New Kid On The Block

Once There Was An Egg

I would like to introduce you to my little man.  He has decided he wants to start his own blog.  He wants to record stuff that he loves, stuff that he does.  I love that he wants to do a blog, I love that he wants to research the internet, I love that he wants to record all about Eggy.  I love that we can share this.

He has just begun.  It's all his own work, my job is to just help with spelling and paragraphs.  He is a little shy and not quite sure what he wants to write about just yet, but we are working on a few things at the moment.  He is very excited about having a blog.  I am excited that he is excited about having a blog too, I look forward to following my little Eggy's blog.  I look forward to delving into the internet with him and looking up things that he loves to find out more about.  I just know I am going to learn lots of new stuff too.

Do you know of any cool kids blogs that we might like to check out too?    

Thank you so much for your lovely anniversary wishes.  We had a lovely evening to dinner, then home to shut off the lights and try to play games by candlelight.  The boys decided to rumble instead much to my own frustration and visions of playing games and giggling by candlelight were dashed.  

I ended up giving up and pulled out my crochet via candlelight instead.  *phew* that I didn't singe myself, as I was rather quite close to the flame.  

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and your week has begun in a positive frame for you.   

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today, and have a wonderful rest of week at your place.  

Earth Hour and Wedding Anniversary

Earth Hour :: Home


It's Earth Hour tonight.  

We are going to try to extend the hour in our house.  

We are going to try to do this each and every day.

We are going to try to be mindful of what we use and how we use it. 

With recent tragic natural disasters happening to our beautiful planet NOW is our chance to say sorry to Mother Nature, now is our chance to give even just a little back to her, and a chance to make a promise to be a better human and make our todays count for a tomorrow.  

It was our 11th wedding anniversary yesterday as well, but being a busy work day and tired after it, we have decided to celebrate it tonight instead, along with earth hour and candles.  (Gosh we look so young here, despite being a crappy photo, but the first I grabbed from the computer)

We are off to dinner, our little family, yes, our beautiful boys included, because well they are our family, we want them to celebrate our wedding anniversary WITH us.  We are walking down to the restaurant, we are going to enjoy our lovely anniversary dinner, we are going to walk home, and I have a huge stash of lovely candles to surround us while we either read books or play board games.

Sorry I have been a little 'not around' of late, assignments and work seem to be making me craft and socially time poor, weekends included, but I can see a big dint in the pile of studies which is keeping me going, that and the little students that I am very honoured to be spending my time with during the week.

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.  

Have a wonderful weekend at your place.

What are your plans for Earth Hour, and do you plan to extend the hour into your everyday too?

b r e a t h e

(An original illustration by E.H. Shepard)

Pooh looked at his two paws.  He knew that one of them was the right and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was the right, then the other was the left, but he could never remember how to begin.

I am feeling a little like Pooh Bear this week, just a little.  *sigh*, but this post signals the end of the week, it signals taking that little breath, there are not to be any stories or adventures from me, just a little hello to you all and a reminder to take a moment for yourself too.

We love you Pooh Bear, we love you.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my place, have a wonderful weekend at your place.  

xx

Hooky Booky

Do you have a favourite knitting/crochet reference book?

Do you have any of the following?

Would you recommend them to someone that does not have a knitting/crochet reference book and would like something that is a reference guide to lots and lots of stitches from blocky stitches, to twirly stitches to delicate lacy/open stitches?

Or do you have another hooky reference book that you could not live without and would like to share?

I have been working very hard on my assignments and I am sure it is time for a little reward of the hooky kind.   

Also on my wish list are some motif and edging books, along with flower books, but these will be the reward at the completion of my course.  I call them my little carrots.

Thanks so much for your lovely thoughts and comments on our loss of Bin Lizzy.  I did feel a little silly blogging about it, but then it is my blog at the end of the day, and people have a choice whether they read it or not.  I didn't start my blog to 'get the most readers', I started my blog for me.  Surprisingly, I never so much as dreamt to have met so many wonderful new friends.  So thank you.

Thank you also, for stopping by my place today.

Have a wonderful Sunday at your place.  

R.I.P. Bin Lizzy

Each Friday, I like to end the week with something sweet to take into the weekend, something gentle, a little bit of quiet, a little bit of a breath, a little still moment with a little reflection or saying.

Your lovely comments have encouraged me to keep this little Friday breath going.  A little reminder to me that I am not alone in a busy week, and that we tend to be doing so many things for so many other people, that it's nice to take a moment for ourselves.  

Unfortunately today I cannot do that.  Today is a bit of a sad day for me.  I do apologise, and I was torn between whether or not I should even do a post at all.  I don't feel uplifted, I don't feel like pretty sayings, however, this is part of my life and this is my online journal.  The other reason I am going ahead with this post, is that I want to share a little friend of mine with you that totally made me smile every single Friday morning without fail.  My little friend, Bin Lizzy.

Bin Lizzy has been living under one of our 3 bins and every single Friday morning when I would take the bins out, I would see Bin Lizzy and say hi.  We would have a chat and I was always telling Bin Lizzy to please go and find a home in our garden.  I have lots and lots of lovely leafy mulch under our palm trees out the front and out the back, and we have lots of lovely shade under our low growing gardenias next to one of our palm trees.  But no, Bin Lizzy seemed to love down the side of our house under our bins.  

Last Friday, I did not see Bin Lizzy, and I even moved the bin that wasn't going out that week just to make sure.  At first I was a little sad, but then I thought, hey! maybe Bin Lizzy has finally found a lovely spot in our garden.

This morning, doing my usual ritual of taking out our two bins to be emptied today, I saw Bin Lizzy.  Well actually, I saw the outside of Bin Lizzy. . . . there was a huge bite chunk taken out of the side of Bin Lizzy.  *sigh* yup, I am crying again right now.  

I am so sad that Bin Lizzy was attacked, I am so sad that Bin Lizzy would have been attacked and then made it back under the bins, in lots of pain and slowly passed away.  I am so sad that the animal that attacked Bin Lizzy probably wasn't even hungry but wanted to play, or perhaps mistook Bin Lizzy for a snake even.  I am not cranky at the animal that attacked Bin Lizzy if this was the case, it's survival instinct, but I would be VERY cranky at the animal if it was only doing it for sport.  

I have taken a photo, but please, don't scroll down if you don't want to see it.  I almost took the photo away, but have decided to leave it, as if you are brave to take a look and know anything about animals, can you see the bite mark down the side?  What do you think may have happened to Bin Lizzy?  I am going to comfort myself with the fact that the animal thought to protect itself and mistook Bin Lizzy for a snake.  I like to find the good in everything and everyone.  

Again, I do apologise for my sad post today, but I do feel a bit better in posting about Bin Lizzy.  I have decided we will bury Bin Lizzy between the lavender and daisies out the back.  It's a lovely part sunny/part shady spot for my little friend.  

I should be prepping craft for my little playgroup this afternoon, we were going to do shapes again, however, we are now going to do something garden-y, something like butterflies and lizards.

Thank you so much for stopping by my place today.

Look after your little garden friends and say hi from me.

If you don't want to see the photo, DO NOT SCROLL DOWN ANY FURTHER.

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Bin Lizzy

Joyce Can't Stop Thinking About. .

eclectic me: 

Photo courtesy of eclectic me

I have been at school this morning with my little students, then straight out to our local soccer fields where I helped at canteen for the rest of the day for a high schools zoning inter-schools football (soccer) day thingy (yes, very technical aren't I!).

It was a busy day, it was a sweaty day, however, glued to the inside front of my head has been this darling little denim masterpiece made by the very talented Gillian of eclectic me.

How could you not love this.  How could you not need at least one of these in your home.  Please, pop over to her lovely blog and check it out.  She has so very kindly included the instructions for you and me to make one too.     

I might just have to rethink my use of our jeans I have been collecting for shopping bags and outdoor cushion covers to a lovely granny bathmat.    Perhaps I can have my cake and eat it too if I were to op-shop more jeans.  

I have been collecting sheeting for mat-making, however, ohhhhhhh can you tell I am so in love with this darling mat!  Can you tell just a little even?????

Thank you Gillian for your awesomeness!


x x

Do you have any bits of awesomeness that you would like to share?  I would love to check them out, whether your own awesomeness or someone else's.  Please always remember to show other peoples work respectfully, with their permission and give credit to the originator of the work.  

I am going to start putting lovely bits of awesome under this header.  Things that can be made, things that can be shopped, just wonderfully, wonderful bits that I fall in love with that I just HAVE to share with you all too.  

Thank you for stopping by my place today and have a wonderful day at your place.

When Nature Calls. . . .

We spent some time in our garden this weekend.  Weeding, trimming, tidying up.  I just love watching the change of season through our plants.  

This beautiful camellia was planted when we built our home.  It used to flower in April/May, however the last 2 years it's decided to bloom early.  This is our first flower for the season.

Another camellia about to burst into glorious colour.  Both our trees are just full of fat flower buds right now.  They look fabulous.

Gosh he's a lovely little spider.  He let me take a photo of him and admire his beautiful colours.  I have no idea what kind she/he is, but so pretty against our fence.  

Thank you little dude for tidying up our garden of pests.  

This little fella was in our bathroom *ahem* I guess we all gotta go sometime hey!

Perhaps because of our gardening stint on the weekend, he decided to hop inside while we were outside.  

Gosh what a cutie.  But I did have to phone a friend, cause seriously he is real, and I doubted anyone would believe us if we told them.


Just look at that beautiful colour.  Thankfully he was safely captured and placed outside in the garden.  I would guess he measured about 7cms in the above position.  


Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.


I hope you had a wonderful weekend at your place.  


Take care of you.  xx

Sweet Dreamin'

We love stars.

Especially on pyjama shirts.

I used these to do the stars.

The boys have some lovely boxer shorts they use as pj's, however, instead of plain shirts, which are very boring, even in the dark of night, I coloured up some sweet dreams for them.  They love them and although my imagination just didn't extend far enough to give them different shirts, it doesn't bother them at all.  Since colouring these though, I have thought of a few more patterns to do for them.  

I think I want a little sweet dreams singlet for me too now.  

This single bed sheeting was op-shopped many months ago, 

with the intent of new jammie pants for moi!

Finally, here they are, and gosh they are lovely and soft and mega comfy.  


Do you like making something from something else?
Do you get excited when you have a plain white t-shirt, to transform?
What have you been making lately?


Thanks so much for stopping by my place today,
have a most wonderful weekend at your place.  


(Again our planet has been struck, please spare a thought to those in Japan right now.)

b r e a t h e

May you always carry a shell in your pocket. . . . . and sand in your shoes.
- unknown - 




No stories, no adventures, just a photo, just a breath. . . just 'be'.


Bless. xx

International Women's Day 2011

Celebrate Us!

Celebrate our daughters.

Educate us.

Educate our sons and daughters.

To read more, check out here.

Also happy Shrove Tuesday to you and yours at your place today.

(or fat Tuesday - whatever floats your boat!)

Thanks for stopping by my place today.

Please can you help?

Can you make stuff?


Can you hook a granny square?


Can you sew a quilt block?


Do you want to help?


If you answered yes to any of the above please keep reading.  If you answered no to the above but you know someone that would answer yes, can you pass this onto them please.


Red Gingham: Gift Of Love Appeal or you can click the lovely button to the right of my blog with the little heart cushion and softie.


Catalina's Cottage: QAYG Blocks For Christchurch

Please pop over to the above blogs for more information on how you can help our friends.


Thanks again for stopping by and have a lovely day at your place.  

Sampling

What does Joyce do when she cannot sleep at night?

She makes stuff of course!

In the works is bits of the above.

  

It's all about trying different things.

I am awaiting an order to come through before

I continue, but so far it's looking positive.

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.

Happy Monday to you at your place.

b r e a t h e

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.

Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.

- Groucho Marx -

 (5th March 2011 is World Book Night in the UK and Ireland.

It follows from World Book Day on the 3rd March.)

No stories, no adventures - just a photo - just a breath - just 'be'.


Bless. xx