The Big 1-0-0!!!! MONSTER GIVEAWAY 100 GOODIES!!!

Well I'm up to my 100th post. I can't honestly say I don't know how I have managed to write 100 posts because really, I can talk under water! I talk while punching a boxing bag at the gym. I talk while typing, I talk, talk, talk..... a lot!!! So if I didn't reach 100 posts it would be strange!

I think back to my first post, where I was nervous and new to this whole thing. I wondered if anyone would actually read my blog. Or want to read my blog, people who didn't know me or people who weren't family and therefore obligated to read it!

I started out blogging after my sweet friend Holly told me I simply must start a blog. She said it was a lot of fun. I wondered where I would find the time.... and wondered what was a blog anyway? What do you write? Who would want to read it? What are they all about? She said a blog is like a magazine without all the ads in between. Well, that sold me. I went visiting the blogs on her blogroll and got lost in a world of creative people that I never knew existed! I clicked on more and more and more and suddenly it was 3am and way past bed time. So that's how my little ole blog started... and it's such a fun part of what I do. I love meeting people and have made some wonderful friendships along the way. The whole idea of 'swapping' was new to me too.... lots of doors have opened for me thanks to blogging....

So as a way to say thanks to YOU, the person who has made time to sit for a minute to read my blog when you really should be getting dressed, or going out, or doing dinner, I would love to have another giveaway! But this time a MONSTER one!!!

Leave a comment on this post only to enter. I'd love to hear about how you started blogging! Of course, it isn't mandatory to tell me and it won't enhance your chances of winning but will just give me an insight into your ideas!

***NOTE!!! PLEASE leave a way for me to contact you! Leaving an anonymous comment won't work!!!! If you don't have a blog to link back to I'll need an email address. Everyone is welcome to enter, if you have a blog or not. And YES I definitely will post internationally, seeing that 90% of my blog friends are not from Australia anyway!!!

The prize will be a package of 100 Mystery Goodies!!! Yes, ONE HUNDRED of them!!! They'll be made up of some things from my website like cards, tags, bookmarks and also things like trims, lace, papers, buttons, fabric pieces, beads and lots more!!! AND I'll email the winner to find out favourite colour preferences etc and put the package together as best I can to suit you, the winner!!! How does that sound?

Like I mentioned previously, I'm away next week. So I will draw the winner on October 9th. Lots of time to enter!!! Get those entries in now!!!!

Have a great rest-of-the-week,

Natasha xo

Karla's Romantic Country Party - What I love about my home

Karla is hosting a party ~ a Romantic Country Party and we are to share what we love about our homes. Be sure to join in or at least check out everyone's favourite parts of their home by clicking here to go to Karla's blog.

For me, I can't go past my lounge room. It's the hub and heart of our home. That coffee table you see is where I do almost all of my creating. The couch on the left is where Greg always falls asleep, the one on the right is where I often wake at 5am after nodding off myself! It's the room that gets the most constant changes, and where I usually hang my artwork for sale. It's also where I put my prettiest buys, because it's the room we spend the most time in. It's where Leroy plays and where we watch TV. We even eat at that coffee table, the kitchen is hidden away behind that door you see, it's usually too hot or too cold in there depending on the time of year. The lounge room has the heating and cooling just right. We also have a fireplace in there behind where I took the photo and a huge bluestone wall. But it was way too messy so sorry you don't get to see that one! We've got shelving being built so stuff is everywhere in boxes at the moment.

An older photo taken early this year, this is a little nook in our lounge room, my favourite massage chair!!!
This coffee table also doubles as the tea party table when required. Greg made the table at school so it's very special.
I love how the rug becomes a part of Leroy's play.... he lines up his cars just perfectly here!

I love placing candles everywhere. The lounge room has a gazillion of them. I often place them on china saucers, or in a sugar bowl, they look fabulous like that!
I also love our bathroom. It's small but it's pretty. Whenever I can I like to put fresh flowers in there. I've got several pretty old prints that were my grandmother's up on the wall in there. The wire stand you see in the reflection is an antique French bakers stand, I had it long before the reproductions were around, it's a genuine one and a beauty!!! I keep soaps and lotions and towels on the shelves, most of which are stored in my green depression glass collection.
I also love our bedroom, with the exception of the paint colour and the wallpaper on the bottom half of the walls.... I have learned to block it out, lol! It's going to be a while before we get around to painting, too much other stuff to do before we can paint so I learn to live with it. I love lots of cushions on the bed, my friend Kathy made all of these! The painting above the bed is one of the few I have created just for us!!! I love the frame that is so chippy and old!
The chandelier above our bed, it's my favourite even a few years after buying it. I love it!!!

Thanks for stopping by, sorry it's quick and some of the photos are old but they still work for me. I'll try to go visiting some time soon....

Oh and I realised after reading Holly's blog mentioning she is up to her 98th post that I too was up to my 98th and this is now my 99th post! I'm going to have to think up something special for my 100th post. I'm thinking along the lines of another giveaway, but a mystery one.... say, a package of 100 assorted crafty bits and pieces.... so come back by the end of the week and see what I have ended up deciding to do!!!

Enjoy your day,

Natasha xo

Farewell Champ... & Trying to Kill Time in Adelaide

**If you're from Adelaide, sorry!!! No offence!!! Just the Port Supporters we encountered are feral, not the people of Adelaide***

We lost. Actually, we got thumped. Totally slaughtered. Shattered. Our boys really didn't do the right thing by this guy here. I'm still really upset about it, angry, peeved, sad. That is NOT what you do to your club's champion, record holder, and most loyal and courageous player ever to put on this jumper. Not good enough boys. I am so sad that this was his farewell. He deserved so much better and he didn't get it. So sorry Arch. Thanks for the wonderful memories, truly the best ever.

It's a pretty cool photo the one above isn't it? I managed to squeeze my way down to the front row and zoomed all the way across the ground to get it. All the players, even the opposition, gave Glenn Archer a guard of honour (and so they should have). It was so emotional. His parents were there crying, his wife was there crying with their four kids who were all crying. The older boy Jackson was so cute, he was booing the opposition crowd who were being feral in general as expected.

Hmmmm I don't sound my happy self do I? I apologise in advance... or too late!!!.... either way, I'm having my rant and rave and I might feel better later. Jenn & Jacqui emailed asking if I was feeling flat as I hadn't posted here last night like I was going to. Well, yes. Flat as a banana under a truck tyre.

We were up at sunrise to catch the plane on Saturday morning. Eeek.... I went to bed at 2am the night before, couldn't sleep, too nervous and too much coffee. So we arrive in Adelaide about 9am to find we can't check in to the hotel until 2pm!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok so let's go check out this place. I've been here a few times before, with less time to kill.

Magnificent day!!! Beautiful weather. Crappy food. Do you think we could find one decent place to have breakfast???? Nooooooooo of course not! The only decent place wasn't decent at all. They forgot our coffees, brought water instead when they realised they forgot, then we got the coffee AFTER the breakfast. DUH! Not too bright. We are so spoiled for choice in the food department in Melbourne. There are cafes and restaurants everywhere.

So there's this really beautiful river running through the city and it's a magnificent day. Where are all the people???????? It was totally dead. I am so used to a city where you can be dropped off in the middle of it and find a million things to do, great shopping and fabulous food choices, tons of people and lots of atmosphere. Adelaide is so pretty to look at, so where was everybody???? They should have all been out enjoying the city and the day! I just didn't get it. Boring!!! I was bored by 11am.

I was so bored and desperate I even bought a trashy WHO magazine. I NEVER buy trash mags, they are full of rubbish. But what else was I going to do? I didn't think I'd need to bring a book. Greg had a go at the casino and I can't stand the casino so I sat by the river and forced myself to read this stupid magazine. At least it was the Emmy Award dress issue, so I got a bit of a fashion fix. Just a bit though. (Didn't Katherine Heigl look stunning?!)

FINALLY we get to the room and have all of half an hour to get ready and get back out to the bus to the game. Bright light! Bright Light, I felt like Gizmo in Gremlins!!!! Boy was it a magnificent day weather wise. We were roasting in the sunshine!!! Then the game started and it was horrible. The Port supporters were feral as expected. They have a shocking reputation and they didn't disappoint. They were at the bar banging on the windows and making noises that sounded like a cross between a monkey and a hyena. I gave them 'the stare'. Greg ushered me away, seeing my obvious distaste for their primal behaviour. So we were getting thumped and seeing that neither of us were driving I decided that I'd have one or two beers for a change.
Only, they have this big line that you can't take alcohol past. You can't watch the game with a beer. The only stadium in Australia. How stupid! Or maybe it's because of the monkeys and hyenas. So 'rebel me' stood over the line to see what the security guy would do. HAHAHA! He asked me to move back. So I did. Then he went away and I moved over the line again. Stupid games I know.... I was bored. Bored bored bored. Peeved at what my team were doing out there. They are better than that performance. PHEW finally we are going home!!! There's the plane, yay let's get out of this place and never go back! Not that they want us back anyway!

So now I couldn't care less who wins the Grand Final this week. I have always hated Geelong, always. But at least they are from my state. Then again the Port people ended up clapping Arch when he came off the ground... But if we had won it would be a different story, we would have been lucky to make it out of there alive with those monkeys and hyenas. Think I might go for the Melbourne Storm in the rugby league instead.... but I really don't 'get' that game.

And this is the happy face that greeted us at the airport at home, that wiped the grumpy sad look off my face. "Mummy, Daddy, I missed you! You're here!!!". Now that's well worth coming home to!

Nervous... Introduction... Tagged.... and a funny story!

NERVOUS.... about the football. Those of you who know me personally know how much I love the football and I love my club. Those who don't probably think I am a nut. Anyhow, tomorrow we are playing in such a big game. It's the equivalent of the "Play Offs" in the States, and if we win it, we are in the Grand Final, our equivalent of the "Super Bowl" (two words or one? sorry!)

Greg and I are making the trip interstate. There will be about 50,000 people there (smaller stadium than the one we have played at lately) and about 49,000 of them will be screaming for the other team. My team are going into hostile territory. As are we in amongst them in the crowd. I desperately want our boys to win so please keep your fingers crossed for them!!!! Hopefully I will report back on Sunday with great news.....

Now I'd like to introduce a new blog!!! These are gorgeous friends of mine. They are customers and a sweet mother and daughter team, they also happen to love my football team as much as I do!!! Please visit Jenn & Jacqui here, tell them I sent you and welcome them into blog land!!! Jacqui takes beautiful photos, go check out their eBay listings to see what I mean. They have a gorgeous home, which they are packing up right now to move their NEST.

Now for a funny story.... I received this beautiful album made by Amelia (who made the albums I offered on my blog a little while ago). This one was personalised for me as a birthday gift. She used papers she had purchased from me, how sweet is she! Anyhow, I'll cut and paste her story here, in Amelia's own words. It made me crack up laughing!!!

Hi Natasha
I am so glad you like it as I have a funny story to tell you. Amelia one of my six year old twin grand daughters was staying over. She was walking around the house saying "who painted this Nanny"" Natasha Burns "I would say" and who did this Nanny"" Natasha Burns" I would repeat." She must be a very clever lady "I agreed The next morning taking her to school I was packing the little album up to post Amelia asked who it was for Natasha Burns I told her. "Not the clever lady who paints" she replied." Oh Nanny what will happen when she opens it and says what is this Rubbish"(She attends a Christian School and they are focusing on truth at the moment) I must have looked shattered because she quickly said: Do not worry Nanny she lives in Melbourne we won't hear her."

How hilarious! Out of the mouths of babes huh? Anyway, I love the album, thank you so much Amelia!!!

TAGGED. I was tagged by Miss*Lawrence (check out her amazing work!)

Here are the rules:

1. Link to my tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about me: some random, some weird...all devastatingly interesting.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of my post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Hmmmm the 'devastatingly interesting' is going to be hard! I'm rather boring and normal!!! Here goes...

1. I have a belly ring/piercing... I know, a bit old.... but I got it just before I turned 30 as a reward for losing weight. I wore this enormous chandelier crystal drop belly ring on my 30th birthday party for fun!

2.Before I got pregnant with Leroy I was considering getting a kangaroo tattoo on my hip. Decided it would look bad if my tummy stretched.... if we make it and win the Grand Final next week I might just take my hubby and dad and get said kangaroo tattooed on my hip... ouch!

3. When I was a little girl of about 6, I wanted to marry Shakin' Stevens, this guy here. Sad huh?

4. I'm terrified of needles or anything sharp that pierces the skin. So go figure, how did I get a belly piercing without anaesthetic? How did I have an epidural and how did I have a c-section??? The last one because it was an emergency. The epidural because I wasn't the slightest bit curious to feel contractions and the first because I just had to do it!

5.I am a hoarder. Big time. I don't like to throw things out. In my mind I would love to be super organised.... but in reality I have so much stuff everywhere! I'm just like my dad and my grandmother. Must be genetic.

6. I buy in bulk. Like bubble wrap. Instead of those little rolls, I buy a roll same height as me and about the thickness of three of me. Doesn't fit in my car! I see frames at shops or garage sales, I buy them all. I see pretty flower trims, I buy them all. JUST IN CASE I will need to make lots of things from them and I can't get them later when I want them. The end result is that I forget what I have and get bored of it before using it. I could open up a craft shop with my supplies, seriously!

7. I am constantly thinking of new things to do even before finishing what I am working on. I am always trying out new things. I have always been this way. As a kid I used to borrow craft books from the library and make everything that they did.

So now I am tagging 7 people. Jenn & Jacqui, Kathy, Heather, Holly, Ginny, Cheryl and Lori. If you're already tagged sorry! Don't worry about doing it again!

Just a note to my blogging friends, I am going to be a bit of a stranger the next two weeks. Next week I am frantically working on getting my orders completed and posted out. The following week we are going away to the beach, organising a house sitter now. I'll make plenty of goodies while away, I intend to make a ton of hanging Lavender Strawberries, they sold out really quickly last time!

Enjoy your weekend and hopefully it will be another Happy Face picture on Sunday from me!!!

Natasha xo

We have a winner (well, two actually!)

I've had to draw my two giveaway prizes 4 days early. I'll be computerless in a week so now I have to get my skates on and get my orders finished!

Thank you everyone who entered! The response was huge, so many more people than I would ever have anticipated entered. In the end we had 99 entries (you might have seen 101 comments but two comments were duplicates so I deleted them).

Winner of the first draw of one of my creative packs is #46, Monica!!!! I'll be in touch with you to get your snail mail addy shortly! Congratulations Monica!

And the winner of the second draw for the old clothing patterns is #39, Reflections from the stone nest!!! Congratulations Kitty!!!

Thank you for entering!!!

Natasha xo

These Boots Were Made For Walkin'.... and a sneaky peek at my Marie Antoinette Round Robin book!

Remember back here when I gushed about the amazing Western boots I just had to have? Well yesterday they arrived!!!! Many of you wanted to see pics of me in them so here they are! Taken today at Kangaroos training watching my team practise for the huge game this Saturday.

Thank goodness both pairs fit!!! I took a chance ordering online but I tell you I am so happy with them, they are so incredibly made and incredibly comfortable.... the Western boots we get here in Oz ain't a patch on these babies. They're even lined in leather. The workmanship is fantastic. I've already dropped them off at the shoe guy to add metal plates to the tip and heel so I don't wear them out. I'd never buy another pair in Oz again after getting these. Go take a look here for some fab boots! (Mine are both the Justin brand)
The pink ones are my hubby's fave pair. Silly me messed up the picture order, oops!

Well looky here, this is what greeted me (all beautifully wrapped) when I got home yesterday. It's a beautiful birthday package from my beautiful friend Kathy. She spoiled me rotten that's for sure!!! She sent me the most gorgeous old card box I have ever seen, featuring green and roses, ooooooh! And some beautiful lavender sachets, old original French postcards, beautiful fabric pieces, delicious Macadamia nuts (Kathy what are you doing to me? they are such a weakness of mine!!!) AND the most incredible vintage rhinestone necklace AND beautiful vintage rhinestone hair clip!!!!


Oh I am so loving these.... Thank you so much Kathy, I adore my pressies, you really did give me way too much!!!

I also received a wonderful surprise gift which has a very funny story to go with it so I will post on that in the next day or two, so you don't have too much to read in one go!!!



Now here are some sneaky peeks of my first page that I finally worked on for the Round Robin books I am doing with Heather, Holly and Ginny. Check out Heather's post here for some background on it. Also check out Ginny's beginnings of her book and I believe Heather is going to share more pics of her progress soon so go take a look in the next few days. Holly is going to start her one real soon!!!


And some trim details for the next page I am about to work on... gotta love this green velvet embroidered and jewelled ribbon!!!
Ok well that is it for me tonight. I must get moving and do some work. I will go blog visiting one day very soon, just a bit snowed under still so please don't feel neglected if I haven't visited you for a while.



Enjoy your day!



Natasha xo

Snowed under but it's HAPPY TIME!

Lots of photos on this one! I've been snowed under lately, in a good way! So much work to do, lots of orders and lots of new ideas in my head at the same time as well as getting started on my Round Robin Marie Antoinette book with the girls..... don't you wish there were more hours in the day? Anyhow, this is photo heavy and talk light.

Here's my week in a nutshell.... AND DON'T FORGET MY GIVEAWAY!!! Thanks for signing up if you have already, the response has been mind blowing for me!!! Thank you for the support and comments, you're all so wonderful!

Now onto the first most important thing....

Can you tell my team won???

Much happier face this week compared to last week's sad one. Shocking pic of me but the only one I had after the game last night and I was happy and tired and excited!

Big crowd again this week, 75,000 people.

This week the boys stood separately for the national anthem. All different to last week. I'm a little 'Football Superstitious'. So during the week I threw away my unlucky socks (they had holes anyway) and got a new Kangaroos tee and saw all the things happening differently, and as it turns out the game result was different, an emphatic win! We are playing interstate this week now, for a place in the Grand Final! That's like the Superbowl! Our team were expected to finish LAST this year, no kidding. I'm proud of them already.

My favourite player, Glenn Archer. Mentioned him quite a while back, he's just a super football player and super person. If we lose this week it will be his last game.

Some of the orders I've been working on. Hand painted coat racks and lots and lots of hangers. More that I didn't photograph too!


Bath sign on its way to Karla. She has a yellow rose Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic shower curtain and I based my rose colours on that. Hope you like it Karla, it should get to you any day now.

Leroy received the most gorgeous bunny box ever from Jenn this week. She's so talented and makes the sweetest things. He loves it Jenn, thank you! I am almost done with your cupcake fairy jar!

My mum gave me the prettiest hobnail milk glass lamp with crystals for my birthday. So lovely!
Sweet Heather sent me this fab package! Some of her pure silver glitter and a gift for my birthday wrapped all pretty and some some things I had ordered from one of the other Heathers! Just look at this magnificent Lampshade Heather of Pretty Petals made for me and gave me!!!! I adore it!!!

Wonderful millinery rose.... it's oh so perfect and oh so pretty on my mantle. Thank you dear Heather!! You've spoiled me!

Back to some orders I've been working on this week. A mushroom fairy for one of the ladies at my Weight Watchers meetings.
An extra enormous clock on its way to the States...
And a sign on its way to one of my regular customers.

PHEW Ok better get back to it. I've got 2 pages of things on my TO DO list. And next time I'll post pics of my round robin sneaky peeks....

Don't forget to enter my giveaway on the previous post! Only comment on that post for the giveaway please, makes it easier for me to draw a name out!!

Cheer hard for my boys this week, it's a tough game!!

Natasha xo

PS. Is everyone else getting their blog comment emails in code format? It started happening to me yesterday and I'm curious if it's a blogger glitch