Just venting....

To Whom it may Concern

I was issued a parking ticket in Howick on 21/07/2010.

At the time I was maxing out my husbands credit card at Sirroco Hair Salon, which is adjacent to the parking lot.

I was unable to move my car. I mean really unable to.

For the pleasure of supporting local businesses, I dont know if you are aware of the anxiety and worry that getting a parking ticket in Howick causes to the locals. There are so many of us trying to cover up our greys now that it's a six week wait at best to get a decent colourist. I fall into the catergory of having to colour my hair. Let me explain the imprisonment process.

This procedure requires the humiliation of having to cover your head in lots and lots of squares of tin foil (which incidentaly takes the best part of five Woman's weekly's and a Next magazine cover to cover to try and read, and also renders one partially sighted for the duration). I was unable to escape the confines of the foils let alone the salon to move my car.

After the foils are removed you have to suffer the indignity of wet hair dripping down your neck, while the sylists weilds very sharp scizzors so close to your ears that you don't dare breath, never mind mention that you might like to catch pnemonia and the indignation of half cut hair, so you can dash, like the Schwarzkopfed caped crusader to the car park to move your car 2 spots over.

My appointment was at 10 oclock, and I try to time it as close to the appointment time as is possible to avoid eating into my "Parking Allowance". My parking fine was issued at 12.36 and I got back to my car at around 1.00, so could you please explain to me how in future I will be able to avoid getting a parking fine?

I wait in anticipation for your reply.

Yours sincerely

Because one Blog isn't busy enough

and really its not like I keep up with this one, I have also started another blog. What with my new diagnosis, I don't want this one to become all about "ME" and my gluten free self! So I have started another one that deals with GF stuff. I mean if your interested take a gander, and if not, then do hang around here, I will still be lurking about waiting to bore you witless as soon as you appear!

So if you want to check it out, its called Gluten Free - Good Food.

And when I am not on either of these blogs you will find me in the kitchen decontaminating, and trying to work miracles with Potato Starch!

Bloggy etiquette

What is one to do? I now have comment moderation on my blog. Of course I get so many comments that they all need to be fielded (yeah right) and anyway its a family show and you can't be too careful these days!
Anyway I am getting comments on my posts but some are in Japanese I think it is. I can't read them, so have no idea what they are saying or who this person is. Well Iv'e been rejecting them but don't know whether to feel bad about it or not, because they could be a really nice person, but then again they could be trying to sell me a time share in Outer Mongolia in the off season or something. So if you are nice I apologise, (do you think you could translate your comments?) and if you are trying to sell me a time share, don't bother. I don't have any time to spare! I'm far too busy!

The invasion....

There is an invasion of sorts going on in our pantry.
Family meetings are being called.
Signs are being posted.
Yes folks yesterday I was diagnosed with Celiacs disease. Which means things are a changin in the kitchen....
The Dymo will be getting another run out to do some more labels. They'll read something like this...

GLUTEN FREE FLOURS

and

GLUTEN FREE - DO NOT TOUCH!

with a few

MUM'S STUFF (GF)

and not forgetting that old chestnut....

KEEP YER GRUBBY MITTS OFF!

Well! Have you seen how expensive that stuff is?!!

The neglected Blog......

Yes I know its been a bit quiet around this blog for quite a while, and although I have been doing some crafty stuff it's been things for the kids new school. The reason why I have been doing a bit of sewing for the school is because I think I am that parent. You know the one... That says to the teacher,

"If you need anything doing, I can sew a bit."

Its at this stage that the teacher gets a glint in her eye, but ever so casually says, "oooh lovely, we might need you later on..."

Later on comes and so Easter is not far away and then teacher pulls you aside and says,

"you couldn't make a costume for the Easter Liturgy could you?"

So one Jesus costume turns into two guards, a Mary, and a Pontius Pilate, and an angel!

And then the Official School opening is about the happen, and being a Kiwi school, there is a bit of Maori culture involved, and the school don't have any Kapa Haka outfits. It is about then that I start to have a bit of a nervous breakdown. Anyway I did manage 43 headbands, and dresses for the two main girls and a piu piu (sort of like a skirt thing for non Kiwi's) for the main boy.

Chuck some pillows in there somewhere for a couple of the classes, plus the ridiculous amount of after school activities, and organising a big "0" party for my sister, and there is my reason for not blogging.

In other words its been business as usual around here. Crazy mad, and very BUSY!

What follows is a short visual interlude.....

Junior Busy as the Angel Gabrielle

Mary


Junior Busy son as mean guard placing the crown of thorns (twigs wired together from our tree out the front) on Jesus' head.


Jesus


Pontius Pilate

Kapa Haka headbands waiting to be trimmed.

Piu Piu (for non Kiwi's pronounced Pew Pew)

Piu Piu with sash.

Kapa Haka dresses.

Hopefully it won't be so long before my next update, but in reality I have a few mums to round up, so we can get 40 more Kapa Haka costumes made for a cultural festival. I haven't forgotten you. I'm just .... well ... Busy...

Anchor's away...!!!

I bet you thought I was going to tell you I was off on the Queen Mary or something didn't you? Well I'm referring to these delightful little carrot muffins, that really only have one use. Chuck a bit of rope on the end of them, and throw them off your boat. You'll be moored in the harbour as long as you want! I forgot we had to take a plate to the PTA meeting tonight, so thought I could whip these up. I might try and fob them off to the family, but they will probably end up weighing down the compost bin at the end of the day.



And to add insult to injury I burnt my Bubble Log!!


What follows is a summary of why:
I have been awake since about 2.30am. So instead of trying to force myself to sleep I got up and watched the Living Channel. I fancied the cup cakes they were making on Nestle, New Zealands hottest home baker, and got a bit inspired.
Im going to plead insanity at the PTA meeting tonight, and who knows, it might get me off manning the cake stall!!

Little baby bunting....

I have a little thing about bunting so I made this for our new niece. Now I just need to get it in the post before she turns 21!!!

Hubble Bubble Toil and Trouble...

I make Bubble log for the kids, to chuck in their lunch boxes, because
A: its really quick and easy to make,
and
B: I made this pledge when I gave up work a couple of years ago, that if I didn't bake then I was not allowed to purchase shop bought school snacks.

Okay so I have folded a couple of times (a couple?!!) and broken my pledge, but sometimes you just have to take care of your sanity, and not beat yourself up about it all.
Anyway I thought I should whip up some more bubble log, after I resisted taking the easy option at my supermarket foray today. So I'm all geared up and find there are only a couple of miserable rice bubbles skulking around the bottom of the cereal container. Great!
But hang on look there's that Hubbards Muesli I bought on special that everyone raved about for 3 minutes and then pushed to the back of the pantry till the weevils took hold *(Please see footnote)
So what did I do? I chucked the Muesli in instead of the Rice Bubbles.
I'm so lovin it that I had to immediately make a cup of coffee, and eat those small miserable pieces that you get at the side. (Ah actually not so small and not so miserable, but I hate sounding like a greedy pig!)

If you want the recipe it's in the Edmonds book for all you Kiwi "chefs" or as follows:

125 gms butter
2 tablespoons of honey
1 cup of brown sugar. (You can use white sugar, but add a little bit of vanilla essence)

Boil this mixture for 3 minutes once it has all melted.
Take off the heat, and add 4 cups of Muelsi (original recipe is with Rice Bubbles)
Press into a tin, cut while warm and let cool.
(I keep mine in the fridge in this warm weather)




*Please note: No Weevils were harmed in the making of this product*

A brand new year, and brand new school

We hummed and haa-d a bit last year about moving the kids to the brand new school that opened today, but after their reactions this arvo, I think we have definately done the right thing! And as Foundation Students, I saw two really motivated kids at the end of the school day today, and even though it's only the first day... well, start as you mean to go on is my motto!

Top Two

Because I liked the first one so much, I thought another would be in order. This was the fabric that I wanted to make the wrap around skirt in actually, but I didn't have enough. I have showed this one with the button detail on the sleeve, which brings them in a bit, so I don't look like a reject from the Flying Nun. (You might need to be very old like me to remember this series starring Sally Field!) I used this really cute red and white ribbon which I sewed in at the ends instead of tying. It sort of holds the gathers where you want them better






Bit of a scary shot of me. Please excuse Junior Busy's room. I have given up yelling at him to tidy it. He's back at school Friday, so I might get it half decent!!!

And to top it off...

I made this yesterday so it would go with my white shorts. After wearing it I am going to put a little pleat in the sleeve, with a wee button on it, because they stick out a bit, and if a decent gust of wind gets up I wouldn't want to end up airborne!

You old bag, bag

Lets face it if you can sew, in fact, even if you can't sew, anyone can make a bag bag, so I am ashamed to say I have been living with this for about a year and a half now.

I am constantly picking up rolled up grocery bags from around the pantry door, and then trying to strategically stuff them back into the bag without more falling out. God knows how much time I have wasted, when it takes me 10 minutes to make one of these.

And now for the nasty up close shot of it in all its gory!

And the new one in all its glory!

If anyone can shed light on my avoidance issues, I would love to hear them. Answers on the back of a postcard...

It's a wrap...

I thought I might whip up this wrap around skirt today. So got out the old faithful pattern. I actually wanted to make it in another fabric but didn't quite have enough. That could have been a sign right there!
I have made this before and it's so easy and quite a nice cool skirt. Which is what I need in this weather because I'm starting to get a bit cranky to be honest. To start with I sleep badly anyway and it's hard enough trying to sleep in this heat, but add to that some noisy teenagers half way up the road, cranking out the beats, and shrieking like maniacs, which sets off the neighbours dog into a barking frenzy until 3am, and you may think I'm slightly mental to think of sewing anything in my fragile state.

I never remember which way to sew the bias binding. Skinny side to fabric first or thick side? So I always find myself here at Angry Chicken's great little tute. (I am embarrassed to admit, I should actually know these things. I did School C Sewing and Textiles for goodness sake!)
So you can imagine what emanated from the sewing room, when I still got it wrong, and then sewed the ties wrong way around, so it's a bit awkward to do up, and I sort of have to wear it left handed! By the time I realised my mistake there was no way I was going to unpick nearly 3 metres of bias binding.

I really could have put on another t/shirt for the photo shoot (I use that term very loosely) but honestly by this time I really don't care, and now I feel it looks a bit Nana-ish. I love the fabric, but not sure about it in this skirt. I seem to be really going for that aqua colour right now. But hey it will do for knocking around the house, and if all else fails, perhaps I could fashion it in to a rather fetching muzzle for the dog next door, or those wild party animals up the road!

My sewing is in the toilet right now....

...and I mean literally!
It's not that Im not motivated - sort of - because I get all excited when I see other blogger's fantastic efforts. I have had a small thing in mind and its such a small thing that you think I would just whip it up and stop whinging about it. But I agonise over colour choice and can I be bothered to move my sewing machine over a couple of inches so I can use it. And what I want to make isn't even that important.
Excuses. And enough of them!
So I decided I had to end my sewing drought and get on with it. So I made this...





It took me minutes really, so I really don't know what all the procrastinating was all about?

It comes in very handy actually on several levels. We presently have this stainless steel loo roll holder which nobody really bothers to put the lid on, and is looking a bit dodgy now . Besides I don't actually like things like that on the floor, especially when some of the smaller male inhabitants tend to have "aim issues"! Also we have always had this plastic hook on the back of the door, which when the house was renovated the painters just sort of painted over, so it's now kind of really stuck there. And after someone somehow broke the door stopper off the skirting board I have a certain amount of angst over the door handle going through the wall. So its official title is "Toilet Roll Holder, come Door Stopper, come Something to Hang on That Annoying Hook on the Back of The Door Thing".

Nostalgia

I was on Facebook and Joanna from Applique Today, put up some pictures of herself way back in the big hair days. It got me thinking and then rifling through the I-don't-know-how-many boxes of photos. (I mean there are a LOT!)

Amongst many others going back to when photos all came out orange, I have put up an album on Facebook entitled, Fun Ways to Discipline your Children. I thought you might like these ideas, with it being the school holidays and everything in NZ.

...and if you continue being cheeky we will keep going down the Log Flume until you learn not to be!

All that fuss ....

I feel a bit stupid really, because I made such a fuss over the staple gun, because in my head I had the amazingly great idea. Somehow though getting it out of my brain and into action equate to two really different things. So here is the thing I did for my wall. I don't think I even like it actually. I had in my head something with sequins or something (Aw don't ask, I can't even work myself out!) but somehow managed to get this. My downfall is, that I want to get it done, like yesterday, and then I get inspiration whilst trying to watch the six o'clock news and get the dinner dished up. So it ends up looking like a dogs dinner, which incidentaly is quite often what dinner ends up looking like too. At least I have a bit of a theme going then!

But I will leave it up for now because the wall looks so bare and if I take it down, it will only join the other 28 half done, slash, needs attention, corner. And at least its in the same colour story!

Island Life

In our endeavour to do stuff these holidays, here is our wee trip to Rangitoto today. It was a bit of a climb, and I did think my heart would give out. So even though I don't do resolutions, I must try and get fitter this year! I now sport a definite lump and bruise on my thigh, from the fool I made of myself going end over kite on the loose volcanic stones. Owwwww!

The view at the top is well worth the trek!

That so familiar shape that is Rangitoto.

Auckland

Junior Busy looking a little exhausted, and we are not even half way!

Auckland in the background

One of the cute baches on the island.

Exploring the lava caves....

And all this only half an hour from home!

Might have something to show you soon....

I mean, don't get really excited, but we have a newbie to the craft room. The other staple gun is lost. I think it may be hanging out with my marbles...

Honestly! I really would have had something to show you...

... because yesterday I was all geared up. The creative mojo, had made an appearance, and it really was time to address the artwork (I use that term lightly) in the bedroom. After all I only changed the colour scheme a year ago! So I knew what I was going to do and everything, and got all my bits together.

Hmmm ... oops forgot the staple gun. Silly me! Will just pop and get that and then crack on with this project. Oh. Okaaay, not in that drawer. (Chew nail and frown) Or that one.
Right, lets see...

Fast forward 24 hours, and I'm exhausted. Not to mention exhausted every possibility of WHERE IT COULD BE ?

Which meant I had to pull a few things out of drawers and cupboards, which resulted in a complete and total spring clean. Great yeah. But I still haven't found my staple gun, which means I will have to go and buy a new one. I know not a big deal in the big scheme of things, but its like an itch. I just keep going back to the same places in that futile search. Losing stuff is my pet peeve. I should probably keep things more organised and then I wouldn't be in the fortunate position of having a clean space. Another side effect is, I have a whole drawer full of presents that I had bought to "put away", which I forgot existed. (I could probably do Christmas all over again). The Dymo which I got in October got a bit of a run out, so here is the result of my 24 hours of back breaking, bad language, sneezing search....

I didn't do a before picture, but I'm tellin ya, you would be impressed with the
transformation!



I can't say how long they will stay so pretty, but God loves a trier.





What can happen when a woman with PMT is let loose with a Dymo labeller!





See that big square thing? That's a desk, and there is even a computer on it. Amazing what you can find!

I'm tempted to frame it!

CUE THE AFTERMATH...

I'm thinking Mr Busy might have a bit of job getting in the front door...

And upstairs...

Ahem. Or downstairs for that matter.

I do have to ask myself though. How much stuff do I need?