Hurrah!

Puddy cat puddy cat where have you been?

Hello!  After a super long hiatus, I am back!!  And where have I been?  Unfortunately not sitting on a shelf like a big fat puddy just whiling away my time, no I have been swamped by my day job and have had little time (although I keep telling myself I have EXACTLY the same amount of time as everyone else..) to blog.  I have been crafting away though for all the special occasions along the way and will pop up some photos to proove it!  So, hello again and thanks for dropping by.  It's time for me to get cracking on crafty projects... Hurrah!
 

Ethan George

 

He arrived and he's wonderful!!  A beautiful little bubby nephew.  I hope he likes his mobile - I had a hard time thinking of an animal that starts with 'n' to make this mobile - I didn't think newt or numbat really fitted with the 'jungle' theme.  I ended up making a bird sort of looking like a toucan but I'm pretending it's a nightingale in a nest.

 

 

 and the 'h' is a hippo!!!

He's nearly here

My nephew is due any minute but if not tonight, then he'll definately be here by lunchtime tomorrow, hurrah!

 

This Golly is for Ethan when he arrives, along with a box of goodies I've been making.  Right now though I have an apple pudding in the oven that I have to attend to as I've never made an apple pudding before.  It's certainly the weather for puddings though - and I can be a baking Aunty!!

 

Oh, and I got the job!!  YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

E is for elephant and Ethan

Happy Friday!!  I made a promise to post each Monday but I had a job interview this week that I had to prepare for so I am a little late in blogging.  Fingers crossed for the job... now I have a two-week wait.

Speaking of waiting, my sister Megan is expecting  bubby boy shortly and I am enjoying waiting for my nephew Ethan to arrive.  I am a bit chuffed I will be an aunty with a nephew as I have a neice but not a nephew yet.  Ethan will be a little brother for Amelie.  The scary thing is he is due in a matter of weeks (unless he arrives early!) and I have loads of ideas for things to make.  I would have started earlier but life has been full of other things... like work (sigh!).  One thing I have bought for Ethan is this lovely print by artist Mati Rose McDonough from her Etsy shop.

Photo from Suspect Shoppe.

I am a big fan of giving children art and when Amelie was born we gave her this print from Carla Sonheim's "Girls" series (I made the teddy bear for her too along with some other pressies).

 

I hope Ethan likes his print.  The artist said the little lucky elephant was a symbol for luck as well as strength, solitude, wisdom, intelligence and a strong sense of loyalty to the family, which are all lovely things for a bubby boy!  Now I must get crafting.  Have a lovely weekend!

How good is Good Sammy?

Good Sammy rocks!  It seems to be more popular since the global financial crisis, but how great is op shopping??  It's just such a great way to re-use unwanted goods - things that someone else decided they'd had enough of and gave up for charity get to have another life with someone else and the goods don't go to waste or end up in landfill and it helps a charity at the same time.  And although some people have no choice but to shop at op shops, there's such a nice sense of community at my local op shop - people of all ages and backgrounds shop there - immigrants setting up house in Australia, elderly friends out for the day, groups of teenagers looking for retro fashion, little kids buying recycled toys and giving them love all over again.  And the fabrics that can be salvaged!  Like these sheets and a scarf, all for the measly sum of $3.00.

Matilda didn't come from the op shop of course, she just had to be in the (not so great) photo.  Am looking forward to using these fabrics.  Hurrah for Good Sammy!

Time out

Well, it's Thursday rather than Monday but I've had a hideous cold all week and have been tucked up in bed so I missed my Monday blogging day - blob!  Oh well, here's a Thursday post and I should be back on track this Monday... touch wood.  I've been thinking how it's strange that we don't give ourselves time out just to do as we please  - like lounging around in bed for an entire day (well, some people might but I don't!).  I have watched Matilda happily sleep all day sprawled out on the bed with her paws in the air.  The only time I'm lying in bed for a day is when I don't feel well, otherwise I'd feel guilty that I'd wasted a whole day -  what a shame that it's seen as a waste, rather than a chance to rejuveinate and recharge.  Time out is so important really.  I've also been thinking about immunity and how at this time of year I always get a cold - is it the change of seasons?  At least this year I will have my annual cold out the way in time for...

The RSPCA Million Paws Walk!  Hurrah!!  It's only a week and a bit away and there's still time to register, or donate if you can't attend.  We have our sneakers ready, we've sold the raffle tickets and we've started to prep Matty on good dog manners when out with hundreds of other pooches - although she will no doubt forget her manners when we get to the bbq breakfast tent and barge through all the other dogs waiting for tidbits.  No doubt we'll get home after it all, full of yummy food and exhausted from all the fun... and Matty will be straight on the bed to sleep it all off.  She's got it all worked out.  No wonder dogs don't get colds!

Turning 90

Another long weekend - WA had a public holiday today for ANZAC Day.  The weather was beautiful and we painted a new trim colour on our house and planted a couple of plants - it was lovely to be outside.  We also caught up for friends for dinner and family and went to our friend George's 90th birthday celebration - yes, that's right, 90.  I really like that we have a friend who has just turned 90 - we met George and his lovely black labrador Laddie at our local park where we walk our westie Matilda.  There's a group of us who walk our dogs at the park and George's dog-walking friends were at his birthday party, along with friends of his from church, lifelong friends and loads of family - kids, grandkids and great grandkids.  George is Irish so there was an Irish singalong - Danny Boy and other tunes and lots of good jokes.  It was a really nice gathering of people but the best bit was listening to George.  Several people gave speeches about George and shared stories.  George gave a lovely speech too.  He's always played Scrabble and cards and had family dinners and singalongs.  He looks about 75 or maybe 80 - nowhere near 90!  It was really nice listening to someone with a lifetime's worth of knowledge and experience - he would have been born at the time of the Great Depression, lived through the Twenties and Thirties and Jazz and the Second World War, he would have been alive for Gallipoli.  He's lived in Ireland and Canada and Australia.  He's one of the happiest people I've ever met.  He has really lived life well.  He really gives off the vibe that life is what you make it and he's always smiling.  What a legend.  Happy Birthday George.

I will like Mondays...

Well, there's been a lot happening in the past month.  I'm stunned that it's April already and May is approaching quickly.  Thankfully I've been on holidays for the past three weeks - just pottering at home and having a break, which has been lovely.  Some nice things that required crafting activity in the past month...

My lovely niece Amelie turned two...

 Not such a great photo I'm sorry but here's one of the dresses I made for Amelie with a matching doll's dress - I'm trying to find the pic of the yellow dress still...

And she now has a "big bed" so I made her some owl cushion friends for her new bed...

  They're meant to be owls!!

And our friends had a beautiful baby girl - Sienna Allegra...

 I bought the singlet and used a Japanese pattern for the bloomers and made a matching brooch - not sure if babies can wear brooches but it can be unpinned easily.

The nice thing about the bloomers pattern is the elastic can be adjusted in the legs and wasit as the baby grows - I think they're a bit big for Sienna at the moment!   There were seven Rebecca's in my year at high school - I think there might be a few Sienna's for the 2008-09 years.

And I'm still sorting out my craft room since swapping the study and the spare room around.  It's nice in here though as there's a bigger window and a few visiting birds in the tree outside.  I am hoping Mondays will be my blogging days from now on - that's the plan anyway.  And there really is no excuse, surely I can manage Mondays at least - will give me something to look foward to about Monday!! :D

fiasco

Yes!  I am back online - it's been weeks!!  We had phone line and internet dramas but now it's sorted and I've found the cable to connect the camera to the computer too, so happy!  It felt weird to be disconnected for so long.  I will be back with some pics shortly... hurrah!

Two

A birthday present for my lovely niece who is turning two!  What a wonderful thing to be turning two - it seems so little.  Such a nice age.  This was the first time I looked at birthday cards in the "Niece" section (there's a Niece section!!)!  I still didn't find a birthday card I liked but the cards in the "Two" section weren't great either.  Might have to make one I think - and just write 'niece' on it!!  I love being an aunty.  My sister has another bubby on the way too so I will be a double-aunty soon!  Hurrah!

This was the first time too that I've sewn ruffled bits (not sure if they have a term!) on the sleeves and proper little pockets. It was so nice sewing a little dress and nice not to have to stuff something after sewing it for a change!  Funny that a year has gone by since the mousehouse too...  The dress pattern is from this wonderful Japanese pattern book.  It's all in Japanese excpet for the measuremts so is not too hard to follow.

On a less cheery note, if you're in Australia (or maybe overseas) then you would have heard about or even know people whose lives have been affected by the bush fires.  I'm on the other side of the country but I know everyone here is sending all their thoughts to those who have suffered.  Two websites worth visiting: the Victorian Government has a list of charities to help out the people affected by the fires and other ways people can help and the RSPCA Victoria also has a bushfire appeal with 100% of funds helping bushfire affected animals - both domestic, wildlife and farm animals and cattle.  A senseless tragedy and it just baffles me completely how these fires were started.  At least it's a good thing to know that people care and more people will be on the lookout to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen in the future.  Lots of good thoughts and hugs for all the people who have experienced trauma, and the furry (and scaley and prickly!) creatures too ox