This is .......... my Inspiration Board

My inspiration board is really the notice board in my sewing room. On it there are a few things that I don't know where else to put. Some of my Mum's work that she has sent me, the little purple quilt is one of hers. The picture is by my youngest, and I really love it, he has managed to capture a part of the character of each of the family, I think, and obviously I always walk around in a yellow mini skirt. The title of the pic is the Coulter Whanua, whanua is the Maori word for family and the "wh" is pronounced "f".
But my real inspirations are actually my lap top and all you crafty bloggers out there and .....
The world outside my window and little things like the tiles above. I have had them lying around for years, I love them, but still do not know what to do with them.

Autumn One Day Late

One day late but Autumn has arrived, even though the temperature is still up at 27 degrees. The weather guy from Radio New Zealand says that you know when Autumn has arrived when mushrooms strat popping up all over the place.

Tom Jones at the Mission

The day has arrived at last and we arrived at the Mission, clutching our picnic and two bottles of wine. The atmosphere is always so good, just like a giant party, complete with multiple Tom Jones look alikes. No, that is not me and Peter dressed up.
The first band to play were three members of When the Cats Away. I had never seen them before, but really enjoyed their set. I would really like that red dress in the pic above.
The view over to Napier from our perch on the hill is incredible. Even rainbows over Cape Kidnappers.

The crowd from the back on our trek to the toilets. The picnic was really, really yummy. We over catered as usual. Peter made a brilliant aloo sag and some flat breads. Keriann made brilliant samosas, chicken tikka and her brilliant chocolate brownies.
Then at last Tom Jones arrived and was just as incredible as I thought he would be. He has the most amazingly sexy voice. We all had such a great evening, great food, great company and great fun.

Twins

When we arrived at the concert last night the ladies behind us asked if Peter, my hubby, and Ian, Keriann's hubby, were twins. What do you think? Not something I had noticed before. Then later on a young couple sitting beside us who had arrived later asked again if they were twins. By that time I was rolling about with laughter.

Today's Daisies #29

Today's daisies #29 on leap day 29th February. After nearly a whole year of finishing off that daizies quilt, I have been able to get back to my Jacob's Ladder daisy quilt. It took we one afternoon to complete one and a half blocks, and I am nearly a quarter of the way through it. A much more enjoyable pattern and much more fun to do. Hopefully it will be finished by spring time ready to go on my bed, as that is about six months away, I think I am quite safe.

Scatter the guinea pig is now so fat she can hardly sqash her way out of the penthutch. Still no sign of the patter of little feet. Though the maternity hutch is ready and on hand. We are still not sure who the midwife will be, but my eldest son and I have been doing extensive research courtesy of Wikipedia.

The countdown to Tom Jones is well under way. In 24hrs time I will be sitting on that hill in the rain, and Tom will be getting ready to appear on stage. Can't wait. For those of you who missed the previous post the Napier Mission Concert, held at the Mission Estate Winery, this year is Tom Jones. It should have been John Cougar, but he pulled out. Can I also say, before I get asked one more time, there will be no Knickers thrown at the stage from our perch on the hill side. One, I can't throw that far and two my Knickers are staying firmly where they be belong.

Today's Daisies #28

More fabric bargins. Unfortunatly last year one of our local quilting supply shops closed down. Last week they had a big sale on their remaining fabrics. Above are some of my bargins. When I visited the sale on Thursday the fabrics were all $10 per metre. By Saturday the price had dropped to $5 per metre. I so wish I would have had more spare money.

Just in case any one is wondering, there are still no baby guinea pigs.

When I was little ......

Mum emailed me some pictures she has had converted from slides. Here I am standing on the our gate in I think my bathing costume and best cardi. Peter thinks this one looks spooky, like some ghost child that only appears later when the picture is developed.
Do you remember my ironing pile collection, I obviously got into training early. I think my little slippers look so cute.
This is me with my little brother, sorry Bryan. Mum used to put his carry cot on the sledge and pull him around, instead of trying to get a pram through the snow. I think I must have tucked my dress into my trousers that day just to keep extra warm, I was a child that always felt the cold. Not anymore living in sunny Hawkes Bay.

Today's Art Deco Daisy #27

Remember I could not find a daisy for Art Deco weekend, well I have found one, I just needed to look up and there it was. Along the main shopping street in Napier there are so many beautiful Art Deco frontages, but I never look up at them.
Even the drain covers in Napier are Art Deco style. Not a style I was particularly fond off until I moved to Hawkes Bay, I am a real Art Noveau girl. It has really grown on me since then.
Detail from one of the pressed tin roofs that line the streets.
I love the simple detail on this building, even the fire escape ladders fit in perfectly.I could not resist including this weatherboard church. Not Art Deco, but very cute. I love weatherboard churches. I will have to post a pic sometime of the church in Dannevirke that is made of wood and painted to look like sandstone.

This is.....

Me taking a picture of myself in the mirror with my favourite accessory. My white gold wedding ring. The design is celtic, I think it is meant to represent eternity. It is exactly what I wanted, and it took a long, long time to find, almost as difficutl to find as it was to find my wonderful hubbie. I think I must have tried on hundreds of rings until I found that one. I never ever take it off because it is one of the most beautiful things I own both visually and because of what it stands for.

More New Additions

Do you remember those guinea pigs we got a couple of months ago, the ones that the pet shop assured us were both girls. Well guess what, I was right they are not both girls. Caramello is definately a boy and Scatter is definately a girl. How did I find this out? When we were moving the hutch to a new patch of grass yesterday, I noticed that Scatter was an odd eggplant shape. Ooops thought I and went off to google pregnant guinea pigs. Which suprise, suprise look the same shape as our poor Scatter. If you hold her very, very gently you can feel things moveing around inside, so I image the happy event is not far in the future. I have no idea when they will arrive and I have no idea what to do with them, but I do know that poor old Caramello will probably be off to the vets for a little op, very, very soon. Guess I better get the boys to start building an extension to the pent hutch. Especially as we might also be inheriting a rabbit from a family moving out of the area. All we need next is some hens and a couple of ducks.And just in case you were wondering, no those are not my hairy arms and legs, they belong to my Hubby.

Nicola's Daisies #26

Today's daisies are on the back of a cool quilt that my friend Keriann bought very cheaply in an op shop(charity shop for the UK readers).
Keriann has such a good eye for spotting a bargin quilt. We had an afternoon out to go to a quilting fabric sale, on the way there we had a little trawl around an op shop. I got a couple of jigsaws for my youngest and while Keriann was looking for something she had put down by mistake she found the quilt below. Another incredible bargin, all hand appliqued in liberty fabric.

Keriann, I hope you don't mind me putting your photo on my blog.

Another Moon Shot

The moonrise yesterday was really beautiful. A giant full moon floating in a mauve sky. Unfortunatly I did not have my camera with me and by the time I got home the mauve sky had gone.

Today's Daisies # 25 ........... Lisa's Quilt

I am at the thinking stage of a quilt I want to make for my sort of Step Daughter (she is the daughter of my ex, wonder if there is a correct term for this relationship, perhaps good friend is the best description). She is 28 and seriously into fairies. So I found the above cute little guys, each fairy is about the size of my little finger. Notice the daisies on the grass.
I have been playing about with them and can't make up my mind which colour I like best. I want to do a "quilt as you go" construction method, just like the chicken one I did in the Spring. Simple blocks with fairies in the centre.A bit like the layout below, just not sure if I should have all the blocks the same colour, different fabrics. Or if I should use lots of different colours. Would welcome any suggestions.

Finished the little quilt

Finished my little quilt to match the new cushions in the lounge. I wanted it to cover our old stool. I would like Peter to make me a new stool. But this should do in the meantime. Though I am not sure if it looks a bit twee. What do you think?

Unexpected Visitors

We have had a couple of extra visitors this weekend. Both of them were found in our garage. And both of them are kind of cute in their own way.

This is.......... what makes me laugh

No chopsticks are not what makes me laugh, what really makes me laugh until tears come to my eyes is my family. The little things, like last evening we went out for tea at the local thai restaurant with the kids. We were talking about words that had two meanings, such as fire can be fire or it can be to be fired. Or glass can be glass in a window or the glass you drink out of. We were all fireing of words and my youngest was looking a bit sorry for himself as he could not think of one. Until he piped up "Oh, I have one. " and just then there was one of those quite lulls in the whole of the restaurant. "Its but and butt" pointing at his butt. I am sure the whole restaurant heard. I know you have to be there to appreciate this type of humour, but it gets me everytime. Like earlier today at the farmers market, Peter was chatting to the guy while buying a cup of coffee. The guy was asking where we had moved from, to which we answered Scotland. The guy then asked Peter if he had brought his kilt with him. Peter thought he had asked did you bring your kids with you, so he answered "Yes, we brought all three and they are settling really well.". The coffee guy looked very confused at the scotsman whos kilts were settling into Hawkes Bay. Peter was still oblivious and wondered why the tears were pouring down my face with laughter.
My favourite comedian is Bill Bailey, I love his sense of humour. As for programs that make me laugh out loud, here we go there are a lot of them. Black Books, Spaced, Green Wing, Armstrong and Miller, Katherine Tate, Little Briton, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Two Pints of Lager. If I had the chance to watch any program on tv I would always go for a good comedy.

Art Deco Timeslip

If you happened to visit Napier this weekend you might think that you have slipped through a gap in the time space continum (sorry yes I admt it I am a bit of a Trekkie). One weekend every February Napier celebrates its Art Deco heritage. Lots of people dress up and take to the streets in their finery and vintage cars.Sitting in the boot of the car does not look too safe to me.
Wish I could have found an Art Deco daisy to add to the blog.

Bluff Hill Lookout Views

Cape Kidnappers and a Norlfolk Pine
Sailing ship in Napier harbour dwarfed by the Queen Victoria.
Mahia peninsula way over in the distance.Love the colour of the water in this snap.
And the clouds in this pic.
Looking out over Ahariri.