Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

Scored myself a bucket, you know the kind, the car washing/florist sort of bucket, - full of roses this morning for $10.00.  That's 10 Aussie Dollars for a bucket of roses.  The above set of photos are the four vases that I filled with the bucket of roses for ten Aussie dollars. 

 

The sign said 'damaged stock'.  

I said 'come home with Joyce'.   


Thanks for stopping by my place today.
Thanks for your lovely comments on hubbies slowly growing scarf.
Thanks for your comments on the library bags.
Have a lovely weekend at your place.

My Creative Space

Hubbie asked me if I could make him a scarf for winter in this pattern from my new book.  Woo hoo - for sure I can - I rarely get the chance to make something for him, so before he could change his mind, that very moment we got in the car and went to get the wool.  

 It's ok, but then at the same time it's not ok.  There was something missing and the pattern was, well, let's just say Joyce needs more practise with colour change in the middle of the row.

 We added another colour and tried random stripes, . . . . no, still not quite right, so then I did another sample this time with larger random stripes, ugg, again, not right, and I didn't even take a photo of that sample.  Luckily this yarn unravels so well and doesn't turn to fluff-mush from the stress of being reworked.  

 Finally I think I have it.  I am working the scarf lengthways this time, and keeping it to basic stripes.  Hubbie doesn't want smaller stripes, he prefers thicker bands of colour.  Cross your fingers this is IT.  

I did 300 chain, and am doing dc in each chain.  I was thinking of doing a row of dc and then a row of treble, however, he just wants it all the same.  I will save the dc row and treble row for a scarf for me instead.  

 To give my eyes a rest from the above colours, I made up two beachy little anklets for me.  I used crochet cotton and plaited a length long enough to go round my ankle twice.  Then I threaded some beads, doubled the crochet thread and grabbed my hook to chain in the beads.  I am glad I doubled the crochet thread, just chunked it out a bit.  It's had it's first beach swim this morning and survived the waves.  I know, I am a big kid, but why not I say, I have no daughters to make this stuff for, so I will make it for me.  Please excuse my big clump of a foot.  It was 'interesting' trying to take a photo of my anklet.  

Here are my completed library bags to be donated to a school in QLD.  I am so happy with them, such lovely bright colours.  There are 40 library bags in total.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.

Head on over to kootoyoo and see what everyone else is making today.  

Have a lovely day at your place.  

Happy Australia Day 2011

      -MY COUNTRY-

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die -
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold -
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land -
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand -
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.         - Dorothea Mackellar -

            

Today I am having Vegemite on toast for breakie.  

If you are curious about our Australian flag, you can go here.  

You can go here to check out a template of our flag as to placement, sizing and names of the stars that make up our beautiful flag.

I love this flag, I am proud to wave this flag.  I am proud of where I come from, I am proud of the hard work that built this country under this flag.  This morning I saw the sun rise over the water and tonight I will see it set over the trees.  I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world.  I hope I never have to move from here.  


I was born under this flag, and I hope to die under this flag.  


Thanks for stopping by my place today.


Have a happy Australia Day at your place, from this little Aussie girl.


Oh and thanks Wikipedia for your help today.

It's A Little Bit Vintage.

A few weeks ago there was a little vintage fair/market/exhibition in our town.  It was lovely.  I managed to pop out there and took my camera with me in the off chance that I was permitted to snap a few shots.  Lucky for me, yes, I was allowed to take some photos of a few items that were on display.  

I know it's not much at all really, but gosh as I walked around checking out all the wonderful goodness that vintage is, I kept having flashbacks of photos of my Mum and Dad when they were courting, then engaged, then married.  

Photos like these below:

 I remember a picnic set with a hard cover, it was a steely grey/blue in colour and had little snap latches and almost resembled a little suitcase.  The picnic set inside was set out very much like the one above.  

 Don't you just love these swimming caps.  I 'heart' the white one down the bottom with the flowers on it.  The yellow and black would fit me too.

 They just don't make swimmers like they used to.  The little red and white on the end is just so very pretty.  I would wear the orange one as well you know.  I am sure they are both my size.

The yellow and white I could have worn today at the beach along with the white cap above.

ohhhhh I do hope my dance card is filled tonight.  I would love to twirl and swirl in this little number.

You know one thing that amazed me, is the detail into all of the clothing, some of those dresses are heavy, heavy, heavy, with lining and detail and such perfect stitching.  For them to last as many years as they have, and be in such perfect condition.  

There were no grubby hemlines, there were no markings on them, they were just like they had been made the day before.  

There were lots of items for sale, there were also replica dresses for sale as well.  I didn't buy anything, however, there were a few dresses that called out to me to take them home with me.  *sigh*  

Do you like vintage dresses too?   

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.  

   

Crochet A Rainbow - Grab Your Hook!

This is awesome, this is fabulous, this is what I want to sign up and do too.  I made a comment about making blankets, or writing sets or sending crochet face washers with soaps up to QLD to be donated to those who have lost so much (blogged about here), but then I decided to make library bags instead.  This I have done, but I know I can do more.  


Thanks to donate granny squares I can go through my seemingly never-ending stash of yarn and hook up some squares. 


Be sure to check it out, sign yourself up and send a little hooked square of love.  


Thanks for stopping by my place tonight.  Sweet dreams to you and yours.

Lately. . . .

Summer fruit platters. . . . 

 Busy sandy beach days. . . . 

 Operating on puppies that eat the strangest things, and other games. . . .

A bit of revision, colouring, home schooling, preparation. . . . 

 Ooodles of fun, backyard cricket and bubbles (in and out of a glass!). . . .

 A rainbow of ribbons, cut and ready to thread. . . .

Dinner prepared by my Man, oooohhhh, how I love my food. . . . 

Street Party Auction invites printed, scrolled, tied and delivered.

What has been your 'lately', lately?  

 Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.

Oh and a P.S. Update on money raised from my madeit store is now $16.00 to be donated to the QLD Premier's Disaster Relief Fund.  

Old Shoes - New Shoes

Old Shoes

New Shoes

Most times I love new shoes, 

I love they are so new kind of new, 

I love how they have no creases in them, 

I love how there are no scuffs in them, 

I love how they have that new smell, 

I love how they feel on my feet.  

Most times. . . . . . . . . . . 

then there is the time that the new shoes happen to be runners,

when they are bright white new runners,

when you know your feet are singing and dancing in those bright white new runners, but still. . . . you know. . . . 

they are bright white new runners.

I felt like a geek this morning in my new bright white runners.  I felt like a new kid who joins the school mid-way through the year with new everything.  So I went looking for mud to stomp in, but found puddles of sand instead, and stomped through them.  

Don't get me wrong, I love my new shoes, they don't hurt my feet like my old shoes have been lately.  The old shoes are 3 soccer seasons old, lots of caravanning, walking, kicking balls, chasing kids, working at preschool, they have served me well, very well, except for the last few weeks when they started hurting and digging into my heel.  It's time to move on, I avoided this task for as long as I could, but the day arrived when I just had to purchase the new shoes.  

Do you feel like a geek in new bright white runners too?  Does it feel like you are a first time runners-wearing-person when you get new runners, or cross trainers, or all terrains, or whatever on earth they are called these days? (that is a whole other post one day when I am bored out of my brain and strangely enough find nothing to talk about - zzzzzzzzz).  I had a choice of leather or the stuff I got.  I got the stuff that I got because apparently they 'breathe'!  *ahem* I like to know that my toes can 'breathe' while I am walking, cause you know, it's a backup just in case my nose forgets.  *sigh* 

Have a lovely weekend at your place.  I hope your toes can breathe, it would be a worry if they couldn't, apparently, according to the sportshop dude, it's fairly important stuff - toe breathing.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today and toe breathing blessings to you all.  

My Creative Space

It's back on, and I am ready to play.  Pop over to kootoyoo and check out what other crafty peeps are up to or add your own craft share.  

It was actually a little strange taking above photos now that my 10 x 10 x 10 project is finished.  I set the top lot of library bags up on the inside airer to take their photo.  After the last 10 days of point and shoot and no cropping or putting items at a 'just so' position for the photo, this was different all over again.  But fun.  Change is good, change is about learning, expanding and most of all having fun in the process.  The second photo is of my current batch of library bags being cut and sewn.  I am doing them in colour batches which makes it  easier for changing thread on the machine.  Tonight I will relax in my fave chair and thread the drawstring ribbon through them.

For those that don't know, I am sewing drawstring library bags to donate to a primary school in Queensland that has been affected by the recent floods.  I have called it Task Force Library Bag.  

There has been huge amounts of damage, not just buildings being inundated with water, but buildings ripped apart, as well as loved ones lost.  What it left behind is stinking brown mud sludge, the sad part is that there was another storm last night and predicted bad weather to come for alot of these towns.  Parts of Victoria and Tasmania are also evacuating, sandbagging, and trying to protect livestock, crop and home from torrential rains, and swollen waterways.  

Aussies are a tough bunch, we work together, we live together, we laugh together.  It's going to be hard work for many months, it's going to be very emotional, but every little bit helps, that's what I believe in anyways.  I don't like sitting 'round doing nothing, I hate feeling helpless, and I have fabric sitting here stashed away in a cupboard when others have not even a toothbrush.  

Initially I aimed to make 20 library bags from bright fabrics that I already had.  I have managed to exceed that number simply by stretching my fabrics and using the smaller bits to make pretty pockets on plain fabric bags.  I hope these will be ok, even to just start off with.  I also have some new story books to go into some of the library bags to post.  Whether the school uses them to share with the students and keep in the bags I have made, or if they are given to the children to keep, I do not mind.  When I finish sewing up this lot that I have cut, I will have 39 library bags.  I still have fabric to possibly make another 8, but will see what I can do to increase that number.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.  

Have a lovely evening at your place.  

10 x 10 x 10 - Day 10

Day 10

Good Evening from my desktop.  I did have grand plans for my last day of this project, however, when I arrived at Spotlight (the location for my 10 x 10 x 10), I realised that I didn't have my camera with me !!  So with the impending thunder storm about to break loose above our heads, I didn't wish to turn back home either, and with the boys doing swimming lessons this afternoon thought I would be cutting it fairly fine with time.  

As it turned out, we arrived home just as the thunder storm hit *phew*, which ended up being a bit of a storm in a teacup, because it lasted a rather short 20 minutes or maybe even less.  There is still a storm out there somewhere, because we are the lucky ones to have been gifted with a stunning night show of brilliant flashes across the sky. 


Never mind, I can get back to Spotlight another time.  (I still have visions of taking photos of rows upon rows of fabrics, ribbons, curtain rails, and yarns.  *sigh*)


And so yet again, you are being *ahem* 'honoured' with photos from my day.

Main photo - goggles ready to go into swimming gear bag.

Collage -

1. Part of afternoon tea.

2. Bunting which hangs near our dining table.

3. Another part of afternoon tea.

4. Yes, again afternoon tea - we sort of didn't have lunch today because we returned a play date favour and we had lots of fruit and carrot cake which was from about 9.30am through til just after 12pm.  So a big afternoon tea of more fruit, cheese and bikkies and a sweet treat of coconut ice. 

5. Hem of the dress I am wearing today.  

6. Quack.

7. More library bags made.

8. Ribbons purchased earlier at Spotlight to be used for the library bags.

9. My comfy seat which was used as part of the cubby house built by the kids and their friends earlier today, of which the cushions are still very liberally scattered about the lounge room (!).

Thanks so much for coming along for the ride.  I totally enjoyed this little 10 x 10 x 10 project, and I think I am going to do this again later in the year.  I have met some lovely bloggers doing this project as well, of which I am very much looking forward to getting to know.

Let me know if you decide to do it, I would love to see what makes your world turn.


I am off here now to cut more fabric which I hope to sew up tomorrow for more library bags.


Thanks so much for visiting my place today.  Sweet dreams to you and yours, or depending on where you live, rise and shine to a wonderful day at your place.  

10 x 10 x 10 - Day 9

Day 9

Inspiration from my garden today.  

Main - My beloved frangapani - even a little spider snuggles protected in one of the delicately scented petals.  

Collage -

1. Daisy.

2. Camelia tree spurting even more new life.

3. Under the camellia tree this darling little native violet calls home.

4. Geranium from my Mother in law in a pot.  Hers are just stunning fat hugely double fat bursts of flower, I am not the green thumb like she and my Mum are.  Not to mention two little boys that love to play backyard soccer, and cricket and balls that snap off little buds and branches.

5. Looking up from under a palm tree.

6. A tree planted by our neighbours, which loves to grow and say hi into our place. I love the colours I love the texture of this tree.  Anyone can give it a name for me?  

7.  Part of a cottage packet mix that I scattered last spring into our front garden.  Gosh these are the prettiest little things.  Again, can anyone name them for me?

8. Our tibouchina hedge, there are a couple of little buds dotted here and there, I get so excited to see this lovely hedge in flower.  This particular tibouchina is called Carol-Lyn.  I think I have written it correctly.  It flowers constantly on and off through the year, and I cut it right back and off it goes again.

9. Geranium from my Mum which is in our front garden in front of the tibouchina hedge.  I have managed to get a few of these going and would love to cover the front of the hedge with this and the darker red/pink one as in photo 4.  

All the plants in our garden are tough, it's really just that simple, they have to be tough, they have to withstand my non-green thumbs, they have to withstand two little boys, they have to withstand humidity, they have to withstand coastal winds and weather.  We have planted so many different plants that unfortunately have become mulch over the years, however, this lot are here to stay, they seem to thrive where others have fallen.  Our neighbours have similar plants, which is a wonderful omen that we have planted the right species.  We get birds in our backyard and lately the butterflies have just been huge and stunningly beautiful.  

Which reminds me right now, we entered the Landcare Sunflower Challenge and ooopppppssss - have not planted our seeds yet.  Hmmmm, another job for today - I wonder if it's too late?  We shall see then.  I will let you know how it goes.

What are you doing today?  Perhaps you are working, perhaps you are sewing, perhaps you have the hiccups, perhaps you are helping someone that you have never met before.  Perhaps you are delivering a baby today, perhaps you are just finished work and going home to have a sleep.  Perhaps you are nibbling on a little piece of chocolate - just a little piece, you know for sustenance.  Perhaps you are just about to put your seatbelt on and go for a drive.  Perhaps you are herding sheep right now to another paddock with your trusty sidekick black collie, named Bonny, who has a white patch on her left ear. Perhaps you are collecting shells on the beach, perhaps you have glue stuck to your finger and thumb in a most annoying way.  Perhaps you are writing a letter to someone you love so much it hurts inside your ribcage.  Perhaps you are wrapping a gift, perhaps you are boiling the kettle, perhaps you are replacing a lightbulb, perhaps you are about to tell someone you love them (do it, go on, do it - even if they don't feel the same, then you have been honest.)  Perhaps you are wondering when Joyce is going to stop talking. . . . . . . Joyce wonders if she can stop 'perhaps-ing'.  

Ok then, thanks so much for stopping by my place today.  Take care of you, be kind to you, look after you.  It's the only you, you have.  

10 x 10 x 10 - Day 8

Day 8 - is productive, is busy, is getting things done, is out there.  


Today I cheated.  I had to erase my contact details in photo 1 of my collage.  I didn't notice it until I put the collage up.  It's not that I don't want you to call me, it's just that I don't want freaks to call me.  Not that I mind talking to freaks, I mean I talk to myself all the time really, it's just that, you know, freaky sort of freaks that freak you out like.  

Main photo - My little one drew me a pink jumbo jet.  Gosh the places we could go!

Collage - 

1. This is our new mouse at our desktop computer.  I don't like it, it's too fancy for me.  It's not a mouse, it's a shiny silver coaster on an angle, that likes to think it's a mouse.  It will never be a mouse in my eyes.  Next to it is one of two vouchers I have printed out to offer at our street party auction.  I hope we get lots of great bids.  Yes, I am organising a fundraiser street party auction as per yesterdays post.  I have THE most awesome neighbours.  

2. I have made 4 x drawstring bags and now just have to fill them with the required items to post for this.  I am not sure my sewing and creative skills can extend to the sewing caddy so I am just doing the stuff I can do, and posting extra bits instead.

3. My machine threaded and taking a break while I click my 10.

4. Six library bags so far.

5. Candle burning in memory of others.

6. Dressmakers pins.

7. Sorry Neil - You have been reshaped and along with some of your mates will be filled with goodies to auction at the street party.

8. Sustenance.

9. Today's newspaper.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.  I hope you are having a lovely day, I hope you are getting lots of good things done.  Things that need to be done to get to the next level.   

Bless.

  

10 x 10 x 10 - Day 7

Day 7

Sunday morning at the beach.  I love going down around 8am, it's fresh, it's quiet, it's sunshine sparkles dancing on the water, it's paradise.  Nice camera bag shadow Joyce!! - Not!! - That's what happens when there is only 10 mins to take 10 photos.  

We had ourselves a couple of hours down there, and snuck home before the heat of the sun was at its full strength on our skin.  

Since then, the boys have been playing, relaxing, napping and I have been cutting and sewing.  I am making library bags for school children who no longer have library bags.  I also have some new books, one for each library bag.  You just cannot have a library bag without a book to go in it now.  

Ok here goes - the following you may, or you may not wish to read.  I almost deleted it, but then it's part of Joyce, and it's Joyce's blog.  It's how I am, I have chosen to leave it, so now you can choose to read it or not.  It's up to you, that is YOUR choice.  

I think I have found the old Joyce back again today.  I think I know why too.  You know when something is bugging you, and you feel off somehow?  You feel that things are not just right - everything seems to be at odds and ends - you cannot sit still, you cannot relax, you cannot sleep, you feel all jumpy under the skin and annoyed at yourself for not being able to do more and 'get on with things'?  You feel a huge sense of helplessness?  Well this has been me lately.  I feel bad that we are on holidays and the sun is shining and we are enjoying the beach.  I feel bad that we have food, our home, each other.  I feel bad about ALL of it.  I snapped at my boys yesterday when they were arguing - I mean I snapped like as in really snapped at them and told them how dare they act like this towards each other when there are so many children without a home, not even a toothbrush or their favourite cup.  I told them there were children sweeping stinking mud, and piling all the stuff from where their house used to be into a big pile of muddy goo to be taken away to the tip because everything is ruined.  Then I felt bad, I felt awful for talking to my children this way.  I should not dump my crap onto my children, I should not talk to them like this.  I was exactly the same as a kid.  It's just what kids do really.  

Then early hours of this morning, I got over myself.  As I snuck through the house and sat on my little boy's beds watching them sleep, remembering the moment they were born from me, remembering so many moments in their 8 and 6 years, kissing them and then heading back to bed.  I smiled and I meant it, and I got over myself.  

Today is a new day, we went down to the beach, it was lovely, I saw it with my eyes, I enjoyed it with every single breath.  I laughed with my family, because that is just what we are supposed to do.  We laugh together, we cry together, we hurt together, we work together.  It's the only way families can swing really.  It all HAS to be together.  

And you know what, I no longer feel *ugg* and *yick* and crapola.  The headache is gone.  I am making library bags for kids, I am putting books in those library bags.  Today I made 6 library bags, I am not sure how many I am going to make, but I am going to do as many as I can.  I am going to find a school to donate them to.  Directly to that school.  I am going to ring the office and speak to someone in that office and get their postal address and directly post them to that particular school to give to some of the children.  Perhaps they will start the school library with these books and share them and the library bags so that everyone gets a turn, maybe some other people are making library bags too, so then there is more to go around.  How wonderful that would be to know I am part of 'Task Force Library Bag'.  

I have another plan too you know.  Each year we have a little street party.  2010 we didn't have one because people were working, people were away, people were committed up to the neck in diary entries and appointments etc.  So I am going to organise a street party fundraiser, of which all monies raised will be donated directly to a preschool or nursing home that were affected by the recent floods.  Again, I will directly contact the establishment we all decide on to donate our money to and I will get their address and send the money directly to their account for them to use where they need it most.  It may only be $100.00, but you know what, that is ok.

So if you are reading THIS LINE of typing, then I hope you were not upset by my words, I hope I make sense, I hope I have explained myself properly.  I hope maybe you smiled a little or even nodded a little, whether the fact that it confirms to you that I am totally nuts, or perhaps you kinda felt a little the same way - maybe - a little bit.

I do know that these floods have affected everyone I have come into contact with - because we have all talked about it, we have all prayed and we all know someone affected.  It hurts, it breaks out hearts, we feel helpless, we want to sign up and grab a shovel, drive a truck, make stuff, console, share what we have.  We are human, it's natural to be this way, it's good to be this way.

This is Joyce's Journal - thanks for stopping by, thanks for accepting me as me, just thanks.

Kiss the ones you love - love the ones you love - live in and love the moment you are in with them. 

Bless.  

10 x 10 x 10 - Day 6

Day 6.

Main photo - A treasure from the beach.

Collage

1. What I was eating when I remembered I hadn't taken my 10 x 10 x 10 today.

2. What I saw when I was in the garage looking for something to take a photo of.

3. Candle on our coffee table.

4. Bike wheel.

5. What I was sitting on whilst eating number 1, when I remembered I hadn't taken my 10 x 10 x 10 for today.

6. Where my glass of wine rests attached to my camping chair, which is currently parked on our back verandah.

7. The roll of contact that I will use to cover approximately 40 new library books for the preschool.

8. Hubbie's motorbike.

9. A record that I have melted into a bowl ready to be gifted.  

I have gone a circles sort of theme here, not sure why, but that is how it rolls for today.


It's my Mum's birthday today, and I miss her.  I wish I could pop home and give her a birthday hug.  She is the most wonderful woman I have ever met and will ever meet.  She puts everyone else first, always has and still to this very day continues to do so, sacrificing so much to accommodate for others around her.  There isn't another person on this planet that I have met who exceeds my Mum.  In my eyes, there never will be anyone who comes close to this loving and caring extra-ordinary woman.  I am blessed to be this woman's daughter.  This living angel who is my Mum.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.  Sorry it's not much to look at, I am still feeling a little *bleugh*, and not particularly chatty - so I wish you sweet dreams as I go find my pillow.  

Take care of you.