When will it be me time?

I've been so busy writing assignments, going on practicum and generally trying to keep up with Uni studies and the kids that my craft activities and blogging have been sadly neglected.

I had been having severe withdrawal but last week I had a client ring me asking for some custom items to be made and with a really short deadline, I happily agreed. I was so excited to be making something and I spent all of last Sunday making bracelets, earrings, necklaces and bookmarks. I had a great time and realised how much I really had been missing it so this week I've done a bit of knitting and laid out a couple of designs for jewellery that had been whirring around my head but not actually being made.

I did have to make a resource for one of my uni courses and here it is.

I'm hoping to get my last assignment for this semester finished soon and then I have two whole weeks to make things. As long as the kids don't need anything that is!

Almost February already...

WOW, the time has been flying by and I haven't posted for over 2 months. So many things happening. My parents arrived for a month at the beginning of December. We had a brilliant Christmas with them and it was great to see them. The picture above is our Christmas Day dinner, Kiwi style complete with Pohutukowa in the background. I miss them so much, it's the only thing about living in New Zealand that I don't like, my family being so far away. My in laws arrived on January the 2nd which was great as the kids got to have both sets of Grandparents here at the same time, the first time since we left the UK 5, yes 5, years ago. It was great, we hung out, went kayaking and spent lots of time at the beach just chilling.

Straight after my parents flew back to the UK we headed down to Waihi Beach for a couple of weeks of total relaxation. It was our first time there and it was just beautiful. The campsite we stayed at had a beach either side of it, once flat bay just perfect for kayaking and the other a lovely surf beach for body boarding and building sandcastles. Evie (who also turned 7 over the holidays) won the sandcastle competition for her age group with a wonderful spider complete with seaweed web. She was just so excited to win.

Craft Hope

Just a quick post this morning. I have added a new button to the right for Craft Hope. I've only just become aware of this site and I can't wait to become involved in the next project, alas I am too late for this one. Please take a moment to check it out and see if you have time to help too.

Keely

Here is our new baby Keely. She is about 14 weeks old and a red heeler cross (we think). She is from the Humane Society so another rescue dog She and Honey seem to have taken to each other, a few little squabbles but no teeth and no fights so far.

They both slept in the same room yesterday, they even squished their beds together so I think that's much more positive than last time

Me time

So I had been planning to make something yummy from one of my new books. Something that I wanted to make, maybe even something I wanted to make and keep for me. Yeah right! I spent yesterday evening making a pleated skirt for Gage, she has a costume day at school and wanted to go as a manga/anime character and needed a black pleated skirt. I made one, quickly, it won't win any prizes but it's a basic pleated skirt and it does the job.

Great, now on to my things, ha! Neil asked me before he went to school this morning to check something he had been working on and if I got time to type it up. He is in a planning meeting after work today and won't be home until late and of course he has left this particular task until the last minute, he needs it for tomorrow. Yes I did it, read, checked and typed waiting to be cut and pasted into whatever he needs to put it into.

Great now on to my things, hahahaha. Evie is having a loud shirt day at school tomorrow, not content with just wearing something we could find in the wardrobe she decided she needed to decorate a shirt herself. It's a fundraiser for deaf children to enable them to get cochlear implants so of course I said I'd help.

After school we headed out to get some supplies and also new ballet shoes for her and me, we had to get the shoes today as the little shop is only open for 2 hours on Thursdays and 2 hours on Saturday. Shoes bought, supplies for the shirt decorating bought we headed to get burgers for dinner. All of a sudden from the back of the car I hear "Mom, I feel sick" I quickly emptied the ballet shoes out of the bag and threw it to her and she promptly vomited, great huh? Head back home, give her some neurofen to get rid of her headache and within an hour she was all OK again and decorating her shirt. Here it is.

Gotta love being a mom right? Here's my little stash of felted jumpers, waiting for me to get to them. Tomorrow I'm going to make time for my things.

Books to Inspire

My birthday was back in July and my parents had asked me what I'd like but of course I had no idea. I had been making a list of books I wanted to get myself so a week or so back I emailed my dad with three I was keen on and asked if they might get me one of them. I spoke to them couple of days later and he told me he had ordered them for me, all three WOOHOO!

They started to arrive last Friday, the first one was Betz White's "Warm Fuzzies" which is full of fabulously inspiring fun thinks to make from recycled wool sweaters. The second one arrived on Monday; "Weekend Sewing" by Heather Ross, another book full of wonderful things to make and I have already decided the first one I want to try is the kimono dress. We are just in spring here in NZ at the moment and I think it will be a great dress to have for those lovely spring mornings. The final book arrived on Tuesday; Amy Butler's "In Stitches" which again is full of inspiration. All three books are chock full of beautiful pictures and wonderful ideas. So not only books (which I just love) but beautiful and useful ones, what more could I ask for?

It was the arrival of these books that set me on my way to the op shopping (thrift shop or charity shop if you are not in NZ) I did on Monday which resulted in 8 lovely sweaters which I felted and am part way through cutting up. I''m not sure what to start on first, the dress, some lounge pants or something fuzzie; whatever it is I'll let you know when it's finished.

Tuesday Baking

After a quiet day of thrift store shopping and playing with Callum yesterday I am back to work today looking after Krysta. After having an extra day for the weekend with her mom she wasn't really in a being at mine frame of mind so we opted for one of her and Callum's favourite activities; baking.

I wanted a flapjack type slice to put in the kids lunches so we made one, didn't have a recipe I wanted to do so we just made it up as we went along, it turned out brilliantly so I've jotted it down so I know for next time. Best of all it's dairy, egg and nut free so suitable for all of us and Evie's best friend who has allergies.

If you want to give it a go here's a list of ingredients;

100g dairy free margarine

2 tablespoons golden syrup

150g rolled oats

100g plain flour

100g dark chocolate chips

100g dried chopped strawberries

To make just melt the margarine and syrup together in a pan, mix all the dry ingredients and then add the margarine/syrup mix to the bowl. Combine well and then pop it into a baking tray and bake it at 190c for about 10-15 minutes. Slice while warm and then enjoy!

We also made some coconut cup cakes using egg sub and they worked well. Haven't tried one yet so I'll have to let you know how it worked.