Resolutions

I know, I know, it's been a shameful amount of time past since my last post, but I've been a busy gal!  Maybe more than ever.  This is the year to watch less TV and do more stuff.  So far already I've started up 3 new hobbies and that TV has taken a back seat.  The renovation loose end tie ups are slightly suffering as well, but we're in and we're happy, it'll happen.  Still to do and should be done very soon, the remaining exterior Hardie joint caulking, us to finish the exterior painting, get the garage looking tickety boo once again so we can use it for something and not just sit there, landscaping, few down spouts are out of whack.  Think that's about it.  A list shall be made tomorrow for the contractor coming on Mon or Tues.  We also had the insurance adjuster come by to check it all out to make sure we have the correct coverage for our new digs.  Hope to get some new home perks - not sure if we're new or not.  More than half is so...

So my new fun things to do for myself and with the family are these:  Geo-Caching, quilling and learning to sew.  Geo-caching is such a great way to get out and enjoy where you live and go to places you may never have thought to go, or places you've been but not in certain nooks and crannies.  We've hid a couple of our own caches too, which have been fun to put together and set.  Two, mind you, had to be moved as they were too close to other ones.  Oh well.

 First cache found. We didn't want anything from it, the hunt was fun enough.

See, we would never have seen this and several other boats abandoned in this fairly high end neighbourhood if we didn't Geo-Cache.   Cool/creepy.

Quilling is something I discovered via Pinterest, land of inspiration.  I kept seeing all these amazing monogram swirly letters and they looked so interesting to me.  Upon further research I learnt what was involved and knew that it'd be something that would suit me.  I LOVE piles of paper and fabric so it just made sense.  It came to me when I started that as a child I would always be rolling little pieces of paper between my fingers and it flooded back once I started.  My friend from Designs in Bloom and I will be participating in some summer craft fairs this year.  She with her blooms and me with my quilled cards.  I busily create about 2/day to get a plentiful stock ready in case they sell well, I can hope.  Think I'll be going with the business name 'Essy M Craft and Design' I think, I don't know yet, I think.

 I love my craft room. So glad we planned for it as I use it every single day, many times a day.

He's my favourite so far.  You need to hear how 'hello' sounds in my head.  Give it some gust-o when you say it.  This looks pretty basic, but man, it was quite hard and time consuming, but fun, not worth it if it isn't fun.

Ha, I just went to upload a photo of my craft room and it looks like a paper and glue bomb went off it there so it shall remain in my album, not on my post.  Wow, taking photos of your spaces sure can make you see what you've got going on.  For me, a mess.

Learning to sew is my other project on the go and a major challenge for me.  I naively went to the fabric store the other day to buy what they consider a simple skirt pattern.  Got it home and ick, I had no idea how to read any of it.  Been about 23 years since I last read a pattern in Home Ec. so you can imagine how much info retained, none.  Couple nights ago I attempted to make 'kimono slippers'.  It sort of went OK.  I just need to slow down and take my time and it will come.  Friday I'll head to a friends so she can teach me how to read a pattern and get a jump on my skirt.  I adore skirts so I want to utilise my heaps of fabric and turn them into skirts, glorious skirts.

First try at kimono slipper making.  The right foot was made first, eep, left was next with much less frustration.  Trick is to use no pins whereas the instructions say to use many pins.   Not a fan of too many pins, ouch.

Oh and of course there's also my plant hobby.  I'm not extremely immersed in the plant world but I do find it rewarding when something you've started from seed actually turns into a real live plant.  Today I seeded up 69 tomatoes, 9 basil, 16 strawberry and 16 physalis (Chinese Lanterns) plants.  When I prioritise I'll also get out to the garden and fix it all up again.  It's such a mess from all the construction.  We plan to remove a section of plant beds at the front to make room for more grass so I'll pot some of that up as well and have a little plant sale again.  Did it a few years ago with some success. We've a very quiet street so not many passer bys (I had written 'walkers' just then, thought of 'Walking Dead' and got scared and removed it, oops, got scared again).

So yeah, that's why I've not posted lately. Far too much too think about and far too much to learn and have fun with.  I will, however, get a shot of the living room up soon.  Other than not having our new sectional yet it's pretty much done in there. It is what it is for the time being.  There are so many kids about and kids come with stuff so stuff there shall be in my house.  Full stop.

Craft Room!

This has been a loooooong, long, long time coming, but I've finally created a space for a craft room.  Mostly for me to dilly dally away at whatever I fancy and for others to come in and use it too.  The latter is ONLY if they promise not to mess it all up!!!  I have a serious goal on learning how to sew skirts and to get back into Sumi Painting or rather learn again how to do it.

It's not totally finished yet, but I feel pretty pleased on the difference in there from this morning until this evening.  The first run of photos are before - be gone!  Please note the holes in the roller blind that were caused by our cat when she first me the dog we temporarily had.  Climbed right up to the top then flew across the room out the door!

 This used to be the boys' room!  Two kids in a bunk bed, twas a little squishy for them.  Then it became the storage room during house reno time, then it became the last place to dump things while the other rooms were being set up.  This is also the only totally original part left in the house.  We wonder if was at some point some sort of bathroom, hard to say.  

 Felt a little bad taking motorcycle man off the wall.  He lived at the lower bunk level.

Hmm, wonder if I can find a photo of their old bedroom.  Would've have been silly not to have taken one.

 Love that original detail for the door header.

 This is it now.  Not loving that corner, but hubby needs to put his dresser some place.  That wee closet is now not usable as it opens to the 2 x 4's to the stairs.  I can still use it for craft punch storage hung from the door inside...still to happen.

These are the 'Janette' drapes from Ikea which I had originally chosen for the dining room.  They were feeling a little too jazzy for that room, but serve well for a creative space.  Superman may or may not stay, he's kind of fun.  

I may paint the walls a navy blue at some point or white, but everything seems to be white in our house right now so some wall colour might be a nice change.

 Used the boys' old Bakugan board for putting up things that are of the moment for me.

 Love a peacock lantern.  Doesn't really go with the room that great, but it's pretty fun so I'll go with it.

A nice contained area for all the rolls of things that are needed for whatever.

Yay, bought a Roomba today!  With all this new floor space sweeping has become a major and constant undertaking. It's had it's first run tonight and I look forward to many more days of it working for me.  It has been named 'Buckety Boo' and 'Guns' by the kiddos.