Monday, August 30, 2010

Spring Loving - Madeit Monday

Spring is just around the corner...check out what I found on madeit when I searched Spring :)


Shelli Morse Designs Spring Ruffle Bag $30



Little Toot Creations Spring Fling Reversible Playsuit $30




Mecino Rose in My Garden Necklace $39




Ainslee Fox Meadow Sweet two way dress $28



Retro Ragamuffins Spring Bird Wall Plaque Set $35


Happy Spring Shopping :)

Kristy

Friday, August 27, 2010

Getting Ready for Summer

I have found it increasingly difficult to find clothes for Miss M now that she is above a Size 8. I know lots of other people also find this to be quite hard. Today I'd like to share with you a dress I brought for Miss M from madeit.  Designed and made by Myrtle & Grace it really is divine.  Miss M modelled it one afternoon and I took some pics.


It is edged in beautiful lace.



Pillow case style with gorgeous ivory satin ribon tie on the shoulder.

Made from beautiful soft pink hailspot fabric.



Even the tag is gorgeous.
You can read more about Myrtle & Grace here




Of course I had to come up with a hair accessory to match.
I gave our fans a sneek peek of this gorgeous ruffled lace on facebook last week.
Here it is made into a beautiful bow with velvet ribbon centre, it can be worn alone or worn on a stretch band. What do you think???

Well I'm off to complete some wholesale orders. Have a great weekend.

Kristy

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Taking the time to smell the Jasmine.

Life out here has it's busy times and it's very easy to get caught up in all the hype.  Sometimes you just have to take the time to 'smell the Jasmin'.
I would have taken photos of my roses but they are just sticks at the moment.  My roses are either gorgeous or an eye sore.  They were the later and now I hope they will be their glorious self again shortly. 
But one plant in my garden that does not take much looking after is the Jasmin.  It trails beautifully over an arch that I have at my front gate.  At the moment it is in full flower and the perfume that wafts past as you brush past it coming through the gate or just on dark is something I wish I could bottle.  The stuff you buy in the shops is nice but nothing beats the real thing.







It's important for all our sanity to take the time out.

Angie

Monday, August 23, 2010

Made It Monday and Ava's Tea Party

Yesterday marked a very special day for a beautiful family in Brisbane.  It was the birthday of their daughter who was taken away from them tragically at aged 3.  You may have heard about this story but if not you can read it here.  Her story is written by her very courageous mother Sheye Rosemeyer and how Ava was taken from them in a freak accident.  Sheye created a memorial site for their daughter.  At this site you can read the Story of Ava and her death and also how her family has created a legacy to raise awareness for safety in regard to your own parked cars in your drive-way.


Each year on the 22nd August people all over the country celebrate the "Super Princess's" birth with Ava's Tea Party.  Money raised at such events are passed onto Paradise Kids.  Paradise Kids was started  for children to ‘help heal their heartache’ when faced with a traumatic situation in their little lives.
You can read Sheye's beautiful and inspirational blog here.

So this is how we get to Made It Monday.  At a tea party it is only customary to have cupcakes.  So I found some very special little cupcake item's on Made It.










Enjoy...

Angie & Kristy 

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Our Angel Trish

There is one reason and one reason only that I have managed to stay on top of our blooming AnK business this term.  That reason is Trish.  Trish and her husband David are volunteers with the VISE organisation. VISE volunteers provide educational assistance to families and students in rural Australia. As you are most likely already aware both Angie and myself teach our children through distance education (school of the air).  Whilst at times this is both rewarding and fullfilling it is also time consuming and challenging. For the last 6 weeks Trish has been my children's tutor, on a daily basis she has handled our schoolroom with professionalism, skill and eagerness.  Trish has dealt with on air lessons, computer link ups, literacy, maths, spelling, journal writing, on air reading, science, phys ed. and all the other pieces of our busy school day.  She has also handled my children, who on some days are a delight but they can also be positively horrifying !! I can say that because I'm their mother :)


Trish and David had their own motor home which they parked at the end of our backyard. Not only did Trish help out in the schoolroom, she also taught Maddy to knit and was coaxed into numerous science experiments with Tom.  David helped out in the cattle yards & doing water runs.  VISE is a truly wonderful organisation.  There is no way I would have achieved what I have this term without Trish's help. 




What have I been doing? The amount of times I have been asked this since Trish arrived !! Well I did our BAS, end of year financials, group certificates, work cover & superannuation.  I cleaned the kitchen, decluttered the cupboards, cleaned out the fridge and pantry. I cleaned both kids rooms, decluttered, got rid of too small clothes and too old toys. I pulled apart the 'bow room' and put it back together again - in a much more organised state so that when we now have visitors they can actually use the bed :)
I ordered supplies, created new products, pruned my roses and planted new plants.
I spent far too long on facebook and browsing ebay.
I wasted too long on silly government paperwork for the 'save the reef' greenies.
I went grocery shopping...all by myself...BLISS !!
I attended the Capella Craft Fair (along with Angie) and didn't once have to worry about getting behind in school !!
I read a magazine and browsed the internet.  Our washing got folded and put away. I finished the minutes from our school committee meeting. I cooked - cakes, biscuits, slices and fed the hungry mustering men.



I have thoroughly enjoyed my time out of the schoolroom and dread facing going back in there on Monday !! Please bear with us while I once again become time poor.
You can read all about VISE here and if you know of a retired teacher who would like to volunteer we greatly encourage it !! Now where are the application forms for 2011 ??

Thanks Trish and Dave and thanks to all the Vise tutors who have kept many mothers sane over the years.

Kristy

Thursday, August 19, 2010

New Season Colours

I have been looking at this seasons colour schemes.  I am very excited because I love these colours together.

It is Navy, Red and White. We have some wonderful new products in the pipeline at AnK Bowtique featuring these colours.

The contrast of these three colours are fantastic.  I have found these new season items so far.
Brand:  Seed


Brand: Seed


Brand: Fred Bare



Brand OOBI

Brand Fresh Baked
Available at Kids Got Style



Brand Walnut


So as you see there is lots of these nautical colours around.  Check out our store for matching accessories over the coming weeks as the temperature warms up.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Pretty Parcels

I have been away for 2 weeks and on my way home managed to come down with a terrible flu.  So when I started trawling through my mail this morning that has piled up awaiting our return feeling like I had been run over by a bus and feeling very sleep deprived I was very happy to come across a parcel from Nest Pretty Things who I had ordered from before I went away.  I was very excited opening this parcel because I knew what was inside was very cute and I couldn't wait to have it. 
Before I even got to my very beautiful treasure I was intrigued with the packaging that it came in.  Not the boring old post bag but what was inside the post bag.  My teasure was very carefully packaged in a beautiful box with a bow and gorgeous gift tag.






So, as you can see the cute little boxes were just gorgeous and I wasn't sure if I wanted to open them because I liked them the way they were.  But like usual gun ho behaviour of mine I went ahead and opened them up.  Ohhhh I liked what I saw.  A beautiful necklace and a cuff bracelet. 






You can find lots of different types of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings from Tamar at Nest Pretty Things on etsy.  She also has a very cute kids line of accessories which are to die for at Nest Pretty Things Kids also from etsy.

I felt much better after opening up my parcel and getting outside in the fresh air.  Hope you are all having a wonderful Tuesday afternoon.

Angie

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Madeit Monday - Wedding Fever



Over the weekend at AnK headquarters we have been busy creating lots of gorgeous accessories for some very little flowergirls. Look what we found when we went 'wedding' shopping on madeit.



Vintage Vera Custom Bridal Clutch Rejenerate $69.00





Damask Printable Wedding Invitation   'I Do' It Yourself  $30.00




Forget Me Not Earrings Puddleducklane  $35.00




White Lace Bracelet Nyjole J Walters   $86.00





Ribbon Wedding Wands Pinwheels and Pearls  $3.00


Don't forget we can help you find the perfect accessories for your flowergirls or even flowers for your hair.

Happy Shopping
Angie & Kristy

Monday, August 9, 2010

We love Red Spots and Dots - Madeit Monday

Madeit Monday today is about all things spotty and dotty and red !! Perfect for spring.


Poss Bloss Nappy Wallet $12.95



Little Eve Red Polka Dot Cushion $22.00


loopiforyou Red Polkadot Sunglasses Case $12.00




Wild Things of Noosa Red Polka Dot Summer Hat $26.00




Little Ribbons Polka Dot Clutch $28.00

Happy Spotty Shopping :)

Angie & Kristy

Friday, August 6, 2010

A day of Decorating with Shannon Fricke

This post is not coming from my usual spot in my office, but a beautiful house in Bangalow (near Byron bay, NSW).  I have had the most enjoyable day with some fantastic ladies and Shannon Fricke.  Shannon has opened up her little cottage studio to normal, average people like me to share in a world of interior decorating.  The ladies I spent time with today all had a 'story' and I could sit and listen to them all day.  We all offered something different to the conversations but all shared a love of beautiful interiors. 
Shannon was a superb host and we all sat enthralled with her presentation.  It was a very interactive day and she allowed all of us interior decorating starved women loose in her beautiful studio.  We were like children in a lolly shop.
Our first project was playing with colour and seeing how it changed once you layered it onto another colour.  This was a very eye opening activity and it was very clear to me the differences.  It was something that I would not have considered in my own home when choosing colours. 
We had a beautiful lunch that was prepared by Nicki. All morning we could smell the most amazing smells wafting up to us on the upper level of the cottage.  The spread of food was to die for and after a morning of trying to absorb every little morsel of information it was a welcome relief.
After lunch we all had a chance of creating our own mood boards and finding our own style.  Now, I thought I knew what my style was but until I put it on a board it is now clearer and I have a direction of where to go.

Today was like a fairy tale for me.  Just being in the same room with someone like Shannon, who is such an inspirational person has been a very uplifting experience.  She made us all feel very welcome and listened to all our stories and decorating ideas with full attention.  Shannon let us build our 'stories' through our own knowledge and ideas and also gave tips that has helped evolve our ideas into our own work that we can all be proud of.

This is my mood board.


Shannon's blog is full of eye candy and inspiration and there you will find all the information on her workshops.

I will now go and stoke the fire and settle down with a nice cup of tea and some lovely little chocolates. The perfect finish to a perfect day.

Angie

Monday, August 2, 2010

Made It Monday - Baby Boys

Well here's something unusual for AnK Bowtique, a blogpost that is all about boys.  Last week we featured some newborn gift ideas for little princesses so now it's time for the princes.  Check out these great present ideas from some fabulous madeit sellers.

Bunting from Zippy Zippy $30.00



Chocolate Ripple Icecream Rattle - Vintage Chenille $12

 

Baby In Blue Card - Studio S $4.95



Bib & Burp Set - Baby Georgie $18



Sz 00 Cowboy Pants - Bambini Bei $26


Custom Birth Print - MiniMi $25


Happy Shopping