A bit of a breakdown

I have been avoiding my computer.

I've been having MAJOR computer problems for weeks now. Read: tearing my hair out! Technology can be great - but that's only when it is working.

This will be a quieter week, hopefully with a little more time on my hands to sort out these computer problems once and for all.



Here are some books that I got from a local church fete on the weekend. $2.65 the lot!

 .... my favourite, favourite.





Oh dear books, how I love you so. Such a reliable source of information. Always there when I need you.

Have you bought any good thrifted books lately? Or maybe your reading a new book?

For any of my family and friends who may have e-mailed me in the last few weeks, I am still without e-mail. I am not ignoring you, promise.

Feeling poorly

I guess that it was inevitable, that I too, would get sick.

A vomiting bug had spread through almost everyone we knew and I was the last person to get it.

We had had happy plans for our two weeks of school holidays: simple days of play dates, baking, sewing, crafting, beach walks and bike rides. But instead we've spent the last 10 days housebound. All of us taking our turn lying on the lounge feeling miserable, sleeping away days and not eating.

Today the little monkey's returned to school, better, not contagious, perhaps a little tired. I have spent the day trying to return order to our home. Clearing our family room of piles of blankets, pillows, clothes, soft toys, barbie's and lego. But it is a slow start back to 'normal'. I've just had to make myself a cup of coffee to be able to make it through to dinner time. Because in reality, right now, I would love to trade places with the girl in the picture above.

I believe some people are still on school holidays and others are just starting. Stay well and enjoy.

Crepe myrtle love

This morning I have thrown out the, almost bear branches of this crepe myrtle that has been brightening my home all week.

I love crepe myrtle trees. Here in Queensland there are not many trees that change with the seasons. The crepe myrtle is a tree that looks beautiful anytime of year. Yesterday, as I drove into town I saw that the trees too, had now lost their bright lolly coloured blooms and their leaves were starting to turn and fall.

Autumn is my one of my favourite times of year, although I have mostly lived here in Queensland, without a true Autumn, my memories of living in other parts of the world are strong. How I would love to rug up and venture out for a long walk under the branches of ancient, golden trees. I'd love to russell and crush my way over layers of fallen leaves. I'd love to sit on a park bench with my children and drink hot chocolate from a thermos.

But you have to take what you can get. Right now, I am glad that the crepe myrtle is getting ready to show it's Autumn colours.

Do you have a favourite tree? Do you like Autumn or do you prefer another time of year?

Pretty little bunting

While poking around in the craft basket in the back room of my favourite op shop last Monday, I found a little plastic bag of goodies. While some people might think that this was just a pile of tiny practice squares, good for nothing, I saw bunting!

I quickly snapped up the $2.00 bag, excited, knowing exactly how good this would look with our Easter decorations.

The bunting finally got hung on the evening before Good Friday. On Tuesday of last week I drove half an hour to a shop, that I was sure sold floral liberty bias binding. But when I got there, I was wrong. Instead I chose a large polka dot in a deep coral. It looked great with the colours of the little crochet squares in the shop, but the next day when I started sewing it up, the colour was just too dark. Once hung, all you would have noticed would have been the coral strip of the bunting top and the soft pastel colours would have just disappeared. So after school pick up, I dragged the kids to Lincraft, another half hour trip. I deliberated between a soft grey and peach for over 10 minutes. I am not a 'peach' girl. But the grey was just wrong.

On Thursday afternoon I finally sat down and sewed up the tiny bunting. More than once I thought that I should have got the wider bias binding, as sewing 5x5 cm uneven crochet wool and cotton squares was just a tad fiddly to say the least!

But in the end, it was perfect, it was exactly how I imagined it would look.

Have you given any thrifted crafts finds a new life lately?

Little monkeys

They say: never work with children or animals...

It had been along time between photos of my kids with their cousins. While happily playing in the playground on Easter Sunday, I thought I would grab the perfect photo opportunity. I asked the kids to come in close and smile.

After standing there for 10 minutes, enduring fits of the giggles, this was the best I could get. 

This morning I wonder if perhaps these are the better photos after all. I can still hear their laughter and it's making me smile.

Holidays

With the Easter Break over, most people have gone back to work today.

But I am happy that this morning, I could sleep in, have a lazy breakfast, leisurely spend the morning on the phone to a friend and to have no agenda at all.

I am looking forward to the holidays after a pretty busy long weekend.









Easter this year was:

• Easter Bonnet decorating and a parade at school - with dancing!
• Miss Moo Moo was the winner of an Easter raffle - she is lucky this girl, this is her second win this year.
• Easter bunting making.
• Easter crafting.
• Polish Apple Pancakes for Easter Sunday breakfast
• Salmon Salad and Calamari for Good Friday Lunch with family
• Our traditional Easter Egg Hunt
• A special Easter gift for me from my mum
• Winter pj's from the Easter Bunny - another Easter tradition
• Lindt balls and way too many chocolate bunnies.
• Milk and carrots for the Easter Bunny, after putting both a peeled and unpeeled carrot out for the Easter Bunny, it is now official. The Easter Bunny prefers his carrots unpeeled - did you know?

I hope you've had a happy Easter. Are you on holidays? What are you doing?