It's A Wrap - Kate Spain Aussie Charm Swap!

My "little" idea to put together a "little" charm swap here in Australia got off the ground and sort of turned in to something BIG!  Thanks to the generosity of the lovely Michele from Quilts From My Crayon Box, who kindly shared all her charm swap tips and information with me - I was able to run the swap relatively smoothly!  All up, there were 48 of us involved (with 8 lucky people taking 2 spots each).  112 different Kate Spain fabrics were sent from all corners of Australia, and the end result is this:

Is that not THE most divine display of colour you have ever seen?  I am very pleased to say we have 11 fabric lines represented.....

Central Park; Cuzco; Daydreams; Fandango & Flurry.........

 

Good Fortune; Honey Honey & Serenade........

Sunnyside; Terrain & Verna......

What I love best about this "little" exercise is that each of us have received a VERY limited edition charm park!  Only 56 of them exist in the whole wide world!  And THAT my friends is fabulous!

So, now that we have our pretty little packages - what shall we do with them?  Well, I suggest we GET CREATING!  Our group of charm swappers have been madly pinning ideas on the Charm Square LOVE Pinterest board.  And I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.  In the meantime - I'm putting together a little old quilt along of sorts, and in around six weeks or so, I'd love to see some results!  WATCH THIS SPACE!

Where to now?  What will I do with all of my spare time - now I'm not sorting thousands of 5" squares, I have my sewing space back and my poor postman has no parcels to deliver to me?  Well - I start thinking of the next Aussie Charm Swap of course!?!?  Yes - I'm bonkers.  Give me a few weeks, and I'll be back with another one!

Until then - Ciao for now!
xxx

Competition Shmompetition

I'm not a competitive human being.  At all.  I've always sort of known it, but have now confirmed it by my laziness.  I see so many fabulous competitions through Facebook and in Blogger world, but am just too bloody lazy to enter.  I also figure why waste my time when I know I'm not going to win, yes?  Hell, I don't even buy Lotto tickets!

I've also never been a competitive Mother.  In the almost fourteen years I have been a Mum, I could not tell you how many times I have had other Mums throw out competitive statements - Ooh, my little Jimmy is walking, talking, saving the gorillas.  It's rather never ending.  I get the proud moments.  I'm happy to say I will tell anyone how wonderful my kids are and how they are doing beautifully at the things they excel at, but I don't think I've thrown the sucker punch at the end - and questioned another Mum straight afterwards to compare.

I suck at being a competitive friend too.  I've "let" friendships fade away at times, because I'm not interested in others making friendships in to a competition.  Sure, when I was a kid, when it's almost acceptable behaviour, I was a part of the "three's a crowd" rule.  Two of my bestest friends ever (and still are) will tell you - we lived in a type of Bermuda Triangle, where one of us would be left out at some stage.  Sort of on a revolving friendship wheel!  But as an adult, no.  You want to spend more time with my friend?  No worries, go ahead, I'll just get on with life.

I've been watching quality television lately - Farmer Wants A Wife.  Go on, admit you have too.  I sit glued to that screen each episode, and cringe every.single.time. one of those girls starts crying about the situation they are in.  Helllllloooooo!  It's a competition - that YOU entered!  Derrrrr!

I was a Tupperware Manager a number of years ago.  Yep, I sold the super plastic stuff.  It was fun.  I met some unreal women.  I also found out that sales is a competition.  And once the competition was on, I was out.  

And now that I find myself running my own little hobby business, I have noticed the unbelievable level of competition between handmade businesses.  It's unnerving - to me anyway.  I have realised I need to put myself out there to sell what I make, but I find myself in a tug of war at times - with myself - because I don't want to have to compete for people's attention!  Stupid huh?

So, instead, I find myself plodding along quite happily just doing my own thing.  I've been buying the fabrics I fall in love with, making the outfits I love, and hoping that there are people out there who really love what I'm doing and will make a purchase.  And instead of stressing about the possibility of not selling everything, I'm embracing the fact that I have a rack full of handmade goodness to give away as gifts to friends or to charity.  It's quite liberating!

And on a winning note - Chloe WON the draw at swimming lessons on Monday and came away with a................colouring book!!  Winners ARE grinners!

Are you competitive?  Would you like to win something just by commenting on my blog?  Hmmm, just thought of that - now I'll have to find something to give away!  Watch this space!

Whose Bright Idea??

Was it to get another farking cat???!!!!  And who was the farking idiot that agreed to it????  Urghhhhh.......

SOMEBODY began campaigning for a kitten back in April.  This somebody had been suckered in by his then soon to be nine year old daughter and her promises of caring and loving a kitten like no other human being in history had before her.  The same somebody then convinced me that it would be a great idea to get above mentioned daughter a kitten for her birthday.  A series of events occurred that ultimately ended in us getting a kitten for free, which we then surprised said daughter with as an early birthday present.....

I will admit that the cuteness of this little black puff-ball was so huge that it didn't take long for me to fall in love with her.  In fact, I wrote quite positively about our Ms Bella's arrival HERE.  Oh, how times change.....

 Fast forward to today, when I entered good old Pets Paradise for the umpteenth time since Bella's arrival, looking to spend yet another small fortune on crappola.  Today's purchase (thankfully at half price, not so thankfully because poor Pets Paradise is in receivership - whoops) was ANOTHER scratching post (because the same birthday girl decided it would be a good idea to sit on the first $50 scratching post, causing it to snap in half - sigh) in an attempt to divert Bella's attention from the gorgeous new lounges we bought only one month ago.

I also asked the question - "Do you have anything to spray on furniture or fittings to stop cats wrecking shit?"  The young girl said "no".   Oh.  Thanks.  For.  Nothing.  

But wait!  As I was about to walk off, she said they had something called "sticky paws".....ummmmm.  I followed her to the wall display where there was ONE packet of sticky paws left.  I was also followed by another woman who had overheard my request and was interested in finding a solution for her own damaged home.  What I discovered was that cats apparently do not like sticky surfaces!  So this solution is a trumped up version of double sided tape, which you can stick to any surface you do not wish your cat or kitten to demolish!  I snapped up the last packet (and did not look the other woman in the eyes for fear of being glared at) and went and paid for my bargain scratching post and sticky paws.  Sounds so wrong....

"Don't declaw....get sticky paws" - WTF??  Who declaws a cat?  

So this afternoon's quest was to cover my brand new, but already slightly tattered lounge in double sided tape.  During said quest I discovered that not only had the little shit of a cat (hear the love in my words?) attacked the corners of the lounge, she has given the whole side of it a good crack.  Little focker.....

I also sticky paw'd the side of the step that had been nibbled and clawed at.  I'm wondering if I could just cover the whole freaking house in double sided tape so the little turd can't wreck anything else??  Maybe the poor singular pot plant I own?  Yep, she's managed to almost kill that too!

Don't get me wrong.  I am not opposed to pets.  I  AM an animal lover.  But each and every time we get a new pet, I end up doing a lot of sighing, yelling, cursing and quite simply - regretting.

Our menagerie now consists of Bella - the now sticky paw'd kitten.  Ruby - the ten year old cat who it seems has decided will hiss at anything and anyone she pleases.  Tanza - the 11 year old corgi x bichon AND Hamish - the teeny tiny three year old toy poodle, who refused to toilet train and to this day will still cock his leg on anything he can possibly reach if let inside.  So he is now an outdoor dog and what you would call a Rasta Poodle.....just needs some reggae and a joint....

I digress.....  Tonight as I was picking up the cat food that Bella had so delightfully dragged on to the carpet to eat, I yelled out "I hate this fucking cat".......to which Andrew retorted "You hate all cats"....  Ummmm....... Look, I'm trying ok.

How on earth do people have patience to get past the kitten trials and tribulations?  Are all kittens bat-shit crazy, or just Bella?

Menagerie

Three years ago, my darling husband surprised shocked me with an early birthday present!  He came home from work and was all like "Hey honey, I have to give you your present early" and I was all like "No, I don't want it early, I don't like early birthday presents!" and he was like "Tough shit, you have to have it early!"......  So I reluctantly closed my eyes and held out my hands, and nearly fell over when I opened them to find a teeny tiny little puppy dog.  And of course I fell madly in love with him - momentarily.  I was torn.  How can you not fall in love with a puppy dog?  EVERYONE loves puppies yes??  SO I loved this puppy dog (whom I named Hamish), until about 2am when he wouldn't stop frickin howling!!!  And then reality set in.  I had three children who were four years or older.....and an eight month old baby.  And a puppy.  Shit.

It took me a few days, but I had to come clean with the husband.  I was not a happy camper.  Not only was I busily trying to care for four children, I also had to deal with a little puppy.  He said it came with a seven day full money back return policy.  I looked at him strangely and asked how were we going to explain to the kids "Sorry you loved that little dog, but we took him back to the shop"??  Nope, I just made him promise me he would NEVER EVER buy me a pet for my birthday EVER again!

Fast forward to today..................

This is how this evening at our home panned out

Yep - we are now officially classed as a Menagerie!!!

Two weeks ago, Andrew took the kids to a pet shop.  Chelsea begged and pleaded for a kitten.  I said NO F***ING WAY!!!  She has since fed all of our menagerie every single night.  Kind of trying to prove that she could look after another bloody animal.

To say Chelsea was thrilled would be an understatement.  To say she will be getting off easily would also be an understatement.  Within minutes of her exciting surprise, I had read her the "riot act" and told her under no circumstances will I ever be doing anything for this pussy cat's upkeep!  It was all up to her.  She has agreed enthusiastically.  And she was also fine when I joked about how she would be getting no presents on her actual birthday!  

Why oh why?  I'm a bloody pushover!  We I now have a husband, four children, two dogs, a guinea pig, a cat who really isn't a cat and a kitten!  Enough already!!!

Now - if I could only find this little kitten........black kitten + dark spaces under lounges = hard to find.  Glow sticks on the agenda for tomorrow.....

Are you a sucker for punishment?