2013: All you need is Love.

Hi there. Happy New Year. I am so excited about 2013. 2012 was in a lot of ways quite a difficult year for me and my family, so I'm quite happy to put it behind me and  focus on making this year one full of love for ourselves, family, friends and community.

Creatively, I've been up to all sorts of no good these past 12 months, and I hope this year is another great year of creativity…whether it’s music, sewing, knitting, stapling, baking or who knows what else. I love having this MezzMakesStuff space to share with interested and/or like minded people what I get up to, so am looking forward to another fun year of blogging and meeting such great and creative people!

Last night we celebrated New Years with a very laid back BBQ at my brother’s house, and my sister in law, Ash, said that for her 2013 was going to be the year of "interesting-ness." I loved it! It got me thinking about what I want this new year to be about for me and my family, and the famous Beatles song "All you need is Love" floated into my brain and wouldn't leave. So this year my "mantra" if you like is "All you need is love", and I hope that from time to time throughout the year, when I get caught up in crap, lists, mess, heartache, busyness and who knows what else, I can remember the plain and simple truth that "All you need is Love."

What are your plans, hopes and dreams for this year?

I wouldn't call these resolutions, but here are some things I hope to achieve (or do more regularly then I currently do) this coming year….and even though this might just look like a random list of things to do, they are ideas born out of love in some way or another. Love for either for myself, family, friends, the earth or God. All you need is Love.

-bake bread.
-Get my oven fixed (so I can bake bread!!)
-Meet more neighbours
-Go to bed early sometimes.
-Play more music
-Record new songs that I've written
-sew more clothes for myself (including undies, I really want to make myself some undies!!)
-have more friends over ploughman’s lunches, morning teas, and BBQ's
-read interesting books
-catch up with old friends I haven’t seen in ages
-make more foods from scratch.
-craft more regularly with the women in my community
-re think and re commit to more ways in which we as a family can be ethical consumers
-spend more time in the garden
-be really present at Coleman Jnr's school
-pray
-Don’t feel bad about getting babysitters and going out and doing nice things with Mr. Coleman every so often

Enjoy this great clip!!

Mezz xoxoxox

Merry Christmas folks!

Hiya folks.

Goodness. 

I have a lot on these next few days...in a few hours I will be proudly heading off to Coleman Jnr's final assembly of the school year, and celebrating his first year of prep, a big deal for us! I'll be singing Christmas carols with some friends at Melbourne Airport to raise money for the Foostcray Salvation Army tonight. I'll be baking shortbread and making Christmas truffles till they come out of my ears for gifts for our friends in the community. I'll be taking our housemates on the train to visit my parents for lunch tomorrow, and then taking our kids to the local Carols by Candlelight that night. We'll be having our annual neighbourhood Christmas party at our Community House, and popping back to the airport to see my brother in law between his flights briefly on Christmas Eve. Between all that, I'm still hoping to tidy the house and mow the lawns and have some leisure time to do some fun things with the kids, like a trip into the city at night to see the Christmas lights, and hanging out with friends and family on Christmas Eve.

I enjoy all of this, I really do, but I'm still disappointed that I've allowed these last few sacred days of the advent season get crazy and busy, as I was hoping for calm and quiet. I've still got a lot to learn.

I have so many things I'd love to post about. More easy peasy recipes! More Christmas cheeriness and crafts! Some thoughts on what a Southern Hemisphere Christmas means to me....but alas, I am choosing to switch off the screen these next few days and focus on family (and getting quite a bit done!!)
  
I thought I’d leave you with my favourite ever singer and actress Judy Garland singing the most beautiful song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in one my all time favourite movies, "Meet me in St Louis" (1944). I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and I look forward to catching up with you all after Boxing Day!!

peace,
Mezz

xx

Silent Night

After recording "Away in a Manger" the other week, I had a bit of time to spare and the camera and microphone were still set up, so we decided to quickly do another song.

Pete (my younger brother, and the newest "Papa Bear" in our family) strapped on his guitar and we ran through "Silent Night"once or twice before hitting record. Considering it was a bit rushed and done totally in the moment, I think it's quite nice.

Hope you enjoy this version of Silent Night. Thanks to Pete for helping out with recording, videoing, and sending me all the uploaded links because I might be fooling a few people, but I'm still a complete techno hack!!!

Pete is an awesome musician in his own right, and you should check out what he gets up to by clicking here.

Enjoy!!

Mezz x

Winner's Announced!!

Thanks to the lovely ladies who entered their names in the draw to pick up a copy of my album "Parts of You, Parts of Me." I couldn't make myself choose just one name from the hat, so you are all going to get a CD!

So, congratulations to:

NICOLE

RAYLEE

NOSEY COOK

CLAIRE

&

ARCHER'S MUM

If you happen to be one of those lovely ladies, please send an email to mezzcoleman@hotmail.com with your postal address. I will try to post the CD's ASAP, who knows, it might even come in time for Christmas!!?!!

If this post has tickled your fancy, and you are interested in getting your own hands on a copy of this album, or downloading it, or just having a good old sneaky listen, you can head over here to buy a copy, or check me out on Itunes.

Hope you lovely people enjoy the music!! I've enjoyed making it.

See you soon.

Mezz xx

PS Don't forget you can "like" me on Facebook now (If you want!!)

Easy Peasy Recipe Swap-Recipe #7

This "recipe" was passed on to me from my friend. It's so not cooking, I'm reluctant to even include it here as a recipe, but its fun, yummy, Christmassy, involved some food "upcycling" (which seems to be a hip word at the moment, so I just enjoyed using it then) and mostly, it is Seriously. Easy. Peasy.

How to make some.....

MINI CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

Take one Ye olde Christmas cake (a bought one or made one or gifted one...)

Crumble it all up.

Add a few spoonfuls of jam (any flavour, I used raspberry) to the crumbled cake and mix so that it becomes a thick, slightly wet, cakey mess.

Roll up into little balls and let them set in the fridge for a while.

 

Drip some melted white chocolate and then place a little red and green lolly on top. (I just used some finely cut jelly babies.)

Very Yum! Fun one for the kiddies (or crappy cooks like me!) to get involved with!!

Happy Yuletide,

Mezz x

i know I sound like one of those awful braggy mums, but seriously, I have cool kids!!!

My kids are awesome.

I don't write about them much here because I feel a bit uncomfortable with the "kid thing" online, but I will tell you I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old who are completely and utterly besotted with the Beatles. You have no idea how happy this makes me!! Little Miss 2 year old has completely bypassed the Wiggles and Hi-5 and God knows what else is out there (I try not to know!) and requests nothing but the Beatles and occasionally Missy Higgins and Kate Bush. Mr. 6 year old is madly into the Beatles, and has also been known to request a bit of Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Folds and Dave Bowie. Anyway, I think my kids have pretty cool music taste!!

Yesterday they made these cute Beatles T-shirts for themselves with Mr. Coleman (did I mention he's pretty awesome too!?) He found some old iron on transfer paper that had been lying around the back of a cupboard for years, and the kids picked and printed a picture online and then he helped them make these cute little Tees.



(Coleman Jnr went for a Ringo pic)

 (Miss Coleman preferred the group shot!)

I’ve never used iron on stuff before, but these have come up really well. I reckon the simple black on a plain coloured t-shirt, and would make a really cool gift for a hip little one in your life, with a picture of something they love. Give it a go!!

Mezz

A little song 4 u...

Lovely readers, I wish I knew who you all were so I could send you a handmade Christmas card...but alas, I don't! So I have recorded you a song instead.

Thanks to my great brother Pete who helped me out with this, here is a little version of "Away in a Manger" to give you a bit of Christmas love and cheer, and to say thanks for checking out my blog this year. My blog started out with the motto  CRAFT + MUSIC = HAPPY, and a year later CRAFT + MUSIC STILL = HAPPY!! hooruh.

I am brimming with musical energy again, and am so excited about the new songs that are coming!! I have a new attitude to my music which is very similar to my attitude towards mothering and crafting,  "do what I can, when I can, and be totally ok with that!!" So what you will hear from me over this next period of my life is snippets and songs as they emerge..not a whole album, because seriously I'm not superwoman and don't have enough hours in the day to set aside for some hardcore album making again right now... But I'm gonna do what I can, when I can and share with you all along the way...

In other very scary news, I have decided to start a facebook page dedicated to my music (and maybe the odd craft project as well.) It's time I start accepting that it's 2012 (nearly 2013), so please feel free if facebook is your thing to head over and find Mezz Coleman and be my friend!! If not, I understand. Completely. Utterly. Totally.

Can't wait!

Mezz xx

I'm dreaming of a ...creative, relaxed, lovely, unique, (but probably not white) Christmas!

Here is a small glimpse of what our Christmas is looking like this year....

I made this wreath last year using scraps of red and green fabric, and an embroidery hoop. I like welcoming friends and fam at the front door of our Community House with this cheeriness.

Guardian Angel Napolean Dynamite watches over our little cardboard Nativity scene.

A collection of Christmas pictures, cards that I couldn't bare to part with and kids crafts blue tacked onto a blank wall at the top of our stairs.

Finished! my Silent Night embroidery.

I made Love, Joy, Hope, and Peace mini buntings last year as gifts...and couldn't resist whipping up a few for myself as well! All cute fabric is from the Op Shop.

I finished this little crochet granny square Christmas bunting just in time!!

Brown paper packages tied up with string...well not quite, but you know what I mean.

Our Christmas-y kitchen. $2 vinatge Christmas lights from the Op Shop.

Orange and cloves...mmmm...smells like Christmas!My friend from Sweden always decorated her house with these each Christmas, and I've always wanted to do it too..I sat up on Saturday night and made a few to scatter around the house.

Mr. Coleman's folks live in Taiwan, and always send the kids these seriously cute pop up Christmas cards..We keep them each year and use them as decorations for the following Christmas!

Nothing better then sitting in my favourite Op Shopped rocking chair with a cuppa, a Bing Crosby Christmas record on and enjoying the good vibes..

 

Here is my little display of mini Nativity scenes I've collected along the years. The tiny triangular one was given to me when Iwas about 5, and it's still my favourite!!

Do you celebrate Christmas? What does your Christmas look like? Sound like? Taste like!!?

Peace, Mezz xx

5000 page views celebration give away!!

Wow. Exciting. I logged in to my blogger account today only to discover that over the weekend, my little old blog racked up its 5,000th visit. I'm sure by many standards that's not an enormous amount of numbers, but considering I went into this with no goals, and not much online presence, I'm pretty chuffed. So thank you for click click clicking away and stopping by over the past 11 months...

To celebrate this little milestone (and also probably because I'm in a bit of a cheery festive giving mood) I have a copy of my album "Parts of You, Parts of Me"  (released 2010) that I'd love to send to a lovely reader.

All you need to do to be a chance to get a copy of this CD is leave a comment below this post. I'll then put the names of my wonderful comment givers in a hat next Monday December 17th and announce /contact a winner!! (Please enter no matter where in the world you are, I'm happy to send overseas.)

Hooray for craft, music and blogging.

Thanks to all for being so great this year!!

Mezz
xoxoxoxoxo

PS This also happens to be my 100th post. I'm liking all the rounded figures today!

Some ideas from my lovely readers..

Thanks to those who answered my call out a few weeks ago about what we could do for the less fortunate this Christmas...

Here are some ideas that came rolling in (in no particular order...)

-Choose a local women's shelter or crisis centre and pack a special gift for a woman and her children. (This is a great one to get the kids involved in, and they can donate their own toys, to REALLY get the idea of giving ie- sometimes giving means you need to give up something that was special to you.)

-Either organise or volunteer for a group that may be running Christmas lunches or parties for the poor this year. Extra pairs of hands at those things are very helpful!!

-Invite someone who might spend Christmas alone to your family gathering. This might be an elderly neighbor who has recently lost a spouse, someone whose family is overseas, or someone who is just a bit lonely and isolated for whatever reason. (My mum's good at this one!)

-Really think about what you're buying this Christmas. Yes, the gift your considering might make someone you love happy for a while, but it’s worth asking who (the makers/factory workers/environment) has it made very UNHAPPY whilst being made? Consider going second hand, hand made or just doing something lovely for someone.

-Often at this time of year well intentioned people will drop off toys and food to agencies to be distributed to the needy. While the spirit of this is lovely, with my involvement with the Salvation Army in Footscray, believe me, sometimes the things that we receive just don't have a use for whatever reason. For example, one year, we recognised that the poorer people in our community were getting plenty of food and toys from a whole range or agencies at Christmas time, but were in desperate need of toiletries...soap, toilet paper, shampoo, deodorant. So make sure before you donate that you communicate with the agencies, and find out what the actual need is.

-Make people smile with a bit of public carol singing. People love it. And in my experiences, it doesn’t seem to matter what religion people belong to, I’ve never known anyone to be offended by a bit of old fashioned Jingle Bells or Silent Night. In fact, I “carol” quite a lot each year, and I’ve often found that in particular a lot of the Muslim women in my community tend to stop to hear me sing carols and love it, for whatever reason.

These are just a few ideas, feel free to keep the conversation going!

Peace,
Mezz.

Easy Peasy Recipe Swap-Recipe #6

My awesome friend Mel (who I've known since the first year of High School!) has sent in her easy peasy recipe for chicken nuggets. She made them years ago for Coleman Jnr, and I made her give me the recipe because they were so good. They've now become a regular for kids parties in our family..so easy and yummy!

Here it is (From the lovely and newly engaged Mel...)

EASY CHICKEN NUGGETS

Ingredients

chicken breast

mayonaise

breadcrumbs

butter

 

preheat oven to 180 degrees

cut chicken into small nugget sized pieces

coat chicken pieces in mayo

coat mayo chicken in breadcrumbs

put on oven tray and drizzle with some melted butter (not very much)

bake for 15-20mins

 

yum!

 

FEEL FREE TO KEEP THE RECIPES ROLLING IN!

Was I born in the wrong era!!??

Sometimes I wonder if I was born in the wrong era. Mr. Coleman and I often joke about it, as we both sometimes feel a bit old fashioned. I wouldn't know how to use or download an mp3, but have a great vinyl record collection. Facebook frightens me. Smart phones scare me. Most of the music I love was written and recorded before the 70's.

The same also goes for fashion. I don't have a particular style, but I do love clothes, and find that what I wear is a form of expression for me. I don't spend much money on clothes, as everything is pretty much op shopped, but I do get pretty into it! Over the years, I've thought more about what I actually like, and what suits me, as apposed to what's "in fashion". Here is what I've concluded for myself: I hate pants. I know, I know, how anti feminist of me... I have one pair of jeans simply because I think I should for some reason, but I prefer to wear skirts and dresses everyday. I like the old fashioned stockings and tights that clip onto belts. I don't believe in the word hipsters, and think ladies look much nicer wearing things on their waists, not hips. I always wear an apron in the kitchen.

Anyway, you get the idea... We are now in summer, and bathers have always been a huge problem for me. Find me a lady who's had 2 kids who looks amazing in a skimpy bikini and I'll give you a prize...actually I'll probably just give the amazing looking lady a slap across the face!!! (joking!) To be honest, I don't think anyone looks great in a skimpy bikini, but that's just comes down to taste! I've always wanted to find a pair of bathers that suit me and my style...and every summer I've struggled to find anything that's ok.

Well, the wait is over, and I've found what I've been looking for!! It's very rare to find vintage bathers that don't cost an arm and a leg, but good things come to those who wait!!

After spending a month or so trying to decide what to do about the bathers problem, a few weeks ago I found this little number, a 70's vintage bathing suit (complete with little skirt!!) for $12 at the local op shop near my work. I thought it was the most amazing op shop find of the year....

...and then yesterday, at Savers there was a wide range of these high waisted vintage style bikini bottoms. Yes, you heard me. They cost $4 each, and I'll just find a simple black halter neck bikini top to go with it.

I'm so pumped to go the beach and the pool this summer!!

By the way, I'm very aware that there are many perks to living in 2012...Some of them? It's completely acceptable for my husband to not work full time, watching Will Ferrell movies, blogging, texting (I don't mind the odd text!), completely overt racism is totally NOT OK, Overseas travel is relatively affordable-ish, and having tattoos and piercings doesn't make you a criminal!!

What do you like about living in the now? What are some things from the past that you can't quite shake out of your system? 

I'd love to know!!

Mezz xoxoxo

The season of advent....is HERE!!

Coleman Jnr and Little Miss woke up on Saturday morning to this......

and found a note for Dec 1st saying this.............

(silly computer won't turn this pic around the right way...grrrr...)

So we did this.................

Lovely way to start the month.

xx

Boiled Christmas pudding

Tomorrow is December 1st. Yes that's right, you heard me. I know some of you might find that piece of information quite scary, but relax!! Christmas time can get hectic, but what's the point if you're not enjoying it hey? I'm quite a Christmas fan, (not the horrible 24 hour shopping at Highpoint commercial type of Christmas, but the handmade, unrushed type of christmas full of special family rituals, music, and gathering with friends and community that we have created for ourselves...)..so just a warning, you might hear me crap on about it during the Advent season. I apologise if it's not your thing!!

Last week I made the pudding for our Christmas family get together. The recipe is taken from a very old Women's Weekly cook book. It took 6 hours to boil. I hope it's yummy, but if not I'm sure we can always lay on the custard and cream pretty thick!! Thought I'd share some pics.

Happy last day of Spring (if you're a southern hemisphere dweller, if not...hope it's not too freezing where you are!!)

Mezz

Easy Peasy Recipe Swap.. Recipe #5

Thanks to Raylee, aka ess-arr (which stands for eco simple stitches, artfully recreated recycling) for her easy peasy recipe for Apple cakes. Check out her recipe and her creative upcycling blog here.

Feel free to keep sharing your lovely recipes!!

See you soon..very soon in fact, I think I'm going to share another post later today!!

Mezz

with a little help from my friends

Last week Taz (aka Butter and Buntings) and I got together at my place for a bit of lunch, cake and crafting. It was hard to not spend the whole time cooing at her lovely little bubba boy, but I managed to get a few things done.

Do you like crafting with friends? I always find it more fun then doing it on my own!!

Mezz xx