HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS D

Today is one of my best friends birthday... Chris D.  I know you got your bag yesterday, and with it the little 'something' inside it too.

SPARKLING: I will show YOU and my other readers what was in it now:

ABOVE:  just to refresh your memory, this is the Cute Bag for Chris D.
And this:

 ABOVE:  is a made-to-fit Drawstring bag, with a container inside for her lunches.  I really enjoyed making the little 'extra' bag for her.  I know she will use the little container too... it's what I use for my yogurt and fruit if we go out.

HANDY little containers they are.

There is a young man in this house who needs a haircut... stat!
I tried to get a decent photo of him ... after he had spiked it up with water:

ABOVE:  not too bad... scary eyes though...

 ABOVE:  Wow almost a normal face!
But... it didn't last.

 ABOVE:  Yep... much more like our Griffin.  He's a hard case is our boy.

 ABOVE:  the other little man in the house... looking so adorable, he just makes me melt.
I had another lady in a shop say he looked just like me yesterday!  Made my day.

ABOVE:  Dante loves his Daddy.  Getting ready for babe's bedtime last night.  

Today:  sewing, housework, Hospice duty, dodging raindrops too.  

Poor Brylee!  On camp and the weather is atrocious.  I totally expect her to come home with everything wet, and her freezing!  Might just make sure I've got her electric blanket on so she can have a hot bath then jump into bed to warm up!

So far this morning I have finished 3 Dresden Plate blocks, and have the next one all ready to go.  I had planned on taking a break from it after say, 5 blocks... and do something else to break up the monotony.  But... I'm loving doing the blocks and if I keep it up I will have it ready to join together with the sashings before I know it.
Awesome.

WEIGHT: having a few issues with slip ups in the past couple of weeks.  It's so hard to stay on track some days.
I think the weather has something to do with it.

I am cold... and eating cold food is not working for me... sushi?  Salad? They don't warm me up!
Might have to make soup... but I'm not a fan of soup without toast.  *sigh*

Better get me thinking cap on...

I'm home from Hospice and guess what?
I. BOUGHT. NOTHING! ! !
Seriously, I cannot believe it myself.  There must be something wrong with me today.

Or ... there was just nothing I wanted to buy!

THANK YOU EVERYONE for the helpful lunch suggestions, I really need to try some of the ideas.  
Left overs: we either don't have any, or the men take it for their lunches, or we freeze it for Lacy and Keera!  

I've got to go now and cook dinner.... beef stir fry with Udon noodles.  Yummmm.

End of Day:  can't believe how cold it has become in the past week!  Not that I am worried about it... I am over being too hot!
Might do a little sewing before bedtime.
nite nite

NEW RUG?

So... now that I've moved the furniture around in the family room... I felt we needed a new rug for that area.
I have been looking online and think I've found the one:

ABOVE: it's a crap photo taken off me computer... but I think it will blend in really well with the big shell painting on the wall...

ABOVE:  so, do you think that rug will look OK in the room?  I don't want one that screams "Look at me!"

As I mentioned yesterday, we had a big storm come through from about 4 pm till 6.30 pm.  Masses of thunder and lightening!
I got some shortish video's of it... I will share a couple of the best ones:

ABOVE:  I couldn't get over how long the thunder lasted!


ABOVE:  in this one we have some sort of weird sheet lightening and fork lightening... and at the end you get to hear the donkey braying across in the park!

TODAY:  not sure.  I have to get Lacy over here as we have to reply to a lawyer's letter... stuff to do with her wanting to move to Tauranga and how that affects access for Keera's birth father.
*sigh*... this is going to be a never ending pain in the butt.

What else?  Depends on how I'm feeling actually.  Still feeling rather ikkk.  The foot is doing a bit better though!

I've been wearing my winter suede boots and as they have a heel, it has changed how the weight is distributed on my heel... and it seems to be helping with the pain.
Last night I realised I was limping out of habit, and if I actually walked on my foot like 'normal' it didn't hurt as much.

I really hope it resolves itself again.  I'm pretty sure I had this problem a year or so ago and it got better on it's own.

ONWARD...

I just went down to Spotlight as I needed more batting for a baby quilt, and then on to a little fabric shop off Cavendish Drive.  I had bought a needle threader there months ago and it simply did not work.

So... the lady is taking it back and will get me a new one that works.  I had a quick look around her shop, and I had no intention of buying any fabric... but... ummm...

ABOVE:  I got the end of the bolt with the fabric with yachts and compass's on... and enough of the contrasting fabric to do 'something' with it.
Now I just have to work out what to do with it?

Dante does not like fabric shops.  Just saying.
Boys!

Time for lunch... was going to have some sushi, but after spending me lunch money on fabric, I have to make something here at home. Oh well... it's worth it.  *smiles*

MARTINE:  at the moment she is about 10 minutes up the road.  If she moves to Tauranga, she will be about 2.5 hours away.

Whoop whoop!   I got re-aquainted with the Dresden Plate Quilt... laid it all out on me bed so I could see where I was.  And... besided realising that I still have a shit load to do... I have started working on it again.

 ABOVE:  all sorted out.  Various stages of 'done'.  See all me cottons in their boxes?  Cool eh?  I got them from Mitre 10.

ABOVE:  I finally found a use for me Lazy Susan.  I can just spin me block around to put the pins in now.  Awesome.  That Lazy Susan has been hardly used in all the years I've had it.  It was one of those things I just had to buy, then never used it!
*smiles*
Bet I'm not the only person who does stuff like that eh?

ANON:  Lacy is not happy here in Auckland, and she was really happy in Tauranga.  She has friends and a lot of family there.  As for Miss Keera, it will give us a really good excuse to pop over to the Bay on a regular basis, as we love the area too.  
Lacy is perfectly capable of taking care of her daughter without us having to be on her doorstep. 

OOO NATALIE:  that would be totally cool!

Bex was downstairs sewing... when she came upstairs and said there was no way she was staying down there on her own again!
WHY?
Seems we have livestock in the loft/ceiling space!
And according to Bex, it was to loud to be mice.  So... we have rats.
Freakin' ya.

Stew will have to get rat poison tomorrow.  

And tonight... we sleep under the rat.  As we have been for quite a while already, I'm not too perturbed! 

No really said I ... while eye'ing up the couch!

End of Day:  well I've actually been cold today!  The weather has taken a decidedly cool turn in the past few days.  Brrrrr.  
Off to bed soon, going to have an early night!
nite nite.

BIT OF THIS AND THAT TODAY...

Right... I said I did some sewing last night, and I did.
I had made a cushion front a couple of years ago, but then never actually made it into a cushion... so I 're-purposed' it and made it into a soft cover for me sewing machine:

ABOVE:  I had to add the blue fabric to make it fit like a cover should.  I must admit I have never done a cover before, and certainly not without a pattern.


I'm surprised at how easy it was at the end of the day!

I found the ONE drawback of having my sewing area part of our 'BEDROOM':

ABOVE:  The man wanted to go to bed, so I had to stop sewing.  I just have the top stitching to finish on the sewing machine cover.  I will get it done today sometime.

ABOVE:  Bex made her first ever soft Baby Book... she is rather chuffed with herself!
Now she wants to make more.... as gifts for friends who have babies.

ABOVE:  another 'first'... changing the needle on the machine.  

ABOVE:  I asked her to clean the fronts of the cupboards ... so she did.  AND she cleaned the extractor thingee above the stove too.  She's rather handy to have around, I hate having to stand up on the bench, I always feel like I'm going to fall.

ABOVE:  I moved stuff around in this room AGAIN.  Gives us a bit more room in the middle, which will be nicer once I get a rug for there.  Got me eye on one I saw online last night.  Waiting to see if it's still available.

TODAY:  Bex has a Dr's appointment down in Manukau, so we shall go to the mall and I will look after Dante while she's at the Dr's.  Lacy and Keera are meeting us there, so we shall probably have lunch there.  Not sure.

After that I'm on duty at the Hospice Shop.

ONWARD...

ABOVE:  spew spew... orange!  Bex likes orange so she chose this picture.  

While we were out this morning I had several really nasty hot flushes, so bad in fact that I felt sick.  So... I'm going to stay home this afternoon and try and get some sleep, I'm feeling really spaced out and weird.

Off to have a headache pill and lie down now.

Well... we are in the midst of a big Thunder and Lightening storm!  It's been going on for almost two hours.
I saw it coming and ran !!! YES RAN outside and grabbed in all the washing in the nick of time!

I managed to catch a few short videos of the lightening too... once they are processed I shall post them.  Tomorrow no doubt.

Oh and there have been water spouts too... which are tornadoes over water.  I didn't see them.

It's now freezing.

End of Day:  the storm was neat to watch.  Dinner was lovely, chicken and rice with veges... Bex did it.
nite nite

WE ARE IN FOR A DIFFERENT WEEK

Today I shall drive Brylee to school, as she has just a bit more than usual to take with her.
She's off to camp.
About an hours drive away from here.

I hope she has a really good time, even though the weather forecast is for a fair bit of wet weather.
I've got her some thermal underwear to keep her warm at night (long sleeves and long-johns) ... she's going to need them.

So, this week should be.... QUIET.  Because you know when Brylee's in the house.  It usually means her gob is going non-stop... she has to have the last word.  And she loves nothing better than to rile Griffin up.  

So, it will be a different week for us.  As I said... QUIET.  I am going to enjoy quiet.  *smiles*

Once I've taken her (and Griffin) to school, it's back home to kill an hour before I take Bex and Dante to the Dr's for Dante's 5 month immunisations.

Last time they jabbed him in both thighs he screamed holy blue murder.  It was hard hearing him that upset.  He had never cried like that before, and I'm thinking we are in for a repeat.  I'm not looking forward to that.

Once we allowed to leave... I think we will come home so I can do my usual Monday morning catch up on the housework.

THEN I might finish the sewing machine cover before trying to make sense of the Dresden Plate Quilt.

I need to work out what's what, what I have to work on next with it.  I know I've got masses to do yet!

While Lacy was here yesterday (came to take Keera home)... Keera was on the brink of crawling:



ABOVE:  just a little video to show you just how close she is to being 'on the move'.  Lacy almost cried, she's so proud of her bub.

OK... time to go and make the lunches, bla bla bla... I'll be back later.

ONWARD...

Brylee has gone off on camp.  She almost cried when I went to leave, so I stayed with her until she could find some girls from her class to be with... then she was happy again.


So... again Dante had a screaming fit at the Dr's.  Can't blame him, two injections into each thigh at the same time.  Ouch.  At least today he did settle down a bit quicker.

Went and posted Chris D's parcel... sorry Chris, but the mall we went to on the weekend had a Post Office that was closed.  So, you should get it by the end of the week.  It might even arrive on your BIRTHDAY!  (23rd)

While down in Manurewa, I popped into the Hospice Shop and spied a gorgeous little bowl... and umm... just had to have it.

ABOVE:  stunning ... if ya like glass bowls!  

Going to read some blogs now...

Very productive afternoon.... if ya can call sleeping productive!  I lay down at about 4 pm cos I felt really tired... and next thing I know Bex is telling me to wake up cos it was 1/4 to 6!
Shit.  Luckily I had put the meat in the oven before I fell asleep.

I've not had a 'Nana Nap' in months!  Must have needed it eh?

While I slept, Bex made her first little Fabric Baby Book... it's cute.  I'll show ya later.

Right now I've got to finish getting the dinner organised.  Tatties and veges...to go with the Lamb Chops with onions, cooking in Thick Mint Sauce.  YUMMY.

End of Day:  well... I've not been idle this evening, I did a bit of sewing.  Will show ya tomorrow ... Bex did some too.
nite nite

DAY OF REST? YEAH... NAH

Seriously, who does 'rest' on a Sunday?
No one in this house, that's for sure.

But, at least we are all home, enjoying each other's company.

Top of the 'to do' list today is to get everything assembled, named and packed for Brylee's 5 day School Camp.
She is going with her year 8 class to a camp on the west coast at Awhitu.  Hopefully she comes home happy. And weighing the same!

Last time she went on camp she lost 2 kgs... not good when you are small like Brylee.
But... nothing I can do about that.  Her teacher is aware she's a damn picky, fussy eater.

Best thing about today?  I can start getting familiar with this again:

 ABOVE:  my Dresden Plate Quilt!   We found it in the Smartbox... right at the back.  I'm thrilled to bits.  It's the ONE thing I really want to get finished this year... and I will. 

Last night.  While talking with Bex over in the sewing area, hoping that Keera would drift off to sleep listening to us ... Steve came down and decided he would jump all over my bed!

Vigorously.
With gusto.
And LOUDLY.
He even did some tunneling under the duvet.
Just to mess me bed up.

ABOVE:  he did a good job.  And while he was yahoo'ing all over my bed, Keera just went to sleep!

Awesome.  I love how we can all have fun... silly fun... even though we are all adults. Your'e never too old to jump on the bed and be silly eh?
Just don't expect me to do that right now, cos I would break the bed!  *smiles*

So... we have to pop out at some point today to get a few items Brylee needs for camp... but mostly it's a stay at home day.

ONWARD...

Well... we went out and got Brylee some warm track pants for camp, had an ice cream at the mall... then came home.
Since then, I've made some calico curtains for our front door... as it bothered me that someone standing at the front door could, (if the garage internal door was open), see into my 'bedroom'.
Now I'm making a quick cloth cover for my sewing machine... as the solid plastic one that came with it it too bulky to have down... it takes up a lot of room.  

It's now up on a shelf, never to be used again no doubt.  *smiles*

I managed to get to read a few blogs last night and this morning, and will get back to them after dinner.

End of Day: well it's been a nice day.  I got one project done (curtains at the front door)... and another small one on the go (sewing machine cover) ... and I have drooled over by Dresden Plate Quilt (in progress).
nite nite

FINGERS CROSSED ... WANT TO FIND ME QUILT!

Today we are going to SmartBox storage to delve into our storage box again.

We need the dehumidifiers, Sleeping bags, suitcases, all of Bex's winter clothes, the fluffy rug and ... I'm also hoping to find my Dresden Plate Quilt... it's only about a third of the way 'construction' wise.  It's still the one big project I would love to get finished this year.

What else?

Brylee goes to school camp on Monday, so I need to get her gear all sorted out, named and so on.

I bought her some new long pants yesterday at the Pumpkin Patch shop... she loves them... but we probably need two more pairs to cover her requirements at camp.  

I'm also working on a few other little projects in the sewing room... will show you at some point... no doubt.  *smiles*

Today is going to be busy I think!

Here's a few photos taken last night:

ABOVE:  Steve couldn't resist putting Dante on the motorised ride on.  Baby won't be able to ride it himself for at least a year!

 ABOVE:  being silly girls.  She got a smack on her head right after this...  lol.  Not too hard though.

ABOVE: I do believe this will be the last time Dante uses his Bumbo seat!  His legs started going red/blue from his circulation being cut off!
He's such a little podge.  But clearly adorable.

ABOVE: The colouring on this one was a bit off... but it's still a lovely photo of him staring up at me while he's in the bath.  This baby just loves his bath... he coo's.  

Right, I'm off to get a few jobs done around the house.

ONWARD...

The entire household has been slow to start today.  Some slept in, some watched SPORT... and I did me sewing.
So... I got the bag FINISHED...

ABOVE:  I really like this bag!  It's bright and vibrant... I am sure Chris D will enjoy using it too.
I've added a little 'something' inside this one... but can't show you today, Chris D can see it first.

Chris D:  it will be in the post this afternoon.

I've got an "ITCH" I really, really want to scratch. But I can't.  So... I must just grin and bear it I suppose.  Time will sort it out, or not.

Don't ya just hate cryptic shit?

LOL.... here's a gorgeous photo of Granddad and his wee man:

ABOVE:  This kid has a special bond with his Granddad.
When Bex and I went to the Hospice shop yesterday, me Boss and her sidekick said Dante was the spitting image of me!  So, I must be bloody gorgeous then!  ha ha ha!

Right... off to do some hand stitching ... I just remembered I have not stitched the 'turning in the right way' gap on both bags.  Derrrr.

Once we are back from the Storage facility, I am going to sit down and read/comment on blogs!
It's something that so far this year I have been dismal at doing!  I think having Bex and Dante in the house all day means I don't find the time to read any!  I'm not going to beat myself up over it though.

I appreciate EVERYONE who takes the time to read and comment on mine very much... THANK YOU!  

 ABOVE:  The Smartbox facility... it's the bomb!
They had our box down and ready for us to sort through... and the forklift guy even offered to help us. 

They are just SO DAMN NICE at this place!
The girl in the Reception/Office saw me and told me she could see I had lost weight since she saw me a month ago.
I walked out floating on air.  It's such a lovely feeling when people notice.

My Aunt up the road has not seen me at all since I started my OFL Plan, so I'm hoping she notices when I see her next.

ABOVE:  Dante got plonked down on the floor, and he was as happy as Larry.  Luckily is wasn't cold.

We only took about an hour and a half to unpack our Smartbox, find what we were looking for and then re-pack it.
Once home I've been putting things away... and now we are going to pick up Keera.  
We are having her for the night.

So, hopefully she is a good wee bubba and goes to sleep after dinner, so I can do me blogging.

CHRISTY: Thanks for the concern.  His eyes had the 'red eye' effect from the flash, so I used the "Red Eye" editing tool to get rid of the red.   I must admit when I saw how his eyes looked after I'd done it I thought of Corby!
But, I'm sure it's just from the editing, but will check his eyes out tomorrow.  

End of Day:  put miss Keera to bed in the porta-cot in our 'room'... then stood over by the sewing area and chatted with Bex and Steve ... made lots of noise ... laughing etc and she went right to sleep.
Awesome.  
I fed her masses of food before bedtime, followed by a bottle... I'm hoping she will sleep all night!
nite nite

TUPPERWARE & TIKI TOUR IN THE DARK

Last night Bex and I went over to Onehunga to Kate's Tupperware party.  Kate is a regular reader of my blog, it's how we met.

Anyway... we really enjoyed the party, the company, the lovely desserts Kate fed us with... and I came away having placed a healthy order of new Tupperware.

I had written down the directions to Kate's house, so I knew where I was going.  ONLY... I left it at home didn't I?

Just as well me memory is good cos I found her house with no trouble at all.

Coming home again... well that was another story entirely!
I got a bit lost.  OK... A LOT LOST.  We did a scenic tour of Onehunga, then One Tree Hill, then Penrose... and finally we found the Southern Motorway at Sylvia Park!

Yaaaa, it was one LANDMARK we were both familiar with... once on the motorway we were home 'n' hose.  We only 'lost' half an hour finding the darn motorway!  lol

I took a couple of photos while at Kates:

ABOVE:  here we have the delectable Kate, standing in front of the desserts she made for her guests, mostly gone by the time I took the photo.

ABOVE:  from the road you would never know that Kate's home has an AMAZING view of west Auckland!  Stunning.  During the day she has a lovely view of the Manukau Harbour too.  

Below are photos of the things I ordered:

 ABOVE: Petite set of containers.  So cute, will be very handy for small baking stuff like sprinkles etc.

ABOVE: Two sets of clear fridge canisters... for all those left overs.  At least with these I will be able to see what's in them before they start growing mould!

 ABOVE:  This is a little gift I was given... I had no idea what it was for... maybe to hold a tea bag in ya cup?

ABOVE: it spun open.... apparently you can put icing sugar or whatever in it and use it to sprinkle your icing sugar over cakes.  I still think it would be excellent to hold ya tea bag in... if ya drunk tea.  I don't.

Right... today.
Once I've got the kids to school I am going out to pick up that ride on bike from the Hospice shop, then hopefully pick up some suede boots I dropped into Hannahs ... they needed stretching so I could actually fit them.  

I bought them a year ago and the sales woman assured me they would stretch and fit perfectly in a couple of weeks.
They never did stretch.  So I've not been able to wear them at all.
AND I don't have bloody fat feet either, the problem was I have a high arch.  *sigh*  I hope they fit now.  They were not cheap boots!

After that I'm off to Sylvia Park to check out Fat Quarters at Spotlight... then coming home to finish Chris D's bag... which I didn't get to work on last night as I'd planned.

ONWARD...

Home after an EXCELLENT shopping expedition.

We picked up the ride on and a few clothes at the Hospice Shop, then we picked up my boots from the mall.  
I just tried them on and they fit really well... I'm thrilled to bits about that.  They are lovely ankle boots.

After that, we popped over to Spotlight at Sylvia Park and got a few bits of fabric... then into the Pumpkin Patch Pop Up Shop, where we both got a few things at awesome prices.

Now we are home, it's time for some lunch then a quiet time before the kids get home.

 ABOVE:  BAGS of goodies.

There was a parcel in my letterbox too!
I have been sending my "no longer fit" clothes down to a friend in Wellington... and the silly Tart decided to send me some batik fabric as a 'Thank You'!

ABOVE:  Gee Whizz Karen!   Your stash must be sadly lacking blue batiks now!  ... THANK YOU so much!  
Oh ... there is another parcel of clothes almost ready to send down to you too Karen.

ABOVE: the boots I was talking about.  They are going to be lovely and warm to wear this winter.

KJ:  foot is slightly better in the last day or so... maybe because I've tried to keep off it as much as possible.  Time will tell.

Brylee had an orthodontist appointment two weeks ago.  I forgot about it, so they rescheduled it for friday at 3.30 pm.
So... Brylee and I rock up there at 3.20 this afternoon.. and the orthodontist comes out and says "Oh, you are here a week early!"  and I'm like  "NO, we are bang on time for once!"

Only... I WAS a week early!  DOH!
The orthodontist and her receptionist laughed their heads off at me.  And then she saw Brylee anyway.  What a laugh.  For once I was EARLY.  I often forget the orthodontist appointment, as they are months apart.

KATE: bloody sorry about that!  The other two I took were blurry as shit.  Only you think it looks like ya picking ya nose! 

End of Day:  well a nice evening.  Got the bag finished for Chris D, so it will be in the post either tomorrow or sunday.
nite nite