I have had a crush on bunting for a while now

and so I made some for Anna's room, with A N N A applique, which looks quite nice. Now I would show you a photo, but the batteries have gone flat in the camera, and that was about two days ago, and I still haven't put them in the charger. I discovered that the batteries were flat about 5 minutes before I had to take Nick and Anna to their Kapa haka concert. There they were, 2 scrawny little white kids, all dressed up in Maori costume, and I grab the camera, and yell, "stand there quick, while I take a photo", after which comes the obligatory bad word, which lately and excuse me for all you good non swearing people, is Bloody Nora! Yeah yeah I know its not that bad, but really I shouldn't in front of the children, and I am trying to become a non swearer. I'll try and keep you posted on that one, but please don't hold your breath. I seem to be doing dumb things like running out of camera batteries for important events in the kids lives, and letting the cell phone get down to one line on the battery icon, whilst I am trying to rush my teenager into hospital for an emergency appendictomy, (which incidentally was NORMAL!). So whats up with me? Beggared if I know, but please place all answers on the back of a envelope and post to, "The Mental Woman of Howick". Its bound to reach me. Anyway stand by I will charge the batteries, but I will have to do it tomorrow, because I don't want to plug them in and then forget them and then wake at 2.16 in the morning and lie there for 40 minutes worrying about it and then try to convince myself that it will be fine, the house really, probably won't burn down. But it might. So in the end I will have to get up anyway, and go and unplug the darn thing, after which time I will be well and truly awake, and mulling over the next bunting I might like to make... As I said "Mental Woman of Howick". It's bound to reach me...!

Well its been a while...

and for anyone who actually reads my blog, you might be forgiven for thinking I fell off the earth or something. Oh nothing so dramatic. I just ground to a complete halt this winter. It has been the wetest and most miserable winter I can remember, and I think the lack of sun has had a detrimental effect on my creativeness (is there such a word? Never mind there is now...) I have been watching everyone else being creative via their blogs, which added to my misery because I have been wasting all that "indoor" time, and doing nothing. Well I was looking at Molly Chicken. Please forgive me I do not know how to have her blog name all highlighted so you can just click and go there, but she is very inspirational indeed. She did a cute little spotty hedgehog softie, and so as Im apt to do, I went a bit mad one night and made some little critters myself. I have fallen in love with them, and so have Nick and Anna. They think they might make nice pressies for their teachers at the end of the year, so I think my problems of trying to find a nice bath bomb for the teacher might be a thing of the past. Nick's teacher is a man so a both bomb might look a bit dodgy. Mind you getting a little soft toy might not impress too much either. But what the hey?! Ive promised one to my little niece Jaimie in Australia so will have to get it wrapped and down to the Post Office. there is a little chap at the back who I will introduce you to in a minute, but hopefully this little basketful of cuties has got me back in the sewing saddle. I certainly hope so. I must also apologise if this post sounds a bit disjointed, as I am a very tired Mother today. My little (big 17 year old) boy, Matt was rushed into Middlemore hospital on Tuesday night with appendicitis. They took the appendix out on Wednesday and kicked him out of the hospital on Thursday. So at about 1am he was writhing well he wasn't in fact writing because he could not move with the pain, and Im just about to call an ambulance to take him back to the hospital. But we managed to get through the night, and as long as we are on top of the pain killers I think he is okay. My poor wee baby. Boy I feel like you do when you bring a newborn home from the hospital, and you are so knackered you dont know your armpit from your elbow!! But I think he's on the up and up, and I can't wait for him to start arguing with the other kids again!

I have two lovely sisters

But this post is for Pauline, my other lovely sister. She does not knit me slippers, but she is wise beyond her 27 years - she also has a very good sense of humour, hence Nicholas and Anna believe that she is in fact 27. (she is closer to 30 probably!!) She has done more for me than she will ever know. When I was young she was my big sister, but now she is much more than that and I can honestly say she is one of my best friends. Here she is in a photo shoot we had done on our home for Home and Garden magazine. So this is for you my lovely sister!!!! xxx

Autumn leaves are falling ...

Every time I pull into the driveway our Oriental Planes whisper in their golden tone, "hey its winter..."

they seem to be putting on a nice display I think because the weather is so fine and crisp. The sun shines through the leaves, and they make a lovely welcome home ...

So then...

I had to do this button up scarf, which is also cute. Well they look cute on Anna anyway. I even managed to do a button hole, so perhaps my knitting is improving?

I think I'll call the pink stuff, the Candyfloss range.

And then...

And then I did this little shawl one with some crocheted yo yo's. I like the fluffy detail.

Knit wit

Yaaay! I did the poncho! In fact I did two. The first a rainbow one, which is two strips of knitting sewn together. Easy peasy...