Another Sunday................

I know I have said this before....but Sundays seem to come around really fast.....I have spent today getting organised for the week ahead....some household chores and cooking.....have made all my meals for the week and the freezer is packed full of goodness.....this time of year when it's dark (and cold) when I get home from work it's nice to have a meal in the freezer all ready to pull out and re-heat......

During the week we held our 'Biggest Morning Tea' in aid of Cancer research and this year we had a "bake off" just to add some interest to the event......it turns out we have some seriously talented cooks in our office .......here are the winners in the "sweet" category......a sticky date cake with strawberries and caramel sauce.......

and lemon meringue tarts.......



we also had a "best presented purchased sweet"........the winner was this clever adaptation of small chocolate muffins with a biscuit base and licorice for handles....

I didn't make any of the above.....I made my old favourite ....well it's Peg's actually .....Malteser slice.....and some of it even made it to the morning tea LOL

Last night I ventured into "enemy territory" when I went to the Crows v Collingwood match in Adelaide.........Collingwood supporters were of course in the minority....but we had cause to celebrate (and we did) with a win!  Fireworks were added to the usual running through the banner for the Crows players.....Collingwood players were warming up downwind.........*cough cough*

....the boys walking back from thanking their cheer squad and fans after the game...the stands certainly empty out pretty quickly! In fact I think some fans must have been on parking meters which were about to expire as they left the ground half way through the last quarter........surely it wouldn't have been because their team was losing ....No.......

We had some guys sitting directly behind us who had quite possibly the loudest voices I have ever heard.....they were hilarious and kept us entertained all through the game.......not sure who was the designated driver and I hope they got to Hove .....there was quite an ongoing discussion about where it was and how they were going to get there....boys!!

During the week my Mothers' Day pressie from Mark and Terri arrived.......Love the Royal Mail sticker.....fitting for a Princess of course!  Rose had previously sent an email to Mark suggesting something from the V&A may be an appropriate gift....LOL......and lo.....looked what arrived....thanks guys ...I love it!   An address book with colour plates of CFA Voysey's work.....stunning! 

I will just pencil their address in ....I am sure it will change a couple of times while they are in London.

well.....not much else happening here......I have some hand stitching prepped to get on with tonight.....I didn't manage to get into the sewing room this weekend.....maybe next weekend!

'Til next time........................Lorraine

The partridge and the pear tree ..... done!!

Can't believe another weekend is over!!  It was an early start this morning as all the dogs in the neighbourhood heralded the arrival of a hot air balloon overhead......perfect weather for it.....cold, clear and still....and after it was gone....quiet!

I got most the household stuff done yesterday and had a friend come for lunch.....whipped up a lasagne which will also last me for a few more meals...and a batch of scones which we had afterwards with jam and cream....well....not all of them of course!!. I am enjoying getting into some cooking lately...freezing meals for during the week when I can't be bothered to cook after getting home from work....today I roasted some pumpkin, sweet potato, onion and carrots and made soup.....it's perfect weather for it!  That will be lunches for a couple of days this week......so whilst I haven't been spending much time in the sewing room I have been getting creative in the kitchen. 

Came home from work on Friday night and found I (along with quite a few other households I suspect) was without phone and internet...yikes...cut off from the world....well I would have been except for the iPad and mobile...!  Not sure if it was a planned outage or a mistake.....but it wasn't restored until late this afternoon. 

Not much blog-worthy going on here....I did finish my Partridge in a Pear tree wallhanging.....and am really pleased with the way it turned out.

The church pew it has been photographed on has been languishing outside since I moved into the house two years ago....so a couple of weeks ago I de-spidered it and bought it in and put it where I had always thought it should go....hey...better late than never  LOL  It was in need of some TLC so I gave it a good sand and a few coats of Danish Oil and it's looking good.

Time for dinner and to settle in for the evening with some hand stitching and a bit of TV.....MotoGP is on the viewing list a little later with a bit of Downton Abbey beforehand......Loz living life on the edge....LOL

'Til next time......Lorraine 

Good times...

It was a busy weekend at Chez Loz.....Saturday saw me entertaining the Farmers Wife girls....note to self.....I need more chairs!!!  Always good to catch up with Claire, Val, Shay, Tara and Denise....Kris made a cameo appearance while she was over from Victoria visiting family......always a welcome addition to the group!  Lots of talking/eating etc ...you know how it goes!  ....and Shay bought fudge with her......hmmmmmmm....I may have had a few pieces....allegedly......

This is Val's FW book complete with fabrics choices for blocks and completed blocks.....

I am not quite that organised......and have only done a couple of blocks.......I worked on my wallhanging started in Port Pirie.....finished the tree/bird/pears stitchery and added the 3D leaves.....really happy with the way this is coming along......must get busy with the FW blocks though......soon......

Shay stitched the binding on this colourful beauty.....a gift for a friend.......

Tara bought along the blocks she has completed.....stitched into rows.....looking good.....

....and also her Mrs Billings top.....all up to date and waiting for the next block to arrive......as much as I am tempted I have resisted and won't be adding this quilt to my "to do" list.....I already have to live to be 200 in order to make a dent in that list!



Kris isn't doing the FW quilt but continued with her Pies and Tarts........pretty sure she was working on this when we went for a beach house holiday a couple of years ago....but you can't hurry these projects......



Had a fantastic time with the girls......so much to talk and laugh about......

Rhiannon and Wade arrived on Saturday evening and stayed the night - it was lovely to have them here for Mother's Day......they took me to lunch .......

.......and spoilt me with goodies.......who doesn't love flowers, choccies, perfume and bling!! .....thanks guys!!!

Loved having them stay with me and the house was very quiet again last night.....

Mark and Terri skyped me  (gotta love technology) on Saturday night to wish me a happy Mother's Day.......lovely sunny day in London and they were enjoying some time in the park...along with quite a number of other people!  Mark sent this pic to say Happy Mother's Day.........

Couldn't finish this post without a pic of the perfect ending to lunch yesterday......Lemon Meringue pie....my favourite dessert! 

'Til next time.............Lorraine

A little bit of this.....a little bit of that.......

Not much happening in Chez Loz lately.....the weekend flew by .....and here we are mid week again......

...on Sunday I finally made a start on some machine sewing....it's been a while since I got into the sewing room ....so I started cutting........

.....dusted off the machine.......

and got started......I have had the Granny Square quilt pattern from  here sitting on my coffee table for weeks.....so it was great to finally get going on it......

I only got a couple of blocks made....but have several more ready to go ........

I am enjoying the simplicity of this block and can't wait to get some more done........

During the evenings I have been doing some hand stitching.......on the projects I started at the Country Hart stitching weekend....

Melissa Grant's "In a Pear Tree" wallhanging........

......and Helen's Sewing Chatelaine..........

Oh....and just for fun a I made a few of these......I have no idea what I am going to do with them...but they sure are cute!

One thing I haven't been working on is my Farmers Wife blocks and I will be found out when the girls come for stitching on Saturday.......oops!!  Perhaps I will get a couple done before they get here......maybe......

Today would have been Dad's birthday...he passed away a few years ago but there isn't a day goes by that I don't think of him....so I will end this post today with one of my favourite photos of him.....Miss you Ekkers ...xx

'Til next time..................Lorraine

Scavenger Hunt - April

..........thanks to Kathy who organises the Scavenger Hunt ......

Here are my pics for April...........

Amazing..........
(I went to the supermarket for four things and came home with four things!! Truly amazing!!)

Can't live without.........Rose.......

Direction......

In/Out......struggled with this one......the girls were in when they wanted to be out......

Indulgence........books to be read and listened to .......

Multi coloured.....

On the move..................on the road home from a weekend away.......

Rock...... the Grampians.......

Smile.....in this case two of them....Helen and Melissa at Country Hart.......

Spring...a novel use for an old bed spring......this pin cushion was received in a swap a couple of years ago.....love it!

Sticky.......Golden Syrup....used in the making of my Anzac biscuits last week.....

Tangle..........

Look for more Scavenger Hunt pics here...........

'Til next time..................Lorraine

Country Hart.......

I was up at sparrow fart yesterday to get the girls to the kennel ....they were happy to be going out and think going to the kennel is a great adventure ......but then when you are 2 (Lexi's birthday was today) and almost 2 (Rose turns 2 on Tuesday) everything is an adventure!

It was a cool start to the day....with the sun rising over the mist.......

.
Also with me for the early start were these two girls........although they refused to come out of the basket to check out the sunrise....said it was too cold....

And this is where we were going.......Country Hart in Port Pirie for a weekend of stitching with Helen Stubbings and Melissa Grant..........here are the girls with the lovely Abbie......

Didn't take long for Peg and Dale to get up close and personal with Helen......

Melissa about to impart her rose making knowlege to our table....

Robyn welcomed us all to her new shop (she hasn't moved in yet but decided to hold the classes there this weekend....) and as always she had done a brilliant job of making us feel welcome with goodie bags bulging with ....goodies! (who knew!!)  .......

...and fun decorations..............who knew a stack of embroidery hoops with a base and lid ....

........could make this useful container! 

Thanks to Robyn, Steve, Abbie and Sarah (and of course Helen and Melissa) for a wonderful weekend full of fun, food and great company.  The giveaways were plentiful and generous and I even got some stitching done.....(pics to follow).........although tonight I am a little concerned that my two erstwhile companions Peg and Dale are missing from my basket........yikes......where could they be???  I did see them loitering and whispering to each other in the vicinity of this suitcase......

........who does it belong to?  ..........................Watch this space!

'til next time..........................Lorraine