Birthday sewing

All three of our kids have a birthday within the next 6 weeks.....so I thought it time I tackled something else  on my " bookmarked to do list" and add to the birthday celebrations coming up fast......

Happy Birthday Bunting.....

How hard is it to photograph bunting? Anyways I used this tutorial for inspiration and raided my stash ( gotta luv projects that raid the stash you already have).

I kept it colourful and suitable for all birthdays big and small....why haven't I made one before now I don't know.

This Year

The all important class list...
we went and checked out the kids class lists for the year. These can work for you or against you.
Meg has the teacher she was hoping for and some of the friends she was hoping for...so all round come Wednesday she will be pretty relaxed....


Fraser...hhmmm he is not sure about the whole impending Wednesday thingy.....he doesn't really know the teacher he has been given and although he has a mate or two in his class it has not been enough to persuade him that Year one really will be fun and full of new adventures..


Well one thing is for sure that in just two more sleeps it will all be on for the year...
maybe I will let them play out in the street with the neighbourhood kids a little longer tonight!

Bird On It...

This is too funny.....

Well I thought so anyway.

Found via Meet Me at Mikes

Today

Hannah Whitall Smith writes:

“This blessed life must not be looked upon in any sense as an attainment but as an obtainment.  We cannot earn it; we cannot climb up to it; we cannot win it; we can do nothing but ask for it and receive it. It is the gift of God in Christ Jesus. And where a thing is a gift, the only course left for the receiver is to take it and thank the giver.”  found via here

Drive In

One thing we promised ourselves and the kids we would do while on holiday was to go the Drive In theatre......

It was such a neat thing to do and the kids were fascinated by the whole concept...

Remember when you used to hook up these to your window for the sound?

Well now you just tune in your radio....

still glad we did it for who knows how long they will be around.

Swimming

Did I mention we went swimming.....lots.....

We had a fantastic apartment right in front of the pools...although it was hard to convince the kids that maybe we should have a break from the water for a while when they could see how much fun was being had by others...

Home Sweet Home

We're home but feeling like we could have stayed a few more weeks days....

We ......

played tennis

ate icecream

found caches

went fishing
ate chocolate

swam lots
slept in

read books

went thrifting
went to the drive ins
 went possum spotting

and just hung out with each other....

doesn't get much better than that.

Checklist

Checklist - To Take.

Fishing Rods  - check

Tackle boxes   - check

Good Book  - check

Geocaching list   - check

Bathers  - check

See ya when we get back!

I can do it...

Thanks to Retromummy I have discovered that even on my 22 year old sewing machine I can do this......

Oh .... Ok I need to practise my wiggles and squiggles but at least I now know what that foot is for and what I can do with it.....there may be no stopping me now!

That is except time and the million other things on my "bookmarked" list.

Now

We only have now....

so

Master Your impatience

But 

Don't  procrastinate..

Some wise teaching from our Senior Pastor tonight.

Rescued

Today I was lucky enough to visit my  local goodwill store and find something that was perfect for me to bring back to life.

After noticing that it was less than perfect I decided that I would take it home anyway...the kind lady at the counter was very embarrassed that it was defective and was horrified that it had made it onto the floor. After I convinced her that it was indeed perfect for me she reduced it quite heavily (yeah for me) .

I asked her what actually happened to the goods that were "rejected"..she told me that they get packed up and shipped to third world countries, even the broken things!!!

I know there is probably good intentions there but I was quite saddened to think that our richly resourced country was happy to send our "rubbish to those in poor countries of the world?

Yes I am sure they appreciate that which we don't but I think they still deserve more than the discarded!

What's your style?

Take this visual quiz to find your style....

This was fun....I found it here and if you click here you will go to The Stylish Home site.

 

This is what came up for me.......
Details...

Cozy… not oversized - a hand crafted gem. Kitchen ambitions move slow by design. A bedroom with distinct character - warm and charming. Art that definitely does not match the sofa. Enjoying elegant outdoor fare. Relax in a contemplative way. Pre-war, upper east side attitude. Wild and crazy days in your wonderful home..

Suspected "California Country"

- Sandra Bullock

- Harrison Ford

- Jeff Bridges

...Derek also did it and was slightly different to me but pretty right for him.

Oh Yum

We are still playing catch-up with some of the Hip Hip Hooray for holidays fun....

last day of swimming lessons today and we had my nephew tag along home with us.

I set both him and Meg up to make these very yummy 

Wagon Wheels....

so easy and much fun was had with chocolate everywhere.

Thanks again to Melissa for this idea go check it out and see how simple it was for these two to make them.

Nearly there

It's been a great way to pass the last two weeks of the school holidays and spend time with cousins each day.

Without my very capable sister it wouldn't have been possible....so from my wet soggy swimmers to you.....

THANK YOU.

Marble House

With having vacation swimming lessons every day, the afternoons are spent hanging out at home or Aunty's for two days of the week.

So this afternoon I set them both a task....here's a box go away together and make a marble house...

So using Mel's idea(Hip Hip Hooray for Holidays)  they worked together and came up with this...they then assigned points to each hole and kept score as they rolled marbles.

My only rule make sure I don't find any marbles lying around when you're done!

Draughts anyone?

I have such a loooooooong list of bookmarked things to sew / try...this was one of them

Fabric Draughts set with Storage Bag

found at Melissa's blog.

We are heading away for a few days holidays next week and this will be perfect to throw in the bag to take with us.

It was really fun to make and not being a fancy fabric hoarder I was able to rummage up some colourful oranges and greens....

Next we just had to refresh ourselves on the rules  and it was game on!

One thing checked off the bookmarked list!


Check out the Creatives spaces which is back for the year.

Bidding Wars

All around this nation and in fact world wide there is a bidding frenzy happening in blogland. I indeed have my fingers in a few auctions that are part of The Flood Disaster Appeal....

Like all bidding attempts I have my limits and I must stick to them even if it is all for a good cause....

it is not too late to check out some great auctions.

Tonight in our home we had some lesson learning  around the whole buying on eBay. Meg had her heart set on something that she searched on eBay for....after negotiating with me the amount she had to begin her bidding with we sat and waited, all the time explaining that it was very difficult to actually win an auction while remaining within your budget. The bid was placed at the last 2 min mark and sure enough at seconds to go was outbid.

The lesson to stay within your means no matter how much of a good deal it was or how badly you wanted it to become yours is often a hard one even for an adult....

Here's hoping that I have better luck with my bidding.

Baking for a cause

If I lived in a neighbouring suburb of Brisbane or any flood affected area I would bake some

Banana and Choc Chip Tea Bread....for the volunteers or those hard at work with the clean up.....

1 3/4 cups Wholemeal self-raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup of choc chips


Grease loaf pan and line with baking paper. Sift flour and soda into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add combined eggs,banana,oil, honey and choc chips. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are well combined, but don't over mix. Spread mixture into prepared pan and bake in 180 degrees for 40 mins.


or maybe some

Anzac Cookies


1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup coconut
125g ( 4oz) butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp boiling water


Combine oats. sifted flour,sugar and coconut. Combine butter and syrup, stir over gentle heat until melted. Mix soda with boiling water, add to melted butter mixture, stir into dry ingredients. Take teaspoonfuls of mixture and place on lightly greased oven trays: allow room for spreading. Cook in slow (150degres) oven for 20 mins. Loosen while warm, then cool on trays.


But instead I will send them to my beautiful sister's tomorrow with our children as we head off to work and she tackles another day of vacation swimming lessons with my two and her four..

A good cause me thinks!

Auctions

If you are wanting to donate to the cause  then go to Toni's blog and then you will see the master list of auctions being held on so many blogs....a great way to maybe purchase something special and be helping raise money at the same time.

Go now!

Tennis Anyone?

Who needs a tennis court? Grandma and Grandad's brand new courtyard will do won't it?

Granny Warmth

Last week my dad gave me this Granny square rug that my mum had done...as soon as I saw it I had a flash back to remembering her working on this ...I must have been in my early teens (approx 30 years or more ago!) Dad was wondering if I would like it...not my colours but I took it just so I could marvel at her handy crocheting skills. Not a single tail or end in sight...no sign of any sewing together of squares. Although it is well worn and has been washed over and over it is perfect. I so wish she was here to look over my shoulder and help me as I sew in ends and figure out how to put the squares together on my own blankets.

After being given this I went in search of other granny rugs that I have done over the years....

This one I did when I was newly married ( approx 23 years ago) It is actually just one big granny square. Over the years  it has become the go to blanket for a certain big person in the house when he is not feeling well.....

After not crocheting for many years  I taught myself last winter , using these lessons and completed this Granny square blanket. Unlike my mum's there are many ends poking out and you can definitely see the way I have sewn all the squares together.....all that aside there is always someone snuggled under it.

This is my current work in progress...I am not very good at sitting still so when I am desperate to watch a movie I grab this and work on it - to keep me awake...I have loved the randomness of colours and pattern. Not sure how large it will be but I am sure it is going to be as well used as the others . My family are  real snuggle under a blanket type of guys.

(note to sister's : mum's blanket is up for a new home just in case you were wondering!)

I still have a couple of places left on my Pass It On fun if you want to sign up.

Pass it on.....

"I promise something handmade to the FIRST 5 people who leave a comment here. However, to be eligible, you must repost this message, offering something handmade to 5 other people. The rules are that it must be handmade by you, and it must be sent to your 5 giftees sometime in 2011". Ready, set, GO!

I love this idea which I found on oesch and doots the other night. I made it onto her list of five which was a very pleasant surprise.

I am looking forward to sending on some handmade love to five others.

So get going and let's pass on some good around the world, especially at a time when the world    could do with some. 

Big cheers

I had a thought to check out these very dedicated and creative people tonight to see what they have been up to......I was a bit taken a back with their last post (in a good way)....you should check out their story and give them a cheer or maybe if you live here in WA go check them out next time they are selling.

Thanks guys for championing the cause and keeping those we love close to our thoughts.