A weekend of vitamin D

I didn't have any time off over Christmas, so a chance to get away for a night was too good to pass up!

Just what I needed, a couple of days of doing nothing.

A mini break involving an overnight camp at Urenui Beach, just north of New Plymouth.

Traci joined us for the weekend and we got to try out our new 3-man tent.

These wee boxes were just over the fence from our tent. I was curious.

They were little nesting boxes for the Little Blue Penguin. They are the world's smallest penguin

and come ashore under the cover of darkness. Although it isn't the breeding season at the moment

the Little Blue Penguin's take to nesting boxes really well.

How cute, I really wanted to add a few homely touches, but I resisted the urge. :))

Ah, lots of swimming, and sun and reading and sleeping. Perfect!

Carole :)

a little bit of paint and water

I decided I would get my paper and little box of paints out and work on another lesson from the class I did a few months ago.

My aim is to be able to keep a journal that uses all manor of embellishments, but before

I start my journal journey I have to learn how to draw, perspective and colour.

-Just the basics would be good!

Oh well, I'm having fun practicing!

Are you learning anything new?

Carole :)

a swap project is finished

OK, I know you are probably in shock after reading that blog post title, but I actually did finish an arty project!

It was supposed to be finished in time for a Christmas swap - PRE Christmas that was!

But hey, better late than never!

So, instead of making a "junkle" Christmas swap, I've made the QB5 girls a

"junkle snippet roll"

When is a Christmas swap not a Christmas swap?

When it's a New Year swap!

You'll have to pop back when the girls have got them to see what a snippet roll is!

Carole :)

Reason number 2

 

The second reason I've not been creating weird and wonderful things from fabric is that I have been writing.

Fiction.

Several years ago I wrote a novel, 54,000 words. Romantic fiction.

I found it recently when I was having a spring clean in my sewing room and going through some of the boxes of papers etc...

I opened it and reacquainted myself with the characters I had created all those years ago.

It was quite an emotional visit, and I know that sounds silly, but I spent months writing that original draft and I was responsible for shaping the lives of my hero and heroine and all those who came into contact with them.

It was like catching up with old friends and a while later I discovered I had been sitting on the floor with a pile of stuff all around me engrossed in the story. I still liked it.

I decided then that I needed to do something with it instead of just filing it away again.

So I decided to write a 2nd draft of it, mainly because I had written it in 1999, and I've done a lot of writing in one way or another since then, I thought it needed to be re-written.

Hopefully it will be finished by February and I will see if it is publishable.

Don't panic though, I'm making my way back into the sewing room, and I have loads of ideas for new projects and adventures in fabric...

Can't wait!

But I just have to finish what I started many years ago :)

Carole :)

I'm still here....

Well it has been a fair old while since I blogged last.

And I didn't even post and wish you all a merry Christmas or Happy New Year!

But believe me, I have been thinking of you all,

And I have been missing my regular visiting of your blogs.

I could make loads of excuses why I haven't been blogging much lately, but there are only two legitimate reasons and I know that you all know one of them, but I don't think you know about the second.

I'll tell you all about that one tomorrow. :))

But today I just wanted to share with you a few of the small things that made me smile during the Christmas break.

A lovely card from Patty with stars from Linda  (above)

and of course an envelope for the card. 

Notice that these chocolates were miniatures?

See what I mean, my they were nice!

And then the holiday reading is covered with these very cute bookmarks!

And little embellishments on the ribbons, thanks Traci.

And lunch under an umbrella on a beautiful sunny summer day

at the Beyond the Bridge Cafe.

I hope you all have a very prosperous year ahead,

that you have goals you can achieve,

and that you keep in good health.

Here's to our friendship as we begin our journey through 2011.

Carole x 

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 :))