Happy looking, Sad looking

This little cherub is happy to be out amongst nature on a beautiful spring-like day. Our little granddaughter is 8 months old now and is an absolute joy and always brings a smile to our face. Like her Nana she loves nothing more than being out amongst nature.

Whereas this poor old pot plant is looking rather sad.
It reminds me of the television ad where the husband goes just that bit too far when trimming his wife's precious topiary tree. Well, it had to be done. Just hope the trimming, fertilizing, and watering brings this poor old thing back to life.
Don't have a lot of luck with potted plants!!

Spring or Summer? I'm confused!

We are having a heat wave in the middle of August! It is currently 27 deg. C (4.oopm) and apparently it is going to climb to 31 deg. tomorrow. Whew!

It is nice to have some warmth on the body though, and to see the colours emerging in the garden. I love the jasmine climbers (above), but they do grow rampant. The one on the left I cut down to the ground about 18 mths ago!!

Here is the happily married couple of 50 years, Claudette and Colin, enjoying their special day. Oh, I forgot to mention that Claudette still plays competition squash. Many of her squash friends were at the function, and a lot of Colin's running friends. On retirement, Colin studied and learned to speak the Mandarin language.
These two make me tired talking about them!

50 years together

Today I am going to a special luncheon to celebrate a wonderful couple's 50th Wedding anniversary.
Claudette is 71 years old and still works full time at a nursing home as a cleaner/physiotherapist's assistant, and it is full on hard physical work at times.
She is also a keen walker and goes to gym at least 3 times a week. (I am starting to feel like a wimp as I write this). She enjoys very, very long walks and bush walking.
Her husband, Colin, is a champion runner and has trillions of medals and ribbons to prove it. I am talking 'veteran competition' here, and he has been all over the world competing. They have a beautiful loving family as well.
They are truly an inspirational couple.

I made them this card and oops, the glueing isn't real straight, but never mind, I know Claudette will appreciate the sentiment from my heart.

Mr Neat is unable to be with me today as he is up sunning (supposedly working) in the Whitsunday Islands at a place called Whitehaven Beach. He says it is all hard work and no play, but Hamilton Island and fishing etc. is probably on the agenda too.

The gorgeous graphics I used for the card are from Karen at The Graphics Fairy. Thanks Karen. She has some wonderful images.

Kaffe Fassett Top Finished

Just have to baste and quilt it now. I think I will use Sarah Fielke's method of quilting which seems to be quick and easy, using Perle Cotton and a larger needle. Just for something different.
It certainly is a departure from the quilt we have been sleeping under for quite some years. Mr Neat thinks "it's a bit busy" but surprisingly he loves the bright colours. He is a little conservative, so it is good he approves because before long he will be sleeping under it. (Have decided to get in and finish it before starting another - for a change).

Now some of my qulting mates have suggested some pretty raunchy names for this quilt, but I think I will call it Kaffe Fassett Passion. Yawn boring, I know, I know.

Daffodils - It's a miracle

Remember that bare earth a couple of weeks back? Well miracle of miracles the daffodils have popped up all over the place. Here is my very first ever daffodil!

New Background

Thanks to shabbyblogs.com, I now have a cute background for my blog. May do a little more spring cleaning on my blog over the coming days.

A Lucky Girl

I was a very lucky girl at retreat and won this moda jelly roll from this wonderful quilt shop. We just had to pop in and say thank you and hi on our way home seeing as it was en route and also right next door to a fabulous coffee shop. (A good excuse to do a bit of quilty shopping too)



The weather was very spring like and I love the natural flower show around the camp grounds.

Does anyone know what tree this is?

Gorgeous Show and Tell

Remember Frances and Carmel who were 'painting quilts' in this post? Frances has finished her No 1 in her Moorcroft series based on a beautiful picture of a Moorcroft vase. The vase sits on a doiley on the table and she has added her floral display. Gorgeous!! Carmel is off to England on Monday for a holiday, so she has not had time to finish hers yet, but we have seen the 'skeleton' and it is going to be different and gorgeous too.

What about this GORGEOUS Kaffe Fassett quilt by friend Pam. She has added a few other designers' fabrics but it is predominantly Kaffe Fassett. We must have the same taste, as a lot of her fabrics are also in my KF collection. My KF is going slow as I had to order more fabrics. Got them at a very good price from fabric.com.

Vintage & Kitch

This is a very kitch back scratcher! I found it in the bottom of my vanity cabinet a couple of weeks ago, forgetting that I had it. I swooped on it, because at the moment, due to the dry cold weather, I have had a very itchy back. My poor old arms can't contort like they used to.
The back scratcher belonged to my Mum. She bought it as a souvenir probably back in the 70's on one of her trips to Hayman Island (Great Barrier Reef)

Do you remember these from the 60's? We had one when we were growing up. We had just bought a most gorgeous olive green vinyl cased stereo system. It went so well with the brown and orange lounge suite, olive floor rug and orange curtains. This LP rack I picked up at Lifeline for $3, and I am not using it for LP's, although I have a huge pile of them.

No, I am using it to hold my quilting rulers. It works well.

Some of the LP's I remember having in our childhood were the soundtrack of "The Sound of Music" and "Oliver", Winifred Atwell (Mum being a pianist was a huge fan of hers), and a record of a saxaphone soloist called "Freddy Gardner" (me being a saxaphone player). I also had my little EP's , and my favourite was "Say a little Prayer" by Aretha Franklin. Even now when I hear that song I sing my lungs out.
My sister and I still have our EP's.

I am off to quilt retreat now with this group. A whole weekend of sewing, eating and chatting should be good.