Love Meccano!


This weekend I think that I might take the kids down to the Melbourne Meccano Exhibition in Brighton to provide them with a little inspiration for their project. I love meccano. The way it does up. The metal. The amazing things that you can make with it. Yay!

"I'm not tired!"


Sorry, I know that I haven't really blogged for a little while. Life has gotten on top of me & I am am feeling a little like those cars about to be smashed by that Monster Truck (yes, I did find myself at this whilst looking at camper trailers...YIKES!!!!). Anyway, haven't really had time to spend on the computer except for the essentials (getting ready for the tax man, stuff for school, preparing for classes, making sure emails aren't too out of control...).

Currently searching for 8th day in week.

Or maid.


On an interesting note, my sister Sally Darlison showed me this today...Too cool

Danger in the kitchen

Ok, one of those kind of afternoons... I love this mixer. It's quiet, light, easy to use and we got it from Skip Shopper's Grandparents & May made plenty of sponges with this beauty. Special . It really whizzes a storm and we have it out all the time, until now. One birthday cake too many. Smoke. Yep. Smoke coming out. Luckily, it started to smoke when the cake had finished smoking, I did have to hand mix the colours for the marbling in.

It is actually the second appliance we have blown up today. The first one made me believe that there was a power outage with the rain storm. The boys were making toasties (baked bean) after school, and then the youngest one (6yrs) decided to make one too, popped it in the breville...and futt. Yep. There was a noise. That should have been the clue, but no, I still thought that the power has just gone out. Called the neighbour on the "stuck" phone (the one attached to the wall. No, she was right, decided that she was on a different grid. Had a lovely long chat. Got off the phone, answered a phone message from Edna (95) down the road about the postman leaving my mum's mail at her house, forgot to ask her about the power, spoke to my mum (her neighbour) forgot to ask her about the power... then rang the power people. No power outage. IS THE SWITCH DOWN???? Oh, you mean that one that is switched down? (I have never seen THAT one down before - only individual ones - yikes! Must have been a biggie!) Yep. Ok, comprehendo.... Yes, I won't use the toastie anymore kind sir....promise.... Now I look at it, the wires are a little melted.....................

Nice afternoon.

Cake is cooked now.

Let's hope I can do dinner with no hitches

Day 20 - Raindrops


The rain came last night. I love the rain. I love the way the raindrops pool in the nasturtium leaves. This nasturtium is incredible. The leaves are the size of dinner plates!
Head over to The Byron Life to some great pics & links to others joining in A Photo a Day in August

Day 19 - And the winner is... MissyP!




With the help of two of my sons and my lovely sewing basket, the draw was done, not at 8pm last night, but first thing this morning. If that is your name there, then you are the lucky winner of the giveaway! When I have your address it will be on it's way to you!
Today is an exciting day in our house with the school play - matinee & evening - all three boys in it...three tired little boys tomorrow! One will be a crocodile, another a teenager and the other a butler.
Head over to The Byron Life to some great pics & links to others joining in A Photo a Day in August

Day 18 - Time is ticking by

Today is one of those days that I watch the clock. Lots to do & not enough time...I love this clock. It came from Skip shopper's grandparent's house & sat on their mantel above the wood stove in the kitchen. It is a wind up & ticks really loudly. It has a wind up alarm too that I set for just before the boys fly in the door from school so I can remember to breath before they do. Tick tock.

Head over to The Byron Life to some great pics & links to others joining in A Photo a Day in August

Don't forget that today is the last day for the giveaway, so if you want to enter, all you need to do is to leave a comment on the post below! Good luck. Gotta go.

Day 17 - Crisp & Clean

Today for me it was all about cleaning and washing...one of life's mundane tasks. I took my mind off it with listening to great vinyls on our record player that we have just brought back from my mum's holiday place with our great collection of records (all mainly from the 80's...) My 6 year old said this morning (first day of record player in the house) "You know, I'm really getting into this record thing mum." He played records before school and after school. Musical bliss!

Head over to The Byron Life to some great pics & links to others joining in A Photo a Day in August

Day 16 - Still life from the beach side

This a still life that my middle son took yesterday (that is way it is day 16...day 17 still to come) We had a weekend at the beach and this was a collection that he found on a little walk & he wanted to take a picture of them. I like what he has done.

Head over to The Byron Life to some great pics & links to others joining in A Photo a Day in August

Day 14 - Another day with Florence


I am not very good at this very organised photo a day thing (sorry to Meg from The Byron Life), as life does just get in the way here & there ... school camps, work, cleaning the house, etc...anyway, today after having a one on one with a pilates instructor trying to learn how to find my transverse abdominals again (eep), and then being pumelled by my wonderful osteo (who I tend to hate for up to 2 days after seeing him), I came home and made piping with Florence Broadhurst. Nice. Cutting strips. 2.5cm strips sewn together & then piped. I love the look of them.

I have managed to finish the throw cushions without too much of a hitch...
Oops, forgot to leave the zipper open... I always tell myself to remember, then on the last one...I forgot...

The 3 cushion covers for the throw cushions which I have finished now.


I also put a zipper in one of the large sided cushions before picking up number one son from his first school camp. He is now very very tired and there is lots of crankiness going on here, but he did have a really good time.

Stitch the zipper to the folded over fabric on right hand side of the zipper.
...leaving the top of the zipper 10mm from the top edge & the top stitching to be 7mm from the edge of the fabric.
Lay the other folded piece of folded over fabric so that the entire width equals the width of the cushion sides (make sure that you have enough to overlap the zipper on the outside so that you will not be able to see the zipper once the cushion has be finished) and pin the zipper to this piece of fabric, keeping it even the whole length.
Top stitch this on the underside (the zipper side) keeping the zipper foot to the edge of the zipper fabric.

Finish the bottom of the open ends of fabric off neatly so that they will not open and that the zipper cannot undo any more.


I hope this is helpful & makes sense - let me know if it doesn't

A photo a day in August - Day 12...Florence Broadhurst

Today I am spending the day with Florence...Here she is drapped over the knitting machine that I haven't yet worked out how to use : ( ...that is another story. This fabric is going to be cushions for a friend of mine who has commisioned me to make them for her. Lovely to work with gorgeous prints.

For some much better artistic photos, head to The Bryon Life and see all the photos that people have been taking during August.

Don't forget to leave a comment in the post below if you want win the giveaway!