{How to} Make an awesome alien headpiece

Last week Miss TikiBoo had her school disco.  The theme was Aliens.  I was initially a little stumped, until I found this website: 7 Layer Studio, where an awesome mum made alien costumes for her entire family last Halloween.
The headpieces looked so effective, so I based my idea on hers and came up with this.  We had so many comments about it that I decided I'd share how to make one.  It was really quite simple - no sewing required!


Step 1. You will require the following items, most can be purchased at your local el cheapo shop or Spotlight.
1. Glitter foam
2. Polystyrene balls in a couple of sizes
3. Pipecleaners
4. Stick on felt (although a black marker will also work)
You'll also need elastic, scissors and probably a hot glue gun.


Step 2. Find the centre of your foam and roughly draw the shape of your design.


Step 3. Fold the foam in half (don't press the centre fold) and cut both sides together so you get a nice symmetrical design. You will need sharp scissors for this.


Step 4. Unfold, and neaten up your cutting.  Hold against your child's head, and check that you are happy with your shape, adjust if required.


Step 5. Cut out a hole in the centre for your big eye (or a couple of smaller eyes if you prefer).  I was lucky enough to get this one almost perfect, unfortunately the one on the actual costume was cut too big and needed a lot of glue to remedy!


Step 6.  Push your polystyrene ball in from the back.  The foam does stretch a bit, however don't force it or it will rip.


Step 7. Using either a circle cut from stick on foam, or a black marker, add a pupil to your eyeball/s.  Glue in place from the rear.


Step 8.  I had to use a lot of glue, which looked very messy so I glued some offcuts over the glue, both on the front and back.


Step 9. Glue your small eyeballs onto the pointy ends.


Step 10. Carefully make a small incision and thread elastic through.  Be super careful during this step so you don't rip the foam.  I glued some more offcuts over the elastic so it couldn't be seen from the front.  These sit perfectly above her ears and look like pointy spock additions.


Step 11. Add your final details - we added eyebrows, and some earrings made from our pipecleaners. Whip up an alien costume (with the help of Grandma if you're running out of time!), and you have an awesome Alien!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

{Meme} What are YOU doing?

You're all aware of the lack of posts recently, but I'm getting back into it, slowly.
I'm still blaming that lack-of-photoshop-on-the-macbook issue, because it couldn't be general slackness, could it?! Therefore, I'm aiming to post at least one little update a week, a general this-is-what-I've-been-doing type of meme.
If you want to join in, leave a link to your post in a comment so I can visit.

Enjoying
Twinnings recently released their limited edition Australian Afternoon Tea, a blend created by Kevin Rudd.  It's a good strong tea, just the way I like it.  PLUS, 10c from every pack sold goes to the RSPCA.  I'm also loving the tins which perfectly fit a 100 teabag pack.  Tea always tastes better in a pretty mug, I love my Kate Spade number!

Making
I have actually been fairly crafty over the past couple of weeks.  We had our school disco last week and costumes were required, but that requires a whole post - maybe even a tutorial.
I've also started covering a few boxes to use as extra storage.  Miss TikiBoo seems to accumulate the most astonishing amount of "stuff", and while I do got through and cull every couple of months, she gets rather upset when I throw things away.
One thing she always wants to keep is her shoeboxes, which she then fills with her "stuff".  Rather than have a pile of unattractive boxes, I decided to jazz them up a bit.  If you want to try this at home, here's a tip.  Wait until you can go outside and use spray adhesive.  I used a hot glue gun and it left some patches a little lumpy where it tried before I could press the fabric down.  This box used about 5 sticks of glue, so take my advice and go the spray! 


Loving
My sweet little freckled pup. She's not so little anymore, and she's terribly naughty! However, she is ever so loving and super-smoochy. I'm not sure how much bigger she will get, but her coat will grow longer, especially her tail, the bag of her legs, her chest and on her belly.

Desiring
Kate Spade's latest.  Loving the stripe plus bow.  Swoon!

Playing
I needed to take some photos for a friend, so the camera was set up on the tripod. Miss TikiBoo and I took turns at taking silly photos of each other.
Perhaps I need to teach her about focusing. Or not.  Let's just say she is a little more photogenic than I am!

Your turn!


If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

What are YOU reading?

I am a rather avid reader, and always have a stack of books ready to go. At the moment the pile is rather thin, so I'm looking for inspiration and suggestions!
These are the books I am currently reading and have just finished.  If you'd like to join in, leave a link to your blog post in the comments section.

Just finished:

The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault.

I enjoyed this quirky little novel, set in a publishing house and revolving around a young pair of lexicographers.  It's not your typical crime novel, and is really rather sweet.

From the author's website:

"The dusty files of a venerable book publisher . . . A hidden cache of coded clues . . . A story written by a phantom author . . . An unsolved murder in a gritty urban park—all collide memorably in Emily Arsenault’s magnificent debut, at once a teasing literary puzzle, an ingenious suspense novel, and an exploration of definitions: of words, of who we are, and the stories we choose to define us."

Reading now:

The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks

It's been a long time since I've read any of Oliver Sacks work.  Years ago I loved his books (The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat etc), so when I saw this at the airport I grabbed it.  His books are typically interesting more than entertaining, and so far I'm interested!

"In The Mind’s Eye, Oliver Sacks tells the stories of people who are able to navigate the world and communicate with others despite losing what many of us consider indispensable senses and abilities: the power of speech, the capacity to recognize faces, the sense of three-dimensional space, the ability to read, the sense of sight.  For all of these people, the challenge is to adapt to a radically new way of being in the world."

Have you read anything great recently?
For the record, there is no way on earth I'm going to read that 50 shades shiz, so no point in suggesting that. Didn't read Twilight, not going to read some poorly written smutty fanfic! Just my personal opinion there. Oh, and the opinion of this very funny guy who is liveblogging the book on tumblr Fifty Shades of Gay. I'm already convinced that he is a far better writer than the actual author.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

The weary travellers return

My parents have finally returned home from an eight week trip to Italy and France.  Just a little bit jealous that we couldn't join them this time!  We missed them terribly, especially Miss TikiBoo.  Quite a few tears were shed over the last weeks.

Thank goodness for email - they borrowed an iPad from us so we could keep in touch easily.  French accommodation tends to frequently offer free wifi, and sometimes free international phone as well, so we had a few chats - in typical six year old fashion, Miss TikiBoo does love to chat on the phone, especially to her Grandma.

Of course they returned bearing gifts, so I thought I'd share a few photos of my goodies.

How gorgeous is this bangle.  Any guesses as to what it is made of?  Here's a clue - Mum bought it in Limoges, home of beautiful porcelain.  I just hope I don't drop it.





Apparently I am meant to share this. Not sure about that, I may have to keep it all for myself!





I have been looking some sort of table cloth for our round table for years.  It has been surprisingly difficult to find a round table cloth in the right size, and with a nice pattern, so it is one thing I asked my parents to look for.  I think they did rather well.  The green ties in well with the house accents.These little tablecloth weighs will also be handy, especially in this crazy windy weather we're having this week.






We are so glad to have them home!

What's the best gift anyone has bought you from an overseas holiday?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

{my girl} Autumn leaves

Apologies for the rather sporadic updates to this blog! The weather here has been rather dismal, and not particularly photoworthy, so that's the excuse I'm sticking with for now. I went back through some of the photos I took while we were in Auckland and found these cute shots.

One thing we miss out on here in Brisbane is the glorious colour of autumn leaves, so I was keen to find some we could play with while we were there.
Miss TikiBoo and I went to Cornwall Park one Sunday afternoon, to meet some friends for coffee. We arrived early, so took the opportunity to have a little fun, dance in the sun, throw some leaves around and take some photos.
Cornwall Park was one of my favourite places to go as a child. It's a gorgeous domain located on of Auckland's many volcanic cones, One Tree Hill, and is partially grazing for sheep and cattle - delightful in spring when the lambs and calves are around. It's a lovely place to spend a sunny afternoon, there are walking tracks, places to picnic, historic buildings, plus trees to climb and hills to roll down, both of which our girls enjoyed immensely (until one got stuck in a tree and the other slipped over).
It's also a very popular place for wedding photos - we saw 4 brides in the short space of time we were there, including a very cute Japanese girl wearing red converse sneakers under her dress! We grabbed our iPhones to try and get photos, but we weren't quick enough.

Here are some of the photos I did manage to take...Miss TikiBoo in action!




If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

A marriage milestone

Last week we took a spur of the moment trip to Auckland. My Grandmother has been unwell and had to spend a few weeks in hospital, so we thought a visit might cheer her up. She loves her grandchildren, and particularly her great grandchildren. It's so lovely that Miss TikiBoo gets to spend time with her Great grandparents. It's quite rare these days so very special. For some silly reason I didn't take any photos, but here is one of my sweet little Baby Boo with Nana and Grandad.

My Grandparents have been married for 65 years. They celebrated this amazing milestone while Nana was in hospital. They are the sweetest couple and are still very much in love. A young Edith saw the cheeky grin of a young Mac on a train and it was love at first sight. They have been inseparable ever since.
One of the highlights of their anniversary was receiving cards not just from the Prime Minister and Governor General, but Queen Elizabeth. They were really rather chuffed about this, so thanks, Lizzie! You really made their day, and Grandad was so proud to show me the cards which they have displayed in the lounge room, amongst 65 years worth of photos of children, grandchildren and their 4 great grandchildren.

How many of you still have Grandparents around?


If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Our Garage Sale - on this weekend

We are having a garage sale! This weekend, Hyde Road Yeronga. Look for the white picket fence.

LOADS of fabric, patterns and a sewing machine.

Old windows, boxes of tiles, clothes, books, toys, baby stuff.

These are just a few images of some of the stuff we will have.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!