Friday, May 30, 2008

No Words...

I really don't think I need to add anything here. Except maybe to explain that the last picture is of Ruby giving Clary 'the happy face', as she puts it. And also that this kind of art has been a little regular of late, which is why I wasn't completely and utterly shocked over it and thought 'what the hell I may as well take a picture before I get mad about this'



Looks real happy doesn't he? Thrilled I'd say.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Pumpkin party

If you are a semi-regular reader of my little blog you'll know that we recently moved. Well the town we now call home has an annual Pumpkin Festival. That's right, a celebration of all things pumpkin. And, more importantly, it's home to the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll. It was on Sunday just gone and it was a huge day, heaps of fun. It has a bit of everything; market stalls (around 250 apparently!), food, camel rides, whip cracking demos, kids rides - huge for a town of this size. The population here is around 500 and the festival brings in about 13000 visitors. People everywhere. So much stuff, we certainly didn't see it all, probably not even half.

The Great Australian Pumpkin Roll was the high light of the day, I think. Nearly 500 people registered to roll their pumpkins down the hill. The pumpkins go down the hill and across the highway into the park on the other side of the road. The highway is closed for the occassion, LOL.
Mr Secondstitch fronted up for this family, to do his best pumpkin roll. But unfortunately it just wanted good enough to make the pumpkin rolling finals. Bum.
I didn't manage to get his pumpkin in the picture but here he is just as he sent that little baby on its' way. That's him in the yellow shirt, next to him in the pink shirt is my brother-in-law, who also tossed a bit of a dud pumpkin.

And what's a pumpkin celebration without immortalizing half your family as a couple of pumpkins. That's one butternut and one jap, I think. Ah, Mr Secondstitch doesn't know I'm posting a picture of him as a pumpkin on the internet so we'll just keep that to ourselves, OK?

Ruby scored herself a pretty little pink parasol.

And also got to spend time with her little cousins, Bailey and Abetha. This is her admiring Bailey. Aren't they cute lil' pumpkins? Yes, I'm just trying to see how many times I can use the word pumpkin in this post.

Like Rubys' necklace? She pinched it clean off my neck that morning. I think it looks better on her.
So if you have any good pumpkin recipes, let me know, 'cause I have a truckload of pumpkins here.
Oh, and my little girl got an encouragement award in the Pumpkin Decorating competition. I don't have a picture of her award winning pumpkin, must take one tomorrow.
It was such a good day.
Anyway must go. I'm determined to at least get some fabric cut tonight. Sticking with my tried and true pinni pattern but I must get something made this week. It's been sooooo long since I sewed anything.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

I wiped out the op shop.

I haven't even shown everything that I got today. I fear that already I have bored some of you to death, so I'm trying to minimize the carnage by not showing everything.
I got a bit of fabric, these two below will be used to make some things for Clary.If I ever sew again. I have been inspired to sew for Clary by this post here by Danielle Thompson who is, quite simply, an amazingly talented woman it seems, in everything she puts her hand to. Sewing, embroidery, photography, whatever, anything at all. I would love to have an ounce of her creativity.

The fabric above is a doona cover, and the one below is a super plus plus size homemade mans shirt. Plenty of fabric in that one, I tell you.

Finally I have to share this with you, crap photo and all. If you can see beyond the dancing diva and the crapola all over my mirror, I got that entire outfit (top, skirt and boots) for ten bucks. I kid you not.

Honestly. How could you go wrong.

The Boots

Ok I actually got these boots last week, not today, doesn't matter.
They are still to-die-for boots. These are so nice. They are Italian made leather, leather lined, leather sole even. Is it ethically OK to buy leather if it's second hand? Or does the second-handness change nothing, it's still made from an animal??
Anyway, I think I just won't get into that right now.
Everything about these is just so lovely.
They are the perfect chocolate brown.
So nice and soft.
Show no signs of wear.

The lining is pink leather, although you can't see the colour really well in this picture..
They are in fact so nice that I cannot keep them. I'm going to pass them on to my sister. You see I wouldn't be able to do them justice. For a start, I'd probably never actually wear them. And if I did, well, I just don't have a whole lot of style going on, if you know what I mean.
My sister has somewhat a little more class than me, and they will suit her perfectly I think.

Although having said that I did get two (yes two!) more pairs of knee high boots today, which I will be keeping. But truly, they're just not quite as nice as these. I got a black pair and a camel coloured pair. The camel ones are Nine West and had the original price still on them - $298!!! I do like to get a bargain and I really did do well today.

I picked up this doiley type table runner which I'm thinking could look funky as a scarf. Excuse my rough head here, I tried to get a better shot, believe me, but this is the best I could do today.

So I'm thinking that 'doiley runner as a scarf' is either
A) a very good idea or
B) a very bad idea.
I'm not sure which yet.
I guess the people on the street will let me know, LOL.





Well two posts is enough for one day, but I'm afraid I may just do one more soon. I'll be away fromt the blog for a week or so after today, so I'm just getting it all out of my system now.


oops nearly forgot to mention my necklace. I couldn't resist it as it just makes me feel all Betty Ruble. Or was is Wilma?

Therapy

I have recovered from my crap day yesterday by treating myelf to a spot of op shopping. It works a treat. Nothing like a few bargains to blow the life back in to you.
I got a few and may even do a coule of posts tonight so I can fit in all the pictures,LOL.
Firstly I got this gorgeous vintage woollen coat. I got two coats today and both were only $5 each.

I love the little strap detail on the back.

This one is chocolate brown suede, gorgeous, but oh so heavy. I shouldn't have bought it, it doesn't even fit me, but it was just one of those 'this-is-so-lovely- and-they're-practically-giving-it-away-how-can-I-possibly-walk-out-of-here-without-this' type things. You know??


Both of those top pockets have two buttons each, I just didn't bother doing them up on one side before I took the picture.
They might not look that flash, lying on the floor as I have them, but they look great on. The second one looks great with the belt tied.
Sooooo, if you think you would like to own the second one, drop me a line and I will send it on its' way to you. That's only if you live in Australia I'm afraid as my budget just will not accomodate international postage on this heavy little baby, at the moment. I would say it's about a size 12, although the label has it as a 14.
Gorgeous. But heavy.
Edited to say that the coat has a new home, it's going to be winging its' way to Melbourne, lucky thing.

Monday, May 19, 2008

They won

The kids, that is..........they won the battle today. Completely destroyed me. How is it that the little people can be so brutal, without even trying?
Today was just one of those days. If you have kids then I'm sure you know what I mean.
Crying, whinging, throwing tantrums, into everything, emptying every drawer, cupboard, whatever. And that was just me. Kidding. Kind of.
Somedays it's enough just to get through the day without being committed to the nut house. Today was one of those days.
Ruby has such a short attention span. Pulls out a bunch of toys/stuff, plays for a couple of minutes then moves on to pulling out more stuff. Grrrrrrr. Clary can now push a little stool around which he can then climb on to get in to more stuff.
I think they hate me. They're trying to send me crazy. That's what it feels like some days.
On days like today I seriously wonder if I will ever do anything creative again. When on earth am I ever going to get time.
I used to do my 'stuff' at night, when the kids were all tucked up in bed. But more and more, by the time I get them to bed and do the dishes, clean up, blah, blah, blah...........it's time for bed. And I used to stay up way later than I should doing 'my stuff' because I needed that time to myself more than I needed to sleep, if you know what I mean. But lately I'm really just too tired to do it.
It sucks.
So I'm putting this picture in here just to remind me how beautiful my kids really are. I took this yesterday and I know it's technically not a great picture but I think it may be one of my favourites, ever. I took it just after I'd bathed the kids, Clary had had his hair washed, he was all squeaky clean and ready for bed, and snuck up on that chair with his book.


Hope your day was better than mine.
Best go, I have dishes to do, ironing, banking and a shopping list to write.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

And now, more on food

Two posts about food in one day, don't mean to bore you but, hey, you don't have to read it.
So I thought i had a win with tea tonight. I had a lazy tea, made a frittata. The recipe was for chicken and corn frittata, but I had no chicken and no corn so we had bacon, zucchini and carrot frittata. It was very, very nice. I ate most of it.
But I thought I'd had a win with Ruby because she was all "yummy, yummy, this is good" when I put it out. But as I was really just listening to her and not actually watching her as I was feeding Clary, it took a minute or so before I realised that no, she wasn't actually going to gobble it all up like I'd been thinking she was. It had been 'yummy' for as long as it took her to pick all the bacon out of it. The rest of it was, in fact, 'yucky Mum'

So I pretty much ate the whole lot myself. It was nice.

Meantime I'll just keep trying. You'll be the first to know if I do get a win with her. The diva.

Lunch

Ruby started out being a very good eater. Loved fruit and vegetables. Would choose them over anything sweet. Lately though, that's all gone by the way. Clary has been a little fussy from the start.
When I serve up meat and vegetables for tea Ruby will eat the meat first and then I have to push her to eat her veges. I hate trying to think of what to cook for tea. Absolutely hate it.
But in some ways she still has some good eating habits. Even though they can be a little smelly. You see, she loves sardines. Really, really loves them. And loves to give hugs and kisses afterwards - very stinky, old sardine breath.
Anyway this is what she wanted for lunch today. Sardines, kalamarta olives and avocado on a rice cake. She had two helpings of everything.

So at least she's had this, when she refuses to eat tonight.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Duuuuuude

There is this cheapo shop near us called 'Gone Bonkers' and it gets some fun stuff in. I could not resist these 70's studmuffin glasses for Clary. He loves them. Actually leaves them on. I think they're hilarious. This picture makes me think of Fonzie. Heeeeey.

Another one for my collection of pictures for his 21st. He he.

Grub love

We have spent a few days over at my parents place over the past few weeks, and the garden over there is, apparently, a mecca for grubs.

And Ruby loves grubs, bugs, insects, whatever. So she has been pretty busy collecting them and housing them is jars. And naming them. The names are the most surprising bit of all. She has come out with some pretty stella names, all on her own, with no prompting from anyone else.
So first there was Damon, then Dandy, then came Archer, Solar, Sarah and, my favourite, Crunchy. Do you think you'd be living every second like it were you last if you were a grub and your name was Crunchy? I have been totally impressed with the names she has been coming out with and can't wait to hear what she'll think up next.
Unfortunately for the grubs she likes to pop them into jars and keep them close (or not) to her. She usually will shove a handful of leaves in with them. For sustainance I believe.
then it's up to the grub/s to wait for someone to set them free while Ruby isn't looking.

We had been back home a day or so when I found this little fella in this jar behind the couch. Poor little thing. I thought he was dead, he had no leaves after all. But he had survived the horror. Although I do believe he was flipping me the bird when I took this picture but really, can you blame him.
In my defence I did not muck around taking the picture and set him free very quickly in to the garden.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Books

We are a house of book lovers here, we all love to read. Although it does seem a little funny to say that I love to read as I have barely read since I had Ruby, LOL. Just. No. Time.
But I have always loved to read. My partner loves to read and, funny again, still reads as much as he ever did, despite the fact the we now have children. Hmmmmm. Funny how he still seems to have spare time to fit in all these books he reads.
And he doesn't even buy the books for himself. I do! Whenever I'm in the op shops I'm looking for books for him. He has to have a book to read AT ALL TIMES. Or else.
I think Ruby will be the same.

We started reading to her when she was very little and she has a HUGE collection of books on rotation. Whenever we have visitors, or we are staying at Grandmas', she will constantly be asking whoever it is, 'read this to me??'
Just lately she has become more inclined to also sit down by herself and read, it is so nice to watch her.
Clary seems to like books too, although I have probably been a little bit slacker with reading to him, so far. Must start reading to him more often.


I love this picture of them togethere on the couch. They had been lazing around, Ruby reading on the couch and Clary reading on the floor but got on the move once they saw me with the camera.
Short and sweet tonight. Must go wash the dishes, fold the laundry, iron, clean up the mess, blah, blah, blah............................go to bed.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Fun!!!

If these pictures do not make you want to be a kid again and get on this ride these's something wrong.
This elephant ride was sooooo cute. Seriously. Adorable.

We found it at the local (kind of) show today. Ruby went on a few rides, mostly by herself as there weren't that many people there while we were. She probably didn't really care but I reckon she would have had so much more fun if there had been some other kids on the rides with her.

I have been very slack with the blog, been sick. Not sure why, very annoying.
Blood tests show nothing, scans show nothing. Grrrrrrr.
Hate being sick. I guess we all do.
Also very sick of trying to sort this house out. Why is it that when you move, so many things seem to end up homeless? Just will not fit into the new place??
It seems as though others in blog land move house by
a) announcing on the eve of the move that they are moving and then
b)continuing to do lots of creative things without interruption and
c) the move is never mentioned again.
Ha ha bloody ha. That is so funny.
You should see the spare room.

Monday, May 5, 2008

grrrrrr

Just lost a whole post, pictures and all.
Absolutely cannot face typing it all out again, sorry.

Here is the short version.

Found a random jumble stall today.
Got this cute little sailor dress. Too small for Ruby so will give it to my niece, Abetha.


Got a bunch of books, 22 books for $4.40, can't beat that for value, hey!
Lots of different books: Thomas books (we already have LOTS, but really, you can never have too many Thomas books), old nursery rhyme books, old school readers. A mish mash.



Lots of nice pictures.

Like this


and this

and this snotty, grotty little boy who, I think, loves books as much as his sister (that's LOTS)


I have been very slack with the old blog. Still sorting this house out (yes, I am).
It's wearing me out. I want to be doing stuff, sewing, scrapping, taking photos. But first I have to find homes for all my crap. Time consuming. Boring.
Bring on the fun stuff.