New Year's Eve and the start to 2010...

Today is a day for reflection... when asked by anyone "hey what have you been up to?" we tend to automatically say "oh not much" - however when you sit back and ponder awhile you realise - Hey I've actually achieved a damn lot this year...

For me, my biggest personal achievements would be competing in the duathlons - from starting 2009 as very unfit and then entering the Real Women duathlon in Wellington in the April was a turning point. I can honestly say I still 'hate' running and will never be a runner, however my walking has got faster and to be honest for me its about completing the events. The biking however I really enjoy. Am still clocking up the km's on the bike and tend to take Diesel for very fast walks rather than going out for a dedicated 'run'. 2010 will see me entering the Real Women duathlon again in April (have already paid the entry fee) and from there will see where we take it... though I know in myself that the biking will stay.

Some other achievements have been coming through the sometimes difficult side of the girls strife and dramas that come with teenage life. They have both achieved great results at their schools. And DD2 begins 2010 as a Year 9 (third former), while DD1 will be Year 10 (NCEA 1). They are both very talented, smart, gorgeous girls and I am so damn proud of them. Love you both lots xx

Tomorrow is a double celebration, it is our 14th Wedding Anniversary and the day DH and I first started 'dating' 19 years ago :) Looking back you wonder where that time has gone, we've shared lots of memorable times, happy times and some incredibly difficult sad times. Hon, wishing us many more happy filled years (am done with the sad and the difficult). Love and kisses xx

With the start of the new year, I also start my new job - am looking forward to the challenges of learning a new work culture, sussing out the new boss and learning new tasks and responsibilities.

From the quilting front, am looking forward to completing more UFO's and projects in the planning, spending many happy hours stitching and gossiping with friends, helping out at Sawmillers and of course keeping in touch with you lovely blogging friends.

I wish you and your families a very happy new year, may it bring you good health, wealth, love and happiness.

Love and Hugs

Gail Pan stitcheries quilt nearly complete...

I decided to use the stitcheries as the centre to the double friendship star, am thinking they've come out pretty good. Now just need to check through the stash for some backing fabric - then its got to be sandwiched, quilted and binded... phew too late for this year - though wahoo one project will be ready for Christmas 2010 :)

Hugs

SSCS09 - gift is now opened :)

The wonderful Leanne from The Stitching Room was my SSCS 2009 swap partner and boy was I spoilt.

Thank you Leanne from the bottom of my heart, I just love every item that you have so lovingly put together. Now, I have to apologise as I didn't take a photo of the two christmas decorations Leanne gave me, they are beautiful red circle stitcheries that I've placed on the tree.


Look what was inside the package. The purple bag is one that folds into itself (pocket) so you can have as a spare carrybag waiting in your handbag! The gorgeous cat softie, the so cute 'diesel' pin cushion - so loving that. It doesn't show in my photo - though the craft drawstring bag to the right is made with the cutest fabric and is hexagons! Then there is a little flower notepad and the cutest tea towels, and not to forget the luggage tag (ah I so need to plan a trip to use this!)

Here is a close up of the cat softie and diesel pin cushion - aren't they just the cutest - totally love them.

Leanne, thank you again for such divine goodies. And Thank You ChookyBlue for organising the swap.

Wishing you both a magical Christmas day with your families and friends.

Love and Hugs

Twas the night before Christmas...

... and no one is meant to be stirring. However its 11pm and I've got two kids still roaming around the house, tv still blaring and me feeling very tired... gosh I wish they were still little and believed in Father Christmas and were in bed by 7pm :)

What a Christmas Eve - went with Chris this afternoon around to Red Rocks (out the back of Ohiro Bay) so he could do some diving for Paua and Crayfish (got the Paua no Crayfish - though he got a few crabs which are slightly sweeter in taste to Crayfish) we finally left there around 6.30pm to get caught up behind 3 other 4WD because the one in the front had slipped off the track and while we were waiting another 4 pulled up behind us. Now imagine this... I'd been sitting with Diesel waiting, taking photo's while Chris was diving, and now we are stuck behind these 4WD and by now I'm fit to burst to go to the bathroom - I'm such a city girl and sharing myself with nature is eew! and there were no trees or big rocks to duck behind... finally the 4WD that is stuck is pulled out (by now its 7.45pm) and we journey on out - get to the information centre that has toilets - and they're locked! So a fast drive into WLG City to find the nearest service station - ah the relief.


So my final word for today is to wish you all a wonderful safe and happy Christmas with your family and friends. I've totally enjoyed your company and comments over the past year, and so looking forward to keeping in touch. Happy Blogging and photo-snapping and will be back soon.

Hugs

2 more sleeps till Santa...

Twas two sleeps until Santa

and the house was filled with sounds of paw patter

Come Licorice, come Jazz,

Heres Quarry and Bella

Oh now here's Diesel,

And with a bark the cats did scatter

With dinner preparation and dessert left to do

timing was of essence so the trifle didn't turn into glue

Once the presents are wrapped and placed under the tree

Perhaps there'll be some quilting time left for me

So here's to all, a message of good wishes

Do enjoy your christmas with family and friends

and make sure you get the kids to clean up the dinner dishes!

My attempt at Christmas poetry LOL..

Hugs

I'm at Sawmillers today...

Did you know there are only TWO days of quilt shopping left at Sawmillers Quiltery??? Yvonne is closed from Monday, 21 December and re-opens in the new year on Thursday 7 January...

Yvonne has got the most gorgeous Christmas tree inside the quiltery covered with charms, pins and other goodies that would make great stocking fillers (or a treat for yourself)... not only that - Yvonne has got the most GORGEOUS dragonfly fabric that has arrived into the quiltery.

And if you love Christmas ornaments - then you just have to check out the Jim Shore range that Yvonne has on display - beautiful is only one word to describe them.

I'm looking after the quiltery today for Yvonne, and Yvonne will be back with Barney tomorrow to wish you all a fond Merry Christmas.

Have a super day and hope to see you at the quiltery.

Hugs

Lovely suprise...

Tonight I had a lovely evening at Sawmillers for a pre-outdoor festival meeting (remember the 2nd Annual Outdoor Festival is 7th February 2010), then a catchup and bite to eat with the lovely ladies who have attended classes with Yvonne and her tutors (Diane and Ady).

Ady who was at CherryPie with me the other weekend, was making one of these gorgeous butterfly bags, and bless her - she totally surprised me with an early Xmas present this evening. When I ripped off the paper - look what was inside waiting especially for me :) my own butterfly bag.... I was so happy and was so chuffed with Ady's kindness in making one just for me. Me and Ady love butterfly fabric and we often have to stop for a moment and wipe our chins (well mainly me, especially when I'm admiring [read envying] her wonderful stash of fabrics)... I'm going to show off my bag tomorrow on the train and at work :)

(front)

(back)

(close up of the gorgeous butterfly appliqued on the back of bag - and there is another one on the front !)

My secret santa fat quarter swap revealed a beautiful soft pink fabric with luminous dragonflies (with sparkly wings) - and silly me forgot to take a photo before I took the card out of camera to download the photos... trust me - the fabric is so, so cute.

Pre-Christmas Hugs

Weekend at CherryPie

I seem to forget to get the camera out and operating when I'm away at Retreat, so that I can show you what wonderful fun we had... I had a lovely weekend with 7 ladies at Cheryl's CherryPie Retreat in Levin. Cheryl and her husband Bruce are the most wonderful hosts. They even had cooked us a gorgeous Christmas dinner for Saturday evening, with all the trimmings including Fruit Pudding (made to Bruce's mum's recipe) with custard, cream or brandy sauce - hmmm.

Here are a few photo's from around their property - I seem to be lured to 'textures' at the moment - trying to capture the depth and range of textures in a single shot.

Here are two works in progress - on the left is Maryanne's quilt. On the right is Sandra C's

As always I didn't achieve all that I set out to do... catching up on the gossip and taking life at a slightly slower pace over the weekend seems to do that to me :) However on the Sunday I did make a start at creating the block for the Gail Pan stitcheries, I thought I'd do something different and used a block design that I have seen in a 'quilt in residence' at Sawmillers Quiltery - I think its looking rather delicious - have run out of the lighter cream background, so will get more from Sawmillers on Saturday to keep this work moving along - you never know it may just get finished in time for Christmas day!

Hope you are all having a happy week - how is your Christmas shopping going?? Hmm mine isn't doing so well... haven't even written my Christmas cards for posting yet!

Hugs

Phew - Goodies have arrived to their new homes...

Got a lovely email from Kaaren today from The Painted Quilt : http://thepaintedquilt.blogspot.com/2009/12/santa-arrived-early.html to say she has received my package of goodies for the Stitcher's Angel Swap. Kaaren has taken gorgeous photo's of the gifts, so pop over to her blog and say hello.

And I also got a lovely email from Toni today from The Red Boot Company http://www.theredbootquiltcompany.blogspot.com/ to say that she has received by Secret Santa Christmas Swap goodies. Toni has been very good and only opened the 'xmas decoration package' with the rest of the packages waiting under her Xmas tree :) Please pop over to Toni's blog to say hi too.

Thank you Helen and Donna for organising such great swaps - I know you are still chasing befallen angels / SSCS partners who have not met deadlines or haven't communicated with their swap partners, and agree when you make a commitment to be involved in a swap you need to follow through. I was running late with my Stitcher's Angel Swap and made sure I emailed my partner (Kaaren) to explain I was running late, then emailed her again a few weeks later to say it was now on its journey to her home, today I received a lovely email to say my package had arrived safely in Canada (and in record time - thank you NZ Post) - I am so thankful that both my swaps have arrived in plenty of time prior to Xmas :)

SSCS09 - my gift has arrived :)

Hmm what is this large box that I see...

Ohh its for my mom, from the lovely Leanne (The Stitching Room)... whats inside??? The mess you see on my table is my packing in readiness for my quilting weekend away at CherryPie this weekend - oooohhh I can't wait :)

Oh darn its all snuggly wrapped up! The package is gorgeously wrapped with a couple of handmade tags that I've spied. I promise I haven't opened or even given it the shake and squeeze test - am going to be good and wait 23 more sleeps.... ooh patience isn't one of my strong points.

Thank you so much Leanne, am so looking foward to opening. Thank you ChookyBlue for organising.

Hugs

Ear, Ear...

The boy (Diesel) - is now 10 weeks old and his ear's are on the way up! Won't be long and he'll have gorgeous pointy-up ears. He's still a darling, desparately wants the 4 cats to play with him... they're not having a bar of it.

Blog gifts have left the building...

My apologies to my Stitchers Angel blog swap partner (I have emailed you tonight to let you know it is finally on its way across the globe to you...). Thank you to Helen for organising the swap.

Phew, just made the deadline for ChookyBlue's SSCS09 - these goodies are on their way "across the ditch" to my blog swap partner. Thank you ChookyBlue for organising the swap again this year.

An apple a day...

... helps Diesel's teething pain (and saves our ankles!)

Who'd have thought a cold apple could provide so much entertainment, and gum relief for puppy. My girlfriend suggested we give it a go as she had done the same thing for her puppy! And it works - other suggestion was either raw corn on cob (or cooled cooked cob) and that too is really good for their gums and saves your ankles from being the chosen knawing item.

Diesel has a chew rope, a couple of DD2's old stuffed toys an egg carton (the knobbly part) for chewing and he's decided his other favourite chewing items are used plastic milk containers. In some ways these puppies are just like little children, the simpliest things provide them the greatest entertainment. My girls most favourite toys were the peg tin (and throwing the pegs all over the wooden floor, makes a great noise and the pegs scoot in all directions) and the cooking pots from the cupboard (they make great drums when using the wooden spoons or whisk on the pot bottoms).

Darling Bella thinks Diesel is a true imposter and really can't lower herself to spend any time in his company. Quarry cat is the smallest and sassiest of the cats and takes great delight at 'standing him down'. Licorice is a tease and torments Diesel, and Jazz is our weary one who hisses and spits if she even sniffs that he's in the same room.

Look who's been visiting for dinner...

The last 3 nights I've spotted 'hedgy' helping himself/herself to dinner from the cat's left over bikkies... last night I was quick enough to snap a very quick photo before he scurried away. He/she is rather cute and a very noisey eater, crunching away on the bikkies !

I know you've been waiting...

Here's our wee man...Diesel...

After a very long day of travel on Friday, he is now settling well into our home. Today he's full of spunk and mischief.

The cats are not impressed, they are still coming home for dinner and cuddles though they're mighty miffed that 'another' fur baby' has taken residence (especially the older 3 they were just getting used to my fluffy baby Bella).

Bella is appalled with this new creature, and the fact this is the first time she has seen this thing called a dog has totally upset her (poor darling Bella).

Have got all these great plans of getting so much done today :( and its now 3.15pm in the afternoon and so far can honestly say have only ticked off ... hmm... 2 off the things to do list. It is such a howling northerly here today, cold and the kind of day I can't get myself organised enough...

Oh the other great news... I've got a permanent full time job - starting 25th Jan 2010 - with IRD (Inland Revenue) as Personal Assistant to Group Manager Customer Products & Innovation (phew that's a long title)... am very excited and looking forward to starting. My current fixed term contract with Workbridge finishes on 15th Jan 2010 - so this is perfect timing for everyone.

Right my friends will sign off here to go and get a few more things finished on the to do list...

Hope you've had a lovely weekend.

Our newest baby to the family...

Here is “Diesel” - he’ll be 7 wks on Friday.

He arrives from far far North on Friday evening (he’s coming on the plane with a work colleague from Whangarei – having been driven by another work colleague from KeriKeri that morning)

Ain’t he just the cutest – we all very excited - we haven't told the 4 cat's yet - thought we'd surprise them...eek!!

Hugs