Joys in Life

It has been so darned hot this past week it has been difficult to think about picking up sewing.  Soon I will have air conditioning in the sewing room so that will help in summer. My sewing room is on the western side of the house so is very very hot in summer. 
Some of the joys of summer though are extra day light  and blooms in the garden.
Our agapanthus are still putting on a nice display and they are such a glorious colour.

Here are some other things still blooming regardless of the heat wave.

Hubby has started up a vegie garden again now that he has a bit more time on his hands.  We have beetroot growing and that will be a joy to eat.  We enjoy it just grated raw onto a salad, but also love it pickled.

We also have lettuce, zucchini, cucumber and tomatoes growing.
The biggest joy in our life at the moment is our little grandie, Lilian. 
Lilian loves to paint and draw.  Here is a bird she drew and I think it is fantastic for a little girl who has just turned 4.

Isn’t it wonderful?  It has a beak and eyes and wings and even a crest.  Perhaps she is going to be artistic and crafty – I would love that!
Here she is in her fave dress at the moment, her ‘ballerina dress’.  She has always had a cheesecloth wrap with her at bedtime and when she needs it for comfort.
She calls it ‘sooky’.  Sooky goes everywhere!

Sorry about some of my close up shots.  Still getting used to the macro etc. on the new camera.
Until next time (when I hope to have something stitchy to show you), enjoy the joys in your life.

Habits & Goals

No resolutions this year but there are some goals-
Goals – not necessarily all this year!
1…… Finish at least a couple of UFO’s
2……Take a Learn to Draw Class
3……Get all my TAST stitches done
4……Let go of the fear and let the creative side take over
and some Bad Habits that need to be broken-
There is one bad habit I have conquered last year.  Since I was a small girl I have always chewed my fingernails.  I know, yuk, yuk yuk!  Gross!  As a child I was very shy and very self conscious about my very thick glasses.  Of course it didn’t help that I was teased mercilessly by the other kids at school. This made me very nervy and I just chewed and chewed. Fifty odd (very odd) years later on our Western trip last year, I found that my fingernails grew because I wasn’t chewing!!  You are always dirty when you’re camping out in the bush, so even I couldn’t bring myself to chew.  So….. haven’t chewed since.  HURRAY!
1……Stop starting new projects before finishing old
2……Stop hoarding and buying art stuff that goes into the cupboard to just dream about
3……Stop getting on this bloody computer so often and make some limits.
Well, there you have it, I have exposed publicly.

My friend, Marleen, gave me this journal for Christmas.  Inside it has a type of recycled paper and some of the pages in the back are graph paper.  This should be really handy for doing some designing.  I love it!
So, I am designating this book to creative ideas.  Thank you, Marleen.

One of my loopy sister in laws (sorry Cath, but you know you are :  -)) has a beautiful Australian chocolate mist cat called Levi.  In amongst all her old clothing was this very 80’s, very ugly denim skirt.  I suggested we cut it up and make a little snuggle rug for Levi.  Something he can scratch the billyo out of if he likes!  It is backed with the black velvety ‘stuff’ you see here in the windows of the front.  Cathy loved it hope Levi does too!

Here is Cathy aboard her partner’s boat back in November.  Love ya Cath!

A really random photo, but this is the plum pudding I made for Christmas and it was my best ever!!
Forgot to take an after cooking photo but it was quite spectacular!
Also made a new dessert which everyone agrees will become a family tradition.
It is from the pre Christmas edition of “Delicious” magazine. Cold Rice Pudding with Hot Cherry Sauce.  Out of this wooooorld.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!!!