Whale Watching

I love whale watching, we have been twice, once at Hervey Bay, where whales holiday, on their way back to the Antartic, and once on our door step, Moreton Bay.
Whale watching is major tourist stuff, and whales seem to enjoy the tourists; they come up near the boats, hang out, check out, play, maybe they even make eye contact. What ever they do, they are fantastic, and i just adore them. So it upsets me the the Japanese kill whales, and call it scientifice research, so i want to get behind Sea Shephard, because they are putting their money where their mouth is and going to the Antartic, to put a stop to this illegal killing of whales.
Check out their site on my list.

Flowers

I love flowers, who dosen't? I also, love making flowers, or little confections that represent flowers.

These ones are made with vintage fabric scraps, buttons, and kept stiff, with PVA glue and water. I don't want to be to sophisticated with my stuff, and am not motivated to spend money on fancy findings, liking to reuse/recycle, simplify. So the back has a safety pin, and a bobby pin sewn on.

$4 on my Market Stall.

Ha Ha Ha fat butt

I keep an empty tin next to my stove to tip in my cooking fats, Handy; dumps cigarette butts in the garden. Ta Da, Fat Butt tins, little bins - recycling empty tins, and having a laugh.

For sale on my market stall, $3

Off to the Markets

Years and Years ago, in a past life, i did the markets. Handy and i did them when we first got married, but a life with babies wasn't condusive to a market lifestyle for us.

When i do a market stall, i like make everyting, its just so much fun.

I'm doing it because i'm at my happiest making beautiful things, cutting sewing, gluing, laughing at my own jokes.

I'm going to focus on Hats, because I don't think you can buy anything decent, that isn't made in China. I don't want to keep on buying Made in China Stuff. So i'll run with my own little Sweat shop, with me doing all the sweating. These hats are made from my collection of vintage fabric, and I will have another design this week.

I'd like to get $40 each for these hats, at the markets, and when i get it together, in my Etsy store.

Plumbing the New Tank

......................Beau helping her Dad, install the new tank....................

We have water restrictions, due to unprecedented drought conditions. Water restrictions mean that we have 4 minute showers, and the kids only get fully bathed, altogether every other day, (they don't mind).

Water restrictions also mean, you can only bucket water for one hour 3 times a week; no fun in that.

So we bit the bullet and got a 10 000L tank, cost $1 700, and we will get $1 300 back in rebates, in a few months time.

I wanted the tank so that i can grow vegies, and fully enjoy the watering, which i think is one of the best parts of gardening, and secondly so that the children have water to play in, they haven't had this luxury for several years, as we have has no sprinklers or childrens wading pools.

We installed the tank ourselves, which was reasonably stressfull, as H.A. (read Hubby) is no tradesman but loves handy man work, and needs me to help, but often fails to tell me how.

All this handy work is further comprised, by the SPECIAL LANGUAGE OF PLUMBERS. , Yes plumbers have their own language, they are the only people who know that a fitting that is called 32mm is physically 40mm and a fitting that is called 25mm is physically 32mm. This is why plumbing is such a specialised trade, you have to know these tricky things, and because we don't, it took 3 trips to the hardware shop, wow.

So the tank is installed and we have even had rain, Yeah.

Apron Swap

I'm involved in an Apron Swap, through the Down to Earth Blog. This is it, its going to JJ in Virginia, USA. It is made from 100% cotton, and is essentially upholstry fabric, its has a nice waffle weave texture on the cream stripes, i think it will wash down, like a soft teatowel. The pleats across the top give it some shape, and allow the big pockets to sit out a bit, ready to receive stuff. The stich work is done in back stitch, and stem stich, and i choose a wine theme, because thats what my swap partner and i discussed. I really enjoyed making this, as i enjoy making all gifts.

I posted it yesterday, along with a knitted dishcloth, and an op shop "Australian Wildflower" table cloth. I hope she likes it. J.

Max out your Christmas

I'm part of the congregation at Redcliffe Uniting Church, This is our slightly jigged Advent programme. Our theme is.

MAX OUT YOUR HEART

Max out your heart…not your credit card [Joy]

Max out your heart…don’t burn out your soul [Peace]

Max out your heart…don’t minimize your hope [Hope]

Max out your heart…God is here [Love]

I did this painting in response to this theme, and inspired by my favourite song, that has a chorus, that goes "Come to the river and drink from the water of Life".

We will print out the painting on post cards, with all our Christmas information, and make "Agape" buy cutting out the heart, and doing somthing with it, haven't figured out what yet, but it will probably involve chocolate.

Want to find out more, have a look at the Website

Blogs

I just love looking at blogs, there is allsorts of great thing.
Just have a look at this, its a random strip generator, great for knitting or crochet.http://www.kissyourshadow.com/stripe_maker.php

Things to Think About (TTA) Recipes

Spent time with J. today,She needs 5 idiot proof (read, inexperienced cook) recipes, with detailed instructions.
She does Apricot Chicken, but sounds like it could be done better
Lasagne, but sounds like it could be better,

How about, Sweet and Sour
Irish Stew
Fried rice
She interested in Stir Frys, how about somthing like Pad Thai,
Keep thinking

This is the lovely Leroy

This is it

Well this is it, doing the blog thing, What happening? Sunday afternoon and its really windy, and overcast, but no rain about. So far this afternoon, the kids have been fighting over lunch, the electric piano, and now over a game of cricket. I would love to get involved and fight with all of them, but am resisting, as i do enough of it during the week, the Good Cop can have a go instead. I just wish they would all go to bed.