turn to "make a u-turn"

- Leslie realizing this after about the fourth u turn :)

- The cute black board in the lounge room with a 'welcome Ms Katie' note when I arrived (wish I had taken a pic...)

- meeting Nick and the kids for the first time. Suddently all those pictures I had seen were moving and it was kinda surreal!

- being this boys crush

 - seeing the cuteness that is their new home.seriously seriously cute!

- Enjoying the Californian landscape. So different to Oz  aka hardly any trees and boulders on the hills, but  oh so lovely.

- constantly trying to get in the wrong side of the car and getting confused everytime we turned left and went ACROSS the intersection! 

- my little shadow Ry Ry  who would watch me every morning do my hair and makeup and always ask "katie what are you doing?"

- Giving Rylan my clean makeup brush and watching her brush it over her face while standing on her little step stool. Thrilled to be hanging out with 'Ms Katie' - precious!

- crazy hairstyles in the bathroom with Ry Ry and wearing my pretties (headbands)

- Sewing in the cutest craft room and sharing new music together.

- Fabric shopping and not realizing we had spend over 4 hours(?) in the one shop until Nick called and we saw it was dark outside! we may have been up to something...

 - 'Australianisms' and Nick and Leslie's face when I would say something that made perfect sense to me but they had absolutely no idea what i was talking about. like where's your 'bin''?

- the way that Aussies apparently 'chuck a lot of things' e.g. 'Chuck a yewie' 'Chuck a sickie' and one of Leslie's favs 'chuck a wobbly' 

- Rylan laughing over a youtube video of a wombat digging - so funny!

- outlet stores :)

 - Going to "Mickey's house" aka Disneyland!!! I'm not sure who was more excited, Rylan - or me.

- going on a water ride at Disneyland with Nick. Who somehow came out of it pretty much dry, while I could hardly walk properly because my jeans were absolutely SOAKING wet!

- Embarrassingly announcing to Nick that it wasn't just my jeans "even my undies were soaked through" - sorry Nick that was probably too much information :)

- the teacups - so fun!!

- Love how the girlies had our teacup spinning so fast and theres Nick in the background just lounging comfortably :)

- it's a small world!

- California adventure!!

- ummm the roller coaster at California adventure and the toy story game which was great cause it was one we were all able to go on it together.

  - crafting - even though we may have taken on more than we could chew!

- for Nick's enjoyment... 'shark biscuit'

- chatting with no interruptions or phone delays -  a dream come true hurray!

- shopping, shopping shopping!

- seeing the kids for the first time, especially Cade who we prayed so much for and threw such a special baby shower for.

- Seeing all sorts of handmade goodies and the scrappy journal from the shower in the kids nursery :)

-  Swedish Fish. I AM HOOKED!

- the bean game - oh Nick I wish we could of played more rounds!

- the excitement of the bean game

- 'stink beans' are for BOYS :)

- Rylan, Cade and myself tying ribbons to ourselves and goofing around taking silly pictures. Ok, Ok I may have been the instigator in this silly game!

-  finally receiving my Christmas Card, because Leslie forgot to put 'Australia' on the envelope and still had no idea why it hadn't reached me! I love her :)

- our plane trip on Southwest to Seattle where the hostess sang goodmorning and goodbye to us which ended with..."We hope you enjoyed our company... next time marry one of us and fly for free" and then the plane erupted in giggles and applause.

- meeting this amazing fellow blogger and having the sweetest yummiest picnic lunch at Laguna Beach.

 - seeing the condo in Orange County.

- "in the boonies"

- "out woop woop"

- Rylan's artwork for me - the first time she used scissors "like mamma"

- my "first time to Disneyland" badge

- Listening to Steve songs in the car "line, line, circle circle square square square square triangle triangle line"... and then yelling out "again again" while Rylan looked at me like I had LOST it!

- California pizza kitchen mmm  + now knowing that Americans call corriander - cilantro!

- those times where 'Morgan' would just sit on the coffee table, craft room table and join in with our conversation (on skype on my laptop).

- Late night sewing with Leslie, Morgan sitting on the table and Nick on the floor turning apron ties inside out.

- Making pretty aprons for some special ladies and having fun choosing fabric and notions according to each girls tastes and personalities.

- Hearing my parents on skype and actually thinking 'Oh my gosh they sound SO weird!'

- experiencing wallmart for the first time.

+ only a few not so great memories.. which included

- getting the stomach bug a few days after I arrived.

- Throwing up all over the bathroom floor of a family I just met

- then proceedings to flood the downstairs toilet (with totally clean water btw) while Leslie was out. Once again POOR Nick! I think I owe this guy a totally fun Aussie surfing holiday!

- Not getting up early enough - I think it must of been delayed jet lag but I feel like we could of fit so much more in!

- Not taking enough photos together! umm and I have not one of Nick and I or Ry and I. so sad guys! :(

- saying goodbye to Les at Seabrook. where we both teared up and I feel like I didn't get to say anything I was really feeling!!

something along the lines of ..

 thank you P's for your love and friendship and for letting me into your life and your everyday. I loved every minute of it (well maybe minus the stomach bug thing). You are an amazing family your love and strength and friendship are so inspiring to me and your children are so beautiful - I just love you all. Oh and please please please come to visit us in Aus one day!! pleeeaaasssee .... cause I miss you and Morgan would like to chat to you while sitting on a chair and not on the table and I think we need another round of the bean game ;)

kt xx

ps. all photos totally unedited because otherwise I knew I'd never get them up! 
More on this part of my trip here.

I need.

This swimsuit for my honeymoon. how cute and stylish is it?!

I already have a lovely and fairly new bikini but I feel like I need a stylish and flattering one piece too.

And from all the reviews I have read it seems like Shabby Apple swimwear are a lovely cut too ie. not skimpy around the butt area. I have such a problem every summer finding a nice fitting swimsuit that actually covers my bottom area - so not a fan of skimpy cut swimsuits which is um ... basically every 'unfrumpy' swimsuit out there on the market. I mean I'm not unhappy with my butt size or anything but I don't really feel comfortable walking around the beach with a permanant wedgie either. I prefer some sort of support people!

but enough about butts ...

Now the question... do I want it in sweet sexy black or fiery and hot ruby red?!

I heart Amy.

love my in-laws-to-be...

look what they brought me for my birthday!!

ooh I have wanted this book forever!

Things from this book that I am just itching to make:

decorative patchwork throw

image from here.

wide leg lounge pants

from here.

desktop organizer

from here.

 Fashion checkbook clutch

from here. 

clutch handbag with fabric flower

from here. 

Patchwork handbag

from here.  

And I don't know how I quite missed this but Amy Butler has a new sewing book coming out in August this year. It is available for pre order on both Amazon and the Book Depositry right now and I may have just added it to my wishlist :)

ps. Have you heard about the book depositary? Even though it is a UK site, I love that they list items in AUD dollars and they have free shipping worldwide (US is on this list too). This means that for me it's often cheaper to purchase and ship from the UK than to buy a book at my local Boarder or Angus and Roberson - isn't this silly! 

what about you, what are you sewing or crafting up right now?

ps. I can't believe today is the 1st of JULY today! can you!?