BACK TO NORMAL?

WELL... ALMOST.

Keera goes back to kindy for a 'long' day today.
Brylee goes to school to confirm her courses for the year.
Griffin gets to stay home and do the vacuming!
And I get to do a small amount of housework, then do some sewing.

I will post a photo of coasters I've not sold a bit later on in the day, one of my blogger friends MIGHT be interested in a set. 

I am going to do a market in April, here in Cambridge, it's for 'Original Art, not mass produced', so might be good?  If it sucks and I don't sell much, I will probably give up on trying to sell my ink tiles and just have them as gifts.

Here's a few photos of the kids playing yesterday:

 ABOVE:  These kids just love being under the sprinkler!  

And on that lovely note, I'm outta here.  Things to do, places to go.  😄

ONWARD...

Walking down the hallway this morning, I spy something lying hard up against the skirting board.  It looks like a twig, so I use a bit of washing already in my hand to scoop it away from the skirting board.

NOT, not, not a bloody twig!

ABOVE:  It was a bloody WETA!  EEEkkkkk.... he got thrown outside quick smart!

He's the first one I've seen since moving to the Waikato... where wetas are prolific.  I hate them with a vengeance.  They can cling to your skin with their legs/pincers and they can bite.  Nasty little critters.  That one was just a little one too!

I've just finished my breakfast, time to do a little housework.

Housework?  Yeah right.  I found something better to do.
I went down to Mitre 10 and bought some garden edging...

ABOVE:  I'm not sure how far this lot will go, but it's all I could get today.

I got the stakes to hold the edging in the ground, but I've put them on wrong and they keep coming off when we try to ram the stakes into the ground.

Seems I should be putting the stakes in the ground FIRST, then screwing the edging on.

I think I will leave it for a bloke to do.  I have smacked my thumb with the hammer TWICE already, I've over it!

It's almost time to pick up Keera, then I will be getting dinner ready.  Tonight we are having pork spare ribs and salad.

Shit a brick, I forgot to photograph the coasters! Sorry Margaret, I will definitely do it for tomorrow.

Dinner was really delish, everyone loves the pork spare ribs.
I'm knackered and my poor thumb is so sore.
*sniff*
I will be having a relatively early night tonight... trying to catch up on lost sleep.  Never works usually.

ST ANDREWS CRAFT FAIR!

Well... the day has arrived.

First craft fair selling Ink tiles/paintings.

I'm not even feeling nervous any more.

What will be will be, if I sell some... EXCELLENT.

If I don't... well I've got Christmas and Birthday's covered for a few years!  lol

I shall be going down to my site at around 7.30 to set up, which should take me about half an hour.  The market officially starts at 9 am, but I'm sure there will be some early birds.

I will be taking a break for lunch when my friend Tracy, from Auckland, arrives.  Stew will relieve me while we scoot back home for something to eat.

While I'm out making me fortune (or not, *smiles*), Stew is going to be moving the Hobbit House out from behind the olive trees.

The little kids are not playing in it, and we think it's because it is too far away from the house and scary behind the trees.

So, it's getting moved.

Stew will have to dig out a few plants to put it in it's new position.  Hopefully he gets it done before it gets too hot outside.  It's supposed to be a stinking hot day.

Tonight is the first night meeting of the Cambridge Patchwork group.  I will be going.  I'm really looking forward to it too.  

Right, I better get myself ready to go!  I will try to update a couple of times during the day, but if not, I should be home by 3 pm with a proper update.

Cross ya fingers for a successful day!

ONWARD...

Craft fair... well I made a couple of sales early on... then NOTHING.  Stew came down and relieved me at lunchtime, and I got to spend a couple of hours with Tracy and her daughter, they came down from Auckland.
While we played 'ladies'... Stew made a couple of sales over the lunch hour, then NOTHING.

It wasn't just me thankfully!  It was a very quiet fair... quite a few people, but not many sales.  

It was nice, but not profitable at all.  I will have to think seriously about if I will do any more.  

Don't be disappointed for me, it was interesting if nothing else.

While I was out in the morning, Stew moved the Hobbit House:

 ABOVE:  Hopefully the kids will now play in it!

 ABOVE:  Stew had to move 3 pittosporum bushes, so he put them where the Hobbit House used to be.

ABOVE:  He also found more rocks, so moved them to there.  We will have to water the plants he moved heaps, it's so hot today!

First patchwork group meeting tonight, it was lovely.  We had more members attend the night meeting this time, so it was really buzzing.

Home now and winding down ... ready for bed soon, I'm knackered.

CUSHIONS AND UMBRELLA

Last night I spent a bit of time wrapping my little bed cushions in fabric... trying to figure out what to cover them with, and finally came up with these two:

 ABOVE:  There will be two in the little whale fabric and one long blue one.  I'm probably going to make either a spearmint coloured whale or starfish and applique' it onto the dark blue cushion too.

ABOVE: Once they are done I will have finished mucking around with my bed!  And about time too.

Fun in the garden yesterday:

 ABOVE: Keera had just got dressed again... she eventually got cold.  Took her a good couple of hours though.

 UMBRELLA:  Well sadly we are having issues with our lovely new umbrella.  It keeps slipping down it's pole... quite scary really.  I'm scared it will trap a kid's fingers when it slips down.
So it's going back ... probably today.

It's so disappointing when you buy something, love it and it fails.



Shit happens.  Moving on.  Choosing Happiness.
Going to make my gorgeous cushion covers today.  Get a new umbrella.  Lie in the sun. Play with the kids under the sprinkler.  Enjoy life.

ONWARD...

I could SCREAM.  As if the day could get any more annoying .. it did.
First, SPARK (our internet/mobile phone provider), went down ... so no internet... no mobile phone all morning.  Still not got the phone part going, but internet is back at least.

We go into Hamilton to return the faulty umbrella.  We replace it with a less complicated one, thinking it will be fine.

Get home, Stew goes to put it up and NOPE, it won't go up.  To add insult to injury, it goes up about a quarter, then refuses to go any further... AND it won't go down either.

So I ring Mitre 10 in Te Rapa, where we got it.. and get the run around.  I'm still waiting to hear back from them, I've spoken to 3 people and left 2 messages... with no result so far.  

I am beyond fucking annoyed.

Finally, a result.  They are sending someone out with several umbrellas ... to make sure we get one that actually works!  I'm so relieved we don't have to drive back in there to replace it ourselves. 

 ABOVE:  One of the Managers came out!  He saw the problem immediately, and said the umbrella was stuffed, it had not been assembled properly in the first place.  
He put the new umbrella up, and everyone was happy again. 

Once he had been and gone, I did my little bit of sewing...

ABOVE:  I am THRILLED to bits with how my cute wee cushions look.

Bex is cooking dinner tonight, we are having lamb rissoles, salad and wedges.  It smells YUM.

Dinner was really lovely tonight.  Even better when ya don't have to cook it.

Off to bed fairly early tonight, got my craft fair tomorrow!

TOTALLY REVOLTING!

I spent 8 solid hours making the new valance for my bed yesterday.

I finally got it finished and back on the bed at 11.20 pm last night.

And it looks... HIDEOUS.

Far, far too much gathering.  And it was a wee bit short, so I sewed some white lace along the bottom.  HUGE MISTAKE.  It looks like something my Grandmother would have had on her bed back in 1908.

So today will be spent unpicking the bloody thing and changing tack. A few BIG tucks along each side and end and nothing else.  I will add some of the same fabric to the length so it's not too short.

I think it will take me a few hours to unpick it all.  If not all day.  

I might even break it up into two days, so I can actually spend some time with the family.

I'm not going to show you how it looks, I'm not going to share how awful it looks with anyone!

So that's me for the day... unless Stew has some plans of his own.  

ONWARD...

ABOVE:  I changed my mind... I will share who awful it looks!
SEE?   Re...volting.

What an awesome day!  I gave up on the valance and went down to Briscoes and bought one:

ABOVE:  a very simple padded valance.  PERFECT.  I wasn't prepared to keep wasting my time and fabric trying to make one that I was happy with.  Briscoes were having a 60% off sale on bed linens, so SCORE!

Stew is down at the village green watching a local cricket team play another town... and I think I've talked him into joining the Cambridge 'Vintage' team!  Fingers crossed he does it, he really would enjoy being part of a sports team and getting to know people in our community.

The kids, Steve and I have enjoyed playing under the sprinkler this afternoon.  It's a stinkin' hot day!  Summer? Might be here.

Winding down for the evening.  Coronation Street is about to start... so I'm outta here.
Catch ya tomorrow.

LAST DAY WITH TILE PREP

Full day at Kindy for Keera today, which is good as I have a lot to get done today.

It's the last day of getting all the tiles ready for Monday.  I've got 6-7 coaster sets to put felt on the back of, then they are DONE.

And then I'm ready I think?  

Once that is done, I can finally get my sewing room set up again!

First on my list of 'to dos' is to make the valance for my bed.  And matching cushion covers, and toppers for the dressing tables and bedside drawers.  None of those should take too long.

I'm feeling quite excited about getting back into sewing.  On Monday night our local Patchwork Group starts up again.  I hope to take some hand work with me, as it's not a 'sewing machine' meeting, just a 'yakkity yak' meeting at someone's home.  

Steve and Bex are due here today, Steve is doing some work for a bloke up the road over the next few weekends.  

Right, I'm off to get Keera to Kindy then work on those tiles.

ONWARD... 

HA HA ha!!!  What was I thinking?  "It won't take LONG to whip up the valance and other bits n bobs?"  YEAH RIGHT.

I have spent the last 3 hours cutting out and sewing together strips of fabric for the valance!
NOW I have to pull up all the gathering threads to make the ruffle along the bottom... and then sew it to the new piece that goes under the mattress.

Far out.  I need to get it pinned before Bex and the boys get here... I've got it lying on the family room floor right now.

ABOVE:  Ready to start the gathering of that massive pile of fabric!  *sigh*... it WILL take a long time.

Oh yeah, I got all the coaster sets finished, there's 8 of them.  Didn't realise I'd done that many.  I hope they sell!

3.45 pm:  And I had just about finished the gathering when Bex and the boys arrived.  It took me 2.5 hours to gather it all ... now I'm taking a break and will sew it to the base fabric after dinner.  I'm knackered!

The sun is out in full force, not a cloud in the sky... SUMMER might be here for a few days?

Well, it's taken ALL day, but my new valance is almost finished. I just have to do the top stitiching and hem and it will be on my bed by tomorrow morning.

Time to unwind for the evening and enjoy Coronation Street later on.

CAR STUFF AGAIN

Like yesterday, after I drop Keera at Kindy, I am taking my car to get something fixed.
This time it's the lower back bumper thingee.

The panel beaters had to wait for a part to arrived so they could finish the repair.  That's getting done at 8.30 this morning.

Another hour where I have to kill time.

Thank god for 2048 on my phone!  I 'play' that game whenever I am in a situation where I have to wait for something.  My score so far?  37 MILLION +!  Yep, I've been playing this particular game for about 4 months now.

It's quite amazing when you think that you have to build that number up by 2's and 4's!

After I pick Keera up at lunchtime, we are going to do the grocery shopping.  I'm going to drag the big kids with me so they can help.   No way am I going to do it all on me own if I don't have to.

ONWARD...

So... I drop off the kid and get down to the panel beaters at 8.25 am.
They tell me it will take at least an hour to do the job, maybe longer.  Would I like a lift home, and they will bring the car back when they have finished with it?

I said 'No, I will wait in the office', so they let me into the office to sit and wait.
I play 2048 some more.
And wait.

And wouldn't you know it... the car is ready in 25 minutes!  So much for taking over an hour.  Do ya reckon me sitting in their office hurried them up?  I reckon.

I get home, and spray varnish on the coaster sets I made yesterday.  Hopefully by the end of the day I will have them finished, felt on the back and DONE.

I've been mucking around with my display tables.  I think I've got them exactly how I want them, signs displayed in the right places and so on.

It's not just a 2 second job I tell ya!

ABOVE:  Do they look alright?  Kate and Tracy, I've just used your tiles for spacing ... I'm NOT selling them!

Well an excellent afternoon has been had.
Getting the kids to help with the shopping was such a good idea.  We got around the supermarket and home again in 2 hours.  Over $900 poorer!  I told ya we had no food in the house!  

It's a late dinner for us tonight as the kids and I didn't  get lunch till 3.30.  Keera has been fed though, she is a bottomless pit when it comes to food during the day.  Not so good with veges at dinner time though.  She loves her meat that kid!

I'm going to start making meatloaf with HEAPS of veges in it... just like I have done in the past for other kids who won't eat their veges.  Smother it in tomato sauce and they don't know the difference. 

Looking forward to a fairly quiet evening.

TYRES FIRST THING

First thing this morning, I'm taking my car into a tyre shop to get the damaged tyre (from my letterbox mishap), replaced.  I'm also getting a 2nd tyre, to replace one that's almost on it's way out too.

That means I have to wander the streets for about an hour... worst thing is the shops won't be open!  Hopefully a coffee shop will be, so I can at least sit and have a hot chocolate while I wait.

After that, I shall go to the bank and get my 'float' for the craft fair.  It's getting closer and I want to be totally prepared.

AND I hope the coaster tiles arrive today... if not I doubt I will get any done in time for the craft fair on Monday.

ONWARD...

Well that's done.  New tyres on me car so all good.
I didn't end up going to a coffee shop... my stomach revolted at the thought of anything so early in the morning.
Even a hot chocolate.

The car took an hour, so I had an hour's walk instead.  Gotta be good for me.

After I picked up the car, I went down to the Panel beaters and booked me car in for tomorrow morning, they still have to replace part of the back bumper.

I've got the float for my craft fair.  Posted tiles off to Christchurch for Paula too.

So a productive morning so far.

And NOW I'm hungry.  Morning tea.... hmmm. 

 There's a bad smell in the air.  Something is brewing I think.

Unrelated: Might be expecting a visit from Lacy's ex flatmate this weekend.  He's made threats over the past week or so about coming out here.  Our Police force seem to be doing NOTHING about his threats either.  His harassment of Lacy is never ending.

He's a bloody psycho!

I got a call from the Tile Shop, the little coaster sized tiles arrived.  So I went into Hamilton and picked them up.
Been making coaster sets ever since.

Stew just got home, we are having KFC for dinner tonight.  It's been a while!  
Totally over pizza and fish n chips!  So wish there was a decent Chinese takeaway place here, but there isn't. Cuts down the options for sure.

Well.. a very quiet day here on the blog!  But, I'm sure you are still reading!
Quiet evening here too... watching the final week of Masterchef... getting tense!
It's been raining on/off all day, and when the sun comes out it's stinking hot and humid.  Hate it!

Thank goodness for fans, fans and more fans.
I sleep all night with a fan blasting on me!

Time to sign off for the night.  Catch ya tomorrow.

NOT MUCH ON TODAY

Well, once I have taken Keera to Kindy, I really don't have any plans for the day!

I might make a couple more tiles?

I've not got many blank tiles left!  I can't wait till tomorrow, when the coaster size tiles are due to arrive.  Then I can get some done in time of the craft fair.

Once I've done them, I can put all the ink away, and set my sewing room up again, ready to do some sewing.  I've missed sewing.  The Cambridge Patchwork group starts up again next Monday night, so that will be neat.

DOGSTARS:  Just for you:

ABOVE:  The mop I bought to clean the walls with.  It did a great job too.

And that's about all for now, looks like it could be a really dull day!

ONWARD...

Well... I've got all my prices signs printed out... now I just have to get them laminated.
I also made a 'Chris H' sign and little handouts with my name and number on them, in case people want to take my number for future reference.

ABOVE:  My name sign, I bleeped out my phone numbers obviously.  *smiles*  Pretty?

I just got a lovely parcel in the post!  From a long time blog reader in Tasmania, Australia!
THANK YOU MARY... you know you didn't have to...

ABOVE: Fat quarters!  ... a purse and a very pretty card... all in BLUE!  *smiles*
It's not even my birthday!  She sent it to me cos she enjoys my blog.  
Once again Mary, THANK YOU.  You made a dull day just that much brighter.

So... I had a go at making a couple of tiles this afternoon.
Some days it just ain't gunna happen... today was one of those days.  No matter what I did, they came out like shit.
So... I have given up.  I'll clean them off and try again tomorrow.

Weird how that happens!

Dinner tonight is a tomato based pasta dish... with some beef thrown in.  We are desperately short in the grocery department, so shopping will have to happen like, SOON!

I can't remember the last time I went grocery shopping!  Whoops.

Stew's been in Rotorua today, so hopefully his drive home is good.  There's been so many accidents this summer, I worry every time he's on the road.

Stewy got home safely.  Dinner was another so-so meal.  I got the craving for something sweet, so sent him out for dessert.  Ice cream and chocolate sauce.  Feel every so slightly ill now.
Stoopid me.

THE STAND IS DONE

ABOVE:  Didn't Steve do a great job!  I'm really happy with my display stand.  Once I've got some coaster sets made, they will sit in front on the table too. 

I will have a 2nd trestle table set up for the Trivets.  They will just lie on the table on a slight tilt, using some small strips of wood to rest them on.

Now I need to make some Price Signs.  I'm not going to put an individual price on everything, just a sign saying 'Large $25, Small $15 and so on.  

I am going to make myself a name sign too... but that's a work in progress.

Right, I'm off to get the day started... Miss Muppet to kindy then some serious housework!

OMWARD...

9.09 am:  And I just ordered the coaster tiles... and they 'should' be here by Wednesday!  Which means I might be able to get some sets made and ready by Monday, in time for the craft fair!
How cool!!!

Oh I forgot to say the other day.  The Council Enforcement officer talked to our neighbours about their roaming chickens being a nuisance, and she told them they would be in breach and would be prosecuted and fined if their chickens kept being a nuisance!  His reply?  "I will take that on board".  Hmmm.

OMG... cleaning!  I went and bought a LONG mop... as in, has a long mop head... and I'm cleaning the walls.  If you only spot clean, you end up with patchy looking walls.

So, I'm doing all the walls of the hallways and some of the living rooms.    Brylee is TRYING to clean the doors and frames.  I say 'trying' cos her idea of cleaning and mine are TOTALLY different.  Of course.

Teenagers.  They try to do the bare minimum.  Doesn't work with me sadly for them.  Griffin had to vacum the family room like... 3 times!  lol

AND I helped him by putting everything up off the floor so it was an easy run.  Derrr.

Thankfully, we ARE getting there.  I reckon in an hour or so the main cleaning will be done.  Then I can actually relax.  And so can the kids.  Today, they have earned their pocket money.

Well... the rest of our day was quiet.
I cooked pork belly and veges for dinner.
Quiet evening spent watching a new programme, 'Our Girl'.  So far, it's so-so.

STAND

So today... I'm hoping Steve will make some sort of stand so I can display my ink paintings and trivets/coasters at the up-coming craft fair.

He reckons it won't take much to sort something out.  We will see.

Apart from that, we really don't have any plans for the day!
Probably just enjoy the company.

I've made a few more small trivets, so will varnish them today and get them finished in the next day or two.

Bex made herself a large trivet tile yesterday too.  I will show you later.  It's quite nice.

Right, I'm off to get some more washing on.
Might not be the day for getting it dry outside though.  It rained last night quite a lot.

ONWARD...

Talk about stormy weather!  Lots of places got hit hard overnight, luckily not too bad here.
A big tree just down the road spilt at the base and has fallen into the park.  My new little tree, in the new garden by the kitchen and lounge windows, lost one of it's new branches, but that's ok, we were going to trim it off anyway.

This weather is perfect for the gardens... masses of new growth everywhere.

I just hope it doesn't rain NEXT monday!  (30th)

Steve has gone out to talk to the people he built the big deck for, they want him to do more work for them.  Then he will build my display stand all going well.

The stupid sun has come out... but you can bet it will be pissing down again soon enough.  It's just one of those days.

Shit ya know it's a boring day when you talk about the weather!  lol

 ABOVE:  Our neighbour's dog came to visit... he's lovely.  Tallulah and Coco didn't think so ... but as they were confined to their area, there weren't any fights.

The neighbour's dog is usually confined to their property by a special collar that stops him crossing the 'boundary line'... but he's having a break from it cos it was giving him a rash.

We didn't mind him visiting at all.

In between all the showers, I did a little gardening...

 ABOVE:  The garden is bursting with produce.  We can't keep up with the lettuces.

 ABOVE:  Steve and Bex are taking home one of the cabbages, that leaves two for us, then I can plant some more lettuces for further down the track.

Talking of 'track'.... there's lots of cycle tracks around here... and guess who turned up unexpectedly this morning? ...
......
.........
.............

 ABOVE:  Russell and Ange!  They drove to the Velodrome which is a few kms out of town, and rode their bikes to our's.
They are working on their fitness... good on them!  

ABOVE:  off they go!  I hope they dodged the showers.

I've spent the afternoon watching Steve build my display stand, then I made some more tiles.  Steve made one this afternoon too.

Dinner tonight is chicken stir fry with noodles.

Well dinner was so-so tonight.  Not my best effort, but everyone ate it.  So that's good.

I am going to put some tiles on my new display stand, then take a photo and show you.... TOMORROW.
lol

It will give me something to put on the blog in the morning eh?  *smiles*

Signing off for the night, watching 800 words... love it!