Pregnancy, me and we're having a.....

It feels like the right time for me to open up more and start discussing my pregnancy aside from the mention of a growing belly that I'm trying to style around in My Wednesday Style Collective Posts.

Things that are happening and I'm feeling.....
* I didn't realise that I have friends in circles who didn't realise I was pregnant, so I've recently given a few people a surprise when I've turned around. Because looking at me from the back you wouldn't know I'm pregnant. So that's been rather entertaining to see people's reactions, and the questions are now coming - will this will be our last? Six pregnancy in six years, losses, blessings, breastfeeding peppering all that time.......yeah I'd say we're done this is our last.

* I'm twenty-six weeks baby is kicking up a storm. My mind and heart is in go, go, go mode and I want to do everything that's spinning around in my head. But my body is starting to say slow down, with all the aches and pains I'm having. My mind is having a hard time dealing with slow down mode because I'm a busy bee. I guess a restructure of activities should be in order. Perhaps some more time on my sitting bottom sorting out my online store could be a start. Hence this latest change and the reason for my absence on the blog some days with my regular posts.

* But how am I doing? The big question that's asked of me with each pregnancy with that tone, that means, people want to know how I'm handling things emotional with my PTSD. The answer is I'm travelling well, I've had some difficult moments and this month is always a hard one. May 25th each year marks Elle and Meg's memorial it will be five years this year, so it's always hard and especially if I'm pregnant too. Thankfully I will be busy this Saturday the 25th catching up with some blogging buddies. But overall I'm good, as good as one can be but triggers will continue to be managed and I should be fine.

* Have I started to get things ready? Ummm well, not directly for the baby. The big changes that affect Master V and Little V have been happening like moving them into one room together to share a bunk bed. Even though this bub will be rooming in with us for six months to a year, we're giving our monkeys time to transitions rather then it all happen when the baby is here. When it comes to babies I don't believe you need a lot to care for baby, in fact I'm in the midst of giving stuff away that really isn't necessary in my view to care for baby.

* Finally the question, do you know what you're having? Yes, yes, we do it and I'm surprised I've taken this long to share it all with you.

These two little monkeys of ours will be having another baby BOY monkey to join their long list of hilarious antics. We are thrilled and ever so excited, boy or girl we would feel the same way we are just thrilled to be blessed with one last addition to our family.

Australian Op Shop Review Directory....

I have embarked on a major undertaking and I need all my fellow Australian Bloggers help, who have an interest in op shopping. I am in the middle of compiling an Australian Op Shop Review Directory. So if you have a blog post from an op shop you've visited anywhere around Australia please let me know. Your listing will need to include the name of the shop and an address even if you want to go back and edit it so it now has one.

My hope is for the growing directory to be a practical resource to all Op Shop loving Aussies. But not only that imagine if you're visiting interstate or from overseas and you want to check out what us Aussies have on offer. I'm more than happy for listings to include more than one review on the same Op Shop as I feel that helps give contrast and perspective with opinions and reviews.

Finally lets face it you'll be getting a permanent link in my directory to your blog post too. So come join me and help make this an AMAZING resource for us all to enjoy. If you feel that you have an appropriate post or posts in your archives that would be appropriate for this directory and you'd like inclusion, please email me at tmbristow@bigpond.com with a link to your post. Finally please share the news of this post and forming directory on your blogs, Facebook and social media outlets with your other op shop loving blogger friends so we can make it a comprehensive and thorough directory and resource for all.

2013 Week 19: My Wednesday Style Collective.....

On Sunday along with Mother's Day celebrations and visits we also had a two year olds birthday gathering to attend. To be honest I was feeling somewhat physically shattered after such a full on Saturday with our first market outing. But out we traveled for a few hours and I made sure I was dressed comfortably for the morning. Excuse the hair, I don't know what it is but whilst pregnant it does stupid frizzy things with rain and humidity it's not a problem I've ever had before. But oh well at least a nice dress takes the focus off frizzy hair, or maybe not so much now that I've drawn attention to it.

Anyway the dress is a new to me dress I recently bought on a bit of an op shop spending spree and came home with a load of vintage garments along with a few post baby pieces to wear as well. It's a comfy dress to wear and layer whilst I'm pregnant and it's a homemade frock.

Dress - op shopped

Long Sleeve Tee - retail

Belt - eBay come free with a frock I bought years ago, only realised on editing the pics my belt needs a repair....whoops.

Brooch - car boot sale

Beaded Bracelet - Master V creation for Mother's Day

Silver Bangle - gifted

Sandals - retail

I did have a second outfit that I was mega excited to share, but the pics have gone awol which is annoying after I gave a sneak peak and tease on Instagram and Facebook the other day. But the pic wasn't a full shot though. Oh well never mind sometimes these things happen but it's a combination I'll be rocking again very soon because it made me feel fab and fun and it fits this growing tummy of mine. So pics will be coming soon on this weeks missing second outfit.

I'm having a Bloggers Baby Shower.....

I love a get together with fellow bloggers, and I have a few gatherings coming up over coming weeks and months. There is a particularly special gathering coming up on Sunday June 2nd being hosted by Blog Power Events, the lovely ladies there are hosting a Bloggers Baby Shower for myself and fellow Queensland Bloggers.

Cassandra at Cass Can Sew, Cate from Life Behind the Purple Door, Née from Née Say and we're all being treated to lovely morning at New Farm Park in Brisbane from 10am - 2pm, celebrating only as bloggers do.

If you're local to Brisbane and are a blogger or reader who'd like to come along and enjoy the morning and celebrate with us, please get in touch with the ladies at Blog Power Events on admin@blogpowerevents.com and have a chat.

I'm so looking forward to it, and I'm on the hunt for a perfect vintage baby shower outfit of course.

{Business} Our first market round up.....

Well we've got our first market under our belt, even if we packed up early because of.......yep that's right RAIN. But despite that there are major smiles and loads of joy in the My Vintage Childhood camp from our first market adventure.

To paint you a picture imagine Saturday morning blue skies and a few non-threatening looking clouds, and hopes of a perfect Autumn day on the Gold Coast high in our hearts. We got to the Timeless Treasures Market site and along with other outside stall holders made ourselves busy with our stall set up. When while finessing our stalls clouds had come over the heavens above started to spit. Cue a rearrangement of stock because of rain direction. We patiently waited it out until just after the official start time of the market when there was a break in weather and the spotting of blue skies again. 

 The Big V grabbed this photo as I was still running around finessing the stall just before the rain came.

Pictured above: baby and children's vintage clothing, with vintage tweens, teens, maternity options as well.

Puzzle piece letter brooches and badges and transport badges.

During the break in weather and drizzling we had a good flow of people through our stall and their responses to what we are doing and trying to offer with My Vintage Childhood was EXACTLY what I was hoping for. Along with that came sales, yay to sales and further confirmation of what I'm piecing together with my business and it hitting the right spot and people.
We could not be happier with the response overall from the public and we even had a local women who made a purchase and later on dragged her tween daughter back when the rain reappeared in torrential proportions to look at purchasing genuine vintage dresses for her and we were amidst packing up and protecting stock. 

The Big V was also stopped in the rain when he was ferrying stock back to our van and was spotted carrying the rocking cradle and high chair that he has so lovingly given a new life (pictured above). Cue business cards being asked for handed out.

Even though the reappearance of rain and it's torrential proportions resulted in all outside stall holders having to call it a day and pack up early, I'm not disappointed in the slightest. The morning confirmed so many things for me. It confirmed for me that my vision and dream with my niche vintage children's and mums business has people excited. It confirmed all the hard work, patience and time that has gone into everything is worth it. It confirmed to me and my soul that I am 100% in my element, answering my souls yearnings with my creative, artifice, vintage loving, collectors heart.

I'm so excited about the future and the connections I have made with others and the future is busy and bright even with another baby due amidst it all. But as I said to a fellow virgin stall holder Saturday, my soul just can't live anymore with all this being a hope and a thought, it has to be pushed into an actualised tangible dream. Finding a way to make it work with three kids under the age four come August will be another dynamic challenge, but I'll take it on and we will make it happen.