Thursday, November 28, 2013

It's time for another Birthday Cake


We just had Miss M's birthday party on the weekend. We had it a little bit earlier than her actual birthday because December is such a busy month.  It was a Slumber party, Martha and 4 little girls.
The BEST party EVER!
I love 10 year old girls!
They chat and giggle and compliment each other ever so much!


They made hama bead crafts, decorated cupcakes, made fimo ombre necklaces, ate pizza, watched movies, drank water over soft drink, ate heaps of lollies, sang to Katy Perry, watched the  Katy Perry Movie, expressed their love for Katy Perry.  They painted their toenails and complimented me on how creative I was with the cake and decorations (oh I love them so). Please excuse the quality of the photos - phone camera!




This is the cake - based on the old Vintage Women's Weekly Birthday Cake Book's "Lolly Shop".
Tweaked a little to meet Martha's specifications.  Pink, pink, pink! Man, for a girl that climbs the advanced indoor rock wall like a spider ( grown men have expressed their awe!) she is so bloody PINK! 
The party was sooooo simple. 
I laid out the stuff in a pretty way.
In the spirit of my "make do with the stuff I have" - surprise surprise, I found heaps of pretty party gear stashed away. So I used that, my card making stash for the decorated water bottles. My craft stash for the activities. Left me a pretty good budget to even get the pizzas delivered!
Miss M decided it was time to get her ears pierced. So Nanny provided that gift.

How grown up 10 is.



 

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Doh!

Two  0ne and bit months from the end of the year and I thought, hhhmm - might just check those 2013 goals. And guess what ? NONE of them have been achieved! No-oh, not one.  No sewing what so ever, I have started a rug though. But hmmmm....big short fall or not?

So what have I done? Certainly nothing on this list! The one I started out with!
  1. knit Mr G a jumper
  2. knit me a cardigan
  3. learn how to knit cables 
  4. sew 2 winter skirts
  5. sew bags
  6. sew martha a dress
  7. make aprons
  8. make candles`
  9. make over my outdoor area
  10. garden 
  11. finish the quilt I started
  12. crochet a rug 
  13. make over my kitchen
  14. reclaim a buffet
  15. go on a craft camp
  16. make lavender ice cream
  17. sew 2 tops for me
  18. use a BIG chunk of my fabric stash
  19. make all my birthday cards and have them ready and waiting
  20. make some cushion     

I did however:
1. Make a big dent in my studies
2. Get a new job - at least a second contract where I work
3. Take the kids to Bali and have a great time 
4. I am more organised this year
5.  Lunch boxes have looked even better this year - I also decided that they weren't too place to begin with.
6. Whilst I still continue to struggle with my weight, I feel good about myself and feel good about me.  That's gotta be good!
7. I have reduced my wool stash - not so my sewing stash

All in all, it has been a great year and it hasn't even finished!  Sometimes life takes a different direction from plan A, but don't underestimate plan B - it deserves acknowledgement too!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Trip home

Evening peeps! I have just got in from a loooooonnnng driving weekend. On Thursday I drove to my mum's in Canberra and then Friday we drove to Sydney to farewell my mum's sister, my Aunty Bev - who passed away after a big struggle with cancer.  Later that day, after the funeral we drove back to Canberra and a few days later I drove home to Melbourne. LOTS of km's!

For all my efforts, my Mumsy spoilt me and nurtured me with food and comfort any time I was not behind the wheel. It was great. One chilly evening she tucked me up on the lounge and brought me chockies and cuppas and put on schmaltzy 1980's mini series to watch (Mum and I love watching these together and picking out all the styling issues!).  Anyway, there I was tucked up with granny square rugs all made in previous years by my Mum's Mum, my  Nanna, all except one.


This one.


This rug was started with my Nanna, my Dad's in the summer of 1976. I was 9 and Nana, my darling soul mate, was not long for this world.  Nanna sat with me on the couch in her dining room and taught me how to crochet.  It took me ages to get it really going, but thank goodness I persevered! In June the following year cancer claimed the life of my beautiful Nan. I was 10 and devastated when she died.

This rug became a labour of love. My mum understood what it meant and really encouraged every treble I stitched. It was the very first piece of independent craft I made without any supervision as Mum didn't and still doesn't know how to crochet and couldn't help, so trouble shooting was up to me. 


So here it is, all these years later my first ever granny rug is still in commission - it keeps my little Mum snuggly warm in the winter evenings. Made by her little girl and it gives her comfort and memories. How cool is that?