Last chance tonight

I have 9 names in the bag for tomorrow mornings draw for my prize giveaway to celebrate my 100th blog!! So still a few hours to put a comment on my blog about what crafts you like (if I don't know already haha) and you could be a winner. I'll name the winner on my blog tomorrow night.

Have had a fantastic awesome day. It's the first day I haven't felt 'homesick'. The people were very friendly and I had heaps of fun. I wish they had these sew in's more often but this was a one off. HOwever this is just the start and I know I'll make friends here in the Hutt.

I got a lot done on my batik scrappy one - will put a photo or two up later. didn't start the quilting on my floral thing as there were some 'expert' quilters so I was a little shy!!! I'll have a go at home.

We had a show and tell for the retirement village people this afternoon and they were very interested. It was only a 10 minute drive on the motorway.. much easier driving than around the city haha.

Well, off to heat up left overs of last nights roast and make some card jandals for someone's 21st. Hope you've had a great day too.

PS THE SUN'S BEEN OUT ALL DAY...

THE WASHING IS DRY AT LAST...

I HAVE BARE FEET

AND NO CHILLBLAINS!!!

YAY!!

Why Moan

Yeap, it's still crap weather in the Hutt. Absolutely teaming down and icy cold today. I've been in to see my sister in Welly and it was warmer in there! But now I'm back home and I'm in heaven.. doing what??


I have the gorgeous Josh Groban playing on my dvd player, loud too but he is just an incredible singer and an amazing musician. I adore his talent and his music.. and he is GORGEOUS!! I've got a little weeny roast pork in the oven and I've moved my cutting table out into the lounge by the heater, my fluffy boot slippers on and I'm in heaven... so who cares about the rain!!!

This is my on and on project called Maths Lesson that I'm working on. It's using up the tiniest scraps (smallest 1 1/2 inch squares) of my batiks.. can't bear to waste them.. So last night and today it's a mindless job that I can cut up more scraps.. Tomorrow I'm going to a sew-in at the local guild and I plan to start quilting my flowery UFO.. and I'll take these to sew together when I'm tired of quilting.

We just had an earthquake 6.05pm .. a real doozy. Earthquakes are awful.. you sit and wait for the next one.... I was in Dannevirke in the Mothers Day earthquake.. that was frightening enough.

PS No more earthquakes. It was only 4.8 but centred close to Wellington.
And I've won a prize. I entered a name the calf competition at Highway Cottage blog >>>>over there and I won. I named her Greycie, because she's a Murray Grey, so will turn grey as she gets older and she's from Greytown area. And my childhood neighbour was Gracie, her birthday was the same day as mine and Gracie and Greycie are both lovely. I think calves are gorgeous anyway.

This is Wicked, I got to choose a prize from quilts, chocolates, wool and NZ fabrics... that was hard.. chocolates oh yummmy but I've chosen NZ fabrics so I can replenish my stash before my sister goes back to Israel next year. I will be able to make some more souvenirs for her to take and give away. I stumbled across this blog and I am so happy I did. Now I can watch Greycie grow!

Don't forget to leave a comment to enter my prize give away. It closes tomorrow night and will be drawn Monday at work. this was for my 100th blog that crept up on me!!

I'm easily pleased

Guess where I've been at lunchtime today. Yes, I love the library. And the Hutt library is fantastic. They have so many different patchwork and craft magazines and a large variety of books on patchwork etc. There's a gorgeous book of Japanese patterns .. really arty ones similar to what my clever friend at Diet Coke Rocks does. Hmmmmm (Oh and by the way My friend Chris DCR has been blogging for 3 years, not 300 posts.. check out her giveaway... It's fantastic.) And mine too for my 100 post!!

I'm tempted even to start reading again.. used to love the old Catherine Cookson, Maeve Binchy type novels... the old english countryside or autobiographies. Some nights it would be perfect to read a novel when I'm tired after work??? I've found this gorgeous picture in one of the mags.. now to figure out how it was done.

But for tonight, it's Coronation Street, Outrageous Fortune and flick through these mags. And an earlyish night as I've still got a bit of a head cold... comes with the job at the moment!

Oh and the sun is out in Welly but still chilly. So I've done a load of washing to hang up tomorrow. Haha it will no doubt rain again now!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway. See my post on Friday October 2nd. I'll be drawing the name out on Monday at work. So just leave a comment on here and every comment since Monday will go in the drawer.

Freezing in October???

Yes, it is FEERRRRRRREEEZING here today. Even at work I have been frozen today. My feet are numb. I ventured outside at lunchtime to return my library books and quickly went back in again. There's no snow in Wellington but I can feel it in the air. Must be up on the Rumataka's today. The only things for me tonight are my big woolly slippers and the heater.. on two bars.. how extravagent!!

I think it is everywhere so where ever you are stay warm.

No time to ponder tonight. It is so close to Christmas and I have to work out my budget.. gross what a word but life down here in the big smoke is so expensive.. at least $140 extra a fortnight just on rent. I'm too scrooge to buy a lotto ticket so it's just hard work and going without to make ends meet and keep some in the bank.



Back to it. Times like this I really hate being single and I miss life in Palmy, my friends, familiar places... but not work... no definitely not the workplace! The environment down here is much nicer. Oh well, that's the price one pays. Now do I have a garage sale or get a second job... hmmmmm

I am so lucky I' had a mammogram

Today I have been standing in freezing cold rain, slipping in deep mud, sitting outside under a tarp (oh and I have to mention porta loos gross) but with a huge smile on my face and oh boy, it's so great to be alive. this was the mud in his first race.

To see my clever grandson Cam 9, racing around a mud track on a 65cc motorx bike (and doing his very best to stay on the bike I might add) has been awesome. The concentration on his face as he passed the kids in front, unable to see much because of the mud on his goggles....

this was his second race.

He did really really well, and came 1st in the support race. He is in the 9 -11 year olds and there were too many kids in his grade today. He didn't qualify for the main race (sigh of relief* 30 kids on the track at the same time in 6" mud did not look safe to me). Cam only had 10 in his race but he was so fast! Wow!
I have just watched a video I made of his third race on my camera and oh dear.. a proud Nannie is a noisy one haha. I get so excited. I am just a big kid. And I do sound like my mother... whoops..

the mud in his fourth race (please note Cam's bike is washed down after every race!!

Just another reason why a mammogram is worth it huh!

October is Pink

It is October again and this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month in New Zealand. My friend at Little Bear Studio http://draffinbears.blogspot.com/ has a gorgeous pink blog today so I've decided to 'copycat'...these are a few of my favourite pink things... it is my favourite colour and I get lots of compliments when I wear it. Pink Roses from my dear old Dad's garden which he cared for every day. The garden was his favourite place when he was well. He had 199 roses at one time and this was one of the photos I framed for his birthday once. I love roses too, in fact he took 35 of mine when I moved to Brisbane. Everytime I see a rose I think of Dad. I miss him so much.My grandson's new shoes... hmmm well.. they are PINK! Makes me very humble as I used to give my old boss Stew heaps about his 'favourite' shoes which were red, white and blue shoes .. I told him they looked like union jacks.. (hanging my head now). I showed George a photo of them. He loves Stew's shoes... so good on them for having the confidence to wear what they like no matter what!! But they are PINK?
Of course my little Princess... my gorgeous granddaughter looks wonderful in pink. She was only a couple of days old in this photo And she still loved pink at 2 1/2 years

And here she is 6 months ago on her 5th birthday, her favourite colours are pink AND purple now. Olivia is 5 1/2 now going on 15! I thought I'd given her plenty to keep her amused last weekend but she'd do that and ask for "another job please Nannie".

This gorgeous shrub is so amazing and beautiful. This is all one branch.. so many colours and shades. It was growing over a fence when I lived in Brisbane 6 years ago. I never found out the name of it but I wish I'd asked now.
Of course, my favourite quilt is the one my friends made when I had surgery. I had to say what was my favourite colour.. and so it is pink... I treasure it .. whenever I'm homesick for my friends I have my quilt. Finally this is a necklace my sister bought back from USA in 2007. They go to Israel every year in September and that year I was recovering from my surgery so she bought it for me. And yes, right now they are back in Israel at the Festival of Lights organising the ushers at all the meetings. Hard work but they are very committed christians and have met many wonderful friends from all over the world. I think this is their 10th year of working at the festival.

To all the wonderful courageous ladies who have suffered and survived this incideous disease CELEBRATE.. WE ARE SURVIVORS and each new day is precious. To all those who have lost a loved one because of breast cancer, my heart goes out to you but their loss should be an inspiration to you to take care of yourself and live each day for them as well.

Don't forget my giveaway for my 100th post and check out Diet Coke Rocks giveaway.. which includes a gorgeous quilt and fabric so far... It's her 300th blog!!!http://dietcokerocks.blogspot.com

Two chances to win

Wow I've made 100 posts.

But first here's a photo of the finished quilt and my grandson George who really loved it.

And this is what I did at Sunday's class "Tumbling Blocks" organised by Capital Quilters.

Others used just 3 fabrics .. a light, a medium and a dark... but I was trying to use my stash so mine is a bit different. I think you can still see the 3 D effect on some of them but it was fun trying it out anyway. It'll make a small knee rug or something.

I didn't realise it till today that I'd reached 100!!! .. I'm such a techno phobic person I didn't even know where to look. Have just figured out what 'follower' means haha. So I guess I'd better have a lucky draw!! I don't get a lot of viewers so believe me you've all in with a chance.

Sooooo ..between now and next Sunday 11 October you can go in the draw to win a surprise package of craft items ie. fabric, buttons, ribbons etc etc.

All you need to do is leave a comment saying what craft you enjoy the most and I'll put your name in the draw. I will get someone at work to draw out 2 winners on Monday 12 October. Remember if you don't have a blog you will need to send me your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner.

My friend over at http://diet-coke-rocks.blogspot.com is also having a lucky draw for her 300th post. She's adding something to the prize every day until the 10th of October. Today it's a gorgeous quilt she made .. be lovely hanging on the wall in my room. Have a look through Chris's blog at all the neat quilts she's made in the last few months. She has great colour confidence.... So be in with a chance to score a beautiful package from Chris. I think her instructions were in the blog about Wednesday this week? I've already won a prize on this blog and it was absolutely amazing. (Which reminds me I still have Quilt Diva to finish.)

Hopefully I will get onto sewing this weekend but Sunday may be watching my grandson Cam at motorx which is going to be held in Wellington.