Blooming Lovely

Finished Item - Pink Lacy Fingerless Gloves

2012-02-20T10:17:00.000+11:00

Here's another finished item :)

I don't think these fingerless gloves will keep your hands terribly warm during winter but they certainly look pretty.

Silly me I just realised that I forgot to mention the other day the name of the book I got the patterns from for the fingerless gloves. It's called "The Big Book of Dishcloths".

I got the book a while back from Spotlight.

The patterns are in US terminology which is okay because I think I've got the hang of 'translating' them to UK terminology now.

Art With Salt

2012-02-19T10:31:00.000+11:00

And here I was thinking that salt was just a condiment ...

This guy is just amazing!

Ambassador Program

2012-02-18T10:03:00.004+11:00

Yesterday afternoon I went to the GETT Centre in Traralgon (where Brodie goes to TAFE for 2 and a half days a week) so that I could participate in a short course called the Ambassador Program. Basically it's a program to help young people with disabilities and their parent(s) develop skills & confidence to help them speak publicly and tell their story about their life.

As an ambassador we will be expected to participate in some form of public speaking. From what we learnt today the first group spoke to schools, ADASS (a group for people with disabilities that live in our Shire) and some other groups that I can't think of right.

We got to meet a couple of kids from the last course & their Mums. They spoke to us telling how much they enjoyed the course and what they are now moving on to since completing the course last year.

This program should be interesting. It's meant to bring us out of our shell. If yesterday was anything to go by I really don't think that is necessary for Brodie. He was the loudest person there and definitely made sure that he was heard. He was also class clown but that's my boy for you! I wonder what skills he will walk away with after this program .. only time will tell right.

Around Civic Park

2012-02-17T12:10:00.015+11:00

Here's the final instalment of photos that I took last weekend at the Ficifolia Festival.

I love how pretty Civic Park looks with the pond area.

I think we're very lucking considering its the middle of Summer and the grass still looks lovely & green here. We've been very fortunate with all the rain and cooler weather we've had.

(I just hope that I haven't jinxed us now)

Thankful Thursday

2012-02-16T10:05:00.018+11:00

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

being able to spend time with Angus on the weekend. I really enjoyed our time together at the Ficifolia Festival stalls
the cooler weather we've had lately. It's been lovely & my washing has been getting an extra rinse for free!
my bathroom scales - strange I know but I am still very happy that I have lost 20 kilos
that I have made some amazing diabetic friendly foods this week. I made a fantastic chocolate cake last weekend & a really yummy moussaka! (I have to admit that the cake did look better than it tasted though. I think I used the wrong type of flour)
that Angus is still doing homework after school. We had such a huge problem with this last year.
C.K. & Rory kept me entertained by rolling around on a freshly mopped floor. I swear they get high on the bleach!!

What are you thankful for this week?

Finished Item - Purple Fingerless Gloves

2012-02-15T10:45:00.002+11:00

I was practising a new stitch last week. I got the pattern from a book that I have on crocheted dish cloths. I didn't buy the book so that I could make the dish cloths I got it so that I could learn a whole new range of patterns. I'm not very good at reading all of the patterns though (o_0) but I will get there eventually.

I was using the pattern on the left there. You can't see all of the written instructions but you can at least see the photo of what it should look like. At least I got this pattern right. There's only one problem. The patterns don't have names just numbers so I don't even know what this style is called. Although I do like how it has turned out.

Of course when I started following the pattern I had no idea what I was going to do with the finished square or in this case rectangle. As I was making it I got this idea in my head that I would love to see what they would look like as fingerless gloves.

What do you think? It doesn't look too bad does it? I have no idea what I will do with them yet. I might stash them away for the knit4charities group and send them off when I have a few more items.

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T09:56:00.009+11:00

Mark & I are not ones for all this Valentine's Day hype that a lot of people get caught up in. I'm a firm believer in celebrating love, friendships & relationships in general whenever the mood strikes. But for those of you who celebrate today. Happy Valentines Day!

And if you're interested in a little Valentines Day history there's an interesting article on Wikipedia.

Ficifolia Festival Part 2

2012-02-13T10:20:00.018+11:00

Here are some more photos that I took on Saturday.

A view of the stalls taken from the top of the hill by the football grounds

One of these days I will buy myself one of these. Heather, one of the ladies from the stall, lives in town & said she would even come over to do a demo for us if we wanted her too.

Look at all that sugary sweetness. Not good for my diabetes but a girl can dream. I did buy Angus a dummy (pacifier) though :D

miniature guitars - they look great don't they?!

I thought these were clever. They're made out of empty aluminium soft drink cans.

They had some fun stuff for the kids to do (and the big kids too!)

Angus had his eye on the panda but he wasn't able to win it. He was a bit disappointed.

A petting zoo - something the little ones really enjoy

How cute at the guinea pigs - there were 6 of them in this little enclosure.

I just loved that calf. It was cute!

It's My Birthday

2012-02-12T14:55:00.001+11:00

I've had a pretty good day so far too. I got breakfast in bed and a lovely watch from Mark & the boys. I don't have to cook dinner tonight (always a bonus in my books!) and that means I wont need to wash the dishes tonight either (that's a rule in our house NO dishes on your birthday!)

I hopped on the scales this morning & weighed myself (not a thing that I really recommend you do on your birthday) but I was pleasantly surprised. I have now lost 20 kilos (that's a little over 44lbs) since last July. I'm still amazed that I haven't stacked weight back on. I roller coaster a little going a kilo up or down but this is still great for me. If I had known I would lose weight like this I would've switched to a low carb diet years ago.

As for the rest of my afternoon I'm off to go do some crocheting in from of the tv. I have some shows I recorded that I'd like to catch up on :)

Ficifolia Festival Part 1

2012-02-11T14:14:00.000+11:00

Angus and I went for a walk to see the Ficifolia Festival's street Parade today. Well we went to see where they were setting up at the football oval and then we went off to the stalls that were in civic park. I wanted to go there before the parade was over and it got really, really busy.

The festival runs over 4 days every year February and it's always around my birthday. In fact I told Angus that it was very nice of everyone to honour my special day with a festival. It's very sweet of everyone to celebrate this way :D

I took LOADS of photos that I will share over a few posts because I don't want to FLOOD you with a photo heavy post. I did take around 30 photos. Way too many for just one post. I was thinking of making a mosaic with them but then you wouldn't be able to see everything properly.

This years theme was the Chinese Year of the Dragon. There were a couple of dragons in the parade but since we were already heading home at that stage I didn't get a good look at them. They also had a pipe bad. I LOVE me some bag pipes! It sounded wonderful. It reminded me of the times I watch the Edinburgh Military Tattoo each new years.

If you want to see larger photos just click on them. They look better when they're bigger.

We just LOVE looking at the old cars.

Old Fire Engine & a Holden (there's a close up of the Holden further down the page)

Angus loved this one. Who wouldn't love a Mustang?

I wish my car looked this good :D

An old Holden convertible.

I don't mind the red one. I have no idea what it is though, oops.

I'm sure my sister Vicki drove a Valiant like this one when I was little.

An Impala. For some reason we get excited about seeing left hand drive cars :P

I can just imagine driving this one. It's my favourite out of these old cars :D

Just look at that colour! It's very nice :D

Another old Holden.

A Holden Station wagon. I quite like this car. I'm sure my parents drove something similar to this.

Speedway Car

Speedway car - I had to take a photo its in one of my favourite colours

I have no idea what this is but is old. I know I'm shocking lol

Stay tuned for more photos next week.

Just one more thing about the festival. Please remind me to never EVER go for a drive on the morning of the parade. The traffic was shocking.

Magazines

2012-02-10T10:38:00.015+11:00

Look at what my postie delivered the other day! My magazine subscriptions :D I've been getting the Diabetic Living magazine for a while now but the Super Food Ideas mag is a new one. I 'paid' for this subscription using my Fly-Buys points.

Doesn't the food on the covers just make your mouth water??

Diabetic Living

How amazing do these chocolate items look? What's even better is that all of this yummy chocolate goodness is in the Diabetic Living magazine! So I know that they are more carb friendly than 'regular' chocolate recipes I have. Guess who might be making some of these in the near future? :D

Diabetic Living

Death by chocolate or what? *wipes chin* Yum!

Diabetic Living

Even this moussaka looks fantastic. I haven't made this in ages either. Hmm looks like another trip to the supermarket soon to buy mince and eggplant. I may have to send the kids in though or I will spend way too much money (again). It seems that every time I go into a supermarket I am always buying more than what's written on the shopping list. Do you have that problem too?

Super Food Ideas

Yummy vanilla slice! I went to the bakery the other day (I was very well behaved in there too) I bought a vanilla slice each for the boys and an apple strudel for Mark. The only thing I allowed for myself was a fresh roll. No sweets for me that day. Keeping my diabetes under control is a big priority but there are days where I would like to splurge and say why not! Sometimes I just have a taste though. At least that way I am not totally deprived of all that yummy stuff out there.

Super Food Ideas

Look at these little pineapple upside down cakes. Don't they look good? I don't think Angus will eat them though. He isn't that keen on pineapple.

Super Food Ideas

I just love asian foods. Stir-frys are the best but I have to watch the sauces they are cooked in and I need to be careful on how much of the noodles I can eat :-/ At least it isn't totally off the menu.

Super Food Ideas

These things are called pides. I guess they're like cross between a pastie and a pie. Not too sure. I didn't completely read the recipe I just looked at the photo. It certainly looks like something the boys would eat though.

Thankful Thursday

2012-02-09T10:07:00.000+11:00

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

The boys went back to school & I survived the Summer holidays :D
Brodie LOVES his TAFE course. He is even getting used to travelling on the train which is a HUGE step forward for an Aspie kids who doesn't like public transport!
Angus is enjoying being back at school. He LOVES his TAFE course too(he's doing Automotives) and cannot wait to get back there next week!
Angus contacted an employer this morning asking about work experience for his year. He just needs to wait until Monday when the boss will phone & let him know if he can go there or not. I am hoping the boss says yes. It's at a mechanics in town.
Rory & C.K. are getting along nicely. C.K. is even teaching Rory to "play fight". He is really tolerant and plays for ages with him. Too bad Trip still hisses at the kitten. He's such a grumpy old man!
I got to go shopping at Spotlight (always a bonus in my book)
I did some sewing and I didn't mess it up (too much) I love my new top!

What are you thankful for this week?

Finished Item - Floral T-Shirt

2012-02-08T10:49:00.001+11:00

I've been sewing. I must be sick. Quick find the thermometer!

Before cutting out the material

After cutting out the pattern

Carefully sewing the pieces together

Ta Da! The finished piece.

All up it took me around 2 hours to make. Now I remember why I like sewing. You can make things really quickly (unless you muck it up and need to unpick a lot). The only thing I don't particularly like is cutting the pattern out. I always worry I'll make a BIG mistake and not have enough material left over to fix any boo boos! Thankfully I didn't mess up this time :D

Would You Believe It's Been Too Quiet?

2012-02-07T17:54:00.000+11:00

Oh boy our house has been really, really quiet for the past two days. Mainly because ~~Mark is asleep most of the time~~ the boys are back at school and there is no one about to ~~be annoyed by~~ ~~fight with~~ talk to. It may have been quiet but I have been busy :D

Angus is now in Year 10. My baby is in the senior part of his schooling. How on earth did that happen? When did he grow up so much? Seriously though he has grown too. He's my height now and is trying ever so hard to make himself taller than me. Even if it means stepping on his tippy toes! He'll get there but gosh let me be as tall as you are for a little while there mister!

Brodie started at The GETT Centre which is part of GippsTAFE in Traralgon yesterday (that's around 69 km [43 miles] or a 50 minute drive down the freeway). He's going there for 2 and a half days a week for the time being with the possibility of increasing his time there depending on how he is coping with it all. I drove him there yesterday morning for his first day but he caught the train home. Today he travelled both ways on the train. I am so proud of him for doing that too. He has this BIG thing about travelling on public transport. He detests it. Brodie did say tonight when he walked in the door that he is getting used to the train though. Things are definitely looking up!

Since I drove all that way to Traralgon I thought that I should make my trip worth my while. I stopped at Spotlight on my way home (after I stopped of for a breakfast muffin at McDonald's, what can I say other than I was hungry).

I picked up some more yarn (all acrylic). I have no idea what I will make with it yet. For now its just sitting in a bag waiting to be sorted into my stash containers.

I also bought 2 metres of this pretty floral material. It looks white in the photo but its really a light cream colour. I made that into a t-shirt/blouse today. I wont bore you with photos of that today though. I'll save them for another time :D

Breakfast For Dinner

2012-02-06T11:09:00.000+11:00

Do you love having breakfast for dinner? We do :) Normally its something like bacon and eggs on toast with some grilled tomato but recently its been a breakfast bake. Considering we all eat breakfast at different times in the morning (or not at all in some cases) this bake only ever gets made for tea!

Breakfast Bake: Served with sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms. Yum!

It's super easy to make! If you want to check out the recipe pop on over to my recipe blog Blossy's Cookbook and see just how simple it really is.

Finished Item - Fingerless Gloves

2012-02-05T17:26:00.000+11:00

I was reading a blog post from Pammy-Sue over at her blog Scotty's Place. She had made these very pretty pink fingerless gloves as a give-away. I liked how they looked a lot so I decided to make a pair for myself this weekend. I used some of the left over yarn that I had from crocheting that tie the other day.

The pattern can be found HERE on Ravelry.

Paper Castle

2012-02-04T12:08:00.001+11:00

I saw this over at the Craftzine blog & I had to share it :)

Paper Castle:

This incredible intricately designed paper castle was created over the span of 4 years by Japanese art student Wataru Itou. This is so exquisite, so beautiful, and SO gives a new meaning to the word patience.

It truly is magnificent!

WIN!: Rotating Bedroom WIN

2012-02-03T10:21:00.000+11:00

Wouldn't this be every teenagers dream bedroom? I would have loved a room like this!

WIN!: Rotating Bedroom WIN:

Thankful Thursday

2012-02-02T13:02:00.000+11:00

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

School goes back tomorrow. Well it does for Angus at least. I thought it started next week so this was a GOOD surprise :D
Angus said he's thankful that school goes back tomorrow because he gets to see his friends & it gets him away from Brodie (aren't brothers sweet!)
Rory. He has been a completely cute bundle of fur who keeps me very entertained with his antics :D He really is such a good kitty
Reading! I've been reading a fair bit lately. Books, patterns, recipes, news stories.
cooler weather. That cool change we had the other day arrived just in time to save my sanity and it saved the rest of the family from putting up with a grumpy, sweaty Mum!

What are you thankful for this week?

Finished Item - A Crochet Tie

2012-02-01T19:03:00.000+11:00

A few months back I knitted a tie for one of the Missionaries from our Church. I didn't really like how it turned out. I obviously did something wrong when following the pattern. It was a very long pattern and I didn't completely understand the directions.

Last night I searched for a crocheted tie pattern and found one on Ravelry. The pattern I chose was called Basic Tie that is Actually Pointy-ended. I finished the tie this afternoon. Talk about easy peasy! I wish I had found this pattern earlier.

The only thing I haven't done is blocked the tie. Its curling a bit. I should probably do that soon so that it has time to dry out properly.

Tomorrow I'll pop over to the post office (if the tie has dried out that is) and send this little baby to its new home. I am sure that the Missionary had thought I totally had forgotten all about posting the tie to him. I have no excuse really :( I just didn't want to send him that one I made earlier when it didn't turn out like I had hoped it would.

Finished Item - Crochet Shrug

2012-01-31T19:03:00.000+11:00

My lovely model shows the back of the shrug

Last week I showed you the shrug I was making. Today I finished it. I was thinking about sending it to my niece for her birthday but I've decided against it. I don't think it's quite up to scratch so I decided to keep it. Such a sacrifice I know (I made it in a shade of my favourite colour). I have now decided to send my niece a little clutch handbag and some make-up instead. What young lady wouldn't want make-up and a new bag?

In Angus's words.. it's different Mum.

By the way the shrug is lovely and warm. It was perfect timing finishing it this afternoon because the temperature has turned cool. A very welcome change from the heat and humidity we've had over the past week or so.

And The Rain Came Tumbling Down

2012-01-30T16:23:00.000+11:00

Angus & I had a meeting at his high school this afternoon. When we left the sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. I even thought about how its a shame I cannot wear sunglasses any more because I need to wear my glasses while driving. Before our meeting finished it started raining. Not just a little bit of rain it bucketed down! The kid of rain you have when you get flash flooding!

Angus & I were standing under a veranda waiting for the rain to ease up so we could make a run for the car. Would you believe we waited for 15 minutes before we could make our attempt? The rain was that heavy at one stage Angus & I couldn't hear each other properly.

While we waitied I took a few shots. It's a shame that my phone isn't waterproof or I would've taken some snaps of the car park. It was almost totally under water. The kerb was over flowing it looked like a waterfall.

I was very careful driving home. The water was splashing up everywhere. Some parts of the road near our home were completely covered in water. I had a feeling they would be so I was extra careful.

I know we needed some rain to help cool things down but I honestly didn't think we would get as much as we did. I have to admit that even though we got soaked making our way to the car that the water felt nice and cool. It reminded me of when I used to live in Darwin. While it rained everything felt good but as soon as the rain stopped it got all hot & humid again. Just like it is right now (o_0)

Oops I didn't Post Yesterday

2012-01-29T11:37:00.000+11:00

Oops I didn't post yesterday (o_0) in fact I didn't spend much time at my computer at all. It's this icky humid weather. It kind of knocks me for six!

While I was NOT at my computer yesterday I watched part of a new show on TV. My kind of show too Country Music TV. I'm thinking it will become part of my regular Saturday morning viewing :D

While watching it I saw a new video from Shannon Noll. I've loved his voice ever since he was a contestant on the first Australian Idol. I found the video for his new song "My Place In The Line". I really like it.
I hope the video works for eveyone this time. Sorry if it doesn't.

I'm off to sit in front of the air-conditioner. It's going to be another warm one today :-S

Pumpkin Muffins

2012-01-27T11:36:00.001+11:00

Pumpkin Muffins

Look what I made :D yummy pumpkin muffins. Not only did I find another way to get my boys to eat more vegetables these ones are even diabetic friendly :D

If you want to check out the recipe pop on over to Blossy's Cookbook to get it

It's Australia Day!

2012-01-26T12:13:00.000+11:00

Happy Australia Day!

Lee Kernaghan - Southern Son

"I'm a Southern Son & I'm proud to be one"
This song makes me feel awfully proud to be an Aussie. It gives me goosebumps.
Yeah I know I'm a nutter :P

What's More Australian Than A Barbecue?

2012-01-25T11:19:00.011+11:00

Since Australia Day is this week (tomorrow actually) I thought I would share this fun recipe video that I found. What's more Australian than a barbecue? A barbecue biscuit perhaps.

Of course I had to share Sam Kekovich's new commercial for this years Australia Day. I just can't believe that Sam was actually singing ... At least this fits in with the BBQ theme :D

For those who don't know who Sam is he's a bit of an eccentric former Aussie Rules Footballer who is very passionate about Aussies eating lamb on Australia (and Mother's Day for that matter) He even goes as far as calling himself a Lambassador (o_0)

While he is not everyone's cup of tea (he is a bit over the top sometimes) he provides a laugh for many Australians.

WIP - Crochet Shrug

2012-01-24T11:17:00.000+11:00

I've been working on a crochet shrug for the past few days. I just LOVE the colour I am working with. It's like a nice rich plum! Not that I like to eat plums. I just don't like the taste but the colour is beautiful :)

This shrug is very slow going. It's made just by using double crochet in the back loop only (that's single crochet for my US friends). The pattern is a freebie from Lion Brand Yarn called Simple Crochet Shrug and it really is simple too. How hard can it be to crochet a rectangle and sew parts of the sides together to make sleeves? Just my kind of pattern :D

I'm thinking I will send it to my niece for her birthday provided I get it finished in time (as I mentioned its slow going). Wish me luck :)

I Need A Nanna Nap

2012-01-23T17:36:00.000+11:00

I wish I was as energetic as the characters in this animation.

Gosh its one of those days today. The kind where you need lots of Nanna naps! I've already had one but my eyes are telling me I need another snooze Zzzzzz. Don't you just hate days like that?

We had a pretty quiet weekend this time around. Angus went and stayed at a friends place & came home today. Brodz is now off on an Interchange camp until Wednesday afternoon. You know what that means. Bliss. The boys wont be fighting with one another. I think it does them good to spend some time apart.

Not that I am counting or anything but there's still two weeks left of the Summer holidays. Please cross you fingers that we will survive the next couple of weeks because we've had enough stress these holidays (well I have at any rate).

My House Smells Soooo Good

2012-01-22T13:13:00.000+11:00

Banana Muffins

I thought I would do some baking today. We had some really ripe bananas and instead of wasting them I decided to cook them :) I just took this yummy batch of banana muffins out of the oven. Of course I had to taste one while it was still warm just to make sure that it was good enough for the rest of the family to eat. 'Cos I'm nice like that :D

If you would like to know what ingredients I used you can go HERE for the recipe over at Blossy's Cookbook. It's where I have posted some of my favourite recipes. I did alter the recipe though. I used low GI sugar and wholemeal plain flour.

We're A Bunch Of Sleepyheads

2012-01-21T11:54:00.000+11:00

This is what happens when you fall asleep on the couch .. Mum takes your photo and blogs about it! And the kitten climbs all over you while you sleep before taking a nap himself!

It's been such a hard morning for the cats in our home .... Rory played a lot and has now curled up on my desk after walking all over the keyboard. He managed to save photos from web pages, scroll through blogs and changed tabs. It's no wonder he is snoozing.

Maybe I should follow his lead and have a nap myself *yawn*

My First Treasury

2012-01-20T10:03:00.011+11:00

I have created my first treasury on etsy :)
I had such a hard time only selecting a handful items. I could've added so many more things.

I love Doctor Who. We have been very fortunate to have the every episode being played from the newer stuff beginning Series 1 with Christopher Eccleston through to Series 6 with Matt Smith being shown on ABC2 each week night. I have been in Whovian Heaven for the past few weeks! I can't wait for tonight's episode we've moved on to David Tennant :D

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-19T12:03:00.000+11:00

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

cool changes :) the weather had been awfully hot & humid earlier this week but it's really lovely today
Rory, he has been keeping me amused this past week with his cute little antics
completing ALL of Angus's back to school shopping. He now has everything that he needs
Nanna naps. I've had a couple this week & I sure needed them *yawn* I think I need one now :D

What are you thankful for this week?

Made In China

2012-01-18T19:07:00.000+11:00

When Mark requested a new Aussie flag because his old one got ripped I kept my eye our for them in the shops. So when Aldi had them for sale the other day I grabbed one. I did find it a little sad to see that flags never seem to be made at home any more. That they tend to be made in China. It's kind of funny really when you see things sold as souvenirs that all seem to be made overseas. So much for keeping the money at home. Oh well. Maybe it's time to search for a manufacturer from Australia.


I find it sad that an Australian flag isn't even made here any more. I guess it's cheaper to make them overseas.

WIP - Tea Cosy

2012-01-17T20:08:00.000+11:00

Oh boy are we in for a hot night. It's after 8pm and it's still 31C (87.8F) outside! We're meant to get a cool change sometime in the early hours of the morning. The only trouble is that it will only cool things down to around 31C for tomorrow. I just hate the humidity that accompanies the heat here. It's horrid. Did I ever mention that I don't like summer??

Anyway on to something a little better than me complaining about the heat. I've been making a crocheted tea cosy. A strange thing to be making when the temperature is so warm (o_0) It's not like the tea will get cold quickly in this weather. I just felt like making a tea cosy because I haven't managed to crochet one before.

I'm not sure that I like it to be honest. I messed it up. It was too large so I sewed around the base to make it look better. At least it still fits the teapot now and that's the main thing I guess. It's meant to have flowers on the top. I haven't gotten around to making them yet.

I'm thinking I might pull it apart and try again.

Temperatures Are Rising

2012-01-16T20:19:00.000+11:00

With the temperature rising to the mid 30's (mid- high 90's) today so has our tempers. The boys have been nit-picking & annoying one another for weeks. I am tired of the way that talk to each other and the way they (mainly Brodie) talk to me. The raised voices, the swearing and just being plain old rude.

I don't think that the word RESPECT is in their vocabulary. Well maybe it is but they have certainly forgotten what it means. Perhaps its because they are on school holidays that they think they don't need to mind their P's and Q's and behave. I think it's time to slap them with a wet fish and knock some sense into them. If they aren't careful that wet fish might come in the form of a can of tuna!!

On a brighter note. The Australian Open started today. You know what that means don't you? Two weeks of not much on TV and lots of tennis! There is a light at the end of the tunnel though. It means that we are that much closer to the school holidays being over. We're half way through the Summer break. Thank goodness. I know I said I was looking forward to the sleeping in but I would gladly give that up for some peace and quiet.

For now the boys have been separated. One at each end of the house. Let's hope that this makes a difference. At least for tonight. I'll worry about the rest tomorrow.

Can Cats Be Geeks?

2012-01-15T11:14:00.000+11:00

Look Mum. I'm using your mouse =P

Cats can be so cute. Rory decided that he likes my mouse. I'm wondering if he is turning into a computer geek like the rest of the family.

Not only does Rory use my mouse he has tried joining groups for me on Facebook and has open and closed new tabs for me in my browser. I guess that will teach me to leave a browser open =D

Rory has also sent chat messages for Brodie when he walked over his laptop. I bet that made for an interesting conversation.

Definitely a geek in the making.

Silent Saturday

2012-01-14T16:06:00.002+11:00

Finished Object - Popcorn Stitch Baby Blanket

2012-01-13T16:57:00.000+11:00

The baby blanket is being held by Angus.
It was the only way he would let me take a photo of him (hidden behind something)

Ta Da! It's finished. I completed it yesterday but I hadn't gotten around to uploading the photo until now. It's big enough to be used as a pram cover or something but I don't think it's big enough to wrap a baby in. With all the yarn that I used I am sure that it will be extra warm =)

Now .. on to my next project. I've decided to make some little toy teddies. I thought I might make a few of them (as a left over stash buster) and possibly give them to the ambos as trauma teddies. I guess it depends on how many I end up making.

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-12T17:12:00.000+11:00

Another week has flown by. I guess that means we've been busy doing stuff and keeping out of trouble =D

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

Interchange camps! It's been nice & quiet with Brodie being away.
having a VOIP phone. Our 'normal' phone hasn't been working but at least we have the voip to fall back on just as long as our Internet doesn't go down.
friends who remind me to make phone calls to get blood test results. Thank you Mish =D
good results for my HbA1c. It was 5.9 mmol (last time it was 6.2 mmol) and I also had better results for my cholesterol level (I wont bore you with the numbers though but its better than last time)
my crocheting - I had fun finishing that baby blanket I started earlier this month
finishing the back to school shopping. Angus now has everything he needs to start the new school year. That includes his safety boots, overalls and safety glasses for his TAFE course. Brodz even has a few things he might need for TAFE when he goes back too. I'm just glad its all done!

What are you thankful for this week?

It's Summer Right?

2012-01-11T12:32:00.001+11:00

See the hand on the right => that's around area where I live

I think Mother Nature has forgotten that it is meant to be Summer in the southern hemisphere at the moment. Right now it is a brisk 12C (53.6F) and that wind out there makes it feel more like 10C or less (50F). Not that I am complaining. I am really enjoying this colder stuff :)

I feel bad for Brodie though. He is on his first Interchange camp as a volunteer (they get called volley for short, us Aussies shorten everything!). The poor kids would probably be stuck indoors out of the wind, hail & rain.
Brodie was quite excited to be asked to come back as a volunteer. As far as I know there has only been one other person who was a client of Interchange that was asked to come back. She found it a little difficult to participate as a volley because it hadn't been all that long since she was one of the 'kids'. I do hope that Brodz doesn't have that problem. I guess I'll find out on Friday afternoon when he is due back home.

Even thought Brodie is there as a volley I am treating this as respite. We sure did need the break from one another. Summer holidays always cause a lot of stress in our home. Especially since these boys are not all that interested in doing things outside of the home. They rarely hang out with friends & do stuff. Not like when we were kids. We were always off somewhere without friends. I ~~would gladly push them out the door~~ encourage them to go and do stuff ALL the time usually without success.

Anyway I'm going to relish the quiet that has enveloped our house. It doesn't happen very often so I plan on enjoying it :D

Op Shop Bargains!

2012-01-10T12:56:00.000+11:00

Mark & I went Op Shopping yesterday. We didn't go looking for anything in particular. We just wanted to browse. We decided to go to the next town over from us because it had been a while since we had been to any of the Op Shops there.

I like the pattern on the wood. Brodie said it reminds him of a peacock.

I am so pleased that we went. I found an absolute bargain! Some new chairs. For some reason we are not very gentle with chairs and have gone though quite a few of them (o_0) Personally I think its because the boys don't sit on the chairs they plonk themselves on them.

I think they will be perfect after a bit of a clean up. The seats are a bit on the dusty side but they look very sturdy and hopefully up to the challenge of 'surviving' my boys!

My Two Gingernuts

2012-01-09T17:47:00.000+11:00

CK and Rory

My two Gingernuts look so cute together. They are finally getting along nicely. Sometimes they even sleep together on the bed.

All I need now is for our three-legged boy, Trip, to finally accept Rory and things will be better. Trip is such a nasty, hissy thing right now. He wont even stay indoors if he sees the kitten (o_0) Trip only wants in for a feed then tries to get outside again. I think of Trip as a grumpy old man (he's just turned 10 yo)

Does anyone have any tips on how to get the cats to at least stay in the same room?

Small Things Keep Us Amused.

2012-01-08T11:31:00.000+11:00

Sometimes it doesn't take much to keep the kitten amused or the Aspie for that matter. Both Rory & Brodie love my email notifier. It keeps them amused.

I think its nice that something that's as simple as this keeps Brodie smiling.

If you're wondering what email program I use it's Incredimail. I used to make stationery backgrounds for it but I haven't done so for a while.

Although that may change soon. I bought myself a copy of Paint Shop Pro X4. It arrived the other day and I have slowly been installing plug-ins and have starting to play around with them.

If you by chance already use Incredimail and you want to see what stats I have made you can go HERE to check out my website (if it is working it's on the server at home. Mark had set it up but there may be teething problems) or HERE to join the yahoo group where I have stored the .imf files (sorry there are no previews there).

My Kitty Likes Watching TV

2012-01-07T13:04:00.000+11:00

It seems that I have a little kitty who likes to watch television.

Watching an Elvis movie while sitting on my desk.

Rory liked the dancing. I think the movement had him mesmerised.

Saqqara was the same. She would sit in front of the TV when Angus was watching Garfield. Maybe she thought Garfield was her type of cat :D

Loom Knitting

2012-01-06T11:15:00.000+11:00

Angus and I were looking at looms when we were in Spotlight last week. I never knew how easy it was to use them until I saw this video.

I'm seriously thinking I might just have to get a set of looms now.

It looks so much easier than using a pair of needles!

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-05T11:03:00.000+11:00

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

Brodie had been having pain near his gall bladder over the weekend & I am thankful that the tests done so far have shown that it wasn't gallstones. (Yes I kept that pretty quiet but he's feeling much better now)
the nurse who was able to find my vein first pop when doing my blood tests this morning
the cool change that arrived late Tuesday night. It has cooled things down beautifully
Mark and his being able to set up a Smoothwall so that we can find out who uses the most bandwidth & so that we can block 'outsiders' from hacking into our network & stealing our net connection. I <3 my geek!

What are you thankful for this week?

Stash Busting

2012-01-04T17:17:00.000+11:00

I started a new project today while I was sitting down watching some TV & catching up on the shows that I had recorded. I have to keep my hands occupied while I am sitting on the couch.

Surprise, surprise I have plenty of purple yarn to use up :P I have this thing for the popcorn stitch at the moment. I was inspired by a lego shaped baby blanket I saw the other day. The stitch looked the same to me.

The colours look a little washed out here. That blue is a lot brighter than it looks in the photo.

I have no idea who the blanket is for yet. I'm just making it to use up some of my yarn stash. The stuff that didn't fit in the boxes.

Such A Hard Life

2012-01-03T15:33:00.000+11:00

Being a kitten in our home (or just a cat for that matter) is such a hard life. I mean all you have to do is eat, sleep, play, submit yourself to enormous amount of cuddles and catch the occasional mouse should one be unfortunate to enter the house.

Anyway, here's a few awww moments in the life of our kitten, Rory, who was finally been named last Friday afternoon.

Oooo a bag fell on the floor ...

I must see what is inside...

Oh I found a hole to attack you through ...

After a long hard play

I annoy the mother cat until she places me on her desk

Now she can't reach the keyboard or use the mouse properly

It's been a very long day and tiring day.

As Bright As A Button

2012-01-02T14:34:00.000+11:00

On my Thankful Thursday post the other day I mentioned that Mark encourages me to go shopping for yarn. When your other half says go shopping what else can you do but do as he suggested. I wouldn't want to disappoint him (o_0) So I went to my favourite store (Spotlight) and bought a couple of balls of yarn that I needed (yes I really did need these ones, in a pale cream colour) so I could continue making my knitted toys. Although I have started crocheting a couple of things because I wanted to make some quick items to use up some of my stash that didn't fit into the containers that I have.

Anyway back to my story (I got a little side tracked) while I was at Spotlight I picked up some really cute BRIGHT buttons! A whole bag of them. Of course I took some photos so show you what they look like.

Here's a small selection: lady birds, hearts, apples, stars, flowers, teapots and a whale.

Angus & I had fun sorting them.

Mark even gave me a container to put them all. I owe him a new one but he said I'm not allowed to buy him a pink one (like my other container). I have no idea why :P lol

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T08:01:00.003+11:00

Happy New Year!

I wish you ....

12 Month of Happiness,
52 Weeks of Fun,
366 Days of Success,
8760 Hours of Good Health,
52600 Minutes of Good Luck,
3153600 Seconds of Joy

May 2012 be all that you want it to be & more :)

Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T10:39:00.014+11:00

Last year I made some New Years Resolutions & I think I did my best to keep most of them. I am especially proud of my last entry where I promised to add to my yarn stash. I managed to do that one so well. In fact I think I might promise to do that one in 2012 as well =D

I don't know about making any new resolutions for next year. Apart from this one - that I will endeavour to keep - I will do my best to keep my Diabetes under control. I know I am doing okay with that so far so I'll just keep plodding along and see what happens. Before I forget I need to tell you that I have now lost 18kg, that's around 39.6 pounds. It's been slow going but at least I haven't put any weight back on. Maintaining my weight was one of my goals.

So much has happened to my family over the past year. Lots of highs and lows. Here are the ones that stand out the most (to me at least).

Brodie successfully graduated from High School. A HUGE achievement that makes me feel so happy & very proud of what's he has accomplished.
I became a great-auntie again when Moya-May was born (she's 2 months old already)
Mark got his ham radio license
Angus got accepted into TAFE next year for Automotives
I got diagnosed with diabetes
I learnt how to do Tunisian crochet
Brodie got his scooter (he just needs to get his license)
Mark & I celebrated 5 years of togetherness last January

I wonder what 2012 will bring ...

My New Baby

2011-12-30T10:09:00.014+11:00

Meet my new baby. We picked him up last night. He was a kind of last minute thing. Truthfully I blame freecycle. A lady advertised that she had two ginger kittens available so we phoned her (well Mark phoned). She was out at the time so she told us to phone later this evening. By the time she had gotten home the kittens had been picked up by someone else. Luckily for us her neighbour also had a ginger kitten to give away.

Kitty is 8 weeks old & hasn't been named yet. I'm still trying to work out the perfect name for him but so far I've come up with a choice of three: Rory, Ginger Snap or George (after Curious George he's been investigating everything!) I'm leaning more towards Rory though.

We've had lots of snuggles & kitty has already had a snooze on my chest.

He's already found some interesting places to hide.
Note: check underneath chairs before sitting on them.

Do you have any suggestions for names? I would love to hear them.

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-29T17:32:00.000+11:00

First of all I have to get this off my chest .... I am a bit flabbergasted in regards to our internet connection. It gets reset on the 26th of each month. A short time ago I checked to see how much we had used so far this month (we are on the 4th day of the new month) My chin just about hit the floor when I saw how much of our peak internet usage has been used. A WHOLE 27GB for peak and 12GB for off-peak. We get 80GB for our peak times & 120GB for our off-peak.
I don't know what has been going on. The boys have been told to stop video chats & playing certain games online (I don't think they realise how much bandwidth gets chewed). I was also thinking perhaps that our wireless access password had been cracked so we changed the it. Let's hope that helps. So if I disappear anytime soon its because our internet connection has been throttled back to dial-up speeds again (it happened on Christmas Day so we just waited until 11pm when the off-peak kicks in).

Anyway now my whining is over on to my usual Thursday post ...

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

My new kindle. I am enjoying reading a lot more. I am currently reading The Ancient Future: The Dark Age by Traci Harding (an Australian author) and its really good :D
Angus - because he said he is AWESOME.
Mark because he encourages me to go yarn shopping (You just have to love that!)He told me this morning that he is an enabler & I agreed. Although I am one too when it comes to whatever he wishes to buy for his shed/shack/man-cave!
Brodie because he helps move BIG stuff that I can't move on my own & he can get things from shelves that I can't reach

What are you thankful for this week?

My Latest Project - A Kindle Cover

2011-12-28T11:10:00.017+11:00

Did I mention that I got a Kindle the other day? I don't think I did. Lucky me huh. I love it. I've been reading a bit more than usual but that's a good thing right :) I was very happy to find out that there are eBooks available in knitting & crocheting. I may put them on my wish list. I also like the fact that I can read pdf files too. We have a lot of books (as pdf files) on our server that I haven't read yet.

Anyway, I wanted to keep my Kindle nice and clean and scratch free so I decided to make a cover for it. I looked up some patterns online but I didn't like the ones that I had found. I know I am picky but they just weren't what I was looking for so I made up my own pattern with the help of youtube! I wanted to do a shell pattern but I couldn't remember how to get it started. I ended up watching a video by Teresa from Art of Croche t. I have put the video at the end of this post so you don't have to hunt for it if you wish to check it out.

Of course I had to choose my favourite colour :D

Both the front & back are done :)

I think you can see the colour better in this shot

I even got my sewing machine out and made a lining for the cover.
Mark had to cheek to ask if I was running a fever because I had the sewing machine out :P

With the cover sewn in.

Don't look at the hand-sewing I did on the lining. I'm not the best at sewing.
Maybe I should have used blanket stitch it might have looked better.

What do you think? Not bad huh and all without (technically) following a pattern. I even surprised myself getting the measurements right for the lining (I wont tell you that I messed up the measurements on the navy blue material & cut one side too short). I guess doing that appliqué and quilting stuff a few years ago paid off :D

Random Mobile Photos

2011-12-27T11:56:00.000+11:00

I was looking at the different photos I had on my mobile phone & wondered if there was a way to share them all with you. I didn't use all of them. I chose them randomly.

Top row: Robin Hood, Angus, The Bakers Bean, Maid Marion
Bottom row: Strangely low to the ground car, The Bakers Bean, Brodie

I made them into a collage (a great way to share them I think) plus I wanted to make the overall file size of the photo smaller so that it doesn't take forever to load, cos I'm nice like that :P

Photos taken while waiting for Angus after school & a bracelet that Mark made for me.

Weird Weather

2011-12-26T11:42:00.002+11:00

Image courtesy of Sky News

We had a lovely quiet day at home yesterday. Well it was quiet in between thunderstorms and there were quite a few of them! In fact it was the weirdest weather I have ever seen. There was even a tornado at Fiskville, a small town between Bacchus Marsh & Ballarat. We never get tornadoes. Well hardly ever I know of one other one a few years ago. The western side of Melbourne was on tornado watch for a while.

Image courtesy of The Australian

While we in Victoria were being battered with hail and thunderstorms the top end of Australia was preparing for T.C. Gran t to make landfall. The news websites made so many comparisons to Cyclone Tracy which hit Darwin on Christmas Day 37 years ago. I felt awful for those in the Territory but at least this time around they are better prepared. The buildings are built to a better standard and the strength of Grant isn't as bad as what Tracy was.

Image courtesy of ABC News

In Queensland some of the beaches were closed as massive waves battered the coast caused by Ex-tropical Cyclone Fina.

We have definitely had a mixed bag of weather these past few days. I am sure that this is only a taste of what's to come.

So what's the weather like in your neck of the woods? A lot calmer than here I hope.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:00:00.003+11:00

Wishing all those who celebrate Christmas a wonderful day!

May it be all that you want it to be & more.

Summer Has Arrived ...

2011-12-24T16:03:00.000+11:00

Summer has finally arrived along with the heat and humidity as well. I wouldn't mind it so much if it wasn't humid & the fact that I am cooking a roast dinner in the oven tonight. I know I must be mad using the oven in this weather but hey I wanted a roast & no one messes with me when I want one =) yeah I know its the English side of me shining through! Not that I am English but most of my great-grandparents came from the UK.

Maybe I should've nagged Mark to get another gas bottle so we could have barbecue instead. He actually used the gas bottle heating up his shed this past winter (o_0) not bad considering I bought the bottle so that we could have barbecues.

Time to go put the fan on and get the roast ready to go into the oven. Yum. Roast pork, smashed potatoes, cauliflower au gratin, roast carrots and pumpkin! My house is going to smell great in a few hours.

WIP - Knitted Toy Pirate

2011-12-23T15:55:00.000+11:00

Angus requested that I knit a toy pirate from one of my Jean Greenhowe books.

With all of the stuff that's been going on at home with days out taking Brodie to meetings, going shopping & installing my computer it hasn't left a lot of time to knit at the moment.

I've sewn the body of the Pirate (while watching Star Trek: The Next Generation - I love that show) & now need to stuff it.

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-22T22:09:00.000+11:00

I know I'm a bit late with posting but I've been busy playing and tweaking my computer getting things set up just how I like it. I'm not quite there yet but I must say that I really like Windows 7 so far :)

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

spending time with the family. We spent ALL of Tuesday together
being able to go to Brodie's Presentation night. He received a copy of his VCAL certificate which I have now put in a frame :) just call me a proud Mum
going shopping and picking up some great bargains (I have photos to share of my booty)
my knitting. I am currently making a Pirate doll (photos to come)
successfully installing Windows 7
Mark. While I slept last night he installed some programs that I wanted on my computer. Thanks hon I appreciate it :)

What are you thankful for this week?

Wish Me Luck

2011-12-21T21:16:00.000+11:00

I'm finally ditching XP and installing Windows 7. If you don't hear from me for a few days you know I messed up and Mark had to fix things (he said he would put Linux on my machine).

Wish me luck! Cross your fingers and toes ... here goes nothing!

See you on the flip side!

Christmas Riddles

2011-12-20T09:46:00.006+11:00

Angus was telling me some Christmas riddles and I thought I would share them. I hope they make you smile :)

What's the best Christmas present ever?
A broken drum. You can't beat it.

Why are Christmas trees like bad knitters?
They both drop their needles.

What do you get if Santa goes down the chimney when the fire is lit?
Crisp Kringle

What's red, white and blue at Christmas time?
A sad candy cane

What does a cat on the beach have in common with Christmas?
Sandy claws

What is green, white and red all over?
A sunburnt elf.

What do you get if you eat too many Christmas decorations?
Tinselitis

Which of Santa's reindeer's has bad manners?
Rude-olph

Meet Me On Monday - Christmas Edition

2011-12-19T16:01:00.001+11:00

Meet Me On Monday is hosted by Java at Never Growing Old.

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? I wrap gifts but I use gift bags too. It makes it easier to carry the presents.

2.Real or artificial tree? Artificial. It's much easier to clean up afterwards :D

3.When do you put your tree up? On December 1st after Angus's birthday

4.When do you take your tree down? January 6th

5.Do you like eggnog? Love it but only the non-alcoholic version

6.Do you have a nativity scene? No I don't but I have thought of knitting one.

7.Favorite Christmas Movie? I like the Santa Clause movies but White Christmas is good too.

8.Favorite Christmas cookie? I don't have a favourite Christmas cookie.

9.Where will you eat Christmas dinner? At home. We're celebrating on Christmas Eve.

10.Angel, bow or star on top of your tree? We have a big red star.

11.Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The crazy people in the shops and the ones that go overboard with their political correctness. Christmas is for the kids and for family & they tend to suck the fun out of everything.

12.Do you like Fruitcake? Love it!

13.What are you most excited about the holidays? Sleeping in. School holidays officially start tomorrow & I can sleep in every day until school starts back next February.

14.Do you open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning? When I was little we were allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve. I used to get so excited about it. When the boys were smaller we used to open them Christmas morning but now that they are older and we celebrate on Christmas Eve they get to open their presents after tea. That way we can have a lazy Christmas morning.

15.Will you still be wrapping presents on Christmas Eve? Nope I have a couple to finish wrapping and then I'm all done.

Who Doesn't Deserve A Treat Now & Then?

2011-12-18T19:36:00.000+11:00

I'm always on the look out for something new that I haven't tried before. Something that I can have that wont affect my blood glucose levels too much. I had seen this particular type of yoghurt in the supermarket before but I never bought it. Mostly because it costs a lot more than the usual diet yoghurt's that I normally buy. So I got this as a treat. I mean who doesn't deserve a treat now & then. I'm so glad I bought it. It was so delicious. I'll definitely be buying this again.

Finished Object - Maid Marion

2011-12-17T16:36:00.000+11:00

I have just finished making a Maid Marion doll from the Jean Greenhowe patterns. She looks really good (but I am biased) and was a bit fiddly to make.

Maid Marion

I cheated with the sash around her waist. The pattern called for a twisted cord but I crocheted a couple of chains and twisted them together before I sewed them on.

Maid Marion & Robin Hood

I will be posting them off to Kym, my nephew, next week so that he can give them to his daughters. Now that I have finished Marion I have no clue what to make next. Do you have any suggestions?

He Did It!

2011-12-16T09:12:00.000+11:00

It's Happy Dance Time!

Congratulations Brodie!

Today's the day the Year 12 students can go online and find out whether they passed and will receive either their VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) or their VCAL (Victorian Certificate in Applied Learning). They also find out their ATAR (Australian Tertiary Administration Rank) scores to see if they can go to University or not.

Brodie phoned up his school to get the log in information from the Yr 12 co-ordinator and he logged in. There right at the top of the screen it said that he got his VCAL pass. He also checked to see if he got a pass in VCE as he had done a few subjects for that as well. He didn't but that didn't matter. He got a PASS in VCAL. Brodie's has successfully completed Yr 12. Woohoo! He is so pleased with himself and so he should be :) It was his goal to finish high school with a pass and he achieved that.

There were plenty of times over the years when I thought Brodie would drop out of school. Especially in the early years when we had all those suspensions. He spent more time at home than he did at school. At one stage we even had a meeting to see if he was going to stay at school. He was that close to being kicked out. But he hung in there and he made it!

WTG Brodz I am so proud of you!!

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-15T10:47:00.001+11:00

Another week has flown by very quickly. Just think in less than three weeks it will be 2012 (o_0).

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

Angus was a sweetie and cleaned the shower alcove (mind you there was money incentive as he has an excursion to Cowes on Phillip Island tomorrow & he wanted spending money but the bonus is I didn't have to clean it!)
the weather has been kind so far this Summer and I am truly grateful for that
telephones! I received a phone call last night from my Auntie Jean (one of Dad's older sisters). It had been such a long time since we had spoken to one another. She told me that she is 85 now! It was good to hear from her.
Brodie's school & the Special Ed teacher! Even though he is no longer there we are still receiving support for him. He's actually off on a trip to Traralgon today to the GETT Centre where he may be going next year to do some courses. One of the Integration Aides will be accompanying him on the train to show him how to get there.

What are you thankful for this week?

Recycled Clothing

2011-12-14T10:24:00.000+11:00

I was doing some catching up on the blogs I have in my Google reader when I spotted this amazing Sweater Coat on Selvage Blog. The Sweater Coat is a creation by Katwise who recycles sweaters into new funky clothes.

Check out the video Katwise has created. I love the music she used & the colours on that coat! It's just amazing!

You can go to visit her etsy shop HERE and check out what stuff she has to offer (both patterns & coats)

Getting Things Sorted

2011-12-13T18:49:00.000+11:00

I bought myself a new container the other day for my button collection. I was hoping to find a purple box but I settled for pink. I don't know why I didn't organise things sooner. In fact Mark said that I should have done this ages ago :P

My buttons look much better now that I can actually see what's there. Well most of my buttons anyway. I still have a small container of buttons that I had trouble sorting. They're in a little box hidden away at the bottom of my sewing basket.

At least things look nice & tidy

I think I may need to go button shopping now (o_0) what do you think? I may wait for the Boxing Day sales. I'm sure I'll find a bargain or two then.

Meet Me On Monday

2011-12-12T14:29:00.000+11:00

Each week Java from Never Growing Old asks 5 questions in getting to know you blog hop.

Here's this weeks questions

1. Tomorrow I'm going to _________?
visit the egg farm to pick up some fresh eggs. Possibly do a bit of grocery shopping. Maybe some Op Shopping.

2. Pudding or Jello?
It depends on what you mean by pudding. Whether its a custard style pudding or a self-saucing pudding. I don't mind either of those and I certainly like Jelly just as long as it isn't green :P

3. What book are you currently reading?
I had to go and check the name of the book as I couldn't remember what it was :-/
Curveball by Bob Drogin. I picked it up at an Op Shop, where I get most of my books.

4. What is the first concert you went to see?
It was Spandau Ballet when they performed at Memorial Drive in Adelaide. I was so in love with Tony Hadley!

Tony is the one in the middle :D

5. What is your current weather?
It's currently 18.7 °C (65.55 F) and overcast. Although it's a bit on the cool side it's not that bad outside.

Laughing Baby

2011-12-11T13:48:00.001+11:00

I went to youtube the other day to look for a video. I got distracted by other things and I had completely forgotten what I was originally going to look for. Don't you hate that? You go to do something and then draw a complete blank. Mark said its because we are getting old and going senile.

Speak for yourself Hon :P

Any way I stumbled on this video and decided to share it.

This baby is super cute! His laughter got me laughing too.
I love a good belly laugh. Don't you?

Finished Object - Robin Hood

2011-12-10T23:44:00.011+11:00

*Looks at clock* I almost forgot today's post but I think I'll just make it. It's not midnight yet :D

I finished that Robin Hood toy yesterday.

Brodie likes it that much that he wants a Robin Hood of his own (o_0) Personally I think he may be a tad too old to have a new soft toy but he really likes the idea.

Anyway I think Robin looks pretty good. I started making Maid Marion tonight.

Hopefully it wont take too long to finish her. Although my hands seem to be a bit on the achy side at the moment so who knows.

I'm off to try and see if there's a break in the clouds. There's a total lunar eclipse tonight & I would love to see it. I don't like my chances though as its been overcast since this afternoon and its been raining too. Looks like I may have to wait to see photos on the web or on the news tomorrow night.

He's Holding A Torch For Me ...

2011-12-09T16:46:00.001+11:00

This torch is nice and heavy weighing in at 3.1 kg (6.8 pounds) and is 48 cm (18.89 inches) long

Mark has a thing for torches. He likes them about as much as I like knitting & crocheting. Mark also likes maglites. Mark had been looking at these torches on ebay the other week and was saying how he was going to buy himself one next pay day. So when I got that extra money from Centrelink this week I decided that I would buy the torch instead.

Of course the torch isn't complete yet. We've ordered some accessories to go with it but they are coming from the US so they may take a while to get here. I have no idea what they are but Mark wanted them. As I said he likes torches as much as I like knitting & crocheting but it's really not something that I am that interested in. Now if it had been some fancy new skein of yarn or needles & hooks I would've paid more attention (sorry Hon )

I wonder how many torches we have in the house now ... not that I have ever counted them all but I bet there's quite a few. (edited update: Mark rattled off how many torches we have and there are at least a dozen. I lost count lol)

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-08T14:36:00.000+11:00

Is it just me or are the weeks flying by at the moment? I know they days are feeling a bit longer but I'm thinking that perhaps that's because its daylight savings here.

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

ebay - and the fact that I have been able to get some of Angus's textbooks for next year. So far I have bought three books and I have saved around $70.
my postie, Luke, for bringing me my ebay items
my doctor, we had a really good chat yesterday. It's good to know that he & I have a good relationship. It makes life so much easier when we are on the same page :) and that we can talk about anything.
Angus. He's been a pretty good helper on and off this past week. Thanks cutie!
Centrelink (that's our name for Social Security) for paying me the money they owed me for my over estimating my income. It's just like getting a tax refund.

What are you thankful for this week?

24 Christmas Questions

2011-12-07T12:37:00.001+11:00

I am borrowing this Christmas meme by Olivia from Simply Sunshine and Daisies. She borrowed it from someone else too :)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? We wrap gifts but I have put them in gift bags afterwards. It makes carrying them so much easier.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Angus's Birthday on December 1st.
4. When do you take the tree down? January 6th
5. Do you like eggnog? Yum although I haven't had it in years. We used to be able to buy it in the fridge section of the supermarket. I'm not sure if it is still available.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? To be honest I can't really remember if there was one I didn't like but the best one would have been the organ/keyboard that I got when I was 9.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No
8. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad because there really isn't all that much I can someone who pretty much has everything he really needs or wants.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Mark & the boys, especially if I buy them clothes :D
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I love getting cards in the mail. You can make so many interesting things with them.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of one for me but my sister sent my boys these cute little poncho towels one year but they boys had grown so much over the year that they didn't fit them.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Any of the Santa Clause movies.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December 26th at the Boxing Day sales.
14. Ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes but don't tell anyone.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fruit Mince Pies.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? We don't have any lights on our tree.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Leroy the Redneck Reindeer. I LOVE singing that one. I also love Rascal Flatts version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay Home.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Doesn't everyone? They are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We always have a red star on the top pf our tree.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve after dinner. That we can sleep in and be lazy on Christmas Day.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The crazy people in the shops and the ones that go overboard with their political correctness. Christmas is for the kids and for family & they tend to suck the fun out of everything.
23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? I have these really nice cross stitch ornaments that I made before the boys were born. I really love how they look.
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I get asked this question every year and I never know what I would like. Although this year I do. I would love to get a record player that plugs into my computer so I can rip all of the old vinyl albums I have. I don't think I will get it but I will certainly keep an eye out for one.

Craft Linky Love

2011-12-06T10:06:00.000+11:00

Here are some links to some wonderfully creative& crafty people.

BobWilson123 has a youtube channel with lots of crochet videos. It's worth checking out.
The Wug's Backyard Blogspot - Poetess Wug has a wonderful way with words & with crochet. She is amazing!
The Royal Sisters - Michelle is from New South Wales & has shared some great projects. You can also find her on ravelry
Craft Gossip - has some great crochet stuff as well as other crafts like cross stitch, felting, knitting, scrapbooking and more
Foxs Lane - Kate and her family have been on a caravan trek around the top end & the west coast of Australia. She's shared some great photos as well as her projects that she has created while on holiday.
Retromummy - Corrie is an amazing crafter who is currently having her kitchen redone.Corrie knits, quilts, bakes & blogs and she has 4 small kids too. I don't know how she does it!

Meet Me On Monday

2011-12-05T15:01:00.000+11:00

Hosted by Java from Never Growing OldEach week Java asks some "getting to know you" questions. Here's my answers for this week :D

1. Monday's are _________?
The days that the kids go back to school. Well it used to be but Brodie has finished school now & the summer holidays begin in a few weeks. I guess that means I get to sleep in for a few weeks :D

2. What is your favorite kind of milkshake?
Caramel. It is the BEST flavour EVER!

3. What monthly bill do you most dislike paying?
I don't have a problem paying bills to be honest. We budget for them & each pay we put some money on all of the utilities & any other bill that comes in regularly. That way by the time the bill actually arrives we are usually in credit or only need to pay a small amount extra. Although that electricity bill seems to be sneaking up on us ...

4. How many email addresses do you use on a regular basis?
I use three addresses :)

5. What color lights are on your Christmas Tree?
We don't have lights on our tree. In fact we haven't used lights for a few years now.

Looking Festive

2011-12-04T16:01:00.000+11:00

Brodie & I put up our Christmas tree the other day. Our house is looking a bit more colourful now.

Mr & Mrs Claus inspecting the tree

WIP - Robin Hood

2011-12-03T12:54:00.000+11:00

For the past few days I have been knitting a toy Robin Hood from a Jean Greenhowe pattern.

Robin Hood

I like how I get to make the boots/legs first then join them together to make the rest of the body & head. It's so much easier than one of Jeans other patterns where you make the legs & feet separately and sew them together later. Hmm maybe I can adapt the other pattern I have & make them in one piece. Something wroth trying later I guess.

I'm stuffed!

I don't think I added enough toy filling. Only time will tell when I make the bottom half of the jacket.

A different angle

Robin is meant to be around 31cm tall (around 12 inches).

I haven't measured him but that's what the pattern said.

Robin has his face on now but he is totally armless :P

You if I made this with black pants, a light blue shirt, dark brown or black hair and pointy ears he could almost pass for Mr. Spock. Of course I would have to add eyebrows and remove the smile.

Now how geeky is that? I LOVE my Star Trek.

I think I know someone who would love a Spock toy apart from me that is :D

Why I Love Living In The Country

2011-12-02T09:54:00.021+11:00

This photo was taken out at Labertouche not far from where the boys went to primary school.

Brodie & I were talking the other day about why it's great to live in the country. Here's a list of some of the reasons why I love it so much.

where else can you see a tractor driving through the main street of town?
sometimes you may see a tractor parked at the local pub and the farmer has gone into the pub for a beer
you may get to see a farmer and his tractor driving through the bottle shop at the pub
things move at a slower pace
there isn't all that traffic congestion during 'peak' hour
peak hour consists of 10 - 15 cars waiting at the round about and the congestion lasts for 10 minutes or less
you can actually see the stars at night & the sky looks really pretty

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-01T09:54:00.000+11:00

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

Facebook. It may seem a little strange to add this one but it was through FB that I was put in contact with my long lost nephew Kym. I had not seen him since he was 7 years old & his Mum took him interstate to live. It's been 18 years. Far too long.
talking with my nephew, Kym, last night & finding out I'm a great Auntie (I was already one but I have 2 more nieces)
phone calls - I spoke with my beautiful niece Allie :)
the weather - we've had some good soaking rain these past few days
being able to budget & pay in fortnightly instalments - so that when you get your phone bill you find out that it is already paid! Bonus!
for my yarn stash & not having to make a special trip just to buy a colour for a toy doll you are knitting

What are you thankful for this week?

Happy Birthday Angus!

2011-11-30T10:36:00.000+11:00

I can't believe that my little man turned 15 today!

Where has the time gone?

I promised him that I wouldn't embarrass him too much :D by plastering his photo all over my blog but hey what is a Mum to do when it's her BABY's birthday?!

Feb 1997 - 10 weeks old

He was such a cute and well behaved baby.
It's a shame that I didn't have any photos of him as a toddler on my computer. He was super cute then! Although he constantly had a dummy (pacifier) in his mouth.

Feb 2001 - Age 4

He grew into a cute kindy kid. He loved kindy so much but he was terrified when he 'graduated' and went to BIG school. He used to cry so much that he made himself sick.

I remember one time when I was at work my Dad took him to school. Angus cried so much that Dad brought him to my work. My friend Elaine told him to take him back to school and that said that Angus would soon settle down. Dad took him back but it still took a while for Angus to settle. In fact it took him a few weeks before he got go to school without crying.

Feb 2006 - at age 9

My little cheeky chops. He still pokes that tongue out at people.

May 2008 - at Age 11

He was my little Dragon when he played soccer. He got most improved player at the end of the season. WTG champ!

April 2011 - Age 14

See cutie I didn't embarrass you too much :P

Happy Birthday Rexy!!

Finished Object - Crocheted Cushion Cover

2011-11-29T11:28:00.001+11:00

Ta Da! I finished my cushion cover on Sunday night while watching Terra Nova.

It's definitely nice & bright and a lot of my left-over yarn has been used up!

Which is a good thing because I had a fair bit of it.

Here's the other side.

My beautiful model - Angus :)

I can see this cushion getting used a lot and perhaps even fought over. At least while it's new.

Meet Me On Monday

2011-11-28T14:50:00.000+11:00

Questions:

1. I really need to clean my _________?
2. What food makes you think of Christmas?
3. If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
4. What was your first paying job?
5. Have you read the Twilight series?

---------------------------------------------------------------

My Answers!

1. I really need to clean my _________?
shower, with two stinky boys make it really grotty & they never want to help clean it.I wonder how I can ~~con~~ ~~bribe~~ get them to clean it for me.

what I wished my shower looked like

2. What food makes you think of Christmas?
fruit mince pies

3. If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
29, which it my age anyway :P it has been for years its much more believable than saying your 21 which is what my Mum said for years.

4. What was your first paying job?
Picking potatoes.

5. Have you read the Twilight series?
No. I have no interest in reading it either.

Crochet Rose Video

2011-11-27T11:16:00.000+11:00

I've been watching crochet videos on youtube again :D

Here's one I found on making a rose by Regan of Emora Designs. She super fast with her crocheting but as Regan mentions in the video its just to share the pattern and not to teach you how to crochet.
So don't blink or you may miss her make the rose. She's that fast!

part 1

part 2

WIP - Cushion Cover

2011-11-26T15:55:00.001+11:00

I started on the second side of my cushion cover. So far so good :) As you can see I am into pinks, purples and blues at the moment. I've been sitting in front of my computer crocheting and watching episodes of Heartbeat that I had recorded. I'm not sure the boys really want to hear me singing some of the songs but too bad so sad lol I'm happy singing away & keeping out of trouble.

It looks much nicer than the photo shows.

At least I am getting to use my Tunisian crochet hooks. I'm going to have to learn to make more things using them. Its so much faster than knitting but you don't need me to tell you that really do you :)

My New Knitting Book

2011-11-25T16:25:00.000+11:00

I bought another Jean Greenhowe pattern book. This time it's the Storybook dolls.
I took photos of some of the dolls to share with you. There's also a Tooth Fairy and a Christmas Fairy. They look pretty much like Maid Marion & the Princess with wings.

Robin Hood & Maid Marion

I don't mind the look of Robin Hood and Maid Marion. In fact I loved watching the Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood. Although I don't mind Kevin Costner's version either. Mainly because Alan Rickman is in it. Hmm I may even watch it over the weekend. Angus has been asking to watch that movie for a while now.

Cowboy

What a cute little cowboy. I am thinking that Zavier (my nephew) may like this one or the pirate.

Pirate

Prince & Princess

Perhaps I could make for my niece, Moya-May, might like one of these dolls to play with when she is a little older. They would be perfect for a toddler being all soft & squishy.. Just as long as I make sure the pieces don't come off. I don't want any choking hazards.

I'm wondering which one I should make first. Which one would you choose?

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-24T10:38:00.003+11:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in the US who celebrate today.

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

Brodie finishing High School. Congratulations Big Fella!
The opportunity to celebrate Brodie's achievement at his Valedictory Dinner.
that the weather bureau got it wrong .. it didn't rain as much as they predicted. It's been nice to get my washing dry out in the fresh air :D
for reading so many interesting blog posts lately. I love finding out what my bloggy family is up to.

What are you thankful for this week?

WIP - cushion cover

2011-11-23T12:12:00.002+11:00

I started working on this cushion cover last night because I want to use up my leftover yarn & I also wanted another cushion on our couch. At least this will match my other cushion that I made a few months ago.

Brodie's Yr 12 Valedictory Dinner

2011-11-22T17:17:00.001+11:00

Last night was Brodie's Yr 12 Dinner. It was held at Rosco's Shed in Jindivick. The kids had a great time, as did the adults too. Well I guess I can still call them kids. They are all over 18 now and are officially adults (boy does time fly!)

Ut oh - I got the look for taking his photo ...

Now he smiles ...

The class of 2011

Of course the kids were embarrassed by the photos that the teachers shared. Photos that spanned from Year 7 when they started High School and were so little and cute through to photos from this year.

There are three kids missing but this is pretty much the WHOLE class.

Kathrine & Dean

Brodie's best friends. Celeste, JJ and Katrina. These girls have such beautiful spirits.

Brodz also went to TAFE with Tamara

Just before the kids were presented with a parting gift.

I am so proud of Brodie for making through Year 12. For a kid who had such a hard time when he started High School. He made it! There was many a time when I thought he would drop out. If you go back and look at posts that I wrote in 2006 & 2007 you would see that he spent more time at home than he did at school with suspensions. You would see why I am extra proud of him. He's the first grandchild (on my Dad's side) to have completed all of his schooling. It was one of Brodie's goals to finish school and it's so great that he achieved it. Brodz you ROCK!

Meet Me On Monday

2011-11-21T15:56:00.002+11:00

I haven't joined in with Meet Me On Monday for a while. This blog hop had been on holiday for a while but I'm glad it's back. Thanks Java.

Hosted by Java from Never Growing Old

Questions:

1. I wish I had more time to _________?
2. What is your favorite kind of soup?
3. Where will you eat Thanksgiving dinner?
4. What is your favorite time of day?
5. Did you start Christmas shopping yet?
---------------------------------------------------------------
My Answers!

1. I wish I had more time to _________?

Do more of my crafts. I just love knitting & crocheting.

2. What is your favorite kind of soup?

yellow split pea soup

photo from steamykitchen.com

3. Where will you eat Thanksgiving dinner?

Being an Aussie we don't actually celebrate Thanksgiving but I may make a pumpkin pie for us to eat :D

4. What is your favorite time of day?

Usually its when the house is dead quiet. It doesn't happen a lot these days but when it does its divine!

5. Did you start Christmas shopping yet?

I started my shopping last year on Boxing Day when all the sales started. I know call me crazy. I like shopping throughout the year. The trick is to make sure you have Christmas wrapping paper so that you can wrap things as you buy them or I am tempted to give things away as Birthday present.

What's For Dinner?

2011-11-20T19:03:00.000+11:00

minestrone

We had soup tonight. I made minestrone for the first time ever. I've had the cup-a-soup version before but never homemade minestrone. I have to admit it was pretty good :D and it's low carb even though I did put a handful of angel hair pasta in it.

What's on your menu for dinner?

Work In Progress

2011-11-19T17:39:00.000+11:00

Can you guess what I am making?
Sorry that the pictures are a little blurry.

Shall I give you a clue?

It's something that can only be made during the colder months of the year. Although you would never be able to make one where I live we don't get that cold white stuff here.

I know it doesn't really look like one yet but it's a toy snowman.

Did you manage to guess what it was?

Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty, Little Ball Of Fur ...

2011-11-18T10:32:00.000+11:00

Leave me alone & turn that flash off!

Look who was asleep on my bed under the covers! It's the ginger snap, C.K.! I don't mind him sleeping on the bed but he is a bed hog! He takes up so much room on the bed that there is hardly any room left for his humans! Not to mention when its cold he try to sneak under ALL the covers. He wont try that with me as he knows I will ~~throw~~ take him out of the bed and put him on the covers but he does that with Mark. He will head butt him until he lifts the quilt up for him. Mark is such a softie!

I just had to share this little song from The Big Bang Theory.

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-17T13:08:00.000+11:00

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

The beautiful weather. It's been lovely for the past few days. Great weather for getting the washing dry It has been perfect spring weather
Brodie being a good helper especially when we've been out shopping
Brodie finishing his school work. All we need to do now is wait to see if he has passed so he can 'officially' graduate high school
The boys joining me for a walk. It makes it much more pleasant to have someone to talk with while you're out & about
for my knitting & crocheting. It helps keep me sane :)

What are you thankful for this week?

My Latest Projects

2011-11-16T17:19:00.000+11:00

I was inspired by PoetessWug and all of the wonderful headbands she has been making recently. Today while I was watching a couple of my favourite shows (Touched by an Angel and NCIS) I decided to have a go at making my own headbands. I looked at a couple of patterns from the Lion Brand Yarn website and I really liked the crocheted braided headbands. I didn't do exactly what it said in the pattern, call it artistic license, but they still look good :D

Of course I had to add a flower :D It's one I made a while ago & I finally got around to using it

I might make a few more to use up the scraps yarn I have. I am sure that I can make some pretty ones for all of my nieces :)

A Nice View

2011-11-15T13:51:00.000+11:00

Sorry the photo isn't the best but I took it with my mobile phone yesterday when Brodie & I were waiting at some road-works on the way out of Neerim South yesterday. That view is pretty much all you see just outside of town. Our town has similar views to this. Neerim South is a 15 - 20 minute drive up the mountains. Sometimes it takes longer if you get stuck behind a truck or a tractor. I just LOVE living in the country :D

It's mainly dairy country around here. There's a chicken farm and an egg farm in our area. Let me tell you the smells are NOT the best when the wind blows the wrong way. Thankfully we can't smell it where we live but I feel sorry for the people who can.

I need to remember to take my camera with me next time I go up to collect Brodie from work placement. That way I can take some more photos to share. It really is pretty up there.

World Diabetes Day - Nov 14th

2011-11-14T10:55:00.000+11:00

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is held every year on November 14th. It's led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). The aim of WDD is to promote awareness, education & advocacy for patients worldwide.

Diabetes Victoria are holding some events over the next few days to help raise awareness & to support those affected with diabetes. I'm not sure if we will go to any of these events but the boys & I are wearing blue today (and on Blue Fridays - every Friday in November) to show our support :D

Where's The Nearest Exit?

2011-11-13T11:09:00.005+11:00

Look what Mark found when we went Op Shopping last week but guess who had to pay for it? :P

Stop I want to get off! Well that's how I have felt sometimes. Times where you just want to find the nearest exit and hit the ground running! Thankfully I haven't thought that way for a while now. Oh gosh I hope I haven't jinxed myself :-/ I'm sure I haven't but you never know....

Dermatologist Review

2011-11-12T10:58:00.018+11:00

I had a review with my Dermatologist on Wednesday. It's hard to believe that its been 6 months since I last saw him. Its a good thing I made an appointment for when I did as he is finishing up working at the local hospital. He told me that he has been coming up here on a regular basis for 50 years and had decided to call it quits. Although he will still be working at his Berwick office for a while longer. Not to be mean or anything but he is at that age where he looks like he should be retiring. He's no spring chicken after all. He looks like he's in his 70's.

He was sort of impressed with my skin but not, if that makes sense. He was impressed that I had been able to go for 6 months without seeing him but saddened by the fact that my psoriasis was coming back. Me well I was impressed that he listened to me and actually took on board what I was saying about my skin and what lotions & potions he had prescribed in the past and which ones I felt worked best or not. Anyway I walked away with a prescription for some stinky tar based lotion which my poor chemist will have to make up when he isn't busy. I think they are grateful when I leave the script and tell them that I will be back in two days to collect it. It give them time to make it up then.

Remind me to take a photo of this 'potion' so I can show you how colourful it is. Just be thankful that you don't have to smell the stuff lol although you do get used to it after a while.

He said I don't need to go back and see him unless I need to (for scripts or flare ups). I guess that's a good thing. I didn't tell him that my GP is willing to prescribe the lotions & potions just as long as I get a printout from the chemist. I'm thinking I might do that in future. Anything that helps me avoid suburbia is a good thing. I don't fancy driving in the busy suburbs of outer Melbourne unless I absolutely have to.