My Place & Yours - Nice, Different, Unusual

The theme for Pip's My Place & Yours comes from Toni from Little Suitcase.
You can play by showing something, nice, different, unusual at your place.
 I really like this game - it makes me look harder at my house. Though Math (Man About The House) thinks this is dangerous...and we all know why! 

I have this funny shaped division between the lounge and dining room. I don't know why it is there. Nothing else in the house echoes this shape. In fact, when we moved in, all other wooden features, like old picture rails,  had been removed.
Anyway, the little shelves get to have a rotating set of delights sitting up there. On the right , Santa is moving in. On the left, next to the plant, is a set of pottery that Minky made last year when she was 11. They make me smile when I look at them.
I also have a nice table but no chairs.
And I have wallpaper that will be nice...when it's gone.

Dressing for Christmas - #2

Today our model is wearing Winterwonderland - because it's just the total opposite of today in Sydney

...When the bloom of the Jacaranda tree is here, Christmas time is near...

I am getting into the spirit of Christmas by 'dressing' my blog in some Christmas colours. I might even try a different 'outfit' everyday.

Today's clothes are from cutest blog on the block - Santa Swag Background

Yaaayyyy - The Kitchen is In

This is the done kitchen (well except for the painting and the window which needs repairing).
See the blue & white china in the display cupboard above the fridge.
There are lovely blue toned tiles along the splashback.
I am still looking for lots of blue accessories, half the fun is in the searching!
There is also a touch of wacky colour with the coffee set on the island bench.
Of course the island bench will stay uncluttered, just like this forever...aw who am I trying to kid...with 6 junior quilarys, Mr & Mrs quilary it will be lucky to last 5 minutes...
But it's done and I love being in it.

My Place & Yours - My Collection

You say hoarding, I say collecting

I like to think that my hoarding has a much better name...yes it's a COLLECTION!
This goes back a long way back to (struggling) uni student days, sewing for myself and trying to make ends meet . Despite this, I decided that there was one offer I couldn't pass up. It encompassed my 3 loves - books, sewing and stationery shops (or in this case the local newsagent). Each week I'd have to find the princely sum of $1.75, head off to the newsagency on Bondi Road and pick up my 'order'...oh joy...oh bliss...
What was this miraculous offer...
Voila...

...my collection of Busy Needles - all the way from 1-98. All read, some ideas used, mostly just poured over with the possibilities of 'one day...'

And just to prove that I have hoarded for a while, here's a similar collection of Handmade (I never did find issue 1)
The Barbie issue in the background has been well used. One memorable day I spent the whole day sewing denim overalls for Barbie -  the house and 4 little children ran wild...and I didn't care - I just needed to sew - but that a story for another day!


Theme Queen::Kate
and head over to
Meme Queen::Pip
to add your collection.

Rainbows

I do love the colours of the rainbow:

At work...

at home...

and especially in an Eye Spy Quilt for the Princess of Quite Alot...

 

This is an original pattern designed and made by quilary.

The Kitchen is taking shape

Here is a quick update on the kitchen renovation.
The dividing wall has gone, the other walls are re surfaced, the floor boards polished *wolf whistle* and the pile of cabinets have arrived. Even the new white ceiling fan is in.

That big slab leaning up against the wall is the large quilting table island bench top. The doorway to the right gives you the perspective of how big it is! Not long to go now.

My Place & Yours - Secret Weapon

Here it is...




Not very flash...




till you look inside...

Lots of things I need for quilting projects on the go...


sandpaper, pencil, santa button!

And some projects that really should be worked on


Now you know.

Have a look here for some more secrets and join in with all the other secret keepers.

No Birthday Cakes this Month

In this household there are 3 November birthdays. Ordinarily this is a busy month and I have just added to the mix with the kitchen renovation. We are a week and a half into 'no kitchen' time and are surviving without too many dramas. However...


When the kids were younger, I would have loads of fun picking out which cake I would make for them and then torture myself to get it made and iced by the big day. Even though it may have been stressful - it was worth it - because I had done it myself. And that to me is what is so important about any crafting/sewing/creating that I do.


So, sorry to the 3 'birthday girls this month; no kitchen = no (homemade) cake, but here's a little peek down memory lane...

Kitchen

This is what my kitchen looked like last Friday (On Thursday it did have cupboard doors!)...

This is what my kitchen looked like on Monday...

...this is the wall that is coming down.

I have to cook on the BBQ or in a microwave. Usual kitchen stuff is stored in the dining room and food preparation, kettle, toaster etc lives here too. The fridge and freezer are outside the back door with the BBQ and a small table. Dishwasher is in the laundry. I can manage, you know I can, can't I? It will be an adventure, just like (longterm) camping *desperation creeping into voice*

Don't have any sympathy for me...it's all self-inflicted and I think I will be just a tiny bit EXCITED to have a new not-lime-green-kitchen after 17 years!!!!

Feeding the addiction

Anybody with an addiction has a supplier. Now the internet makes it really easy to have your addiction come to you!

Here are some of the places that I get my supplies from:
Iddybiddy
Kays Fabric Craft - actually I visit this one cause it's in the next suburb!
Catherines Place
CatherinesPlace group not a shop but runs co-ops for bulk anything sewing or quilting purchases 
OzQuilts
FunkyFabrix


Some of the lovely goodies that have come over the fence:



Crazy patch Christmas - just waiting to be made into a rocking horse








Wideback buying bonanza