2 deliveries!

Delivery #1. A big pile of ....... compost! I've started digging over the ground to make my gardens. I need to add compost to the soil to build the gardens up so I don't loose plants during next winter!


I've reached the corner now, next I have to come all the way down this trellis.
Delivery #2 was some place mats. I think these have lots of potential.
This blog seems to have taken a distinct gardening direction of late, hope you don't mind. I have been in my sewing room, but have been doing boring things like repairs.
Hope you all had a great weekend!
Carole

pssssst!

go to www.littleblackkitty.typepad.com for a journal giveaway!

What do you absolutely hate to eat the most?

YEP! IT HAS TO BE BROAD BEANS!! And guess what? YEP AGAIN!! I'm growing flamin miles of them! I have frozen them so I can add them to casseroles and stews come winter, but I will have to find some seriously good way of disguising their flavour! I hate the way they look so tempting, like you could just pick them up and eat them raw, oh no, and I hate the way they turn an awful shade of grey when you cook them! Any one have any tips?
Progress with the chrissy cake, it's been smothered to death with whiskey and stored. I'll wait for another couple of weeks before I do the icing thing. I always use a recipe I found years ago in an Australian mag. It's full of cherries and sultanas, oh, and whiskey!
Couple of pics from the vege garden. These are some of the surplus strawberry plants I didn't have room for in the garden.
I can't believe the size of the fruit on the plants in the garden, it's huge, much bigger than the fruit last year.

Thought I'd just finish on a sweet note!
Have a fab weekend everyone!
Carole

Wednesday - Art collector in another life.....

This is Wednesday. For those of you who are new to my blog, she is 1 year old, and has a lovely personality. I think she was an art collector in another life. Why? Well she continually brings me little things I guess as gifts, but I think she really is a collector and she knows I just love collecting all sorts of wacky things.
Almost every night she brings things in thru the open window, she meows really loudly to let you know she's bought something. Goodness knows where she's getting all this from! Take a look!

Above - bits of plastic wrap under the bed
Below - a MacDonalds wrapper

An old plastic frozen food bag and a Harry Potter lolly wrapper

Leaves, we get hundreds of these!
Ooops, I think these were attached to something cute and chirpy!

More leaves, oh and a plastic shopping bag, and a piece of paper
the paper turned out to be an old wedding pic, which I recognise as the lady next door......

and more bits of old paper, encrusted with dirt!
See what I mean!! These pics were taken over two weeks. Does anyone else have cats who do this? I think it's a real hoot, and I love to see what Wednesday has bought me!
Carole

a neat prize to win - check it out

Pretty neat eh! Go visit Kristen and leave a comment! Quick smart!

Making hay while the sun shines!

I must apologize for anyone who may think this blog is about what I might just happen to create in my little sewing room. At the moment I am enjoying the sunshine and just being outside! However I am still creating, I'm just doing it outside! I have made a start on digging over part of the paddock to turn it into garden. I have lost 2 peach trees and a necterine and the almond tree, and maybe a plum tree, all due to the very wet winter we suffered. I will need to concentrate on raising all the garden area. It's going to be a big job!

Yes, I know, I am quite mad, but I have to have some garden, and it's not going to happen if I sit and just whinge about it! I will post some pics of my progress soon.

Anyway, in the mean time my mum sent me two pics of a small part of her garden, what do you think? Isn't it just beautiful! And very inviting with all the colours and the little path. If you like mum's garden, leave a comment for her to read! Hope you are all enjoying your weekend, and thanks for dropping by!
Carole

a little light heartedness....

A cat died and went to Heaven. God met her at the gates and said, 'You have been a good cat all these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking.'


The cat thought for a minute and then said, 'All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on.'

God said, 'Say no more.' Instantly the cat had a huge fluffy pillow.

A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all went to Heaven together. God met the mice at the gates with the same offer that He made to the cat

The mice said, 'Well, we have had to run all of our lives: from cats, dogs, and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller skates, we would not have to run again.'
God answered, 'It is done.' All the mice had beautiful little roller skates.

About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found her sound asleep on her fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and asked, 'Is everything okay? How have you been doing? Are you happy?'

The cat replied, 'Oh, it is WONDERFUL. I have never been so happy in my life. The pillow is so fluffy, and those little Meals on Wheels you have been sending over are delicious!'

jandles in the garden!

Today was the first day that I've been able to wear jandles out into the garden! Woohoo! the mud is starting to dry out!
Here are just a couple of pics from my visit to the vege garden! These strawberries are the first for the season!

In case you're wondering, I had a large bowl of strawberries and ice cream tonight!
Carole ;)

Some help needed here!

You might well ask! Well I need your help and suggestions please! We were given this little guy, by the family of an elderly gentleman who passed away. I would like to keep it, but it doesn't go with anything! He stands about knee height, is made of ceramic I think, he is not plastic, but not concrete either, quite light to lift. But I think if he fell over outside he may break. It came with the flowers ;) The urn bit at the top is hollow so I could put something in it?

Now, please, please please send me your ideas for what I could do with this!!

I look forward to hearing from you,
Carole

My $2.00 day!!

Last night I made this cover for a box of tissues, I liked the floral fabric, and it goes nicely with the floral china I have sitting on the dresser.

This morning I was up early and round to my girlfriends place by 7.30am. We were going to the distribution centre for Ezibuy. They were having a massive clearance sale, no advertising, word of mouth only. I've never been before, but apparently they clear out all the clothes that either been returned for some reason, or are factory seconds, or perhaps have been tried on in their store and have been damaged. Ezibuy is a large company and although they have retail stores throughout NZ, most of their sales come by mail order in Australia and NZ.
Not knowing what to expect I was ready!

I was not ready!
Instead of a shopping basket, you were issued with a huge cardboard box which was way too big to carry, so you had to drag it behind you, and the reason being that everything was $2.00! There were women everywhere, all fighting to get the chance to rummage through piles and piles of clothes! Amazing!
I looked for tops, especially anything that said merino. You couldn't try anything on, so I had to buy what I knew might fit. This white lacy shirt had one button missing from the front, but it had a small bag attached with a spare in it! It will take me 2 minutes to fix it. It has short sleeves and will be lovely for summer. It's retail price was $59.95! $2.00!

This green top, ignore the colours, you get the idea, was also $59.95, it had a small gap, about 1 inch, in one seam where the stitching had come undone, 2 minutes to fix, $2.00!
Overall, I bought 21 items for $40.00. (I bought some to give to family). But I bought 11 assorted tops for myself, the tags added up to $429.45, I paid $22.00! I couldn't believe it! I never have this sort of luck! And I have a whole new stack of clothes for next autumn and winter!
Then, heading back towards home, I came across this, which I think is very cool. However I know hubby would never tow it behind the car, it really doesn't look that manly - if you know what I mean! It has just enough room to sleep 2 people and that's it! Isn't it dinky! I'd love to paint it something way more pretty and tow it behind my car! LOL
Then after lunch I went on a garden visit with the local garden club. I am normally working when they meet, but today I was home and was able to go. We went to a Palmerston North garden called Helm Park. The owner breeds, or hybridizes irises, and they were everywhere! His property was huge with lots of big trees and colourful gardens everywhere! There was a mix of formal rose beds, and large lawns, and also little pathways that lead you to little surprises!


These are just 2 of the iris gardens, lots of the ladies bought plants for their gardens. His colours were stunning.


Well there's not much crafting happening here, but when the days are so sunny I have a great need to be outside after all the rain and mud of winter!

Hope you also nabbed a bargain today!
Carole ;)

Some pics from tonight....

Isn't this little fella neat, he's a kingfisher and he visits every evening and feeds on all the worms.

Then tonight these guys popped up from the long grass and "ducked" under the fence and waddled across the paddock! Must have been a boys night out! haha


Then there was a little rugby tonight with Shelby. She even has her own rugby ball, although it does have a lot of ventilation nowdays! LOL
Hope your day has been full of little surprises!
Carole