Sunday, May 29, 2011

Weekend WIP Wind-up

So after giving myself the deadline of Friday to get a project finished, I got partway through Friday and then ground to a halt. It's not that I didn't WANT to finish... but rather that I wasn't liking how it was all turning out. And being that this is how it's supposed to look,
and this is what it actually looks like... (please excuse the dodgy lighting)


The Debbie Bliss is actually 3/4 mm smaller than the yarn specified, so I used a slightly larger hook to help balance it out - but the sole of the boot was still a bit on the short side. Sigh. So like I always seem to do, I fiddled with the pattern - only I'm not sure I got it quite right (should have frogged it then and chained a few more to give the length instead of another round I suspect). Any of you crochet junkies out there - please advise!

So anyway, I decided that I better check with my SIL (on Monday) to see if she wants me to frog it all and start again. The other Job I was working on last week is still on the hanging on the wash line - so I will try to grab a photo of it tomorrow.

I do have a little spot of happiness to share with you and brighten your day - some of my first Jonquils of the season. They started opening at the beginning of last week - but over this weekend there are lots of them bursting forth with their cheery yellow.

Happy Sunday! :)
S xxx

Thursday, May 26, 2011

My Creative Space - Something Snuggly

My Creative Space this week involves this


I have given myself the deadline of Friday to get it done. More then! Oh and I still have to show you what I have been plugging away on all week (in snatches here and there).

Check out other creatives here.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Being Thrifty

Well my weekend started on Friday when Mr. Kelp dropped me off at my local Salvo store, and took the boys to the park. I had about 40 delicious minutes to myself while I browsed over things that just begged to be taken home.

The highlight for me this time was the fabric that I found 2.6m of the red quilting cotton for $5, and 1.8m of the incredibly soft stripey one for just $3. The Red one will hopeful become this. I also found a Bubba Blue cotton pillowcase for Little Clam with embroidered fish on it. He has just started using a pillow - so it's perfect!



I also found these cool books for the boys. The dot-to-dot (for Jellyfish) is brand new, while the English/French one (for little Clam) is still in really good condition.


Brand new shorts and trousers for the boys (with tags on)... the original price on the denim number? $39.

The  trousers for Little Clam were a little less exciting. Why I didn't check where the crotch sits BEFORE I bought them, I'm not sure. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not into babies wearing the crotch of their pants between their knees. I'm thinking of undoing the leg and crotch seams and refashioning them. Any of you sewers out there have any advice on this one?

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Weekend Wanderings - Sunday Update

Edit: I'm having issues putting up photos again, so I'm just going to post this using the old editor. Sorry!


Well if I recall, I promised you I would share what we got up to after the markets last Sunday. I kinda really want to share with you, because I am just plain chuffed! You see, for the week previous to our Sunday jaunt, Jellyfish had been practicing his climbing in the big tree out the back (He is about as tall as your average 5 year old, so that makes things a little bit easier). We bought him a Petzel kids harness, so he is quite safe.

This is the rock room at the bottom of the rock face.

The end of the little rock room was lovely and sunny, very picturesque,
and stopped the smalls from wanting to go any further.

Mr. Kelp, the two boys and I drove a little way back from the markets to a lovely little spot where we climbed down over some rather large boulders to the ground below them. A section of rock that many years ago broke away from the "mother" rock face has in effect made a little rock room. So while Mr. Kelp set up at the top of the rock face with ropes and safety equipment, Jellyfish, Little Clam and I played down the bottom where there was plenty of sand, pebbles, twigs and leaves. We made a little man too, but I forgot to take a photo of their artwork.



The rockface. Bottom-up view.



The rockface. Top-down view.

A little while later, and Jellyfish was back at the top of about a 10m drop with his daddy, while LC and I were at the bottom armed with a video camera! He made it down with Daddy's help, and was pretty darned proud of himself. That was his first ever proper abseil - and at three and a half, was no mean feat! Since I don't put photos of the kids on my blog, I will just share with you the photos of the rock face. It was pretty amazing to watch him learning the ropes, so-to-speak. Then it was home for lunch, and two tired little boys had a lovely snooze (while their daddy went back to do some climbing with a couple of other guys).

I'll try to get some photos up tomorrow of what we did today, but right now I'm off to bed! G'night!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

My Creative Space - Thanksgiving

Well, down here in the southern hemisphere it is the third Thursday of the last month of Autumn... the equivalent to the same date in November in the northern hemisphere... so...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

The preparations started yesterday. In fact I didn't get to bed till almost midnight (serves me right for not being more organised). Jellyfish, Little Clam and I made some gingerbread men using a vintage cutter that Jellyfish's Oma gave him (his great grandmother). There was just something about the collar and the big buttons that made me think of Puritans, and Thanksgiving. Being that he had no idea of my previous thoughts, that morning he asked if we could make some, and here we are!

I had quite a bit of fun making all the dishes actually, some were sourced from my friend who used to live in the US, some were from last November's Martha Stewart Living Magazine and some were family recipes. Thought I'd share some pictures of the going's on with you.

Main course

My lunch - too intent on eating it to remember to take a photo first!


Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake (half mix) from Martha Stewart Living Magazine
 
Mmmm!

It was also my friend Alysha's second last Thursday lunch with us (a tradition that we started just after Jellyfish was born) as she is off to a new job in a new location, so we thought we would make it just a little bit special. She brought the yummy Blueberry slice.


Hope you enjoyed your day as much as we did! I'm off to watch a spot of Grand designs with the man of the house! :)

My Creative Space - Sneak Peek

Here is just a little taste of what we will be up to today...






Come back later and all will be revealed!

And don't forget to go and look at all the other creatives at Our Creative Space.

Edit: I don't know what is going on - I was able to upload the top photo as usual, but had to switch to the old editor to get the next two photos.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Farmer's Markets

This Sunday morning we headed over to the Farmer's Markets at Thornleigh to have a look around. There weren't as many vendors there today as I have seen on other occasions - but there was plenty to look around anyway. We always have a little look-ey at the stalls from the beginning to the end. Once we get there we walk back making purchases of the things that we want on the way to the car (that way we don't have to lug them around for too long).

First stop - the honey man. Now I am a fan of Honeys like Snow Gum, Yellow box, and Iron Bark, but today I had to bring home a small tub of his Bush Honey. It was quite a bit sweeter, and had a milder taste that just struck me as lovely. (And of course, I couldn't resist a large tub of Yellow box!)


Then it was on to The Soap Man. They say good things come in small packages. I think good things must also come in brown paper packages! I have long been torn with protecting my kids from nasty bugs, but not being so keen to slather on the Rid or Aerogard. Imagine my joy when I came across this natural insect repellent that smells GOOD. He also had some handmade soaps. He makes them himself, so I picked up a few for gifts.



Somewhere in there there was a really nice girl from Bunnings giving things away. Jellyfish was most delighted with his "treasures", and couldn't wait to get home to play with them. The basket ball has now been blown up (Thanks Charlotte for the loan of your pump!), and the forklift has gone up and down and forward and backwards more times than I care to count.


I found The Man of the House a few minutes later at a natural drink stall. I could see in his eye that he meant to have a bottle... the problem was - which flavour? All of the colours in the cordials are plant based, so no need to worry about that with the kids. As I walked along table reading the flavours, I suddenly spied a bottle of Pineapple and Coconut. For any of you that know me, you know that I L-O-V-E both!!! Needless to say, that was the one that came home with us!

So that was part of our Sunday. Tomorrow I hope I'll get a chance to share with you the other things that we got up to.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

My creative Space - Pop Heart Revealed

 Edit: This was posted on Thursday morning, but due to technical difficulties, I have re-posted it.

Remember this cup shaped item? (Previously posted here).


Well it first became one and then two...
Now it has morphed into this

A little something for a little someone that will be gifted later this year. The pattern can be found here.

Hooky for today involves this...



It's soft, it's scrummy and yes, MORE pink. I love other colours, but this one was requested, and I am happy to oblige. Can't wait to show you the other thing I have going this week!

For more creativity, head over to the new digs.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Weekend Wanderings

Saturday morning dawned sunny with a fresh breeze  - but in the sunshine it was lovely. With this in mind we decided to go for a family walk in the bush down the back near where we live.

Monstera Deliciosa Flower





A sweet patch of moss.



This cute little yellow fungi was about the size of my finger nail!



The largest of the fungi was the size of a medium dinner plate.


 
He hearts me!
 Mr. Kelp found a heart shaped rock which he placed beside the track for me to find (I was last in line because I was being a shutter-bug).


 Jellyfish and I were wandering along one of the creeks when he yells out "Hey Mummy, there's a number eight" (pointing to the creek bed).


The gap between the rocks above is steeper than it looks... the section that has small rocks on the floor of it rises up about 1.3m in the space that you can see, and before that there is quite a step up - probably 2m at least over all.




Sadly I couldn't get close enough to the edge to show you the water rushing down the rocks - very gurgly and pretty. The rocks were quite slippery.







There was a section along the path that had the most gorgeous light filtering in, and the whole area was covered in tree ferns
Seeds
As you can see, all the rain was great for the fungi! I have never seen this many varieties in the past 10 years that we have been living here.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

My Creative Space - Baby Mukluks

You might have wondered what I was crocheting with the red wool... Well here it is!


Baby Mukluks. I think they have a little something over traditional booties. Kind of funky.


Gifted to my brother and SIL for the first little bub that is due at the beginning of next month.

Pattern found here.

More creative juice.