A QUIET DAY

 Lying in bed... still tired as.

Today I'm just going to potter around. Get the cat wall hanging dowels done. Get some packaging to send them off first thing Monday. 

Possibly make a few more glasses cases and coin purses.

We are expecting utterly shit weather for the next few days. We really are not getting a break from it at all. 

But luckily, it should be over by next weekend. We have yet another market next Sunday! It's been one every weekend for a while now!

I decided to clean my sewing machine....

ABOVE: OMG! There's  no words to explain that except FUCK!

Clearly it's been a while.

Sorted now.

Stew and I are out 'n' about getting a few bits 'n' bobs. Groceries etc.

He's now in Super Cheap Autos looking for a cordless car vacum. 

I didn't go in the shop cos I'd want EVERYTHING. 

3.15 pm: How the hell did it get so late already?  I feel like it's only about 12.

*sigh*

We got home from the shops and I made us some lunch.  Rissoles and salad.  NO Carbs.

Then Stew did the dowel thingees for me, then he put together a shelving unit for the sewing room.

ABOVE:  There was a bit of huffing and puffing going on I tell ya!  He didn't enjoy that job at all.

And when bits came crashing down I had to move damn fast!

Crisis averted, he got it assembled just fine, after a bit of cussing.

ABOVE: This shelving unit has done the rounds!  It started life in the sewing room in Cambridge I think?  Then it's been in the garage, in the back shed, in the sunroom, outside with succulents on it, then back into the shed.  NOW finally, back in the sewing room!

Can't say it's not been used.

I'm in the sewing room finishing off an order, so it's ready for posting tomorrow.  Glasses cases and a coin purse for SM.

Once that's done, I'm going to put me feet up.  

8.46 pm:  Well I'm happy to say I got everything up to date in the sewing room.  Two orders will be going out tomorrow.

One order left, and there's no hurry on that one at all.

Been happy to sit an relax the past hour or so.  Just watching the telly, feet up, blankie on.

BLISS.

Catch ya tomorrow.

ST ANDREWS MARKET, CAMBRIDGE

Well today we do our 4th Market for the month of April!

Talk about busy.

After this one, we are back to only two a month.  The new Woodlands one out at Gordonton, and Tamahere.

Today will be slightly different for us.

Bex and her friend Ren were going to do this market as well, but Ren had to cancel as she's not well.

So I suggested Bex still do the market, and Stew and I will help her with the set up and take turns being with her during the day.

That way, she still gets to do the market, and not lose her market fee.

As she won't have Ren's products in her stall, I'm going to put some of mine in there to 'pad out' her stall.

Thinking just cot quilts and soft toys.

That should work.

Once we are all set up, I'll take photos to show you how her stall looks.

We had a bright red sunset last night, which bodes well for a fine day today.  It's looking OK out there right now... even though it's actually still dark.

Enough yakkity yak, I really need to get me face on, make my hot drink, and get off to Cambridge.

Catch ya later.

...

ABOVE: And it's now 8.20 am and we are all set up, ready to go. 

I'll go take a photo of Bex's stall now.

ABOVE: Bex hiding in the shadows. Her stall looks bright and cheerful too.

2.50 pm... heading home from market.

We had a better than average day. It was threatening to rain the whole time, but luckily held off.

Tired as.

Can't wait to unpack and get me feet up. 

Then have a lovely dinner.

We've only had crackers 'n' cheese all day.

What shall dinner be??? 

HOME by 3.10 pm.

ABOVE:  Something new at the market, concrete planter orbs.  Very funky.

There were heaps of market stalls today, and some really lovely products for sale.

Lots of people.

We were kept busy yakking to all the friends who called in to say 'Hi'.  And my cousin Debbie from Rotorua as well.

I'm making her two large Fish Cushion covers in the next week or two.

ABOVE:  'C'.  My best customer ever!  She has come to several markets over the past few months, and has bought a runner off me (sometimes 2-3) every time.  She said some of the runners she's bought from me are off overseas to family soon.

AND today she bought a wall hanging for her home.

She's got at least 2 of my runners hanging on her walls as well.

She's coming back to Tamahere next month for another one!

So neat to have my stuff appreciated so much.

Her husband is the same as her... loves my stuff! 

ABOVE: Andrew and the kids (and Luna the pup) came out as well.  Lovely to see them.

AND Steve and the boys called in to see us and Bex too.

ABOVE: All packed up ready to go in the car ... for home.  Thank goodness is takes a fraction of the time to get packed up to leave, compared to how long it takes to set it all up!

ABOVE:  You can't be in a rush to leave... cos it's bedlam with everyone trying to park by their stalls and pack up.  It can get a bit 'tense' sometimes when people get their tits in a knot cos they can't move.

We just wait, nothing to be gained by getting cross.  We get out eventually.

My feet are finally up.  Dinner next.

6.14 am Sunday morning... ha! I forgot to sign off last night. Went to bed early.  

NITE NITE. 🤣😅😊

CHOP CHOP

 So, while my weight has been fluctuating of late, and pissing me off... one thing that does tickle me fancy is this:

ABOVE:  There's a few items of clothing that are far too big now, but I don't want to give them away.  So, I'm chopping them up, stitching them up and making them smaller.

That black long sleeve T is such good quality... I'm so happy I thought of running the sides in.

I've got a couple more linen dresses that need the same treatment too.

Today I'm still working on the Cat Wall Hangings.  They will be all done by the end of the day, then I can post them off to you K.

ABOVE:  Just showing you how the cases open. You press on each end and it just pops open.  So quick and easy.

Let it go, and it snaps closed again.

ABOVE:  I have six all ready for tomorrow's market in 

Cambridge .

Another busy morning.  Off to Spotlight first thing for some necessary supplies.  Gosh don't little things add up fast?

ABOVE:  There's probably about $40 just there, let alone the other shit I had to get to finish off various projects.  

I sure hope we do well at market tomorrow to cover it!  😂😅😊  Fingers crossed.

ABOVE:  A good job done.  And on Monday they will be off south to a long time friend/blog reader.

Now, I really need to do some work tidying up the sewing room AGAIN!  It's like a bomb went off in here.

2.57 pm:  STILL doing the sewing room!  I told ya it was a tip eh?  Got heaps done though, and that makes me happy.

I can come back in here on Sunday or Monday and start making a new mess.  😂😅😋

Oh, I've already sold the Fat Bottomed Girl Glasses Case!  To an FBG friend in Cambridge who saw it on the blog.

Luckily I had one more top to put on a case, so I quickly made another FBG Glasses Case to take to market tomorrow.  

7.44 pm:  And then I sold ANOTHER FBG Glasses case to a friend in Palmerston North.  So I've sold 4 Glasses Cases in the past couple of days, and a coin purse.

Awesome.

All sold after being seen on the blog, which is neat.

Now... Stew and I just got home from having dinner at the local Indian Restaurant.  They were super busy, with two really big groups in for dinner while we were there.

The food was excellent as per usual.   

It has been a very busy day, and I'm absolutely knackered.  Time to just relax till bedtime.  It will be an early start for us in the morning, so bedtime might just be a bit early.  😉😊

Catch ya tomorrow.

WHAT ARE THE XYZ'S???

 Bex had this snazzy idea to buy some 'snap shut' bag closers via online shopping.  They were dead cheap...  SCORE!

ABOVE:  Then using said 'snap closers' she made one into a Glasses Case. It is so cute, and feels lovely too.   

I saw it and my brain started ticking over... I could make them too.  But using fabric.

So I tried.  And do you think I could get the fabric to go over the snap closure and end up looking really neat and tidy?

NO.  

It totally did my head in.

Then LIGHT BULB MOMENT.... all I needed was for Bex to crochet the top bit for me, and then I could hand stitch the fabric case part onto it.

So that's what we did.

Bex, although being super busy with working, looking after her family AND doing her own market work... kindly made some top 'bits' for me.  THANK YOU SO MUCH BEX.

And this is what I now have to take to market this coming Saturday:

ABOVE:  Glasses cases... or pens, or whatever!

*Bex and I will be selling our respective cases at the same price, so we are not undercutting each other.*  

So, it will be interesting to see if any sell, and how long they take to sell.  As with everything, some things don't sell at one market, then BOOM... Ya sell heaps of them at the next.

It's nice to have something new for market I must say.

ABOVE:  These arrived yesterday afternoon, I just remembered I didn't show you.

ABOVE:  I think they look good!  They come with sticky strips to hold them on the chairs arms... if they slip around.  I will probably have to use the sticky strips on the leather sofa.  I've now put both of them on the leather sofa btw.

Now back to Today.  I'm 100% dedicated to finishing off my Cat Wall Hanging Order.  I must get Stew to paint some dowel for the hangers.  Perhaps he can do that this evening.  

10.33 am:  I've been a really busy bee this morning.

I got our gazebo sides out on the clothes line to dry.

Then I tried to put the gazebo itself up on the driveway to dry out.  Couldn't do it on my own, so Stew came home and helped me.

Just before Stew arrived home, a courier dropped off our new gazebo 'door wall'.

ABOVE:  Of course I had to put it on to see how it looked.  And it's PERFECT!   Both middle zips can be opened and the middle section can roll up and be secured.   But as it's for when it's wet, I will only keep one zip open so people can come inside.

I'm looking at getting a clear plastic strip added into the middle section, it will depend on price if I do it or not.

But for now, we will have protection from the rain.  

And how perfect is that shade of blue?!  I love it obviously.

Bex and the boys stopped in again after school today.  Bex has made a couple more crocheted tops for my cases.  

I also got an order for 2 glasses cases and a coin purse today. 

COIN PURSE! Gee thanks for that idea Sharon!  I will be adding them into my production line now. 😉😊

I ended up  having a late 'lunch' today.  So might not have anything at 7 pm.  Or just a piece of fruit.

I am still going to have dried mango, cos I LOVE IT.  But I'll drop the dates and cranberries, I wasn't enjoying them very much.

Stew is due home shortly, and we will take down the gazebo, it's nice and dry now.

Well a very quiet day on here I must say.  Oh well... I try to be interesting.

Stew is home safe.  Feet up.  Watching the telly till bedtime now.

Catch ya tomorrow.  Where I will be just as friggin interesting as I was today.  Pffft. lol

MISTAKES I'VE MADE

 For the past two months, I have literally gone up and down by 2-3 kilos!

It's been doing my head in.  And I go to bed some nights just so damn annoyed with myself.

What the fuck is going on?

What am I doing wrong?

I should know what the hell I'm doing by now.

So some hard thinking has been going on.

And here's what I think I've been doing 'wrong'.

1.  Only having one meal a day most days.

2. One meal, with the portion size being too big.

3. Slowly having more carbs.

4. Adding in hot, high calorific drinks.

5.  Not having quite enough exercise.

6.  Letting take aways creep back in.

So, I believe I've fucked up my metabolism.  Only eating once a day (most days), slows it down.  When you do that, your body goes into survival mode, and clings on to every ounce of food you give it. 

THIS HAS TO CHANGE.  

I'm going to start doing this:

1.  Small, sparrow fart meals, 3 times a day.

2.  Space out said meals to :  11 am, 3 pm and 7 pm.

3.  Continue with NO SNACKING.

4.  Limit hot drinks to only 2-3 a week, and a max of 2 sachets per drink.

5.  GET MORE EXERCISE.  

I can do this.  I WILL do this.

Watch this space.  I'm gunna get to my next mini goal soon.

Today I will go for a walk again.  On my own, as Stew is back at work today.   I might even just go on my treadmill, and perhaps add a small session on our Cross Trainer too.  I don't want to overdo it, but I am going to build up slowly to a solid 1 hour's exercise a day.

I also want to visit Spotlight for some more thread, and cotton for crochet.  Bex is doing some crochet work for me.

That 'XYZ' project I was talking about yesterday. I will be able to show you what it/they are soon. 

How I started today:

ABOVE:  Planning and 'preparing' today's food.

It is weird thinking of eating as early as 11 am!

But, change is good.  Change is going to WORK.

ABOVE: What's in the box?   

I will add in a small piece of cheese to go with the two larger crackers when it's time to eat.

The dried fruit is dehydrated mango, two dates and a small scattering of dried cranberries.

Obviously, I will eat whatever fresh fruit is on hand on any given day.

The Dinner box only has dried fruit in it, as a snack after dinner.

ABOVE:  Dinner tonight is going to be one small lamb chop and some stir fried veges.  NO carbs.

As of today, Stew is no longer taking his veges and meat to work to have at lunch time.

He worked out it was costing on average, $15 A DAY just for the fresh veges!  So now he's going to buy his lunch instead.  A HEALTHY carb-less kebab, so he still gets his veges and meat, but it will only cost him about $10 a day.

It isn't all about the cost, it's about time and effort, and the potential to waste fresh veges in the fridge if they don't get eaten in time.  OMG we do that so OFTEN.  It so easy to forget you have 6 courgettes in the bottom box, and before you know it, they are all slimy in the bottom of the fridge.  GROSS!

I'm sure we are not the only people who do that eh?  lol

It's now 8.55 am, and I'm still in me nightie.  I really should get moving and do something more productive that decide where to put me lamb on the lawn.  😂😁😊

11.19 am:  And I went to Spotlight and bought the necessary :

ABOVE:  Cotton Yarn for Bex to do her thing for my XYZ's.  I also bought more thread for sewing, cos I go through HEAPS of it.

Then off to the Chemist Warehouse for a repeat prescription and multi vitamins, then back home.

Now... I am having a lovely hot drink (first for the week), and my first little 'meal'.

And it's pissing down out there.  Very heavy drizzle, not quite rain.  It better piss off by Saturday.

4.52 pm:  And thankfully the  rain did go away fairly quickly.

I've been in the sewing room for a while, just working on XYZ, and cat wall hangings.

Bex and the boys popped in after school to drop off a couple of things, and to pick up the cotton yarn.

Now?  I'm about to sort out dinner, not that it takes much time.  I just have to fry the chops and same for the stir fry veges.  A very simple dinner. 

9.30 pm:  Dinner was very nice.  I added a teeny bit of gravy to the chops... haven't have gravy in so long!  

Since dinner we've just watched telly... and after Coronation Street I'll be off to bed.

Gone are the days when I went back to the sewing room and sewed till bedtime.  I now know how to RELAX!  lol

Catch ya tomorrow.

SLINKY THINGEE

 While visiting friends the other day, I noticed they had one of these things on their couch:

ABOVE:  I have always thought they looked like a good idea.  You can use them as above, or even just sit them on the sofa beside you, doing away with the need for a coffee table.

Now that I've taken the large coffee table away from in front of our lounge suite, in the family room, it was the perfect time to actually get us some.

So on Sunday I ordered a twin pack, in that natural wood colour.  

Hopefully they will arrive by the end of the week, or early next week.  

Gosh it's so much fun doing online shopping!  I really should do it more.

I confirmed our order for a zippered front for our market gazebo yesterday.  I hope it arrives quickly too.

It's a public holiday today (ANZAC DAY), so Stew is home. Not sure what we will get up to, if anything.  But maybe another river walk is on the cards.

Catch ya later.

1.30 pm:  Whoops!  Again, forgot to update regularly.

Ummm... I didn't do much this morning.

We didn't go for a walk as my tummy was a bit dicky.

Dinner last night was rather rich.

After lunch I went into the sewing room and worked on a little project that popped up.

Bex had this bright idea to make some XYZ's, and I jumped on board too.

She's had to do a small part of the XYZ's for me, as it just wasn't working with fabric.

So, it's been fun.   And I will have a new product to take to market on Saturday.

I'm not showing you what the XYZ's are until I have a few finished.  Right now I've just got one finished.

I have stopped now as we are expecting visitors this afternoon.  My brother-in-law Richard and his family.  I don't remember the last time I saw Olla and the kids, but it's been a while!

I checked back on the blog... last time we saw Richard was just after this past Christmas.  Olla and the kids?  Years.  Looks like it might have been way back in 2016?

And... our visitors have been and gone.  It was just so nice to see Richard, Olla and the twins again.

ABOVE:  I can't believe I've had Richard in my life for 50 years now!  And Olla for at least 26 as well.

ABOVE: The twins, who are now 19!  I first held them when they were just teeny, tiny NICU babies.  Dewi and Vern, both really adorable young people.

Coco had to be bribed with a piece of a scone to sit there!  Little bugger.

It's now 5.10 pm and I'm off to Weight Watchers soon.  I'm just going to weigh and go today.  I'm really tired and the chairs there are bloody uncomfortable!

I want to come home, put me feet up and enjoy a bloody scone!   

I made cheese scones for afternoon tea, but didn't have any.  

My turn after weigh in!  😂😅😊

I got to Weight Watchers.  I was the only person there!

Yeah.

I was away last week with Covid, so didn't get the message that there was no Weigh In today.

I should have know that right?

It is a public holiday after all.

What a dick.

So I came home and weighed in here.

DOWN 750 grams.

I'm happy with that.  It may be an 'unofficial' weigh in, but my scales are exactly the same at the WW ones.  So I'm taking it.

Now I've enjoying my evening after a lovely dinner.

Catch ya tomorrow.

ONE MAN'S TRASH IS ANOTHER WOMAN'S TREASURE

 Friend's of ours gave us the rusty inner of their fire pit yesterday.

ABOVE:  I popped it in a gap in the front garden.

Then immediately thought, hmmm... it would make a perfect bird bath.  I've always wanted a bird bath.

So I suggested to Stew we do that.  

I told him it didn't need to be done anytime soon... but like TODAY would be good!

I found a pile of spare house bricks... and left him to it.

ABOVE:  How utterly COOL does it look?

Another Rusty Bit for our home.  Stew even thought of putting bird roosts on it.  And I added the rocks for the birds to stand on inside the bath.

Your trash/my treasure!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to this baffoon.

Dad and I hope you have a wonderful day, and we look forward to seeing you later on in the day.

I have Aqua Jogging this morning, so not much else planned for later on yet.  Probably bugger all.

I read this on my daughter Amanda's facebook, it's too good not to share:

A young bloke from Taihape moves to Auckland and goes to a big "everything under one roof" department store looking for a job.

The Manager says, "Do you have any sales experience?" The kid says "Yeah. I was a car salesman back in Taihape ."

Well, the boss liked the kid and gave him the job. "You start tomorrow. I'll come down after we close and see how you did."

His first day on the job was rough, but he got through it. After the store was locked up, the boss came down. "How many customers bought something from you today?"

The kid says "One".

The boss says "Just One? Our sales people average 20 to 30 customers a day. How much was the sale for?"

The kid says "$101, 237.65".

The boss says "$101,237.65? What the heck did you sell?"

The kid says, "First, I sold him a small fish hook. Then I sold hi m a medium fishhook. Then I sold him a larger fishhook. Then I sold him a new fishing rod. Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the west coast, so I told him he was going to need a boat, so we went down to the boat department and I sold him a twin engine Chris Craft. Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took him down to the automotive department and sold him that Dodge Ram."

The boss said, "A guy came in here to buy a fish hook and you sold him a BOAT and a TRUCK?"

The kid said "No, the guy came in here to buy Tampons for his wife, and I said, 'Bro, your weekend's screwed,  you should go fishing.' "

That was just TOO FUNNY!  

I got up, it's cold.  There's a cool wind blowing and suddenly I decided Aqua Jogging was no longer an inviting idea.

The pool is rather COOL... and I'm a whimp when it comes to getting cold.  So I've decided to can Aqua Jogging over winter.

If I don't enjoy it, why do it?

So today I will go for a walk instead.  I might just drag Stew along too.

ABOVE:  Very handy public conveniences under the Pukete Bridge.

ABOVE:  A gorgeous house on Arcus Street... I'd buy it if we won LOTTO, if the owners could be convinced to sell.  It has an awesome view of the river, a pool and a tennis court.  Not that we play tennis, but oh well.

Not likely to win LOTTO.

ABOVE: Stew and I walked from the Flagstaff Pedestrian Bridge to St Andrews Golf Course.

ABOVE:  Next time we go for a river walk, we are going to Start at the Golf course.  There is a walkway from Arcus Street down to the river walkway, so that works out perfectly.

After our walk we went to Chartwell Square for a couple of things, and are now home.  Feet up for a little while, then I'm going to prepare dinner.

We are having Spaghetti Bolognese (which I'm making) and ice cream (which Steve is bringing).  Just Steve, Bex and the boys for dinner tonight.  

Steve doesn't want a fuss... he's only turning 36 after all. 😂😊

ABOVE:  This is a new variety of Pear, grown in Hawkes Bay.  It's a cross between an Asia and European Pear.  I decided to try one.

ABOVE: It's a very small pear.  And after eating it?  Crisp. Fresh.  More like eating an apple than a pear.  Not 'pear' tasting at all.  But it was nice.  

Right, it's been a long afternoon and evening, but very pleasant.  I totally forgot to update, or take any photos of the kids here.

But come on, ya seen Steve, Bex and their boys a gazillion times already!

Our dinner was very nice, my Spahetti Bolognese was yummy, and Steve brought three different types of ice cream.  One was dairy free, as Steve is going Dairy Free because of his Pancolitis.

Now... all is quiet and we will be watching some mindless tv till bedtime.

Stew just said "Funny, no one commented on our bird bath today!"

I noticed that too.

Don't ya like it?

Or did ya do a 'LIKE' on Facebook instead?