Yarn Along

Playing along with Ginny again this week.

Reading Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn. Love it (love him, and his other book Punished by Rewards). Reminds me of why I try and parent the way I do. I had a lovely internal affirmation the other day at playgroup when the kids were all painting old nappy boxes to make in to cars. I sat back a watched Charlie without guiding or controlling his work and he continued his painting long after the other kids had lost interest. It was so nice to feel like I'm doing something right.

Knitting a light lacy scarf for my bestie. Using this free pattern on Ravelry (though this is the image on Pinterest that caught my attention). I think it will turn out nice and warm despite its airiness. This is my first go at lace knitting, and though it is probably the simplest of patterns, I am at a complete loss if I drop a stitch or somehow need to go back, there is no frogging to be done because I'd have to rip it out to the start again (like I did a few times). How do you fix mistakes in lace knitting? Is it even possible??

Mx

Oh, and here is a link to the first chapter of the book. And that pink floral up there is the back of my latest baby quilt that I'm hoping to show you soon! (still not a quilt for either of our babies yet though...)

Belly and the Driving Dress

Another belly shot. Taken at the same place in the same dress as last time. Basically the same photo with an extra 4 weeks of growth.

Photo was taken last week (at 30 weeks) on my way to Perth for appointments and my Dad's beloved brother's funeral. I love this dress and wear it for no reason, but I always wear it for my long haul drives because it's so comfy. Nothing cutting in to my belly!

Mx

The Weekend

My awesome Mum came up for three days to help me get on top of our massive garden (we're on a double block). The Mr is not into gardening, and just can't muster up the motivation to help maintain a rental garden, and I just can't keep up by myself. Mum weeded (and much more, thanks Mum :) and I finally finished the rose's winter prune... in October!!

We got some cheap straw bales from the hardware and mulched the front garden beds to finish off, hopefully giving them a better time of it this summer.

We've also had to put up the mosquito nets this week. The mosquitoes are out in full force, and as of today so are the blowies. There are so many they sound like a swarm of bees!

We had a hot and windy 37'C today, feels like we've skipped spring and headed straight in to summer on days like this. I'm all caught up with the laundry - and putting it away (the part I struggle with), my garden looks a whole heck of a lot better, and I'm dead tired. I was going to say 'buggered' or 'knackered' but neither of those are nice words really, are they? Maybe I should just type and not censor myself?

Anyway, I should go tidy the kitchen before putting Charlie to bed, because no doubt that will be the end of me tonight. We're at the 29 week mark today, and only have six more weeks at home. I better get on to those projects I'd liked finished before no.2 arrives!

Hope you had a lovely and productive weekend too.

Mx

KCWC update

Even though I didn't get it finished I am happy with the results of my KCWC efforts.

This little shirt just needs the neck binding and sleeve hems.

I've tried it on the little man and it fits great (it's the 2T size of the Flashback Skinny Tee).

I'm sure I would have finished it but I also had to sew our angel costumes for a party on Friday night.

Perhaps after I get the house back in order and finish the baby girl quilt I thought I still had two weeks to finish (baby arrived today - not ours) I'll get it finished.

Meanwhile, it was my birthday yesterday (36) and I really should update my profile picture. My age began with a 2 when that photo was taken...

Mx

KCWC

I'm hoping this year to participate in Elsie Marley's Kid's Clothes Week Challenge. Scrap that, I just signed up, I am participating! It starts tomorrow!

I'm travelling home tomorrow and then travelling back to Perth on Friday, so I'll only be home for 3 days of the challenge, but even that should be enough to sew one garment. If I wait till I have the time, Charlie will be grown and left home no doubt, he's 2 already and I haven't sewn him a thing! I suppose that's part of the reason it's called a challenge, we all have busy lives and it takes a conscious effort to stretch our schedules and squeeze in an hour of sewing.

I've got Rae's Flash Back Skinny Tee pattern printed out, plenty of thrifted stripey tee's to use for fabric, and with one hour per day... I might end up with... a finished tee. If not, I'll be that much closer to one.

Are you joining in too? What are you planning on making?

Mx

Blog Fun

[Charlie wearing my glasses and looking like Elton John's love child]

The lovely Nicole over at Milk and Manna tagged me for a little bloggy fun. Here are her questions, and my answers...

1. Words to live by... Love your self.
2. Favourite song? Love Letter - Paul Kelly.
3. Yourself in three words... lucky, closet hippy.
4. Ocean, forest, mountain, desert? Desert.
5. Dream destination? America.
6. Life is too short to... Hate.
7. Coffee or tea and how? Neither - water please.
8. Fond memory? Giving birth.
9. Favourite book? Like Water For Chocolate - Laura Esquivel.
10. How did you meet your beloved? In the living room of one of my best friends (they're cousins).
11. Last meal? Quiche and salad.

Thanks Nicole!

Mx

Belly

Just a little 24 week update. I've got a nice little round belly out in front now. From here on in is my favourite part of pregnancy . I actually look pregnant, and I get to feel the little passenger I'm carrying around as they move and wriggle about... and I kinda like people checking out the belly when I'm profoundly pregnant.

The only part I'm not enjoying is the ugly varicose veins showing up on my legs. Ugly and painful. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do in the summer, surely some days I will be too hot and bothered to wear a long dress or skirt to cover them up and pants will be out of the question. I wonder if a spray tan would cover them up much.

Did you get the old varicose veins? What did you do?

Mx

P.S. I am posting this at 2.45 am because I woke up too hungry to go back to sleep. I'm back to bed as soon as I hit publish.

A Birthday

Our wee man turned two last week. He's not so 'wee' anymore, and I've realised we've stopped calling him the 'wee man', I did love that nic name though.

I took him in to get weighed and measured, and if you use the rule of thumb that kids will end up twice the height they were at two, Charlie wont turn out to be the gigantor I was expecting. I started to worry after I got him measured last time and he'd grown 11cm in 3 months.

Particulars for you Aunty Tori... he's 93cm tall which, when doubled ends up at six foot one. One inch shorter than Ian.

Mx

Good Bye Granny

 We farewelled my last grandparent on the weekend. My Mother's Mother.

Our Granny was a funny lady and I'm glad I got to know her a little better in these last couple of years. After starting a family of my own I became more interested in my extended family.

My crafty gene probably got passed down from her, and after I take some decent photos I'll show you some of the stuff she gave me when she had a clean out.

Love you Granny. Mx

Happy Father's Day

My Mr, the father of my child, my husband, my love, doesn't read this blog, so I shant worry about wishing him a happy fathers day here. Instead, because I didn't get to make him his favourite cake, I want to wish my Dad a happy father's day, and thank him for always being there. And show you all how handsome he was...

As I've gotten older, reliability is a virtue I appreciate and respect more and more.

Thanks Dad, I love you xx

Mx

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