About Me
- Kris
- I am a mother of eight and grandmother of four who loves to make and create. Rosemary Hill is the name of our home where we live, work, learn and create together
Saturday 30 May 2009
Clap hands!
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Some questions answered for Joolz. (Head on over to be part of the fun!)
# 1 What's for dinner tonight?
For dinner tonight we had sausage hot pot cooked in the slow cooker, with mashed potato and baby peas.
# 2 What's your favourite cute animal picture?
My favourite picture is above. It's one I took myself at the Botanical Gardens of a heron helping himself to the fish in a glasshouse. It was a warm day so the doors were open and this guy saw an opportunity and took it! Survival of the fittest, huh?
# 3 Who does the dishes in your house?
Well, it's either no-one, or everyone. I'm not sure which. Everyone I guess. We have a dishwasher (when you get to child number eight you get one, that's what I told my Bradley and he fell for it......umm......followed the rule completely) and the idea is we all stack it as we finish using the dishes. Mr 8 is the emptier. He's very good at it.
# 4 One a personal note, regarding toilet paper - Are you a Scruncher or a Folder... or a Fruncher/Scrolder, he he!
This one is to do with advertising I think. (I never understood that ad!) I don't think I do either. I don't think I do?????
# 5 What jar (brand) of (tomato based) Spaghetti sauce do you use for Spagetti Bol?
I don't. I make my own. I use tomatos, garlic, onions, herbs etc simmered.
# 6 Do your children make their own beds and put out their clothes or do ... you?
Hmmm....... this one is difficult. We do the quilt/doona/duvet thing so there's not a lot of bedmaking to be done. They do their own. They also put out their clothes. If they want them back again clean they have to get them to the laundry.
# 7 Can I have your favourite recipe for a dessert you love?
I think this questionaire shows just how contrary I am. I don't actually like dessert much. If pressed to provide a dessert I will usually make a pavlova. My favourite is just the meringue recipe I use for my kids (they love meringues!). Three egg whites, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence. Once it's baked and cool I top it with yoghurt (the kids favourite flavour is vanilla, but I'm happy with any flavour!) and fresh fruit. I go for whatever is in season. Tastes best that way.
# 8 My ironing board is permanently set up - do you labour over baskets of ironing ordo you fold, put away then iron as you need.... like me?
I used to have an ironing basket. Until baby number five. Of course it was always full and we were always scrabbling through it to find clothes when we were in a hurry. I decided that was dumb and ever since we have just put all the clothes away and then ironed as needed. I used to fold them all. Now (since baby number 7) we don't even fold them. We just make a pile and each of us takes our pile to our room and puts it away. It seemed silly to fold things that were going to be hung up anyway and it's not such a big job if we all fold our own things before we put them in our drawers.
# 9 Do you wear makeup each day or go Phhhffft! Stuff it! How often do you go to the hairdresser?
I have never worn makeup every day. When I was young I couldn't wait to be sixteen so I could wear makeup. (the age at our house) Then I turned sixteen. I get migranes from perfumes so wearing makeup was never really going to work for me because it is all full of perfume! I am also an excema sufferer. Yeah, dunno why I was so excited to be sixteen. If only I'd thought about it for a minute I'd have realised that it would never work! My Mum used to wear makeup more often than not and some of my daughters do. The hairdresser? Hmm.... my Mum is a hairdresser so the number of times I've been to a hairdresser could be counted on my fingers. She also taught me to cut hair so most of my kids have never been to a hairdresser at all. I think two of them have been to a hairdresser.
# 10 What is your ultimate personal indulgence eg. relaxation/treat
I think it is fabric. And sewing accessories. I find stitching and sewing to be very relaxing. Theraputic even. So I have a cupboard full of fabric, a rainbow of threads, zips, buttons, wadding etc, just incase inspiration comes upon me. I never have to wait for the shop to open to finish something! It is an indulgence I think, but one that I find very relaxing and pleasurable.
Okay Joolz, so that's me! If you want to be part of Joolz's giveaway go visit her blog. And if you decide to answer her questions let me know in the comments so I can come read yours too!
Sewing and duplo day.
We spent this afternoon at Mrs 24's house. She stitched. I drew. And the boys (grandson, Mr 8 and Mr 15) played duplo. A very relaxing and enjoyable afternoon. We had a wonderful time and laughed a lot. We must do it more often!
Tuesday 26 May 2009
Paperbag swap received!
A good look at the wallet Leah made. I have been meaning to make a wallet since mine died last year. (Sad I know) I love this one because it's really practical. I will really be able to use it. I just love those fabrics!
A brooch with all my bits and pieces. And an mp3 player lanyard and cover. (Okay, I have to admit here that I had no idea what this was when I opened the package. As I stood there wondering Mr 15 said, "Hey! Cool mp3 cover!" Of course! On the tip of my tongue - thanks son!) All the mp3 player crazies in my house (there's a few of them) are eying it off, but I haven't relinquished ownership of it yet. I may just get an mp3 player myself!
Thank you Leah for all the lovely goodies (and the extras!). Thank you Sam for organising the swap. I am still working on mine for Leah. It's got to be good now! This swap was so much fun! Got to hit the sewing machine!!!
Sunday 24 May 2009
Create
Just wanted to share this with you today. It is what I am all about. I think President Uchtdorf expresses exactly how I feel about creating. We all can create and it can bring joy to us all. Creating is my happy thought! Hope you are having a great day!
Saturday 23 May 2009
It's a doily kind of day.
These doilies are some that I inherited from Mrs 24. She had a clear out after acquiring grandson and all of the baby paraphenalia that grandson entails and I scored her "op-shop" doily collection. These were embroidered organza. Seriously, what kind of doily is that? So I sewed them onto some of my favourite white self patterned fabric and turned them into robust, serious doilies. They feel and look great now! Mrs 24 approved of my doily makeover. Misses 22 and 12 and I went over to her house today to visit and I took the doilies along to finish the little bit of hand sewing each one requires. Grandson loved them too! He carried them around and wore them on his head, so I must be on to a winner! Will I ever make any more doilies? Hmm..... you'll have to wait and see!
Wednesday 20 May 2009
Knitted Scarf
Monday 18 May 2009
Home again, home again... jiggity jig!
Saturday 16 May 2009
Buddah Day
Melbourne Aquarium
This morning we went to the Melbourne Aquarium. It is just lovely. We really enjoyed it. All of the exhibits are really beautiful. One of my favourite exhibition areas was the jellyfish. They are just so graceful.
Miss 12 and her camera were busy all the time. Mr 8 had a lovely time crawling into little cubby holes with perpex domes extending into the aquarium. They also had a touching table and Mr 8 was able to touch a starfish and the empty egg cases of sharks. We had a great time, partly I think because we don't usually get to see anything like this at home.
Friday 15 May 2009
Butterfly House
I got a lot of photos that look like this! I think that pretty, exotic butterflies can fly faster than boring ordinary ones. They were so hard to photograph! In my efforts to photograph butterflies I stopped dodging butterflies and some began to land on me. One landed on my finger poised to click the button and take a photo. It's proboscus (is that a word?) unrolled to rest on my finger too. I think I must be sweet because this butterfly just didn't want to leave me. Miss 22 gently blew it off my finger and it flew right back on. I walked around and it stayed. I took photos and it stayed. I even took this photo of it on my finger!
Thursday 14 May 2009
A little more driving
Our first port of call this morning (Okay, after the breakfast stop and after the jumper buying stop - did I mention that it was cold and that a certain child didn't think I meant it when I told him to pack 2 jumpers? In fact he so didn't think that I meant it that he didn't even bring 1 jumper!) was the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are across the road from Lake Wendouree which is quite strangely an empty lake (with jetties and rowing club houses and fishing clubs lining it's edges). We didn't bring anywhere near enough rain to fill it unfortunately, so it's still strangely empty! Just after we entered I was very taken with this lion. He seems to be an incredibly happy lion, but looking at his face fills my head with the song "Never Smile At A Crocodile". He is obviously an anthropormophised lion because he seems to have the kind of teeth you get after having been to an orthodontist for some years, rather than the kind of teeth you need to tear flesh from bones!
Wednesday 13 May 2009
Driving, driving...
Tuesday 12 May 2009
Leanne Beasley's Doilies
Saturday 9 May 2009
Mr 20 and Girlfriend's Engagement Party
Wednesday 6 May 2009
Nature
Redwork cushion swap (me to Chookyblue)
This is the redwork that resulted from my drawing here. I had a lovely time making it! It was lovely to work on because it is so textured and feels wonderful. This kind of stitching is very much like painting with needle and thread to me. I love to paint and draw too. I want to design more, I also want to paint more too. Goals for 2009! See how I go!