A birthday surprise!

A gift from Loz

Last week when I came downstairs one morning I could tell there was something on my front doormat. It was a package from Loz and this is what it contained! A beautiful bag that I had admired on her blog (her stitching is always so beautiful!) and a lovely book I have been hankering after, all wrapped up with some ric rac. (Love me some ric rac!) My head was so full of "the party" that I can't even remember what day I received it. My first job today is to get into the Zakka Style book more thoroughly  and choose something to make. I'm keen to have a making week this week and some little projects seem just the go. I'm hoping to notch up some finishes!

Little Birds (make me happy)

 I am still sorting through my sewing room. I emptied the last box today. I am getting pretty excited about the room and about all the projects I have started and can start! I came across this book today. It was gifted to me by the lovely Loz when I visited her in July. (I had the best time hanging out with her! She is one of my favourite people. That's the only downer about our move to Melbourne. I see some of my favourite people less now.) I love that she knew just how much I would love this book. I still claim to all and sundry that I am actually not that crazy for birds, but I must be because this book is just divine. Full of inspiration! Check out some of my favourite pages...

Love this sweetie and her shopping

A journal cover (love journal covers!). Absolutely love this applique.

Love, love, love this guy. Love also the gone over a lot lines. That's my kind of quilting!

I'm not that into the current owl craze (yeah, denial again lol) but who wouldn't love these guys? Owls with attitude!

So, will there be some birds featuring soon on my blog? Probably not (yeah, denial!) but will I be reading this book over and over? Yep. It makes me feel so happy! Hope it made you feel happy too!

February round up and Loz, what have you started???

February has been a mixture for me. What a month. Some great times spent with Brad and (some of) the kids. This is one of the clydesdales that pulled us on the tram across the causeway to Granite Island this month. Mr 8 was very excited about that ride. He and I went to the Maritime Musuem this week. He was passionate about that too! We had the best time.

It makes me think about Charles Dickens' opening line in "A Tale of Two Cities". It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Strange how those two so often go together. February was also a shocking time for most Australians as the Black Saturday fires in Victoria took over 200 lives and over 1800 homes. Over 7000 people are homeless, some because of deliberately lit fires. We in South Australia were shocked because it could so easily have been us. Our state is so dry at the moment and we suffered the same high temperatures and strong winds that Victoria did. What was the difference? I don't know. I feel in my gut that it was the police who made the difference here. They have an operation all through summer where they visit known arsonists (and even suspected arsonists). Especially on days of extreme fire danger. They just let them know that they are being watched. This is not a scientific deduction of what happened, just how I feel. I think we were lucky that the police have been running this program all summer.

And my sewing room finally settled down a little, first time since Christmas and the move to a different room. My new desk can be seen above. These are some of the things I spend time looking at. Oh! I posted my 300th post and opened an etsy shop too. Busy, busy! I enroled for the Quilt Fabric Delights retreat in April as well. Who of you are going? Comment and let me know!

And Loz is responsible for this little gem. She had a wonderful post entitled "Whatever happened to that young thin person?" and I have included this photo of the young thin person I was in homage to Loz. My Bradley, me and Mrs 24 when she was about 9 months old. She was superbaby! She was tiny, but at 9 months she could run (that's what happens when you start walking at 7 months!) and she ran rings around us, her young, inexperienced parents! I guess she prepared us for what was ahead - another 7 wonderful babies from whom we learnt all sorts of different things! I know I wouldn't be the person I am today had I not learnt all that I have from my children. I think sometimes we mistakenly think we are going to teach them, but some of the biggest life lessons are learnt from the other direction! So, February was great and shocking all at the same time. I'm looking forward to March!

My PIF from Loz arrived

Okay! Let's get this out of the way first! It's HOT today! 41 degrees celcius as I type this (nearly 6pm!) I'm sure you will read this on every South Australian blog post today! Or maybe just the whingey ones! Now, down to business.


Some time ago (can you tell I can't be bothered to look this up) I signed up for a "Pay It Forward" on Loz's blog. Well, today it arrived! My kids were so excited! They are such good value for money. There was a festive atmosphere as I opened it. I slid the calico bag out of the post bag and got very excited. It says "Angas Park" on the front and I know that Loz lives in the Barossa Valley near the dried fruit factory. Could it be that she sent me some Angas Park goodies?

Yes! And a gorgeous tin sporting cherries. It's very cute and I am mulling over in my mind what I will put in it. First I thought something to do with sewing, but I'm thinking now I might put some little essential in it and put it in my handbag so I can look at it all the time.

And this is the PIF itself! A covered book (A visual diary - perfect for me! Actually, I was just saying yesterday afternoon that I needed a visual diary to carry around in my bag and then this arrived!) and a really cool mesh bag. Now, I know it's a "really cool mesh bag" because Miss 22 told me it is. In fact, she is still holding it and extolling it's virtues. I think she likes it!

See! A visual diary. Blogger thinks it goes this way up for some reason! Thank you Loz. I feel very lucky. And the arrival of my PIF prompts me to send mine to my 3 recipients. Watch this space!

Oh! And a heads up. I am approaching my 300th post and in the tradition of my 200th post I will be having a giveaway. This time I'm hoping to be organised enough to actually have the giveaway on my 300th post. Stay tuned!