Learn to crochet … check ...

A few weeks back I decided to teach myself to crochet … well I decided to let my good friend Mr Google teach me to crochet … he's so helpful like that.

You see I had a bit of wool left from making my pom pom garland … and being such a waste not, want not type of gal I decided to use it up on a crochet blanket or scarf or bookmark … depending on how long my attention span lasted.

I figured I'd just do a few rows each time I sat down to watch the telly … and see how I went.  Well I must watch a heck of a lot of telly because before I knew it I had a whole blanket.

Of course my leftover wool didn't go far … and there were two trips to the craft shop for more before I managed to get to this point … so my thrifty idea ended up costing me … lots … but hey … I made a blanket … a whole blanket.

So then I decided … in the style of a home decor magazine … that I should fold it stylishly over the arm of the sofa …

or drape it artfully over the end of the chaise …

Until Buster decided … in the style of a dirty dog … to just sit on it … and he did.

Make yourself right at home Buster … and he did.

Inside my sketchbook … issue 8 ...

Last night I did something startling.

No I didn't put the hard word on Hubby … I mean let's not go crazy here.

Instead at about 10:00pm … when I should have been heading off to bed … I got the sudden urge to paint … something … anything … so I did.  

But I did it with a difference.

For a start I almost always use acrylics … cause I like the fine details I can get with them … but this time I grabbed my watercolours.

And then I threw caution to the wind … chucked my self imposed rule book out the window … and allowed myself to go a little crazy.

I let the creative urges take over and I painted without my usual attention to detail … without "trying" to be real … I just let it all go.

WOW … it felt pretty good to let the creative side of my soul take over … even if it was only for 30 minutes.

Next time I'm sure the OCD bit of my brain will be back … but here's the result of my fleeting moment of madness.

Can anyone tell who … or perhaps what ... it is????

A picture's worth 1000 words … week 21 ...

A photo a day … every day … in 2014.

Day 138:  All is well in the world … I have a bowl of chocolate.

Day 139:  Through the window.

Day 140:  A knot of lizards … something kinda kinky is going on.

Day 141:  Morning light.

Day 142:  Pink flower.

Day 143:  Waiting for Dad.

Day 144:  Lunch!!

It's a wonderful world ...

May has been on her very best behaviour … she's been an exemplary month.

All warm and sunny days and cool evenings … just the way I like it … and the weather people on the telly delight in telling us that it's been one of the warmest May's on record.

Today was 27 degrees!!  27 degrees people! Nine days out from Winter.

Not only was it a picture perfect day … but this evening provided an outstandingly picture perfect sunset … so of course I took a few pictures … as you do ... okay a few more than a few… as you do.

I hope you enjoy it … I certainly did. 

Ho hum ...

Do you know what I find really, really tedious?

Boasty mothers that bang on constantly about how wonderful their children are … how little Jimmy can run the fastest in his whole kindergarten class … and how Sarah was the first preschooler to tie her shoes ever … and how Bobby can pick his nose so much better than all the other kids.

BORING!!

I mean granted THEY might find these sorts of achievements interesting … but NOBODY else does … and it's just soooo self indulgent to assume that anyone else wants to hear about it … isn't it??

So I wouldn't dream of writing a post with no other purpose in mind than to egotistically brag about something my child had achieved … never … never … never.

In the meantime ... I'm just going to casually mention ... accidentally … in passing … that Master 16's exam results are mostly in … and he passed the lot … came fourth in the year in Maths … came second in the year in Geography and came first in the year in Biology.  English is still to come … which just so happens to be his "best" subject.

Yep I've got nothing to tell here.

Other than I'm proud as punch.

Picture of some very proud punch

A picture's worth 1000 words … week 20 ...

A photo a day … every day … in 2014.

Day 131:  Afternoon autumn sunshine.

Day 132:  The beanie is back.

Day 133:  Butterfly … with battle scars.

Day 134:  Engineering at it's best.

Day 135:  It's the bubble boy.

Day 136:  By the light of the silvery moon … thanks for the tip Serenata.

Day 137:  Stay.

Mundane and miscellaneous nonsense ...

My post writing of late has been as slack as the elastic in my oldest pair of undies.

Each day I think "I should write a post" … followed shortly by …  "Nah, nothing's happened".

Now the fatal flaw in this scenario is that nothing EVER happens … and if I'm waiting for a momentous event to get my creative juices flowing then I might as well package myself up as dried fruit right now.

So here follows a mundane and trivial composition about nothing much at all.

The boys … by "boys" I refer to the Hubby and the Sons … the boys headed off to the footy on Friday night.  An event from which I have been banned … I am unallowed to attend … ever again.

You see I came up with a startling theory.  I realised that whenever I go to the football the Sydney Swans lose … and whenever I stay home they win.  Every single time. Once I pointed out this uncanny coincidence to the "boys" I was blacklisted.

It's actually been quite useful and I've been using it to my best advantage … "Since I'm not allowed to go to the footy you'd better buy me a takeaway before you leave" …. "Since I'm not allowed to go to the footy you'd better give me a foot rub" … "Since I'm not allowed to go to the footy you'd better come with me to  *insert somewhere they find highly tedious* and not complain".

Of course the truth of the situation is that this way I can watch it on TV if I feel like it … and watch something else entirely if I feel like it … and either way I can do it from the couch in my PJ's.  Win!

Here's a little pic from back in the day … before I became the Sydney Swans own personal jinx.

Saturday was a lazy day … with the highlight being the momentous first fire of the season.

Burn baby burn.

Which of course involves the requisite toe toasting.

I may have casually mentioned the impending Sunday event of Mother's Day to Master 14.

This may have resulted in a panicked look in his eye and a sudden request for a lift to the supermarket for some "milk" … though surprisingly there were already 3 litres of the stuff in the fridge.

The last minute dash was clearly unsuccessful … instead of a card I got a picture printed from the computer.

And a sentiment that beats anything Hallmark can come up with.

So I'll end this trivial little tale with something pretty from my garden.

And a picture of some fried chicken.

Go on … you had to look twice … didn't you?

Maybe that was just me.

Ciao.

A picture's worth 1000 words … week 19 ...

A photo a day … every day … in 2014.

I've entitled this week's photos my "Right Now" Collection … a moment in my week captured ... warts and all … rather than a picture considered, composed and then taken.

I could be getting all deep and meaningful and representative of my emotions and memories frozen forever in time … or I could have just been a lazy ass that lacked imagination and motivation … my money's on the second option.

Day 124:  My crochet project … right now.

Day 125:  The mess on my kitchen bench … right now.

Day 126:  What my shadow looks like … right now.

Day 127:  Sydney traffic … right now.

Day 128:  How last week's rose bud looks … right now.

Day 129:  What's parked in the car space next to mine … right now.

Day 130:   Buster on a hot and heavy Saturday night date with my slipper … right now.

Wishing a great big "Happy Mother's Day" to all the Mum's out there.
xx