No such thing as bad weather?

Jeez Louise, yesterday was the wettest and wildest day we have had for a long time!!!  I even resorted to my Granny raincoat when going to get the chicken feed from the chicken farm.  I looked old amazing!! From the chicken farm I took a back road in the country and went to Dawns, my potty friend.   Her grand daughter has the cutest ever lamb for, I think they call it calf club at school.  Which is silly really when it ain't a calf.  So lets call it farm animal day!!  City kids miss out on all this sort of fun.  Imagine if we sent our kids to school with the family cat or dog.  Talk about mayhem!!  Anyway once Dawn had fed the bleating wee lamb we indulged in hot drinks and a catch up before heading over to her studio.

My baby peas were all finished.  This is my boys, Max and Jak!!

Of course Dawns ones are much bigger, she is always amused that I work in miniature compared to her.  No playing with clay for me as I had to keep on moving.  But I did get some photos of some new things she is working on and her fabulous Fertility Goddess.  Years ago she used to make things in salt dough so some of her old creations are now making it into her clay work.

Fertility Goddess in all her glory!!!

One of the new creations, ornamental and over sized Tea-pot!!

I cannot wait to see this all colourful and shiny!!

Retro old lady bust, which will look fabulous when all glazed!!

Today of course was SuesDay!!!  And a rather beautiful sunny day it was too.  Although it was fricken cold, we had an icy breeze today as it had snowed down the line.  Sue got in extra early this morning so we hit a couple of places before her date with JC.  Then we went to 6 more op shops before we headed back to my place for lunch.  I got an old stool ($5) that I am in the middle of pimping out with my oil cloth and all will be revealed when it is finished.  The rest of my booty is here.  Half apron for $1, fabric runner for $1, cute crocheted and beaded cloth that you put on top of bowls $1-50, and the most comfortable brand new shoes for $10, very good brand so was worth the tenna!!  After lunch we went to one more op shop and then to the base as bags of soil I needed were on sale at the Warehouse and I so want to finish my last garden off.  We found some great signs at the Warehouse that just had to be purchased.  So mine are the following, one for TOFs outside room and one for, well you will know where when you see it!!

While we were out and about today Sue needed to go to the bank.  While parked waiting for her I took photos of this meter box.  All round town these have been painted by different people, students, artists etc.  I really need to take pics of some of the others as they are really quite cool.  Talk about vamp up a dull old meter box!!  Some of our bus shelters have been painted now as well, and I must admit, they look pretty good, lets hope the taggers don't screw it up by dong their thing all over the top.

Crazy cows and wicked trees!!  Love it!!  Being in the greater Waikato area and surrounded by farms this seems so appropriate.

Our Waikato River has numerous bridges crossing it and this one would have to be Fairfield Bridge, my favourite one.

While we were out and about, TOF was in the kitchen baking.  Today he made his all time favourite oat and chocolate cookies.  These are divine, but not so good when you are tying your best to lose a bit of weight!!

Yesterday he made a golden syrup sultana loaf.  Mmmmm!!!!

Just remembered that I bought a dress today that I forgot to take a photo of, mainly because it is in the wash.  But it is black with white polka dots!!!  It's rather nice!!  Well tomorrow is date day seen as with TOF being home and we do the grocery shop during the day now.  We used to call it date night, and we will go back to shopping at night when he gets another job.  Grocery shopping with TOF is amusing to say the least.  Last week we found a balloon in one of the isles so we played soccer with it.  With a bit of luck I will get my garden finished in the afternoon if the weather permits or I will have to get the granny coat out again.

♥♥♥ Night all ♥♥♥

hey mother nature, you've left the sprinkler on!!

So much rain that I wondered if TOF was going to have build us an Ark!!  Upside of the rain and there is an upside, because there has to be an upside to everything.  Well the upside was, I didn't have to water my NEW garden once I had planted some plants in it!! In between all the down pours I moved broken concrete and constructed not only this garden but another one.

TOF isn't overly keen on my wobbly walls but I think they have character and in time plants will grow in the cracks and with the dirt packed in behind they won't be all wobbly forever!! I quite like wobbly and crooked.

I snuck this garden in right next to TOFs strawberry patch!!  I am not allowed to touch his sacred vege garden so I have moved in next door!!  The Yukka was already there so I just striped the bottom leaves off it.  We visited our friends in the country and I came home with not only the Calais Lily bulbs but a pot full of Pinky coloured poppy plants.  They have seeded everywhere at her place.  I gave her some of my red ones so good swap!!

This is the other garden which still needs compost and soil in it.  Seriously considering throwing an entire packet of Wild flower seeds in this with some sweet peas at the back.  The other one that I am going to add some of my vegetable seedlings to it when they are big enough to leave the nursery!!  My garden has so many gorgeous coloured flowers in it at the moment that I couldn't resist a wee photo shoot with them.

I love how mother nature mixes her colours up on one flower!!

Delicate Primulas and huge White Calais Lilies

And my Sweet Peas are growing everyday, makes me proud!!

But today was Monday so no gardening for me, no way, I had work,  fun!!!  Yes Monday FunDay was today.

I went for a layered look of red and black using some of my latest finds.  You may recognize the red slip dress and the chiffon over dress from last weeks SuesDay.  Even Oscar wore Red this morning!!  TOF dropped me off as he still isn't working but the good news is he has a couple of strong possibilities, so keep your fingers crossed with me that he will be back out working very soon.  He admitted to being some what bored today, with me not home and the weather still playing silly buggers and raining.  It rained so much last night that it flooded the floor of the shop and set off the alarm.  Loads of towels and blanket every where this morning that had to be packed up.  Then I discovered other places in the shop where it had leaked so I did alot of mopping up of water this morning and trying to dry a few coats that got slightly wet.  So wet and wild in fact that  a duck with 5 little ducklings was outside looking quite lost and stressed.  Between me, my sister and a customer we got them rounded up while waiting for help.  I phoned the SPCA who told me they couldn't come, couldn't I catch them??  Yeah right, I'm at work, I'll just close the shop and do your job aye!!  They then suggested I phone the police as some ducklings had been delivered to them already by some police.  Thinking this was odd I did phone them and finally got an answer, glad it wasn't an emergency!!!  They said phone the SPCA, so I told them what I had been told, they suggested the City Council and I said they will say SPCA.  After all, what does SPCA stand for, something to do with Animals isn't it??  Ducks are animals!!  Then I got diverted to police control which just happened to be in Auckland for god sake!!  Re told my story yet again and the helpful and sympathetic lady, and she was, said I will log it as a job and get help.  Not longer after SPCA rang me back and guess what??  They were on their way.  Bet the POLICE told them off good and proper!!!  Long story short my sister and another lady with the SPCA lady finally rounded up the duck, which indecently turned out to be a drake so presumably the dad, and all the duckling.  Apparently Dad ducks take care, and I use the word care lightly, of the ducklings during the day, while mum is out getting food.  Well this Dad duck FAILED!!!

After such an eventful day it was rather nice to get home to my slippers and a hot Earl Grey.  The smell of Crock pot cooking greeted me (I had put lamb neck chops and loads of veg in it this morning) as I walked in the door with both dogs super excited to have mum home!!

I wonder how the rest of the week will pan out??

Don't my Tulips look lovely??!!

Look after any ducks you find as SPCA are a little slow to respond and police cars aren't for duck.  We did consider the fire brigade, now that would have been great, but we wanted the young good looking ones!!

♥  Good night all  ♥

Tip toeing through tulips with TOF

Today was the annual Tulip festival hosted by the Dutch Society at the Hamilton Gardens.  I had told TOF about it thinking he more than likely wouldn't be interested but he surprised me and said "lets go".  Must have spun him a great yarn about what it would be like!!  The Tulips are all planted up in the Victorian Garden which is the oldest part of the gardens and by a busy main road.  So we saw them as we drove past.  And that was the only time we saw them. But they look amazing and I may go back through the week with my big camera if we get a nice day.  Maybe my SuesDay partner might like a leisurely walk amongst the Tulips!!  I will pack a Ukelele so she can perform her tiny Tim song!!

We had a nice old wander around the gardens by the Pavilion where the festival was held.  The photo above is TOF near the Camellia Lawn.  With all the rain we have had of late everything was looking decidedly lush outside.  I love the huge old trees like this one.  On closer inspection a fare few young lovers have carved their names into the trunk.  I accept that I guess, but I hate see trees tagged with spray paint!! Well back to the festival.  There were a few food stalls with amazing looking temptations but we didn't end up buying any food as we had indulged in a big cooked breakfast this morning.  Inside the Pavilion there were stalls selling Dutch things of course!!  I love how the elderly ladies were dressed in their national costumes.  There were a couple of old dudes selling beautiful wood craft, and ladies selling Tulips of course.  For entertainment there were groups of young girls dancing, nothing traditional as far as I saw but lovely all the same.  I noticed how TOFs eyes were glazing over with the look of "get me out of here" so we abandoned the building for the greater out doors.

See I love all these cultural festivals, craft shows, and just generally slinking around the gardens on a nice day.  But I thought I wouldn't push my luck with TOF as the Hispanic  Festival is the next event I want to go to, in two weeks time.  He is keen as he imagines scantily clad young  girls dancing!!  There will be things for sale there as well as food and I am hoping I can find a nice Alpaca Poncho.  With a bit of luck there will be some clothing stalls.

 

Of course I purchased some Tulips as you do when you go to such events.  The dear old lady with a very heavy dutch accent all dressed up in her traditional garb was so lovely.  How could I say no??  And I do love my spring flowers. They look so gorgeous in my Nana's old vase. Must get some bulbs and grow some Tulips, there come in the most amazing colours.

Then there was the sweetest elderly gent inside selling his lovely wooden turned pots.  This one is made of NZ Rimu and so beautiful and he only wanted $5!!  If I had more cash on me I would have got more of them.  This one is approx 10cm high and 9cm wide.  So much work goes into making these, and it also reminded me of my late Grandpa Bill, he had a lathe.  I still have a candle holder he turned for me made from the wood of the old peach tree he cut down.

That was the morning all used up so this afternoon as promised I got out side and set to moving and arranging my broken concrete.  So far I have made my gardens.  I have put a layer of wood shaving and chicken poo into both of them and one has a healthy serving of compost in it.  Then the sky fell apart and rained so I will continue with them tomorrow.  Hopefully they will be photo ready in the afternoon.  We are going out to visit some friends in the country who have some coloured Calais Lily plants for me.

♥ Goodnight ♥

latest aquisitions!!

This is just going to be shite loads of photos of stuff I have got this week.  Mostly from SuesDay on Wednesday, some from RTBS on Monday, and a little trip out today.

Cushion cover fully embroidered in a heavy thread, with a cushion inside, for a teensy weensy $2, from Red Cross.

I had a cat plate and like this when I was real young so this has to be pretty old, at least 40 odd years.  The little jug is old as well and I am thinking Crown Lyn but not sure, will get my Antiques Road Show friend to check its bottom for me.  Both for a delightful $4, from Salvation Army.

Srumdiddle purple maxi dress with beading around the neck and randomly here and there, just begging for summer to turn up,  $8 from St Vinnies.

All the clothes I photographed on my $20 solid wood Clothes stand that I got off Trade Me the other week.  The lady that sold it used to put her clothes out on it at night all ready for the next day.  I am never that organised!!

Crop jacket top thingy-ma-jig with ruffles and frills and colour on black for $3, from St Vinnies.

Chiffon tunic dress for $6, from Savemart.  Great for layering now and it is going to be perfect in summer.

A hippy-tastic (word borrowed from Vix) patchwork skirt that is ankle length on me and down right gorgeous, $6, from Save Mart.  I totally fell in love with this and it so reminds me of my teenage years spent at the beach!!!  Except now I need to wear a bra with the top I will wear with this!!

Fantabulous (word borrowed from Helga) fringed fabric that is going to be a table cloth on my outdoor table when summer arrives.  I am going to split part of it and bind and put buttons on it and a hole for the umbrella pole so I can put it on and off the table without taking down my enormous umbrella.  This is a NFS project but it will happen.  $9 from Save Mart.

Size 1 dungarees and check shirt for my Scarecrow that is at this stage another NFS but will happen as Sue W is doing it too.  Total of $6 from Save Mart.  Just hoping TOF will allow the Scarecrow in his vege garden.  Which by the way has been totally fenced off so none of the pets can get in there.  Leeks and spuds are in so far!!

Gorgeous tray clothes, top one $2 from RTBS and the bottom one $1-50 from Habitat.  Jak made me a wooden tray at school last year so these will be perfect in that.

RTBS has an old wringer washing machine full of $2 things and a big travel chest with $2 clothes.  We also have a $5 rack.  I love pricing the stuff for either of these, and every Monday when I work I restock both.

My Moroccon  Star tea light candle holders!!  Mmmmm, there was 4 but I limited myself to just these 2.  They are round 20cm with little doors that open to the candle area.  Glass and metal, and I am going to hang them in my garden at night.  The one on the left is dark blue and the other is a nice pinky plummy colour.  I had these on layby at RTBS and was paying them off with stuff I sold in the shop.  Not cheap but I had to have them, you know what that is like!!

Bright red crinkle satin slip dress with lace hem, $7 from Habitat today (sorry Sue W).  Super handy for under things now but cool for summer.  I like clothes I can wear any season the best!!

Chiffon sort of fabric floral dress that has covered buttons and fabric loops all down the front.  Such a nice dress apart from the 80s power dressing shoulder pads that will be removed.  $7 from Habitat.

I also got another pot full of (spelt incredibly incorrect) Ixieis.  A Spring flower, well bulb, tall like reeds with big pink flowers. $3 from Habitat. I will take a pic when I get them in the garden.

This little lot came from Look Smart, shop is all on sale, 50% off everything except, vintage, retro, dress up and uniforms.  Sale is on for another week or so and the shop is loaded as they closed their other shop so they are buldging at the seams!!

Navy blue and white spot scarf, 3 tiered black glass necklace, beautiful book on Venice, Reiker shoes, and a Speights hat for my brother in law.  All for a sweet $7-50.

Just a close up of the necklace as it truely is quite spectacular!!

My plan is to be in my garden tomorrow even if it rains.  Rain won't kill me!!  Have 2 more raised beds to make using broken concrete.  At this stage I have enough broken concrete to do about 1 and a 1/2 gardens but I have concrete to go collect so I should be right.  When they are finished and planted they will be presented here for you all to marvel at!!

I have so many seedlings growing that I need more places to plant them. My little green house is working really well.  Every seed I have planted is starting to pop up.

So another weekend is about to unfold and I wish you all a happy weekend doing things that make you happy with people that make you smile.

♥♥ Warm Fuzzies ♥♥

Flowering in the bloomin' rain!!

Today after being the supportive and dutiful wifey that I am, I just had to have a break from it all. So a quick wander around Habitat cured me of feeling slightly sick of putting on a cheerful face around TOF. How excited did I get when I picked up this wee coffee table for a sweet $7-50!!  Pretty excited, I can tell you.  Luckily for me Spotlight is just a hop skip and a jump from my place and had just what I required.  Colourful oil cloth, upholstery pins, and my creative juices kicked in.  Like a mad woman possessed I was home with all the necessary tools to get on with my task of transforming a simply plain and dreary table into a bloomin' good thing!!

Tah-frickin-dah!!!!

Pretty stoked with my new bloomin' table, and more so because today was a dreary old wet one.

close up before the gluing of edges

looking bloomin" gorgeous with my chairs

I don't have a pile of UFOs (unfinished objects), but I have a pile of NFSs (not farking started).  I kind of like to get something and do it straight away while the urge to do it is with me.  Otherwise they end up being shelved.  Now on the good news side of things, and there is some, my computer is back minus a few organs but in working condition.  The IT man told me it may live for 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months, or possibly even 3 years, there is know way to tell.  What sort of IT guy is he??  Who cares, it is back and I am able to load photos and blog!!! Although for some reason or another it is all set up in BIG print sort of like the Big print books you get from the library.  I have no need for my glasses as it is BIG.  Other good news is my seeds are going good in their cute as little green house, my Beetroot is up.  And as they say, you can beat an egg but you can't beet a root!!

Book fair and more gardening

There has been the annual Red Cross book fair on at the Race Course over the last 3 days. TOF and I went on friday and got ourselves some books. All only $3 each.  There was even a $1 room where I picked up 8 craft magazines called Handmade for $5.

Today Sue W came into town so we went back.  All I can say, is she got plenty of books!!  The new book shelf will be chocker block now.  I found a few more and only spent $13 all up. It was a leisurely way to spend part of sunday. And of course the company was up to standard.

Most of the weekend TOF and I spent gardening.  We have fenced of his vege garden so none of our pets can get in there and destroy it.  My love of raising seeds kicked in and I planted some Capsicums, Tomatoes, Spring Onions, Lettuce, Sweetcorn, and some Wildflowers.  Rediscovered my mini greenhouse and have it full of hope.  Like hope it all grows!!

This afternoon I was collecting broken concrete from the house in front of Max's flat.  This is going to be used in the creation of more raised garden beds.  Yes, I'm on a gardening roll.  Might end up selling my produce at my gate to all the school mums.  Could even get TOF to make his world famous in our house Russian Fudge!!

some of the books

Certainly hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for another week.  We are getting closer to summer here every day now which makes me feel incredibly happy.

~goodnight~

blogging not much fun

Due to only having my tablet and reduced to being a one finger typist, not my normal both hands touch typing, I probably won't do much posting here.  But I am still about and will check in on you other bloggers blogs! TOF has checked out some options work wise and after 20 odd years needed a CV of sorts.  So we threw one together and he is going to be putting it about.  Sounds dirty!  I was'nt sure how I felt about him being home with me but we have been moochin about.  I have been planting lots of seeds for the vege garden and tootling off as I do on SuesDay etc.  Sorry I can't add photos at the moment but they are still being taken. Putting them here is'nt proving that easy but ok on facebook.

Hope you all had a plesant week and are enjoying your weekend.