August challenge ornament

This is my August ornament for the JCS challenge. It is by My Mark & quite cute really. Was a small design for a change after all those others that were too big for a tree. I have finished it off for now in a tuck pillow that some kind person sent me once. I don't know if I will leave it there or change it into something but it looks pretty goodthis way for now.

The travellers start returning today so first drive to the airport today & another tomorrow so don't expect much here for a day or 2.

May your days be merry and bright,

and may all your christmases be white

White Christmas - Irving Berlin

Spring Mill Hill magnets

I did these a couple of days ago. These are in the same series as the Lemonade one in my previous post. This is Flip Flops & Root Beer Float. They are quite pretty. You can't quite get the shiny bead effect in a picture.

The days have only been good for staying inside & doing this stuff. Oh the weather outside is frightful! It isn't going to snow, so I won't sing Let it Snow, but it has been wet & wild for ages now. Unfortunately you can't stay home & inside all the time, so you do have to brave it once in a while. This picture is not an exaggeration!

Wind and rain slashing at my window pain

It looks like you have lied again

By now I guess it's just the same

And I am left with the wind and rain

Wind & Rain - Bruce Springsteen

Anyone for Lemonade?

I've been playing around with some more Mill Hill kits which has been fun. I have a bunch of these & it's nice to sit & doa couple every now & then. The first if from the latest Spring Collection called Lemonade. Lemonade is also a magnet. It came with a magnet to put on it, so I have it on the fridge. Stay tuned for some other spring ones soon.

Then we have Tipsy Tree which is from quite a while ago & then is H10 Gift Package which is one of the really early Mill Hill kits. The really early ones are very basic. So basic in fact that I don't even have the kit for this or a chart to work from. I have a picture of it & that's all, & I could easily do it from the picture. I just used red, white & green beads that I have & it is quite a bright & cheery present. That one just took an hour while I was listening to the first disc in a book I just started - Thursday's Child by Sonya Hartnett. I'm really enjoying listening to books on CD & getting some sewing or knitting done. It makes me feel very productive. :-)

Life gave me lemonade and I can't imagine why

Born on a sunny day, beneath the tangerine sky

I live life without pretending

I'm a sucker for happy endings

Thanks for the lemonade

Thanks for the lemonade

Lemonade - Chris Rice

Smoky Mountain Santa is here

The last of the Appalachian Mountain Santa Series is done. This is Smoky Mountain Santa. He's going to look just fine on the tree with the other 2 from the Appalachian Mountains! But I probably won't remember which one is which by the time it's Christmas & they are hanging on the tree.

Smoky Mountain rain, it keeps on fallin'

I keep on callin' her name

Smoky Mountain rain, I'll keep on searchin'

Can't go on hurtin' this way

She's somewhere in the Smoky Mountain rain.

Smoky Mountain Rain - Ronny Milsap

Hodgie has another new friend

Meet Phoebe the plaid Zebra!

Phoebe is another pattern from the book that Hodgie & Ross came from. Phoebe didn't seem like she would be to difficult & it wasn't really, but she took just as much time to "plaid" her as do the knitting in the first place. I nearly didn't "plaid" her but it looks pretty cool now she is done. She wanted to show you her tail & mane as well, so that's why you get a butt shot!

I said if
You're thinkin of
Being my brother
It dont matter if youre
Black or white
Black or White - Michael Jackson

Santa is back!

I got a bit excited after doing the other Santa with the raccoon, & started right on the next one of the set of 3. (So yes I have now started the third one) This Santa is Allegheny Santa from the Mill Hill Appalachian Mountains Santa series.

It's been a horrid day here. We had about 10 hours of thunder so that was interesting, through the night & then this morning. But it has cleared up now sort of, but too late to do anything like wash & stuff so it looks like I can keep on with playing with Brandon or stitching or something!

Sound of the drums

Beatin' in my heart

The thunder of guns

Tore me apart

You've been - thunderstruck

Thunderstruck - AC/DC

Mac & Cheese! Deceptive & Delicious!

Yum! We had ourselves another meal from Deceptively Delicious last night. I didn't make it, Stuart did. Something as simple as macaroni & cheese but boy was it good. I will have it time & again. It had a half cup of cauliflower puree in it, but you wouldn't know it of course. We really liked this recipe though & there are a heap of things you can add to the started recipe like some chicken or bacon, onion, mushrooms, zucchini! You name it. I have just bought another cauliflower to cook & puree for the freezer ready for the next thing. I don't know what it will be yet. Have to sit & look through the book again.

So yes, I am quite happy with this cookbook that I bought. If anyone is interested in more info from this book as we use it just put some sort of comment in here & I will review it here as we make things. I don't want to bore you if there isn't much interest! lol

When the going gets tough

And the stomach acids flow

The cold wind of conformity

Is nipping at your nose

When some trendy new atrocity

Has brought you to your knees

Come with us we'll sail the Seas of Cheese

Seas of Cheese - Primus

Deceptively Delicious!

This is a great book! I came across it at the library & immediately ordered myself & a friend one. It isn't necessarily for fussy eaters but for those that want to add some goodness to stuff.

I made a banana cake from it so far. It was lovely. Brandon liked it too. Stuart even tried it. Yes banana cake isn't bad really but the thing about this was it had a half cup of cauliflower puree in it! You wouldn't have known to eat it though as it just tasted like banana cake should.

It looks like another lovely spring day here! Spring is early! Yay!

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark

All the sweet, green icing flowing down

Someone left the cake out in the rain

I don't think that I can take it

'Cause it took so long to bake it

And I'll never have that recipe again

Oh, no!
MacArthur Park - Richard Harris

Song I love

Weapon Of Prayer - Notting Hillbillies

In that land across the sea there's a job for you and me

Though our presence there may not be found

We must stay standing there on the battle lines and pray

We must never lay our weapons down

We don't have to be a soldier in a uniform

To be of service over there

While the boys so bravely stand with the weapons made by hand

Let us trust and use the weapon of prayer

Many thousands miles away someone shed there blood today

With a heart so true and brave they're gone

To a war that's yours and mine let us join the battle line

With a weapon that will save our home

We don't have to be a soldier in a uniform

To be of service over there

While the boys so bravely stand with the weapons made by hand

Let us trust and use the weapon of prayer

And when the planes and tanks and guns have done all that they can do

And the mighty bombs have rained and failed

Still the helpful hand above, on the weapon made of love

And against him none on earth prevail

Christmas Ornaments

It is Christmas time again for me with the completion of Santa for this month's CYOO challenge. Looks like I am the only one in the challenge these days. Shame really, as it is a good way to get some ornaments done through the year. The gingerbread man Sweets is one I just wanted to do as it is cute. They are both Mill Hill kits. Blue Ridge Santa from the Appalachian Santa series & Sweets from the Buttoned Holiday Pins series.

And I call the kids on the telephone

Say there's something wrong out here

It's July but it's cold as Christmas

In the middle of the year

The temperature's up to ninety five

But there's a winter look in your mother's eyes

And to melt the tears there's a heat wave here

So how come it's cold as Christmas in the middle of the year
Cold as Christmas - Elton John

Monkey Business

Hey there! I have been busy this week with this darned Monkey! Hodgie is happy to have another one of his wild friends come over. Meet Ross the monkey! (can anyone guess why he is called Ross?)

Ross is from the same knitting pattern book as Hodgie is from. He was a bit ambitious as it turned out, but I am pretty impressed to say that I made it! lol The picture in the book doesn't show he has thumbs. You can make them out in this pic if you look closely at his hands & feet. The picture also didn't show the face is sticking out off his head. I thought it was just flat. So he has a big face that I struggled to fit on his head in the end. But it is there. I also just had to stick the arms & legs on how I could. Don't have a doll making needle like they suggest. He certainly isn't perfect but he doesn't look so bad this morning. I do end up with getting sick of looking at something & when I don't look at it for a while it doesn't look quite so bad. Anyway, I hope Brandon has fun with him & I hope Ross survives kids play.

While we are on the topic of monkeys I had to add these pics of Brandon. He had his first banana in the skin the other day. No he didn't eat the whole thing but put in a good effort. He kept biting the skin & then pulling faces. The skin would get in the way. But he really wasn't thinking about it to much as he was very focused on Hi-5 again! It's his favourite! Nearly time to get new ones again. When mum sings them all night in her head it is time for a change.

Hey, hey, we're the Monkees

And people say we monkey around.

But we're too busy singing

To put anybody down.

Theme from the Monkees - The Monkees

Song I love ...

You got your feet squeezed into heels that hurt'

Cause they go with the job and they go with the skirt

And you got to look good when you're out there climbin' ladders

You go above and beyond and then way beyond that

You do it all yeah, you wear every hat

Hopin' someone that matters will realize you matter

But all that really matters is it's Friday

And the sun is shining over my way.

Toss your heels in the backseat

Drive home in your bare feet

Throw in that Van Morrison CD

Chip away little by little 'til you find your groove

I'll pick up some take-out

We can just hang out Levi's and wine, blankets and lights down

Lay your head right here on my shoulder and just be you

When you're with me

You got nothing to prove.

I can listen all night if you want to talk

Or we can lay here and say nothing at all

I already know who you are and that I love you

So baby take a long deep breath and exhale'

Cause all you got to be tonight is yourself.

Toss your heels in the backseat

Drive home in your bare feet

Throw in that Van Morrison CD

Chip away little by little 'til you find your groove

I'll pick up some take-out

We can just hang out Levi's and wine, blankets and lights down

Lay your head right here on my shoulder and just be you

When you're with me

Girl you got nothing to prove

You got nothing to prove.

I'll pick up some take-out

We can just hang out Levi's and wine, blankets and lights down

Lay your head right here on my shoulder and just be you

When you're with me

You got nothing to prove

When we're together

You got nothing to prove.

Oh, you got nothing to prove

You got nothing to prove

You got nothing to prove...

Nothing to Prove - Lonestar

From the album Mountains

(Jim Collins/Wendell Mobley)

Say Hi to Hodgie the Lion

Well our animal menagerie continues to grow. Yesterday a chipmunk & today a lion! This was something different again! I found a pattern book in Kmart with some wild animals in it. They are knitted animals. I have never knitted anything like that before but once upon a time I did knit a jumper or 2 so figured I could manage this. The knitting was easy & then on to the sewing up. Hmmm... in my days of knitting jumpers I had my mum on hand to sew it together, & yes I could have run to mum again today to get help but decided if I can do all that other stuff I should be able to manage sewing up a knitted toy too. I hope it gets easier from here on in. It was a challenge anyway & that is always good for a person. The yarn is cotton/acrylic mix & from Kmart too, made for these knitted things in their pattern books. It feels really nice for a toy, rather than wool. I did pick colours for my lion that were kind of lion colours. (if you look at my link you can see the lion on the front of the pattern book & he is blue, purple, pink & grey! ) Turns out our colours are also quite like Hawthorn Hawks colours, the team that my boys here barrack for. So that's why we had to call our lion Hodgie. I didn't want him to just be Luke the Lion, King of the Jungle. As he is Hawks colours we had to go with Luke Hodge of course, so Hodgie it is. Ok, so I am a bit nutty but the pets in our house need names. Oh & yes his nose is a little crooked so we can just say it got broken playing footy! lol

In the Jungle, the mighty Jungle

The lion sleeps tonight

In the jungle, the quiet Jungle

The Lion Sleeps tonight

sung by lots of people...

Meet my chipmunk Eric...

Here is Eric. I have just made him today in between baking & cooking & playing & stuff! As you do! lol He is another animal made from a glove. I found some brown gloves yesterday at Chickenfeed our discount store for $2 a pair. Eric only needed one glove! He's quite little but very cute. Also very skinny. But he was fun to make. He is from the book Happy Gloveswhich I have had for a little while but didn't have gloves to make things from it. Now I am on the hunt for other colours. This chipmunk is quite light compared to the one on the cover of the book but you can't be fussy when you are looking for gloves!

I also did some baking. Brandon got his first go at licking the stuff at the end. He was not going to give up that spatula very quickly that is for sure. The cookies are the Spice Crisps from that terrific book Ladies, A Plate again. We love them. Ok, time to go & sit down & knit. It isn't much good for anything else today!

C is for cookie, that's good enough for me, yeah!
C is for cookie, that's good enough for me (2X)
C is for cookie, that's good enough for me, yeah!
C is for cookie, that's good enough for me, oh boy!
C is for cookie, that's good enough for me
Um-um-um-um-um-um-um-um-um-um-um-um-um . . .
C is for Cookie - Cookie Monster

The dog & me

Well I finished my spiffy socks last night. This is the Regia wool by Kaffe Fassett using his pattern also. I like this sock pattern better than the one I used with the Spotlight wool so will try & do the other balls of that stuff this way also. I love the colours in this even if they are quite green! Juneau wanted to be in the picture too. We didn't tell her it was only going to be a foot shot though. So there is her foot also, but sockless I'm afraid. She has her own leg warmers on made out of specialty fibers. A lot of my sewing, stitching & knitting comes with that particular specialty fiber.

Have a good weekend! I will.

Mandy

There was a little boy once upon a time

Who in spite of his young age and small size knew his mind

For every copper penny and clover he would find

Make a wish for better days the end of hard times

For no more cold feet

Cold cold cold cold feet

Cold Feet - Tracy Chapman