Mandy in Oz

There was a very big birthday in the family recently.  My eldest daughter, Miss N, turned 18!  Yep, nothing makes you feel like an oldie, quite so much, as knowing that you have an *adult* child.  Anyway, moving right along.  I decided to make her a quilt at the last minute, as you do....turns out, the ragging process on a raggy quilt takes a while :S  Who would have thunk it?  It was a bit of a race to get it finished, but she seems to like it, so it's all good ;)

Big J (hugging me tightly and being sweet) - Why do you still drive me so crazy? Me (all innocent eyes) - I guess I must be *really* annoying..... Big J - in that case, I want to be really annoyed for the rest of my life.... Challenge accepted :P

I recently posted an album of *outtakes* to my Facebook page, kind of a visual representation of what happens when you attempt to get three children to all look at you, with at least semi-normal expressions, so that you can take a cutesy picture to put on your family Christmas cards.  Here are some of my very favourite pictures from that session....some might even make it to print ;)

Miss B, my teen-at-home, can be a little....quirky.  *No* idea where she gets it from.  So, one of her interesting quirks is an abiding love for snakes, yet an intense fear of magpies (go figure!?).  What's a parent to do, but stir her up at every opportunity.  Our recent conversation went something like this... Me: Hey, did you see the freaky crow/magpie hybrid on the front deck, eating the cat food?  Miss B:  Whaaatt???? OMG, are you serious?? Me:  Why don't you go and take a look?  It's not a crow or a magpie....I think I'll call it a cragpie. Miss B: (tiptoes over to door and peeks out)  Arghhhh!!!  What the hell is that!!! Me: (giggling hysterically) I told you...it's a cragpie. A couple of days later.... Miss B:  Mum, they're not cragpies.  They're another kind of bird....curra....something.  But they're not magpie hybrids (sighs in relief).   So, Miss B isn't worried about giant ...

Mother is the name for god, on the lips and hearts of all children - Eric Draven In keeping with the day, I've made this quilt block to represent May, a start of something.......big.  Maybe. I'll see where the vision takes me :)

Take one feather doona and quilt cover, add a playful toddler boy and this is what you get... Hmmm, wonder if I can get inside the cover Yes.....apparently I can Where's the baby????? There he is!! thinking about coming out of the cocoon now.... Where's the baby?? There he is!!! and just because I feel like it, here's a somewhat dodgy self-portrait utilising a mirror :P

What do you get if you take some blank paper, a 'reference' picture (lol), acrylic paints, a trusty pencil and me?  Some excited and hovering children, and a Dr Seuss themed painting for their room :P  Whipped this up using the kids Ikea easel, on some of that Ikea butchers paper, in an afternoon and evening.  They seem impressed, though it's probably just a matter of time until little J destroys it!

Shalom.....it was thrown into the naughty corner for a while, but I frogged most of it and am having another go... I'm spinning cotton..that I grew in the garden, from seed.  Spinning from the boll is wonderful.  The portrait of my grandfather....completed at last.  Lily's bed, with her mummy-made, insanity inspiring *all knit materials* quilt. Jackson's crazy making *also all knit materials* quilt (easier than the previous one though, being MM fleece backed rather than cuddlefleece lol). And that is it, for now.

I had a *great* op shopping trip a couple of weeks ago, with my 'big' girl, Miss N.  She was cursing me at every turn, with me grabbing amazing finds the second we'd walk into the stores.  In the one trip I found -   a reasonably current (and apparently never used) Tupperware colander (the double one that locks together), a brand new Lorna Jane top (with the built in support), brand new Colorado leather bag (tags still on it), a vintage Fendi bag and a vintage Chanel scarf.  *None* of these items cost more than $5 each.  Now, as with all designer items, there are plenty of knock-offs out there, but I suspect that the Fendi is probably real.  Which is awesome, of course :P  The Chanel scarf, I also think may be real.  Here is why.... The Fendi has a *lot* of wear - it's clearly quite old.....yet is still in remarkably sturdy condition.  All of the hardware has the logo/name engraved, it's spelled correctly, even font and not crooked. ...

Today was a busy, but fun day.  The usual primary school run for Miss L, then at lunch time I packed up little J and my trusty camera, so that we could ferry Miss B to the district cross country carnival.  She isn't 100% at the moment, having come down with the dreaded flu that we've all had this past week, but still wanted to represent her school, so off we went.  She ran well, with a little sprint for the finish against a rival school at the end, which was very entertaining :P  No placing, (there was some very fierce competition) but a good time was had by all :) Little J kept himself entertained, with snacks and a train..... As a footnote, is it really strange that I would have loved to be out there running too???

It's actually a great month in the garden, here in the 'sort-of' subtropics.  I say sort of, because we do actually get a little colder here than what I would consider 'strictly' subtropical - runs of below zero early morning temps in mid-winter aren't uncommon.  So anyway, April in Blackstone - it's not too hot, not too cold, not too rainy or windy, nor too dry.  Sounds kind of bland....but actually, it's quite lovely.  I've been getting some gardening done in fits and starts, nowhere near enough to have my garden looking 'neat', but enough that the plants are outcompeting the weeds.....for now ;) So, onto the pics. tarragon and lavender A wee lizard, sunbaking on the mulch A crucifix? orchid Crepuscule...amazing, disease resistant rambling rose Pretty sure this one is Just Joey Central garden bed, from upstairs Queen Elizabeth (I think) Red Pierre de Ronsard The Sookie monster