For The First Time in 20 yrs...

...the ski fields at Thredbo were closed...The weather was atrocious...and, of course, it had to happen when I was there!

This is a tale of the weather going downhill fast!

(sorry about the dreadful pun, my head is still frozen!)

Day 1: Just glorious.

Blue skies...

 We arrived the day after there had been snow falls for the previous 3 or so days...

 Snow covered picnic tables...

 Looking out over Friday Flat...

Day 2: Started out sunny, but got a little windier as the afternoon wore on...those clouds are actually the wind whipping up the soft surface snow...

 Later in the afternoon...see how much windier it is up the top...

Still there were plenty of sun, smiles, lovely top cover and picturesque snow covered trees...

 ...and loads of soft, knee-deep snow for chucking at each other at the top of Merrits...

Day 3: We arrived at the Thredbo at 8.45am...to blizzard conditions and everything was "on hold". The quad chair at Friday Flat was eventually opened and the Merrits chair lift as well. The Skiers had their 2 hr lesson (although much to Miss Bee's delight (below), their instructor gave her group "an early mark"!! (The white streaks in the photo is snow blowing sideways!!!)

Long queues for the quad chair...huge wind gusts...horizontal snow flying at you...feels just like having your face scraped with sandpaper...

...I'm all for getting out of here!!

And we did. We left at 12.30pm instead of our planned 3pm.
Just as well.
We later heard that the ski fields had been closed and extra buses were being called in to help move people off the mountain. 2 buses got snowed in at a nearby ski field and at Perisher (across the valley), almost 100 cars were damaged and windows broken,  when the wind whipped up gravel in the car park.

And what crafting did I get done, you ask?: one very sad, floppy, embarrasing pom-pom for Meet me at Mikes pom pom make-a-thon.

I will have to get my pom-pom technique right if I'm going to get any done by the August deadline!

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

The Envelope Project

Blogland, as I have discovered, is full of the most generous people.

They give things away.

They share.

Patterns.

Tutorials.

Ideas.

Stuff.

Lots and lots of stuff.

So over here in the land of Pip you can find huge amounts of sharing going on.

I'd like to be a part of this sharing, so I am sending some of my stuff for Pip to share.

With you...or you...

There is a crochet and button brooch that I made(yes...really...I did and I didn't know I had it in me to actually make something so cool! - well I hope it's cool), and I want to see it pinned to a lapel, on a jacket, on a person in Far Far Away just to say "I made that, see, and  someone in Outer Upper North Far Far Away is wearing it!"

Some charming charms, a metal knotty button, bit of lace, some gift tags and 

that square of blackboard fabric - that I wrote Pip's name on. In chalk.

If you win you can rub it off though!

I might have to send the fat quarter of fabric too - it's asking to be included.

So go and have a look here, and here and here and be amazed what can happen in this crafty world of ours.

thanks for taking a peek over the fence...

My Place & Yours - The 'Me' Wardrobe

Playing My Place & Yours again. This weeks theme queen Sandra  asks

What's your favourite item of clothing, the one that you feel special in, the most "you" in, keep going back to, can be spotted in by friends from miles away, wear over and over and hope will never fall apart and die? Perhaps you've even had to darn it already? (There's to keeping an old craft alive!) 

I didn't have to think too long about this theme.
I've had this top for around 5 or 7 years (when  no. 5 - Minky, or no. 6 - Miss Bee, was 4, or 5 and finishing her, or her, last year of preschool). I bought it at this time of year for a Christmas 'do'.
I was feeling a teensy bit uncomfortable because of extra 'baby weight' that I just couldn't get rid of and wanted something nice to wear out on MATH's work Christmas Cruise. I bought a tank top the same gorgeous pinky-crimson and, with a pair of black pants and strappy sandals, felt pretty spectacular.
I love the lightness of the fabric and the beautiful pattern, with its touch of paisley and folk art flowers. It's even almost back in fashion, if newer lines of quilting fabrics are anything to go by.
It comes out mainly at Christmas, but I wear it anytime in the summer months, or spring, or autumn and it's been known to make winter appearances, for weddings, parties, anything...
Sadly the matching tank top lost its struggle for life but this top soldiers on. Just as well, because on a brighter note, I don't need to wear it as an over shirt, I wear it buttoned now!

Hope you enjoyed your peek over the fence...and pop over to Pip's to see other 'me' wardrobes.