Wizards & Desserts!

Hello to everyone out there in blogland! I hope you've had a fantastic week. It's been a bit of a funny one here in SE Queensland as we've waited to see what cyclone Oma was going to do. While most cyclones to the east of Australia form in the northern tropics & head south then west out to sea, Oma came in low, headed east & then was set to head north. With everything being so dry, everyone hoped it would be low on the damage scale & high on the rain delivery. What it turned out to be was a fizzer! No rain, lots of wind, high seas  ... The only ones doing a happy dance were the surfing fraternity! SIGH! So we keep waiting for rain. As my Bloggy Buddy Chookyblue says ... Every day is a day closer to rain. 

However, fizzing weather patterns aside, I finished my week with a fun play date with my Bestest-Buddy-Since-We-Were-Nine Lynette. In a move that surprised nobody who knows us, we went in search of antiques & collectibles. :0) It's funny how rummaging through these kinds of places leaves us feeling hungry ... So next stop was lunch at a little place we hadn't tried before, The Flying Nun  at Samford. It was a lovely, quiet spot with excellent food & service. I suspect we'll be making a return visit. :0) 

And while we were enjoying our lunch, the shop next door caught our eyes ...

Good thing we were there on a Friday! :0) So you know we had to investigate!

Here's Lynette trying to entice the owl back into the cage. Actually ... Here's Lynette laughing & asking why she's always the one pretending to do silly things for photos! Tee! Hee! Hee! Now any Harry Potter fans out there are already guessing what we found inside this shop ...

You guessed it ... All things Harry Potter & Hogwarts. 

Lynette being a good sport in the library corner ...

Both of us under the sorting hat (& beside another) sampling some Butter Brew ... Which was rather delicious! Lots of fun! There were also other HP themed sweetie treaties, so if you or a friend are Harry Potter fans, I'd recommend a visit to the Store Of Requirement at Samford.

We then meandered back across Brisbane to search for afternoon tea treats at Madder Brothers Patisserie  Oh dear! So many CHOICES!!

Mini desserts to die for!

How do you choose?? In the end we each chose two & decided it's a good thing we don't live or work closer to this delicious dessert spot or we'd have to spend the rest of our time at the gym!

Here's our selections ... I chose mango cheesecake & Turkish delight cheesecake & Lynette chose macadamia mousse & blood orange something. :0) We then waddled back to Lynette's place for a cup of tea before I had to climb the hill home again. Thanks for a fun play date, Bestest-Buddy! :0)

And although I don't have any finishes to share, I have done a little bit of sewing this week, too. I've made some progress on both my Secret Squirrel stitchery project & the special stacked coin quilt. I'm hoping to get some more done on both this afternoon & evening, too. So ... OPAMers ... How are your finish tallies looking for January & February? The month has nearly run out on us again, so don't forget to update your sidebar lists & email me your tallies for both months. I'll be doing a double prize draw at the end of the month.

But right now I have to go & hang my last load of washing & finish a few chores before I can sew this afternoon so I'll sign off. Have a fabulous week & Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!

KRIS

A Quiet Weekend!

Aaaahhhhh ... The bliss of a quiet weekend at home! I think that's when you start to feel you might be getting old! Tee! Hee! Hee! It's a rare & appreciated thing when both my Beloved Geek Boy & I can just stay home, mooch around, catch up on chores (YUCK!) & tackle some of the projects on our "one day" lists. So while GB disappeared out into the shed to do manly things with noisy power tools, I settled in to play with some fabricky goodness. :0) Remember I started playing with these ...

Well today they grew to ...

This. Yes ... They will one day (soon, hopefully!) be a stacked coin quilt, a gift for a special someone later in the year. I've joined three of these rows since I took this photo. It was good to make some progress. :0)

So what have you been up to this weekend? I hope it has included some fun stuff, some kick-back-and-relax time or some productive time. :0) And I hope you have a fantastic week ... Even if we have to be grown ups. :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS,

KRIS

A Bit Of This, A Bit Of That!

Hello to everyone out in blogland! I hope you're having an amazing weekend. Mine has been a bitsy sort of weekend. You know ... You get a few things done, but don't really achieve what you'd hoped to. Ah well ... ! :0)

During the running of errands yesterday, I managed to sneak into The Quilters Angel  where a lovely layer cake that had been calling my name for weeks hurled itself off the shelf & into my arms & wouldn't let go ... So I HAD to adopt it! :0P 

It's right up my shabby chic/country cottage street. :0) I love the soft & pretty colours ... & my Beloved Geek Boy likes that he now doesn't have to think about a Valentine's Day gift for me ... WIN-WIN!! Tee! Hee! Hee! I've got a project in mind for this one, but I think I'll just pat it & stroke it for a little while first. :0)

I DID make a start on a special gift that will be needed later in the year ...

Can anyone guess what I might be making?? And I've done some more stitching on my Secret Squirrel project ...

Hmmm ... What could it be?? :0) I know ... I'm such a tease! Tee! Hee! Hee!

In OPAM news ... It's been lovely to have so many "repeat offenders" signing up for OPAM again this year. Some of you lovelies have been with me from the start, so it's especially lovely to have you playing along again. :0) So many of you have said that OPAM is the little nudge you need to get you into creating mode, which is great to hear. I love seeing the clever projects you all work on ... It's always encouraging to see so many finished projects & hear of good progress on longer term projects. And it's been wonderful to have a few "newbies" join the fun, too. Welcome! :0) If you haven't signed up yet but would like something to give you a bit of a creative nudge, send me an email & you can join the fun. The first random prize draw will be at the end of February for a combined January/February draw ... so get creating & remember to send me your tallies at the end of the month.

Right now, though, I'm off to have a cup of tea & psych myself up to go back to being a grown up tomorrow again ... SIGH! Have a fantastic week. Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!

KRIS

Damp Sunday Update!

Hello to my lovely blogging buddies out there on this overcast, cooler slightly damp Sunday. I hope you're having a relaxing one. As all of my regular visitors know I am DEFINITELY a hot weather chook, but after several weeks of humility with no relieving rain, we're rather enjoying the cool cloudy day. And what would you guess we'd decide to do on a cool damp Sunday? 

Well ... Of COURSE we'd choose to have a picnic lunch with my folks! :0) The four of us attend church services at a little church in nearby Ravensbourne & Mum had decided a picnic was a good idea ... Before the weather did its backflip. Can you see how misty it was? And the fine rain was blown in on us by rather strong winds, but we did enjoy the change from hot humidity. Sadly for our very dry region, the rain only amounted to a millimetre or two ... We are getting rather desperate for some good, soaking rain. Unlike our North Queensland friends who have had double their annual rainfall in the last few days ... & it's still raining! We would gladly take some of the rain from them ... But thoughts & prayers are sent to those people struggling with rising floods. Please stay safe.

In other weekend doings, I have managed some good, uninterrupted designing time ...

The project is still in the Secret Squirrel stage, but I'm enjoying working on it so far. I can say its a quilt & includes blanket stitch appliqué, embroidery & watercolour pencils. I'll keep you in suspenders a little longer. :0)

Thank you to the more-than-20 gorgeous gals who have already put their hands up to join me for OPAM again this year. :0) I'm looking forward to seeing what all of you clever clogs creative types get up to this year. It's particularly nice that most (if not all??) are repeat offenders ... It's wonderful to know people find OPAM helpful to encourage them to finish projects. If anyone else would like to join the fun, see my previous post to find out how. Oh ... For those who've wondered ... I'll do a combined random draw for January/February at the end of February, so you can either send your January finishes to me now or at the end of the month 

Right now though, I'm off to make myself a cup of tea & do a bit more stitching on my Secret Squirrel project. Have a fantastic week! Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!

KRIS