100th Post Blog Giveaway!

This is my 100th post! When I began the blog last Christmas (and had very few readers for the first months) I wasn't sure if I'd make it this far or not! It's been so fun and lovely to get to know some other bloggers (you regulars know who you are!). And special thanks to Jacqui who was my first ever reader (and for quite some time the only reader!)
The other night I created these fun cards. Once again I must apologise for the photos, it's so hard in this winter light to get things in focus!



I used the Stampin' Up watercolour crayons on this one, stamps by See-Ds



A kitchen themed card with PSX images


I love these Hero Arts Stamps


These 4 cards could be yours! But that's not all ....


There are the gift tags (made with Stampin' Up & Hero Arts stamps and Cuttlebug dies)...



and the bookmark ....



a little thrifted jug ....



and the thrifted gingham placemat which appears in all the photos.


If you would like to win this red/white and ice blue cuteness please leave a comment on this post before Sunday 10th August midnight Eastern Standard Time (Australian time) and I'll choose a random winner and send it all to you!

Vintage Toy Sewing Machine

I've been waiting and waiting to show this ... I'll tell you why I had to wait later ...

This was my aunt's toy Vulcan sewing machine. After she grew up it was at my Nanna's house, then somehow I got to have it when I was a child (not quite sure why it didn't go to my cousins, but they might never appreciate it now like I do!) and it lived in my wardrobe, surfacing occasionally.

Don't you love how they use the word "thus"?

I do vaguely remember sewing on it at one stage, but I don't think it was very convincing.

Anyway, the reason I didn't post it earlier on Vintage Thingie Thursdays is that I knew this was hiding somewhere, and while going through all my craft stuff lately, I found it!

All those years on the floor of my wardrobe have taken their toll, the silverfishes dined well on this tasty morsel. I think half of it has fallen off, too.

I loved this article when it appeared in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, which told me a lot more about these toy sewing machines.

These days the toy machine takes pride of place above my little sewing cabinet in a corner of the living room. Love it!

Stay tuned for my next post - the big 100th!

A Morning of Accidental Shopping

Do you ever find yourself at the shops when you didn't really plan to be? Or at the scrapbook shop? I don't know how I got there, except that Laura complained as we went into school this morning that she had left her jacket at home, could I bring it up after our recorder lesson? I drove home and searched in vain for the jacket, I realised that she had it in her bag all along and hadn't bothered to check it. grr! But I still needed to go to school or she would never think of looking in her bag, it is chilly today and she has not been feeling so well.

So I went to school ... and then ... to justify the trip out ... I went to the scrapbook shop as well, then I remembered a few things I needed at the shopping centre ... and before long I had been out 2 hours but I DID buy some fun things!

How cute is this little snail stamp?

I love this Cuttlebug stencil and will be trying it after I leave the computer.

The "reason" I went to the scrapbook shop was to buy some khaki papers for some bushwalking photos, and I found this cool Basic Gray paper too

And then at the art shop I bought these for the girls, they are always wanting to decorate fabric and I've heard they work well. Maybe we'll try them for "Friday Fun" this week.

Luckily for Laura I quickly forgot my negative feelings about my outing and checked at KMart to see whether by chance there were any more Ver 4 Tamogochis (we missed out last week - they are on sale now that Ver 5 is available) and they were, and even cheaper than last week - she will be so happy!

I bought some new and expensive inner soles which will hopefully make my running shoes last a bit longer, am feeling some twinges lately in my knees. $45 later my knees are feeling good after an hour or so on the new soles.

So the outing wasn't a complete waste of time. Thanks Laura!

The Under-Sink Dungeon

After my success with The Craft Cupboard I was inspired to declutter and pretty up some other areas of our home. So last night (when I should have been putting groceries away or cooking dinner or supervising baths or something) I worked on the "dungeon" under the sink. This is one area that drives me crazy. I had recently started rolling my towels (used for wiping down the benches) rather than stacking, and that has helped. A simple swapping some items from one side to the other has helped work flow a little. But last night I labelled some jars.

Ah, the power of labelling. For about a year now we have used these vintage jars to store grocery bags and bags which contained fruit and veg, which we then use to line the bin or to collect the pulp from the juicer (it makes great compost - shame we don't garden just make compost LOL)

And for that year I have dug around in those nether regions next to the garbage bin (yuck) trying to figure out which bags are which ... until .... drumroll

Thanks to Microsoft Publisher and a little contact paper over the top I have the most gorgeous labels and life can go on again.

These jars have a story to them, too. They used to be my Nanna's cookie jars. They had green and yellow plastic lids (we tried using them as cookie jars but somehow it didn't work for us). Once I stayed at my Nanna's for a night or two with my cousin. My cousin often stayed there, but I hadn't stayed over much (or at all?). So when we felt a bit hungry and Nanna was off in another room my cousin suggested that we help ourselves to a cookie. I was quite anxious about taking a cookie without asking (I was probably about 6 at the time!) but my cousin assured me it was fine. Of course Nanna caught us with crumby mouths a few minutes later - and I was accused of stealing! I was mortified. It sticks in my memory so strongly, but I only realised recently that these are THOSE jars. The things we remember!

So that's the under-sink cupboard ... I wonder where the decluttering bug will strike next?

Organizing the craft cupboard

Last week I ordered and received these drawers from Best Craft Organizers. I had thought about them for so long, but not ordered them, as they are quite pricey especially after they travel to Australia. Finally I decided to bite the bullet and get a cube with 8 x 1" drawers, and I do not regret it.

Late on Friday afternoon (don't you love couriers when they say they will deliver between 9 and 5 and arrive at 4.50pm?) the girls and I juggled and fiddled and screwed and unscrewed till we got them together.

Each drawer has a "stopper" so that it won't fall out and spill the contents, but I found the stopper was in completely the wrong spot, meaning that I couldn't get out any stamps at the back! So Steve and I spent an excruciating hour carving off the little plastic bits with knives and files until now I am happy with them.

I love that the drawers are the exact height for the stamps and no space is wasted. I do have some stamps of various makes which are taller and had to put them into another drawer, but I wouldn't have fit them all into this unit anyway.

Every spare moment of the weekend I worked away and this is how many EMPTY not-so-space-efficient containers I now have! Woohoo! A big saving in space.

Lemon Delicious

Last night I finally got around to baking Lemon Delicious from my plate of lemons. This is a pudding which makes its own sauce at the bottom. Delicious with icecream! (just hard to present for the perfect photo LOL. Now I know why the cookbook shows it in its pre-served glory. But gee it tastes good!

Lemon Delicious

3 eggs, separated

1/2 cup castor sugar

30g butter, melted

1 cup milk

2 tspns grated lemon rind

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup castor sugar, extra

Beat egg yolks and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy *

Transfer to large bowl. Sitr in butter, milk, rind, juice and sifted flour.

Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form, add extra sugar gradually, beat until dissolved between additions. Fold into lemon mixture in 2 batches. Pour into lightly greased ovenproof dish (6 cup capacity) or 6 individual dishes. Place in baking dish with enough hot water to come halfway up side of dish. Bake in moderate oven about 50mins (3o mins for individual dishes) or until pudding is set.** ... hopefully not quite so well done as this one** Serve immediately with icecream. And a cup of tea. And the Gilmore Girls.

*Since I do not like to have to wash all the electric mixer parts and have them completely dry and grease-free to mix the egg whites I did this first step with a whisk in a bowl, it worked fine, and the mixer was still clean to do the egg whites.

**Now that I am typing the recipe I realise that I completely missed the step of baking it in a dish of water ... I thought it came out drier than usual. Luckily I got it out of the oven just before the sauce dried up. derrrr! Fortunately I have plenty more lemons!

A Place in the Sun

The girls have begun having flute lessons with a new teacher, on Saturday mornings. I wasn't sure how we would go having an activity (which involves me waiting for an hour, 1/2 an hour with each girl) on Saturday mornings ...

Until we found this little park just 1 minute's walk away from the teacher's home.

It is planted with natives ...

...and has a little seat positioned to catch the winter sun, which provides the perfect spot for me to sit and read while a daughter plays on the swings or climbing gym ...

... after she has done her music theory page for the week.

... and was there ever a better location for such a mundane exercise?

We have been to this little park for two Saturdays now, and each time it has been after a rainy few days or night ... last night it was blowing a gale here, but in this little park it is quite and fresh and sunny.

So now I am happy - the music theory gets done for once (no good having music teacher's children who can't write music!), I get to sit and relax and the girls get to stretch their legs. Steve might take them sometimes, in which case I will stay home for an hour ... which suits me too!