An Unashamedly Personal Post

A hero is a woman who does what she can

Romain Rolland (correction of gender bias - Mrs Button)

Tonight has nothing to do with buttons or sewing. I want to honour a hero. There are no words grand enough or grateful enough for this rare and precious soul. This is the best I can do:

When we were in a very black place and could not think what to do, how to make things right for Mr Button and our family, you gave us HOPE.

You offered a part of yourself to us. It was a noble, generous, compassionate, kind gift which you gave with simple, unconditional LOVE.

Because of your great, good, gift, we DREAM, again. We are dreaming of rolling in the grass, playing at the beach, long busy days in the garden, throwing a football around the yard, going out together at night, having energy to enjoy the 3 beautiful little Buttons we are blessed with. We DREAM about days and weeks and months without doctors or hospitals.

With full and joyful hearts, we say THANK YOU! You are an everyday hero who has done an extraordinary thing. I see the colour in My Darling's cheeks and the excitement in his voice and I can't help beaming. I am in awe at what you have done and I cannot help but share it with this little corner of the world.

I am taking care of Mr Button as he recovers from his kidney transplant. I will pop back when I can. Your support and prayers are gratefully appreciated.

Missed It By THAT Much.

I suspect the title of this post will reflect my age and the fact that Maxwell Smart was one of my Dad's favourite TV shows. It's also perfect for the snippet of family life I am going to share with you.

Having set the context, let me tell you about my crafting 'miss'. It has become something of a family tradition to have receive a new 'Birthday Suit' to wear on the big day. Of recent years, this is often a request for a new Cute as Buttons design or some sort of Bespoke item. This year, Paddy's plans started out well:

• A red shirt with a desert and a bilby burrowing in a hole.

It moved to this:

• It's night time in the desert, the moon is shining in the sky, there is an owl flying over the hill and the bilby is sitting on the hill nibbling the grass that has grown there because it has just rained.

I was having some concerns about pulling that one off. However, at some point in the negotiations the plans scaled back dramatically to:

• anything you like with wheels and army fabric.

I am not sure if there was some intervention by Mr Button or Nanny or, if my wise little boy just took pity on me and decided I may have bitten off more than I could chew but, I must admit I was relieved not to be coming up with the desert scenario. I decided that a motorbike would do the trick and proceeded to work on it. I eventually produced the Vespa like design in the photo and ignored Mr Button's sniggering everytime I mentioned the Motorbike applique. I really wanted to use some more of the chenille pieces Miriam had given me so I cut the handles and wheels out of a mottled grey chenille which I thought worked well with the army fabric. Sewed, pressed and wrapped, I awaited his reaction.

The morning of the birthday arrived, one of his first selections was the present with the shirt inside. As the paper revealed the gift, a quizzical look appeared on his little face as he smiled and said, "Hmmmm."

Mr Button, sniggering again, asked if he knew what it was. Nanny, always the peacemaker, jumped in and said, "Of course he does Dad. It's a bike, isn't it Paddy?"

Relief all over his face, Paddy ended the conversation by saying, "Yes. It's great, Mum. Just not like any bike I've ever seen in real life."

So, the Vespa hasn't made the Cute as Buttons line up but I am proud to say my boy knows how to react politely when given a present he's not too sure about. He did wear it on the weekend and you can see it in his photo on the previous post. I had a couple of emails about the new design so thought I should explain. Seven weeks after the event I can now talk about the 'miss'. Mr Button, be warned, if I hear anymore sniggering I may not be so evolved.

Our Market Day

The anxious shopkeeper

Saturday saw an early start for my 6yr old Button. He decided to join me at The Handmade Expo in Ipswich. He was great company and quite helpful and he had sold out of his homemade fudge by 9:30am which made him as pleased as punch. Luckily, Nanny was there to chaperon him around the market and help keep him entertained. He loved the World Record Attempt at Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and also the rides and face painting. He found a little stall where he could select and make his own badge which kept him entertained for a goodly while and he's already planning which ones to make next month. It was a great date!

The new hair pretties

We had a lovely shady spot

We tried making shopping easier for the Button Buyers and arranged the stock in areas...Girls, Boys and They Don't Know Yet, which seemed to go quite well. We also resurrected the Jolly Green Giant which Sharon's handy, husband made for us last year to display our Christmas Lovelies. We had some coloured Christmas shirts, as requested, but they went quickly so get your orders in early. If you are an Ipswich local, let us know what you want and we will send it to Liesa in Handmade Heaven. She'd love you to visit the shop and make a head start on your Christmas shopping.

The Green Giant returns

We came home with a cute birdhouse from The Original Eumundi Birdhouse Co. and we are still in discussion as to it's permanent home. For now, it seems to be occupied.

Super Pops Entry

Number of days since purchase of this rug - 11.

Average age of artists collaborating on this project - 2yrs 2 mths.

Expletives uttered by Mr Button - 73.

Look on Mrs Button's face - apoplectic.

Dear SuperPops,

Please accept this as the Button family entry in your recent giveaway competition. I believe it to be the artists' impression of the chaos from which you produce your crafty goodness. At this stage they are not available for comment.

The artwork is on a fairly large scale and only a small portion is shown in this photograph but we believe it accurately conveys the intent of the artists.

You should be aware that this was not our first choice for submission. The older brother of said artists had committed to this project but he is a bit miffed as their choice of medium was the new rug in his bedroom. He has, understandably, withdrawn from the project until further notice.

Kind regards,

Mrs Button.

Thought for Thursday

We don't have to move mighty mountains,

We don't have to swim stormy seas,

We don't have to change the world overnight,

We don't have to do famous things.

Wherever we are, whoever we meet, in everything we do and say,

If we get in the groove and let the spirit move,

We can make a little difference every day!

Michael Mangan

This song is a bit of a fave around our house. Today when I was having a bit of a moment about some domestic mess, my 6yr old button reminded me that I just had to make a little difference everyday and all would be well. What a wise owl and a dear little boy.

So, that is the difference I'm claiming today - I took my son's advice and found my groove! What was the little difference you made today?

Many Hands

It was busy in Button Central this morning. Mr Button left for an appointment at 6am, it was our turn to do the school run and at 8:07am it became apparent that the school shoes would not last another 7 weeks until the end of term. In fact, they wouldn't even last one more day thus necessitating the dropping of sundry Schoolers and their bags at school and continuing on with the small buttons and School boy button to purchase new shoes.

Luckily , the small buttons put their shoulders to the wheel and they hopped in and made our bed while I was trying to force the too big feet into the too small shoes.

I quite like what they've done with the pillows, although, there may be a few more than usual on the bed. I hope sharing a bed with all those Wiggles doesn't discombobulate Mr Button!

Rainy Days and Mondays

Hair pretties - Christmas ones available on Saturday at The Handmade Expo

No, they really don't get me down! I love rainy days although I do wish the rain had held off for an extra 15 mins or so on Sunday. It did make the end of the Boutique Markets a little damp! There were lots of lovely things to see and we tried a few new ideas in the Cute as Buttons corner of the world.

Carb free cupcakes

Today was a cruisy Monday. We attended a beautiful family wedding after I'd finished at the markets and we've been moving quite slowly today. I did manage to trek over to the other side of town, with the two small buttons in tow, to source some new display baskets at a cane wholesaler. I'll be looking forward to playing with them at The Handmade Expo at the Ipswich Turf Club on Saturday.

Christmas lovelies floating in the breeze

Tweet treats

Deb's Denim Stompers

Couldn't resist this tea cosy from Maggie of Mags Bags

The Handmade Girls must be feeling fine. They have all been hosting giveaways for various milestones. Lovely prizes to be won at Bubba Chenille, Handmadies and Handmade Heaven.

A Sneak Peek at Our Christmas Goodies

If you are coming to the Boutique Markets this Sunday or to The Handmade Expo at the Ipswich Turf Club on Saturday 17th October you'll be lucky enough to see and purchase our 2009 Christmas tees and tanks. These usually sell out very quickly so be sure to place an order if you don't want to miss out. We have lots of different pattern combinations and you can make sure your little button stands out from the crowd.

We've had a natter with the girls from min nah kids and they are whipping up shorts, nappy covers and skirts to mix and match with our tops. They will be at The Handmade Expo in November and you can catch up with them here.

Our Christmas range will also be available in Handmade Heaven from the 20th October.

A Beautiful Gift

Last time I was at the Boutique Markets, I received this beautiful table runner from Sandrine Marsh. She posted about an idea she was trialling and I placed an order for one. At the end of market day, she presented me with this piece of art and asked me to give her some feedback. Life became a bit crazy around here and I neglected to get back to her. Sorry Sandrine! Your beautiful gift did make me smile each time I walked past my table and I am very grateful.

The linen is soft and has a lovely organic feel and appearance. I love the splashes of green felt which look so like gum blossoms. I've enjoyed filling a vase with gum leaves and using it as a centrepiece on our table. Due to the high consumption of spaghetti bolognaise and the appalling table manners of the Little Buttons, any centrepiece on our table needs to be quickly swept aside or suffer the consequences. We have whisked this piece of loveliness down to the end of the table and, on occasions, Mr Button has balled it up and plopped it on a chair. Lucky for him it doesn't wrinkle and just settles right back down and gives our table a class and serenity it certainly doesn't experience at mealtimes!

It would make a beautiful gift and because Sandrine makes each piece by hand, the gift would be unique to the recipient. The next Boutique Markets are on Sunday at Portside between 8am and 1pm and will be a great chance to start your Christmas shopping. I know 2 lucky people in our clan who will be receiving one of Sandrine's table runners for Christmas. So, if you're reading Sandrine, whip out that sewing machine!

Extended Absenteeism

Hello Blog Friends. Just wanted to pop in to explain where I've been for the past month. You know that usually I like playing with these buttons:

Lately most of my time has been taken up with buttons that look like this:

Mr Button hasn't been travelling too well but the end is in sight and we are hanging on with our fingers, toes and teeth to get across the finish line.

The other reason for my blogging absence is a piece of advice my Darling Nin gave me many years ago, "If you haven't anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!" With that in mind I've held my peace, played the Pollyanna game and collected my blogging thoughts. Looking forward to sharing some of them with you during the week.