Rainy day fun...

Pouring rain here, and gale force winds...the best kind of weather for a spot of sewing. I had a play with a Fig and Plum Jelly roll. I was hoping to get to the basting this afternoon, but it's too wet to even wander over to the sewing room!

Good weather for playing board games though...especially my latest birthday present.
My lovely quilter friend, Robyn, surprised me with this little delight on the weekend, have you seen it?

Stitcher's monopoly! How great is that! The counters are a thread cutter, cotton spools-you get the idea. And the properties are all stitch instructions.
........Now, if I could only convince DH how much he would really love to play!!!

They all grow up...

Look what i found in my bath?

Seems my darling children have been too well trained. These chickens wandered out with their mother from some secret nest and she promptly abandoned them, my kids heard the cheeping and spent a hectic hour or so tracking them down..all while this mother was insisting on more beauty sleep as she had watched cricket until way too late and it was the weekend!!
I should have got up as when i finally did it was to find the chickens living in my bath!!and on a good towel, with half of our latest loaf of bread added for good measure! ahh, the joys! They have now been rehoused to a better mother (that's the chickens, not my kids!) and the bath has had a good scrub out to return to normal.
Seems the kids grow up way too fast, visited my niece, Daisy, on the weekend, she is now walking! I used her a crash test dummy on a few chenille bibs i want to make more of, she scored these two and is a much better model than me just taking a pic of them on the floor...don't you agree?

They were a hit with her, and her fashionable mother, so I will make a few more.
My own daughter has been doing lots of growing up and has been giving me the third degree about the reality of Santa. As you know, we are a religious family, but I have never felt that that precluded the fun of Santa. My daughter has a different view and seems to think that it has been a form of lying to her...and that it is counterproductive to the true meaning of Christmas..oh to be given that lecture by your 11 year old!! The only salve to my conscience is how much she enjoyed the 10 years of "Santa!"
We haven't delved into it much further since that chat, any advice from those who have been there??
Have a great day, Tracey

More birthday, and a winner.

Oh, is there anything more dreadful than a Dh with the flu?

Because he is so far in the good books I will just leave it right there!! And keep getting the panadol!

I had a lovely time reading through the Tracey Kasem Top 40 ( or 30!) Amazingly a good few songs I didn't know, and i thought I was a music trivia-ist!

The random winner is Lady Hopwood's blog, http://primrosegirl.blogspot.com/

I hadn't heard this Dr. Hook song and enjoyed the youtube version very much. If you would like to contact me, Lady Hopwood, I will share the birthday joy!

Continuing the birthday joy theme, my kids bought me the Pandora bracelet and my family started off the charm collection.-all courtesy of an organizing sister!

There's a heart, an elephant, the zirconia one, the sand coloured to represent the beach my sister and I are both happiest upon, the rose from my sister that she thinks looks like my patchwork on, The Church and the chook make up my collection so far. I am being very well behaved and not wearing this or the ring when doing my farm work!

Our quilt group has birthday buddies for the year. Christine was my buddy this year and I was very lucky to score this beautiful table runner that I have shown previously. I love her first try at machine piecing, and I love IT very much! Thank you, Chris.

This is the back.

I am loving these patterns as well, the melly and Me chooks look great fun!

The lovely Chookyblue sent me these gorgeous cow salt and peppers, hope you regular readers remembered it was Donna's birthday Saturday!!

And I will leave you on a floral note, I have been asked to provide australiana cards for a big event coming up here,

Here's a little taste, they really do look like kangaroo paws, don't they!

Have a great day, Tracey

Birthday review

Just a quick post tonight...letting you know I survived the party...just!! I have what is probably a chest infection and have worked the last few days, so not been up to much posting!

Had a great time and caught up with alll my favourite people.

Apparently the consensus is, you want to see the dress-actually on!

So here is my sister and myohsofaketannedself-it's winter here peoples!

My darling daughter came to the hairdressers with me and had hair straightened for the night.....and you can see my son refused to get out of his normal "uniform" of tshirt and shorts!

My friend, Lyn, made my favourite Hummingbird cake, it was delicious. She made it in 4 big slabs and iced them together, little secret for you, there was enough over to cut up in a tupperware container in the freezer...did you know it only takes a couple of minutes for Hummingbird cake to defrost for a perfect snack with your coffee??

Many of you know Lise, from the Chocolate Cat, I have borrowed this pic from her blog, because I like it even if she isn't that excited!

I will share a few quilty birthday presents shots with you next post, but this can't wait....

DH gave me this eternity ring!! Bought it himself!! No help from our daughter, my sister or me...and it fitted perfectly! He is soooo loved right now, (of, course, difficult to be anymore than usual. LOL!) between that and the party he reckons he's right to buy a lot of machinery in coming months!-and he is probably right!!

To top the birthday off, as I was wandering into the house at 3 am, I happened to put on the cricket for a score and discovered we had routed the English for 102 and were looking great, had a lovely time rewatching that a couple of times on Saturday!! A perfect birthday all round!!

Thank you for all good wishes, I'll announce the winners of the Top 40 next post! Tracey

"Tracey" Kasem's Top 40.

I picked up the Jukebox for my party today, 3500 songs!! I have been having fun finding obscure numbers all afternoon and watching the dodgy old video clips. I Grew up with Casey Kasem's American Top 40. Even here in Australia it was the "have to" listen to show on Sundays. We would all get out of Church and pile into the cars to listen for number 1, even though it may never make it on our own radio stations.

It has actually been digitally remastered and we get old editions on Saturday mornings now! Love to hear the ads for the Osmond t-shirts and Jackson 5 cups!!

Seeing i am about to be 40....and I am more than happy to be ...and enjoying life, I thought we may revisit the Top 40 idea..with a few differences of course.

I would love a comment from you on at least one song that brings a special memory back to you...and preferably why? I have a few, usually old boyfriend related! Roxette's Joyride, Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman and Lee Kernaghan's Goondiwindi moon are fairly high on the list for romantic reasons, at least the last is with my husband!!

So, share the fun, there may be a lucky commenter drawn..and I'll be really excited if we reach a TOP 40!!

Thought you may like a peek at the invites, pity I can't have a cyber birthday!!

A feast of finished quilt tops...

Plenty of patchwork eye candy for you today. No, not all from me, seems that having a big B & S themed birthday in your own woolshed does entail some preparation ....so patchwork is a little scarce, but my quilting group girls are all go!! Maybe by next week I will have my own sewing time...a late birthday present to myself!

The girls and assorted assistants have put together some more quilt tops, please especially comment if you see any of yours!

These blocks had the big brown based floral print added, a brave choice that i think has worked well.

The same lady put together this one, love the stripy sashing fabric.

Helen has put together this star themed quilt.

Christine decided that her Kaffe fassett would add to these blocks. There is a new bushfire kindergarten that we are hoping to assist with the fitting out, we are thinking this may suit the kids.

Christine has worked hard with these circles and has them all together. This may be another one that would be good for the kids.

Remember the jelly cake that the Fat Quarter Shop were kind enough to donate? Christine has turned that into a lovely shaggy for our original family.

The girls were very interested in the stack and whack bushfire quilt featured a couple of posts ago. I had a practice play at quilters using some of my shirting fabrics.

We are intending all making our own at the next Quilters in september.

Seems I am on the 400 posts cusp, which is an interesting variation on the coming birthday. I am a big believer in sharing the birthday joy amongst more than myself, so look out for a competition close to the weekend...off to make mini quiches....

Have a great day, Tracey

Photography joys, brolgas and books.

This photography business may look easy, but boy, do i have some fun getting the "right' picture!!

I had thought that spending an hour in the heat trying to keep quilts on calves was tricky, followed closely by trying to keep chickens on calves' heads, cats lying on the dog, chickens sitting on a quilt......you get the picture!

But that was before I attempted to join David Attenborough in the nature photo business! I have a specific order for brolga cards...(.and I can now see why there aren't many!!)..the cards should be $100 each to justify the time spent lying in reeds and trekking through paddocks, the wet feet and the generally wet me! All my other Australian animals have just popped up in front of me, but these like to keep a very discreet distance.


So, have a look through these and tell me which may lend themeselves most to a card in your eyes, or whether I must keep trekking and give up any idea of sewing this week!!!

We'll call the first photo #1, and move on accordingly. Oh, the brolgas are the big grey things!!




This last one of swans I just liked!



I finally have the dress for next week's big party. I have given into the fact that I will not wake up at my 25 year old self's size miraculously one morning so did the shopping! I am very happy with it and it feels lovely on. I haven't had a formal dress since I was pregnant with the 11 year old and in a wedding...lucky me!! I had to have the size 18 dress and the other bridesmaid was a 10 (we have different sizes to the U.S here, I was not THAT big!)
Here is a little sneaky peek...

I have Quilters tomorrow night so if you are lamenting the lack of quilting action you should see some work after that, I hear there has been lots of bushfire quilt progress!
Oh, and I try not to read too much gory stuff, I have trouble getting word pictures out of my head, but someone told me if I loved the Time Traveller's Wife I would love "The Lovely Bones". ??? Well, I did read the whole thing in a couple of days as the mystery part of it got me in, but the premise has meant my girl will be 25 before I let her walk home from school! DH said when i went to sleep the first night after those first chapters i was calling out and obviously really upset in my sleep..I think I better go back to Janet Evanovich and Georgette Heyer for a week or two!! When is Janet's next one out, or have I missed something??
Have a good day, Tracey

Reasons I owe my parents

Thought you may appreciate this email I received...how many of the 25 have you said???? I didn't realise I was adding so much to my child's education...but we never realise, do we?

25 REASONS I OWE MY PARENTS 1. My parents taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE . 'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.' 2. My parents taught me RELIGION. 'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.' 3. My parents taught me about TIME TRAVEL . 'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!' 4. My parents taught me LOGIC. ' Because I said so, that's why.' 5. My parents taught me MORE LOGIC. 'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me! .' 6. My parents taught me FORESIGHT. 'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.' 7. My mother taught me IRONY 'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.' 8. My parents taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. 'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.' 9. My parents taught me about CONTORTIONISM. 'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!' 10. My parents taught me about STAMINA. 'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.' 11. My parents taught me about WEATHER. 'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.' 12. My parents taught me about HYPOCRISY. 'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!' 13. My parents taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. 'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.' 14. My parents taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION. 'Stop acting like your father!' 15. My parents taught me about ENVY . 'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.' 16. My parents taught me about ANTICIPATION. 'Just wait until we get home.' 17. My parents taught me about RECEIVING . 'You are going to get it when you get home!' 18. My parents taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. 'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.' 19. My parents taught me ESP. 'Put your sweater on; do you think I don't know when you're cold?' 20. My parents taught me HUMOUR. 'When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.' 21. My parents taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT . 'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.' 22. My parents taught me GENETICS. 'You're just like your father.' 23. My parents taught me about my ROOTS. 'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a tent?' 24. My parents taught me WISDOM. 'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.' 25. And my favourite: My parents taught me about JUSTICE . 'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you

Of exercise, finished quilts and a fast approaching big day!

Wow, has anyone tried to fit in a good amount of exercise into their life lately? Really sucks up those few precious "spare" hours that I would normally have stolen for sewing. I wonder, in the comments, whether you think it is difficult to be thin-ish and a quilter as well, do the two go together?

Now, why would I do such a silly thing as sacrifice sewing for exercise, well, 1. It's good for all of us AND 2. I have tried and tried but cannot invent a suitable machine that I can exercise on as I sew. But the big point number 3. is that I have only 2 and a half weeks left until I hit a very big birthday...and I can't keep calling it baby weight if the baby just turned 9, can I??? So, since about last birthday I have been doing the odd gym class, definitely got fitter, but haven't appeared magically slim. How much of a miracle can occur in less than 3 weeks...probably not much! Luckily clothes size doesn't make the man...or in this case, woman!

The cards are keeping me busy, thanks to all those who have ordered, many on their way and more being mailed off hopefully tomorrow..Narelle!

raining again tonight, but we had enough let off this last week for Dh to get back on a few more paddocks to get some more barley sown.

When shifting him from paddock to paddock I spotted a few unexpected visitors,

I tried to get nice and close to these Brolgas, but this is the best I could do. They hang around in pairs, around wetlands. I don't think thse are nesting here, still flying around deciding where to settle.

And these black swans are doing the same thing, back through the same wetlands, except there isn't enough water for them here, this can be a full swamp. DH hopes it doesn't fill because that means a wet year for croppers! There are plenty of other lakes for them to nest in around here, they build fantastic nests in mounds in the swamps, last few dry years it is a race to see what happens first, the water dry up enough for the foxes to get to them..or they successfully get the babies hatched and away.

Bushfire blocks/quilts continue to call back in here and disappear again-to many homes. Kath from my quilting group recently gave these to me, anyone recognize their blocks?

A star block stack and whack.

Kath's sister-in-law donated this post and rail in muted green shades.

Now, were these start Libby's? Think so,I will have to check, look fabulous as a table runner.

Well, quarter to midnight..again! Even without cricket on I am up too late! Shouldn't mention the cricket, a heartbreaking loss last night, oh well, 3 more tests to get it right!

Have a great day,

Farm work

I know chooks are always a favourite so thought I'd share these today.

I have good news! Finally found the tool that will get me to clean the house!! No, not something I spotted on a late night infomercial, it is a great site for books on the ipod! This fabulous new-to-me site called audible.com and they have all my favourites, even unabridged Georgette Heyer. I had been looking in bookshops and some books on Cd were up towards the $100-and there were very few good titles...that's a lot of normal books! I have been exercising and cleaning to Heyer's "These old Shades" for 2 weeks and it has made those normally tedious jobs a pleasure! You don't have to go just for historical romances though, it has everything, even Janet Evanovich, but Australians are only allowed the short versions, not the long of Evanovich, i wonder why? For the first 3 months it is $7.50 a month to join, which gives you one included book download a month and a discount on the others. I am loving it, and the hardest decision is what i download next. I also have Rebecca, and Pride and Prejudice.

In between all that i have proof that I do in fact do some real work around here. There was noone around to take a picture of me helping with lamb marking, but my boy decided to get some snaps of me and his father sorting the weaner cattle to go to the saleyards.
No fancy Pioneer woman horsey shots of chaps here, just me still in my circuit training clothes, with the runners swapped for workboots!
Rosie the pup escaped and thought she may like to train with cattle!! I am just saving her from her folly ....

Probably not a good career path for a pampered pooch who still lives very close to the ground!
Hope your day is great,
If you have any other book good download sites, feel free to share, Tracey