Wednesday, December 30, 2009

What's Hot and What's Not Wednesday

Ahhhh Christmas time. So much fodder for WH&WN Wednesdays! I thought it was about time for a random posting.

What's Hot
  • Catching up on lost sleep for the year over the Christmas break
  • Books. Yep, they still rate up there. Just finished reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Highly recommended! Next few on the list include 'For the Term of His Natural Life' (Chrissy gift from the lovely James) and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (a loan from Darren). I also have a few more floating around in my place to read, if I haven't packed them
  • Moving back to the city! Yep, gonna be awesome living back in Sydney

What's Not

  • Getting too much sleep and eating too much over the break. I think catching up on sleep is actually not conducive to my energy levels (which are crap at the best of times!). I feel like I have been hit by a truck most of the time
  • Agreeing to do a book review for an academic journal at this time of year. Why, why, why did I say yes?!?! This thing is hanging over my head and is due Jan 16. I am still up to reading the intro, so god knows what the hell I will be able to review of it!
  • Packing. My place is a mess and I keep dreaming I won't get everything done in time for the removals. The other crap thing is trying to organise all the moving stuff, such as carpet cleaning, internet, storage, blah blah blah. On top of that I also have to find a place to live in (staying at the parentals initially)

I think there are lots more things, but I can't think of them now. Not falling asleep until 4am is affecting my already dull brain!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Once a Slacker, Always a Slacker

Yep, that slacker is me! It has been a whole month and I haven't posted. But I do have a letter from my Mum. Well, not quite, but I do have excuses (when do I never have an excuse really?!)

So it has been a strange month. I think I mentioned in my last blog that I was off to Perth for work. Well, I did that, went to a conference which was good, and hung out with my bro and his fiance. Also went on a little road trip with my friend Elaine up to Cervantes, Jurien Bay and the Pinnacles. I would have added some piccies, but as you will shortly see, it is picture overload in this blog!

When I got back from WA I got notice that I had been shortlisted for a job. With a weeks notice I had to prepare a detailed presentation and prepare for the interview (it was practically a full day process), all whilst trying to tell as few people as possible as I REALLY wanted the job. So I went to the interview, thought I bombed out on part of it, came home thinking I would hear either way in a week or something. Given my lack of sleep, I had a little nap, but was woken about 6:30pm by my mobile ringing. I didn't recognise the number, but I thought I better answer. Anyway, much to my surprise it was the Dean from the university I was applying to offering me the job!!!!!!!! So of course I was very excited, as the job will bring me back to Sydney, but also more than a little sad because of all the good stuff in Bathurst that I will be leaving behind. Apart from work and the friends I have there, I also have my wonderful crafty friends, and my non-work friends who I met whilst playing netball. All in all the past 2-3 weeks have been really surreal! The coming challenges will be Christmas (nope, I haven't bought ANY presents yet, so I am pretty screwed), packing, moving, my Hawaii trip, and starting the new job (which is 2 days after I get back from Hawaii!). I certainly wouldn't feel myself if I wasn't insanely and hectically busy!

But, in all of that craziness I have actually managed to be a little bit crafty too. My bank of photos below are testament to this. So let me go through these for you...

First, remember AGES ago I did a stitchery at the dodgy Rosehill craft show? It sat idle for ages, until I made a bet with a mate who is a drummer. Either way the bet went, he was getting the drum stitchery, all I had to do was actually frame it. And didn't it turn out pretty?

And I even made the back pretty! He was pretty stoked with it (unless he was lying to me, as really, how many men are thrilled by crafty gifts?!)

My next item was actually finished by Mum, as I was lazy and let her do it. It was my Santa softie thing that I also started a LONG time ago at the Christine Book class at the Home Patch. It was my first decoration on my Christmas tree!

Tonight, in my last sewing class for the year, I also finished my wall hanging! Yay. So pretty. When I get my new place in Sydney it will be hung with pride near my matching table runner.


I also had a bit of time left in class tonight, so I sewed and stuff another oldie I got at the craft show, a Red Thread Sweetie Petite. All that is left to do is sew up the bottom...

Earlier this week (actually, yesterday to be precise) I finished my wool felt Christmas baubles. I love them. I think I have actually forgotten to take a photo of one of the baubles here, but these are the ones I did manage to photograph, taking pride of place on my tree! I love them, so they better not be thrown out when I die!






Another addition to my Christmas tree was this cute little ornament from Mum. Love it :)

And tonight one of the lovely ladies at sewing gave us ornaments she made herself! Another perfect tree decoration...

So my tree is looking pretty snazzy now. All I need is some tinsel and a star for the top. And maybe a few more ornaments....as you will soon see, I am working on those still

On Sunday Mum and I did a punchneedle class at the Home Patch. Wow, how fun is punchneedle....and EASY! It was a good day and I have been inspired to perhaps turn some stitchery ideas into punchneedle creations.

This one is going to eventually be turned into an ornament for my tree. I should probably attempt to do that before Christmas...

I also made a star, which I think could also become an ornament...

And speaking of ornaments, I am still going on embroidering these things....they might be on the tree for next year at the rate I am going!






I did most of those whilst I was in Perth (or on the plane to/from Perth). The challenge is to come up with a variety of embroidery designs. I think I need to expand my range!
Anyway, so hopefully that little run down just about makes up for the month long silence. I can't promise I will blog much over the coming months. Hopefully I will get some in before I move. I better make sure I don't pack my sewing stuff into storage otherwise there will definitely be no craftiness!
Well, it is late so I think it's time to get back to watching The Bachelor hahahaha.
Oh, and don't even get me started on books. I have read a few, but to give you the low down, my current book is called Mathilda Savitch. Weird, interesting, and I can't wait to see how it ends. With any luck I will finish it tonight (last night's attempt failed when I fell asleep, book in hand).
Until next time.........

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

All you need is....


Love....and Coca Cola


From a Coca Cola addict

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Two posts in two days!

I was pretty productive in class tonight, so I thought I would share my results. My wall hanging is almost done (yay!).

As you can see I finished the borders around the stitcheries and sewed on the patchwork sections. It is all very bright. I am wondering if it is ugly....so hard to judge given I have been looking at this fabric for months!


And I have selected the fabric for my border and backing. Dots! Apologies for the colours, taking photos indoors at night doesn't really represent the true look of the work. Maybe one day I will actually get home from work before dark so I can take a decent natural light photo! Then again, I am probably just dreaming.....


I wonder if I will get any time to finish this before I go to WA....hmmmm.......almost tempted to keep going tonight, but Ladette to Lady is very distracting!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Gozleme and other things

Okay, so I should be working on a presentation I have to give for work tomorrow, but it has been a while since my last update, so I thought I should add some piccies of what I have been up to.

Mum and I have had a slight obsession with gozleme for a little while now, and have been meaning to try and make some ourselves for almost as long. Well, last week mum decided to put her talents to good use and make some! Of course I turned up just in time to eat it


The filling- lamb mince mix, spinach, feta

Mum made the dough

Frying it up

The finished product! Yum yum. I managed to gulp it down pretty fast! There was even enough for leftovers for Saturday lunch. Thanks mum!

Onto other things now. Millie the cat is definitely in the crazy season (well, crazier than normal, if that is possible). I think she is hunting birds here...



Back to craft. I have been progressing well with my christmas baubles. I have sewn half of them, and after that all I need to do is stuff them and make the bit to hang them from my tree. Which reminds me, I should take a photo of my new tree (although it is a tad sad looking at the moment, it has no decorations).



There is an interesting story behind the tree. I spotted this cute little 3 foot tree when the Christmas stuff first came out. It was $55, which I thought wasn't too bad. Anyway, fast track a few weeks and I was at a particular store (names removed of course), and decided I was gonna get me that tree! So up to the counter I go (they obviously do not just leave boxes of the trees lying around for self service). So I wait...and I wait, whilst some lady decides to have a conversation with a friend. When she finally decides she is bored enough to serve me and I ask for the tree. To cut a long story short, it seems all a little bit too hard for her to just get me the tree, so I leave the store and tell her don't bother. The next day I was at another shop (yes, I shop a lot) from the same chain. In I wander, not really thinking about the tree at all, and what appears before my eyes, but the tree, on sale, 30% off! Woohoo, tree now costs something like $34. Needless to say I was quite happy about this. So to the woman who made things difficult, I saved myself 30% because of you! It must have been fate.



Anyway, I digree. Craft again. I have been working on my wall hanging in class. Tomorrow I reckon I will be pretty close to finishing it off in patchwork class. All I really need to do is sew a couple of borders round the stitcherys, attach the patchwork squares, and do the back. Will update after tomorrow night to let you know how I go with that.





So a few things are coming together, which means I may actually progress onto some new projects. I am off to WA for about 10 days on Friday, so I will take some sewing with me (and reading- currently reading Anna Karenina!) and see what I can get through.
Until next time....




Sunday, November 1, 2009

Reading and more reading

Yesterday I finished reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Yay, I liked it! Although I didn't like the end. I definitely recommend it though to anyone who likes a little philosophy in their novels (e.g Sophie's World style).


I may have gone a little overboard collecting my next lot of books though. I did some purchasing yesterday and today. My first buy was the new Paul Auster novel, Invisible...

The other books I got were Roger Rogerson's bio (it's for the criminologist in me) as well as Jane Eyre (thanks Tho, I blame you for that) and Anna Karenina (after it got a mention in the Hedgehog). The last two both only cost me $8 each, so I thought that was a pretty good deal!
Anyway, just a short one this time, have to get back to watching Wuthering Heights on ABC. It's the last half of the mini series.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Keeping Crafty

Wow, what a busy couple of weeks. I have been holding off blogging in the belief that I haven't actually done anything worth blogging about, but when I went to download all my photos I realised that despite all my work stuff, I have actually been relatively productive craft wise. I haven't even managed to add any photos on the progess of my wall hanging project (I have cut all the patchwork blocks, just need to put the strips together and make it look pretty).

Anyway, here is a rundown of what I have done and taken piccies of.

Yesterday I went to the Christine Book sewing get together, held at Mamre House. It was perfect crafty weather (i.e. wet and a little cool). The theme for this years get together was blue birds, and upon spotting some hints of the day on Marg Low's blog, I couldn't say no when my mum asked me to go along with her.

We were pretty spoilt for choice on the day. We had a bunch of projects to choose from...

Isn't the display pretty?!

If only we could take these goodies....lovely birdies!

I had my eye on a few projects, but I thought I would go for the stitchery heart and bird button, as the example below shows....

We did manage to get given patterns for everything else, so I got myself some fabric and buttons to do one of these tags somewhere down the track (yes, I know I promised myself I would not buy any more projects...but I did!)

We also got an awesome goodies bag on the day, which as well as the patterns for everything included....
This birdie button by Theodora Cleave designs

A pattern from the Home Patch (hmm, Xmas present idea?!)

Some yummy bird fabric!


Christine's bluebird patterns

and Marg Low's patterns.....so nice!
I have progressed pretty well with my chosen project, almost finished all the stitching...

Just doing the little crosses


Apart from that, I have also been working on my Christmas wool baubles. I cut all the bits out and have managed to make a mess at mums with my work...


I have finished the stitching of 3 of the 6 feature pieces. I don't think it will take me long to finish these off, if I find the time!

I also got some nice little presents on the weekend too from Aunty Diane. She just returned from the UK where she was cleaning up her Aunt's place (she passed away recently), and she came across these finds. One is a dragonfly brooch, and the other pieces are bakelite buttons! They are so cool. I am not sure how I am going to use these things yet, whether it will be for jewellery or on something crafty, but I can't wait.


So all in all I have managed to progress with a few projects. Multi-tasking, how talented of me! Haha
Hopefully the next blog I can show some finished pieces!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

What's Hot and What's Not Wednesday

Loobylu has started a great Wednesday tradition, the What's Hot and What's Not Wednesday list. This week I thought I would do my own post on the topic. I am sure I have some more 'hot' and 'not' ideas, but these ones will do for now...

HOT
  1. Finally getting some sleep last night. For the past two weeks I haven't fallen asleep until after 2am. Last night I was asleep by 10pm and slept til 8am!
  2. Reading. I am half way through my current book club book, The Time Traveller's Wife. Not sure what I think of it yet, and it will be interesting to see how it translates onto the big screen. After I finish that I will either start on the Harry Potter series, or read The Elegance of the Hedgehog
  3. Wool felt. I have said it before and I will say it again, wool felt rocks (well, and making stuff with it, that is pretty cool too)
  4. The little bowl my friend bought back for me from NZ for my b'day (she was very forward thinking seeing as she went to NZ at the beginning of the year). I should take a photo of it and post it, it is just so cute. Perfect colour, perfect style
  5. DVDs. I recently finished Season 1 of True Blood, I have Dexter Season 3 to finish
  6. Booko. There is nothing better than ordering books online and discovering a package at the doorstep a few days later
  7. Blogs. They are my daily comfort and inspiration. I read many of them, every day, and I get jealous at all the cool things people make and all the wonderful original ideas that I see

NOT

  1. Washing up. I hate it with a passion
  2. Taking out the bins. Yes, it is bin night tonight, and it is too cold to take the trek up the hill to put my bin out. I must though, as it is pretty full.
  3. Work. It has been insanely busy and frustrating lately.
  4. Hair. If I didn't have hair I would not have to wake up an hour earlier in the mornings to wash and dry it. It would also not take me over an hour to straighten it when I want straight hair (it's naturally curly)
  5. My addiction to coca cola. It must stop. I have tried to quit a number of times. I am so pathetic!
  6. The cold. Yep, it's cold in Bathurst again. At least make it snow so that the cold has a purpose! Although there is a HOT thing to emerge from this, and that is curling up in bed at night.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Pin cushions galore!!!

Looks like I am not the only one in the family addicted to wool. Here are some of my mothers creations and works in progress....







I think my father is a little puzzled as to why mum needs to make (and keep!) so many pincushions.
As promised, here are some photos of my finished pin cushions. The leaf/bird one is filled with silica sand, and the flower pot one is filled with crushed walnut shells

I have also made some more progress with my wall hanging. In fact I have finished the stitchery part. Next is the hard bit, the cutting and sewing of the patchwork that frames the stitchery. I think I might leave that until patchwork class starts back in a couple of weeks! Knowing me I would totally stuff up the pattern



Until next time...