Loony For Lingerie Bags & Reminder!!

Do you have a 'go to' project that you just LOVE to make? A pattern that just goes together and looks great every time you make it? I have a confession to make ... I'm going loony for lingerie bags! :0)

My most recently completed pattern, "Ooh! La! La! Lingerie Bags" is my new 'go to' pattern when I want to make something pretty and practical as a surprise or giftie for someone special.

Do you remember I made myself a set to keep my knickers neat when I travel?

Pretty sage greens. Well ... my lovely Mum was eyeing off my lingerie bags, so I decided to make a set for her, too ... while she's away I could work on them without her seeing them, so it will be a surprise! :0) Now, Mum's a bit of a 'Green Gal' too, so ...

... fresh apple greens matched with some eye-popping hot pinks for a pop of contrast.

One bag featuring a cheerful daisy appliqué ...

... and one with a variegated stitchery of naughty-but-nice lingerie and some hot pink peepers. I just love how each set comes together and I think Mum will love these too ... and hopefully they'll help her keep track of her knickers when she's travelling! One mustn't lose one's knickers!! Tee! Hee! Hee!

So ... that's two finishes that I need to pop on my sidebar list. And that, dear OPAMers, is my cue to remind you that it's almost THAT time of the month again. The end of the month is steaming along at a break-neck speed, so don't forget to update your sidebar lists and send a quick email through to me or my GORGEOUS Partner-In-Crime Sweet Peg. And a big CHEERIO to my Sweet Friend, who's Mum is unwell at the moment ... thinking of you Sweet Friend and sending lots of BEAR HUGS your way!

And that's about the size of it for what's happening here at the Meares' Madhouse in amongst the usual craziness of our life. I hope you're all having a fabulous week so far and that it just gets better and better. Now I need to go and decide what's for dinner so we're all fed and bedded down in front of the tele by the time the whistle blows for kick off for ...

I'm not really much of a football fan ... cricket is my sport of choice ... but at State of Origin time, I'm a proud Maroons' supporter. So til next time ...

QUEENSLANDER!!!

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Foody's Heaven!!

Here it is, Sunday night, it's cold outside and I'm snuggled up in front of the fire with my Beloved Geek Boy after a fun day thinking about ... FOOD! :0) Now ... given my ... er ... teddy-bear-like!! ... physique, it will come as no surprise to you all that I LOOOOOOOVE food! :0) I like light nibblies, I like flavoursome main meals, I like an indulgent dessert (especially if it's lemon-y or caramel-y ... MMMMM!!!) I like to explore new eateries, cafes, restaurants and tearooms, I like to cook, I like to play and experiment with flavours ... yep ... I LIKE food! :0)

So imagine how exciting it was for me to find that we live just a short five minute drive from the site of a local food festival  today ... the Hampton Food Festival. GB and I have planned to attend the Hampton Festival for the last five years or so ... but something always seems to pop up to change our plans. Last year, we had to attend an open house ... for THIS house! Guess that was a good reason to miss it, right?! :0)

We planned to attend this year, too ... and our plans were scooted along by an hour or two when GB was called in to sort out some issues with the AV equipment organisers of the Festival had hired from the business where he works. Life is seldom boring around here. :0)

Once GB had sorted out the AV bits and had everything working as it should, we had a lovely time wandering around. There were so many stalls offering GORGEOUS foody treats, most grown and produced right here in the south east corner of QLD, many in our Toowoomba/Highfields/Crows Nest region. Olives, oils, chutney, mustard, ice-cream (YUM!!), fruit, veges, cheeses, yoghurt, boutique breads, handmade chocolates ... oh so many treats for food-lovers!

GB and I could have spent hundreds of dollars on tasty treats that would have ensured we'd become as big as houses after eating them all, but we restrained ourselves to collecting some delicious ingredients for an 'indoor picnic' for our dinner tonight ...

YUMMO!!! Two different flavoured olives, 'Eweghurt' (yoghurt made from sheep's milk), locally baked lavosh crisps. And I added my own home-made chilli jam and a fresh tomato/avocado/red onion/orange/balsamic vinegar salsa. I confess ... there were only empty plates left when we'd finished! :0) 

We also sat in on a couple of the cooking sessions, which was interesting and it gave us a bit more enthusiasm for continuing towards our goal to grow as much of our own fresh produce as possible and buy from local producers when we can't grow it ourselves.

Our vege patch is all planted up with winter crops ... snowpeas (that are flowering madly already!), beetroot, silverbeet, cauliflower and broccoli ... LOTS of broccoli! Kind of a funny story that involves a thriving vege patch, a large dog living next door, two mammoth bones being given to the dog, the dog finding the PERFECT place to bury said mammoth bones (GRRRR!!), a VERY cross gardener coming home to half her broccoli crop dug over to make way for mammoth bones, a very embarrassed neighbour and three punnets of broccoli to apologise! :0) Did I mention that life around here is never dull?! Tee! Hee! Hee! So ... if you have any interesting recipes for broccoli, send them this way! :0)

Well ... that's been our weekend's excitement, so no sewing happening here. What adventures have YOU had this weekend? And what're your favourite foody treats? Did I mention I really like food? Tee! Hee!! Hee! I'm now off to clean my toothy-pegs and head for my warm, cosy bed to try to prepare myself for the work week. I am SOOOO not qualified to be a grown up! :0) Til next time ...

BURP!! BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Happy Mother's Day, Ma!!

It was Mother's Day here in Australia today (and a few other spots around the world!)  ... a time to thank our Mums for all they do for us and for all they mean to us ... though hopefully we remember to do that ALL the time!

This is one of my fave pics of my Mum and me ... it's not really the most flattering to either of us, but it brings back memories of a lovely Mother's Day two years ago at Montville when Mum, Dad, my Beloved Geek Boy and I spent a day dodging rain showers, having a picnic in a national park and exploring the pretty Montville/Maleny area.  And we're laughing ... something that happens a LOT when our family spends time together! :0)

 Oddly enough, since Mum and Dad are living with us til they find their 'forever home' in the retirement village where I work ... Mum wasn't here for Mother's Day. She and Dad are spending a week with HER Mum ... my 92 year old Grandma ...

This (as you can see from the date!!) was taken last year for Mother's Day when we took Grandma out for a nice lunch. Both of these lovely ladies have helped shape the person I am today ... the good, the bad and the slightly warped! :0) I think I'm pretty fortunate to have two such wonderful role models. And they must've done something right, cos I don't think I turned out TOO badly?! :0)

Even though Mum wasn't here on Mother's Day, I DID organise a treat for her before they headed off ... GB and I cooked a special meal on Friday night ... steak topped with creamy garlic prawns, served with a potato/sweet potato/pumpkin cheesy bake and steamed zucchini, followed by a dessert of lemon self-saucing pudding with custard, all washed down with some sparkling apple juice. And if I do say so myself ... it was YUMMO! :0) I also bought her a new and pretty watch ... which she says loses a minute a week ... I told her it's a sign that now that she's retired, she should slow down a bit! Tee! Hee! Hee!

However you celebrated Mother's Day ... whether you spoiled your Mum, were spoiled by kids, or spend some time missing and remembering your Mum, I hope you've all had a lovely relaxing day, reflecting on the blessing of a loving Mum, to recharge the 'ol batteries ready to head back into the week. I've got some pics to share with you of things I've been up to ... but right now, I think I'm off to keep an overdue date with my pillow. :0) Til next time ...

SLEEPY BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Blushing!!!

Yes ... that's me ... turning an embarrassed shade of rosy red! Why? I hear you ask? Well ... I've been encouraging you all to hop around and visit your fellow OPAMers ... and I hadn't ever got around to putting up the list of everyone who's playing along! BLUSH!!! Sorry about that, ladies! I must have had an A.D.O.P. moment ... Attention Deficit ... Oh! Pretty!! Tee! Hee! Hee!

So ... I have now rectified that little oversight ... if you take a peek at my sidebar, I've got the full list of OPAM participants ... so you can now take a hop around to visit people and be inspired by what they're creating. If you'd like to check your link to make sure all the copying, pasting etc has translated A-OK that would be a help, too. :0) If you find yours doesn't go where it should, just leave me a comment or drop me an email ... no worries. :0) 

NOW you can make yourself a cuppa and take a hop around our OPAM community. Isn't it lovely that even though we're from so many different countries, backgrounds and lifestyles, speak many different languages and are working on so many different creative pursuits ... an international cheer squad! :0) Enjoy your hopping. Til next time ...

BLUSHING BEAR HUGS!!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Hazy Daze & OPAM Winners!

I'd like to say that my "Hazy Daze" in the title of this post was a sunny, summer, hazy daze ... but it's not ... SIGH!! We've been having some weird weather here on top of our 'hill'. Last weekend saw wild, WILD weather hit the south-east corner of Queensland, with some areas experiencing flash-flooding and sadly, five people lost their lives. (Remember ... If it's flooded FORGET IT!!) Here on the 'hill' we just got a darn good dumping of rain ... over five inches!! ... which was very needed and very welcome.

Now ... those who visit me often will know my Beloved Geek Boy and I moved out of town last September to our dream house in the country. (though I'm not really sure if we qualify for 'in the country' since we're 40 minutes from Toowoomba, 20 minutes from Highfields and 5 minutes from Crows Nest! :0) ) We are, however, also right on the doorstep of a large area of state forest and following the rain, the powers that control the forest decided to do some back-burning to help cut the chance of bushfires. As a result ... we've been living in a smoky haze for the last few days - EEK! I know the burning is necessary, but we have NOT been enjoying the asthma wheezes or the smoky sinuses sneezes! It's the first time EVER that I've wished for a strong westerly wind to clear the smoky haze! :0)

About the only good thing to come from this (besides cutting the chances of bushfires, cos ... hey! ... that's a definite plus!!) was a few rather special photos snapped by GB. This is my favourite ...

A little corner of our garden. I've planted up an old wheelbarrow with a red geranium and some bright yellow marigolds, some cheerful chrysanthemums in front, some lemon thyme in a cane basket hanging from the handle, a makeshift birdbath in the foreground and a 'proper' birdbath behind. And all viewed through a dreamy, wispy veil of ... SMOKE!!! SIGH! Still ... it IS a pretty photo. :0)

On to less smoky matters ... except that there must have been some needles and sewing machines SMOKIN' throughout April, cos my GORGEOUS Partner-In-Crime Sweet Peg and I have updated the spreadsheet and there were ...

359 FINISHES!! WOO! HOO!!

Well done ladies! There were a few WISPy WISPs finally added to finishes lists, kits that had been in the craft cupboard for years were finally made up, new projects were started and finished and some good progress was made on long-term projects all around blogland. Sweet Peg and I are both so very proud of you all! :0) A huge thank you to everyone who emailed their monthly tally through to Sweet Peg or me ... that really is a big help to us. And thank you to those who even if they didn't get to email us, made sure their sidebar list of finishes was updated before the end of the month ... this makes it SOOOOOO much easier for us when we're blog-hopping.

And speaking of blog-hopping ... have you "hopped" around to visit some of your fellow OPAMers to see what they're creating? If you haven't, I'd encourage you to make yourself a cuppa, find a comfy chair and take a while to do some hopping ... I guarantee you'll be amazed, enthralled and inspired to keep creating. And let's face it ... that's part of why we love OPAM. :0)

And the news I'm sure you're all waiting for ... the winners of April's random draw are:

FLO

&

BEV C

Congrats, ladies! Email your snail mail addresses to me and I'll be popping a little something in the postman's backpack for you. :0)

Right ... I'm off to ... you guessed it! Play Polly!! :0) I've got all the doors open to air out the stale smoke smell and an episode of "60 Minute Makeover" to watch. Hope your week is toodling along nicely ... and much less SMOKE-ILY than mine. :0) Til next time ...

SMOKE THE BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!

KRIS