My New Website Has Launched!

My New Website Has Now Launched!!

Hello to all my customers! 

By now you would have discovered that my website is currently undergoing some construction.  I have been working around the clock to get everything up and running.  There are still many categories and links which are yet to be completed, so bear with me whilst I get all the products online. 

The process of moving items from the old website to my new one is a huge task but I'm sure you'll be impressed with my new online store.  The layout is easier to follow and I've branched out into new lines due to your positive feedback.

In addition to my artworks, you will be able to buy gifts, toys and lighting online as well.  It will be your one stop shopping site.  And there are new exciting products being developed.

There will also be a new section devoted to Design Tips.  Many customers have an idea of what they'd like when it comes to decorating their child's room, but often have no idea how to pull it all together.  So starting soon I will be offering tips on how to do this with the least amount of stress.  There you go, artist, consultant and part therapist!   Believe me when I say I've been there.

And now to the big reveal (drumroll please...)

The best way to keep up-to-date with new products and sale items (coming soon) is to subscribe to my monthly newsletter (main page of my online store).

Please feel free to email me any questions you have about the new website.  And any feedback as well. 

Last of all, thank you to everyone who has helped me with my new website.  I will thank you all individually!  I could not have done it without you.  And to my husband and boys who support mummy when she's practically falling asleep at her desk near midnight.  Hugs and coffee do the trick!

And to my customers, thank you again for your on-going support.  I wouldn't be here without all of you.

Fiona

xxx

What would you go through for your team?

Not sure if I've mentioned it before, but my family are Manly rugby league supporters.  Which makes sense since we live on the Northern Beaches.  (Apologies to those who don't like our team - please keep shopping at my store!).  It is almost tribal up here on the peninsular and the area certainly gets behind their local team.

Their home ground isn't as modern as many other grounds but the locals love it.  The atmosphere is fantastic and it is full of families on picnic rugs watching the game.  I think if they renovated the ground it would lose much of the character.

Well last night I went from a regular fan to a die hard fan.  I stood in the rain with only the most dedicated sea eagles fans and supported my team playing against the Parramatta Eels.  For me that is "huge" and even my sister sent me text messages asking me if I was insane.  I've always loved football but not enough to stand there in winter and in the pouring rain.  How times have changed!  And the funny thing is that "Parramatta" is her team. 

Earlier in the day I had bought a new burgundy pashmina (sorry, but I like it better than the supporter scarves - I do have some boundaries), and thankfully it kept me warm.  Lucky I took my umbrella too.  Those plastic wrap covers that you can buy for a few dollars don't do your hair any favours.  Trust me to think of that!

It was actually a funny night.  There is always good natured ribbing from the opposition supporters, though the man next to me who had downed way too many beers, loved leaning across to scream "Paaaaaarrraaaaaa!" in my face every time they scored. 

It is always fun to watch the banter between the supporters of both teams, including the manly fan who kept yelling (at the Parramatta fans), "We have the beach and you only have a river!" all the way down the road after the game.  I have no idea what that is supposed to do with rugby league but it seemed to make everyone laugh.  The rivalry between Parramatta and Manly is legendary and so is the "sledging".

Manly lost the game but it didn't matter to us.  We all had a great night despite the weather and had some laughs.  The team will be back and so will we to watch them.

New Family Thrills?

In the quest for fun it seems the new destination other than Disneyland and Dubai will be Abu Dhabi. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), is shaping up to be the new mecca for tourists and children. Opening in October this year will be the Ferrari theme park called (no shock with this one..), "Ferrari World".

My boys will be begging me to take them to this newest theme park. As will most people who love high speed cars.

Set to be the world's largest indoor theme park, it comes complete with a racetrack that will host the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, shops, hotels, various attractions, rides and just about anything else to make it a gear-head's "Disney Land".

Talking about Disney Land, the Ferrari theme park which is located on Yas Island between the coast and city of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will include the world's fastest rollercoaster. Travelling at speeds in excess of 200 km/h (124 mph), it is said to emulate the feeling of being in a Ferrari F1 car as the passengers go over 62 m through the roof and back down again.

As for the theme park's now completed red roof, which is claimed to have been directly inspired by the classic double curve side profile of the Ferrari GT body, it covers a surface area of 200,000m² (2.15 million square feet) and features the largest "prancing horse" emblem in the world, measuring an astonishing 66 meters (217 feet) in diameter.Designed by one of the world's most prominent design firms Jack Rouse Associates

Featured attractions include:


The world's fastest roller coaster emulating the feeling of being in an F1 car


G-force experience taking passengers on an adrenaline-pumping ride up over 62m, through the roof and back down again


State-of-the-art racing simulators using a similar system as those used by the Ferrari racing team


Flume ride journey through the heart of a Ferrari 599 engine


Driving and Racing school for junior drivers, with expert training


Aerial voyage over Italy following a Ferrari

The UAE will also feature heavilly in the new "Sex and The City" movie as well.  Disneyland and family friendly holiday destinations now have new competition for the tourism dollar.

Find For The Day...

In the morning I get so frustrated saying the same thing over and over again to my boys.  On school days I am constantly having to say "Get your uniform on".   Why doesn't it seem to sink in?

Well... why not use this instead to get the message across.

The Note Toaster

Make up a note and have i burnt onto the toast.  Brilliant.  Where do these inventions come from?  Seriously!  I would need a deluxe version (if they are available), as my message/list for my boys would be extensive.  Number 1 would be "make your poor mum a cup of coffee pronto".

From the "What were they thinking" file...

I don't quite get the need to dress up animals in little costumes.  I understand that in some of the world's colder locations that animals sometimes wear little doggy coats. 

My parents live in a very cold part of Australia and they have a little Cairns Terrier.  Even he, with his long white fur is not immune to the cold so I "get" the need to give him a warm jacket as well.  Especially on those freezing mornings where you can't even get water out of the pipes.  And of course it snows there in winter as well.

The costumes i am talking about are these...

Yes they are very funny but I'm wondering what the little dogs think about it all.   The things people do...

Found - The Lego Birthday Cake

Lego Construction Cake by "Ace Of Cakes"

In a previous post I mentioned the cake artists "Ace of Cakes" in the U.S.  Well have a look at this brilliant cake!  My boys would love this cake as they are Lego fanatics.

Even the lego pieces in this cake are handmade out of icing.  I love the way it looks like the little lego men have constructed the cake out of lego blocks and are then rolling the white icing down over it. 

And how cute are their little chef's hats!!

This is definitely a work of art and i would love to make this cake.   Though I don't think I could bare to eat it.

Bowling, Cocktails and Laughs

On the weekend we went to Strike Bowling at the King Street Wharf (Darling Harbour).  My sister and her children came too and we had a fantastic time.

Much smaller and more intimate than other bowling centres, it is so much fun.  With the loud dance music, video clips, cocktails ( for the adults of course) and excellent finger food, it is as much a place for the adults as the children.

They even have private Karaoke rooms for hire so we are thinking of going back next time and doing that too.

Afterwards we walked from the King Street Wharf around past the Sydney Aquarium to Darling Habour (central) for ice-cream and coffee.  I was surprised that even on a Sunday night there were so many people around.  There were performers and tourists. All the restaurants were full and it had a fantastic vibe.

King Street Wharf - Darling Harbour

Even better was the fact that it was quite a balmy night.  The kids all ended up with glow stick light sabre's and ran around while we ate our icecream. 

It was a wonderful night and since I work long hours during the week, I always try to make my weekends fun for the family.  We like to get out and about and if the weather is good then we make the most of it. 

If you haven't been to the Strike Bowling at King St Wharf then I recommend it. 

Loving...Owls

My love of Owls continues.  Not only is my artwork very popular, I have also introduced soft toys, owl pillows and owl gift cards (copy of my Owl artwork) into my range.

Why not think about decorating a bedroom in an owl theme?  They are timeless and enchanting. 

Take this Owl inspired room from Pottery Barn Kids.  I am in love with it!

How cute is this room?!

I would have never thought to use a clock that way. 

Owl Linen from Pottery Barn Kids. 

Owl Fabric - Robert Kaufman Design

Owl Fabric - Amy Schimler Design

Spotted... Alice In Wonderland Jewellery!

Just when you thought girls jewellery couldn't get any cuter, along comes and new line by Juicy Couture.    Their pieces are made with 14K yellow gold plated and accented with colorful cute cupcakes, glittering hearts, tasty ice cream cones and strawberries. Price: $32-$78 (US).   Then again, even with age who doesn't love these.  So maybe the "big girls" might want to buy some too!  Check out Nordstrom.com for the current range.

If they are too expensive then pop down to your local "Diva" store in Australia.  I was in their yesterday and spied the most fabulous Disney inspired jewellery.  Very similar to Juicy Couture but without the price tag.  However they are not 14K gold (but who would know), but just as cute.

Check out the range here: http://www.diva.net.au/#/shop/ranges/disney

My personal favourite is the "Alice Necklace".  With a long gold chain, a tiny pink cupcake and saucer (very "limoges" inspired), a real working gold fob watch and a jewel encrusted cupcake that says "Eat Me"; the necklace is very Alice In Wonderland.   Priced at $24.99 it is a bargain.  Look out for the matching cupcake/teacup bracelet and cupcake earings.  Or the adorable cupcake and teacup rings.  

Now, unless you've been hiding under a rock (or not reading this blog!), you would know that I am loving Alice In Wonderland and produced my own artworks to celebrate Alice.   Just in case you've missed them, here they are again...

Jest Jewels also have an Alice In Wonderland range of charm bracelets. 

Gold plated mad hatter tea party bracelet features crockery charms (tea cups, tea pots, plates, crackers, cup cakes, "eat me" cookies, and pocket watches

Antique gold plated tangled chain necklace has Alice's Adventures through Wonderland charms (card suites, pawns, mad hatter hat, scissors, forest animals, mushrooms, rose buds, keys, key hole, pocket watch, locks, cheshire cat, "drink me" vile, "eat me" cookie, crown and animals.

Check out Jest Jewellery at : http://jestjewels.stores.yahoo.net/index.html

Alice In Wonderland is timeless.

Leopard and Jaguar Print

The other day I mentioned Zebra print being "on-trend" at the moment.   The other print making headlines in fashion and interior design is Leopard/Jaguar Print.  Though I don't think leopard print ever goes away.  It is the one print that you know will always be in fashion every couple of years.  A few choice investment pieces in this print can last years.  I find it much easier to wear than zebra stripe as well.

At the moment if you go to any fashion store you will find tops and scarves in this print.  Today I even found a metallic leopard print scarf in a shop.  At the moment metals are popular as embellishments on clothing.  Mix the two together and you have an updated look.

Photo's taken this week.

Katy Perry, Chloe Sevigny and Sienna Miller.

No longer is it the Peggy Bundy Look from "Married with Children".  You might recall that in the show she had a leopard print obsession.  Now it is wild child or rock chic.

Kate Hudson this week

Betsey Johnson - Animal Print Wayfarer.

I prefer a little bit here and there when wearing this print.  Accessories are perfect to add the right dash of colour to an outfit.  Too much and it cheapens the look. 

French Sole Henrietta High Leopard Pony Hair

In home furnishings a leopard print pillow or throw strategically placed can give a room a touch of the exotic.  Dark wood, natural materials and African touches are also popular.

In my store I've found that Africa never goes out of fashion.  My African prints sell themselves.  Like me I am sure the children with my african artworks will mostly likely be the leopard print fashionista's of the next decade.

From the "Why didn't I think of that" file...

Sick of your children asking you how long until their birthday, how long to Christmas or the weekend?  Or the dreaded "How long until we get there" (Are we there yet?). 

Just enter it into the clock and hand it to them.  Hours and hours of fun watching the clock count down. 

Everyone's had that sneaking suspicion that there's a little bit less wine in the bottle than you thought there was when you polished off half of it last night. Could you really have drunk that much?  Or has some cheeky person half-inched a few swigs while you were out?

With a padlock-style four digit code device, all you have to do is pop the lock in the neck of the bottle, change the code, scramble the lock and rest safe in the knowledge that only the most bored of liquid thieves will have the slightest chance of getting to your precious liquid. Turning the lock mechanism will expand it so it locks tight in the neck of the bottle, so that when you lock it no-one but you can get in.

So, short of smashing the bottle to pieces and sucking the carpet, any untoward individuals coveting what is rightfully yours will be thwarted by this ingenious security measure. Or, if you're feeling mean, stick it in someone else's bottle and delight in their frustration.

Have a crack in the wall?  Don't have a very handy fix it man or woman in the house?  Or need to sell the house and cover up a crack?  Why not make the branch part of a wall decal.  That's right, turn your wall cracks into art!   Add the birds and leaves and hey presto you have unique wall art. 

Convince the Real Estate agent that it is worth a fortune!  I'm not sure what the solution is if the wall has holes.  I'll leave that one to you.

The Pizza Boss may just be the manliest pizza slicer you'll ever own. It's shaped like a circular saw (the manliest tool in the garden shed second only to the drill, which takes first place based solely on the fact that it looks a bit like a laser gun) and will make short work of your freshly baked pizza.

If it encourages my husband to get back in the kitchen then that is a good thing!

Happy Mother's Day!

Zebra Stripes

Zebra stripes have always held a fascination for me.  How amazing to have an animal with such bold colours when the majority of the animal world are clad in more muted tones.  

Storybook Children's Art - Zebra Artwork

I can't help looking at Zebra's and admiring them.  They are absolutely magnificent and I can't help thinking they know it.  How can you not think you are totally fabulous wearing such gorgeous stripes.  Watching them they seem to know the zoo guests admire them and hold their heads aloft accordingly.

It seems this confidence is also held by women who wear zebra stripe clothing.  Whether it be a dress, scarf or blouse; it takes a woman with confidence and flair to carry it off.  Without a doubt you stand out in Zebra stripes so it isn't for the wall flowers.  

Zebra print has made a comeback in fashion and interior design.  Incorporate a little into your wardrobe and home! 

Boots No 7 - and we're not talking shoe size...

Every now and then a new beauty product hits the market with much hype and fanfare.  Promising the fountain of youth and proclaiming magic new ingredients that most of us can't even pronounce; like moths to the flame there will be a stampede at the local department store to obtain a bottle.

At times I feel cynical as I part with my hard earned cash.  Even more so when the product fails to work as it was promoted.  And the bottle ends up in my beauty cabinet along with all the others who've been rejected. 

I'm not naive to think it will turn the clock back a decade (though I do hope in the future they can do this), but I do want to look my absolute best and although the nay sayers will declare they are not into fancy products; we all want to look as youthful as we can.  Even if it is just to avoid people asking "Are you ok?  You look tired today". 

Therefore when I read more and more articles about the new wonder cream - "Boots No 7 - Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum", I researched it to find out what everyone is raving about worldwide.   It appears that pharmacists and dermatologists in the UK have actually conceded that No. 7 does indeed work.  And I can't find one bad story about it.  Neither can many women in Britain who have practically bought every available bottle off the shelves. 

At the Boots store in London's Liverpool Street on the day of release, queues formed from 6.30am and more than 400 bottles were sold in the first hour of trading.

Women in the US are now waiting for their release of the product (Target U.S), so they can join in.  Unfortunately there has been no word of an Australian release so I bought some bottles from the UK.

The best part of all?  You can pick up a bottle for only 19 pounds at a Boots Pharmacy.  Hooray to skincare that doesn't take a third of your salary!  And it seems most women in the UK agree. 

The University of Manchester conducted independent research on No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum over a 12 month period, the most rigorous clinical trial carried out on a cosmetic anti-aging product. The research findings were recently published in the British Journal of Dermatology, stating that after using the No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum for a year, 70 per cent of women and men had "significant" improvements to their wrinkles with faces ending up with fewer lines and shallower wrinkles. In fact, the longer No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum is used, the more effective it is. 

Boots states that "the product has been independently proven to restore the skin’s structure, visibly improving deep lines and wrinkles by up to 50% with regular use. The first product proven to restore the skin's structure with prolonged use. So effective that other people can see a significant visible improvement in your deep lines and wrinkles......After 4 weeks, the appearance of lines and wrinkles is reduced by up to 50%.......After 6 months of use, the skin is shown to rebuild and over time elasticity is improved and deep wrinkles are visibly reduced."

Only time will tell whether it does work and whether it lives up to the hype. 
I will post again about No 7 in a couple of months.  It will either be the best find for years or another dud to be added to the reject pile.  I'll keep you posted! 

Karate Kid Revival

Karate Kid 2 will be released at the cinemas in June.  Starring Jackie Chan and Jayden Smith (Will's son), Karate is sure to be all the rage again. 

If you are as old as me and remember the first Karate Kid movie (1984), then you most likely have children of your own and will be feeling very "old" right now.  You know you're getting old when movies you saw in your youth are re-made for the current generation. 

Who wasn't in love with Daniel san and Mr Miyage.  I can't even count the amount of times I've heard people say "wax on, wax off".  It is one of those movie lines that go down in history and everyone can pinpoint the movie.   I seriously hope it is not in the new movie as I don't think I can take my boys saying it every five minutes!

My older sister loved the 1984 movie so much she fell in love with Japan and moved there for a short time to work.  Although she didn't take up Karate, she did take up Kendo.   Kendo, the Way of the Sword is the art of Japanese Samurai Swordsmanship.  Essentially it involves samurai type outfits, hitting each other with large bamboo sticks and much yelling.

She didn't quite find her gentle Mr Miyage type instructor though and was assigned a very large Japanese teacher who was like a drill sergeant.  Like Daniel san, she was not allowed to so much as learn a move until she had mastered the basics. 

The first basic was learning to scream loudly to terrify the opponent.  You would think screaming would be easy for her (I recall this from our childhood), but no, apparently she was not aggressive or terrifying enough.  Although I'm sure her husband would testify differently!  Screaming practice took a couple of weeks, as did learning to run at an opponent to scare them. Seriously!

Anyway, when she was allowed to have her first hit with an opponent using her kendo stick, she was matched up with a 8 year old boy.  When he was presented to her she felt sorry for the small child and was going to go easy on him.  Big mistake!   He let fly and whacked her senseless with his kendo stick.  She also had no idea that such a small child could scream and be so terrifying at that age.  (She has children now and has now changed her opinion on that). 

And to make matters worse, the whole town came out to watch the show.  Foreigners in this little Japanese town were a sight to behold, and even more so one attempting their national sport.  My sister was that nights town entertainment!

So no real sentimental Mr Miyage moments and no alley way Kendo fights in the style of Ninja Turtles for my sister.   Like Daniel san she keeps her Japanese head scarf to remind her of the fighting ways and she only brings it out at times of extreme stress and to remind her children she means business. 

We are both anticipating that with the new movie that our children will become Karate mad and start hitting each other with objects.  Or that catching flies with chopsticks will become a hobby again.  I can only imagine the amount of walls and broken furniture around the world sparked by the movie remake.   And a whole new generation of children learning the crane stance (unless they've come up with a new trick). 

Watch Karate school enrolments go through the roof and school suspensions rise from well placed Karate kicks.  It is 1984 all over again.

Can my house withstand it?  Here we go again.  Start removing all precious objects now!