Peas, Painting & A Peek!

We've just enjoyed a long weekend here in most parts of Australia to celebrate the Queen's Birthday ... which is a bit silly, cos I seem to recall reading somewhere that it isn't REALLY her birthday weekend! Could this be right?!?! Who knows ... I got an extra sleep-in during icky cold weather, so if that's what it takes ... Happy Birthday Liz! :0)

So ... what did we get up to here at the Meares' Madhouse over the three day weekend ... besides try to stay warm! The temps took their first dip to zero for this winter here on top of the 'hill' and there was a gale force wind blowing off the Antarctic for most of it, so we spent a LOT of time in the lounge room, snuggled up to the heater! We really are hot weather creatures who don't enjoy winter ... I bet you're sensing that, right?! Tee! Hee! Hee!

As well as climbing the family tree, as I mentioned last post, I did quite a lot of stitching on my new design-in-progress, which was great. Remember I showed you this photo ...

Well ... keep that in mind when I share this little peek at the new quilt design I'm working on ...

I have to tell you, this stitchery isn't in it's final spot or displayed as it will be in the finished quilt, but it will give you a bit more of a hint to the theme of my quilt. Parlez-vou Français? Please pardon my terrible accent! But I have a really good excuse ... I only studied French for half a year in year 8 ... and our teacher had a lisp! It was really hard to tell what was odd French pronunciation and what was her lisp! Tee! Hee! Hee! I promise to show some more peeks soon ... have to draw out the suspense, you know! :0)

Another job that got tackled this weekend was some painting. Do you remember me showing you this treasure a while ago, found at a garage sale when I was home in Mundubbera visiting my folks?

Now, before I show you what it looks like after it's make-over, I will warn any timber purists who are likely to faint, that they'd better look away now or brace themselves, cos they'll probably hunt me down!

Now it's RED!! This wasn't actually our original idea for it's new look, but it had been treated with oil somewhere along the track and wouldn't take the original finish we had in mind and we couldn't sand it back too much further without starting to run into issues, but I have to say I love it's new persona! It now houses the home theatre bits ... DVD player, set top box etc (which means the rest of the lounge room is a shambles as we rearrange everything!!) and it's a good spot to display some of my pretties. You can't see what's hiding on the white iron lace tray, so I'll give you a close up ...

A couple of my pretty and ever-growing collection of china tea cups, my GORGEOUS faux cupcakes from the clever Kerryanne (don't they just look good enough to eat!!) and a red dotty teapot that the lovely Lilly Linda found for me after I'd admired hers. And can you see a little furry face peeking out there? The Mad Hatter in "Alice In Wonderland" had the dormouse in the teapot, so I have a TEA-ddy bear! Tee! Hee! Hee! (Actually, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party reference is very apt this week ... but more about that later in the week!) And at the back you can see another of my Kerryanne collectibles ... I think I must be one of her best customers! Tee! Hee! Hee! Oh ... and please do ignore the spaghetti-bowl of leads and cords in the background there ... my Beloved Geek Boy is yet to hide them away in their appropriate spot. We'll see how long we can manage to keep this looking tidy and decorative before we dump 'stuff' on it ... although ... if you peer into the background of the first photo, you'll see the previously re-vamped white hutch in the background has been kept tidy and uncluttered ... probably a record in our household of two untidy, always-in-a-hurry people who dump 'stuff' on any flat surface on the way past! :0)

Okey Doke ... the last "P" for this post is ... well ... PEAS! And the progress thereof. Yesterday was Monday and time for a vege garden progress snapshot. Here we are at week six of growing ...

Everything is scooting along nicely. Even the marigolds are co-operating and have buds on them - there'll soon be a bit more colour in this corner of the garden. Here's a side view to show you the peas travelling up the trellis ...

Oops! And a glimpse in the background of the old clothesline that is yet to make it's way to the tip. Yes ... it HAS been mentioned to GB, but I'm still waiting ...!!!

I think that's about all my news for now, so I shall sign off and go and put the kettle on, I think. It's not quite as cold today, but that wind is whistling around my ears every time I step outside again ... one step out the door and my hair goes flying and I look like a chubby Dandelion ... NOT my best look, I can tell you!!! Counting down to our upcoming beach break ... five weeks and a couple of days to go ... not that we're counting! :0) MUCH!! Hope you're warm and cosy whatever you're up to today (or cool and cosy for those in the northern hemisphere!) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!
CHEERS!
KRIS