Oh the slackness in blogland...but I've been busy, I promise!

Photo from Michelle at Nook

How how terrible I have been in blogland... please forgive me for my absence over the past month :p I promise to try and stay abreast of everything from now on!!!

So since the BrisStyle market, we've had a few fabulous opportunities present themselves - first one being the lovely Michelle (AKA Pedrosprout) who is opening an awesome little shop in West End called Nook. Michelle will be stocking some of the Beckybean market totes - yay! The store should be opening any day now so head on over to the shop's blog to keep updated on its progress. I know I for one can't wait for it to open so I can do a spot of shopping (shh.. don't tell Kym!). Stay tuned for the opening too as to coincide with it Bec and I will be hosting a little giveaway!!! (really have to get our butts into gear and get it organised pronto hey Bec? :p)

The second is we're hoping to stock some of the bags from the Crema Range in a couple of Merlo Coffee's outlets (who we so generously get most of our coffee sack from - Mel really is the best!) - we should find out soon exactly what the go is, but fingers crossed!!! Bec and I have been templating some new bag styles for the range and I must say, they're pretty cool. We've also found some beautiful hemp/cotton fabrics that we'll be using in some of the linings - it is just awesome. I liked one of the samples so much I've decided I really needed to keep it for myself (you know, for research purposes and all...). I needed a new bag anyway... This one is a newbie and is really BIG. For the gal who wants to take everything with them... actually I think it would work as a nappy bag!This bag is one I made for one of my best friend's Jodie who lives in Melbourne - it was her birthday (shh...it wasn't a major one like 30 or anything... he he). I'm so happy she really likes it. I've had a few excited calls from her with people asking where they can get one - even one chic from Bvulgari who was asking who's it by and when can she get one :) She even had one friend admiring it the other day and when she looked at the tag said 'I have a Beckybean bag' - apparently her brother had bought it for her for her birthday this year. Way too small of a world isn't it? This is Jode's modelling her bag at home.
This bag is one I made for one of my best friend's Jodie who lives in Melbourne - it was her birthday (shh...it wasn't a major one like 30 or anything... he he). I'm so happy she really likes it. I've had a few excited calls from her with people asking where they can get one - even one chic from Bvulgari who was asking who's it by and when can she get one :) She even had one friend admiring it the other day and when she looked at the tag said 'I have a Beckybean bag' - apparently her brother had bought it for her for her birthday this year. Way too small of a world isn't it? This is Jode's modelling her bag at home.

OK that's enough for now. Here's a few pics of some of our latest pochette's in the shop too - they really feel lovely too. Beautiful linen tea towels in their former lives they were :)

Everybody needs a Colin

Dad does and always has done so much for all us kids. Fixing up cars for us, houses, any kind of repairs, you name it - he's probably done it for us. I feel very lucky to have a Dad like ours.

Even last week when the storms wreaked havoc in SEQ and my downstairs area was flooding a bit - Dad was out in the rain with Kym digging a trench to stop a repeat happening that night. When Matt and Sarah needed a house renovation for three more rooms before the arrival of my third nephew, he did it with my uncle in only two weeks. When Bec and Matt needed another air conditioner installed for the kids or a cubby house, he did it. Yep, Dad's pretty handy!

I find it impossible to recount all the times he's gone above and beyond, but have a few that are impossible to forget - my Mini breaking down in Melbourne at 5.30am and him leaving home straight away to make the 4 hr drive to come and bring me another one, or the time I crashed my car (in Queensland!) and he drove up from Victoria with another... It sometimes seems I cannot make any home decision even now without first consulting my Dad - this probably should annoy Kym more than it does, but it doesn't - he knows his limitations most of the time in this area! I joke with Dad about it and he says he's happy to do it as long as Kym cooks him lunch!!

Why am I talking so much about my Dad at the moment you may ask? Well he's done it again. He's helping Bec and I once more. This time he's helping us at the Beckybean shop.

Dad has so many tools in his shed and after talking about it with Bec and I he got to work and experimented with making some buttons for us. I love how each seems unique and special when I know that Dad has carved out each one and put the drop of linseed on with his very own hands. Even some of the wood he's used is red gum from the Nyah Forest in Victoria where we all grew up. Very special indeed. And check them out!
How totally awesome are they? They just go perfectly with our coffee bags and market totes! I've included a few pics of the latest ones that just got uploaded to the shop.This little tote was sold on Friday to the lovely Teneale from Wicked Child Designs - she currently has a blog giveaway on that ends midnight tonight so you better hurry up and check it out to enter!!


I was telling one of my best friends, Jodie, about how Dad was making these buttons for us, just after I'd finished telling her he'd fixed our flooding problem. "Everybody needs a Colin" she'd said to me. Yes, I think she's right :)

Thanks Dad!