Out of the mouth of Cheeseboy

Cheeseboy and I were waiting for my flat tyre to be repaired at the tyre store this morning when Cheeseboy's dear little face suddenly lit up with joy and he called out rather loudly "Dadda!"

I turned in surprise. I was sure The Bloke Who Lives At My Place was at the office today.

Alas, it wasn't his 'Dadda' Cheeseboy had spied. It was this poster. Oh dear!

Image from here

I bet The Bloke is ever so glad he's been getting up at 5.30am to go to the gym...

80s Movie of The Week - The Breakfast Club

Week 2

The Bloke bought us a couple of trendy drinks to bring us right back to 1985, so we could sit back and enjoy:

Her Choice: The Breakfast Club, 1985

What's it all about: Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.

Who's in it: Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheady

The Upshot: The cast is a who's who of the 80s, and The Breakfast Club is one of the quintessential films of the decade. I found the film a lot more believable when I watch it as a teenager, and I remember clearly being shocked at bad boy John Bender getting together with prim and proper Claire at the end of the film. This time round I can't believe how naive I was back then not to see something so predictable happening!

Also notable for fans of The Simpsons and Futurama, this movie contains the line "Eat my shorts!" delivered by bad boy John Bender. Coincidence? Nope. Matt Groening has admitted in an official US Playstation Magazine that he named the robot 'Bender' in Futurama after The Breakfast Club character John Bender, and the movie is almost certainly where he got Bart Simpson's "Eat my shorts" catchphrase from.

I loved the film, but not as much as the first time around.

His Rating: 9/10 Violet Crumbles

Her Rating: 7/10 West Coast Coolers

Have you seen it? Did you love it?

Rockwiz at The Palais

Last October I camped out all night with my sleeping bag and thermos to be first in line to get tickets to see Rockwiz on tour at The Palais, and it paid off, we got front row tickets! Okay, so I was actually camped out at my computer with a visa card and a glass of white, but you get the picture; it's all about the dedication.

We had a fantastic night and thoroughly enjoyed seeing awesome live performances by Ella Hooper, Angry Anderson, Claire Bowditch (how much do I love this woman!), Vika Bull, Steve Kilby and Adalita Srsen, not to mention the Rockwiz Band.

During the show, host Brian Nankervis mentioned that this was the first show to go on sale, so we were sitting amongst the most truly dedicated Rockwiz fans in the country. It did not escape my attention that we were actually sitting with 2500 people who clearly have no life and who are always home watching SBS at 9.30 on Saturday nights. And we were in the front row. I have no life.

Thanks to my mum for babysitting so we could pretend we still have a life!

Spare a thought

Our heating broke today, and it's freezing cold here in tonight.

I was having a bit of moan about how cold I was and generally feeling a bit sorry for myself, when I suddenly stopped. I realised I have nothing to complain about. I thought about how many people are cold tonight because they can't afford heating.  And how many people are cold tonight because they are homeless. And I thought about how easy it is to not think about them when we are tucked up warm and safe in our homes at night.

So I've called the heating repair guy. The Bloke Who Lives At My Place has built me a fire. And I've made a donation to the Father Bob's Foundation. Father Bob Maguire (or Uncle Bobby as he's known around here) works incredibly hard to support disadvantaged members of our community. I only wish there were more people like him on earth.

Spare a thought tonight for those who are less fortunate than us.

Weekend

The fancy hotel

The room

The 'do

The big event

The wonderful MC

The girls

The date

The perfect ending.

Hope you had a lovely weekend too.

The Storm and a Wedding Day

On Saturday, The Bloke and I were heading off to celebrate a family wedding in South Melbourne and looking forward to a night in a fancy-pants hotel followed by a lovely sleep-in, late checkout and a leisurely brunch before heading home to the hills.

I had somehow pulled off the seemingly impossible task of arranging to have all 3 kids looked after overnight, and it was to be our first night away together in about 4 years.

I had my hair done, bought a new frock, and was feeling very glam and excited as we set off. We were so thrilled to be able to share in this very special family wedding.

Then the storm hit.

We were on Toorak Road when the hailstorm hit us, we pulled over and sheltered in the car. The hailstones were about as big as large marbles and sounded very scary hitting the car, I was terrified our windows were going to break. After the storm eased, we spent the next 30 minutes or so trying to find a road that was not flooded that would get us to the Church on time. We were having no luck, everywhere was flooded.

We were trying Swan Street when my sister called (she was at our place looking after the Junior Crafter and Poor Point 3). My sister took the kids into the hallway and shut all the doors to protect them from flying glass as the windows were broken by hailstones larger than golfballs. She said the windows were smashed, there was glass everywhere and rain pouring in. At one point she opened the hall door into the kitchen to see what was going on and a large hailstone flew in a broken window past her head and down the hallway!

This photo was taken by my neighbour

We turned around and came home immediately, but I knew it would be at least an hour before we made it home. I called my brother who was only 5 minutes away and he went straight to our house and started the clean up and boarding up the windows.

We arrived home to find:
11 broken windows (in our house and bungalow)
Weatherboards damaged by hail
The shed wall damaged by hail
Our Colourbond roof looks like someone has taken to it with a large hammer
Skylight broken and leaking water into the bathroom

My car (which was in the driveway) has hail damage to 7 panels, but luckily no broken windows so it is still driveable.

I am still unable to contact my insurance company.

We didn't make it to the wedding. We called the hotel and told them what had happened and asked if they might transfer our booking to another night (they sounded doubtful and said they would call me back this week). We ordered take away and stayed in feeling very grateful that it wasn't worse, devastated that we missed the wedding and just a tiny bit disappointed about missing our night away.

I called the mother of the groom and explained what had happened and was relieved to find out that the wedding went off without a hitch and the happy couple still enjoyed their special day despite the storm going on outside.
Congratulations Pete & Beck, we wish you a lifetime of love and happiness, and wish we could have been there.

I may have the answer...

I was reading this post over at the lovely (but not at all sucky) Hoppo Bumpo and realised I may have some valuable information to share with you fellow crafters. If you are after something that really sucks, the answer is ducted vacuuming. It is completely awesome, and sucks better and harder than any other vac I've ever owned. Thread, hair, mushy chewed up vegemite toast, bowling balls, lego pieces, small children...you get the picture? And before you think it's a fanciful and extravagant idea but you couldn't possibly - mine cost less than $1000 and was easily installed in my 90 year old house in half a day, by The Bloke Who Lives At My Place (who usually masquerades as a public servant during daylight hours).

Seriously, best thing I ever did. Now if I could just tear myself away from my WIPs long enough to actually do some housework...

Going home to Mother

I'm off to my Mum's for a lovely girly (child free!) sleepover! The Bloke Who Lives At My Place will be spending some quality time with his little 'uns: The Junior Crafter, Captain Underpants and Poor Point 3, while I will be spending some quality time catching up on some much needed sleep.

Mum and I are going out for lunch, then doing a little spot of shopping, then home to unpack a few boxes (Mum has just moved back into her house after a housefire earlier this year), and spend a little girly time together. I'm hoping Mum will teach me to crochet so I can have a go at one of these. And then I'm having a very early night and hopefully a lovely sleep in...I think the last time I had a decent sleep was around 2001!

Birthday update

Thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes last week. Here's some of the wonderful things that happened...

An abundance of beautiful birthday flowers...

Unbelievably good chocolate mousse cake...

from here:

The cake was a gift from my husband's boss and was hand delivered after same lovely boss sent him home early for my birthday lunch. I'm nominating her for World's Best Boss. Seriously.

Then, just when I thought things couldn't get any better:

A chocolate ripple cake made by my gorgeous sister and topped with two of my favourite things, strawberries and peppermint crisp. One end of the board is marked "kids end" because the rest of the cake was made with biccies soaked in Frangelico! Yum!

Poor Point 3 had his first taste of chocolate cake and loved it:

And I received so many lovely gifts, including earrings, whizz bang electric salt and pepper grinders and this very special necklace handmade by my Auntie Jo; the centre bead is all the way from Nepal.

 

And another birthday...

I am a lucky girl. Today I awoke to steaming hot coffee, 2 boxes of beautifully wrapped chocolates, a gorgeous new watch, 2 beautiful handmade cards (one of which has a dancing 'Y' on it I am reliably informed by the 4 year old), and a whole lot of love.
I'm looking forward to a lunch date with some special girls in my life, and The Bloke Who Lives At My Place has been ordered by his lovely boss to come home early. Yep, I am one lucky girl.

The Queen of the UFO

Okay girls, I'm claiming the title. I am the Queen of the Unfinished Object.

I have found what I'm pretty sure is my oldest UFO. It is a cross stitch I started back in 2001 when I was pregnant with my first child. It is a growth chart that was intended for said child (note: the junior crafter is turning 8 next week and I'm pretty sure she would be too tall for the chart by now even if it was finished). It has survived through two house moves and various storage boxes, but is looking decidedly worse for wear after I unearthed it last weekend from a box in my bungalow. The bloke who lives at my house suggested through gritted teeth that I should to teach him how to cross stitch so "the damn thing can be finished one way or another".

Note the packaging and the example of the finished growth chart shown full length; see the little clown sitting right in the middle? See my little clown? Yep, that's all I've managed to complete in eight years.

So, fess up girls, surely mine can't be the longest standing UFO? What's your oldest UFO? Are you ready to claim the Title? Post a link to your oldest UFO in the comments, pictures would be fab.

PS. SammyJ, if you're reading this, thanks for teaching me to cross stitch all those years ago, and yes, this really is the same one.

Can you guess what this is? Blogtober day 21

I bought these recently and the bloke who lives at my place was pretty excited.

Know what they are?  Go on, take a guess, you know you want to.

Nine? Really? - Blogtober day 19

Earlier this year one of my friends suggested we join their family for a camping trip in November. Earlier this year, November seemed like a galaxy far, far away. I have just realised that November (and our camping trip) is in two weeks. And not surprisingly I am feeling a little unprepared.

First, a warning: Real Campers, avert your eyes. I have a confession to make. We are camping in a caravan park. *Gasp!* Yes, that's right, a caravan park. Where there are actual flushing toilets, hot showers and level, powered campsites. And now you're asking yourself "how prepared does she really need to be?" Well, I may need to procure a map of the park in order to find my way to the indoor/outdoor swimming pool complex. And I'm wondering about my hair straightener...it is a powered site after all.

In anticipation of the big camping trip, I purchased a shiny new tent which claims to sleeps nine. When the bloke who lives at my place set it up in our backyard, I realised they meant nine owl softies. Or nine chocolate invaders. Not nine actual life-sized people. I'm hopeful that we will be able to squeeze our little family of five in there, and am eternally grateful I didn't buy a tent that claims to sleep five.

I have packed the sleeping bags, some board games, kites and bikes for the kids, fishing gear, bbq accoutrements and a couple of beers for the bloke who lives at my place. And of course, some portable craft projects for me! I'm hoping to make a start on one of Kirsty's bookmarks while I'm away.

Happy trails!

Sshh, don't tell anyone, but apparently the caravan park has an internet cafe so I'll be able to check in on you all while I'm away!

Too much craft? Blogtober day 10

No such thing!

Today Poor Point 3 and I went to the fabulous Northside Makers Market and checked out all the handmade goodies.I met Cam (Curlypops) and Cathy (Tinniegirl) saw their wonderful creations in person, they are really fabulous (the girls and the creations!).

From there we went to the CraftExpo at the Exhibition Buildings where I stocked up on some supplies, added to my stash, learnt to make fabric covered buttons (easy peasy! Who would have thought?), and bought some liquid which will apparently make printer ink colourfast on fabric for a little project I'm working on for a christmas present. Poor Point 3 amused himself by flirting shamelessly with every person who laid eyes on him.

And since I was 2/3 childless it was a relaxed and enjoyable day out! Came home to dinner on the table, so thanks to the Bloke Who Lives at My Place for topping off a perfect day :)

Pumpkin Soup Recipe - Blogtober day 9

According to Amy's list, today is the 9th of Stocktober (soup day) so I am sharing with you my own recipe for Pumpkin Soup. I have tested it with the strictest of critics and have received rave reviews, even from The Bloke Who Lives At My Place who hates soup, and the Jumping Bean aged 4 who hates pumpkin but asks for this soup at least 3 times a week.
Let me know what you think!
(Apologies for no pictures of said soup, refer to yesterday's post)

I make a huge pot of soup with these quantities then freeze my leftovers - you can vary the quantities to suit your needs.
Ingredients:
2 brown onions

4 or 5 Medium potatoes
1 big wedge of Jap Pumpkin
1 big wedge of Grey Pumpkin
1 half a Butternut Pumpkin
2 Massell Chicken Stock cubes
Water
Pouring cream
Salt and Pepper

Peel and roughly chop the onions, all the pumpkin and the potatoes. Throw into a large stockpot.
Add the stock cubes, and enough water to come up to about 2/3 of the vegies (so they are not completely covered by the water). Don't stress about this, you can add more water later if you want a thinner soup.
Bring to the boil, the simmer gently with a lid on, for about an hour. You can simmer for a couple of hours as long as you keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil dry!

Blend the soup using a blender or a stick mixer. Add the cream during the blending process. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley on top (optional) and serve with some crusty bread. Enjoy!

You can still be tough and carry your stuff - Blogtoberfest Day 6

Finished another drawstring bag tonight, this one is for my 4 year old son. 

The little man chose the fabric himself and proudly showed it to his dad last week after our outing to Spotlight. The bloke who lives at my place (who was hoping, I think, for something less...well...polka-dot-ish) rose to the occasion, nodded sagely and said "Good idea having a bag like that Son. So you can still be tough, and carry your stuff."  Much to my amusement, the little man has been repeating the phrase ever since.

Just scraped in for day 6 of Blogtoberfest...I almost needed a late pass!

Blogtoberfest Day 2 - Knock Knock

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Boo.
Boo who?
Don't cry, it's only a knock knock joke!

Okay, that was a teensy bit lame, but it is my kids' favourite knock knock joke. I'm running with Amy's suggestion of starting Blogtober with a Knock Knock, who's there. So here goes, a few things about me you may not know:

*I'm a serial crafter. Which is why I am still a beginner sewer, knitter, painter, cake decorator, scrapbooker, etc. The Bloke Who Lives At My Place thinks I have a rare form of "shiny kit syndrome" known as "shiny craft syndrome".
*I have OCD tendencies. I am trying really hard to let go, as my drive for perfection often stops me actually completing projects for fear that they may not be 'perfect'.
*I have three kids. Maybe that's why I don't have enough time for crafting?
*I have an unnatural attatchment to my (very large) Tupperware collection.
*My favourite colour is Red.

Blogtoberfestivities - Blogtober day 1

I am joining in with Blogtoberfest this month - I'm up for the challenge of a daily post! Hopefully it will be an interesting and inspiring month of posts, and I'm hoping it will motivate me to find more time to be creative.
 
I love crafting. It's what I do. It's my creative outlet, it's time to myself, it's peaceful and relaxing and enjoyable and stimulating and oh so much fun!
Mostly I enjoy crafting alone (although I'm never really alone, I'm always just a mouse click away from crafty company, thanks girls), but recently my 7 year old daughter and I have been sewing together, which makes a nice change from her being pouty and me yelling a lot.
On rare occasions even The Bloke Who Lives At My Place makes an appearance in My Creative Space, most memorably to help me create 'vegetables' out of fondant for our daughter's 4th birthday cake which was a 3-dimensional vegie garden, and to suggest the use of staple guns, D-rings, dowel and acrylic primer as appropriate solutions to my crafting problems. He's my go-to-guy for 'how to do stuff', and as he keeps telling me, I'm an ideas man. What can I say, we're a great team.
Do you do most of your crafting alone? Or as part of a team? Or with your family, friends or craft group? 

For more info and to keep up with all the Blogtoberfestivities, head on over to CurlyPops and Badskirt. 
Have a great Blogtoberfest!