This is a cross stitch that I have hanging in my bedroom. I love it.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Teacup Tuesday...
This is a teacup, saucer & plate set (Royal Albert "Serena") which belonged to my maternal Grandmother.
I love the delicate rose pattern. It is quite well worn so she must have used it quite often.
Cheers - Joolz
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Simple Woman's Day Book....
For today - Monday, October 27, 2008
Outside my window... cars stream by and there are children playing in the school yard opposite my work.
I am thinking... what on earth can I cook for dinner tonight?!
I am thankful for... my washing machine. It wigged out last night, overflowed for no apparent reason, flooding my laundry. Today, it is working perfectly and has done 5 loads. Go figure.
From the kitchen... cooked really good pancakes yesterday morning for B15's friends. Maple syrup or Lemon & sugar. Yum!
I am wearing... coffee coloured capri pants, navy shirt and navy slides. My work attire.
I am creating... christmas presents for my sisters. I have all the supplies now so I can finish them.
I am going... to my Mum's after work. She needs her air conditioner filters vacuumed and then I am taking her out to the cemetary to put flowers on Dad's grave.
I am reading... the 3rd book in a series by Stephenie Meyer - Eclipse. I have already read Twilight and New Moon. All about teenage vampires and werewolves. Fascinating, page turning reading.
I am hoping... to have some more time off work this week. I like having the mornings home to potter and just do things as they need doing. See a dirty mark on the wall - clean it off!
I am hearing... the cleaner at work, she is washing the coffee cups.
Around the house... my garden is looking a little neater, A mowed the lawns yesterday so they look neat. A few more hours weeding out the back and it will look good again.
One of my favourite things... watching B15 hang out with her friends. They are a great bunch of girls and are very amusing to listen to and they genuinely like being around her.
A few plans for the rest of the week... just hoping for a few mornings off to potter, B15 has an orthodontist appointment on Thursday and I must look up some baby photos for K17 so she can plan her 18th Birthday invitations.
Here is a picture I am sharing...
Looks like I am getting the hang of adding pictures...
Cheers for now - Joolz
My baby turned 15 !!!!
It was B's 15th birthday on Thursday. We went out for dinner in Mt. Gambier at the Vanilla Bean Cafe - delicious! Then on Saturday, she had 6 friends come over and sleep in our new shed.
They are a nice bunch of girls but they had me running, keeping them fed! They consumed popcorn, savoury biscuits, M&M's, chocolate fondue with strawberries and marshmallows, 3 layer ice-cream cake (homemade with smashed Clinkers, Crunchie and Maltesers - oh yes, it was goooood!), chips, puffy dogs and chicken crunchies - on Saturday - then on Sunday I did pancakes for breakfast then we had a BBQ for lunch. They were all gone by about 3.30pm on Sunday but the house was dishevelled.
I have just finished tidying up, the kitchen is back to normal, walk-in linen press is tidy, putting away sleeping bags, folding sheets, laundry is on the 4th load with about 4 more to do - because I didn't do any Saturday or Sunday.
I think for her 16th we will go to a restaurant with a few of her friends and that will do it. I just don't have it in me. And I still have to get thru K17's 18th birthday in November. No idea what we are doing for that yet. I think we will book out a room at a pub, guests can pay for their dinner and we will pay for drinks. No tidying up afterwards, just leave! :)
Well, must hang out another load - I've had the morning OFF - then get ready for work at 1pm. When I get home it's more laundry, folding, put away, plan dinner, take B15 to basketball, make dinner, tidy up then bed. Phew!
Cheers - Joolz
They are a nice bunch of girls but they had me running, keeping them fed! They consumed popcorn, savoury biscuits, M&M's, chocolate fondue with strawberries and marshmallows, 3 layer ice-cream cake (homemade with smashed Clinkers, Crunchie and Maltesers - oh yes, it was goooood!), chips, puffy dogs and chicken crunchies - on Saturday - then on Sunday I did pancakes for breakfast then we had a BBQ for lunch. They were all gone by about 3.30pm on Sunday but the house was dishevelled.
I have just finished tidying up, the kitchen is back to normal, walk-in linen press is tidy, putting away sleeping bags, folding sheets, laundry is on the 4th load with about 4 more to do - because I didn't do any Saturday or Sunday.
I think for her 16th we will go to a restaurant with a few of her friends and that will do it. I just don't have it in me. And I still have to get thru K17's 18th birthday in November. No idea what we are doing for that yet. I think we will book out a room at a pub, guests can pay for their dinner and we will pay for drinks. No tidying up afterwards, just leave! :)
Well, must hang out another load - I've had the morning OFF - then get ready for work at 1pm. When I get home it's more laundry, folding, put away, plan dinner, take B15 to basketball, make dinner, tidy up then bed. Phew!
Cheers - Joolz
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Just call me butter...
...'cos I'm on a roll !!
Now that I have mastered sewing (ha!), in the next few weeks I intend :
1. to make soap and liquid soap
2. to make a loaf of Barmbrack bread
3. to do a small patchwork project - if B14 can do it, so can I!
4. to finish off a stitchery that I started (Rhonda Jean's design)
5. to make Lemon Cordial - very refreshing.
That might keep me busy for a while.
'A' and I went to a lovely brunch at a winery in the Coonawarra today. It was a great day, meeting people we knew and making new aquaintences.
Now we are back home (K17 picked us up as we had a few wines) and deliberating over the chinese menu for dinner. I feel like I have had a day off today. Back to reality tomorrow!
Cool and only about 16C here today, although the rain stayed away. A sprinkle would be nice.
Until next time -
Cheers - Julie :)
Now that I have mastered sewing (ha!), in the next few weeks I intend :
1. to make soap and liquid soap
2. to make a loaf of Barmbrack bread
3. to do a small patchwork project - if B14 can do it, so can I!
4. to finish off a stitchery that I started (Rhonda Jean's design)
5. to make Lemon Cordial - very refreshing.
That might keep me busy for a while.
'A' and I went to a lovely brunch at a winery in the Coonawarra today. It was a great day, meeting people we knew and making new aquaintences.
Now we are back home (K17 picked us up as we had a few wines) and deliberating over the chinese menu for dinner. I feel like I have had a day off today. Back to reality tomorrow!
Cool and only about 16C here today, although the rain stayed away. A sprinkle would be nice.
Until next time -
Cheers - Julie :)
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A sewing I will go...
Wow! I am feeling like the cat that swallowed the canary! In a single afternoon, I have completed presents for my 4 older sisters for Christmas. Each year, we pick a theme and hand make the presents. Last Christmas we made presents made from 'paper'. This year the theme is 'anything made from fabric'.
To anyone who sews, this would be very easy and many ideas would spring to mind immediately. I can only sew straight lines and even then they are a bit wobbly so the simpler the better.
I have seen so many ideas on different blogs but they are mostly outside my skill level. Anyway, I finally chose a project, easy enough for me to attempt. I am thrilled - each of the four projects turned out and I got better as I went along. I amazed myself!
All that is left for me to do is to get ribbon of different colours on Monday and finish off the items totally and print out a poem that goes with it. Can't wait to see the finished articles, ready for wrapping. :) Oooh, and it's only mid-October. The pressure is off!
I even offered to make similar pressies for k17's 3 female teachers. She thought that was a great idea. B14 might like a couple for her teachers as well. There is no stopping me now.
My other thought for a pressie was:
1 linen teatowel - either applique a heart/flower on it in contrasting material
Then make small batches of eg. tomato chutney, lemon butter, spice rub for meat, small
bottle of home made lemon cordial, small batch of my Melting Moment biscuits or Rocky Road. Buy a $2 gift box from cheap shop, lay teatowel inside and fill box with goodies.
That might be something I could make my Mum and Mum-in-law.
I'll try and post a photo when I've got them properly completed and tweaked. For some reason, a photo takes about 10 minutes to load so it is a tedious process.
Till then,
Cheers - Julie
To anyone who sews, this would be very easy and many ideas would spring to mind immediately. I can only sew straight lines and even then they are a bit wobbly so the simpler the better.
I have seen so many ideas on different blogs but they are mostly outside my skill level. Anyway, I finally chose a project, easy enough for me to attempt. I am thrilled - each of the four projects turned out and I got better as I went along. I amazed myself!
All that is left for me to do is to get ribbon of different colours on Monday and finish off the items totally and print out a poem that goes with it. Can't wait to see the finished articles, ready for wrapping. :) Oooh, and it's only mid-October. The pressure is off!
I even offered to make similar pressies for k17's 3 female teachers. She thought that was a great idea. B14 might like a couple for her teachers as well. There is no stopping me now.
My other thought for a pressie was:
1 linen teatowel - either applique a heart/flower on it in contrasting material
Then make small batches of eg. tomato chutney, lemon butter, spice rub for meat, small
bottle of home made lemon cordial, small batch of my Melting Moment biscuits or Rocky Road. Buy a $2 gift box from cheap shop, lay teatowel inside and fill box with goodies.
That might be something I could make my Mum and Mum-in-law.
I'll try and post a photo when I've got them properly completed and tweaked. For some reason, a photo takes about 10 minutes to load so it is a tedious process.
Till then,
Cheers - Julie
Friday, October 17, 2008
Spring has Sprung...
It is an absolutely beeeeautiful day here in Millicent. Around 23degreesC, bright sunshine and barely a breeze. Gorgeous! But I am stuck in the office today. :(
I spent most of yesterday in my back garden, weeding and cutting back some plants. My roses look healthy but have some aphids on them so I must deal with them. I bought two 'Strawberry' pink agapanthus plants which I split into 6 plants and dotted them through the garden bed. They will thicken up and mingle with the other things growing there. I filled our 'green waste' wheelie bin with weeds so I was feeling very pleased with myself. The aching muscles came later! Dinner was chicken & bacon in a Dolmio Red Wine sauce, parm cheese and kaiser bread rolls. Easy and satisfying.
Ande at The Burger Six had been tagged with an interesting list to complete. Here I go...
8's GALORE
8 TV shows I watch...
1. Packed to the Rafters (Aussie dramedy (drama/comedy)
2. Spicks & Specks (Aussie music quiz show)
3. Hairy Bikers Cookbook (They're big, sweaty and hairy but they know how to cook!)
4. Gilmore Girls (got all 7 seasons on DVD so it is constantly playing on one TV or other)
5. Cook & The Chef (Aussie cooking show - lovely Maggie Beer & Simon Bryant)
6. Good News Week (Aussie satire/news/comedy show, dissects the current news in a funny
entertaining way - great laughs)
7. Dancing with the Stars (Aussie version at the moment - 1 hour of glamour and sequins. Cha
Cha Cha!)
8. Can We Help? (Aussie Question/Answer, general trivia, word origins/history, find my missing
loved one etc.)
8 Favourite Restaurants...
1. Sorrento's - Mt Gambier
2. Belgiorno's - Mt Gambier
3. Sage & Muntries - Mt Gambier
4. McDonald's - Mt Gambier (fancy having to drive 50kms to go to McDonald's!)
5. Concubine - Adelaide (Chinese cuisine at the next level)
6. Live Bait - Melbourne Docklands
7. Milano Cucina - Adelaide
8. Amalfi Ristorante - Adelaide
8 Things that happened yesterday...
1. I went for a 5 km walk with KP and K17. It was chilly.
2. I tidied through the house and it looked great.
3. I re-did my entrance way, using a 1/2 round table my sister gifted me. Re-arranged
ornaments on it. Pleased. :)
4. Got out in the garden and put in about 4 hours of weeding and planting.
5. Folded washing and put it away. Always a good feeling.
6. Cooked dinner - as above
7. Watched Hairy Bikers and Cook & The Chef
8. Fell into bed with aching muscles from said gardening.
8 Things I'm looking Forward To...
1. Harvesting the salad lettuce's that I planted out yesterday.
2. Sunday in the Coonawarra at a wine brunch and tasting day.
3. Having my nails done next Thursday. I have a damaged one and it's driving me crazy.
4. B14's birthday on Thursday 23rd. Then she will be B15! Mwa mwa, love you, Breeza Bear!
5. Dinner in Mt Gambier for B14's birthday. No dishes! Yay!
6. More of this weather. It is great living weather.
7. K17 finishing her exams in mid November. Good for her to get it out of the way.
8. K17's Yr 12 Graduation Dinner in November. I hope it is a good night for her.
8 Things on my Wish List...
1. New digital camera, with SLR and macro lens so I can compete with other photographers
on their blogs.
2. Getting my home-made presents sorted out for my 4 sisters for Christmas. I have an idea
of what I want to make but now I need the time to get them done. Wish me luck.
3. More of this weather!
4. A few more days off work. It is a bit quiet at the moment so I hope to have the odd day off.
5. I hope the world economy levels out soon. It all seems a bit crazy/scary at the moment.
6. I hope the American people get the President they voted for. I am not sure that is what
happened in Australia at the last election with our PM.
7. The kids helping around the house a bit more. Would'nt it be nice...
8. A healthy, happy family and good friends around me. Goodness me, I think I have nearly
everything I need.
I spent most of yesterday in my back garden, weeding and cutting back some plants. My roses look healthy but have some aphids on them so I must deal with them. I bought two 'Strawberry' pink agapanthus plants which I split into 6 plants and dotted them through the garden bed. They will thicken up and mingle with the other things growing there. I filled our 'green waste' wheelie bin with weeds so I was feeling very pleased with myself. The aching muscles came later! Dinner was chicken & bacon in a Dolmio Red Wine sauce, parm cheese and kaiser bread rolls. Easy and satisfying.
Ande at The Burger Six had been tagged with an interesting list to complete. Here I go...
8's GALORE
8 TV shows I watch...
1. Packed to the Rafters (Aussie dramedy (drama/comedy)
2. Spicks & Specks (Aussie music quiz show)
3. Hairy Bikers Cookbook (They're big, sweaty and hairy but they know how to cook!)
4. Gilmore Girls (got all 7 seasons on DVD so it is constantly playing on one TV or other)
5. Cook & The Chef (Aussie cooking show - lovely Maggie Beer & Simon Bryant)
6. Good News Week (Aussie satire/news/comedy show, dissects the current news in a funny
entertaining way - great laughs)
7. Dancing with the Stars (Aussie version at the moment - 1 hour of glamour and sequins. Cha
Cha Cha!)
8. Can We Help? (Aussie Question/Answer, general trivia, word origins/history, find my missing
loved one etc.)
8 Favourite Restaurants...
1. Sorrento's - Mt Gambier
2. Belgiorno's - Mt Gambier
3. Sage & Muntries - Mt Gambier
4. McDonald's - Mt Gambier (fancy having to drive 50kms to go to McDonald's!)
5. Concubine - Adelaide (Chinese cuisine at the next level)
6. Live Bait - Melbourne Docklands
7. Milano Cucina - Adelaide
8. Amalfi Ristorante - Adelaide
8 Things that happened yesterday...
1. I went for a 5 km walk with KP and K17. It was chilly.
2. I tidied through the house and it looked great.
3. I re-did my entrance way, using a 1/2 round table my sister gifted me. Re-arranged
ornaments on it. Pleased. :)
4. Got out in the garden and put in about 4 hours of weeding and planting.
5. Folded washing and put it away. Always a good feeling.
6. Cooked dinner - as above
7. Watched Hairy Bikers and Cook & The Chef
8. Fell into bed with aching muscles from said gardening.
8 Things I'm looking Forward To...
1. Harvesting the salad lettuce's that I planted out yesterday.
2. Sunday in the Coonawarra at a wine brunch and tasting day.
3. Having my nails done next Thursday. I have a damaged one and it's driving me crazy.
4. B14's birthday on Thursday 23rd. Then she will be B15! Mwa mwa, love you, Breeza Bear!
5. Dinner in Mt Gambier for B14's birthday. No dishes! Yay!
6. More of this weather. It is great living weather.
7. K17 finishing her exams in mid November. Good for her to get it out of the way.
8. K17's Yr 12 Graduation Dinner in November. I hope it is a good night for her.
8 Things on my Wish List...
1. New digital camera, with SLR and macro lens so I can compete with other photographers
on their blogs.
2. Getting my home-made presents sorted out for my 4 sisters for Christmas. I have an idea
of what I want to make but now I need the time to get them done. Wish me luck.
3. More of this weather!
4. A few more days off work. It is a bit quiet at the moment so I hope to have the odd day off.
5. I hope the world economy levels out soon. It all seems a bit crazy/scary at the moment.
6. I hope the American people get the President they voted for. I am not sure that is what
happened in Australia at the last election with our PM.
7. The kids helping around the house a bit more. Would'nt it be nice...
8. A healthy, happy family and good friends around me. Goodness me, I think I have nearly
everything I need.
That was fun, give it a try yourself.
Cheers - Julie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)