Why didn’t anyone tell me how ugly Pumpkin plants are?

I have gone down the road of many homeowners and 6 months ago planted quite a sizable vege garden. This was done with the big idea to get the kids involved in gardening, have an outside interest, and start teaching them a little about finance. I financial whiz of a friend gave me the idea to start the kids on their entrepreneurial road early in life and have them tend the garden, grow lots of veges and sell them to me, and then invest their money into more plants, fertilizer, reproduce more veges and sell to me, etc.  I am sure you get the picture. My 4 year old was not overly interested but my 6 year old thought it was a great idea and was very enthusiastic for about 4.5 minutes. But I thought it was a great idea, especially as I make my living out of supporting artists and designers who make, produce and create for a living. I would love to pass on the message to my kids to embrace their creativity and do what they love in life rather than be stuck in a profession for life that doesn’t make them happy.

We did grow some beautiful celery, and have a great crop of cherry tomatoes and that was about the extent of it, even though we had zucchini, squash, carrots, the list goes on, growing. No success there. So we moved on as you do, can’t live in the past can you. I planted herbs (that died) and pumpkin. Why did I do that? Ugly, soo ugly. And it produced nothing, just overran the vege patch and my lawn.

So it was completely pulled out on Saturday and replaced with flower seeds...... A lot of fun was had by the kids and me however I did have the misfortune of encountering a small cane toad which was disappointing and meant I could not enter the left hand side of the garden for at least 24 hours (slight toad phobia). However I have a fearless 4 year old boy that would probably pick the ugly thing up and deposit it somewhere more appropriate then my backyard with little encouragement. Anyway we now have a beautiful patch of dirt that will produce a mass of colouring flowers in 14 -16 weeks. Yah. Pictures will follow....... maybe depending on the success, don’t hold your breath.

How do you find time to create?

How do we find the time to create?



I think I can safely say most of us out there that create also have jobs, and or families that we need to devote time to. I don’t work anymore, but have a 6 and a 4 year old and another little one due in February so my time is ever dwindling. Even though my older two are self sufficient in that they don’t need me to help them with the toilet (thank god, wiping bums is really not my favourite job), they can get themselves a drink, etc, the time saved here is now spent helping my oldest with homework, and involving my youngest in learning. So what do I give up to get more time? I am quite fond of eating and sleeping, but one has to make sacrifices, and being a woman I can multitask so eating can stay – guess it is sleeping....


I find it a constant struggle to find the time to really focus on whatever I am embarking on at the moment. If I paint, I start at 8 o’clock at night and I paint until I am finished that canvas (needless to say my paintings are NOT full of detail, but they are full of colour!!). Or I try to find projects that I can get my kids involved in, so while I work away I have a miniature version of what I am doing set up so we can all work together. This isn’t my favourite, as just when I am starting to get focused on what I am doing it is inevitably the time when my kids have had their fill of the project and are ready to move onto the next thing. Oh well, it is all fun.


Sewing (my first love) is a little more challenging. As mentioned with my painting, if I can’t get it done in a small amount of time, I will not start. Whilst I pick things that aren’t going to take me days and days to make, sewing is a long process regardless. First it is cutting out the fabric as per the pattern (really not happy that that is part of the sewing process), and then the pinning, measuring, sewing, pinning, measuring, sewing, and on it goes. So rather than a day of sewing and I have a new outfit, which was possible pre kids, I have a week of trying to sewing and maybe a new sleeve. However au vante gaurd that may be, I am not Lady Gaga and I require more than a sleeve to make an outfit – I appreciate the value of pants ever so much.


I have adopted a new strategy though, which is working for me. Rather than just focus on sewing one item, I will pick a few different things to sew (generally something for me, for both my kids and maybe a new cushion) that all require the SAME coloured sewing thread. The really time consuming part is all the prep work – 4 patterns does take a while to cut out, and I tend to use Burda. (I LOVE Burda, but the tracing is very hard, especially now they have taken the pattern sheets down from two either side, to one either side). Once that is done, I have my four little piles and I methodically work through each pattern, pinning the first step on each item, then doing all my sewing at once, then pinning and sewing, etc. I have found it is far more time efficient and I have become a far better sewing because I am not rushing to get through the pattern and ignoring steps so I can get more than a sleeve made. I always thought I was a reasonable sewer, but after working through patterns this way I have found so many new techniques that make my final outcome look much better and are in most cases far easier.


So this is how we evolve I guess. I am determined not to give up the things I love just for the sake of time (or sleep) but my first and most important role is mum, so I just have to work with it. We would love to know how you manage your time, leave us a comment, you never know we all might pick up a new trick or two.

If you are an artisan and are wanting to display your work, drop us a line at Shimi, we are always on the look out for new designers to contribute.

Aromatherapy Skincare, why use it

Rowena and I have always preached the virtues of Jewell Skincare. It is aromatherapy skincare, that has quite a small life span (about three months), which means that it is natural and therefore much better for us and our skin. I am sure you are all aware that whatever we put on our skin is absorbed into our blood. We know that “we are what we eat”, so the same can be said for what we put on our skin. When we use aromatherapy oil the oil penetrates into our blood stream which rejuvenates the skin and eliminates waste materials. It helps remove dead cells from the body and will stimulate the growth of new and healthy cells.

If you are afflicted with troublesome skin (like me) it can be extremely frustrating. For me personally my problem skin is hormonal and worsened with pregnancy, however problem skin can be caused by other things like extreme heat, excess makeup and fatty foods. I have tried almost everything to elevate my problem skin, from extreme medicine to generic shop bought products. Whilst the prescribed medicine did work it had so many adverse side effects it wasn’t worth taking. The only other thing that made any difference was Aromatherapy products. And besides – it smells so good.


A very popular Australian made product based on aromatherapy and natural products is Jurlique. Whilst Jurlique is absolutely beautiful and in my younger years I used it on and off for years, it is expensive, and to be honest, with a young family – not affordable. Jewell is an alternative to Jurlique and very reasonably priced. It may not have all the bells and whistles like Jurlique, but it is of extremely high quality (which is why Shimi sells it) and just as luxurious.

Aromatherapy is not just for skin care. One wonderful advantage of aromatherapy is its sanitizing properties and they can easily be used to clean your home, rather than harsh chemicals. I’m sure you have all heard of the mosquito repellent Citronella – another aromatherapy oil.


For such an inexpensive product it has so many advantages. If you have sensitive skin we at Shimi would be glad to talk to you about what may suit you. Please contact us anytime; we would love to hear from you.

Pregnancy Mood Swings

I relented ........ of course I cooked.  No tantrums tonight though, from kids or mum.

Pregnancy Mood Swings

Pregnancy has worn me out today.  Not only do I feel HUGE for 25 weeks, but the baby is sitting extremely high, so every time I bend down I get a very uncomfortable pain in my ribs, and I think the third trimester blues have hit me.  (Is there such a thing?  I just made that up).

I do hate to complain, especially as I have a friend, well lets call her an acquaintance, who is also pregnant, just a few weeks in front of me, and she cannot wait for someone to ask how she is so she can have a good old moan.  That is fine once in a while, but after 7 months of this, we are all a little tired of hearing about it, and regrettably usually find a place to hid when we see her coming.  (I can say these things, I'm pregnant and am fighting raging hormones).

So, let me get this out of the way, I am thrilled to be pregnant, love feeling my baby kick, and cannot wait to meet my little man.  But I think after 25 weeks of no complaints despite hideous morning sickness, and one man telling me I had the chubby cheeks of a baby (what the hell was he thinking) I can complain a little.  Tonight my hormones took over and dinner ended with me sitting in my room sobbing. 

As you may know I have to little ones (6 and 4) and every night (and lunch for that matter) is a battle.  I don't so much mind them not eating there dinner (it is their choice if they want to go to bed hungry) it is the constant complaining that I am not digging at the moment.  Just when I was ready to throw a perfectly good plate of food out the window, I calmed down enough to once again present my daughter with her dinner and tell her that Friends (currently her favourite show - what am I raising??) would be banned for the rest of the year if dinner was not consumed, I saw my husbands face when he took his first mouth full of food.  Now dear reader, let me explain that dinner was a simply pasta of Cheese and Spinach Tortellini with a tomato cream sauce and salad.  Nothing extravagant, but really I could not stuff it up.  And I didn't, it was perfectly fine.  My husband then ate a quarter of his meal and claimed (wisely he probably thought) he was too full to finish.   Well, I am a pretty easy going type of person most of the time, but the look I gave him could have stripped paint of the walls.  I admit now I probably overreacted, but when you cook every night for two little people who act like you are poisoning them, it is going to build up one day and bubble over.  Tonight was the night.

Anyway, I went and had a good weep and concluded not to cook tomorrow night and leave them all to fend for themselves.  Lets see if I follow through (I am sure I will relent when I see my 4 year old trying to butter and vegemite himself a sandwich at 7 pm tomorrow night).

Our Favourite Blog This Week : The Vintage Sheet Blog

In my younger years (so pre children) I was a great op shopper and nine times out of ten I would end up buying a plus size item and would cut it down to a minuscule little dress (that is when I didn’t mind showing off my legs). It was a really cheap, fun and effective way to create a unique wardrobe, and I loved doing it.


Even when I go out now with this end in mind, I never find what I am looking for. Whether it is usually because I have a four year old with me and I am too distracted to find the “it” piece, or maybe given my lack of time these days, I don’t feel as creative, or maybe I just don’t have the confidence I did in my late teens.... Nevertheless I can’t seem to re-create for myself.


However I came across http://vintagesheets.blogspot.com/ . This is a great blog about reinventing vintage sheets. It is a lovely blog with postings from other creative minds about things to make with vintage sheets, pillowcases, etc. The tutorials are very thorough with photos through each step.


I haven’t made anything yet, but I have taken the first step and pulled out all my old pillowcases to make a skirt for my daughter http://vintagesheets.blogspot.com/2010/08/vintage-pillow-case-ruffle-skirt.html /. Although I will endeavour to create this beautiful wreath before Christmas : http://incolororder.blogspot.com/2010/11/vintage-sheet-wreath-tutorial.html. 

My to do list is filling up way to quickly.
Happy Shopping, Love Jen and Row
www.shimi.com.au

Polarized Sunglasses: Maui Jim Sunglasses Review

Are men the harder of the species to buy for?? Absolutely, well in my experience anyway. I have struggled with gifts for my husband for the past 12 years, but occasionally I get it right. An I-Pod was one triumph, but I think I can safely say Polarised Mens Sunglasses were the only other success. I choose a pair of Polarised Sunglasses for him last year after listening to him complain about headaches every time him played golf. Obviously this was due to the glare of the sun. When he got his little tinny for fishing and crabbing, the headaches only got worse. After a lot of consideration (he was sure it was the tightness of the frames) I bought him a pair of polarised sunglasses - and problem solved. I choose a "cheaper" pair of polarised sunglasses because I didn't want to spend a lot of money if it wasn't going to fix the problem, but as it did fix the problem, it will make my husbands next birthday present a much easier choice. If you have ever worn cheap sunglasses as opposed to high quality (and hence more expensive) sunglasses, you will be well aware that there is no choice - quality of quantity every time!! Maui Jim Kahuna will be my next purchase.

What are the benefits of Polarized Sunglasses?

With polarized sunglasses the sea (for example) appears more transparent so they are really beneficial for anyone that loves their outdoor activities. Normal sunglasses will decrease the intensity of everything by the same amount, but polarized sunglasses will selectively eliminate the reflection from light coming from about the waters surface. Polarised Sunglasses will always decrease the intensity of un-polarised light be 50%. Maui Jim Sunglasses have Polarised Plus 2 Technology, which means the lenses block 100 percent of UV rays and they will "manage" blue light. This means there is no interference with colour balance and perception. Maui Jim Sunglasses will compensate for the three types of glare - reflected, direct and bounce-back. They will absorb almost 100% of reflected glare. Well worth the investment if your are an outdoorsy person.

Why Maui Jim Sunglasses:

Maui Jim Sunglasses or Maui Jim Kahuna Sunglasses to be exact, are lightweight and durable. They have adjustable rubber nose pads, adjustable metal core temples, and are saltwater effective. The polarized lens are super thin and are completely Rx-able (meaning you can put prescription lenses in the frames). They also have PolarisedPlus 2 Technology as explained above, so you are getting ultimate UV protection to your eyes. Best of all, and the most common complaint I here about sunglasses, they are scratch resistant.

Some of the great features of the Maui Jim Sunglasses:

They have many wonderful features.

• The frames are Monel/Acetate, strong and stylish.

• They have Spring Hinges, which means it varies the amount of tension placed on your temples. They are made with springs, allowing the temples of the frame to press more firmly to the head. It is one of the reasons the glasses are more expensive, but it allows for you to have a customised fit.

• The lens type is glass, not plastic and as mentioned (just a few times) it is polarised glass.

• The nose pads are silicone, which are translucent and will stick to the skin without discomfort (great for those with sensitive skin).

• With the Sunglasses you will received a hard case.

• They are made in Italy, so you know they are quality.

• 2 Year Warranty

Any negatives?

Head on through to Amazon to see some great reviews (the average customer review is 4 out of 5), however the only negative I have come across is the price. Comments have been made that the glasses are pricey, but it is backed up with the age old comment "You get what you pay for". Quality comes with a price, and when you buy Maui Jim Sunglasses you are buying quality.

So where can you buy Maui Jim Kahuna Sunglasses?

You can buy Maui Jim Kahuna Sunglasses at a discounted price at Amazon. At the moment you can buy from from under $220 dollars, which I believe is about $100 off the retail price, and they are available in gunmetal or metallic glass copper frames. You may also be able to receive free shipping and free returns in the unlikely event that the glasses don't meet your expectations. Click here to view on Amazon.   Or to look at all the styles you can always go through to Shimi where we have the three colours displayed.  Don't forget to check out Shimi's other great products, both through Amazon and through our amazing designers that custom make products for you.

Need more convincing?

Here are a couple of reviews that say so much:

• "I highly recommend this line of sunglasses. They are the best sunglasses I have ever worn. Two Thumbs Up"

• "The quality is like any other! The lens are scratch resistant and never fog, it offers fantastic UV protection, and it cuts through almost all of the glare left on the water."

The best place for reviews though is the Amazon site. Click here to read more. However you can always pop down to Shimi for more information on these products sold through Amazon.  Happy Shopping, Jen and Row