outside...

It's a great time of year to be outside....it started off a bit cloudy and dreary today but the afternoon was lovely....

We are getting ready to light our bonfire...all the dead trees Ben has cut down....it is in the front paddock...we were giving away free firewood to people but now with spring here and the wind and weather right, it is time to light it up! Our vegetable garden is going well...E loves to help and does not stomp on much!I will have to get some more lettuces to plant as we only have about 6 left to eat! The baby broccoli will be ready next too! And some more carrots!

We have flowers in the garden. The secret to great orchids...leave them neglected in the corner of the garden for a couple of years..lol...And I made some bunting for the babies room...this is just part of it but gives you the idea! A very quick easy wall decoration!And here is the bonfire!So that is about it for this Sunday....I am such a busy blogger these days...lol...nothing all that exciting really but I see this as my diary to record our lives and my creative stuff...Well I hope you have had a nice day - Lissy

baby quilt...

Here it is done and washed and drying on the line....
The instructions I followed were Easy Rag Edge Quilt by Della Jultak ...and I managed to follow them...although I have not actually ever seen one of these quilts in real life so I do not know if it is right but I am happy with it! It is really super quick to put together once you have all the squares cut. I laid mine out on the floor to check the pattern....then flipped each piece over to check the pattern on the back....then piled them up in order and started stitching...not perfect but I love the fabrics!

While I was busy with the quilt yesterday Evangeline was also busy making a bed for Baby Roo Roo who we rescued from the mower that morning...he had been missing for a month or so....


We had a delicious meal of steak and salad last night...using our first lettuce from the garden....how great is that!

Today we have been down to the Farmer's Market to get our vegies....and I have made a Light and Dark Brownie...we were off to Ben's sisters for lunch but they are sick....so now we will have to eat it...if it works out OK I will share the recipe!

So now we have the rest of the day ahead I am not sure what I will do....Lissy

phew....

I am knackered....lol....I have just hand cut 70 fabric squares and 35 wool wadding squares (it had to be wool as any good farmer's daughter knows!) for this baby quilt....

I could not find my quilting ruler.....grrrr....and then I discovered my rotary cutter was too blunt to cut anything any way.....so I just hand cut them....
I am making a Rag Edged Quilt so I am hoping it will not matter.....I am not a quilter so we shall see how this quilt goes! I made a couple of simple quilt tops about 10 or so years ago but they were never finished....hence the old and blunt cutter and the lost ruler...and the mat I used was pretty mucky from Scrap Booking....lol....oh well!

I have a basic set of instructions to follow....but I am never much good at actually following instructions...I have just made up the size of the squares and the quilt proportions to suit myself...I wanted big squares as I want to see plenty of these pretty fabrics!

E was busy cutting with me....chopping up all the off cuts and measuring "things"....

Ben shouted at the TV for a couple of hours and then turned it off in disgust before the game had ended...I gather Geelong were winning easily...

So now I am having a break and may head out side for a bit since it is such a nice day - Lissy

a quick dash.....

...to Spotlight this morning to buy some more gingham and some mushroom fabric....but no mushroom fabric in sight....but found some other fabrics to bring home....these are so very cute! I think I will get some navy polka dot to go with the lady bug fabric...when I go back to find the mushroom fabric....Sorry photos are a bit dull....now they are all washed and ironed and ready to go now as we have a lovely spring day here!

Mel was at Spotlight on the other side of the country (she lives in Tasmania) at the same time...lol...she got some mushroom fabric...and I am wondering what else....I shall head over to her blog and see!

And I picked up some strawberries on the way home....and we ate them...delicious...

So I am onto the baby quilt now! The curtains are finished (except for the hem) - just waiting for the curtain rod to go up before I hem them!

Poor E has another ear infection...that is number 3 this winter...but is pretty chirpy all the same....Ben has mowed the lawns and is now shouting at the footballers on TV...lol...and I am off to cut up fabric - Lissy

Friday.....

This is a picture E drew in my notebook last night of Ben cutting down the trees!
I have realised I am 30 1/2 weeks now so this baby will be here in 9 weeks or so....blimey...must get cracking and get organised before I can't move so well!! The bump is getting in the way now with bending and so on....and it will only get bigger on the down hill run!

And I have so many great photos to scrap at the moment but that will have to wait for now! Sewing is the go this week....still finishing the curtains....and then I want to do a quilt....and E's curtains too....still!

Mostly it is a case of how to sew curtains with a young assistant....helping or continually chatting, asking questions or singing! But so far I do not think I have made any major mistakes...it just takes a LOT longer!

This is part of the applique panel at the top (here you go Mel - a sneak peek!) ...I am just making it all up as I go along so hopefully it will work out and look OK! I figure no one is going to give them a really close examination anyhow! Crawling around on the floor trying to measure and cut out fabric and lining is not fun so had better finish E's curtains next so I can do smaller stuff as soon as possible!

And some E- isms....for joking she usually says choking....and hiccups is hippy upping! These little things are all disappearing now as she is growing up....I have just realised she will be FOUR in less than two months...so I cannot really keep saying I have a three or a three and a half year old!

Anyway here is to a great weekend - Lissy

more....

....well after the BIG post about the sports day yesterday...I thought I should leave the extra stuff for another post...

You would have thought E would have been knackered yesterday afternoon but no! She wanted to paint...she decided to do hand and foot prints which was good as I will save these...she sure is growing! She is about 103 cm tall now and about 18.5 kg!

Then she was outside with Ben while I did some food shopping...she had a ball getting very mucky! And at night time she was determined to start a sewing card...this was a hand-me down from a friend and she has been asking to start it for days....and she soon got the hang of it! And here is a pic of Ben at the Maersk Training Centre in Denmark...this is one of the simulators...love the sea out the window which I presume is fake.....a very flash centre by all accounts...the company has three centres - Denmark, UK and India

We are now on school holidays but have no particular plans today!A bit of cleaning so far and some playing outside... ...we are lucky to have lots of room for bike riding!And spring is here....A nice day today - Lissy

sports day....

yes...today was E's first sports day...and she had an absolute ball! And she won her running race...I was amazed when her hat fell off and she didn't hesitate and just kept running! They played lots of games and had a lot of fun which is what it should be all about! Here is another photo or two....I just loved how much joy she got out of it all! She actually was quite skilled for a 3 1/2 year old, which I have to admit must come from Ben's side of the family!



So that is about it for the day...well there is more but I shall share that tomorrow - Lissy

hard at work...

Well we have all been hard at work these last few days.....

E has been swimming....

And having a friend over to play after school( the little girl from the birthday party we missed last Saturday...)...tractor rides, on the trampoline, gardening and so on...
Ben has been tiling, weeding the vegies for me,mowing the front paddock and chopping down dead trees...
He is still jet lagged and getting up at odd hours!

E ate our first carrot from the garden!
Missy has remodelled her bed I am still working on the curtains as every day life seems to be interrupting sewing! So we will see what happens in the next few day. Lissy

Sneak Peeks....

I thought I should show some sneak peeks of the retreat layouts so far....The first is for scrapping those school photos...a double page with a pocket for certificates etc....

The second is one of the travel pages...the classic one...again a double page...sorry my pictures are not all that thrilling!
I will be doing a theme park version (just waiting on photos from Ace's trip to Euro Disney) using brighter papers and then hopefully one using photos from the Kimberley...so get those holiday photos sorted and come to scrap...I have used only 6x4 photos on these layouts...a total of 6 photos on each double layout...3 portrait and 3 landscape orientation...

Karen from Scrappin' Outback who is organising the Wave Rock Retreat which is 19th – 21st of October 2007 will give you all the requirements for the classes and various kits will be available too

Other news...Ben got home at 1 am...he was up a bit in the night and so were E and I but sleeping soundly now! Jet Lag is not fun! I just saved him from E and her box of musical instruments as she was off to wake him up!

E and I had a nice day yesterday....I dropped her at a friend's place to play while I went to the Farmer's Market...got there a bit later this week so it was not as good but still worth while..things like fresh eggs for $3.50 a dozen..and I bought some very yummy homemade canoli (custard filled Italian dessert things...not sure of correct name or spelling) ...I went back to have lunch with my friend which was a nice way to pass some time - her partner also works away...E had a great time playing too!

Then we came home and did some gardening...the vegie patch is coming along very well and there are lots of flowers in the garden now it is spring! Missy was outside with us mainly playing with E...she is a good puppy mostly...except for always chewing up her bed and dragging them out in the rain! It is raining again today after a fabulous day yesterday! But it's good for the farm...if it gets through that far... and good for the garden!

And last night I got the applique for the baby's curtains done! YIPPEE! So I may actually get them put together today!

Hope your week has started well! Lissy

so....

We have had one of those days...nothing too bad though....just a bit frustrating
Firstly I discovered that E had cut holes in the ironing board cover I made her yesterday....grrr....

Anyway we recovered from that and proceeded to clean and sort the playroom a bit...We need shelving but it looks a lot better...

E then did some letter writing!
Then I started making a bag to put her dance shoes in...it was supposed to be child size but turned out bigger...lol....but I was pretty pleased with my efforts considering I had no pattern and just made it all up! E rather likes it! E just about drove me mad chatting and singing all the time I was trying to sew and asking if it was done yet!
We were all set to go to a birthday party this afternoon at the Swan Valley Cuddly Animal Farm- we were in the car and heading off just before 1pm - when I realised that is started at 10 am and finished at 1pm....poor E was devastated...I felt so terrible...so after lots of crying, she recovered walking around saying mummy made a big big mistake...lol...she wanted me to call the mum straight away and tell her! But I sent a message explaining and suggesting the birthday girl might come over for a play this week!

So as a distraction we took Missy out for a play and I managed to get E to get on the old truck and took gazillions of photos of her antics....she hardly sat still for a second but here are a few shots I rather liked!




And here is Missy

And E has been racing around the house on the office chair and ringing bells and trying to make as much noise as she can with her box of musical instruments!

Anyway I hope you have had a lovely Saturday! Lissy

strawberry season.....

We have a Strawberry Man just down the road...E and I stopped on the way home from school and bought 3 large punnets....we ate one whole punnet for lunch! They are so delicious....though we did add a little cream and chocolate sauce! YUM! E thinks the Strawberry Man should be wearing an apron and a hat....lol...

I made an ironing board cover for E's ironing board today...very quick and easy...it is my sister's old ironing board...E keeps saying it needs to be painted....I had it in the play room but she quickly moved and set herself up in the Laundry!

We went and had E's haircut today which she always enjoys and have decided to try and grow out the fringe...then we went shoe shopping and got some summer sandals and some shoes for next winter on sale....and some flowers for her crocs!

I bought some fabric from spotlight today and Mel said I had to put them on here for her to see...I wouldn't be surprised if she has some the same...lol...some for clothes for E....and some to make stuff for the baby! A bunny rug with the apples flannel and some muslin and so on....didn't photograph it all as though as some was white...lol...

I enjoyed reading this blog today.....one girl....I rather like how we control our own little corners of cyber space too!

I will post some sneak peeks for the retreat layouts tomorrow...just need some good light to photograph them...

My dog training is going well...I nearly have Missy heeling without a lead! YAY!! Getting her to stop and stay at a distance is next...

Anyway hopw you have good plans for the weekend! Lissy

today is....

Alli's birthday .....happy birthday to you....so we went out for breakfast at the Wild Fig Cafe overlooking the Indian Ocean on this lovely spring day....hence the not so fab pics...oh well....We showered Alli with gifts...well not lots but gifts all the same...

Riley was very impressed with his chocolate cake, we were impressed with the food and Sharon showed us her very nice mini album! (available on her site)

Alli told me I needed a bump pic this week - 29 weeks - as it has grown... but I am not convinced....but here it is anyway...

E was very happy her mate Jake was back at school today!

No word from the travelers...but presuming they are having a good time!

I ate so much I need a rest I think! Then maybe finish some creative stuff to share with you later! Lissy

cool.....NOT pretty....

E wanted to do her own hair this morning...but she did eventually let me help...she wanted cool hair and this is what she meant...I got into big trouble when I said she looked pretty....it had to be COOL not pretty...

My friend Jen came for a visit..her she is with her gorgeous little girl Imogen - now 8 1/2 months old! One of the baby tins was for Imogen...I did say they were well over due!

I am a busy blogger these days....if you haven't popped in for a while you may have to scroll down to see what you have missed!

I have cleaned up a bit and now hope to ....wait for it...be creative...lol...E is busy at her easel drawing so we will catch you again soon - Lissy