September 29, 2007

upside downside

Last night was fantastic. All the cliches - good food, good friends, good drinks. Lots of laughing. A very positive reaction to a prototype gift card given as an IOU birthday present.
But the boy also went out and drank too much to drive home, so i had a very lonely sleep. Whenever he's missing it makes me grumpy - it just isn't the same without him.
And the first day of daylight savings time has come up a crapper - wind, spitty, overcast. Ugh. It's not meant to be like this. This time last year daylight savings day was beeeeeeaaaautiful - the boy's birthday, golden sunlight, long day drinking beer and then practically carrying the (by then very drunk) boy home. Oh well. So we are devoting the rest of today to crafting. Finishing our stock of cards for the market next week and finishing off a whole load of pre-cut ipod covers for the same. it's definitely an inside day. I'll take photos, promise.

September 25, 2007

poppity pop pop

a few random pics - my new baby!

and a couple of things i should be doing - sewing and housework. haha...

September 24, 2007

The sky is falling!

We need to be happy whenever we can, because we don't know what's going to happen.

Still reading too many blogs. But i like that. I think it's super true. We're getting there tho, but we both need to accept that it's also ok to have times when we're not happy, and just lie in bed and soak it up, cos that always make you feel better. and then you go out and get (literally) back on your bike and realise that it's all pretty freaking awesome after all. Especially with a little help from fresh fruit and/or cake.

and making me happy? Teacups and Raggamuffin children, and smooth peanut butter on Vogel's Spelt and Flaxseed toast. And the boy's honesty.

Btw, the sky is falling as the weather is so lame and i haven't been able to ride my shiny new bike again. :(

September 23, 2007

I Heart Jose Gonzalez

I heart Jose Gonzalez. I really do. He's helping me thru the day...

Gosh, I feel ass today. Is it the weather? A delayed hangover? Or is it because I haven’t done any exercise today? I think I need toast.

The weekend was brilliant. I can’t believe how much we fit in, and yet it didn’t feel rushed or busy at all. Nice and cruisey. Here’s how it went:

Friday night: pizza at Mum’s and then to WOW, with a wee drinkie in between. It was pretty incredible – at least, the garments were. Not so impressed by the show. (But that’s my critical events eye for you!)
Lolly cake on the way home with the boy, and late to bed…
Saturday: nice lazy sleep in, breakfast in bed, washing and then off to the warehouse to buy plastic tubs before going to red rocks. The boy biked, I ran. It was marvellous and refreshing. Then we went to Pukerua Bay to buy worms, and back to the boy’s parents to borrow a drill and put together our worm farm (hence the plastic tubs earlier). I’m so glad we finally did it – it’s been in the back of my mind for so long, and now we have about a thousand new pets to eat all our food scraps.
Then it was off home for showers before going in to town for a friend’s dinner. Let’s just say it was drinks all round. Which takes us to Sunday…
Sunday: Get up at 10.30 and decide the time is ripe for a hangover brunch at Eva Dixon’s (go the two for one Entertainment voucher!). On the way home we decide the boy needs new shoes via a nosey at the bike shop where I…buy a bike! My goodness, what am I on? But it is a beautiful Sarah Ulmer bike and I love it. Shoe shop was closed, after all that!
Back at home I bake a cake and make pincushions for my friend who comes over for afternoon tea, which is lovely and relaxing. Then the boy begs a headache to go back to bed and I head out on the green machine – that is my new pair of wheels. It was just fantastic to finally have my very own bike to ride, and I even went up hills on it. This is seriously major when one considers that I have never successfully biked up a hill in my life. A spot of soup for dinner, then a play with the bike while I put lights on it, and early bed.

September 20, 2007

how good can today get?

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, it's friday! And i'm wearing my super fun new black and white rather short dress with red beads making noise around my wrist. Plus i got some really freaking awesome news that i'm doing little dances about but can't tell anyone.
And it's only 9.50am...

Wearable Arts tonight, can't wait!

three things for an evening

Toasty in front of the heater last week with my fave red shoes that i really should replace...
The fabric i shouldn't have bought from a few blogs ago - i have no idea what i'm going to do with it (isn't that always the way with your favourite fabrics?!) so it's complementing my pile of mags on the table at the mo. And the beginnings of a pair of arm warmers to go with my snowboarding set up. There's nothing worse than getting ice down your wrist!


mmmmmmm lolly cake - for those who have never had it before (oh the humanity!) it's pretty simple:

crush one packet of malt biscuits

melt about 200grams of butter (no idea what this is in pounds sorry!)

chop a bag of eskimo lollies (hard marshmallow things)

throw in half a tin of condensed milk

mix it up, roll it up, roll in coconut and put in the fridge for a few hours. easy peasy!

And i finished the scarf in the photo - it was a sick day project - and got lots of nice comments on it when i wore it to work this week. :)

September 19, 2007

Scones and Judy Bailey

My head is all full of scone. Hmm I just like the thought of scone and jam. Maybe next time I think I want one I should just think about it instead – of sunshine, scones with butter and jam, crafty times. That’s what I like about them most. Always good memories with scones. Weekend lunctimes when I was a kid and mum would make a plate, butter them up and put them out for everyone. The fun that is making them at home. Scones and soup, especially corn chowder.

Last night at dinner I discovered I wasn’t the only one who has absolutely fallen in love with Trilogy rosehip oil. Apparently it’s what keeps Judy Bailey looking incredible after all these years, and I’m hooked. Not only does it make my skin look amazing, but it’s pure and organic – there ain’t nothing but rosehip oil in there, baby! The price tag is a bonus – only about $21, and it’s made by a New Zealand company. Now that’s gotta make you feel good.
And a special tip – swipe some on your scars and it will fade them faster.

A bit of randomness, but hey, why not? I'm looking forward to another tv-less evening of crafting and hanging with the boy - hopefully will have some pics to post tonight. Am off to WOW tomorrow with my Grandma for the first time, and am super excited. Post soon!

September 18, 2007

What i did in the weekend...




my bag! i got a bit carried away dreaming up how i could do a compartmented lining to put all my gym gear in, which worked eventually but not as perfectly as i'd hoped. And it ended up way bigger than i intended - but now it's the perfect size to hold all my snowboarding gear. yay! (obviously i snipped off all the stray threads)


I'd been hanging out for ages to make hottie covers out of my old flannel pjs that i couldn't really bear to part with. The pattern needs a bit of refining...and i ended up feeling like a little kid as i carried my hottie around with me all weekend...







A couple of pincushions - these were so nice and easy but revealed that i need some more practice sewing in a circle!



September 17, 2007

Daffydils and tamarillos

Has anyone bottled the smell of daffodils? Oh, how I would love a room spray that made the lounge smell of them. It’s a shame noone really grows them in their gardens in Wellington. I think something I will do when Spring pops up next week is buy me a wee pot and plant some daffodil bulbs. Or am I too late??

I seem to have become re-obsessed with chocolate covered peanuts. Mmmmmmmm they are so good. Probably shouldn’t eat as many as I just did, but I figure I have been very good so far today so it shouldn’t be too big a deal.

The other thing I’m a little obsessed about is tamarillos. For some reason, when I was a kid, we only ever ate them with sugar. I’m assuming mum was aaving us from the tartness – but now I prefer them without. It’s the colour, the taste, the shape, the texture of the skin…everything. I was a little bit naughty and bought some fabric at lunchtime – I went hunting for it again in Arthur toyes and I had that gut feeling you get when you know that if something is sold out you will be gutted and totally regret it – so I found it and bought some. Woohoo.

I kept meaning to post over the weekend, but was all distracted by sewing. Successes of the weekend - two pin cushions and a bag that I am super stoked with. Am very proud of myself. There is a reason i've named this blog 'iffycraft' - i can't seem to sew perfectly. There's always something that is a bit messy in all that i do, and it drives me nuts. Not that it stops me.

Am at work so no photos at the mo - will post some tonight. :)

September 13, 2007

surrounded by the everyday

I've been inspired by so many blogs of late, so i'm finally getting myself sorted with my own. One that I will actually commit myself to - I am the first to admit there are a few floating in the internet ether. I'm not here to dwell on those though.

The most attractive thing about the blogs i've been reading lately is that they celebrate the everyday. Since my recent addiction transpired, i've been motivated to take more photos, craft more, bake more, and see the best in the everyday. So here we go. Please forgive me if i'm not organised enough to put photos up straighaway!