This Is.....Our Pet

I am back on track with my This is meme - Our Pet.This is Jessie, he was bought for Bronte for her 4th Birthday present but has really become Bruce's/everyones cat. He is a monster of a cat weighing in at 8kg's and is always instructed to go on a diet by his Dr. But since Miranda has found out how to feed him a diet is a hopeless cause. Jessie was heavier than Miranda for 2 years and when she was a little baby I was very nervous about him being near her bed.

He loves to lie in the sun or curl up on the bed and sleep - and of course He LOVES to EAT!

Up until a few months ago we also had a pet Cockaroach but the pest man killed him :( He was very low maintenance but great to watch.

Blog Hibernation

Hiding away where nobody sees.....

OK well I have been here, reading not writing.

If you haven't read, I joined the gym 3 weeks ago now and have managed to get there 4 times each week, and whilst I am able to drag myself there I am finding the rest of the day is spent racing around catching up on the 2 hours lost walking on the spot.

SO my days goes something like Wake, eat, dress x3, race Bronte to school, race to the gym, drop Miranda at Creche do about 1 1/2 hours exercise, drive 15mins to Miranda's activity, feed her the remaining lunch, maybe race around the shop, cook dinner, pick up Bronte/wait till she gets home, feed the kids, race to drop Bronte to her activities and then come home and do the night thing with Miranda, get Bronte settled when she gets in and the sit down.

On the sewing front I have finished a few projects.

1st Summer Sassy Apron Swap

I really love how this apron has turned out so here is the finished product heading off over the oceans far away.

2nd Birthday Gifts

My niece is turning 3 in a few weeks and she loves dolls but has way too many so here are some doll accessories I have made

A wonky log cabin doll quilt, matching pillow, some fitted cloth nappies and I plan to make a sleeping bag as both her and her sister sleep in these.

The pillow is my favourite - I quilted each log and it really stands out.

Home Amongst the Gum Trees.

Some of Australia's nature relaxing in the midst of the rat race called Sydney. A visit to Sydney Aquarium and Sydney Wildlife World allowed us to take in some nature in the city.
I love this pic of Bronte
And Miranda

Much ado about craft.

My little hand have been very busy this week creating many little projects.

Bias Tape

First there was the need to obtain 7 yard of bias tape for my apron - I decided on the make your own approach as I had bought the coordinating fabric and just could not bring myself to using that pre packaged stuff (I'm on a polyester diet) so after trying to work out how to do it a number of ways I found a great tutorial (I have lost the link but will post when I find it) I practiced on some red, and seeing that work make my pink here it is 25 metres of Bias in less than 24hours

Flower Dotee

A flower dotee for a flower dotee swap on swap-bot

Bookmarks

Some handcrafted bookmarks using golden books for an anything goes bookmark swap over at swap-bot

Apron Progress and Bias in use.

Gym

Oh and I joined the gym on Monday morning with my mother's day gift certificate and am now paying someone so that I can WALK - I am baffled as to why I need to pay gym fees to walk when I could do the walking in the time that it would take me to drive there and back. But hey so far 2 days out of 2, (and it means I do not have to listen to Miranda cry and complain about sitting in a stroller or for that matter push a stroller at all) It was an effort to make myself exercise today as my body was a little sore but I have managed 2 days in a row to walk 2.3km, cycle 5km and cross train 2.?km - does that mean I get more ice cream tonight :) Now I have to decide weather to have a break tomorrow or just push myself and see if I can make it to the gym 4-5 days on my first week HHMMM would that create burnout??? I will decide how I feel in the morning and let fate decide by weather or not I can obtain a creche spot.

I will spare you photos on me walking on the tread mill but watch out because If I can manage to refrain from the ice cream I will surely be posting pics.

This is......My MUM

The theme for this weeks This is....of course is My Mum, in celebration of Mother's Day and recognising all that they are and have done for us.

My mum was only 16 when she had me and by the time she was 19 had my brother as well, she moved from her families home to Wellington New Zealand where we were born, then moved to the fast paced life of Sydney with no money, 2 small children an urgent need to find work, day care and friendship. We lived in Kings Cross with my dad at this time and then onto Rose Bay.

My mum has always worked hard (sometimes even 2 jobs) to try to give us everything we could have wanted, by the time I was 8 years old my parents had separated and my mum raised us alone from then on. As our immediate family are still mostly in New Zealand, my mum has been our family support almost single handed.

I have many fond memories of going on weekend picnics, rowing at Audley, Birthdays at Luna Park and a Hotel Room with friends - and many surprise birthdays. I also have memories of mum sewing my clothes, dress up costumes and trying to teach my to knit, latchhook.

Mum enjoyed entertaining and always had friends over for BBQ's or parties and she was a great cook and still is.

Mum is a hard worker, has alot of common sense and the ability to do almost anything from painting her house to embroidery on a blanket. She loves to go out and party as well as spend hours in the garden. Life for my mum has been tough having to do many things on her own without too much support but through all of this she has instilled in us good ethics, kindness to others and to be inclusive of others - we were often the hosts of the orphaned Christmas/special occasion lunches, and It is because of her that I am the person I am today.

With me as a baby -1974

Striking a pose
Now a Grandma -with Bronte in 2000 On our Husky Holiday in April.

Happy Mother's Day mum, I hope you enjoyed The Tenors.

We Love you.

...And here is what I got from my beautiful children today

2 hand made cards, bracelet, bookmark, compact mirror, a drawing.

As well as a sleep in, breakfast on waking (I am one for eating in bed), and a cosy day at home sorting my photo folders.

And as requested a 3 month Gym membership......MMMM now I will most certainly have to get down there and try to get back into some sort of shape.

TV Stardom

Do you remember my Easter Show posting way back in March? Bronte was filmed talking to Nicky Buckley from Talk to the Animals and Miranda was filmed with various animals.
Well today we were sitting in the lounge just after the show started and it was the first time since they were filmed that I have remembered to check so I told Bronte to turn on the TV to check on the slight possibility and guess what there was Bronte sitting in this shot....

we missed any talking but Miranda also came on scratching with the chickens, and ending the segment by reaching out to brush a sheep - HOW EXCITING! And I must say my clothing creation sure looked great on set :)

Up Close and Personal.

The infamous Australian Red Back Spider crawling its way across our soft esky bag.
Whilst the Red Back Spider's bite is deadly statistics have it that no one has been a victim of it's deadly bite since the antivenom was introduced over 50 years ago.
Trying to get a macro of this little thing was getting a little hairy.

An Apron Swap Geek in Sewing Classes.

Today for the first time in my life I am proud to be called a Geek! Not because I am all of a sudden proud to be a geek but because tonight whilst at sewing classes (my first night) I was called a geek for the first time in my life - when asked by another student what I was making I replied an apron for a swap, after explaining I was called a geek.

I am again participating in The Sassy Apron Swap (I am yet to recieve and still in hope of getting my Spring Apron) - This time a summer Apron.

Here are my plans for my Summer Apron which I have commited to valuable weekly sewing classes to complete.

Tonight I learnt about nap, one way and two way fabrics, how to read a pattern, how to position it ready to cut and boy was I sewing with my eyes shut - I dare not go through all the clothes I have punished my daughter with wearing over the past 2 years.

Bend the Rules I dare not!

Pay it Forward

Yeah I was very lucky to get a chance at reciving a special PIF gift after being a first 3 to make a comment on Amanda's blog. Amanda will be listing her creations almost daily on her etsy site so I am excited to see what I will get. I love to get parcels in the post. (Thanks mum I got the towels, sheets etc left behind on our holiday)

Would you like to recive a gift from me???
Someone will have a chance to get a surprise from me, on a surprise date, in the next 365 days.Here are the rules:
1.~Leave a comment on my blog that says you want to play. First three folks to comment will get a gift from ME. (If I don't know it already, let me know how I can contact you, an e-mail is fine.)
2.~Do the same thing on your blog!The first three folks who leave a comment and commit to doing this on their blog, too, will get a surprise from YOU at a surprise time in the next 365 days!

Chicken Scratch bookmarks

A big thank you to Kerri Made for posting a great tutorial on chicken scratch bookmarks. I joined an anything goes bookmark swap and was lucky enough to find this tutorial on Sew Mama Sew recently. After talking to my Nana in New Zealand yesterday about it - she remembered her sister in laws lovely detailed chicken scratch tablecloth so, I decided to make my Nana a bookmark too.

Here are my completed weekend chicken scratch bookmarks

detailed embroidery

This is...the pair of shoes I would sleep in if I could.

My contribution to the this is.. meme has been a little sporadic of late, as has my blog in general. I guess the monotony of everyday life has kept me busy and well I have not felt quite up to sharing over the past weeks - but life here has been busy with all the norms as well as some extras thrown in between.

Last week I got the joyous privilege of babysitting my 2 nieces (nearly 3yr old & 1yr old) and whilst the day was very busy/hectic is was great fun and a great honour - here is Miranda and Sophie doing a spot of painting during the day


This weeks theme for the this is meme hosted by three buttons was brought to you from Hip Hop & Banana Bread. a newbie on the blog front.

I am not much of a shoe person except that I find it hard to find nice shoes to fit and match my clothing - I am much better in the fashion department for my daughters than myself so whilst these are not shoes they are my socks that I do not go to bed without - I would have to agree with my daughter Miranda (2yrs) quote "I really really love my socks!"


Along with the This is Meme this week three buttons suggested a flash back Friday pic post 1985 as well so this is me in about 1977/78. This photo was taken with my little brother whist at day care in Woolloomooloo I was between 3-4 years old. I still have memories of this centre and remember we used to love standing up on the top floor looking down over the rail line into Kings Cross station watching the men on pushing the hand cart thingy along the rail line (As an adult pre children I worked at this centre and in this very room - the old dentists room - one of the ladies who cared for me was still there 19years later), I also remember going to the dentist there and getting little cotton log butterflies after the visit.

I hope to be a little less sporadic in my posts over the coming weeks.