#3 arrived today..

the 3rd block arrived for Sue Spargo's 2011 BOM,

 

but then I haven't yet got around to block 1...

 or block 2..... ever so colourful

 and the threads are so deliciously scrummy...

 but then I have been rather busy working on this...

 and this customer quilt...

 'cos I am really, really keen to do this, it is in the latest Quiltmania mag... and I have just the best fabric sitting right in my stash...BUT.. several other projects to finish first!!

 have a happy Friday!

The Last 10 days

Last Saturday morning (over a week ago now....), saw us trip into Wellington (the girls that is...left the menfolk behind... as you do! Rowing Man was at a medical education thingee for 2 days anyway), up to Karori... to check out PiecebyPiece, the cutest little quilt shop, had some gorgeous scrummy fabrics and quilting goodies

   and the a meander down Tinakori Rd, popping in and out of shops at will and leisure...

   just whatever took our fancy, found this terrific French looking furniture place, absolutely smashing, must come back here once we eventually get around to building our dream home... this really was the most gorgeous shop!!!

 

 great finds here... we thought this was a coffee bar, sounds like it could be huh... but no it was one of those fun pokey-round-a-bit-and see-what-you-can-find shops...

like this colorful old crochet cushion!

next we found a few of these old really narrow streets, they really looked more like driveways then streets,

we were being a bit cheeky really having a nose, but they were so delightful! and Green Girl loved the lavendar...

 just shows you how much we have upsized, Teeny tiney little turn-of-the-century-workman cottages

they have been renovated and tidied to the highest standards, and now protected by the local heritage society

 Saturday evening & Sunday saw us do a spot of grandbaby minding... not ours... I wish!

 and Sunday we were of to Te Marua to Sawmillers Quiltery, but missed on seeing Julz, guess she was off on one her bike trips...it was Sunday after all..Sawmillers have the most wonderful annual festival which I think must be one of those things that you simply have to go to at least one time!

 and then a lovely morning devonshire tea at Stonestead, next door... scrummy yummy fresh scones 'n' jam! ... or chutney for those of us that had a savoury scone..

 a delight for the young also... 

 

 and ever so fresh looking lemons growing in the garden..

 

these guys were so patient while we were browsing in the quilt shop... we were quite quick... (NOT!!)

 then, we donned our hats, and played ladies for the afternoon at the local garden club's high Sunday afternoon tea party...

 in our best china cups! Played croquet, and petanque, and wandered around the most delightful garden..

 

 Monday saw us take a trip up the Kapiti coast to visit Rowing Man's mum, it is a beautiful drive, and was a good day in the car, chatting, yakking, catching up....

 

and of course it was number one daughter's (aka Green Girl),  birthday, so what a stroke of luck being in Wellington for that! What birthday is not complete with a delightfully decdent mudcake???...altho she may not be too happy with me when she sees this photo, but it was the only cake on I took..

 and the obligatory... and well deserved toasts to the birthday gal!

 Monday, Rowing Man was at a meeting (medical stuff...), and Green Girl was back at work, as were my good friends we stayed with, so i tiki toured around Wellington all by myself, and had a great day, ...

Last week was a busy one getting a few customer quilts out, and the usual shop stuff, there were several groups passing through on their way to the Annual Wanaka Embroidery Symposium (... must go next year), so the shop was very steady.. more on that later..

AND...

We held our annual Twizel Country Day on Saturday which was a wonderful success,... but more on that later too..

 I hope you had a wonderful time over the last week or so as well!

p.s. some greatmust-see exhibitions on in Wellington currently; A Slice of Heaven @ Te Papa, a tribute to Kiwiana over the last several decades; and a must see Crown Lynn exhibition on @ The City Gallery,

I'm leaving on a jet plane

 don't know when I'll be back again,...

 well, actually I do, Tuesday evening,

BUT, for the next 4 days, Rowing man and I will be in Wellington, spending time with my very good friends, Colleen & Pete AND my eldest daughter, Green Girl, who just happens to have a birthday Monday

 

 FABULOUS!

 Enjoy your weekend..

weekends are good things

 we packed our bags and headed to Arrowtown on Friday evening...

woke early Saturday morning and had a long lovely walk by the Arrow river

and then packed a picnic lunch and headed to the Gibbston valley with good friends, food and wine, terrific combination..

 and listened to Dr Hook and Credence Clearwater ... what a blast from the past, do you remember their music??

 and this guy, Ray Sayer from Dr Hook, is like 72!! Can you believe the energy of this man, jumping around the stage at his age, FABULOUS!!!! ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!
 Followed by a marvellous dinner in Arrowtown at Saffron, honestly, I tell you, this is the best restaurant ever, the food is to die for, Superb!!! They have the most super recipe book, but beats me why you would try and recreate when you can eat there, Tim had the oysters a-la kilpatrick style, I had a morrocan fish tangine, Matt had a 3 curry dish, and I can't remember what Linda had, but oh my gosh, talk about food heaven!

 and on a more sedate note, I managed to get lots done over the weekend, a bit of knitting.. haven't done any of this in a while but the bug has bit me again... getting ready for those crisp cold Twizel winter days mayhaps??

and a bit of reading... finding it a bit hard to get into really..

 and a lot of stitching, this is my 'tis the season' stitcheries for the stitch-along, just started...

 sitting in the car for many hours travelling gets quite a bit of stitching done..

  and I managed to get several blocks for Life is Beautiful done,I am running this as a BOM via The Rowan Tree

 ... and several more drawn up,
weekends are great, I hope you had a super one too!

Shiree

cornucopia ... or stuff

 as I was out walking this morning, I composed this post in my head, and believe me it sounded a whole lot better then, I had lots of good stuff to say, but now that I am back home and at my lappie, it has all disappeared, I even had a really good title, but that has gone too,

It is rather hard to write knowing what our friends are going thru in Christchurch,  but there has to be a cheerful and positive side to all that as well, and certainly there seems to be a very good positive community spirit,

so I am just going to write about stuff ~ and I was going to include a dictionary definition for "stuff" but when I looked it up, the whole blurb was just way too long, and it was all going to be far too boring soI decided against it .... and here instead is my "stuff"

the beautiful red sky that greeted me this morning

The toadstools growing by the river, a product of hot and wet weather

The wide open spaces where I live, the tall mountain ranges and the wide valleys...

The Majestic beauty of Mt Cook on my back door

what I have just taken off my quilty thingee

what I am currently stitching...

and my gorgeous man in the garden... a sight that I don't see too often, but I am very grateful when I do

it is all just "stuff"..... enjoy yours!