Vintage-style Stamped Menu

More items from the table setting 

last Saturday night

and the menu

of course the roses were fresh on the night ...

these photos were taken on my table a few days later ...

All stamps by Stampin' Up!

We also had this menu

- the best I could do for a blackboard menu

white chalk on black matt board (that I already had)

on an easel (that I bought for the same event last year)

Free and effective!

The weekend: boxes and more boxes

With building commencing (hopefully) in two weeks,

this weekend has involved more of this.

Packing boxes

Walking around the maze of boxes

Swapping boxes

Finding boxes

Filling boxes

Labelling boxes

Trying not to trip over boxes.

Because we have to pack up all this:

and all this:

and this

and much, much more.

But the most important box we packed this weekend 

was this one:

For Operation Christmas Child

packed with goodies, bought and handmade

and ready to gladden a girl's Christmas

somewhere in an impoverished country.

Good to think of someone less fortunate in the midst of 

Things to Do.

Perfect Reflections

Yesterday, I read this post.

And drooled over the lovely mirrors there.

This morning I went out early for a walk,

happened to find a garage sale,

and came home with this:

(no place to hang this yet)

and this:

and this:

Three lovely vintage mirrors

for $55.00

So happy.

One over the sideboard in the study, 

where I always wanted one,

but never dreamed to find a lovely 

Art Deco mirror for so little $$.

One in the hall,

where I never expected one

but I love it.

It goes perfectly with the hall table.

Made for each other.

Shame we will be moving the hall table at some point soon ...

But these mirrors will go anywhere.

Upstairs or downstairs.

And building the upstairs should start in a fortnight!

 . . .

Linking with
  Flaunt it Friday
Thrifty Goodness Link Up

Drying in the sunshine

Vintage electric jug collection

 taken down, scrubbed

and left to dry in the hot sunshine

source

like a flock of birds with their beaks open.

*   *   *

Packing and decluttering in preparation 

for our building

which we hope will start very soon.

In the meantime, most of our living room 

looks like this:

Pink & Vintage Table Setting for Six

Photo by Juliet

Before, during and after.

Table Display for a church function

Trying it out at home

Goodies for the ladies

 And enjoying the flowers at home afterwards.

* * *

A few more photos to come ...

But unfortunately I didn't have my camera

with me on the night :-(

In the early morning light ...

 Mornings have not been my strong point, lately.

In fact in the holidays I was regularly staying up late 

and getting up around 9.00am.

Now school is back I really need to get up much earlier!

And I am.

But a couple of late nights

and a slow adjustment to daylight savings time

are not helping.

Yesterday morning I woke after 7.00

and this is what I saw at the end of the bed.

The hallway

bathed in bright morning light.

This only happens at this time of year

and only if Steve opens the blinds at the back of the house.

(and who knew our walls were so warped?

Can you believe we are going to add

 another storey onto this old house??)

The light was so bright

and enticing

that I jumped out of bed and greeted the day.

Well, almost.

After a few minutes thinking about it.

And then I had to take photos.

btw: Oil painting by Steve's mum, of a local scene.

Stencilling by me, back in 1995

inspired by 'the movie Little Women'.

Enamel Pitcher

Loving my new enamel pitcher

from Ikea

filled with erigeron

which is taking over our backyard

but is now making me happy

on the dining table.

Happy Granny Squares

 

I am on the last square of my granny square rug!

After 18 months,

and lots of other crocheting in between,

looks like I will finish it this Spring,

rather than last Spring.

In fact I remember last winter

when I started this rug 

I was loving it so much that I started another project

to make the fun of making this rug "last"

This last square is making me the happiest of all.

From its yellow-aqua-purple centre 

to its pink and yellow goodness

and a few more happy rounds to add.

For a few weeks I was deliberating about ...

how many rounds?

how to join them?

and finally I decided to do a round of trebles for the 20th row

in the darker blue or pink 

and then a round of single 

(or double? I can never remember which it is) crochet in green.

Then I will stitch them together with green

and do some more rounds around the whole rug,

finishing with pink.

And I'm so happy with the green edging!

The other squares are stacked almost ready to join together

one needs its green edging,

some need the ends sewn in.

Soon I'll be able to show you the finished rug!


Linking to Fibers on Friday.
See what the others are making!

Teen/Tween Fashion Sense

Life here is a parade 

of colour 

and

individuality.

Take Emily's favourite outfit at the moment (above)

Note the pretty Cath Kidston-style sundress,

the khaki sleeveless vest

the pink beanie

complete with plaits and badges

the cute non-matching socks 

and military-style boots

Yep, she's got style.

And then there's the pink girl.

Favourite striped cardigan

A headband for every day of the week

or year

Fringe created from long hair folded back

(to try and persuade me to let her have a fringe cut)

fingerless hot pink gloves 

(seen being created here by the wearer)

hot pink legwarmers

over black leggings

denim shorts over the leggings

and 

for a casual day at home,

pink fluffy slippers.

Quietly crafting at Home

This second week of the school holidays 

we girls have been

quietly crafting at home.

Lots of mess.

But it's good mess,

don't you think?

I love to look up (from my ipad) 

and see my girls knitting while watching Bewitched.

And until someone steps on a needle 

and so long as we tidy up before Daddy's home ...

I don't mind a bit of felt-y wool-y fabric-y goodness spread around.

(oops, Daddy's walking in now and we forgot to tidy up!)