Charlie at the Dowerin Field Days

We trotted over to Dowerin for the Field Days today, and while Charlie sat on Ian's shoulders watching the dirt bike riders he drooled and reminded me of a Simpsons character.

How much does it cost to get in to the Royal Show these days? I was shocked at the $20 admission price for adults today at what is basically an agricultural machinery show where you are paying to be advertised to.

Mx

Grey Gifts

I recently sent a couple of hand made items to a friend in Canada, and now that I know they have arrived, I can show you what I made.

A circular scarf made using this free pattern on Ravelry (I didn't make it as wide as the pattern).

And a clutch from this fantastic tutorial. I used a 100% wool fabric harvested from a pair of paints, it was a little difficult to work as the wool wouldn't iron in to a crisp fold like the cotton in the tutorial, but I think it turned out well.

 

I harvested the lining from a thrifted jumpsuit I knew I was never going to wear.

I actually finished making the scarf back in October last year, which would have arrived for the recipient's birthday had it not taken me 10 months to weave in those ends! You can see how little Charlie was when I tried to get him to model it...

he wasn't very happy with helping me out.

Anyway, I was on a sewers high after finishing the clutch, I want to do more sewing! I was so excited, I went over to Rae's and bought her Flashback Skinny Tee pattern. Now I'm just waiting for the powercord/pedal to be found to my sister's overlocker which I've borrowed.

I hope you're enjoying any projects you've got on the go.

Mx

June + July

In June and July...
:: we stayed at home and didn't travel to Perth
:: I got over first trimester seediness
:: I got a Thermomix!! which I love :)
:: I got  a cleaner!! which I love :)
:: We got excited about the revised design for the new house we're hoping to start building soon.

So, the last two months have been cold but good. I'm definitely looking forward to warmer weather coming.

Mx

Looking Back at May

Back in May...
:: We found out the happy news that we're expecting again (now we're four months along)
:: Charlie made his first painting
:: We got a new to us car :)
:: Went to the Craft Fair

I'm not catching up with these month in reviews... I'm getting further behind, but oh well.

Mx

Cleaning for the cleaner

I have never had a cleaner before but the hubby is generously springing for one to help me out once a fortnight. She is coming tomorrow to see the house, so today I am trying to catch up on some cleaning so as not to scare her off!

I have started the remedial pruning of the two big (huge!) standards we have out front, I didn't quite make it to them last year after pruning the other 30 bushes in the same bed. These little pinkies were rescued from the prunings.

Do you have a cleaner? Have you ever used one. Was it the best thing ever, or did you end up cleaning before they came?

Mx

Weekends

 

The last couple of weekends have been full and wonderful. My brother and his family came and spent the weekend just gone. They were sick but didn't want to cancel as it was their first visit and we've already past our one year anniversary here.

My SIL was quite happy with the old bottles my brother picked up at a farm dump when the boys were out collecting fire wood. She also loves a market and luckily the monthly Nungarin Markets were on on Sunday. We saw a pet sheep following its owner about, a joey in a bag and roosters for sale. 

Last weekend we celebrated a fun 60th birthday at Kokerbin Rock (Australia's third largest monolith). We climbed to the top and released 60 pink and silver balloons.  We also enjoyed our first dinner out on a farm with another young family which I hope we do again soon.

I hope your weekends have been fun too.

Mx

Istagram

I have been on Instagram for a while now. I don't post photos very often, much like this blog...
but I do love how the photos turn out, here is a little collection of my favourites.



You can find me on Instagram under pearlschell or if you don't have an Iphone there is always Statigram.

Do you Instagram too?

Mx

Catching up with April

I am going to knock my Mum's socks off with two posts in as many days. A small thank you for saving me while the Mr was away over the long weekend with country week hockey. Thanks Mum!

 April included:

:: Many days away from home
:: Charlie's first egg hunt

:: Enjoying the last open day at the pool

:: A family funeral
:: Packing and sorting away things left behind
:: A fun engagement party in a posh neighbourhood
:: A merciless taunt against a diehard Eagles supporter in Toronto
:: Hockey

Might be a bit hard to make a mosaic for May, I've hardly had the inclination to get the camera out, but fingers crossed I'm coming out of the first trimester fog, it is past 9 o'clock and I'm still out of bed!

Mx

Catching up with March

Playing catch-up but falling further behind...

All of this feels like it was a lifetime ago so much has happened since,
but, in March:

:: we took our planned family holiday, just the three of us, nice but not relaxing
:: we stopped on the way home and reconnected with an estranged grandmother
:: played closing day tennis
:: said our last goodbyes to the Ian's stepmother

A big month. Hopefully I'll catch up with April soon.

Mx

Two Little Blue Lines

So, I quit hockey...

this is what happens when you stop "trying" and make other plans. We found out that week after my first game and I thought perhaps I'd be able to play for a while longer. I went to training literally hours after this photo, and it just wasn't going to work. I have loose ligaments anyway, and the relaxin (the hormone, not me) must already be doing a number on my joints, my ankles were sore for days.

So it's afternoon naps and in bed before seven most nights for me these days as I try and ignore evening nausea. And of course the house is falling apart as I ignore that too... 

Bring on second trimester!!

Mx

Hockey

After watching the Mr play, I realised I couldn't watch every week and not want to play myself. So.

I played my first game of hockey ever yesterday. Funny really since I went to a high school that specialised in hockey.

I don't think I did too bad. Though I definitely need to work on my fitness, all that running!!

 Watching the men's game. Do you like the way my nail polish matches my stick?

Charlie with his own adorable tiny stick (thanks Grandma!).

No photos of the game yesterday, these are all from the men's Anzac Day game during the week. We did stop on the way home to photograph burning off in the paddocks though.

Mx

February Catchup

In February...

:: Town life resumed after everyone returned from holidays.
We drove to Perth twice for
:: Shiraz picking day, and
:: A special house warming
:: I was the guest speaker at our ladies dinner about fun on the internet
and we
:: Looked forward to our holiday in March.

Nearly caught up!
Mx

January Catchup

January was... 3 months ago!



:: not as hot as I expected/worried it would be
:: stormy skies and summer rain
:: skiing at the lake
:: starting on finishing old old projects
:: hanging out at the squash courts
:: a week in Perth to catch the beach for Charlie
:: a quiet sleepy town with many people away after harvest

End of Summer

We got in one more afternoon at the pool before it closed for the season today.

And a dragonfly rescue by my niece,

and a spot of mini golf,

I enjoy having my Mum and nieces visit in the holidays for myself, but I love it even more because it makes Charlie so, so happy. He really lights up when they are here.

I am looking forward to the cooler weather, but the forecast is still in the 30's for the next few days. I hope you're enjoying the weather wherever you are.

Mx

Another Baby Quilt

Another simple squares quilt, this time for a girl!

All fabrics bought from Calico and Ivy, picked out by the expectant mother.

I'd really like to do some garment sewing, but I can't seem to stop making quilts, I love them! Which works out well really since I'm going to have to start stock piling baby quilts as more and more of our friends are heading towards this stage of life.

And again, my little helper that just has to get amongst it when a quilt gets laid out for photographing.

Mx

drumMUSTER

I am all about recycling. I love seeing "waste" rescued and transformed into something useful. And my mother will tell you I've always been a bit of a tree hugger, so I couldn't put my hand up fast enough when our playgroup asked for volunteers to be trained by Agsafe for the collection of old chemical drums in their awesome drumMUSTER program. (The playgroup gets so many cents per container collected)

Basically, farmers use a lot of chemical and need a way to dispose of the drums they come in. The farmers rinse out residual chemical from the drums, we inspect them to make sure they have been rinsed out, and then they wait at the depot until the shredding truck comes that breaks the drums down for transport. The plastic gets made in to all sorts of useful stuff like wheelie bins.

Steel containers as you can see, are also collected.

Since its inception in 1999 almost 24 000 tonnes of recyclable material has been kept out of landfill. Go drumMUSTER!

We had a collection day yesterday, it makes me happy that these drums aren't clogging up our landfills or collecting in a stockpile uglying up someone's farm.

Mx

Duke of Orleans Bay

We are just back from a week of camping at 'The Duke' Orleans Bay caravan park 88km's east of Esperence. We had planned on staying for 2 weeks but the Mr isn't a good sleeper at the best of times and our crappy mattresses just weren't cutting it. Even I, of the Sleep Anywhere Tribe wasn't enjoying their pathetic cushioning.

Despite less than refreshing sleep it was a good trip and we're glad we've finally seen Esperence and the beauty that is Cape Le Grand national park.

We had a couple of deliciously massive burgers at the Condingup Tavern and got a shock at our $20 two drink round. Great food and good service though.

And I committed to partaking of a cheesy cauliflower pie from the French Hot Bread Shop everytime we made the drive to Esperence. Delicious!

Condingup is the tiny town at the turn off to the caravan park, they have a nice community centre and a church I wonder if gets used.

I'm not sad about being home early, I'm hoping having the Mr at home and occupying Charlie some of the time helps me get on top of the house. If anyone has suggestions for camp mattresses please let me know.

Mx