LET'S FINISH THAT FREAKIN RUNNER TODAY

You already know what I'm doing today eh?

I am going to finish the latest runner of course.  I only have to make the binding and stitch it on.

Them boom, it will be finished.

ABOVE:  Darling Lily last night when I left, she was not happy.

Soooo cute.

ABOVE:  I .  AM.  SAFE.   I'm 5ft 3 and a quarter!

Yaaaa.

*snort*

So yeah, I'm off to Crabby Quarters to get that runner finished.

Catch ya later.

 

I'M GOING TO MOSAICS TODAY, AND CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE

 

This morning I'm heading over to Cambridge to mosaic group.  I will be working on my bird hanging... which I am looking forward to.

I am also picking up a Christmas Cake recipe from one of the mosaic ladies.  I've made it a couple of times before, and it's amazing.  Only, I can't find the recipe here at all.  So, thankfully I can get the recipe again.

It's got lots of fruit and crushed pineapple in it, a lovely moist cake.

I intend making one in 3 weeks time, for Christmas. I'm drooling just thinking about it! 😋😉

When I get home, I shall probably just chill out for a while, have me lunch etc.

So, a fairly quiet day ahead.

Catch ya later.

ABOVE:  Before I went to Mosaics, I had a quick drive around the new housing area that has developed in the past 6 years, since we left Cambridge.  This area was all farmland behind our home ... now it has at least 100 new homes, a new retirement village, shops and so on.

A whole new subdivision... that playground is huge!  And just beautiful.  A real credit to the town developers.

ABOVE:  More of the playground.

ABOVE: There were only two of us at mosaics today, as most of the other girls had other commitments.  

ABOVE: I was thrilled with how much I got done on my Bird Hanging today.  All the pond and rushes ... tick tick.

Next week, if I can get there, I will work on branches and leaves further up.

ABOVE:  I shall never lose this recipe again!  Once on the blog, always on the blog. lol

I will make it sooner, thanks for the advice Marie.

I think I will be making two in fact... cos who says ya can't eat Christmas Cake all year round?  😂😊😋

It is now 12.12 pm, I'm making me lunch, then I will be into Crabby Quarters, working on that runner.  If I don't get it finished today, it will certainly get finished tomorrow.
4.11 pm, and I've been sewing since lunchtime.  I have all the stitching done, and tomorrow I will cut and stitch on the binding, so I will definitely have it done tomorrow, in time for Saturday's market.

It is looking gorgeous.

Stew should be home in the next hour, and I'll drop him off to the pub, then visit the kids before joining him at 7 pm for the obligatory hot chips.

ABOVE:  8.36 pm, and we are just home from the pub. What a lovely, lovely evening we have had!

I visited with the kids, then chatted with Steve about Sunday plans.

He's coming around to help move the fountain and do a small job with Stew in Crabby Quarters.

Back to this evening, after leaving the kids, I met up with Stew and the 'gang' at the pub.

I decided to have a couple of glasses of bubbly wine.

Ha!!!

I'm now kinda tiddly.

HAPPY TIDDLY... as in slightly pissed as a chook.

I'm seriously a cheap drunk!

It was a really lovely group at the pub tonight, lots of laughs, which are so needed sometimes eh?

I need to join in more often at the pub get togethers, and not just for the hot chips.  😌

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

THAT LAST GARDEN WILL GET MOSTLY DONE TODAY

 

Let's work on the last garden, TAKE TWO.

Lacy IS coming over this morning.  We will go and get the last load of rocks (I hope), then we can do the darn thing.  I really can't wait until it's all done and dusted.

ABOVE:  I've got three plants to dig out of the garden and put in pots.   Then transplant some iris's into a garden just outside our boundary (totally acceptable to do btw), then we can lay down the weed mat, then the rocks.

ABOVE:  There's three hydrangeas and a small maple tree in this garden, and they are staying in the ground.

The other thing to do is fill one of the Vegetable Pods and plant my lettuce plants. We will fill the other one with some tomato plants soon.

Stew dragged me into the garage last night when I got home from WW.

He'd had 'an idea' for my design board.  And it didn't entail putting it where I had envisioned.  IF it happens, I'll show you once it's done.

He comes up with some bright ideas sometimes!  😂😉😅

Right, that's me for now... catch ya later.

8.30 am, and how quickly I change my mind!

ABOVE:  #2 hydrangea has gone in a pot, as I need that space for the water fountain.

And one of the other plants that was designated a pot is going in the 'outside boundary' garden.

I've already planted all my lettuces, most in one of the new Vege Pods, and a few in an existing Vege pod.

Lacy is on her way shortly, so I'm taking a little break.

ABOVE: First job was to haul everything out of that garden.  DONE.

ABOVE:  Off to get rocks.  I am a nervous passenger, particularly when the driver is a mad woman.

ABOVE:  We wanted 10 bags, so Lacy helped the lady.  They got them bagged up in no time.

ABOVE: Seems it was REQUIRED to pose beside the new van.  VAN needs a name.  Any ideas?

ABOVE:  Progress shots.  

ABOVE:  What we got done today.  It is not quite finished.  We have to move the fountain, and get about 3 more bags of rocks.

OMG I am over rocks!

BUT, it is so worth it to have carefree gardens, that look amazing.

It's now 12.02 pm, Lacy has left and I'm now going to have some lunch and put me feet up for a while.  I'm knackered.

3.41 pm.  I decided on a spur of the moment to attend the Resident's Monthly Meeting here in the Village.  I think I've been to one or two before.

It was interesting and informative. 

And, kinda nice I went, as the two ladies and I who sewed up the Christmas Runners for the Village were given this:

ABOVE:  A lunch on the house.  Nice.  I shall probably go to that next week.

After the meeting there was tea/coffee and cake in the dining room, so a chance to sit and chat with a few people.  

Now that I'm home again, I really am going to just chill out for a while.

It is stinking HOT, so the fan is on me, and I'm comfy.

9.04 pm.  We ended up at the pub for a littlel dinner, and caught up with a few friends.

It ABSOLUTELY PISSED DOWN while we were there!  Rivers of water all over the carpark!

At least I don't need to water any pots for a few days.

We are now home, watching the telly, then it will be off to bed.

Catch ya tomorrow.

GETTING READY EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS

 

A few nights ago I decided to pop out to the supermarket with Stew.

ABOVE:  I decided to get in early, and buy our Turkey, Xmas paper etc.  Now I can relax knowing I have the turkey.  It's a few years (I mean A LOT), since I cooked a turkey for Christmas.  I'm rather looking forward to it too.

I have also got all the stuff I've bought over the past few months ready to be gift wrapped.  It's always quite a job, but luckily there's a few less to buy for now. I have cut down drastically on who we get gifts for now.

Lacy is coming over today to help me do some work on that last garden.

I want to get more weed mat, rocks and potting mix.  

I'm also going to work on that new runner, probably after lunch.

And that's all for now.

Catch ya later.

*sigh*, plans changed.  Lacy can't come over today, so I'll do what I can on my own.  I'm also trying to jink Crabby Quarters around a little bit.

I got an idea in my head last night... so have to act upon it.

Steve gave me a big piece of foam board last night, and I wanted to use it as a 'design' board, work in progress ect.  But damned if I had a single wall free for it.

But, as often happens, an idea formed in my head overnight.

So, first job this morning was to rearrange the garage AGAIN!

ABOVE: this end is storage/market stuff.  The door opens and we have easy access to all the stuff we need to load into the car for markets.

ABOVE:  Kinda speaks for itself... nice and tidy, easy to see/reach etc.

ABOVE:  My 'work space', and I can't believe how much room I have!  Easily as much as I had in our last home.  Crazy how just rearranging things a few times has created this space.

ABOVE: Thanks to Steve's 3D Printer, my scissors no longer take up space on the work desk too.

ABOVE:  That is the foam board... and it will go on the wall above the big table.

Now that I've finished that job, I'm going out to get a few things in readiness for tomorrow's efforts in the garden.

12.45 pm, and I've had a good trip out to Mitre 10, where I bought more weed mat, potting mix and lettuce plants.

When I got home my neighbour 'O',  and one of the gardeners very kindly carried it out of my car and put it by the front door, so Stew can move it around the back later on.

I didn't even ask them, they just saw it all in me car and jumped to it.  How lovely is that?

I am now taking a break, having some lunch then I might carry on with sewing the latest runner.  We'll see, I could have a nap instead.  lol

And if anyone comes to my door RIGHT NOW, I'm not home.

I've got hair remover all over me chin.  NOT a good look. 

5.15 pm, and I'm just getting myself ready to head off to WW.  Not sure how I'll go this week.  

Lacy called in for a visit, that was nice.  She'll be back tomorrow morning to help with that garden. 

Today's weigh in resulted in a LOSS of .900 grams, which I'm happy about.  Let's see is I can keep it up for next week.

I've been struggling lately with the losses, battling low blood sugars and over indulgence... but it's a new week, and a new chance to do better.

We are now, of course, going to settle down for the evening.

Catch ya tomorrow.

MADE, AND TABLE RUNNERS FOR THE VILLAGE

 

The FBG's are going on a trip to Hamilton Zoo this morning, and much as I'd love to have gone, I'm stuck here doing a good deed.

Three of us are sewing up red table runners for the Village dining tables.  *sigh*  Let's chalk that up to doing my bit.

I also have Craft Group this afternoon, so I anticipate being down in the craft room ALL DAY today.

ABOVE: We visited MADE yesterday, it's a small 'plaza' type place in Hamilton East.  

ABOVE: It has predominantly eateries and fresh food shops, with a few gift type shops as well.

ABOVE:  I saw a lovely cushion (perfect for sitting on the floor) in CITTA, and Stew was going to buy it.  He thought it was $79.

NOPE.  The inner cushion was $74, the cushion cover was $170!  It stayed in the shop.  I didn't love it THAT much.

I left muttering "DAYLIGHT ROBBERY".

ABOVE: We then went upstairs, poor Stew struggled with the steps... and found a lovely gift shop called 'What's Up Buttercup'.  It had two sections across from each other ... baby/kids wear and gift ware.

ABOVE:  Stew spied something, and we ended up buying it.

ABOVE:  Another house!  Yep, we just keep buying houses.  

ABOVE:  When we were looking for a new, smaller home, we looked at an apartment over there, in the lower right area. But nope, it wasn't for us.

ABOVE:  Lovely views across Hamilton City from the upstairs bar/restaurant.  

ABOVE:  The light in the stairwell at MADE... very nice eh?

And.... that is me for now.

Catch ya later, I'll probably update from the Craft Room.

12.11 pm, and the table cloths only took a couple of hours to do, so I came home and cut out more fabric for the next project.

A 'wave runner'... in blues and or greens.  I hope to get it done in time for the next market on Saturday.

ABOVE:  Today's project is coming along, but there's still heaps of stitching to go.

ABOVE:  My batting... OMG!  I nearly killed myself getting it down from above the shelves.

So tonight I'm taking it over to Steve's,  and it can stay in his garage.  I will go and get what I want from the roll as I need it.

It was stinking hot at Craft this afternoon, I'm so relieved to be home, in front of my fan.  Next time I go down there I'm taking me fan with me.

I can tell I've been sitting sewing most of the day, my legs are a bit swollen.  Ikkk to summer heat and swollen legs.

7.43 pm, and we are home after having taken the batting over to Steve 'n' Bex's.  We are now settled down for the evening.

Catch ya tomorrow.