Meltdown???

Sorry everyone....I think I've been in meltdown!!!  Yes, the heat has been getting to me but that's not exactly what I mean.


School finished last Friday and I just haven't stopped..have barely blogged and it's killing me!!!!
Well, hopefully, I'm back.   You'd better go and make a cuppa before you sit down and join me...it has been a while and we have quite a lot to catch up on!


Oh, where to begin????


I guess, with my escapades this week, and a little later......a giveaway!!!!!
I spent much of this week cleaning up (don't you just love it??) and travelling around the countryside taking others here and there. 
On Wednesday, a trip to Proserpine was in order to visit the lovely Wendy at IddyBiddy Cottage.  A friend of mine is wanting to make a quilt for a workmate who is getting married on New Year's eve so I suggested taking the trip down south as Wendy has such lovely fabrics and is really reasonable!  I managed to get some lovely fabrics to go with my kaleidoscope blocks, so now I can finish making them into the quilt they deserve to become!!!!   They have been waiting so patiently!!!!  Here are the fabrics I chose....

                                "Holiday Flourish" by Peggy Toole
                                 for Robert Kauffman                       

                                 and "Mandarin Dynasty" by Hoffman

These are next on my list!!!  Another purchase was the backing fabric for my Joseph's Coat for the DLN Quiltalong....I know, I know, it started ages ago, but last term was a write off for me so it's one I'm starting on these holidays.....  I chose a coffee coloured fabric (yes, I love my coffee!!!) and I 'plan' to do my petals in blues....I love browns and blues together so I'm looking forward to this one.   Got everything organised now...just have to start!  I also managed to get a sandpaper board, come cutting board, come design board in a tote for $22....wasn't I impressed!!???

It was a lovely day, I got what I wanted, my friend got all that she needed and we took the new 'baby' for her first long journey....and gee, didn't she perform!!! (in a good way!) [chuckle] 

Then, family over on Wednesday eve for a dinner before they headed off to the Gold Coast to spend Christmas with my lovely SIL's...sad we can't be there but.....! 
Being Italian, there's always a big bowl of spaghetti on the dinner table whenever we go to each others' places, so hubby (being the Italian one in our family!) managed that, and also made a mango and red onion salad...it was yummo!!  My MIL brought the baked turkey and my contribution was a crisp green salad and garlic loaf to accompany  it all! Not very Christmassy, but with family all around the table, it was wonderful!

Yesterday, I drove them all up to Townsville to the airport to catch their flight.  It's usually an hour trip but there were a few lots of roadworks on the way so it took a bit longer.  Just as well we factored this into the journey, but what I don't understand is, why do roadworks always occur at Christmas time, during the holidays, when people are travelling on the roads, and especially...when our wet season is about to start, which means cyclones and flooding and whatever work has been done to the roads ends up in potholes or washed away??????  Doesn't make sense to me...what do you think...do you know why they do it now???

After I dropped them off, I spent the rest of the day shopping...I spent waaaay too much money, but I have definitely run out of time again this year.....maybe next year I'll be more organised!!!!! hehehe [yeah, right!]

I have been catching up with a few last minute Christmas sewing projects...here's one that Gail Pan had on her blog last week....

 It's a freebie and it's quite quick to stitch, so it's probably not too late to go and pay her a visit here if you're short on gifts.  I've been trying to get me some Christmas mojo and I think this is starting to do the trick!!! 

Today I've set up all the Christmas goodies....the trees are up, the lights are up, the decorations are up and I'm starting to feel a little more festive and definitely more relaxed now!  Here's some piccies to show you around my home.....

I love the figurines...they remind me of the true meaning of Christmas.

I received my swap gifts from my Stitcher's Angel, the lovely Bonnie from the US last week.  I thought I had missed out but poor Bonnie has had her hands full caring for her ill father....she has had a bit of a hard time.  She has had these gifts ready for quite a while but has had her hands full being the primary carer of her dear Dad....I hope and pray all is going well for them both.....here is what she sent me....

I received some exquisite chocolate (which I've had to hide from the family!!), a beautiful thread catcher and bag to match, an armchair caddy, which IS coming in very handy, some Best Press, which I can't wait to use...I've heard so much about it and a beautiful bookmark with the Lord's Prayer.  Bonnie, you are truly an Angel, after all you are going through....I am truly blessed with your new friendship!

Here is my recent prize from the giveaway from Buderim Patchwork....thank you to Andrea and the girls...they always seem to have so much fun, and what a lovely part of the country to live in!!!

I don't know if you remember, but Joy was talking about a 'peeper' that a friend of hers makes (or her husband does, anyway!) and as her and I got to talking about them, Joy ended up organising one for me to purchase from her too!  It arrived just today in the mail and it is beautifully crafted in timber....don't know if you can tell by my Christmas photos, but all of my house has timber furnishings....I love the natural beauty and feel of timber!  You can see the lovely crafty card  that Joy sent with it....what a love!!!!

 

       a view through the peephole!!!

Now, after such a long post, I'll leave you to have a bit of a break before I announce a giveaway.....I think it's about time, don't you???   So, until then, I'll let you think about what it is I'm having a competition about.  I'll give you a clue.......rock-a-bye....!!!! (or is that a dead give away??? hehehe)

Sugary hugs

XX :O)

Star of Joseph

I have so many "wanna do's" on my list of "to do's" that I think I'll have to live till I'm at LEAST 200 to finish them all....as soon as I finish one, a new one pops up on the end of the line...and sometimes, if it's a really pushy one, it might get to the front of the line....(how rude!!! lol)
So......I've made a pact with myself to finish as many of my UFO's and WIP's as I do start new projects...or even, just finish the oldies first!!!!  We'll see how I go, shall we??

Here's my first attempt at clearing the backlog.....my Star of Joseph....a bit appropriate seeing it's nearing Christmas.

This is a diamond log cabin pattern which I did at a Jan Phillip's weekend workshop held at our quilting guild earlier this year.  Of course, I didn't finish it in a weekend (I wish I was that good!!) but I got half done and have worked on it little by little.  It's been sitting in my cupboard for a couple of months, waiting for the 'right' backing fabric to come along.  As Saturday was our last meeting for the year, I felt the time had come to release this table topper from its (and my) misery and make it complete!!!!  You can probably see the pins in it ready for quilting which should be done in the next week.....you're all keeping me honest!!!!!

Why Star of Joseph you may ask???  Well, the star part's obvious (I hope!!) and as I made it for our dining room table which belonged to my husband (Joseph) before we were married, I thought it sorta fit quite nicely, don't you think???

The fabric is beautiful....I bought it with Tracy's help at Tinker's Cart in Townsville.  Not sure of the fabric names (you know what I'm like...as long as it's good quality and looks good...what's in a name??? hehehe), but I think it does look stunning!  Can't wait to have this one sitting purty on my.....erhh...our table!!!!!

Today was a bit of escapism after a very busy term....hubby and I decided to go for a drive and planned to return to Bowen to visit some friends however, they were in Townsville visiting a sick relative in hospital, so we decided to keep on going!!!!....Off we headed to Airlie Beach.  It only took us about 2 and a half hours and is so beautiful, it's a lovely place to escape the 'everyday's'!  We had lunch at the Airlie Beach Hotel, a boutique hotel that makes the most exquisite wood-fired pizzas.....mmm mmmmm!  We had the specialty - a garlic base topped with tomato, salami, pepperoni, spinach, olives, jalepenos (hold them on my half....yuk!), mozzerella cheese and , of course there had to be anchovies!!!!!  Yummo...we scoffed the lot...I don't think we even left the crumbs!!!!!
Then we went for a walk around the shops and along the boardwalk....it was such a beautiful day and the view was gorgeous...just like in a travel brochure. 

Now, you don't think I'd leave you out do you...what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't take my camera to take a photo to share with you????  Take a look at this view:

Isn't the water so blue and clear???  We are so lucky here in Australia to have some of the best beaches....(do I sound a little bit biased? ...oops! lol)

If you look a little closely in this next photo, you will see a cruise ship....wouldn't that be true escapism....setting off on the high seas to visit some exotic lands????.... [sigh!]  Maybe one day??

I've had a few comments about my new 'baby' too...thanks everyone...I do love her...she's a German beauty....and quite a few of you made comments about what I was actually thinking....(see, great minds DO think alike!!!) , that is, a name for my new gal.  I don't know why she's a she (no obvious features prove this) but I think I'm sick of being the only girl in the family so .... this car has no choice but to be the next girl!!!!!

   Very soon I will be having a competition to find the perfect name for my little Deutsch beauty !!!  Just need to find the right prize.....so thinking caps on....I will announce this one later this week!

Off now to the blanket show.....nighty nights and sugary sweet dreams!
XX Wendy :O)

Happy Birthday....my lovely boy!!!

Aaaaah fifteen years flies by all too quickly!!!!

Happy birthday to the most wonderful son in the entire world.....no, make that  THE universe.......{but I am a little biased!!! hehehe}

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING

I LOVE YOU!!

What would YOU spend $50 on???

Well, I found myself wondering the same thing when I visited The Handmaden's blog this evening.  But a quick trip over to Retromummy's made that a very easy decision ......
you see,  both these ladies have joined to have a giveaway on The Handmaden's blog......they are offering a $50 gift voucher to spend on anything (yes, anything!) you like in the Retro Mummy store.
I have a liking for this......

and these.....

and plenty of other goodies but I don't think $50 stretches THAT far!!!!!


So why don't you go and have a quick look....do some daydreaming and you never know.....you may be lucky and get to have a bit of a guiltless spend up before Christmas....just on you!!!!
 
Hurry though.....it's going to be drawn on Sunday 6th December (Aussie time!!)
Good luck!

Beep, Beep!!

Did I mention I got a new car???? LOL.   

 Here she is:

I hope I didn't have some of you confused....thinking I had delivered a REAL baby...heaven forbid....I'm a little past that, I think (although stranger things...., they say!!)

This photo was taken just after her first bath......my almost 15-year old couldn't believe me having to wash her, after I only just picked her up on Thursday afternoon!!!!!.....Kids!!!!  It'll be a different story when he has his licence, I'll bet!!!!!!  I feel a little special driving around in her......maybe because she's so shiny and new.....wonder if it will be a different story when the payments start coming out!!????

And, what always happens after you wash your car?????  You got it.......look what arrived shortly afterwards.......

Lucky there were only a few drops out of those big grey suckers (although we DO need a nice drop of l'eau!!) and NOOOOO...I didn't rush out and wipe it down afterwards!!!!!!  hehehe

So nice to have finished report cards (sounding like a broken record a bit, aren't I??) and I think I was missing my sewing, because I sure was cranky at the end of last week!!!! But, put needle and thread in my hand and a sewing machine within arm's reach, and I calmed down promptly!!!

And YES,  I have finally finished the BATMAN QUILT.....Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!   Although I absolutely loved doing it....(it was an original design from start to finish....sort of a make-it-up-as-you-go-along one).....it did seem to take forever and seeing it was for a birthday gift on the tenth of November, I felt bad that it wasn't quite ready on time!!!!  I think that made it seem like it took so much longer!

Front of quilt (depending on the new owner!!)                                 

   Back of quilt.....(He liked this side best!!! maybe this will be the new front????)

I decided to quilt Batman insignias in the yellow blocks in the main border and stitched in the ditch around the centre blocks.

It was so relaxing on the weekend, stitching the binding on in front of mindless tv!!!!  Aaaaaahhhh....nice!  All that's left now is the handover!!!!!  I'm sure my teaching partner will be glad to finally get his gift (without me taking it back again!!!!)

We had our quilter's guild Christmas party on Saturday, and our swap was a Summertime Table runner.  Now you know I've been rather preoccupied lately, so Friday night I sat stitching till 2am and then up again in the wee hours to complete the binding and label.  Lucky I had a top pre-made that I could utilise for the task!!!!

My idea of summertime is lovely, clear, blue skies, beautiful flowers and lovely, rich sunsets (hence the orangy-red binding, which just happened to match the flowers perfectly!)   I hoped my lucky recipient would be happy with their lot, and she was!!!  The lucky lady said she loved any colour.....as long as it was blue!!!!!.....aaaaah, fate at its finest!!!!!

I received a lovely watermelon based runner made by my blogless friend Maureen....she apologised prolifically for it, but I think it's wonderful!!!!

 

Funny you know, my original plan was to make a watermelon based runner, as there's nothing that represents summer more than slurping watermelons and spitting watermelon seeds as far as you can!!!!!, but I just ran out of time (dang!)   so....must've been a perfect match!!!!  (I wonder if anyone has ever grown a watermelon in their belly from eating the seeds???? ) lol

And this morning was spent finishing my Christmas Ornie Swap organised by Robyn and Clare for my swap partner Jeanette.  I received her ornament on Friday and absolutely love it, love it, love it!!!  It's going up on the tree as soon as ...well, ..... it gets put up!!!! (cringe!! and there is only 26 days till Christmas!!!)

She made a lovely handmade/stitched card too.....a very versatile, talented young lady is Jeanette!!!!  thank you my lovely new bloggy friend...I'll treasure them always!!!

I can't show you what I made for her yet as it's going in the post tomorrow, but as Jeanette's a Brissie girl, she should have it by the end of  the week, after which, I'll let you have a look!!!!

I also received my very quick fabric swap organised by the lovely Jenny from  my swap partner, Margaret on Friday too!  She was worried that it would take a month of Sundays to get here as it was coming from Spain and it seemed to be travelling via donkey!!!!  Well, needless to say, mine took longer to get to Spain than hers did getting to Oz, so I guess my donkey must've been travelling uphill!!!

 

I just adore the cute little buttons.....did you notice the little 'Santa's Helper Elf ' ????  Thanks Margaret, I love it all!!!

 This is what I sent Margaret...some lovely coordinating fabric (I'm not one for names....don't know the brand of them!!! ooops!) with ribbon to match and two little red,clay star buttons.

A big, sugary thank you to all our lovely organisers who help make blogging so much more fun than it already is!!!!  Thank you ladies!!!!

Oh my goodness....look at the time....and I've so much more to share!!!!!  Well this post's been a really long one, so I guess I'll keep you in suspense until next time...unless you've already navigated away from this page!!!  (and my Blogger is playing up, big time....doesn't want to do anything but centre everything....it's not playing the game right!!!!!!   Why does it always have a mind of it's own?????)

Sweet, sugary dreams

XX Wendy B :O)

Where am I????

whew.....what a week!... well report cards are finally finished (thank goodness!!) and the new baby is actually at home with me now.  I'm catching up on all the blogs i've been missing these past couple of weeks and a quicky post as I go and finish my Christmas deco for the swap.

Will report back with piccies tonight of all the exciting things that have been going on here....I'm still in 'amore' with my new baby...gotta pinch myself....so I'm just going out for another spin!!!!!!....just once more...before I give her a bath and a gentle rub down!!!

sugary hugs  'o)
XXX

Welcoming my new bundle of joy!!!!

Many months have passed since this little miracle was conceived and it seems like an eternity, but tomorrow, we will be welcoming this little bundle of joy into our family...........

photo courtesy of Volkswagen   (thanks veedub!!!)

Well, it's almost been like a pregnancy......I ordered my new car 18 weeks ago and they told me it would be built to order and as it had to come from Germany, we would have to wait!! After much anticipation,  the dealer rang me up on Tuesday and told me it had finally arrived!!!! (No, I don't think the stork brought it!) lol

Just like childbirth though, I've counted the weeks, I've gone back through the 'baby' books and questioned whether we had done the right thing in ordering a new 'baby', I've gone through every detail, trying to remember what it felt like when I test-drove her (not that you can test-drive a bub, but.....), I've thought about what 'clothes' (accessories) I'm going to get her and how proud I am going to be when I first take her out in public!!!!
Thank goodness I'm not getting the car that has the baby wearing the nappy that explodes once it's buckled in and splatters every interior window!!!!!(.....according to the ad on tv!!!....stinky pinky....eeewwwwwwww.....that would be disappointing).  My bubby's going to be just 'poifect'!!!!!

Mine is a little different to the photo though.....black's just not practical up here in North Queensland, and particularly living opposite a cane farm!!!!....mine is going to be Mountain Grey Metallic....has a soothing, cool, calm sort of name doesn't it????...and I won't be having the sunroof or leather seats....I don't think I have the right postcode for that!

So, think of me tomorrow as I'm driving down the highway with my new baby bundle of joy!!!!

On another note, I have to say a huge thank you to Judith from Calico Cottage.  I recently won a quick little comp on her blog and two beautiful, glittery charms arrived in my post box,  just the other day..... a beautiful rose (Judith knows me too well!!) and a heart with a rose engraved on it..........they were packaged so beautifully  (and guess who forgot to take photos!!???? duh!!!)
I haven't got a project in mind just yet, but holidays are coming soon and I'll have plenty of time to play!!!!! 

I know Judith's taken a break till Dec 12 but I hope these sincere thoughts of thanks find her.....I hope you're having a lovely break with loved ones , plenty of R & R and Rejuvination for a very creative 2010, Judith!!!!  I can recommend a visit to Judith's online Calico Cottage ...if you're into Modern Country styles, then you'll love what Judith has to offer.

Now I think I'd better toodle off to bed.....however, with all the excitement, I think it will be a restless night!!!!!  (thankfully no labour pains though!!!.....just pains in my bank balance!)

sweet, sugary dreams


XX WendyB  'o)