It’s a beautiful day…

It’s been such a beautiful day today, the sunshine is good for the soul! I have pottered about the house today catching up on odd jobs, this morning the boys and I went to Paper Plus(local bookshop) to see Wendyl Nissen who is doing a book tour for her new book…

I wouldn’t normally go to something like this but I am please I did, she was a lovely person inside and out and I learnt lot’s! I didn’t buy the book though as my children are pretty much all in their teens(when did that happen I’d like to know!) But I do have another book she wrote…

 

A Home Companion… it is written month by month so that is how I have been reading it, it has some amusing tales and full of lot’s of information and recipes.

Crafting has been on the back burner for a while now, so I don’t have anything much to share, life has been taken up with farm work, gardening, camp, housework, schooling etc but my fingers have been itching to do some stitching… hopefully next time I will have something to share…

Michelle

And then there were ten…

I am slowly chugging along with my FWQ blocks… I really enjoy making these cute little blocks… here’s a picture of all 10 of them…

I know I am way behind with everyone else in the QAL… but I started late, that’s my excuse anyway… Over the weekend I quilted this little doll quilt…

I had started to quilt it by hand… but it was taking too long for me… I don’t think I’m a hand quilting kind of gal, don’t get me wrong I really like the look of hand quilting but I’ve never been much good at it… I did a class several years ago that was a bit of a disappointment, maybe I need to try another one or maybe I just need to keep practicing! But I am happy it’s almost done now… just the binding to go. The binding will have to wait a few days though as I am off on school camp this week with DD2… we are going to sleepover at the Napier Aquarium! I am looking forward to the break from my normal routine… though I can’t get away from all my jobs… I have been delegated camp cook again Lol And an added bonus I don’t have to drive this time… I get to travel with two other Mums and all the food, I plan to ride in the back with a good book or two…

I picked up this mag today… there is an article in here from The Hen House if you like vintage and thrifting you’ll like this blog… I will save it to read on the trip!

Have a super week…

Michelle

Today’s the day…

In only a matter of moments… I will announce the winner of the giveaway!

But first… today was also our crafty girls day… it was here at my house this time and I am such a slacker I have no photos to show of Michelle or Claire's fabulous mod podge projects… maybe that’s because I am in denial as I didn’t get a project finished this month! Sad but true… but make sure you pop over and visit their blogs, and check out what they made. Though we did do some stitching today, Claire worked on a Jellyroll quilt, Michelle worked on a stitchery and I made this pretty pile of petals…

Our challenge for the month ahead is to make something from one of our Tilda books…

Ok let’s get to the part everyone is waiting for…

The winner is…

Jeanette

Congratulations Jeanette I will be emailing you shortly for your details and… thank you to all of you for your kind comments!!!

I’m off to sew a little now before bed…

Night Night…

Michelle

Blooms and blossoms…

Yesterday was a wonderful day I ended up catching up with 3 friends from church before going out for lunch… I had a pearl barley chicken salad… yummy! Never tried one before but I will be searching out recipes to make my own. Before I knew it it was time to head home again and just so you know I didn’t entirely wag for the whole day or leave my DH in the lurch… DS1 helped with my morning chores(thanks M) and I came home and did the evening chores ;o)

My lovely friend sent these beautiful camellia blooms home with me! I did buy something… but will share all about that in another post as it’s for my monthly challenge :o)…

Today I have spent many happy hours out in the garden… over the last couple of days I have been raiding our farm workers cottage(no one is currently living there) and have started a new garden…

I know its a bit of a lopsided photo but this is an old feed trough… we are going to grow strawberries in it… I went shopping this afternoon and bought some strawberry mix to fill it with so it is now all ready for the strawberry plants(will get those tomorrow)…

To the left of this photo is some green netting I found, I am going to grow some sweet peas there… in the corner is a climber I found in the sale section of Mitre 10 a while ago and have used a piece from an old fence as a trellis… the plants you can see are bella daisies (at least I think that is what they are called;o) and if we go round a little bit further…

Some concrete tubs… I am going to plant some herbs in it… and DS1 has a plan for the bits and pieces of wood you can see… I have tried to do everything on a very tight budget, as the house is not ours I don’t want to spend much on the garden but I still like things to look pretty… there was no garden here at all when we shifted in but I am slowly getting there… though I couldn’t resist buying this gorgeous bush Magnolia… they said it doesn’t grow very big, let’s hope they’re right…

I am hoping I will be able to take it with us when the time comes for us to shift again…

There were no trees at all when we shifted here… and oh did I miss my flowering cherry trees the first spring… so last year I treated myself to one… ah the first buds are flowering! And I like to bring some spring indoors too…

I plan to revamp the vege garden next… but the weather has turned so I will have to wait a few days to start that project…

I also found this old garden gate that has yet to find a home…

If you’ve read right to the end… you’ve done well! Half the reason for this post is so I have a record of what I’ve done so far… I have a few recycling projects I want to do too, some with old tyres(we have lots, they are used as weights when we cover the silage pits) old plastic bottles, some old bricks… I will share them as I go along…

Have a great weekend…

Michelle

Wagging…

wagging… ditching, jigging, dogging, bludging, skiving off… what term do you use to describe wagging school or in my case today wagging farm and housework? Yep that’s what I am doing today… I rang DH this morning to say I wouldn’t be in today! Instead I awoke early(can’t seem to sleep in on my mornings off, Lol) made myself a cuppa and made my new favourite block for my Farmers Wife Quilt…

I am sew happy with the way it turned out… I had to order some more fabrics for the FWQ as I am using jellyrolls and some blocks required pieces bigger than 2 1/2” and they finally arrived yesterday…

Mr Postman delivered some books too(last week…)

There are soooo many things I want to make in here, Tilda has a style I am really enjoying at the moment :o) I bought this one as well…

(Insert note to Georgie here… this is the book Claire made my gorgeous slippers from)

And the latest Jellyroll book by to add to my growing collection…

The Book Depository really is a dangerous place for me to visit…

As for the rest of my day I am off to meet a friend for lunch, do a little shopping and hopefully make a start on this months mod podge challenge… I hope you have a wonderful day planned as well!

Happy Friday…

Michelle

…and a giveaway…

The hurrier I go… the behinder I get…

Life just seems to be flying by and I have just realised I am way past my three year blogaversary (that was way back on May the 4th!) and…this is my 247th post 47 posts over my 200th post mark and I’ve been thinking about having a little giveaway for a wee while so I thought why not?…

I have enjoyed meeting all my wonderful followers and even though I don’t have a huge blog following like some (maybe one day when I grow up to be a big blogger…Lol) I appreciate everyone of you and your comments… for sharing my creative journey… for inspiring me through your words and your own blogs… so without further ado I’m sure you’d like to see what is up for grabs…

‘Schnibbles times two… Jellyroll Sampler Quilts…(both these books are brand new and unused… I have my own copies of these)… A pretty notebook and matching pen… a few Cosmo threads… a brooch(I will make one in the colours of your choice) some buttons… and… of course some fabrics(not pictured) So if you would like to win just leave a comment and share something that’s been a blessing to you this week…

Oh… and because I like meeting new bloggers and friends if you spread the word about my giveaway and leave a comment telling me you have you can have another chance to win and if you are already a follower I will automatically add another entry for you!

Blessings…

Michelle

PS I will announce the winner on the 15th of September!

Hello Spring…

It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!  ~Mark Twain

Yesterday was officially the first day of spring… and it feels like it at last… the birds are singing and flying to and fro… the cat has found a spot in the sun to sleep… and I have been pottering about the house with a renewed sense of vigour… I haven’t quite found the energy for spring cleaning the house yet but I think the hutch is a good place to start…

Out with the blue and in with…

something with a little more colour…

This is my new tea set(every little girl at heart needs a pretty tea set) Isn’t it pretty?

The green vases have been in the family for generations…

It still needs a few finishing touches but I am so happy with how it’s looking…

Oops please excuse the bits on the floor…;O)  I would like to make a runner to go under the glass cloches… I have plenty of ideas just lack the time and motivation at the moment… my mojo seems to have disappeared maybe I will have to start spring cleaning sooner rather than later and try and find out where it’s hiding;oD… Oh and I found a fabulous idea on Pinterest the other day…

Now I can find all my measuring cups and spoons… and it makes a lovely display… I love walking into my kitchen and seeing them it makes me smile :o) These stocks make me smile too…

Freshly picked from the garden and Oh… they smell wonderful(Please ignore the dirty the dirty windows)

I have gained some new chooks too… our worker had some and can’t take them with him so we are looking after them until we decide what to do with them… I would love to keep them but our chook house just isn’t big enough… so for now they still live in an old shed at his place… I have been giving away eggs to friends and family… and still have some to spare…Lol Tomorrow we are having an early birthday lunch for Miss Lolly(DD2) just a couple of friends and family…

Better go do some birthday shopping… I might be in trouble if I don’t…

Happy Smiles…

Michelle