Monday 21 April 2014

Taking it easy Easter

A long weekend with the family is an ideal time. We get to reconnect, catch up on news and eat. So much chocolate it's not funny. I'm one of those people who can't resist sweet temptation so I've gorged. In a bad way. Exercising today takes a little of the bloat off, but still...

All weekend I had been trying to get to my quilting but only made time today on Easter Monday! I've got to the good bit which involves layering and pinning. See it here.


Looking nice I think and I'm really loving my new bendy safety pins.


It was really nice working on this today because it gave me an opportunity to hang out with my daughter and watch The Empire Strikes Back together. What a great movie that is! I love it when Luke finds out who his father is, when Han gets frozen in carbonite and Leia kisses Luke, unknowingly her brother. C was perplexed and then came out with an interesting comment. Why doesn't C3PO stay with Darth Vader who in reality actually made him? Good point. Never thought of that before.

So tonight I will start hand quilting with my new quilting ring and new quilting needles. Maybe a little GoT and Mad Men too!


Lx

Friday 11 April 2014

Studio Anna

Anyone who knows me knows I collect things. Quite a few things. And over the years they've changed. Some have come and go, others have persisted.
One of my favourite collections is Studio Anna. Many years ago while travelling country South Australia with my husband, I found my first item and from there it just grew. I really love this line of Studio Anna even though there are equally kitsch/great Aboriginal pieces and other decorative ranges.
But this is the one for me. I'm sure you can see why.


I'm certain that you Australian's have been to at least one of these places, I know I have, and that makes them even more appealing. They come in all shapes and sizes - even a rather unfashionable ashtray version.

I love the naive quality to them, the high shine and even the sometimes very average attempt at making art (yes, I mean you Maroondah Lake, Healesville - above)

But my favourite, my all time favourite is this one.


Because all they could think of to paint at Arno Bay are the silos. And they're beautiful.


Lx



Thursday 3 April 2014

Quilt is a comin' and life

It's been a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks of childhood illnesses but we've come out of it all well. During that time it's been hard to get motivated to do much but now I've really picked up again.

I've been wanting to make a quilt for each of the children's bedrooms for a while now, and while working on cutting out squares for C's I was thinking that if I had to cut out one more square with scissors I'd throw a fit. Dramatic stuff. So last weekend I went to Spotlight (my personal Australian Mecca) and bought a cutter and Matt bought me a self healing cutting mat. Dance a jig of delight, what a difference it makes! I zipped through cutting out the squares in no time at all and now am wondering what the hell took me so long to get these little treasures.


After much shuffling around I got the pattern sorted and so here it so far sewn together.


Looks really sweet I think (keeping in mind I haven't done the final iron).
I'm so enjoying this quilting process and strangely enough I'm really looking forward to doing the hand quilting. Something I can do while watching the telly.
I'm hoping that it will be something that C will have for ever. I would really love that.

And reading wise, this is what I've been dipping back into a lot lately.


This book and its healthy eating plan have made a huge difference to my life. It was actually about a year and a half ago that a visit to my very honest (read "harsh") doctor made me sit up and take stock. Overweight, unfit and constantly exhausted, looking after a 7 year old and a 3 year old, I knew it couldn't go on that way. My doctor described a future of insulin dependent diabetes (I had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies so I know the horror of that), injecting myself every day, movement restricted, loss of circulation etc etc. Weighing in at a too large 83kg I decided then and there that was it. CSIRO diet here we come. Reduced carbs but not eliminated, less sugar but not too much and more vegetables! And I stuck to it. And lost 25kg. And I've kept it off. Some days it may go up a little (wish there weren't so many cake days at work!) but I remember my brother once saying that its easier to lose a little than a lot. So every time I see the weight go back on, I adhere to the diet for a week and then I'm back to normal.

I feel so much healthier and happier. I can run around after the kids, I have more energy and realise it just takes a little kick in the butt to make you realise what life is worth... and it isn't having that extra half a block of chocolate.


Lx