REMINDER

 

ABOVE:  In case you didn't know it by now... I'm not a morning person.

It always takes me a good hour after waking before I'm ready to get outta bed.

And even then I'm grumpy about it.

Most of the time I only get up cos I'm busting for a piddle!

Then I'm up, and I feel like it's me duty to open the curtains, let the dogs out and ... well, by the time I've done all that I can't be fagged getting back into bed.

COS I'M UP.  Pfffft.

Sometimes my feet start twitching, which means I have something I really want to do, so getting up isn't quite so bad.  But not often.

Anyone else like me?  I can't be alone on this, right?

Today I'm getting up to this:

ABOVE:  A pile of washing to fold up.  And this makes me sad.

Cos it reminds me of my Mum.

She didn't like folding washing either.

She used to keep it all in the spare bedroom in Atiamuri, it would cover an entire single bed sometimes!  

Also, weirdly, we both love(d) to fold linen!  Not clothes, socks, undies etc.  Just the linen.

I'm obviously like me Mum.  That makes me smile, even though I am feeling sad.

So, today's plan is to do the housework, make 3 pouches, have lunch, then make 3-4 bowl cosy's. 

3.25 pm: Well hell, I totally forgot to update on here like, all day!

I've been busy sewing.  Just like I said I would be.

And now I'm taking a break.

I want a medal.  For keeping my mouth SHUT.  That's all.

So tired this evening.  I can't stop yawning.  So it will probably be a reasonably early night for me.

Catch ya tomorrow.

ONE MORE LIKE THIS

 Yesterday I only made one zippered pouch.  It was using strips of fabric, only in a different colour way:

ABOVE:  It's rather cute I think.  Maybe I'll make one more like it today.  

Not feeling it really.   I think I've probably made enough for now.

But what else will I do if I'm not sewing?   😔😓

MEH.  I could fold the washing I suppose.

Vacum?  Sure needs it.

Wash window sills... they are looking dusty.

So yeah, housework by the look of it.

What fun.  NOT.

Yesterday afternoon I spotted a boy about to put something in my letterbox. I could see it was JUNK.

So I opened my door and asked  him if he could see and read the notice on my letterbox, saying "NO JUNK MAIL"?   

He said it was a newspaper.

To which I replied "Did I ask for it?  Did I pay for it?  Are you New Zealand Post?  Are you a courier company delivering something I ordered?  NO?  So what you are about to put in my letterbox is JUNK MAIL.  Please don't."

He gave me a dirty look, and carried on his way.  

I must admit I felt a bit mean.  Was I mean?

But just how much rubbish do we get in our letterboxes that we don't want?  That we have to turn around and throw out, usually straight away?

Some people just don't get the message.  NO JUNK MAIL means NO, don't fob your shit off in my letterbox.  I'm not interested.

Pet peeve.  Rant over.

Sorry for such a negative post.  I am feeling down.  I find myself thinking about my Mum a lot lately.  It's coming up to her 2nd Anniversary and I can't stop thinking about her.  The number of times I want to ring her up and tell her about things, we used to talk so often.  She was my 'go to' person, other than Stew.  I miss her so much.

So my darling is taking me out to dinner this evening.  Our FAVOURITE PLACE.  Can you guess where?

ABOVE:  I have made two more this morning, WHOOPS!  It is now the afternoon.  Where does time go eh?

I did some housework first thing this morning, then came into the sewing room.  I'm slow today!

I'm watching some weird crime series on Netflix...  The Lorenskog Disappearance.  It's slow too.  But I'm now hooked on WHO DID IT?

Annoying as it's not that good.

ABOVE: This one is my favourite of the day.

ABOVE:  The last one for today cos I'm off to get me face on, do me hair and look forward to dinner.

No Guesses where then?  Never mind.  I'll show ya later.

ABOVE:  Ready when you are Darling.  And I skipped lunch, so I'm hungry!

ABOVE:  Dinner was at Hello India in Cambridge.  Well done you that guessed correctly.

My favourite places to eat are:

1.  Hello India

2. Lonestar

3. Taco Bell

So everyone who guessed did well!

ABOVE:  We don't usually do dessert, but this evening we did.  Movenpick in Hamilton.  So nice.  But cold.

Derrr.  Obviously.  

But I've been really cold today, not sure why.  

Anyway, we are now home and I will snuggle under me blankie and get warm, and watch Coronation Street before going to bed.

Catch ya tomorrow.

WILL I OR WON'T I?

 I'm seriously considering going out and getting a hair dye, and doing me own  hair.

Thinking of spending between 4-5 hours in the hair salon is doing my head in.  My roots are looking shocking, and the grey hair!  OMG that shit is ramping up.  Nasty. 

So, yeah.   I will probably go to the Chemist Warehouse today and get a dye.  Non peroxide though, cos I doubt my hair will handle that. 

What else is on my agenda today?  Sorry but it's bound to be a repeat of yesterday.  Working in me sewing room.  Bit of housework.  bla bla bla.

ABOVE:  See that little terracotta pot on the right?  I painted it blue 20 odd years ago... I reckon it needs re-painting.  Maybe I'll do that today?  It's been bugging me for the last couple of years, AT LEAST.

ABOVE:  I put all my Zippered Pouches on the table and shelving unit late yesterday, to see how it would look. I love how it makes them more visible. I have room for two more on there 😊😉😆.

Christy:  WW is OK... I had a small gain (200 grms) last week.  Stayed the same this week.  It's a slow process this time around, cos I'm OLD.  And lazy.  And like food too much.  But I never stop trying.

For those who asked:  I got carried away in my sewing room yesterday and forgot about Card Night!  By the time I remembered, it was too late to go over.  

Right, I'm off to start the day.  Catch ya later.

12.55 am:  Another busy morning out and about for me.

First up was the Chemist Warehouse for these:

ABOVE:  The hair dye and some new eye shadow.  I'll probably do me hair tomorrow, I can't be arsed right now.

After the Chemist Warehouse I went out to Gordonton, to Wairere Nursey and found their LAST Princess Maud Azalea:

ABOVE:  I hope this one doesn't die!  I think it will go in the rockery, which means moving some rocks this weekend.  Sorry Darling.

Because I was in Gordonton, I stopped into Grandmothers Garden:

ABOVE:  I really love this place, not just for their fabrics.  Their gardens are gorgeous too.

ABOVE:  Obviously, I did find a 'couple' of fabrics to buy.  

 

I had to stand and wait for 20 minutes while the only other customer in the shop decided how much of each fabric she wanted... I swear she took so bloody long I almost walked out.  There was one single person working in the shop today, hence the loooooong wait.

So now that I'm home I shall have some lunch then head into the sewing room.  Which means I probably won't update again till dinnertime.

Steve hides bottle tops around my house.  It's a thing...

ABOVE:  That wasn't subtle at all son.  😂😅😉

It is now 6 pm and I have done virtually nothing this afternoon.  Watched a movie. Had a nana nap.  Made ONE zippered pouch.  Now I have to get dinner.

Oh ya.

Nice quiet evening.  Coronation Street is getting interesting!  And that's a wrap of the day.  

Catch ya tomorrow.

ODD JOBS

 First up for today, I'm gunna get me housework done.  Then I have to post a Zippered Pouch off to it's new owner.  The post shops were closed this weekend, which was so inconvenient.

Once that is done I'm back home to put the top coat of paint on my little shelving unit, then I will make a few more pouches using this fabric:

ABOVE:  It's one of the kiwiana fabrics I found in Birkenhead, on the North Shore of Auckland.

I'm expecting some fabric in the post from that shop this week too. But until that arrives, I'll make a few with that really lovely fabric.

I've got Card Night in Cambridge this evening, so I'll need to get something to take for supper as well.  

12.40 pm:  And here I am, finally sitting down after a busy morning.

My parcel is posted and the shelving unit is painted.

I'm now watching paint dry.  Riveting stuff.

I have some lunch heating up in the oven, and am about to turn Netflix on and watch something.  Dunno what.

I have 31 Zippered Pouches already made.  Do I need more I wonder?  I had been selling them for $15, but going forth they will be $20 as I worked out I was making about $2 per pouch!  Not worth doing for that.  Hopefully it doesn't impact sales.

Anyone who's bought prior to this decision ... stay with $15 for your orders.

I spent the afternoon in my sewing room, got all the Zippered Pouches numbered, and printed out a picture of all of them, so I can tick them off as I sell them.   I also cut out a few more strips, a few more bowl cosy's and so on.

I got the final coat of paint on my little shelving unit, it looks really good.

Dinner was beef stew out of the freezer with mixed veges.

I'm now watching Coronation Street, then it will be bedtime.

A rather boring day ... clearly reflected in how quiet it was on here today.

Bugger, cos tomorrow is going to be even quieter.

A NEW THINGEE

About three days ago I mentioned to Stew that I'd like 'something' to hang my fabric strips on, to free up the space on my work table.  I was down to about 60 cm of working space, because the table was covered in strips of fabric.

If I wanted to use more of the table, I have to pick up all the strips and put them in a box.  MOST annoying.

I mentioned it to Steve yesterday morning.  He said he could probably make something for me, as well as make a little shelving unit for displaying the Zippered Pouches on my table at market too.

He outdid himself!  He came back in the afternoon with BOTH projects done!!!

I have to paint the shelving unit before showing it, cos it's got some other paint on it and does not look good enough to show ...  yet.  (according to STEVE).

I can show you the other 'thingee' though...

ABOVE:  So this is the 'thing' I can put fabric strips on.

ABOVE:  Working on it...

ABOVE:  Taa daaa!  Look at that!  I can lower it down when using the strips, and put it right up when not using them.  Now I don't  have to keep putting them away, they don't get all muddled up and well... it's just awesome.

Thanks so much Steve.  You Rock.

ABOVE:  Right up high when not in use.  Perfect eh?  And look at that, I can use all of my work table again.

Today Stew and I will pop out and get a couple more of the vege pods, a few more vege plants, and I need some more zips and thread.

After that who knows?  

11.35 am:  I got STUNG at Spotlight!  I grabbed what I thought was the $12 a metre ordinary, everyday plain blue fabric, got it cut into the amount I wanted and then on my way out checked the price, cos my total seemed very high.

And yeah, that fabric had gone up to $19 a metre.  Life WTF?

And as I usually buy it when it's down to only $8 a metre, it was quite shocking.  

Lesson learnt.  Wait until all patchwork fabric is on sale for 40% off, then get the cheaper version.

So cross.  But it is what it is, I couldn't take it back of course cos it had been cut.

I got home and painted the shelf:

ABOVE:  I am now waiting for the pigmented primer to dry before painting it with the top coat.

Pigmented primer sucks btw.  Clean up in Mineral Turps.  Ikkkk.

ABOVE:  two more in place, and I reckon that should do us.  An easy as vege garden.

ABOVE:  Today's efforts.  Well, I did them this afternoon.  Funky.  Now... I'm off to sort out dinner.  Left over pizza I do believe.

9 pm:  Dinner was nice... I did some wedges as well.  Now... time to sign off for the day.  Catch ya tomorrow.

VEGE PODS

 Sleep in today.  Daylight saving has started, so although it's saying 7.22 am on the clock, it's 'really' only 6.22 am.  Too early to be thinking of getting up, that's for sure.

Once we do get up, it's going to be a day to get those three vege pods fill of soil, ready for planting some summer veges in.

I won't be planting anything for a couple more weeks though.  Traditionally if I'm going to plant veges, I do it around Labour weekend (3rd week in October), so still plenty of time.

We are going to put the vege pods around the back, on the concrete pad by the Wood Shed.  I'll show ya later.

I will get Stew to plant the new Azalea in the front garden later as well.

Steve, Bex and the boys are coming over at some point, and I will talk to Steve about our gate again. It's still in the 'discuss it' stage.  Once Steve is up to it, I'm sure it will get made.  I don't want to push him while he's still not 100% over Covid, and his latest Pancolitis/Crohn's flare up.

Lastly for now, a few more photos from yesterday, cos I can:

ABOVE:  Leaving the Devonport Wharf on the ferry.

ABOVE:  I always sit at the very back of a boat, so if I need to I can safely jump off! 

It's just a thing.

ABOVE:  I spied a little bird at the downtown pier.  

ABOVE x's 3:  various views of Viaduct Basin in downtown Auckland.  It was such a busy, happening place to be.

1.30 pm.  Late post today.  We've had visitors this morning (family) and then we went to the Base for lunch.

Only all the shops were closed!

There had been a smash and grab' at Michael Hill Jewellers!

ABOVE: All those cabinets in the front were smashed.  Seems the scum bags got away too.

Crazy when you think of how many people were there and had a chance to grab them?  Maybe they were armed, I don't know.  We got there just after it had happened.

We ended up going to Mitre 10 for potting mix and plants, then Chartwell Square for lunch.

Now,  it's on to our jobs.

ABOVE: Steve has gone home to make a little shelf for me to use on my market table for the Kiwiana Zippered Pouches.  Bex took one home with her so they get the height correct.

Oh and the dogs went with them too, for a 'Play Date' with the boys.  

So cute.  They never say no to a play date.

ABOVE :  The paved area out the back by the sheds.  Just a dumping zone before.

ABOVE:  Now our vege area.  So much nicer.  We are going to get two more of the vege pods and some pots for on top of the bricks.

ABOVE:  The vege pods had hollow legs, so Stew put blocks of wood in them so soil didn't go into them.

And he drilled some drainage holes in the bases too.

ABOVE: We lined those gardens with the wood we are holding onto for burning in the brazier one day, maybe never!  😂😅😆

ABOVE:  I suggested Stew wear a mask while using the potting mix.  He did.  My friend Susan D got Legionnaires disease from potting mix and nearly died.  In a coma for weeks and ventilated... she almost didn't make it.  Better safe than sorry eh?

Stew is now doing the edges and mowing the lawn.  He'll be done pretty quick.

Then relax time.

Steve is MAGIC!  He not only made my little shelf this afternoon, but also something else.

I will show you the 'else' tomorrow, cos well, there's plenty on here for today!  😂😉😊

We are now waiting for Pizza to arrive for everyone's dinner.

Yes, no cooking for me.  Tis a good day.

And that's a wrap for the day.  It's been an excellent, productive day.  And HOT!  Hot in friggin September, I dread to think what our summer is going to be like.