Secret Sqirrel Stitching & Treasures!!

Hello to all in blogland from a heatwavy top of the 'hill' ... not that I'm complaining overly about the heat, you understand ... I'm a hot weather chick, so not actually feeling it too much cos I would much rather be a wee bit hot than shivering in the cold. Mind you ... I think my washing dried on the line in record time today. :0)

Somehow another week has snuck past me and I'm not sure where it went, but at least this week I did manage some time at my sewing machine. The problem is ... I've been working on Secret Squirrel Stitching for my SSCS projects and weilder of the whip, Ms Chookyblue would crack that whip at me if I showed you ... one of those "S" stands for SECRET you see. :0) But I can tell you it will be nice to put an actual number beside November in my OPAM list of finishes.

So ... since I can't show you any sewing pics (I'm scared of Chookyblue! Tee! Hee! Hee!) I thought I'd share a few pics with you of a couple of new-to-me treasures that have joined my growing eclectic collection in the last couple of weeks. If you've been popping in here for a while now, you'll know that I LOOOOOOOVE pretty china and collect all sorts of vintage goodies, from teapots to trio sets, cake plates to depression glass ... if it's pretty and catches my eye ... and doesn't break the budget!! ... it follows me home. :0)

My first new treasure came home with me the other day when I went in search of a birthday giftie for my Bestest-Buddy-Since-We-Were-Nine Lynette. She's like me and collects all sorts of vintage pretties ... alas! I didn't find anything that had her name on it ... but I DID find something that followed me home. :0)

Isn't this pretty?!! It's a lovely Johnson Brothers sandwich plate that I fell in love with. The garden scene is just so pretty and peaceful. I love the creamy background colour, too, which really makes those pretty garden colours pop. I have a few nice Johnson Brothers pieces now ... while I don't actually collect specific names brands. Johnson Brothers seem to have made quite a few pretties that I fall in love with. :0)

This second little treasure is just so sweet! It was gifted to me by a lovely lady who has just moved into the retirement village where I work. In conversation I mentioned that I collect vintage pretties and one day soon after, she popped into my office and said she'd found this while unpacking her things and since she was downsizing, didn't want to keep it and thought I might like to adopt it ...

Isn't it pretty!! It is such a delicate little dish ... I'm not even sure what it would have originally been designed as. It is a Limoges piece ... from the makers mark I've worked out that it was made before 1930 but that's about all I could find through Mr Google. Anyone out there know their Limoges?? I'd love some hints. :0)

It balances on three gold decorative legs to sit it up off the table. Perhaps it was a sweetie dish?? I can see it houseing some pretty rock candy or perhaps cubes of sugar for tea parties ... I wonder ...! :0) I think the inside design is too pretty to cover up, so it will just sit and be pretty for now.

I just love their pretty colours! So cheerful! It's always fun to add to my collection and each piece has a story to tell. Do you collect something special? Post some pics of your pretties and let me know so I can pop over for a visit. :0)

But right now, I hear the siren's call of my pillow, singing to me of sleep and dreams, so I'd better sign off for now. I hope your weekend is off to a fantastic start and that whatever you're up to, you've scheduled some time for some fun stuff. Til next time ...

SLEEPY BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Crazy-Busy Week & Ostriches!!

Hello to you all in blogland! I hope you're all enjoying your weekend so far. I'd love to say I'm sitting back with my feet up, watching a movie whilst doing some relaxing stitching ... but I'd be lying! :0) It's been a crazy-busy week (is there any other kind?!?!) and the ol "To Do" list is building towards eruption point, so my goal this weekend is to cross at least a couple of things off ... hmmm ... not much progress yet!! :0) And since the progress that I HAVE made is Secret Squirrel stuff, let me tell you about my week. :0)

There's been heaps happening at my 'grown up' job lately ... we're down a staff member and three of us are like little duckies ... paddling madly behind the scenes to keep it all running smoothly, whilst maintaining outward calm. QUACK! :0) But this week held a particular highlight for me ... A visit from the QLD Police Pipes and Drums. Yes ... the pipes, the pipes were calling! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Not a great pic, as the red canvas from the marquee gave everything an unhealthy red tinge, but you can see they were in performance mode. We tapped our feet along to such favourites as "Scotland The Brave", "Black Bear", "The Skyboat Song" and "Amazing Grace" ... and it did this Celtic gal good to hear the pipes echoing around our village green. :0) And can I tell you ... my Dad had a grin from ear to ear for the whole day. :0)

But perhaps the best part of their visit came after their concert. You see, they were visiting us on November 10 ... a day before Remembrance Day ... so we took the opportunity to organise our own special mini-Remembrance Day service to pay our respects to all who have served our country in war time and peace-keeping efforts, the service men and women who returned and those who paid the ultimate price and never came home.

One of our residents, a returned serviceman, read three versions of "The Ode", representing Army, Navy and Airforce. Lest We Forget.

... Before Pipe Major Pat Murphy played the traditional Scottish lament "Flowers Of The Forest" as the flag was lowered to half mast.

Afterwards, there was a lunch and time to chat to band members ...

Drum Sergeant Yvonne and Pipe Major Pat (much yummier than Postman Pat! Tee! Hee! Hee!) pictured with Len who recited The Ode ...

Yvonne with Dad and Mum ... see what I mean about Dad's grin? He DOES love his bagpipes! Tee! Hee! Hee!

And you just KNEW that I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to have my photo taken with a cute Scotsman in a kilt, right?! Tee! Hee! Hee! This was Jordy ... I could've listened to his accent all day! :0)

This was the fourth time the QLD Police Pipes and Drums have visited us at Highfields and not only do they always put on a fantastic concert, they are very generous with their time answering questions and chatting to residents afterwards. And I heard from many members that they love to visit us, too. For some, it's because the gardens and Village green, and the warm welcome make for a nice visit ... but I have it on good authority that the reason most of the guys like to visit ... is the food! Tee! Hee! Hee! BOYS!!! :0)

So ... add in trying to get the usual household chores done in between frequent storms (full water tanks - YAY!!), running errands and trying to get some stitching time in, I'm sure you'll understand why I stick my fingers in my ears and sing "La, la, la, la ... not listening!!" every time someone mentions the "C" word ... CHRISTMAS!! EEK!! I am SOOOOOO not ready for it to be mid-November! However ... since I've once again signed up for ...

... I can't afford to procrastinate too much longer!! So tomorrow I have to stop being an ostrich, pull my head out of the Christmas sand and get stitching. What a shame ... I'll just have to ignore the rest of the housework! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Whatevre you're up to this weekend, whether you're a Christmas Elf like my bloggy buddy Kerryanne or a Christmas Ostrich like me, I hope you're able to take some time out to relax and be creative. Ooh! Speaking of my Christmas Elf Buddy Kerryanne ... have you been following along with her for ...

If not, make yourself a cuppa, grap a pen and paper and pop over for a visit to get yourself organised for Christmas. I think I'm a bit of a lost cause in getting Christmas organised ... but Kerryanne loves me anyways! Tee! Hee! Hee!

 Til next time ...

SANDY OSTRICH BEAR HUGS!!

CHEERS!
KRIS

YAY! A Finish & October's OPAM Winners!

G'day all! How's everyone travelling? Have you had a great weekend? I certainly have ... if only the weekenda lasted longer! :0)

A mini-retreat with the gals from our Friday Night Sit N Sew group meant not only yummy food, lots of chatting and lots of laughs, it also meant quite a lot of stitching accomplished ... including a ... FINISH!!! YAY!! With no finishes last month (but lots of starts!! I'm a serial starter! Tee! Hee! Hee!) Friday morning was all about prep ...

... sewing the binding on so I could sit, chat and stitch away easily. A couple of hours later ...

TA! DA! The quilt for my brother's number 2 son is FINISHED! Well ... except for the label. :0) I'm pretty chuffed with how it's come together.

LOVE the combi van and VW Beetle. (stay tuned for two new quilt designs showcasing these cuties!!)

The Fabulous Fiona has worked her quilting magic on these sweet boy quilt ... I hope you can see the fun squiggles and wriggly lines she's quilted that complement the simple design without overwhelming it or taking the attention from the applique. THANK YOU FIONA!! She really is my Quilting Magician! :0)

It was given the paw of approval from a couple of furry buccaneers as a swag ...

... and tested for sitting comfort by Jimmy and Rupert Bear. All gave it a tick, so it's just a case of attaching the label and working out how/when to get it to the nephew in Melbourne. :0) Nice to add it as a finish for my November list, too.

And speaking of finishes ... It's that time again where my GORGEOUS Partner-In-Crime Sweet Peg and I have been blown away once again by just how clever and prolific you clever-clogs OPAM gals are! :0) We've tallied up the emails you sent us (thank you to everyone who emails ... it is a BIG help to us!) and we've blog-hopped to catch everyone else's finishes. I DID find a few that haven't been updated for a while ... and a few that blogs have closed. PLEASE ... if you're closing your blog, can you let one of us know so we save a little time in our hopping.

Congratulations to all of you again this month! There were 316 finishes for October! WOO! HOO! Well done to everyone who can claim part of that tally. And to those of you who (like me!!) were working on longer term projects, don't feel dejected ... if you took some time to advance your project/s, if you took a little time out of your busy schedule to stop and do something creative, if you took a little time to nourish your soul with beauty and creativity ... even if it was a ten minute break with a cuppa to cruise Pinterest! ... then well done to you too. Remember to recharge your batteries and take care of yourself ... you can't keep giving out if you aren't topping up your inner reserves. Plus ... we all need regular doses of "PRETTY"!! :0)

Righto ... to the prize draw, Batman! :0) The October winners are ...

DEBRA S

And

SHEZ

Well done gals!! Drop me an email with your snail mail address and I'll pop a little something in the mail for you.

And I think that's about it from me for now. I'm off to think about what we're having for dinner, then maybe a little bit more stitching ... cos I'm not sure I've done enough this weekend! :0) I hope you all have a fantastic week and manage to squeeze in time to be creative. Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Sneaky Peeky, Sidetracking & OPAM!!

Well ... here's the end of another week, another month ... and I'm still wondering what's happened to the year as I find myself less than two months away from the "C" word ... you know ... "CHRISTMAS"!! EEK! I'm firmly in denial about that one ... don't giggle, Kerryanne!! :0)

It's been another busy week here at the Meares' Madhouse with comings and goings ... and some VERY welcome rain. At the risk of seeming greedy ... we could do with another inch or so, but it's a nice start. In between, I've managed to do a bit of sewing on a new quilt design and I'm having a lot of fun. :0)

Do you remember me showing you my rainbow?

Well ... I've been channeling my inner hippie-flower-child (which my brother would tell you is more 'outer' than 'inner'! Tee! Hee! Hee!) and playing with ...

... more combi vans. :0) There is just something sweet and appealing about combi vans ... I think they not only appeal to the hippie-flower-child in me, they just seem so darn CHEERFUL! Especially in the rainbow colours I've been playing with for them. :0) I've finished the raw edge applique and just need to attach borders now, so I hope to have a finished top to show you soon. Stay tuned. :0)

Now ... with a quilt awaiting borders, another needing binding (will show you that one next time!) and no finishes on my OPAM list for October, you'd think I'd have been hitting the machine today right?? Hmmm ... NOPE! :0) Completely sidetracked! I'm blaming my Beloved Geek Boy. He was looking for something in his shed and decided it was the perfect time to clean and tidy in there ... which somehow translated to him bringing stuff from the shed into the house. Hmm ... ?!!!

So ... one (or two!!) of the things he brought in was ...

... a pair of stools Mum was getting rid of when they moved earlier this year. They're a bid faded and ... well ... PINE-y ... but a coat of paint, new cushions and they'll be a welcome addition to our kitchen island bench. They now have their undercoat ... see ... sidetracked! :0)

And speaking of sidetracked ... the main reason I was popping in tonight was to give all the OPAM gals a nudge to update sidebars and remind you to email your October tally to me or my GORGEOUS Partner-In-Crime Sweet Peg. We'll soon be bloghopping cos the end of the month is here, so don't be late!!

OK ... I'm off to bed after a tiring day of chores ... and painting. :0) Hope you're having a lovely weekend so far and that you've got some fun stuff planned ... I'm actually hoping to get some sewing in tomorrow ... if GB doesn't sidetrack me again! :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Healthy-But-Yummy Weekend Treat!

Hello all in blogland! I hope you've had a lovely relaxing and/or productive weekend. It's been a little of column A and a little of column B here at the Meares' Madhouse ... a few jobs have been crossed of the ol "To Do" list and some relaxing and weekend-slugging-around was also slotted in. :0)

Part of the slugging-around happened today when both my Beloved Geek Boy and I had a bit of a sleep in, which led to a late brekkie. So ... when lunch time rolled around at about 3pm neither of us really felt like much, but felt like a little nibble on something. So ... I cruised through my Facebook page ... where you'll predominantly find recipes that I may never make but would like to try, funny sayings that apply to me or my friends and photos of food or sewing projects that I've created. Nothing deep or profound. :0) So I found a recipe for muffins  that I've successfully made before ... but this time I decided to have a little play with the ingredients to make it MY version of Sweet Potato Muffins. And just quietly ... they were YUMMO! :0) I've already shared the recipe on Facebook, but thought those of you who haven't turned to the "Dark Side" as Chookyblue calls FB might also like a healthy-but-yummy sweetie treaty recipe. So here goes ...

SWEET POTATO MUFFINS

Ingredients:

* 1 cup rolled oats
* 1 cup wholemeal plain flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
* 1 cup cooked & mashed sweet potato
* 1/2 cup honey
* 1/3 cup coconut oil
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 large egg
* 1 tsp vanilla essence
* 3/4 cup currents

Method

1. Preheat oven to about 160 C
2. Grease two standard size muffin trays.
3. Place dry ingredients & currents in medium bowl & mix through well.
4. In another bowl combine coconut oil (melted but not hot), honey, sweet potato, egg, vanilla & milk. Whisk to blend well.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry & stir to just combine - don't overwork the mixture.
6. Divide mix into muffin tins & bake until firm in middle & just starting to brown on top.
7. Enjoy with a dollop of butter

There you go ... something not-too-naughty but awfully nice to enjoy as a snack. :0)

Hmmm ... there were some muffins left after lunch ... I think I shall heat one in the microwave to have with my ready-for-bed-cuppa. Hope you all have a fantastic week ... OPAMers ... don't forget to update your sidebar lists this week!! Til next time ...

MUFFIN-CRUMBED BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!

KRIS