A few nice things amongst the carnage

Below are a few recent purchases, a few from our trip to Nelson last October (Red Neurdorf dishes and Turquiose Jug) and my trip up the coast the other weekend. (Rimu dish - $6 at Otaki Markets, Pink Gravy Jug - $10 from Statue Bargain Barn). I love a bargain, and I am a complete hoarder, but I have been missing my stuff for the past two years as our house has been under renovation. Well, 18 months of good intention and 6 months of weekend renovation. The new kitchen has been in the Garage in its packaging, the oven has been there for over a year! Oh the anticipation!

Sewing Update

I got this huge stash of cute retro print fabric from spotlight on super mega sale ($3 per meter!!)- It's quilting fabric but I have no urge to quilt yet, only to make toys. But I really wanted something to wear, so I made this obi wrap belt. I kind of made it up as I went along and it turned out well. It has red detail stitching on it with a black backing and the tie wraps from the back to the front. I just measured my waist and made it that long with ties one and a half times as long each. not sure if that makes sense. I also made the necklace out of old buttons, I have made lots of button necklaces but none so simple. I have decided I quite like simple.

The above images are of a flower brooch I made out of curtain sample fabrics, layered and smooshed into a crinkley flower with buttons and beads in the centre to add interest. Have not worn it yet, will have to try it on with a few things. Currently its on my new favourite blazer ($15 TradeMe find!) The button necklaces are a mixture of large and small buttons threaded on waxed cord. The little buttons are able to slide up and down - good for playing with while daydreaming at work. I did single strands this time, doubles are very long to thread and I have no attention span at the moment. Its not unusual.

It's never too late for Gingerbread!

So these pics I finally found - I made these as Christmas Gifts using my new favorite toy, a set of star cookie cutters. The gingerbread recipe is from Mark - I had an airplane cookie at their place and it is just the right amount of soft and chewy. I bake them in double batches so they last more than one day in my household. The noodle containers are from Moore Wilsons - costing about 30c each - a cheap and cheerful way of gifting edibles. I had to buy a bag of 50, so more noodle boxed pressies are bound to surface soon. Will post the gingerbread recipe when it materializes from the kitchen transition. Amongst the renovation clutter (Images still to come) The laptop is covered in gib dust but I finally found the motivation to dust it off and reformat some images for blogsville. Very satisfying.

Super-Duper Tidy Sewing Room!

Check out my sewing room! I had a cleaning fairy come and help me, so now I can see the floor. I know, it will not last, but now everything seems to fit rather than the room bulging at the door. I went and 'invested' in a Rimu blanket box for my fabric stash, although it irks me that I cannot see all of my fabric at once (which I could when it was on the floor . . .) and as my fairy pointed out shelves would allow this. But I loved this recycled Rimu box - made from old floorboards from the Hamner Hospital.

Potatoes! 16 kilograms - woo hoo! Took me a while to dig them out, but a very impressive haul - I knew there was a reason I had bought so many pairs of shoes lately, so I could use the boxes for grading my potatoes - 5 boxes labeled 'whoppers' to 'mini'.

elephants!

I have been wanting to put pic of these on for such a long time, but they never stay still long enough for me to get any good shots! so here are a few not so good ones. Nellie (top) has since relocated to Auckland while May, Eli and Flo (bottom) are still hanging at home. They have enjoyed a few days at work - frolicking in the fabrics room and messing up the PA's desk . . .

Below are some fabric selections, although I just went to the store and bought an undisclosed amount of craft fabric. Ranger Boy understood though, it was on super sale . . . . "like buying ammo at 80% off, you are bound to use it eventually". Translating it into lad terms.

Camo

I have been making some stuff in camo fabric, and it got me thinking about camo. I think I quite like pairs of pictures. These two with a common theme (dog and bark) both toy with camoflauge in nature - one more traditional than the other.

Now to wrangle those elephants for a photograph. Oh, and Christmas baking here I come (thanks to Marks gingerbread recipe) I am really excited about this, I dont usually get festive in the kitchen, but I have some cute wee boxes that I am inspired to decorate and fill with goodies.

Harvesting!

Sunday was spent reclaiming my garden. About time. It reclaimed a bit of my sanity too.

Hurrah! My garden is producing in colour co-ordinated style! 18 beets and 7.5kg of potatoes later and I finally have produce to trade with Dad for eggs. I now need to find a good beetroot pickle recipe. Spinach and parsely are also doing really well, but my citrus is leafless and flowerless (and needless to say fruitless). Lemon, Lime and Mandarin plants all looking like twigs. There are timy new shoots, plenty of sun and artful wind breaks but am I doing something wrong? Might have been the frost . . .

Apples, Plums and pears are all on their way, I will be Jamming in no time. fingers crossed!