If only we had chocolate!

I have recently discovered a bunch of new (to me) blogs that I'm really enjoying. Eventually, I will update my blogroll (you know in my spare time!) so you can see them! One of them is Sarah's If only I had chocolate. (How could you not love a blog with that name?) Recently she blogged about a mug cake and posted the recipe. Well, this week we tried it. And tried it. And tried it! So yummy!

Mug Cake

4 tablespoons cake flour (I figured this was S R flour)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
optional, 3 tablespoons choc bits

Mix dry ingredients together in the mug. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Pop in the microwave for 2 minutes. Yum!

My mugs must be smaller than everyone else's! When I tried it first my cake exploded out of the mug. So now we mix two cakes in two mugs and then tip mixture into a third cup till all three are even and we cook each mug for 90 seconds. If you choose to add the choc bits add them to the top of the mixture and don't mix them in. If you mix them they all just fall to the bottom of the mug. Of course, if you like chocolate puddles under your cake, mix away!

The next thing I'm going to do (in my spare time!) is try out some different types of cakes. I'll let you know how I go!

Western Plains Zoo

We went to the zoo on our way home. We haven't been to Western Plains Zoo for a really long time. It was great fun. We drove around the zoo in a golf cart type vehicle and saw some interesting and beautiful things. The hippos were great and the giraffes and...... everything pretty much. My favourite was the maned wolf. The setting was just beautiful and the maned wolf was just amazing. They look like they are on stilts. Their legs are so long!

Camping and Home Again

We camped at Gunnedah (about 1400kms from home) while Bradley worked. It seems unfair that he spent the holiday working and we spent it having a lovely time! The weather was wonderful, as you can see from these photos. We played games, drew, stitched, shopped and read. It was cold at night, but we were prepared and didn't feel the cold.

We were fortunate to have lots of space around us so the kids could play hockey to their heart's content. We were also next door to a school so they could play tennis too. Our bocce set got a workout too.

We all took turns cooking and using our camp kitchen. (Well, not Mr 7. He helps out a little at home, but isn't up to cooking a meal on his own yet.)

We played board games and card games. Some games required great concentration and were taken very seriously.

We sketched and designed new stitcheries as well as creating pictures with stencils and Blo-pens. (The kids loved the fact that Gunnedah has a Toyworld!)

It was a very relaxing time. We got home last night and I have to say that 'there's no place like home'! (Dorothy is so right about that.) My bed is soooooo comfortable and I was just so glad to be home in it!

Mr 7 had a great time. He loves to be outside and loves running around like a mad thing. It turns out that he loves camping too, so we figured we will have to do this again soon. Next time we will have to camp somewhere closer to home! (Too much driving!)

I have passed my 200th post (going away kind of messed up my schedule) but am getting a give away together. I will post it tomorrow.

Stitching

I finished stitching another Bronwyn Hayes stitchery whilest on holidays. If you look closely at the house you will notice that I hadn't actually finished it when I took the photo. I thought I had, but hadn't, so I had to stop taking photos and sit down and finish it!

Home again, home again...

We are looking forward to spending the next few days back in the car because it means we are going home. This is one of the views I get. I quite like it. We have spent the past few days in Gunnedah whilst Bradley has been working at Agquip. The kids and I have explored Gunnedah and they have played and played next to our tent. We have drawn, played games, read books and stitched. (Photos to come) Now we get to drive home to Adelaide.

Photo from the car

I am so glad that we have stopped driving and are no longer spending all day looking at this. (Spectacular as it is!) We are now spending time in a tent, which Mr 7 and Miss 11 are truly loving! I really like camping and haven't been for ages. Why?..... I don't know! Even without the aid of a crystal ball, I see camping in my future!

Balranald - frog capital!!!

We are holidaying and discovered that Balranald is the frog capital! It seemed very dry there, so I'm not sure how their frogs are getting on, but their inanimate frogs are just wonderful! Mr 7 poses with his new frog friend, and I couldn't resist these guys below.

We are driving, driving, driving and having much fun along the way! Hope your week will be fun too!

Another Uncle

The boys at my house are completely captivated by their nephew. He looks so sweet sleeping in his uncle's arms. Hard to believe that my 6 foot 2 inch 14 year old was once so tiny! (I can say that because at 8 weeks this fellow weighs 8 kilograms and my little boy was only 5.4 kilograms when he was born!) This whole grandparenting thing is quite amazing. Is that the most cherubic face you have ever seen in your life? Or is he just completely ordinary and my conviction of his attractiveness just part of the *grandparent effect*! Sigh. Not sure.

Hey! I will hit my 200th post soon and will be doing a give away to celebrate! Stay tuned!

A Pokemon softie sewing kind of day

These two love Pokemon and love sewing, so they spent today combining the two! There was some machine sewing and some hand sewing done. They used their Pokemon books for reference as they designed their patterns to produce their very own Pokemon softies.

And these are some of the Pokemon they produced! They worked so hard in fact that we ran out of stuffing! So all pokemon work is on hold until we go to spotlight to get more. (Apparently ya gotta catch em all!)

Oddish

Igglybuff
Dratini

What a pleasing sight!

Mr 19 doing the dishes for me. We have a new job or chore roster here this week. We're hoping it works. ( Definition - "works": jobs get done without nagging from either the mother-one or father-one. Times this has happened previously: 0. Possiblity that the parents are out of touch with reality: 100% ) Oh well, so far about half of the jobs have been done. It's day 2. I think there's still hope. Wish me luck!!!

A new sewing room clock!

Isn't it lovely? I thought it was a very apt clock for my sewing room, considering the clothes I sew! I have been considering a sewing room clock for some time now. (Like the time I was sewing and got carried away and didn't realise I was late for a physio appointment. Time flies when you're having fun!) I have been looking for just the right clock and you'll never believe where I found this one.

At the hardware store!!!

I know! Crazy, huh? I am almost as passionate about hardware stores as I am about patchwork shops. They are Bradley's favourite store and I love to go there with him. I also love the 'paint' section. So many wonderful products and so many fantastic ideas. I love to look at handles and letter boxes and plants and outdoor furniture and shadecloth and timber and... the list goes on! I am not that keen on power tools so I look a little and then hit the paint section. Power tools are Bradley's favourite so he stays there and meets me in the paint section when he's done. I guess we've got it all worked out! Do you love hardware stores too?

More baby outfits

Some more completed outfits for my grandson. I just love this pattern! I have used it many times for my own kids. In fact I have had it for 24 years! I have navy blue overalls almost finished too. I'm getting old and navy blue is too hard to sew at night, so I will finish them tomorrow morning. Ahh... the thin edge of the wedge! I haven't started holding things at arm's length to read them yet (I know all about it, because Bradley does it!) but I can't sew anything black or navy at night. Oh well, I guess that goes with the grey hair and the grandson!

Overalls and a jacket

Polar fleece overalls with a polar fleece and Amy Butler jacket. And a seven week old grandson! Today I have been working on another similar outfit. It is cold here and this chubby little boy is growing like a weed, so warm, bigger clothes were needed. Mrs 24 took this photo and thinks it's not very good, but in my grandmotherly way I think it's wonderful! I love to sew baby clothes. They're so quick and achievable!

Pay It Forward

Well, I did it. I finally signed up for Pay It Forward on Lorraine's blog. So I am calling for three volunteers to receive a gift from me so that I can pay Lorraine's generosity forward. I know that lots of people have already played this game, but now might be a good time to sign up again! Remember you have 365 days to pay it forward to your three volunteers. Leave a comment here and I will send you a gift sometime in the next 365 days. I love to sew. I make great clothes, bags, quilts, all sorts of things and I will send something to the first three people to join my PIF! Come on, don't be shy!

The Chocolate Tour

Today we went on the Haigh's chocolate tour. (Homeschool activity) I found it really interesting. The building above has been owned by Haighs for nearly 100 years. It is quite a famous landmark in Adelaide. My parents tell stories of meeting friends at the Beehive Corner when they were teenagers. Of course the kid's most important question was answered - yes they give you a taste of chocolate on the tour!
Even Miss 16 wanted to come with us (our recent homeschool defector who now goes to high school) and her teachers helped out by going on strike this morning! (Fortunately!!!) Which meant that she could come with us and then go to school for the afternoon. I spent the afternoon sewing. I managed to finish a pair of overalls and a jacket for my grandson. Hopefully I will have a photo to show you tomorrow. This week has just flown and I'm not sure what I have done! Tomorrow holds more sewing and then a trip to a friends place for the kids to play.

A Family Activity & A Journal Quilt Challenge

I We went to Morialta Conservation Park for a picnic lunch today. When Bradley and I deem something to be a family activity that means that everyone has to come! It was a glorious afternoon. I sat and drew in my sketchbook. I am concentrating on texture in my sketchbook at the moment. Miss 11 and I went for a stroll together and came across this. I've heard of making mountains out of molehills, but look at this mountain of an anthill! And they were just tiny little ants too. I am participating in Minou's Minute's journal quilt challenge. The theme is nature and the challenge runs from September to November. Rush over to her website to join in (And see what a journal quilt is. I didn't know till I saw her post!) So, maybe the anthill will feature in a journal quilt here in the future!

August

Here I go again, can you believe that it's already August? Time is flying this year!

Now that we've got that out of the way, look at this! I love the blog Small Space Style. So many beautiful things to look at! My perfect dining room (this week, anyway!)

I would love to have this retreat (shed!) in my backyard.


And my perfect bathroom (tonight, that is!)


August. Is it hot where you are? It has been quite cool here (for Adelaide) and we almost made our July rain average. Bradley and I were driving in the hills today and drove past Kangaroo Creek dam. Where's the water? No wonder Mike Rann says there's no water despite the fact that we have had a little bit of rain!

2006 Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial

So, I have been trying to post this since Thursday. I don't know if the problems were caused by my computer or blogger. Anyway, it all seems to be working now! Thursday morning we (Mrs 23, grandson, Mr 14, Miss 11, Mr 7 and myself) met some friends at the State Library. Our mission was to see the 2006 Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial exhibition at the Flinders University Gallery at the State Library. We had been planning to visit the exhibition separately and together for some time, but only got there last week because it finishes this weekend. Ahh! How deadlines make us perform! I heard about the exhibition from The Bird Bath in one of her posts. She loved it, and so did I!!! So many exciting pieces of stitching!!! The Gallery has a no photos policy (aww!), but if you google my title you will find some photos from this travelling exhibition.


This piece which is in the State Library is just beautiful! We are particularly interested in woodcarving at the moment because Mr 14 has just started woodcarving classes. It is something he has had an interest in for a while now. His interest manifested itself initially when he started borrowing woodcarving books from the library. After reading a few he began to start carving with his pocketknife. It would have been at this point that a good parent would have taken him to classes. I waited about six months, but he's there now, so I'm not so bad. He has one more week working on his test piece and then he will need to start his own piece. So the State Library was inspirational for stitching and carving!

The SALA (South Australian Living Artists) Festival started yesterday. This is one festival that I love! I will be off to exhibitions all over the place for SALA. The best thing is that art is everywhere. Cafes have exhibitions, Nurseries have exhibitions (I'm off to Newman's this week), there are even exhibitions at shopping centers. I'm looking forward to lots of inspiration over the next 3 weeks or so! What is the source of your inspiration?

Freaky coincidence in blogland!

Over the weekend (the way every entry started in my grade one journal) I visited daisy chain and was blown away by her post. She talked about her initial foray into patchwork as a teenager using leftover fabrics from her dressmaker mother. I thought it was freaky because it sounded exactly like me. Visit her blog to compare!!!

This is my patchwork. I started it when coles supermarkets used paper bags and I cut my templates out of their paper bags. I was 14. I used leftover fabrics from clothing that my mother, my sister and I had made. Looking at it is such a trip down memory lane. I see dresses, skirts, shirts, trousers, shorts, and nighties belonging to my Mum, Dad, sister and myself. Sometimes the article of clothing gets mixed up in my mind too. I think, 'Oh! My shirt! Hang on. Was that my shirt? Was that mine or Mum's?' cause I could wear her clothes from the age of ten. Of course, having five daughters myself I have made sure that never happens to me. I am several thousand sizes larger than my girls which ensures that my clothes stay in my cupboard. (Despite the fact that sylf-like Miss 18 claims that we are the same size. She thinks we look identical in every way.)

It's interesting to note that in the late 70's this is what I thought patchwork was. And whilst I was using new fabrics and not recycled fabric, I wouldn't have considered buying fabric just to use for patchwork. Leftovers were the order of the day. My how things have changed! Where did your patchwork addiction start?

Janet Bolton

This is my favourite book from our library. I think I borrow it more than anyone else. It is at my house more than at the library! I guess I really want to own it and one day I will buy it. I never get tired of looking at Janet's work. It has such a feeling about it. I would love to produce work like that. Not work that neccessarily looks like her work (although her stuff is fantastic!), but work that has that feeling about it. It is so very much about the fabric and also memories. I can feel that she creates from memories. When I look at her pictures I not only can feel her memories, but it stirs memories I have of similar experiences I have had.

Okay, I'll admit it. When I grow up I want to be Janet Bolton!