A CRUISY DAY

We are starting to really enjoy our weekends now.
All the major jobs are done around here, just a few little things left to do.

Mostly like hanging up the house name, minor tweaks in the garden, tidying up some left over timber down the side of the house and so on.

As for me right now, I've got 4 more KIWIANA coin purses to finish:

ABOVE:  I should get them done today.

ABOVE:  My stash for market.  As long as I don't sell any more via the blog or Facebook!  lol
Not that I mind of course... a sale is a sale.  And I do plan on making more of course.

ABOVE:  A funny to leave you with for now...

ONWARD...

ABOVE: I've got him working....

ABOVE:  And with the name up... I declare the front of the house DONE.  Totally made it ours.

 BEFORE

AFTER



We went out...

And it's now 3 pm and we are home again.  We had a lovely little trip to Tirau.
Didn't find what we were looking for (something to hang out the front by the studio), but did find these:

ABOVE: Two very sweet jugs, which were end of lines, so bloody cheap.

After looking through a few shops, we had lunch at our favourite Tirau eatery, the The Cabbage Tree Cafe.

ABOVE: OMG... too much food!  I had the Lamb burger, in the foreground.  It had so much meat, sprinkled all around it.  I really struggled to eat it, and in fact didn't finish it at all.

We had to bring a container full of wedges home.  Stew's gunna have them for dinner.

Me?  Doubt I will eat again today after that lot.

ABOVE:  How cute is this public rest room!

Time to curl up and just relax for the rest of the day.  I'm not even going to try sewing right now, I'd probably fall asleep.

And .... it's 7 pm and Stew just mowed our new lawn!  We decided it was just TOO LONG to leave it for another week.  I will show you how it went... tomorrow.

Signing off early today... I'm tired and just want to relax for the evening now.  
And it has been a really lazy day!  Just what I needed.

IT'S FALLING OVER!

Our freakin lawn is now so long it's literally falling over!

I water it and it gets flattened in places... I've walked on it twice and the grass just stays flat.

I was thinking Stew could mow it this weekend, but after reading up on it, sounds like we should wait another week at least.  And let it dry out a tiny bit before mowing too.

 ABOVE:  I took this photo from out the sunroom window.  You can see some of the patchy places in this photo.

ABOVE:  I took this one while standing on the pool decking.  It shows the entire lawn.  And my footprints. *smiles*

I wonder what it will look like after it's mown for the first time?  I hope we don't kill it!  Though if I water it morning and night afterwards, it should be OK.  But, that's another week away.

I also read that I shouldn't be walking on it at all yet... so bugger.  I will have to go around the long way.


ABOVE:  a video of the other side of the house.  Just for a change. lol

Thought I'd mention this,  yesterday I put photos on here and Facebook of my latest 'batch' of zippered coin purses.
And I ended up selling 4 and taking orders for more!
So, guess what I will certainly be doing today, and probably all weekend?  lol

So... after my morning jobs... it will be straight into the studio and sewing more coin purses. 
Oh and I shall have to pop down to Spotlight for more freakin zips!  

ONWARD...

11.36 am:  So I'm in the studio, cutting out more coin purses, and I see Lacy arrive.  She can't see me cos the studio windows are tinted.
So, I duck down behind a table and wait.

Heee heee, she comes in, doesn't see me and goes off looking for me.

I text her "I might be playing Hide N Seek"...and turn me phone sound off.
Yep, she tried to ring me.  I swipe CANCEL.

So she has to hunt for me.  Luckily for me (it wasn't comfy on the floor), she found me pretty quickly.

Fun over.

I  gave her a job:

ABOVE:  I must be a visual person, cos I needed samples of the fabric colours on the front of the scraps bins, to make it quicker to see where to put scraps.  So Lacy did that for me.  So much easier now.  Thanks Lacy.

She's now gone home and I'm taking a little break before I start cutting out more.

4 pm:  And I spent a good two hours cutting out 10 more Kiwiana coin purses, then I sewed up 6 and now... I'm calling time on sewing for the day.

I've got a stiff neck, but otherwise just fine.  I decided to put the Air con on in the studio today... OMLord, what a difference that made.  I didn't over heat and feel sick like yesterday.

I just hope it doesn't bump up the power bill too much!  Not that I will use the air con every day, just when I know I will be in there for a long time and it's particularly hot.

Today is particularly HOT.  *smiles*

At 5 I will get some chicken drumsticks in the oven for dinner... to be had with a nice stir fry vege mix.

Stew arrived home at 6 pm, and WHOOPS!  I had got distracted by messages and yakking with our son Mike over Messenger and hadn't got dinner on.

So, into the oven went the chicken, and into the pool Stew and I went.
It was a wonderful way to cool down and relax before dinner.

And dinner was yum, and then we relaxed in front of the telly... me to watch Coronation Street, and Stew to watch sport in the lounge.

Now?  Bedtime.

LAST FOR NOW

Last night I spent a good hour or so cutting out a few more Coin Purses:

ABOVE:  These will be the last ones for now.  I think I will have a good selection to take to market once these are done.

It will probably take me 2-3 days to sew this lot up.  

Finally....

ABOVE:  Stew got home from work last night and jumped in the pool.
THAT is what I had hoped he would do (more often), it's an awesome way to cool down after a hot day in the office.

As for me, I get in most afternoons, when I'm about ready to expire from the heat and humidity.

When we go to Australia next month, if I find it too hot I think I will move down to the beach! 
It's just 20 sleeps till we leave for Aussy now.  
We are really looking forward to having a relaxing break away.

ONWARD...

MICHELLE:  We are just going to be based in Coffs Harbour this time, not tripping around much at all.
We will be spending 2-3 days in Brisbane to visit family there too, but that's it basically.
While we would love to do a big trip all over Australia one day, it won't be this time.

10.47 am:  Late start in the studio this morning.  I had a few things to do around the yard.  Primarily fixing a temporary fence so the power meter person could read the meter without running into the dogs, or the dogs escaping.  Such a pain in the bum.

I think we need to think about putting up or making something that's easier for me to work around...  and Coco proof.

4 pm:  Apart from a 20 minute break for lunch, I've been sewing since 11 am.

And I've done well!

ABOVE:  I've sewn 7 zippered coin purses.

 ABOVE:  I love this one, it's funky and different. edit:  SOLD.

 ABOVE:  And I hope this kiwiana one is popular, I got two of them done today.  edit:  The OLD MOO has claimed this one!  *smiles*

ABOVE: These ones will no doubt appeal to girls who like pretty things.

I had to stop at 4 pm cos my head is pounding.  And I just feel a bit sick.  It's very hot in the studio today.

OLD MOO:  The cot quilts will take me a couple of days each... so no worries finishing them.
As for the grasses... they are ones that only grow 30-60 cm high and wide.  NOT big ones.  And if they do get too big, I will chop them down to size.  *smiles*

I'm so happy right now. Stew has finally gone to 'after work drinks' with some of his old mates from Hamilton.  And shortly I'm off to a Neighbourhood Watch meeting in our street.

We are finally settling in here properly on all fronts.

What a neat evening!  So nice to meet other people in our street.  And Stew had a fab time with his mates down at the local pub too.

Time to sign off for the night, catch ya tomorrow.

FIRST SHUFFLE IN THE KITCHEN

Well it was bound to happen.
Ya move into a new home and shove shit in cupboards... and weeks later you figure out that where you put stuff just ain't working.

And that's where I am right now.
Sorting out shit in the kitchen cupboards.

ABOVE:  Luckily, it's only three cupboards that were not 'working' for me.
So last night I asked Brylee to empty them out onto the bench, so I could rearrange them.

Only we went out didn't we?  So, I shall be doing it this morning.

Shouldn't take me too long.  I hope.

I've got me morning routine down pat now.
It takes about an hour or so to tend the pool (filter on, chemicals in), then water the lawn and gardens, get some washing on, do a general tidy up... then I can do some sewing or whatever I feel like.

And today, after me jobs, I will be sewing again.
I want to make a few more little purses, then get back to the 2 cot quilts I have left from my Australian order. 

So...

ONWARD...

I'm not having much fun in the bloody kitchen.
I've still not sorted out where stuff goes.  Grrrr.
Been out to find some sort of basket(s) for the lower cupboard... but came home empty handed after realising I was looking at things I already had at home. *sigh*

So, I'm just sitting here looking at it all!
Crabby as f*#k.

***  I will get it sorted... eventually ***




ABOVE:  Well... I'm probably half way there? Feeling more confident I will have it in some sort of order in the next couple of hours.  Bloody nightmare job making sure things are in the 'right' place in a kitchen I tell ya.

Brylee has been in and out all day, she had a driving lesson with an excellent instructor (Ray)... making sure she's ready for her Full License Test which is coming up soon.

We've not heard from Griffin in a while, but as we have some news that might interest him... in relation to some work and a possible apprenticeship in the future, I (or Stew) might just have to ring him.  

LOTTO's powerball has jumped to something like $42 million, so I'm going out shortly to get a ticket.  Ya gotta be in to win right *smiles*.

ABOVE: It's friggin done.  Now I just have to make sure nobody messes it up for me.  

Lacy came back.  She's loud.  And annoying.  So I decided to go out to pick up my new zipper foot (it finally arrived)... and guess what?

Brylee and Lacy invited themselves to come along.  FAaaark.

And we get to Sewing Machine World at 5 Cross Roads.  Ask for me zipper foot... so she gets it from under the counter, opens it up and HELLO.  It's not a zipper foot at all. 

WTF? She ordered the wrong foot.  So, cos I was already there ....

 ABOVE:  I bought these two cot quilt panels.  And left feeling slightly less annoyed that I'd had a wasted trip in a stinking hot car.

Once back from the sewing shop, we all jumped in the pool.  It was wonderful, so refreshing.
Then Lacy went home, Brylee retired to her room to play Sims and I ... well I fell asleep in me chair.  lol

Then was rudely awoken when Stew got home, so I had to get up and cook dinner.
We had Beef Spare ribs, wedges and salad.  It was really yum.

Then I did some work in the Studio before coming back in to watch Coronation Street... which should be starting in about 20 minutes.

Time to say 'Catch ya tomorrow'.

NOPE, GOTTA MOVE THE 5

It's taken me a while to work out where to put our house 'name' outside.  Originally I was going to put it on the new fence at the end of the driveway.

Then I decided to put it here:

ABOVE:  By the front door.  The only problem is, it would read "RUSTY 5 BITS" eh?

So, I have gotta move the 5.  (the letters were just held there with blu tack for the photo)

It can go in a couple of places:

ABOVE:  So, which position, left or right? 

Because I fluffed around and did all sorts of other stuff yesterday, no sewing got done.  So today I am going to head back into the Studio and do some.

Hopefully I don't get distracted by anything else that needs doing or planting. 

ONWARD...

WOW!  There seems to be an overwhelming preference for the '5' to go to the left!  So... this weekend it no doubt will.  *smiles*

I've been busy this morning ... just doing all the usual jobs around here.  

Looking at our gorgeous lawn, I think it probably needs to be mown soon!  It's getting quite long and the grass is starting to lean over. Amazing how quickly it grew, and how green it is.

I should be sewing now, but I'm already feeling jaded!  Pottering outside for the past 1.5 hours in the heat wasn't really fun.  So time out for a little while I think.

1.20 pm:  And I've done two things today that I'm happy about.

1.  I am sewing ...

 ABOVE:  I love the inside pocket of this one!  edit: AND IT'S NOW SOLD!  

ABOVE: And I'm on to my second one for today.

2.  THIS ONE is more important:  I rang and cancelled my Weight Watchers membership. AGAIN!

Yep.  For about the 10th time I reckon.  I realised I keep joining for the WRONG reasons.
Usually it's because yes, I am fat, but more because I want to make friends in a new place!

And to be even more honest, I hate dieting and I hate the stress of having to weigh in every week.  I get myself all wound up before weigh in, and if there's a gain, no matter how small, I get all pissy and depressed.

So.  I'm not doing it anymore.  I will do it on my own, without the stress.

Just finished 4 Zippered Coin Purses for the day.  

ABOVE:  This one is my first '2nd'.  The outer fabric puckered up on one side with the interfacing, so I just covered with a heart.   Oh yeah, I also forgot to put the inner pocket in, so had to unpick and do it retrospectively... and now that bloody pocket is crooked too.  So definitely a 2nd.  *sigh*

It will probably be the first one I sell at market!  lol

Time to stop and have a swim, I'm roasting. Oh and have a piddle, cos I been busting for a good 2 hours already.  Derrr.

We had an interesting and enjoyable evening!  Most unexpectedly, we ended up going out to help celebrate our friend's, Richard and Jenny's, 20th Wedding Anniversary.

ABOVE:  Richard and Stew went to school together and are best of friends.  So nice catching up with them.

It was just their immediate family and a few friends at a local pub, but lots of fun.

It was certainly not the evening I had planned!  I was gunna sort out some stuff in the kitchen.  

But that can now wait until tomorrow.

Signing off for the day, catch ya tomorrow.

MORE VIDEOS FROM YESTERDAY

Because there was already so much on yesterday's post, I saved these videos for today:







ABOVE:  in the last video I show you the Thistle plants in the garden.  I MIGHT had snaffled a dead head from one of the plants for seeds.
Yeah - *smiles*.

The other thing we did yesterday afternoon was 'rearrange' things in the front 'pond' garden:

ABOVE:  Before moving stuff...

 ABOVE: After.  Subtle, but I think it's improved.

Stew moved the very big pot to the left and the rusty metal cog to the right, then I

moved some of the smaller blue pots too.  We also put the succulent that was in a plastic pot into the mid sized blue pot, something that we had been meaning to do for a while, but just hadn't gotten around to yet.

I'm gunna take that terracotta pottery pot off the top of the air con unit ... looking at this photo shows me it shouldn't be there.  

ABOVE:  I like how putting a big chain from the pot to the cog 'links' them.  I think the garden still needs some native grasses, which we will probably get next weekend.

Now... today.  I'm going to sew some more zippered coin purses.  I think another 10 or so will be plenty to be going on with for now.

ONWARD...

So, as per usual, Lacy turned up for left overs.
I made her work for them.

ABOVE:  Is it called being 'pampered' if someone is drying your hair and another is cleaning your nails?  If so...  I got pampered.  lol

After that, I decided to go out to the plant nursery:

 ABOVE:  And I got these native grasses/plants for the pond garden.

ABOVE:  Awesome news!  NO dead fish for two weeks now.  I was obviously killing them with town water!  I now put shit in the town water to nuke all the chemicals.  Problem solved.  Yeah, the water is still green and cloudy, but I can't get it any clearer.

I just did the grocery shopping, in the heat of the midday sun!  And got home... unloaded and put it all away... now going to have a swim.
Cos it's too damn hot to do anything else.

Lacy left but came back, and is now planting those grasses... crazy tart.  It's so hot out there!

ONE MISERABLE COMMENT!  Do you have any idea how long it takes me to compose a blog post and update it all day long?  Yeah.  Those of you who have to read it first thing in the morning with ya freakin' coffee.... yeah.  HELLO.


ABOVE: COS.  I.  CAN.  

*** Our SWIM was WONDERFUL ***

And now it's time to sort out dinner, which will be chicken kebabs and salad. 

Well... after having our lovely dinner, Stew decided we should go for a walk.  I'm NOT one who ever goes walking on a full stomach, but we went anyway.
It was a very short walk (1.65 kms) at a moderate pace, thanks to feeling sluggish after dinner.  But it's a start on us taking more walks in the evenings now that  it's finally cooling down earlier.

Time to sign off for the day now... and just relax.

MIGHT BE LAZY TODAY

I stayed up past midnight last night.  I got carried away in the Studio.

ABOVE:  I ended up making a freakin' mess, so that's the first thing I will be doing this morning.  Tidying it up again.

ABOVE: I've got these two Coin Purses ready for stitching, but I don't have the right colour zips.  I thought I could use green, but nah... it doesn't look right. So, that will be the 2nd thing I do this morning ... go get red zips.  Oh and purple ones.

ABOVE:  I've now made 12 zippered coin purses and 6 larger ones for my next market. 
There's another two purple ones waiting to be stitched up as well... I just need purple zips.

I think going forth, I shall cut out the fabrics, then go get the matching zips for them.
No more just buying one of each colour.

ABOVE: this needed fixing (the flowers fell off), so I did that last night too.  The person who made it used some sort of rubber fixative. It failed.  So I've stuck the flowers back on with Araldite.  Hopefully that works, cos I really love this garden ornament.

I'm dragging Stew off to Wairere Nursery to find some grasses, I think perhaps having some more plants in that front garden by the pond might make it look better?

PENNY:  Maybe the big pot is making it look off kilter too?  I don't want to move it from there, so will have to see what else I can do to balance things out.

 ABOVE:  A few photos from yesterday.  

ABOVE: These two boys had never been to the movies before, they LOVED IT!  And the popcorn.  Let's not forget the popcorn, it's what makes the movies so special.

ABOVE: Bex took these photos ... they came out really good!  

And that's it for now... I'm gunna get up soon and make a start on the day.

ONWARD...

Stew had other plans for our day. 

He decided we should visit the new Surrealist Garden at the Hamilton  Gardens.

So we did.
More later... we are now having lunch at  The Base.

 ABOVE:  When I'm cross with Stew I tell him I'm gunna stab him SIXTEEN times in the chest!  So he was acting like I was gunna stab him SIXTEEN times in the chest with the pitchfork!  As if... I would only have to stab him 5 times with the fork to get 15 holes!

 ABOVE: The only time I've felt 'small' in forever!
lol

 ABOVE:  Reflection pond.  Beautiful.

ABOVE:  I couldn't resist these gorgeous bowls... a nice momento of our visit to the gardens.

After the garden visit, we had lunch then bought the zips I needed from Spotlight.

Home now and *yawn*, feeling very sleepy.  Might just have a 'nana' nap. 

Yeah... no nap.  Stew reluctantly went out the front with me and rearranged the front pond garden.
I will show you that tomorrow.

THEN I tried for a late nap... but thunder and rain got me up.  I had to close windows and just look at the rain!


ABOVE:  And now, you can too!  lol

I'm just showing off me lawn really.

9.37 pm:   We've done bugger all this evening except watch TV and Stew did his evening 'jobs'.... so that's it for the day.
Catch ya tomorrow.