Tag team

The lovely Angelique from "No Life without Wife" has tagged me to offer up 8 things/facts/habits. Now I hope I can be as descriptive as Posie!!

1. Newcastle girl born and bred and love the term Novacastrian. My 4 year old actually thinks that is where she is from (born in Melbourne, lived in Seymour, Canberra and now Darwin) So Mummy obviously speaks of Newcastle a lot. Absolutely the best place to grow up.

2. Favourite place in the world at present (can change slightly sometimes) is Chez Leuny. My great friend Annette has a French farm house approximately 45minutes north of Limoges. I spent a week with Annette and her son Archie there last year and it was amazing!!!

3. I was a child bride, marrying my wonderful husband of almost 14 years when I was 18 and 9 months to be precise. He was a Military class mate of my brother and we met when I was 16 but didn't start seeing each other until I was 17 and a bit. Still if our daughter comes home engaged at 18 I think I will freak!!!!

4. When I left school I wanted to go to the Royal Military College and had to wait 12months as I had applied for ADFA in year 12 (my parents hoped I would get a degree but I really just wanted to be a direct entry Officer). In that year I ended up engaged to the Army so that sort of never became a reality. I have had a real miss mash of jobs mainly in the Finance industry, though my best role would be Wife ( Major General Homefront Division) and Mum.

5. I'm a bit of a chatterbox. I do have like minded friends who keep the conversations going in both directions. I'm sure Posie and I keep the world spinning with our in depth revelations about Desperate Housewives and Prison Break!!!

6. Love Harry Potter. Actually had my name on the wait list for the last 2 books and saw Order of the Phoenix on opening day. Sad but true...

7. I can't say NO. You know the person who walks around with "sucker" on their forehead well that's me. It can be a good thing as I volunteer at the local Neighbourhood House and within the school, but sometimes I should stand in front of the mirror practising my "I'm sorry I just can't make/participant etc" monologue.

8. Ohh I can still do the splits at 32. Is that too much information?

Well that is all over the place, but that pretty much sums me up. I love having my hand in a million pockets and moving around the countryside. Thanks for the tag Angelique, I hope to find out more about you and check out the new blog.

Till next time, spread the tag love....Peggy-Jean

Brrr it's cold in Canberra

Last week the children and I were in Canberra having a few admin appointments before our move there in January. Coming from the lovely tropical climate of Darwin to inland NSW during August/September was a bit of a shock. It was so cold!!!! My 3 year old daughter is contemplating joining a nudist colony and to see her resentment of winter woolies was hilarious. Though she did walk into school (in Darwin) with her beanie and tutu on the other day?

Sorry I don't have any pictures to share of our Canberra adventures as someone (I wont mention anyone's name) broke our camera before the trip. Canberra is so family friendly and we are really looking forward to the move. We visited Questacon and spent 5 hours walking around the new exhibits that have arrived since our last stay. Parliament House and the War Memorial our also great locations to take the family with a hundred others waiting for us in the new year. If you ever go past the Russell offices and see the large Eagle on the concrete pillar, the Forbes' have renamed it "Chicken on a stick".

I was also very lucky to see Posie's new "headquarters" for 2008. Can't wait to be set up with Jennie, working up a storm!!! A whole new batch of Peggy-Jean and Posie products has headed south to Meet me at Mikes so if you are in Melbourne take a drive to Bridge Road Richmond and say Hi to Pip.

Hopefully I will have some sort of pictures available in the next post. Till then stay safe and happy!!!

Melissa xxxx

Time flys when you're having fun

Don't the days and weeks fly by when your doing something you enjoy or just living life!!! I have been busy putting together more Peggy-Jean Cards for Posie to take to the markets and send to our lovely stockists. It is a really exciting time at present as more people are exposed to the products and Posie creates new and wonderful things for me to try. I love my production end process. I don't have a studio so the dining room table ends up covered in fabric, cards, tags and all the paraphernalia that goes into the creation. It can be a bit distracting living where we do as this is my view:



I get to see the sailboats and cargo ships coming into Frances Bay (a small section of the massive Darwin Harbour) You can see a small fire in the background. In the dry season the Government conduct backburns of large areas to keep the bushfires under control.

Just looking at the different fabrics keeps me focused on the job. I'm absolutely adoring the new fabrics Posie lets me play with!!!





The tools of the trade.



The finished card ready to be given Posie packaging brillance.


















Stay safe and Happy Melissa xxxx

loving and stalking bloggers

I'm so new to the whole world of blogging but I am falling in love!!! Actually I think it may be classed as stalking? It's midnight here in Darwin and I'm still tapping away at the computer. Now I know from reading other blogs out there that this is not unusual, but I'm usually wrapped in a sheet, taking big Z's next to my snorer. So I think this is what the first prickles of love feels like again?

There is just so much talent out in the world and we have some amazing people in our very own backyard. Please get out there and support those hand making and designing Australia. Some blogs you need to check out if you are not already - Posie Patchwork, Meet me at Mikes, Sew your own, One Red Robin and Lark ( Just the ones I lurked at tonight) I'm sure you have all been to these blogs already as they do and make amazing things.

Now I'm just sharing my Bunny that was made in 10minutes a little while ago. It does not fall under the amazing things created from the above gurus, just a funny idea that didn't really go as planned!!! He is currently hiding at Jennie's amongst the softies in the children's room.


Best see what my snorer is doing, keep warm Melissa xx

So who and what is Peggy-Jean?

Where to start? Well about 6 months ago my friends Jennie (aka Posie) and Tina (sweetpeacollections) were having a play date at the pool in Tina and my apartment complex. While the children were frolicking in the tropical heat the mummies were giggling as per usual. Jennie wanted to start a new fusion label based on her Grandmothers names Edna and Alice May which has now lead to www.ednaalicemay.com.au . Tina and I thought that was fantastic and I jumped on the band wagon declaring I loved my Grandmothers names Jean and Peggy. Jennie being the most creative of us said "ooh Peggy-Jean love it!" but that was where it ended. I didn't have a business or any concept of one, so the name lived in my brain for a little while.

Little did any of us know but the gorgeous Pip of Meet me at Mikes was searching through cyberspace and discovered Posie and they immediately fell in love! True Story!!! Upon receiving Jennie's beautiful products at Mike's Pip asked if Jennie would be interested in producing some cards? Now I need to give you a little background info on my lovely friend Jennie. Not only is she a wife, mother, business woman and brilliant friend she is extremely busy hand making all her products. During one of our many gab fests surrounded by children and Jacob the German Shepard Jennie mentioned Pip's idea. I thought it was fantastic and I offered to see what I could come up with not really thinking it would lead to anything. Peggy-Jean just had to used as a name for the cards as it just fitted perfectly with the fabrics that Jennie selected for Mikes and that's how Peggy-Jean was born!!! If it wasn't for a simple idea from Pip and the creative energy and passion from Jennie I wouldn't be able to make some great products and work with my amazing friend. Thanks girls you are stars!!!!

Just a snapshot of some of the Peggy-Jean cards that were on sale at the Darwin Esplanade Market today at the Posie site. Look at the story book fabric isn't it divine!!!

We had a wonderful sunny Darwin day and I managed to wrangle the children to the Esplanade to take these shots and stroll along the beautiful foreshore. July/August is the best time to visit the Top End and to escape the cold down south!!!

Keep warm, Melissa xxx

In the Beginning

Hi blogging world this is my first post so hopefully I will get through it unscathed. I'm so not a computer literate person so here goes. Introductions first, my name is Melissa and I currently live in a fabulous apartment in Darwin Northern Territory with my hunky Army Husband (love a man in uniform) of 13 years Andrew, and our 2 beautiful children Shamus 6 and Mackenzie 3.

A few key things I love:

My Husband and children - I know it's a given, but I love being a Mum and a Wife moving around the country side.

Family - I have an elder brother who is married with 2 children then I have 6 brother/sister in laws all married with 13 nieces and nephews between them. We all get along famously and even holiday together every 2ND year at Christmas time.

Friends - I like to think I have a few really nice ones but maybe they are pretending? Love you all!!!

Newcastle - Born and bred Novocastrian and very proud of it. Think beautiful beaches, lakes and people....sigh

Travelling - Need to see everything. Love everything about it even the airline food!!

France - See above, the most amazing place especially my friend Annette's farm house. I need to go back soon.

Fabric - Currently going through an obsessional adoring gaze, stroke and repeat faze. It may pass but have strong doubts every time Posie http://www.posie.com.au/ gets new fabrics in.

This blog was a suggestion from my lovely friend Jennie of the Posie Patchwork site above. There will no doubt be numerous posts about our adventures together in the near future. Till then stay safe and happy,

Melissa xx