I FINALLY DID IT... BOOKED A STALL

SO, I'm going to do the POKENO Market in December... probably all three sundays in the run up to Christmas!   It's really cheap too... which is excellent... AND I can hire a gazebo if I want one too... which is a great idea.

If the market is good (as in: profitable) I shall invest in my own gazebo in the future.   Depends on how well my bags and cards go!

I'm quite excited by the prospect of getting out there and selling me stuff privately... no shop 'mark up'.... all good.   I used to sell my pottery in markets too (years ago!) and loved the atmosphere... the buzz of selling!   It's neat.   I hope I do well.

Today:  Hospice shop.  MUST. STOP. SPENDING. MONEY. THERE.

COCO has learnt to jump on chairs.  This is NOT good.  Last night that little bugger jumped on a chair then onto my computer table... and ATE (edit: she chewed it up, but did not actually swallow it) one of my most FAVOURITE earrings... you know... the pretty blue ones that I wear ALL. THE. TIME.  and match my lovely blue necklace.  I am so sad.   I wonder if Amanda (daughter) can get me any more???   Must ring and ask. 

ONWARD...
Another busy morning done and dusted in the Hospice shop today.... and... I spent NOTHING!!!

ABOVE:  a SINGLE earring... found on the floor of the shop last week... put aside.. no one claimed it.. so it's mine.  I'm going to adapt it into a necklace and give it to my SIL.. it's a good match with the watch I'm giving her for Christmas!  SCORE.

Went to Spotlight and got a few fabrics to use as linings for my bags.... always forget the lining fabric.  *sigh*... so now I think I'm set to churn out a few more bags.  

End of Day:  so tired and it's only 10.30... off to bed early for a change. nite nite.

WHY DON'T I WORK???

Anon asked me yesterday "Why don't you work?".

Hmmmmm....  Not that I feel I have to justify my lifestyle.... but I will humour you.

I always wanted to be home for my children.  I felt it was my 'job' to raise them .... and I was lucky to be able to stay home and do just that.

Once my youngest child ('birth child') went to school I did  'work' outside the home .... I became a Teacher's Aide for Special Needs Children.

That meant I worked school hours, and was still home when my children came home from school.

During those years I also 'worked' as a Pottery Tutor part time in the evenings, and taught pottery to children in schools too.  Oh,  and I made and sold pottery too.

I have also had stints working in the weekends... at the Warehouse (never again!)

Since Brylee and Griffin arrived I have stayed home to raise them.   Now that they are at school  I have made a conscious decision to NOT 'WORK' .... as I am tired!

I have had young children at home for 31 years now.... raising 8 kids is TIRING.  I feel like I deserve a rest from 'working'.

AS IF CHILD RAISING is not WORK???  And let's not forget all the housework! 

Hey ANONYMOUS:  what do you do???

Today I get to go to Patchwork Class, where I will continue making bags.  I'm gunna be the 'Bag Lady'... lol.  It's not work though. 

ONWARD....

I had a lovely morning at patchwork today!  I finally got to pick up my BLUE'S  fabric... I've been paying it off!  It cost quite a bit ... but I'm thrilled to bits to have it.   I want to make myself a quilt out of it:

ABOVE: isn't it GORGEOUS!!!  I bought more of the dark blue (bottom right) cos that is going to be the sashings or border ... not sure yet.  I plan on starting this one next year.  Too many other projects on the 'go' right now to start this one.

Been feeling super dooper tired this morning, kept yawning.... think yesterday's effort has caught up with me.  Might just have a quiet, lazy afternoon....

I tried being lazy.... but it didn't work.  So I made this bag instead!  Nice innit?

End of Day:  and I've cut out 5 more bags tonight ... oh and Levithaan... we had Roast Pork with Apple Sauce for dinner and it was DELICIOUS!  Na na nah nah.  nite nite.

NO THANKS, TOO COLD

ABOVE:  I took this little video of two boys at Maraetai yesterday.  They took simply ages to get the courage to jump in!   There is no way I would be doing it... the water is still FREEZING!!!     I reckon they came out of that water as GIRLS... you know... no balls left!   lol
Brrrrrrrrr.

Today is 'housework' day.... vacuming, washing floors, laundry.... joy oh joy.   I get to use the new vacum again....

Oh and then I will start making some more bags I do believe.  Small and large.

ABOVE: nice foot eh?  ha ha ha... it's there so you can see the size of these bags.  They are so cute.... I like this size bag.  Handy for just popping your wallet, phone etc in.  That is a pocket in the front BTW.  I reckon these will sell well at a market.... well I hope so!  

I still have not booked a stall at Pokeno market yet... but I will! 

I started vacuming at about 9am... then I had a brilliant idea!   So... now I'm doing this:

I'm moving 'stuff' around ... lol.. I can't seem to help myself!  And of course when you move stuff you find ... DUST.   Far out I hate dust. 

so... after looking at those houses yesterday I realised that is would be better to have a LOUNGE separate from the dining area... so that is what I have been working on today.

ABOVE:  this end of the lounge USED to have the dining table there, now it does not.

ABOVE:  the other end of the lounge now. Not much changed there!

ABOVE:  This is where the biggest change has been made!  Now we have a kitchen/diner/family room!   I like it... though now that it's done I can see one huge problem!   The kids playing with the Playstation will have cords running across the 'walking through' part of the room.   Hmmmmm....

So, I think the Playstation will go into Griffin's room.  The photo is deceptive 'Levithaan'... the door is easily accessed and the table is not too near the cabinet at all.   Just come and see for yourself... you can live in the GARAGE ...k!
LYNDA:  It is a big room... and I am soooo not going to get rid of any more furniture!   But thanks for the input anyway.  *smiles*

For the first time EVER:  

ABOVE:  Ummmm... I burnt the chook!   OOOPPPs, now what will we have for dinner?

Got preoccupied reading blogs (don't tell Stew)....

End of Day: managed to find odd 'n' ends for dinner.  Watched a bit  of TV tonight.. just had a quiet evening.  Tired!  nite nite.

COCKROACH ANYONE?

I was sitting at my computer desk, minding my own business when out of the corner of me eye I see this smallish cockroach crawling up the wall beside me.

Horrors!   I hate those things.  So I picked up the heavy coaster beside me a squished the bugger.

Now I feel sick.  I can't bring myself to scrap it off the wall.  It's stuck there forever, mocking me.... every time I look at it I feel sick.  AND I can see it in my peripheral vision all. the. time.

Serve me right for killing it I suppose?

Can someone come and remove it... PLEASE????

LOL

It's sunday, his nibs is sleeping in.... and I'm sitting here with a dead cockroach.  What joy.

ABOVE: Stew yesterday, staining the newly sanded front door (which HE did, not me, heee hee) and:

 ABOVE: our gorgeous two.... waiting at the top of the steps for Stew and the kids to come home from the park last night.  So.  bloody.  cute.  (they sat there for an hour!)

ONWARD...

We decided to go to Maraetai today for lunch.. it was a perfect day... after lunch we went to a park and the kids had a nice play around:

It really was so nice.   Still a cool breeze though, not too hot yet.

Then we came home and went to an Open Home or two.  We are starting to think of MAYBE moving to a larger, but less expensive house.   This home is really lovely, but just too small.  We will see...it's just an idea at the moment, nothing concrete.  YET.

Quite a few Pro's and Con's to consider.  But the main ones are getting a more roomy house and schools for the kids when they are a bit older.  Griffin's needs must be considered carefully given his learning difficulties.

End of Day:  I keep looking at that squished cockroach, expecting millions of babies to come creeping out!  Ain't gunna happen!  It's dead... totally dead.   Spent a lovely evening sitting in the lounge doing sweet bugger all!  nite nite.

I MOVED IT ALL AGAIN.... SIGH

ABOVE:  So, I moved the furniture AGAIN.....  but I had my reasons this time.   It wasn't from boredom... I swear!

You see.... every morning Stew kisses me goodby, then he kisses me 'Hello' when he gets home from work... and that is usually 'it' as far as physical contact goes until we go to bed... where let me assure you.. we usually GO TO SLEEP!

So, yesterday I decided we needed to be closer more often... I miss cuddles etc.... and thought Hmmmm, how to achieve this?

At night he sits in his Lazy Boy chair and I sit in mine.. no contact can happen like that.  The 3-seater has recliners at both ends... so.... why not have him sit at one end and me spread out over the rest ... and maybe snuggle up beside him?   Not a bad idea...worth investigating... and trying.   So... that is why I moved all the furniture!

Too early to say how it will work... but last night was lovely snuggled up by my man for most of the night...EVEN if it meant I got to watch his sports.   I don't mind.  It's good to be close as possible to the one ya love eh?

TODAY?   Well if it's fine I want to take the front door off it's hinges and sand it down and re-stain it so it matches the new garage door.
AND maybe do some housework.. yeah like THAT will be fun.    NOT.

Don't envy me now!   lol

ABOVE:  a teeny tiny 'girly' bag... for you know.. girly bits and bobs in ya bag.  I made it last night as a dummy run for another bag I have on order... just have to adjust a couple of sizings and I will be good to go!
ONWARD...

I have just finished a new wee bag ... I'm calling it my 'Bitty Bag'.... and I will upload the photos of it when BLOGGER lets me!

Well... there's ONE!

And Yaaaaa... another one!

Shit blogger photo uploads can be PAINFUL to do sometimes.  *sigh*

Stew and I took a break from our respective 'jobs' this afternoon and we took off for Mission Bay for an icecream:

 ABOVE:  the very pretty fountain at Mission Bay and:

ABOVE: the best ice cream shop in the whole wide world!  It is SO popular there is always a line of people right out the door and often around the corner!

Home now and thinking about what to do for dinner, think  it will be something easy like BBQ.

End of Day: and I did it again... stayed up late sewing, watching DVD's in me sewing room.   I am seriously thinking of working me butt off and getting enough stock made to have a stall or two in late November and early December.  I can knock out two of the small bags a day easily, and 1 larger CUTE bag a day too.  So it's do-able.  Tired now.. it's 11.34pm and time to go nigh nigh's.  nite nite.

CATS.....AND THEN BLOG READING ME THINKS.

ABOVE:  a wee taste of the two new 'Cat/Green' bags.   I've not got much to do to finish them both! 
SPARKLING:  I hope you like them!   Will  post 'full' pictures later on today.

Speaking of today:  going to finish those two bags, then I'm do a catch up of blogs and commenting... I get so carried away with the sewing and life etc.... pfffffft.. it does tend to get in the way of blogging and being a 'good' blogger!  LOL
Though, as you all know, it does not stop me popping on here a few times a day to update!   But in my defense, updating does not take me long!

ONWARD....

It's raining... and pretty new garage door.... LEAKS like a sieve.  Damn and blast it all... will be ringing them at 9am.  Grrrrrr.

The garage door man has been and gone.  He reckons it's just cos the door is freshly stained... the water is running down the wood and pooling... and he thinks it should stop soon?

So.... here BEGINS the 'SAGA OF THE GARAGE DOOR'.  F*#k I hope it doesn't drag on like the SEWING MACHINE FROM HELL SAGA.   *sigh*

PHEW.... the finishing of those two bags took way longer than I expected.  Still... they are done now!  Yaaa... two more done and SOLD... Thank You very much.... *smiles*

ABOVE:  Taaa Daaaa... what do we think???

Off now to troll the blogs...

So... I have read and commented on a few blogs..... which took me a few hours!  Done ... not reading any more today!  Waiting for Stew to bring dinner home (takeaways of some sort) and looking forward to a quiet evening.
I re-arranged the lounge furniture again... fuck far out that 3-seater is HEAVY!
And there was a reason for moving it all... will show and tell tomorrow. 

End of Day: hells bells!  I have been so busy tonight... snuggling up with the hubby then sewing!  I made my own pattern for a wee bag tonight and have made 1 dummy run... it's so I get an ordered bag 'right' tomorrow!    What fun. Now:  it's friggin 11.40pm and I am tired... time to hit the sack.  nite nite.

PLACEMATS? WHAT PLACEMATS?

WOMBAT:   the placemats.. ummmmm... got put to the side for now.   They will remain UFO's until I get a few more bags done I think!

Today:  off to Pukekohe with Griffin for his lesson.

Then home to make a few of the ordered bags.... or at least make a start on them!

Oh and these are the treasures I bought yesterday:

 ABOVE: this blue glass broach had been in the shop for ages, I've had my eye on it for ages too.. but never bought it earlier as it was not exactly cheap.  Then yesterday a lady almost did buy it and I was thinking: "Oh damn, I really wanted that"... then she changed her mind...so I bought it.   I am going to get some gold paint to resore the backing so it's like new again, then try and perhaps make it into a necklace?

The other treasure I bought was this:

ABOVE:  This stunning dress watch... with not one piece of bling missing!  I am giving it to my Sister in law for Christmas.... she loves green and wears this colour often.   I am SURE she will love this!   I do too.

ONWARD....

Well... I have had a lovely morning!   I went shopping for fabric... found some awesome bargins... but not what I was truly looking for. 
So, picked up the boy, took him to his lesson then popped over to Pukekohe and YAAAAA.... I found just the right fabric for an ordered bag!  Slightly more expensive in Pukekohe, but too bad!  I knew what I wanted and was just so glad I found it.

Also, once home I got a lovely phone call from my niece in Aussy, and that was so nice!  She's a really nice girl... and a Police Officer too... which means she is always busy... but she takes the time to ring me regularly and I think that is just awesome.

Anyway... gotta go... busy, busy, busy...

End of Day:  and I've been busy all day!  I made a start on two 'Cat/Green' bags this evening... and I'm happy to say I am down to the straps and the hand sewing on both of them.. so by mid morning tomorrow I should have them both done!  And they are looking really cute too.   Time to get to bed, it's 11.22pm!  nite nite.

GARDENING.... SPARKLING'S BAG... AND A WEE ONE

ABOVE:  OH Yaaaa... I don't need to weed this pot now ....

 ABOVE:  Guilty?  MUCH.   Little bugger.  I can't even remember what was in that pot now.  *sigh*

ABOVE: Yo!  Sparkling, here's ya bag!  LOL ... I hope you like it cos I do.

ABOVE:  I made this wee bag up last night from left-over bits (just got to do the top stitch around the top)... I LOVE IT! 

Today:  off to the Hospice Shop.... then home as the Door Doctor man is coming to put my new garage door on!  OOOO Exciting... a door that will actually go up and down properly.  

ONWARD.... the day awaits....

KATE:  perhaps we can go shopping for material for a wee bag ... send me a text if ya want.

OOOO I got a couple of real treasures from the HOspice Shop today... but as there is lots of photos on here today... I'll save it for tomorrow!

Hospice was steady today.... had a few moments where it was busy, but otherwise nice and steady flow.   Love being there.  Love the people who come through the door, getting to know lots of 'regulars' now.. which is lovely.

The Door Doctor's people are here now... so I'm going to go watch them install my new door!

FROGGY:  sure would like to give it a go!  Send me the dimensions.

 ABOVE:  the three nice blokes who came and took down the old door... and :

ABOVE:  The view of the new door inside the garage....

ABOVE:  and outside... now I just need to sand down the front door and stain it the same colour... maybe that is this weekend's job?

I think the new door looks lovely... it's solid cedar... flash as!  lol

End of Day: and I decided we were going to have dinner out tonight.... so once Stew got home we piled in the car ... drove to Remuera for kebabs and McDonalds for the kids and had dinner in Cornwall Park.  It was a bit nippy (cool) but nice.
Home in time to do kids homework and get them off to bed. 
nite nite.

FAT LADIES

ABOVE:  anyone remember this fabric?  I got it online at least a year ago... and now I'm going to make it into a CUTE Bag.   It's a really hysterical fabric.. so up my street.  lol

Today:  Patchwork class, where I will continue to work on the 'Fat Lady' Bag. 

Feeling a bit ho-hum about blogging right now... seems all I blog about it me freakin bags. 
I'm even boring myself.   I must find more patterns for smaller bags to use up all the little left-over bits of fabric.  Anyone got any 'TOTAL IDIOT PROOF' ones?   At least then I will  have something different to show eh?

I am going to visit the Papakura Hospice Shop later on today too... they have a new Manager who I met at our shop last week and I said I'd pop in to see how she's going today.  I've not been in this particular shop before... wonder if it's as good as ours?  Hmmmm....

I was picking crap up off the floor this morning, and I grabbed Griffin's school bag to put it on the bench and thought... "bloody hell that's heavy!  What on earth does he have in there?"

ABOVE:  over TWO DOZEN school reading books!   That bloody little shit has been bringing them home (leaving them in his bag to accumulate) ...but not reading them!  I ask him most days "Got any homework" and he always says no, that his teacher does not give him any because he has SPELD homework!    I know he does not like reading, having dyslexia an all... but surely he also does not like lugging all those books around in his bag???  And has his teacher no NOTICED that she is missing 26 books in the class?  

*sigh*.... I am going to take them back today sometime.   What fun.

So, I went to class fully intending to make the above Fat Lady Bag... but instead I got a new pattern and made this for Brylee's Christmas:

ABOVE:  isn't it adorable!   She will LOVE IT I'm sure... especially when I stuff it full of girly things!

Right.. now it would appear I must finish that Fat Lady Bag... SPARKLINGMERLOT wants it.... choice!

But first... lunch!  Coleslaw today...

End of Day:  and wow, I've sold two bags on me blog today!  AND got an order for two of the new little bags and another of the CUTE bags!  That's quite amazing really.  AND I'm chuffed.  Thanks girls!  On that note, nite nite.

SUPERSIZE CUTE BAG:

ABOVE:  I made a super sized CUTE BAG... any bigger and it would not stay 'up' when opened, even this size was pushing it... but on a whole, it's a great beach bag size!  As you can see, I could fit heaps in it, it had masses more room too.

Today I am going to apply to have a stall at the Pokeno Market in November some time... and then see how it goes before committing to more.

As it's Monday, I am going to do my usual 'get the house clean and tidy' this morning and give that new vacum cleaner a thorough use.

After that I will probably get back to sewing that CUTE orange/purple bag I started saturday night.  And yes, I don't like orange, but that fabric is delightful... with the other colours in the pattern.  I don't discount ALL orange and green as super IKKKKK!  *smiles*

ONWARD...

BLONDIE:  I have not found the right 'fabric' to make a waterproof inner one yet!  Don't get ahead of yourself.. or me!  lol

I'm almost finished the vacuming.... and I am totally over it already!  New machine or not, it's still vacuming... IKKKK.

ABOVE:  almost done!  Just got a wee bit of hand sewing to go.   And it's not ORANGE, it's Peach and Lilac... so there!  *smiles*

It is a glorious sunny day out there, and I have no desire to go out in it!  Too hot.  Going to have my 'brunch' now... cos it's after 1pm and I'm hungry....

End of Day:  whoops!  Got carried away doing bugger all this afternoon!  Even had a 'nana' nap!
Cooked mutton chops in mint sauce for dinner... super yummy.
Stated cutting out the next bag... will show you the fabric tomorrow..... it's some I've had for a while waiting for the right project.   nite nite.