Premier's Flood Relief raffle



Toni at make it perfect

has started the ball rolling on fund raising auctions for the Flood Relief.

There are going to be lots of auctions happening in blogland,

all fundraising for those people who are suffering such heartache and loss at the moment.

Jodie at ric rac is running a raffle-style fundraiser,

an idea which I love as it gives people more opportunity to take part

if they can't afford to donate a lot
plus I think there is potential to raise a lot of money.

So I hope that she doesn't mind if I follow her lead.

I am giving this Keyka Lou small Pixie bag away, postage included,
to a random winner .
The body of the bag is approximately 25 x 22 cm in size.

Also included is an Olivia clutch designed by Ali Foster
(approximately 27 x 16cm)







Both made with American quality quilting cottons.

The raffle closes at midnight on 26th January, 2011.
(I may be unable to access a computer until the 29th January in which case
the winner will be announced then)

Please make a minimum $5 donation to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal
then return here and leave a comment with your receipt number.
You can enter as many times as you like
but each entry will require an individual receipt number.

I will post anywhere in the world.

My thoughts today...

(zennie2005.blogspot)



...are with those suffering through the devastation of the floods in Queensland.

Bless you all.



"Every man dies. Not every man really lives"

...so said William Wallace.

I have a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks.

I'll be 42.

No grief.

I am enjoying my forties as much as my thirties

and life, while chugging along a bit too fast for my liking,

is pretty darn good.

(flickr.com)

But

(yeah, always that but)

it hit me today that, at 42 years of age,

I am about halfway to the current life expectancy

of an average Caucasian Australian woman.

Halfway.

HALFWAY.

HALFWAY?

Well, crap. Now that has put things in a different perspective.

I have had a pretty good 42 years

but with another 42 (give or take) left to go,

what more do I want to tick off the list in my life?

Take it for granted that I would like to see an end to

world poverty, war, famine and enviromental destruction.

It is also a given that I would like to see my kids grow up

to become happy, independent adults.

So what things would I like to do before I die?

My very own top 10 bucket list, in no particular order,

at this time in my life:

1 Share a white Christmas with my family

I have had 2 white Christmas' in my life, both in Finland.

Heck, I have even met the REAL Santa!

I might be Australian but I don't like the heat.

Give me a snowball fight anyday.

2 Own a bull mastiff

Big? Sure!

But so cute.
We love Staffies but we have also always loved these big guys.

(dognabbit.blogspot.com)



Hubby and I reckon that we probably wont get one now till the kids leave home.

Can't you just see two oldies prone to hip fractures walking one of these 70kg doggies?

3 Perfect my homemade coffee gelati

I will not be defeated by a frozen espresso.

4 Do a sightseeing safari in Africa

Seeing elephants, giraffes, hippos, lions, you name it,

in their natural environment?

Oh, man. It would be brilliant.

(Yes, I know that the hippo is one of the most aggressive and dangerous animals on earth

but I promise I wont try to pat one)

Plus I'd love to see the Grand Canyon, the Rockies, the Pyramids, Victoria Falls,

Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands

and just a couple of other places.

5 Learn to play the saxophone

...oh, and the guitar.

I have always loved the sax and for a long time have wanted to learn to play it.

My hubby, a big believer in pursuing your dreams,

bought me one for my 35th birthday.

*ahem*

Ashamed to admit that I have only had one lesson since then.

I will get back to it.

(spiritmag.com)

I have also always wanted to teach myself the guitar.

I learnt music for 10 years as a child

(and hey, I was also in the advanced recorder group at primary school)

so surely I can give it a good try.

6 Be taught how to walk in high heels by John Barrowman

...so says the gal got married in boots with a 1 inch "heel",

who doesn't own any high heels,

and doesn't really want to wear high heels.

But I have seen John Barrowman walk in heels

and according to his autobiography,

he's up for teaching someone how to do it.

(last.fm)

OK So really, if I was totally honest, I would just love to meet him.

(Oh, c'mon, at least something on your bucket list should involve a cute leading man!)

7 Watch every Audrey Hepburn movie

(themave.com)

and while I am at it, watch every movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

(and find every single cameo of him)

8 Write and illustrate a book

No idea if this will ever happen

but I have always wanted to write a children's book-

and illustrate it.

I haven't done art since I was 18 so it might be way out of my abilities to do that.

But I'd like to give it a try.

9 Revisit the Sistene Chapel

on my way to revisit Barcelona.

(angelsanddemonsofrome.com)

Apart from the few thousand other people sharing my personal space,

I have to say that the Sistene Chapel is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever, ever seen.

And one day in Barcelona wasn't enough.
I want to explore the city properly. It is beautiful, alive and colourful.

10 Try some amateur acting

I did a little in high school

but my personality isn't suited to being a performer.

I get lots of hot flushes when put in the spotlight.

But maybe I could give it a go at a local group.

Way outside my comfort zone.

But, hey, life is too short.

(verydemotivational.memebase.com)



So what is on your bucket list?

A shirt...I mean, cat...I mean, shirt...



What? Get off?

You want me to get off?

Are you serious?

I'm much cuter than the stoopid shirt...

Did you get me on my good side?

***grumble***
...no taste...

...should be patting me and feeding me...

not taking silly photos of silly sewing...

Not as cute without me in it...

Nope, not as cute as me either.

Bah. I'm off to find some wool to shred up.
That'll get your attention...

Pattern: Sew Liberated Woodlands shirt

Fabric: Where the Wind Blows by Melanie Hurlston

Quick knit picks

Try saying that one quickly.

It's all about gratification.

Two great patterns that knit up quickly,

especially the Versa in 12 ply!

Pattern: Acacia singlet by Georgie Hallam

Yarn: BWM Cotton (8 ply) in cerise

I love knitting cotton,

as long as you can find some nice bright colours

and as long as the garment isn't too heavy.

Pattern: Versa tunic by Shannon Passmore

Yarn: BWM Rustic (12 ply) in wineberry

In a size 4 (tunic version), this used just under one ball of wool.

Such a quick project.

Perfect for winter layering!

Sex, lies and vacumn cleaners.

(flixster.com)

So it is a fact.

We lie.

Australian adults that is.

Don't know about the rest of you non-Australians

but we here Down Under are definately dodgy.

Results of a survey carried out by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

indicated that the average Australian lies three times each and every day.

Do you?

Mostly blokes lie about sex and embellish many women they have slept with.

C'mon, boys. What's the story?

If you have 3 partners,

are you upping it to 4?

6?

16?

33?

(For those who want to know, women usually decrease their claims of sexual prowess and achievements)

Most popular lies include those regarding whereabouts and chores being done.

So I am guessing that when I come home and tell hubby that I was at the shops for well beyond that hour

due to slow service when it was really because I just kept shopping,

that's one lie for the day.

I often tell hubby "I forgot" to do something

when I should perhaps have said "I procrastinated over it and ran out of time

but hey, you will never guess who was on Oprah today!"

(risesmart.com)

My hubby and I disagree on the little white lie.

He doesn't like lying and it is rare for him to do so.

I, on the other hand,

believe that the world is a better, happier place for the sake of a few little mistruths.

I know people who tell their kids that the ice cream van only plays Eidelweiss
when it has run out of icecream.

I am sure that my mother in law prefers to think that I truly missed her call because I was in the shower

than know that I didn't pick up because I was comfy knitting on the couch and didn't want to move.

I know I am happier because my kids aren't pestering me incessantly to taste my dessert mix

because it *cough* has coffee in it

and they know that they aren't allowed coffee.

I truly believe that it is better for our relationship that my hubby doesn't quite know
how much fabric and yarn I buy.

Just as I believe our relationship is better because he tells me that my butt doesn't look big in this.

(Right about now I think you can guess who the survey said was on the receiving end of most of our lies...)

And I know hubby loves the spirit of Christmas while we have three children who believe.

Oh, yes,

apparently the big guy in the red suit doesn't come under the "Little White Lie" heading...

neither does the tooth fairy...

or the Easter bunny.
(No, they come under the "Great Big Humungous Hoaxes" heading...
which is completely OK apparently)

(hellokids.com)

Hmmmm, I think I'd better go and ask him again how many girlfriends he had before me...

or, more importantly, did he really work till 8 o'clock last night?

Meanwhile, what do you think?

Do you think that the world is better off for the sake of a little lie

that may prevent embarrassment, anger or difficulty?

Is it a power that should only be used for good

or not at all?

Meanwhile, I am off to vacumn the lounge so that I can assure hubby

that I vacumned the house today.

I think that my nose just grew...



Happy Sewing



Every now and then I sew something that makes me happy...

...from the picking of the fabrics...

...to sewing while singing along mindlessly (and I daresay tunelessly) to my itunes favourites...

...to seeing my daughter's eyes light up as she watches me sew and

wants to wear it before it is half finished...

...to seeing happy pirouettes and twirling around the backyard.

It makes me smile.

Pattern: Portabello Pixie Analise skirt

A Culture Vulture

(dancelife.com.au)

I remember when I was growing up

that my parents would send me to my room to play my horrible music

out of their earshot.

I wasn't into anything offensive, like heavy metal or David Hasselhoff.

It was because they were playing Billy Joel, Abba, Boney M and the like

while I was wanting to blare out "The Phantom of the Opera" or "Evita" soundtracks at full volume.

Heck, my folks even played Tiffany's "I think we're alone now"...

repeatedly...

remember that one?...

Then there was Sam Fox...

she of questionable (singing) assets...

...and yet they questioned my taste in music.

I did gradually become what was perhaps a more typical 80s teenager,

developing crushes on grown men who wore mascara and pastel pirate shirts with lots of hair product.

However I continued to play "Michael Crawford sings Andrew Lloyd Webber"

surreptitiously in my bedroom (if only to drown out the strains of Tiffany)

even as a few "Spandau Ballet" and "George Michael" posters got blu-tacked to my wall.

But I have always loved musical theatre.

My one lament of Adelaide living is the number of big productions that don't make it here.

Adelaide does have a wonderful culture of arts and entertainment though

and I really would like to experience it more often.

Tonight hubby and I went to see the national production of West Side Story

which has just opened here.

It was energetic and entertaining and fabulous and fun and, and, and!

A brilliant start to my cultured new year!



The Year That Was....really quite good, thank you for asking.

So how do you think it went?

2010 I mean.

From my point of view,

there was no too much to complain about.

Health-wise?

 I lost 10 kilograms.

Some medical issues have put my Zumba-ing on the back burner for the past three months

and the next two to come

but I hope (yes, I guess resolve) in 2011

to move those final middle aged 5 kilograms that are still clinging stubbornly onto my hips and thighs

like dried Weetbix stuck onto the kitchen floor.



Home-wise?

Two children happily settled into school routine

and a third growing up too quickly.

No more bibs or day-time nappies;

rare daytime sleeps;

the passing on of baby toys and the change table.

Celebrations of milestones with a happy smile but tears in my eyes.

The (apparent) end of renovations to our 1925 bungalow after 8 years.

Oh, and two little (but growing-oh-so-quickly) kittycat fur-balls to spice up our lives.

Lots of patting, poo-ing and kamikaze ambushes from under the sofa.

Happy-wise?

(Yes, I made that up.

My blog. Can do what I like)

Healthy, happy family? Tick.

No major illness or financial stressors? Tick.

While there is never enough time in my days to do all the creating that I want,

(and creativity is one thing directly related to my happiness)

I gave it a darn good try.

My hospital visits gave me time to rediscover reading,

something that has been rare since cattle-wrangling three children.

I have a developed passion (hubby would say obsession) with knitting.

I have perfected finger buns.

I (we) have spent some evenings re-discovering our love for movies

and the joy of watching a television series on DVD

without ad breaks, running late starts or showing repeats between new episodes.

(In the case of Torchwood, watching three series back to back)

I am not big on resolutions

but I would really like to get further with my health goals next year.

I look forward to my final child starting kindergarten next year.

We are both ready.

I am determined to go to see more movies, attend more theatre
and grab any musical theatre that comes to Adelaide with two hands and hold on tight.

I would like to refine my time on the internet.

It is easy and fun to spend time here

but I need to do it differently

so that I do get more hours in my day...

which can be spent knitting or making finger buns.

I hope that you all had a fabulous 2010

and that you can look back and smile with satisfaction and good memories.

May 2011 bring you lots of happy times, lots of belly laughs,
some adventures

and whatever else you wish for.

(photos taken by hubby on a trip with his father
to the Flinders Ranges, South Australia;

October, 2010)

It's been a click clack Christmas

I pretty much spent the Christmas break knitting.

A nearly 5 hour car drive to and from my in-law's house

and a long weekend of extended family running riot

let me sit back and knit, knit, knit.

Bliss!

Pattern: Ava tunic- Fletcher Cottage Collection

Yarn: BWM classic 8 ply yarn

It took me a while to get a grip on the pattern

-hence a few mistakes visible in the top of the dress if you look-

but it prgressed nicely once I got myself sorted.

The pattern runs size 18mo, 3 and 6 years

so I made my nearly 4 year old the size 6.

Lots of room = lots of wear.