Back to School at Handmade Kids
Rainbow Pencils by Miss Isa
Poss Bloss Art Smock
Paper for Life Journal
Ella & Kate School Hair Bows
Miss PIGGii Pencil Case
Ollie Rose Re-useable Sandwich Sak
This is going to be a rather long post I am afraid, as there is so much to say and so many to thank.
The Handmade Kids and Rudy & The Dodo Auction is now officially over, we have a few last things to finalise before we send in that nice big fact cheque to the Premiers Flood Appeal.
What I anticipated as being a small little auction, was so much bigger with us achieving the awesome sum of just over $17,000 – wow. It has been a huge rollercoaster road, many many long hours, a few tears, a couple of tantrums, sleepless nights, joy, pride and so many more emotions over the 10 days it ran. It was an exhausting journey but we made it.
I am forever indebted to Julia from Rudy and the Dodo, who all she did was say need a hand, and I said yes. From that little word it all quickly snowballed with the most amazing offers of support through donations. Julia is truly a selfless person. She did not know me personally and yet she gave up so much to help. With 3 little boys and a busy shop to run, I cannot imagine how she did it – she really is a wonderful amazing person. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to do it with someone like Julia, she is quite inspirational.
We had well over 200 donations from stores of all shapes and sizes, many more than we could take. We are very grateful to all those that offered their products for the auction, without them nothing would have been possible. Please take the time to have a look through the albums still on facebook to see them, I know I personally discovered some fabulous stores I did not know existed.
Behind the scenes there was a fabulous team of helpers who also gave up their time during various parts of the auction.
Tania from Chicken Ink Creative who keep our Facebook Page updated and answered queries and helped right throughout the auction.
Caprice who we have since discovered has a fabulous little blog hiding and her Facebook Page – make sure you check it out. Caprice also helped in all aspects throughout the auction.
Kobie from Ollie Rose who gave us a hand uploading the 200 odd photographs we had to do.
Kellie from Moo Woo, who helped in a variety of ways over the course of the auction, uploading photos and also helping at the very end.
Liz who was our appointed accountant and kept an eye on the tally for us.
My friend Sandy, who despite being very sick, helped at the very end to close it off and then brought me around a cooked meal. Something that I should have been doing for her considering her health.
Phew this is sounding like an Oscars speech isn’t it? Should I thank my Mum and Dad?
Without all these people selflessly giving up their time, their products and all those bidders who helped us raise the sum of money we did, it would never have been possible. So THANK YOU to every single person who was involved, from spreading the word, behind the scenes, donating products or buying something!
After two years of motherhood, I think I’ve (finally) realised something. Don’t have expectations!
Just because they say they want to go to the water park, when you get there and they run off to play with a boring old sandpit 500 metres away, don’t be surprised. Cart your towels, sunscreen, food, beverages, the toy/s of the moment and changes of clothes even further from the only available car parking space which was 2 kms away from the park (and now of course there are five vacant car spaces directly in front of the playground!).Just because your house was sparkling clean and looking very respectable one hour ago, don’t be gobsmacked when it takes one toddler 34.799 seconds to make it look like a bomb site. Try not to shed a tear when your newly mopped floor is quickly covered in dirt and some unknown disgustingly sticky substance.Just because you put them to bed at 8 pm after a full day of running, playing, eating and jumping, don’t be dismayed when you are up five times during the night and then up and at ’em at 5.30 am (note – yes, it is normal to feel like you have sand in your eyes at this time of day. Drink plenty of coffee).Spent hours preparing a delicious, nourishing and from the heart meal? Of course that wont get eaten! Perhaps you’ll be lucky to get a temper tantrum on the floor which will slightly mop up the spilled sticky stuff mentioned above!
So today just to prove that my expectations aren’t always unreasonable, I’ve hopped on to some gorgeous handmade sites, and found fabulous finds that have exceeded my expectations!! Phew! It can still happen!!
Sam & Sam – customised converse painted shoes $200
Eastbourne Art – red spot peg bag $25
Narelle – handstamped love ring $22
Kristy Stewart – fine art photography $15
Caz x
I feel a bit deflated when I see mums with young children walking around wearing white and without a trace of dirt, snot or raspberry cordial on them.
I wish WISH wish I could do that! In a shop recently a sales assistant suggested I try on a white top and looked at me rather oddly when my sister and I burst our laughing at her – we thought it was some sort of practical joke! “Me? Wear white? Ha haahaaaaa”. Then more quietly “ah, no thanks. I have a two year old”.
And that was enough for her to understand that wearing white for me isn’t a viable option. She nodded at me understandingly and moved to the darker coloured items.
And there is the thought of putting my two year old in white! Ha! Another good one!! I’m afraid I am lacking in the soaking/washing/stain removal gene that my mother wishes I had inherited from her – so my wee man wearing white is also a no go zone.
But if I could, these are some white finds I would love to own!
LUV Child – dress
Little Star Clothing – linen boys pants
Under My Wing – baby crochet hair snap
Stunning hmmm?
Caz x