Where I am from

As I am sure many bloggers do, I like to read other like-minded people's blogs.  I visited

 

Where am I from... Sew Outside the Lines blog http://re-inventingfashion.blogspot.com.au/

I am from plaits & pony-tails, from Weetbix and Milo. 
I am from long driveways & Cul de sacs, 
creeks, patios & carports, sheet-cubbies, swinging from monkey bars, 
kids on bikes, no shoes & the smell of freshly mown grass on a Sunday morning. 
I am from pansies along footpaths, pebbles in pockets, Pohutukawa on beaches, 
violets and volcanoes.

 I am from bowls of Grannies trifle, laughing in the face of disaster, from Ruby & Ted and Miri & Gibby 
and Stella. 
I am from sewn, knitted & crocheted clothes, lemonade iceblocks when you’re sick. From, do unto others as you would have them do unto you 
and Mickey Mouse lives in derelict houses on the side of hills. 
I am from trips to the beach after Sunday School, heritage lost through misunderstanding. I'm from the land of the long white cloud, whale riders and farmers, 
sand in my salad, meat with 3 veg. 
From the Tiki thrown away by Hiki & the bad luck that followed, 
the twin girl they called Darkie who wasn’t meant to survive and out lived them all, 
a little brother setting light to the hay shed with his toilet paper cigarettes. 
I am from memories & stories, cups of tea, 
photos & buttons in suitcases under the bed, Grannies voice in a safe place, treasures that you can’t take with you which are kept & shared. 

Me 8yrs

 While having a little downtime yesterday I came across this writing exercise and thought you might like to give it go. If you do please let me know so I can share where you're from.

It was the strangest thing - everytime I went to write something it was me at 8 doing so.

 

What a lovely idea.  I'm going to have a mull over this and see what I can come up with ....

 

Oh and by the way, do go and visit http://re-inventingfashion.blogspot.com.au/ - it's a lovely blog, and you should see her knitting patterns - fantastic!

 

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So excited ....

I have sold a few of my creations!

Is it sad to feel really excited about this?

My bright turquoise crochet cot blanket with bright yellow/lime green/white and orange circles all over has sold!  It is such a nice feeling to think that someone has gone into The Emporium and bought MY blanket!

(It is the one in this picture).

 

I had an ultrasound scan at the hospital today - and no! Before anyone asks - I am not pregnant!  It was a scan on my shoulder.  I have, for years, had a dodgy left shoulder which will flare up every so often.  About a month or so ago I was in a terrible state with it as I can barely move it within acute pain shooting round the shoulder.  The doctor referred me to go and have an ultrasound on it.

 

I was also supposed to have a cortisone injection on it last Wednesday - but in the midst of being rather poorly with another bug that seems to have struck the adults of this family - I missed it!  I will be honest I was dreading it and had already postponed the original appointment.  I'd had one over twelve years ago on the same shoulder and it wasn't a very nice experience and I nearly passed out.  Hence the hesitation in going again!

 

Anyway, the doctor who scanned it today said there was inflammation around the socket joint which is what is causing the pain.  I wonder what it would have looked like if I'd had the scan when I was in the really bad pain - I've been quite lucky and the strong painkillers I was prescribed seem to have been quite effective in taking the acute pain away and just left me with a slight niggle of a pain.  And guess what he is going to recommend ... a cortisone injection!

 

After the trip to the hospital Jonathan and I went into town to get a few bits, and then called into The Emporium.  Usually Thursday mornings is my stint in there, but I'd been told not to worry going in as I had the scan.  However, I thought I'd just show my face and have a check on my unit.  And that's when I discovered I'd sold the turquoise crochet blanket! 

 

And what's more, whilst we were there, a couple was looking at the doggy draught excluder (he's just in the photo below) and commenting on how they liked it and that it was different ... and they bought him!  Woo hoo! 

 

 

Looks like bright and bold is in!

 

So, I am, today feeling a very happy bunny!

 

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Oliver Owl and shelves in situ

I'm back in The Emporium tomorrow to do my morning's stint. 

Jonathan took photos for me last week of the shelves that I'd painted and he brought in for me, with the new items - including Oliver Owl - in place ...

Oliver has pride of place in the window.  Don't you think he looks very determined?!

 

I have some more items to go out tomorrow. 

 I've made some sweet little washbags and some lavender bags, along with some tie-dyed socks.

 

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Introducing Oliver Owl

 

My Owl Bag is finished. 

 

This has been a real labour of love. 

 

I have not used a pattern and made it up as I went along

 

- and I think it - or should I say - he - has turned out really well.

 

Even though there's pink in his feathers I do think this is definitely a HE!

 

So he is now named Oliver!

 

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"Juggling June"

I think that June is going to have to be renamed as Juggling June.

It's another day of doing many things ...

I have painted the other side of the shelves - so all of them are now painted.  I just need to do the long side pieces and then it can be put together.

I quilted more of the little Teddy quilt only to find that my machine does not like it and keep buckling all the thread up behind - after sewing really well yesterday.  So I may well decide to hand-quilt that one after all.  I do actually prefer hand-quilting as I think it looks more authentic, but had thought I'd machine quilt so I could do it quicker.  Less spend, eh?!

Three postcards were received today.  I take part in a wonderful scheme called Postcrossing.

http://www.postcrossing.com/

It's fantastic and very addictive.  You sign up - for free - and are given five addresses to send postcards to.  Then once yours are received your address will then be given out and you will start to receive postcards.  You can also send another once yours has been received, and gradually the number you can have travelling at one time increases.

Look at the cards I received today ...

What is great too is that you have your own profile and you can list what sort of postcards you'd like to receive and hopefully the person who gets your address chooses a postcard they think will suit you.  And likewise when you're sending yours out. 

In our house there are five of us taking part - myself, Jonathan, Katie (Jonathan's daughter) and my two boys Luke and Adam.  It is a fantastic way to receive lovely post and not those dreaded brown envelopes!  I also think it teaches the children about the world.

I am also - finally - managing to post a swap parcel.  It's a monthly swap I'm involved with on www.Ravelry.com within the So Many Books, So Little Time forum.  This month was a cooking related one.  So my lime green themed goodies have been packaged up and are on their way to the USA.  One of the criteria was to knit a dishcloth.  Oh my word!  Something so simple - and I had to frog it about five times as I kept going wrong!

A birthday card and a little present have been wrapped up and are their way to Germany.

Honestly, there's not enough hours in the day!

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The Art of Doing Many Jobs at the same time ...

I am a Gemini.  I am sure that is why I like to do lots of things at once, I get bored easily and like to keep my mind interested.

Like cooking tea tonight - I'm not content with just doing a new recipe (well I've never cooked Moussaka before - and to confuse me even more we didn't have lamb mince so I used beef!) I decided to do two new recipes.  I had seen a post on either facebook or Pinterest with a recipe for Lemony Lemon Brownies - well we all love Brownies and Luke in particular loves lemon - so I thought I'd try them.  Then I noticed the pears were on the turn - so decided to poach them too.

Can you imagine the mess I made?!

But I must say the Moussaka and the Lemony Lemon Brownies were YUMMY!

Today has not been any different with the art of juggling ...

1 I have been quilting a cot quilt that is to go into The Emporium unit.

2 I am crocheting a star motif bag - also - hopefully to go into The Emporium.

3  I am making an Owl Bag - also - funnily enough - to go into The Emporium

 

 My owl's feathery tummy

 

4 And am also painting some new shelves to go up in the unit.  I am going to have a bigger shelf unit in the window - hopefully to provide a more wow factor and have more of my creations on show at the shop front.  I am painting each shelf a different colour - well my colours - so teal, duck egg blue, blues and pale green.

from one end

 



And the shelves from the other end

I have two more to paint here (which I have now done).

 

I think the shelves are looking particularly good - and not just because they're in "my" colours!

 

Now ... I'm shattered ... time to sit down and do ... nothing ... no!  Crochet will be on the go tonight!

 

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