why oh why oh why....

we have the painters in again...

we really did not intend doing this right now, but I guess that it did need to be done at some time,
our painter has been a bit quiet of late, and needed a bit of extra work to tide him over the next week or so...we had talked to him some months ago about tidying up the stairwell...

the dust just absolutely flies EVERYWHERE!

but he has talked us into a coat or two on the dining room, and kitchen area also, in for a penny... in for many $$$$$... so I needed to empty this.... as it needs to come off the wall (and likely find a new home in Twizel I 'spect)

and this hutch dresser ... thinking about this.. hmmmmm let me think, wouldn't this look great if I paint it white, and when we get up to Twizel, it will look great in my (or what will be..) my sewing studio! he he he... what shall I put in this, great for storing all sorts of things huh....

so not too much sewing done as planned tonight, but definitely on the agenda for tomorrow evening!I have dragged the dining table into the lounge ('cos the sewing room is full of dining chairs and other stuff!), and I plan on getting into some serious machine sewing..

I have managed to do a little bit of stitching over the last few wee bit 'tho, not too sure what I will do with this,
and this is for a gift for a dear friend,

and... not too sure about this one either, but having fun all the same!

AND... I have managed another 2 blocks of Aunt Millie's garden..I am cheating on this a bit and machine appliqueing this 'cos I want it in a bit of a hurry. This will be on our bed in Twizel by the time we both eventually get there at the end of September.

Rowing man is thoroughly enjoying his doctoring up there, he is not too keen on the batching however, and is finding it a bit lonely at night time, but is keeping himself busy, and well fed with my pre-cooked home made meals. 4 weeks down and nine to go! .... and only 5 weeks 'til spring!!

have fun, Shiree

watch the day unfold...

look how wonderful the sky was this morning...





.... the garden was really frosty


.. and I left my car outside last night, can you see how frosted the window is!

we are getting a nice sunny day out there though....

have a fun Sunday!

Shiree

I want a new handbag...please!

check out Kimberley's blog, she is having a most fantastic giveaway

See her newest project for Moda Bake Shop.


It's a quick & easy cute little gift bag. In fact she has made several of these and they are so so cute

so head on over to bitty bits & pieces and have a look for yourself

have fun, .... and good luck!

Shiree

Christmas in July Swap

Please please Mr Postman... oh yes he visited me yet again!!!!

...bringing me a Santa sack full of goodies..

from Barbara
at Sew ManyIdeas, So Little Time, go on over and check out her blog, isn't she just so wonderful... and the piece de resistance.. Dah da!

Thanks again to Stephanie and Linda for organising this wonderful wonderful Christmas in July swap..

have fun everyone!

Shiree

just another manic monday, wish it was sunday

that's my funday - well Sunday was funday, and so was Saturday... let me take you down a country lanejust sit back and enjoy this spectacular countryside...

take a left turn here...

and down the drive..

watch where you drive please..

what a georgeous bunch of gals huh!!! (L-R Jackie, Carole, Colleen, Me, Deb & Darlene).

and didn't we all work hard,

and laugh loud and lots.. (Darlene & Deb)

even these guys thought we were pretty funny

I found a WIP cross stitch that I bought while we were holidaying in Norway in 2004, it actually is an advent calendar when finished, so thought that maybe this might be a good time to get into it!! I had a love/hate relationship with it all weekend but was happy to say that I had actually doen something other then sleep, eat eat eat, and stitch!!!


check out Cherry Pie Quilt Patch, Cheryl and her husband Bruce are the most wonderful hosts, and keep you well fed and entertained for what was an absolutely marevlous weekend!

have fun,

Shiree

me and my friends... and I do have some

well, at last! the end - or almost - of yet one more week. 10 more to go until the end of September and I can join Rowing Man in Twizel -you will all be so sick of hearing about this very shortly I can tell -

Anyway, off to Levin with miss over excited who you would think never gets out of the house - well at least of late since she is recovering from back surgery, and banned from driving...

So... 4 of us are attending the quilting retreat at Cherry Pie in Levin, (me, Colleen, Deb n Darlene), I have been looking forward to this for ages, and I know that the others have been too.... just what we all need I am sure.

I need to pack some of this...

and some of this...
into one of these.

Usually I am pretty ace at packing, whenever we travel overseas, I can usually get my bag at about 10-14kgs, however, my # 1 daughter (eco-woman, aka tree hugger), wants me to take some of her stuff up for her. She is currently living in Wellington (and I pass through Wellington to get to Levin), while she is doing some further study at Victoria University. She wants a duvet cover, inner, bike helmet, and several other bits n bobs as well...

It don't fit well!!! Hrmphh...

Have a real fun weekend!

Shiree

Finally caught up...I think?

WOW, I cannot believe how long it has been since I posted. The last 10 days or so have all just disappeared on me, never to be found again.

This arrived in the mail from Noela last Friday, I never got home from work until quite late, (met a friend for an early snack dinner - the most delicious scrummy corn fritters with a really yummy homemade chutney - just divine, and then my sister arrived and we went off for a wine - she has teenagers and was feeling like some time out! - and then Rowing Man arrived home from week 2 in Twizel after 3 hr drive, very tired but full of his week and wanting to spill all) -

- so I never got to open this until Saturday morning. Isn't it so scrummy - thank you so much Noela. This was the Paper Bag Swap organised by Maree ... I love all the redwork, and I have really enjoyed visiting Noela's blog.. Thank you ever so much Maree for organising this swap!

...and my Christmas in July (organised by Karen), swap partner Deb, sent me these goodies, she got to post about them before I did! ...'cos I am such a sad slacker..... look at the lovely Paris Pillow.. isn't everything so georgeous.... hmmmmm might just go look out that flat white,

I just love Leanne Beasley designs!!!

...and these are some of the swaps that I have been working on... furiously....

so much to do and sew little time...

and this is a sneaky at my Christmas in July (organised by Stephanie & Linda) ...

and this stitchery for my other Christmas in July swap, organised by Karen... (I am hand delivering this one as the recipient, Darlene, is away this weekend at the same retreat that I am off to at Cherry Pie Quilting in Levin..

Finally these are now already wrapped up and in the post! YES!! Got carried away and bit off a bit more then what I could realistically chew, but there you have it. To be honest, I didn't think that I would still be working full time, or at all for that matter. Really thought that by now I would be ensconced in Twizel being a SAH something....

anyway, on that front - Rowing Man started his new GP role in Twizel 2 weeks ago. I went up for the first week (annual leave time 'cos not yet left job); because he has not yet found anyone to take over his seat in his practice at Outram, where he has been for the last 22 years, and has only got a mix of part-time locum cover, he is working every Monday there, and then Tues-Fri in Twizel. Now for those of you who are not familiar with this territory, this is at least a 3 hour drive. So the plan is except for every 4 th weekend when he is on call in Twizel, he is coming home Friday evenings, leaving at 7pm, and staying down in Dunedin working at Outram Mondays (doing some on call work Mon evenings or over the weekend), and then heading back up to Twizel on Tuesday mornings leaving at 5.30am. The only bother with that, is that we have had some really doozy frosts of late, and temperatures way low ... like -9! Frosty cold.

My challenge, and no choice really about accepting it 'cos I need to support my man! ... is to make sure he has clean laundry and plenty of food for the week! Hmmmmmmm more grey hairs coming on I feel, or wrinkles or something. And I don't sleep that well when he' s not here.

SOoooooo, I will be staying at work at least until the end of September, keeping the house in Dunedin, and Rowing Man is commuting. Long distance relationships - SUCK already! .... 10 weeks to go and counting!!!

Have fun!

Shiree

what a week -

It is snowing in Twizel, as you can see, I took these photos yesterday lunchtime, and it has been steadily snowing ever since, so much more snow cover now, I am about to go and meet Rowing Man for lunch, so will see just how much snow is afoot today...

not sure how we may fare on the road back to Dunedin, will check that out on Sunday, but Rowing Man needs to be the bum on his seat in Outram (no locum cover), and I really sorta need to be back at work too..

these footsteps lead somewhere nice and warm,

Someone, who shall remain nameless (very kind quilting friend currently recovering from very recent back surgery), sent me the pattern for Millie's Garden, oh no she cried, I shall put that away for a rainy day, (or did she really mean a snowy day!@#$%) - anyway, I just could not resist, and have been putting these together.... don't they look cool!

I am doing this quilt with my good friend Margaret, who is not among the snow, in fact when I last heard from her (which was yesterday actually), she was sipping some sort of alcoholic beverage on the Queensland Coast...
The snow affected the TV reception last night, as any resemblance of a picture was so pixelated and garbeld like aliens from you know where, and the then reception died altogetherfor all 3 channels - haven't checked to see if it is back today or not.... so I was busy stitching this last night,

and this, just need to get this off an in the mail... I so should have been working on this and not Millie's Garden!

and I really need to get into gear with this too,' cos this needs to be posted Monday!

and these need to be put together


cannot figure how I ever manage to fit in a work day! Oh well, off to lunch

Have fun, Shiree