The Audreys here we come

Wahhooooo! The Audreys are back with new album and tour and we have tickets! Album goes on sale April 19th - I'll be standing at the door, knocking to be let in. (see previous post)

Don't you just love her style? I do like men in waistcoats too.


ooh: that was fourth last post in count down.

Pictures colour galore!

I celebrated my birthday over Easter (way back then!) - now I am no longer mid-30's, not late 30's though, but on the cusp (so to speak)! Family went to a beer garden in the hills - great weather, view, food, good day!



Some loveeeeely pressies! How did they know???? (Wishlist from Fishpond.com.au told them, that's how!)


A visit to Cranbourne Botanical Gardens; Melbourne's official 'Australia Gardens'; just a snippet of what we saw:

Criss-crosses took our eye:
Favourite shot - can you see the bee's bum in the banksia?
Eucalyptus green with stunning slim red branches


Lone raven on a magnificent iron sculpture - love the strut.




Scary lizard
Native hibiscus with a carpet of mussel shells
The Red Earth Centre

Loved this poem:
Banksia 'Birthday Candles'
Leap of joy!
An Eastern Spinebill - gorgeous!

Some cooking by the kids: Apple Tarts (great for using up rather old pastry from freezer), some Granny Smith apples, an apple peeler/corer/twirler (best invention!), some demerra sugar and voila!
If you are still with me, hang in there, more is coming......




Actual physical progress made on my Kaffe quilt: I was so nervous about the orange and had never really liked it, BUT, adding the cornerstones and laying some out on the floor, totally changed my mind. I couldn't believe it! the orange receeded as the blues, greens, purples and magentas sprung to life; this could be the start of something good?

I like to lay my work down on the carpet, in the walkway (it's the closest bit of space to my sewing machine); wo behold anyone who steps on it though, even the dog steps around it!

I have been slack with any craftyness, bloggyness; but I do believe that I am coming up soon to my 100th post; stay tuned; pressies are coming!

Edit: I just looked in Blogger and I have five more to do: I promise it won't be painful.

It was Hot Hot Hot

Thanks everyone for the well wishes for our humungous School Fair. This is how it went:

It was so hot (39oC)

I had gastro in the morning

One daughter got heat stroke and had very handsome St John's Ambulance guys doting over her.

The other burned the soles of her feet dancing on a stage (and cried throughout the dance, until some bright spark turned off the music, and let her stop!) She was such a trooper, and felt bad for her partner that she had ruined their dance, but we all told her that such bravery will never be seen again!)

Forgot my camera


But, I think my FuzWuzez were a hit! Not sure what else sold yet but stock perfect leftover for mid-year sale or Christmas stall pressie. (the craft stall is not my stall; I am in charge of 'Tattoos and Beauty' (which means get your hair sprayed lurid colours, nails painted and temporary tatts!)

I couldn't resist this little guy - the ears kill me! Knitted toys appeal to me so much and this one will sit on my desk, so I can talk to him and he will just listen.
My parents inlaw gave us a present of a beautiful Buka Basket, from their time in Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. My hubbie had such a wonderfully rich part of his childhood there; such an exotic place, until the war got too serious,when threats on their life drove them home quick smart. He often looks back with great fondness and wonders if the island will ever recapture the tranquility and 'magic' it once held.

I just found another site that describes Bougainville as still in disrepair, and is not to be called a Province (as per first link of official PNG tourism!). Fiercely independent still, though the connection to and reliance on PNG is inevitable. Hubbie would love to take us there one day, but the dangers override any romantic notion of having a 'perfect family holiday'. He tells me so many interesting stories about his life there; we both are flabbergasted at the 'relaxed parenting' that occurred; we would Never let our kids do what he and his brother could and would do!
Sign of the Times.

School Fair here we come!

School Fair on Sunday! I can't help thinking that I am really looking forward to Monday.
Sewing assignments all finished and accounted for:
1 million tissue travellers
15,000 FuzWuzez
803 Banners
621 zippy pouches

or that's what it felt like. I am such a whinger. Especially when I am hot. Like Now.

Here's what Pip does when she's hot.
Is that wall truly comfortable?

A few little wierd things

Kellie from Don't Look Now tagged me!
Okay!
7 wierd and wonderful things about myself.
Heregoes....
1. Spiders seem to like me, that is, want to be near me, often. I have had spiders on my pillow, just as I am laying contently back to dream away, husband says in a frightening, but calm tone: Bron. move. away. slowly. The things fall down from the ceiling on or near me - what is that! Lucky I am not too squeamish with them, but the "Surprise, I'm here" is getting tiresome.

2. I have been fortunate to have two very easy deliveries of my two girls. I look back and think; Nup, didn't hurt much, in fact, I kind of enjoyed them. Hubbie says that I was 'In The Zone'. I think that I ran on endorphins for most of my labours, and didn't need any pain relief, except for having baths and showers. I was home the next day for my second. I know there are those out there, who had truly awful experiences, so I just usually keep my mouth shut, when it comes to sharing time. But I opened it today!

3. Confession time: When we had two house painters painting the inside and outside of our home, I didn't ever make them a cup of coffee! They were here for months! I feel so guilty. I did offer for them, at the start, to come and make their own in the kitchen, but I think they felt out of place and eventually I came to resent them always being here. I am such a bad woman.

4. My name 'Bronwyn' means 'white brea*t' in Welsh; can you imagine the shame as a teenager learning this fact!

5. I am a bit stumped on this one - I'll come back later.

6. I don't like brown and I don't like black, especially the two put together. I also don't like orange. I often have issues with green.

7. I am partially colour-blind; this means that I have troubles sometimes with blues and greens. I did the official test, when I was working at a printing factory, and found out then. I couldn't see the number in the dots!! It is most unusual for a girl to have the gene (my Dad has it also). Does this explain No. 6?

(I have just 'copy and paste' the rules thing from Kellie....that's not wrong is it? I just too lazy to type it all out, and actually by the time I finish typing this sentence I probably could have type it out myself:

The last thing I have to do is list The Rules;

1. Link back the the person who tagged you

2. Post The Rules on your blog

3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog

4. Tag 7 people & link to them

5. Comment on their blogs to let them know they have been tagged.

I am tagging Donna, Little Mysteries, another Donna, Tamara, and that'll do. If you want to play along too, just do it! A little bit of wierdness all around is healthy, methinks.

This is......looking out

This is my first "This is .... looking out of my front door." The rollcall is getting long - which is fantastic - really diverse and interesting!

I was telling Lara that we want to get rid of the front lawn, albeit front weed patch to reduce water consumption; maybe white pebble to match the fence, maybe Dromana Sand! That would be very close to the colour of my weatherboard house. Any ideas?

Love my old red brick path and love my curved top fence posts! Love character in a house; give me character over modern box-style any day of the week!

Can you see my letterbox? Hubbie put a clear perspex door on it so we see from the house if we have any letters. Brilliant, Yes?!

Straight in front is a patch of agapanthus - when we bought the house 9 years ago this bed flowered wonderfully and has gone downhill from then on. We chopped a lot out and thinned the plants for more flowers, but, still a bit pathetic, and something continually eats the leaves. I don't know how many boxes of snail pellets we have put down over how many years! but 'they' keep eating!

I love my Golden Ash tree in the front yard, it is starting to drop its leaves now that Autumn is here (or maybe still Summer with 37oC heat!)
Here are some pictures of it with a beautiful Melbourne Autumn day, taken from my second-storey windows. Golden!

Some little boxes

Thanks to a tutorial by Three Bears of a boxy pouch, I made these:

first one was as tutorial; but too flimsy (I do like the froggys though)

next one was lined with fabric stiffened with Vilsofix ie inside stuck to outside. I made the corners smaller 2 inches wide instead of 3 inches as in tute.

So love this Laurel Burch fabric!

Thing is, I don't think I have ever sewn in a zip before, so I collected them, but too scaredy-cat to do anything- but I bit the bullet and didn't feel a thing.

I think my pile of thrifted zips is going to shrink.

Thanks also for friends' advice and encouragement for sewing chenille - it makes me happy when the computer tells me I have a comment - I may have lots of lurkers, but never many comments, sob, sob - the connection is important to me, so thanks once more, you guys.

One big hug to you all!

To Market, To Market....

No Fat Pigs were bought, but.....
We all went to the Camberwell Market today; very popular trash and treasure market and lo and behold, more chenille! Oh yes! More to add to the rising stack.

Colour of the pink one is a little too 'lolly' pink in photo; it's more of a musk. The white one was rust stained and a little torn; perfect for cutting up and so, instead of $15 each, I got them 2 for $20. I have to control the tremor in my voice when I bargain; I am always so nervous; can they see that? Probably. They must take pity on me, or otherwise, are sick of being there since 5.30am and not selling stuff?I found the most terrific stall selling Irish linen thread, embroideries, and so many buttons!

A toaster cover (above and below)

Some sweet rose buttons and more embroidery

My absolute favourite piece: at $2 - what a bargain!

I had to stop myself as I only had $10 and then had to borrow $3 from my 10 year old. She was most generous! I'll be back.
I nearly cried when I found this little gem (with tag still attached) at MECWA op-shop in Malvern for........
$1.

The colours are perfect in my 'sari pink' bathroom.


Of course, it will NEVER. GET. USED. (are you listening, family?)
And Yes, family, it is going to hang on the hook, just to look pretty.



'The Monkeys' is finished! Wahoooooooo!

This delicious vanilla chenille below is going to become the back for my Snowball Quilt and in an epiphany, the pink chenille will be the corners of the Snowball, so I will have snuggly stuff on both sides.
Sewing chenille to cotton is okay, is it not? Can someone please tell me if there will be a problem. Ta!

Last of all today, is some bunting for the School Fair. I call this 'Celebrate in the Garden' bunting.