will you look at this!

what a clever one that Jenny and her crew are, marvels, all of them.

Cheryl of Willowberry Designs

Dawn of Dawn Hay Designs

Fiona of Mothers Cupboard

Vikki of Sew Useful Designs

Jenny of Elefantz

Joy of Joypatch

Judith of Creative Studio

Paula of Sew Little Fabric

Vicki of Tozz's Corner

they have all joined forces to produce some fantastic free patterns for us all,

Starting on Monday 5th October and each Monday for the next eight weeks, there will be a FREE Christmas-themed DESIGN for you to download...

and then, wait there's more!.....

Then after Christmas, on the seventh day of each month starting Thursday 7 January 2010, there will be one free design offered to you from each designer, in turn. So, one free design each month for you to use for your personal use.



So if you want to check out their new blog you will get a quick run down about each of them, who they are, what they are about, and if you click on our pictures you will find a full profile about each one, so you have lots of reading to do today, you can also check out our blogs by clicking on the buttons on the 'Among the Gum Trees' blog.

way to go gals!!!

Just 'Cos

the other day, Jessica posted about a "just because" - her hubby sent her some delicious flowers,
...well on Thursday, I run into the courier man on his way into my workplace carrying a most wonderful bunch of flowers, I remarked to him that someone was a lucky gal to be getting these, and lo and behold - my name was on the card - yep - that's me!

these just so gorgeous!

how lucky am I, and just 'cos

now that is a favourite phrase of mine (Hmmm there's cobwebs on my number plate - don't use my car too often!), when the kids were teenagers, we always talked about having a reason or excuse for doing something, and if they came up with an excuse then it was likely to be something that they really should not be doing, but a reason - well now that was different. Having that kind of logical argument, and then leaving it up to the teenager to decide saved a lot of arguments, and taught them some really good values and lessons. I watch them make really good decisions now as adults, and I am so proud of them. So my boring "reason" or "excuse" really paid of.

However, as a parent, there was some leeway, and occasionally, it was my "parent prerogative" to just occasionally mind, encourage them to do something (the right kinda thing!) just 'cos!

and we were were very lucky to celebrate last New Year's in Paris - just 'cos


It is a beautiful Saturday morning, I have just got back from the gym (great to blow out the cobwebs off my body, and my car!),

and I am now gonna get stuck into this house - it goes on the market next week, first open home on Saturday next, and auction 3 weeks on Tuesday - unless of course some lovely buyer comes along and offers a ridiculous amount of money - now that would be very nice!

The job appears bigger then Ben Hurr, but it has to be done! and I just cannot put it off any longer...

With luck, I might get some stitching done this evening, if I can manage to stay awake after my cleaning and tidying marathon...

you have a fun weekend,

Shiree

hop on over to Bush Baby Jag

October is International Breast Cancer Month, with 26th October being Pink Ribbon Day.

Julie's son, who is a nurse, is hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast at the hospital in which he works, in order to raise much needed funds for The National Breast Cancer Foundation. So, let us all try and help him to reach his fundraising goal by donating to this really worthy cause.

3 wonderful woman, Rosalie, Kaaren and Robyn, have all donated some wonderful goodies, so - pop on over to see Julie and make a donation now to help out!

weekends are for relaxing..

this was the view that greeted us n Saturday as we drove up the road to Ohau ski field, absolutely breathtaking huh... (last ski for the season - for us anyway)

We had a wonderful day skiing, really great spring conditions, great snow base, real soft and powdery and very forgiving if you happened to loose control 'cos you were really going way to fast (normally you would be more reserved 'cos you just hate falling off on the icy snow, but this stuff was just so cloud soft it wasn't such a problem at all!) My theory with skiing is if you don't can off every now and then, you're not skiing hard enough!!!

anyway, we came off the ski field to have a look at sections on our way back home, so we turned in here,

and found this one, what do you think,

I could wake up to these views everyday - oh that would be so so hard,

not sure I could cope with this view at all...

Rowing man has that twinkle in his eye, he's a keen man! We have an idea of the kind of house we want to build... hmmm

this is the street view we currently get from our Twizel holiday home - and a real close up -

you can manage to see Mt Cook, but all those darn power lines get in the way... of course new subdivisions have underground cabling now - thank goodness.

and this is the view from our bedroom window, but it takes in the neighbours garage, and the houses next street over...


I found this little treasure on Friday on the drive up to Twizel, I came up with my friend Sarah, and we stopped in Kurow to have a look at this pokey old second hand store - I am not kidding - it seriously needs a clean out, there was a path of old books and other rubbish winding it's way around the inside of the store that was only just wide enough to walk thru - just! But I found this little treasure...they are drawers off an old treadle sewing machine that someone has pulled to bits and tried to rearrange, but I am sure that I can use these. and do something with them. They have gone into our Twizel garage until I move up there and have some time ..
and on the trip home this afternoon, idle hands 'n' all that, I managed to do these 2 little stitcheries ...
This is a Bronwyn Hayes for a little sewing carry all needle'n'threads bag; from her Flowerbed book

and this is one of Rosalie Quinlan's wonderful needle keeps...

oh, and we had a very nice tea tonight with all the family - Mum & Dad, my 2 sisters and their husbands and children, and dogs galore, new lambs as well - and not on the dinner table - just the very young soft ones that need a little TLC inside for a day or three 'cos their mums have abandoned them - my sister's new baby grand-daughter Esme, who is only 6 weeks old! (and slept the whole time she was there) What a menagerie, but oh so much fun for Father's Day dinner!

well, hot tub heated, Rowing man is calling, time for a quick soak and then off to bed. It's been a great weekend,

have a wonderful week all,

Shiree

spring is in the air...

Spring is sprung
the grass has riz
I wonder where dem birdies is...

oh I know where the birdies are, the trees have been full of them, and the bird feeder has been needing replenishing quite frequently. Spring is definitely here!

or so I thought, but we have had such heavy snow falls along the centre of both islands, great for the ski-fields, and we expect to be doing some more spring skiing at the weekend! YAHOO...

Last weekend we elected to be stuck at home (boring old farts that we are!), but the garden did need some attention! We started with this dreadful area, that we have largely mostly ignored for too many years now... we pulled down an old oak tree 3 years ago, now we are are not tree haters by any stretch of the imagination, but this grandma just had to go, she was shading the lounge, and dropping acorns everywhere, which then started little oak seedlings, not good in a residential area, we have a reasonable sized section, but not that big! (the oak tree burned very well - nobody wanted it for any wood turning or cabinet making or whatever, being a grandma tree and all gnarled n all)...

a few of these...

and voila!...... nice and tidy, I still need to move a few pots and bits'n'pieces around a bit, I have a really very heavy sundial that I might move here.. next weekend when Rowing Man has recovered... boy were we tired on Sunday evening!

hey, what a view huh!!!

well I enjoy looking at it! he he he...

The rest of the garden definitely has that spring feel to it..


...lovely fresh silverbeet - one my my favourite meals (yes I say meal) is poached eggs on silverbeet (or spinach), on toast of course! - spread with vegemite, and topped off with fresh parmesan shavings, oh so mouth watering! and so so yummy...

and this is the the lovely wonderfully Plum tree, so full of flower for all the plums that the new owners will enjoy, great for plum jam and sauce, but a damn nuisance sweeping up off the drive once the jolly birds have been at them (won't miss that job at all!!)...

and the first of the rhododendrons in flower, they flower from now right up until about June/July, they grow so very well in Dunedin. We have the rhodendron festival here in Dunedin in November, with a lot of local gardens open for visiting, and lots of action happening for garden tours and so forth.. more about that at festival time.

and all you Australians will know this flower well, the birds just love it, and it is lovely to see and hear all the birds enjoying the fruits from this lovely specimen..

and I have been doing a bit of stitching... just a few peeks then, (look at my sidebar - yep signed up for a few swaps yet again - always seems a good idea at the time, and I do so enjoy the creating, and sending off to new homes,oh the anticipation of it all!)

and this is the last block completed for Aunt Millie's Garden;

now for the borders...

and this is something for a dear friend's birthday coming up very, very soon..

and I plan on finishing this off tonight

and not sure what I will do with this - any ideas?


anyhoo - off to have tea - yep - you guessed it, Toast!!... with fresh garden garlic mushrooms and capsicum hummus. (with a glass of nicely well breathed Stoneleigh merlot... should sleep well tonite then! lately has been 1.30-2am bedtime, and up again at 5-5.30!! hmmmm sleep deprived... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - need my man!)

have fun everyone,

Shiree

(Miss Divine D, must talk to you about how to do a signature thingee)


P.S. handed in my notice at work - finally - Rowing Man is so so happy! Last day is October 16th! 61/2 weeks to go and counting down - really hard being apart, and all the commuting is really quite tiring! Will be nice to actually belong, rather then just be a visitor for the weekend.

Ta da!

the usual Mondayitis... busy day at work, not really a decent lunch break although I did manage to rush next door and get a few photos printed, and buy new light bulb for the Twizel bathroom which blew the other week (not bad - lasted 4 years!), rushed into Spotlight to buy this fabric,

off to the hairdressers to get my locks trimmed and tidied,head out to Mum's to deliver the photos, supermarket shopping for Rowing man to send him off tomorrow with the weeks supplies, home to do some packing so Rowing Man can take a car full back to Twizel, (no point him travelling empty), make Rowing Man and myself some tea, and get out faithful Elna, so I can take part in Jenny's challenge...

and so to get started ...


n start this post again, 'cos I just deleted all the photos (*46*^@*#!#@!#)

just run this thru the machine rather quickly!


and voila!
so I am now heading to bed!

nite all, Shiree

p.s. Rowing Man has just arrived home from an evening on call, and he's hungry as a bear... (he says), bed waits a bit then!

how many different ways can you do toast?

well what happens when you get home late from work, you have really good intentions of "tonight I will cook a decent meal", you walk in the door, bring in the washing, shut the windows, draw the curtains, get the snail mail, turn the kettle on for a cuppa, empty the dishwasher, quickly run the vacuum, cleaner over so you can sit down later and stitch in peace knowing it started off clean and tidy, check e-mail and blogland - finally made the cuppa after tipping the first one out after it went cold, oops dally just a bit too long... so easy to do, every one is just so busy and creative and inspiring....

WHOOPS, it is now 8.00pm, and you still need to eat, not much chance of that healthy cooked meal now, and it's getting just a bit late to be eating it too...

hmmmmmmmmmmm... how many different ways can you eat toast, and still have a relatively healthy meal???

well if have pita bread

and some fresh tomatoes and avocado...

add a little bit of hummus spread - Lisa's feta and garlic is so my favourite!

or maybe some garlic mushrooms...

some of these spreads may do huh???

but certainly this lettuce and radishes on the side are a more healthy option...

or maybe this is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids...

and this could be a very quick topping too, although lots of Vit c, it's not really that healthy a choice methinks...

oh well, at least the cuppa goes down well.... tomorrow night I swear I will cook a decent meal...
Saved, my Mum has phoned to say Dad has cooked enough for Africa, do I want some leftovers

you betcha I do,

.....and I need to get off to the gym as well, not much exercising being done, no early morning gym sessions with rowing man, no evening ones either with rowing boy, he's torn a shoulder muscle, so really feeling really lazy and sluggish - whatever happened to my well organised routine...

hmmmmmm one day.... sooon.....

have fun all,

Shiree