Breakfast

This morning Mr L requested a special breakfast: Mum's Star Pancakes!

Very complicated recipe!

 Actually it is a secret recipe ( buy the add water pancake mix, add the water and shake the bottle!)

Mr L thinks the star shaped ones taste way better then the flower shaped ones! LOL

Seeing I'm once again on a diet, this is my share of the pancakes!

Finished!

It is done! I must say I really enjoyed the Locked Hooking.

it was easy to do and was finished in record time ( ok so an 11 x 11 inch pillow should be quick to finish)

Well it was easy until it came to putting together the pillow!

Due to the thickness of the hooked area, it was hard to sew close to the edge of it.

And lets not start about turning it right side out, that sure was no fun!

But we got there in the end!

I rag stuffed the pillow to give it a lumpy feel and I'm pretty happy with the results.

I'm now all set to start a table runner with my scraps (no backing to sew on and turning it right side out!)

So watch this space!!

I'm in Love!!

With a new craft!
I started the Locker Hooking kit I bought yesterday and I have to say it is Easy Peasy!
And so quick too, an added bonus is getting rid of a lot of fabric strips!
After this one I can feel a table runner coming on! (was going to say floor rug, but that would be too ambitious! LOL)

An another Project!

I managed to squeeze in  some retail therapy while killing time in
 between Orthodontist appointments

 ( 1 @ 10 am s and 1 @ 3 pm t)

I happened to walk into one of the quilt shops in town
 and I just happened to see a kit for Locker Hooking 

which was priced down to $10 and I just loved the look of it!

I bought the kit and am frantically looking through my fabrics
 to see what I can use!

The above picture is  the kit I bought, which is only a little 11"x11" pillow,

just the right project to start a new craft!

below a pic of the actual hook

Another work in progress!

Just what I need! Something else to do!

I bought the Christmas Pillow Cupboard Keep form Country Rustic Primitives and just could resist temptation!

I send Mr J. into work on his day off to print the pattern off after I found out the in in our printer was finished. And as the Darling that he is, he went with no complaints ( well at least not within my hearing anyway!)

This is where Iwas up to at 4:30 am, after waking up with a bad tummy ache! After that settled I couldn't sleep and just got up and did my cross stitch!

This pattern is so easy to follow, it did take a minute to get used to the small threads of the Osnaburg, but it looks amazing.

I'm working on the M as the moment and am kinda ticked off at not having time to do more until tonight!

I will be spending the Day in Bendigo with Miss D, who is having her braces off today!

first appointment is at 10 am, then again at 3 pm to fit the retainers!

Oh heck I just realized: I'll be stuck in town with a teenage girl! HHHHEEEEEEELLLLLPPPPPPPP!!!

A productive Sunday!

What to do with a wardrobe the kids no longer want ( coz it is too daggy) ?

Well move it into the sewing/craft room! A girl can never have too much storage!

Craft stuff seems to multiply overnight!

Now I have more room to hide the gazillions of patterns, bit of fabric etc from hubby!

While moving the wardrobe in we found out the craft room is on a slight lean! According to Mr J. that is because all my s**t weighs a ton, which I just think is an a lie!

getting back!

For a while now I've been working on a lap quilt made from Civil War Repro's in Brown and Pink.
So far I've made 26 (colours were wrong in 1 so had to make another one, the spare will make a cute little pillow!) added a 1.5" brown border and am now working on 2.5"( unfinished) triangle squares.With any luck I will finish it next year (can't rush these things you know!)

Too hot to trot!

Hello blogger Friends!
 Don't think I've forgotten about you again, I haven't, it has just been too hot to do anything but sit in front of the A/C and whine about the heat!
So far we've topped the list of hottest town (as in temperature, not coz I live here!) in the State of Victoria a few time already this month! Yesterday we made it to 43C (109F)

I did manage to paint AND sell a few signs on ebay! iwas running into the garage adding 1 coat of paint, back inside in front of the A/C, then back out again next coat etc etc.
I do have to say this heat speeds up the drying process.

    

2 of the signs I sold

Time flies!

Still trying out the new camera! I "surprised" Mr. L when I took this picture!

I just love that I just got out of bed look! lol

At the moment he's the only one that will stand still when I take pictures the girls all cover their face when I walk around with my camera in hand! ( Spoil Sports!!)

Can you believe this sweet little face will turn 11 on the last day of the year?

Time sure flies!

I still remember fighting with the nurses about who was going to feed or change his nappy! Lol

He was born in a small country hospital and he was the only baby in there! When I decided to leave after 5 days they almost tied me to the bed to make me stay longer!

It arrived!! It arrived!

This afternoon my new camera has arrived! I am so happy with it. I think I will spend a lot of time taking pics!



PICTURE OF MY GERANIUM

Moroccan Apricot Chicken

Serves 4
1tbsp olive oil
4 (approx 150gr each)chicken breast fillets
1 med brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed 
1tbsp Moroccan Seasoning
1tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp honey
400gr can whole peeled tomatoes 
1 cup chicken stock 
1 cup dried apricots
400gr can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
fresh coriander leaves and couscous to serve 




1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 2 min each side or until browned. transfer to a plate 
2. Add onion to pan. Cook stirring, for 5 min or until softened. Add garlic and seasoning. Cook for 1 min or until fragrant. Add tomato paste and honey. Cook, stirring, for 1 min. Add tomatoes, stock, apricots and chickpeas. Bring to the boil
3. Return chicken to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered,turning chicken occasionally, for 20 min or until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Serve chicken mixture with couscous and coriander


Recipe comes from either Super Food ideas or Recipe+ magazines not sure which one, if anyone knows let me know so I can quote the right one

I bought a new camera!

LAst week after 10 years of service my trusty camera decided that was long enough and stopped working.
After thourough research I ordered the Canon IXUS 100 IS. Can't wait til it arrives and I get to play with it!



I'm looking forward to sharing many more pics like these with you all (for Aussie followers I bought the camera at: www.hotbuys.com.au and saved over a $100 from prices I saw in the shops, incl postage!)
Blanket I'm crocheting, need to get rid of some left over woll and this seemed the best idea!

4 inch frame (outside) picture.

Will I make it?

In Nov 2007 I hand pieced a BowTie quilt top with Christmas fabrics, with the idea of having it hanging on the wall by Christmas that year!

Well as all great plans, that one didn't happen!

So next the aim was Christmas 2008! Now that would give me 12 whole months to do it.

And what happened? I cleaned my sewing/craft room and the Quilt got put in the back!

I found it last night, it is 1/3 done, so I have a sneaking suspicion that 2009 isn't the quilts year either!!

Maybe aim for 2010??

What to do with a load of old wood! part 2

A while back I got my grubby little hands on a load of old veranda planks.

People thought I was strange ( no idea why they would think that!!! LOL) when I told them to drop them off at my house, because I was going to use them for something.

Not that I had any idea for what at the time though!

But the other day I was thinking (and it didn't even hurt!!) what to use them for and I came up with this:

We've got 2 made now, and planted geraniums in them. It looks very nice around my veranda!

Where I wind down!

I thought I'd share a photo of the place where I lay my weary head at night!

I love my antique quilt! It is made up of feedsack fabric and it is expertly quilted,( 12 stitches per inch)

At bed time I snuggle up with a good book and read for about an hour before I go to sleep!