a blog post about matchboxes

Here in Palmerston North it is very muggy and humid. 

We have had some much needed rain, our water tank was only half full.

I haven't blogged in a while, but thought I needed to do a blog post on matchboxes.

Here are two reasons why ...

Recently I received a delightful box of goodies in the mail from Patty (her link is under the QB5 group), and much to my delight amongst the goodies I found, carefully wrapped in a pretty piece of fabric, a wee matchbox.

I love matchboxes.

Don't you think Patty has made a lovely job of this one?

It is covered in paper, is very pretty and contains a secret.

One of Patty's gorgeous wee handmade bird's nests! 

Thanks Patty, it's totally birdilicious :))

However.....

I also love these matchboxes .....

do you remember them from years ago?

I cut a sheet of pre-rolled flakey pastry into rectangles and cooked in a hot oven

until they puffed up and were light golden in colour.

Then when they were cool I iced them with a passionfruit icing, 

and when the icing was set I split them in half and 

 filled them with whipped cream! (you can also fold summer berries into the whipped cream as an extra treat)

mmmmmmm!

They are lovely with a cup of tea, or as a sweet treat after your meal. 

Believe me I know!

Heavenly!

Hope you are all having a stress free pre Christmas week, if you aren't, 

I recommend you make and eat some of these!

Carole :)

a distinct lack of creative genius!

You may have noticed a distinct lack of creative goodness on this blog or recent weeks.

Today I decided I had better pull finger and start on my swap goodies for the famous 5 

I decided to start by dying some cotton reels, in a bid to make them look a little old :)

they sit in a bath of walnut ink for a few hours and start to suck it all up, goody!

They dry a little lighter, but they are starting to looked aged! Yay.

Mmmmmm, now I'll need some old lace. But it looks a little too white, 

so, into a lovely coffee bath :))

And then a bit of a rub on the concrete and left to dry in the sun.

Looks pretty old now! 

I'll keep you updated on progress...

Carole :)

How's your week going?

Well I'm popping in to see how your week is going?

Mine has been average, but I have felt a little more in control this week :))

If that is actually possible!

But I wanted to share these photos with you.

On the weekend when my family were visiting,

my mother and I went to a country fair held in the gardens of this glorious old home.

We got there early to ensure a car park,

and wandered round the gardens and through the old trees and looked at all the wares for sale.

There were jams and silk scarves, handmade books and babies clothes, cane baskets and womens clothes, alpaca blankets, bunches of flowers and hats. And a refreshment table that had the most divine looking bad things and the smell of coffee floated in the air.

Several of the rooms in the house had been done up with furnishings as the owner ran an interior design business. 

But the most exciting part of the day was listening to my father tell me stories about when he was a child and how he used to play there, and

that the house and the land it sat on belonged to his grandmother many years ago.

He told us tales of what it was like when his mother grew up there.

Where the fountain is now used to be a tennis court. 

What a marvellous morning we had!

What memories were stirred,

what imagination worked over time!

Here's looking forward to the weekend :)

Carole

two things of great importance happened this week...

The first was, that the evil machine has been returned to the fitness hire company! 

I can't tell you just how relieved I am!

I swear I could hear it snarling as it was dragged out the door and carted back into town!

The second bit of fantastic news is that I attended my graduation ceremony on Friday!

What an exciting and emotional time, I have never felt like laughing and crying so much, 

and all at the same time!

I was so thrilled that I could celebrate with my parents, 

(they made the 8 hour trip to attend the ceremony,)

and with my daughter Traci and the darling Dennis who both already have degrees,

and have encouraged me all the way!

Now I am working on my next goal!

What are yours for 2011?

Carole :))

i cried

I cried for the families of the 29 mine workers.
Claimed by Pike River Mine.

 If you love someone, let them know.


Carole

hardship and suffering....

There is nothing like a little bit of motivation to spur you on in times of hardship and suffering.

I thought that dangling the chocolate bar from a length of string in front of the treadmill really wasn't working for me.

Especially after my last nights torturous session slogging it out for 30 mins at an extremely fast pace, I somehow managed to find enough energy to make it to the fridge where I drank a litre of lemonade to quench the thirst, and grabbed a hand full of chocolate biscuits to give me the energy to cook tea!

I thought it was perhaps time to try a different tactic!

Perhaps I will try a slightly different form of motivation in the form of the one and only Oliver Reed!

Oh my, and let me tell you this, I've got a bit of a thing for the man who had two goals in life.

1. drink every bar dry

2. shag every woman he could

And just as I thought, I don't need the treadmill any longer. 

Nope, each time I stare at those eyes my heart rate increases!!

Works better than chocolate :)

He's right up there beside my Colin (oh and my Dennis!)

Oliver Reed

1938 to 1999

(All images taken from Google Images)

The treadmill is glaring at me! - I can hear it!!!

Who motivates you?

Carole :))

A little lamb progress report

They are happily playing in the front paddock by the road, but they will be gradually shifted to the paddock behind the house so that no one jumps over the front fence and pinches them for Christmas dinner!

They are so cute when they are lambs!

Carole :)

Block #4 is finished!

During my "pre-work" days, I used to keep a container with my hand-stitching gear in it on the coffee table in the lounge. It came in handy each night when I would sit down for the evening to do some stitching while I listened to my favorite programmes on the tv.

Now that I'm working I am finding that I don't get time to actually sit in front of the tv, so of course I'm not getting any stitching done either! My progress has slowed.

But I'm excited to say that I've finished Miss Maude Block four! 

And don't you think she is one darn house proud mouse?

Two more blocks to finish!

Hope your week is going well!

Carole :)

a busy weekend

On the weekend we drove to Martinborough to visit with friends who breed highland cattle. 

They were having a"meet the new calves" BBQ lunch. 

There was plenty of car parking, fresh air, food, sun and calves.

Then Saturday night I went to the Gin Wigmore concert at the Regent with friends.

Isn't it fun when you can sing along to the song, as loud as you can and no one can hear that you're singing out of tune?!

The couple dancing on stage - he had publicly proposed to her and she said yes, while Gin played her 'I do" song. How cool, how embarrassing!!

Did you do anything different and fun this weekend?

Carole :))

can't have too much of this....

A little something that arrived on my birthday.

Pretty cool aye? 

Hope you're having a fab week!

Carole :)

planning revenge.....

Don't know what's happening with all this work business? 

Since I started full time work I have been flopping into bed at night 

like I'd just got in from running a marathon!

It really is pathetic!

House work? HUH! I doubt it! 

Meals, well, just barely.

Blogging - yeah right!

T.V? Sometimes I make the news and weather,

and sex, -well you've gotta be kidding me!!!

I personally blame it on that damn treadmill! 
It totally vindictive,
I can hear it laughing at me every night when I pull my socks and shoes on.

It's a torture machine, for 30 minutes every night,

it stops me getting to the fridge and the chocolate 

biscuits I know are hidden in the back :))

I slide off the back of it, when it slows down in a lather of sweat,
in such a state of exhaustion that I don't have the energy to make it to the fridge! 

I slipped into bed last night listening to an audio book,

I was up to chapter 3.

I regained consciousness a couple of hours later and the woman was reading chapter 22

It really is very sad!

I just wanted to share these pics with you. While I'm still awake :)

This year I seemed to collect boxes, and are they gorgeous or what!
The very top box is wooden and was given to me by my sister.
The butterfly box above was given to me by my friend Di, and now has loads of laces stored in it.
And the wee box below was decorated by Margaret.

And it contained 50 items, one for every year of my life!

I love all my boxes, YAY! 

Just wanted to say thanks to you all for dropping by my blog too, 

my "answering every comment" manners have gone out the window.

I do love hearing from you though!

Hope you all have a great week!

Carole :))

A couple of party pics...

 Just a few pics from the birthday...

(my ability to hold the camera still as the night got older, became very poor! lol) 

thank you to all who sent birthday wishes.

It was a lovely evening and I have never laughed so much or had so much fun.

1. my sister and sister-in-law stringing party lights

2. loads of colourful artificial flowers everywhere

3. Hula dog Shelby! 

4. me with my personal party organiser, Traci x

5. an empty punch bowl  :((  who knew I was drinking so much vodka?

6. pretty lanterns

7. me and the kids, you guys made my night!

(and I'm told, 50 is the new 40!!!)

lol have a good weekend guys!

Carole :))

I'm terrified....

It has arrived.

The Machine.

Each time I walk past the door I break into a sweat, 

I don't even have to look at it,

I just know it's there,

waiting for me.....

Carole :((

The big reveal finally happens!

 The moment you've all been waiting for!

My stitchery comes home again!!

Do you remember my stitchery project when it was almost naked?

Well that was way back in June.

Patty, Linda, Nathalie and Margaret were also playing, cleverly crafting getting their own stitchery projects ready to send on adventures too.

Well I added a few more pieces to mine and sent it off to America to start it's world wide journey... 

 

My stitchery visited with Patty in July

where she added one of her famous felted hearts.

Then it went to stay with Nathalie  for a short while in August....

where she added some fine words and a wee "home" with lots of pinkness!

Then off it went to spend some September time with Linda, where busy hands took over and 

created a girl stitching! 

Then finally it flew to Switzerland in October to pay a call on Margaret,

where lots of fabricy and buttony goodness was added....

...and a teeny tiny heart!

 And here is my beautifully crafted stitchery...

Thanks girls! I love how you all took such great care of it and 

I love 

all you added!

It has become a very special treasure.

Check out the others stitchery projects on their blogs - 

the links are all listed on the side under QB5.

Enjoy your week!

Carole :))