begin again, begin again...

My Christmas in July swap parcel has gone AWOL!!!

I participated in Linda and Stephanie's Christmas in July swap,

My partner was the very lovely ... and ever patient, Darlene from Quilting Daze, pop over and have a look, she does some really amazing things, her and her Wabbit!

Anyway, my parcel to her, has not made it, so I need to start over again...

soooooo, this looks like an option....

as does this... ( I stitched this last week whilst my Mum was in hospital following surgery to pin and screw her fractured arm - she is recovering really well by the way...

I love redwork, so I hope that Darlene does too!!

so next week will be busy, so I can parcel #2 in the post!

I went to the money machine today, you know that hole in the wall thing, well, right beside it was a newly opened 2nd hand store - vintage shop, whatever they are called these days, and look what I found.....

I think that it is rather cute, and will be very handy in it's second life - not as a towel rail but......

as a great quilt rack!!! Great huh...

have fun,

Shiree

great giveaway

hey head on over to Regena's blog - Quilt n Quilt Things - have a look at her wonderful giveaway for her 100th post,
have a peek at the amazing quilt that is art of this giveaway - FANTASTIC!!!

belle of the ball!

We had a wonderful weekend in Twizel, very relaxing indeed, and the perfect way to end a nice quite lazy week.

My son, and his fiancee and their friends came up for the annual Twizel Ball - Yes! a Ball in tiny little country Twizel!!! The theme this year was "Glitz n Glamour", so glad rags on and off we went...

...group photo before we head out for the evening (L-R: French Chic, Rowing Boy, Moi, Rowing Man, Mark & Sera)
this is our Charlie's angels take off... (French Chic is really that tall!!)

and of course, then the guys had to do a fun shoot too!!

French Chic and Rowing boy - OOPS he's looking a bit blurry, and that is before we head out.

...and this is Karen and I taking a well deserved break from all that dancing... complete with the red vino stuff....

Sera catching up on sleep on the sofa Sunday morning! ... or was that afternoon?

BUT, before the ball, Rowing Boy and I managed to get in a full days skiing, just the two of us -WONDERFUL. ...now please don't take it that I didn't want the others there, but it was good to have some quite mother/son time (if you can call racing down the ski slopes quiet) - wonderful actually. Rowing man was on call for the weekend so needed to stay in Twizel, and French Chic doesn't ski, and Sera and Mark didn't arrive 'til late Saturday afternoon).

and look at these wonderful views from the ski field

absolutely perfect huh!!!

I hope you all had a fun weekend too!

Shiree

and so the sun shines now in my backyard...

two posts in one day...hmmm that is a record for me

out of my jim jams and slippers

put away my bookfor a bit... it's a very good read by the by..

done all the housework (very small house - takes no time at all)...

ironing up to date, and washing on the line

had lunch with Rowing Man, went to pay and update the registration on my car, only to discover that my warrent of fitness ran out on the 4th - OOPS - usually the service people phone me and remind me that this is due - oh dear - how did that slip by? No WOF NO registration, quick phone call to the service people in Dunedin, and now it is booked in for Monday afternoon. Lets hope that I get back to Dunedin without passing any police cars on the way.... wish me luck!

Carole, these pikkies are for you, when we met at the Cherry Pie quilt retreat in Levin, you were busy stitching these little lovelies, so I have just taken these so I could share them with you... I just love this quilt, and I am quite a fan of Leanne Beasley,

this quilt is from her book Living the Dream and is so full of really cute philosophical sayings in little stitcheries, like this one...

and this...

and this..


this was one of last years efforts...

the weekend rolls on....

my poor Mum fell last week,

she tripped on some pavers in the main street of Dunedin, and fell on her arm, this photo was taken just after her surgery to have plates and screws in the top of her arm (she fractured the upper part of her humerus, and dislocated her shoulder), there has been a lot (and I mean a LOT) more bruising and swelling come out since. Anyway she is recovering nicely now, and is well settled at home after a week in hospital.

I am in Twizel this week, with Rowing Man, we were supposed to be up here skiing last weekend, but with Mum's arm n all it didn't work out that way, so here I am, and have been since Wednesday...it has been pretty quiet... small town stuff huh... so I have done another couple of blocks for my Aunt Millie's Garden quilt, one more to go to complete the 12...


and in the process of machine appliquing, (yes I said machine - lazy I know, and I do actually prefer hand applique as it is so so relaxing, but I am in too much of a hurry for this quilt, it needs to be on my bed in Twizel when all of me is up here for good in 6 weeks)

ooops, missing a dot!! Will need to remedy that pretty quickly...

and I do like this one...

this is a peek at the Christmas in July tag swap, that I am in, and sent off to the USA in the mailbag last week...
rather bleak looking Twizel day, trying to decide if I shall continue on the applique, or go for a walk...
or maybe a bike ride....

or maybe just sit and enjoy a coffee... and find my book. Hmmmmm....


....and let me leave you with this then. This was the sunset last night... just beautiful huh!

have fun, Shiree

spring cleaning marathon

can you win a spring cleaning marathon if you play all by yourself, hmmmm I guess not, but my house has been sprung as clean as a whistle, and still 5 weeks to go 'til spring, boy am I feeling pretty ahead of myself... hehehe

but all thanks to Mr Painter really as otherwise I would not have bothered, every single stick of furniture has been pulled out, washed and vacuumed behind, in front, sideways you name it, it has been done, windows, carpets, drapes all vacuumed whistle clean!

washing in, dry, folded and away in cupboards, even managed to wash the woolrests (fluffy sheepskin underblanket thingees), and put them back on the beds,

not doing any more now til we move, that dresser is just staying where it is for now, but definitely going to paint it white..

have managed to get a few more boxes of "stuff" packed, and stored in the garage,

so Mr Painter is back in the morning to tidy up a few bits'n'pieces that he forgot about (wee few paint marks on the carpet!!), but otherwise all done and looking good, although still have a few bits to put in place, and some artwork to hang back up...

all in good time (Did ya Mum say that too Deb??),

these guys have found themselves at home...

and so have these ones, don't they look happy!


have a good week everyone,

Shiree

OK I can do it!

oooh, I look around my house, the painters have left ... and they have done an amazing job! It all looks so so good...

But the MESS!! Dust for Africa

SO today is house clean day - I can think of ten zillion things that I would rather be doing..

my mantra is "housework makes you UGLY!"

But, it I post about this, and tell you that I will do this.. then.. 'cos I am so tempted just to head to the sewing room, or go and visit friends...

Rowing man is back for the weekend, but on call today and tomorrow so he is out doing a few house visits....

SO a clean neat tidy house.... that is my challenge for today... and maybe tomorrow (or part thereof)

be back!