Too Cute Tunic

Hello Blog I'm still here! I've been super busy with muesli. Muesli mania hits when the sun comes out so that's what I've been doing. Sometimes I find rolled oats in my hair, under my shoes & even down my bra. Ooops how did you get down there. Before this madness kicked off I did squeeze in some sewing. I have been aching to make the Too Cute Tunic in the crafty book Sew La Tea Do created by the fabulous Pip Lincolne over at Meet Me At Mikes. But I converted it into a smock top as I had this super cute fabric but not quite enough for a complete dress. I did have enough for some pockies on the front and tidied up the edges by sewing buttons over my not so neat finishes with bias binding. 

Pip's patterns are very simple, easy and great for beginners. I've been sewing (if you call it that) on & off since I was 8 yrs old but the book is quite clear on how to have NEAT finishes which is something I have never REALLY made much effort to do. I ironed, trimmed, used pinking shears & measured twice! So here is my Too Cute Tunic with tidy trim and neat corners. 

Prawn World

Just back from a weekend away back to our new favourite holiday spot Omori by Lake Taupo in the middle of the North Island. It was a long weekend here and we hit the road early Friday with only one car sick stop for Oscar on our 3.5 hour journey. NZ roads are SOOOO windy they make me feel sick if I am not focused on the fabulous green valleys & trout filled streams out the window.

 The big focus of this little holiday was a trip to the Huka Prawn Park which we were calling Prawn World until both my neighbour & mother misheard this as PORN WORLD. Hello why would be taking Oscar to PORN WORLD ladies. Made for very interesting conversation if not a confusing one!

The Prawn Park is near the mighty Huka Falls and also on a geothermal site so the water is nice & toasty for the Malaysian prawns to swim in. There were heaps of things to do at the Prawn Park and Nic hooked right into Prawn Fishing with the rods provided, trying to catch a bucket of prawns. 1 hour of baiting & waiting he caught one!

Oscar and I went on the nature walk looking for some brown trout to feed but the sun wasn't shining so the fish weren't biting. The adventure playground was cool with a giant tunnel made from industrial pipe works and giant prawn pots with springs on the bottom like a bouncy trampoline. Oscar loved it. Go little prawns!

We also had a paddle in the mineral water foot bath then checked out the restaurant passing on the $80 prawn platters and grabbed coffees to drink while feeding the ducks. All we needed was a sighting of the world famous Shawn the Prawn but alas it was his day off. WE HEART YOU PRAWN WORLD!

Recent Record Finds

Just got back from the Operatic Societies 24 Hour Book Sale which is a very big book fair here in New Plymouth. Its held annually in the local stadium and - you guessed it - runs for 24 hours only! It kicked off at midday today so off Oscar & I went with some hope there might be a Thomas Tank Engine book left for us. Alas they had been picked clean. We had a really good rummage too but you have to be in first at these fairs to get what you want. The only book we purchased was a book on Vehicles which I can't currently wrestle from Oscars clutches to take a pic of. 

But we had better luck over in the LPs section and I'm really pleased with my haul. Nothing over $4 and the cheapest was the Joan Baez "Portrait of Joan Baez" for a mere $2. I've been listening to Kate Bush's "Kick Inside" recently so was chuffed to pick that up for $3 and the Rod Stewart ""Every Picture Tells a Story" gatefold with Ron Wood & The Faces is a steal at $2. The cover is a bit battered but record perfect. When I paid for my bargains a grey haired lady with "Joy" on her name tag said to me with a twinke in her eye "Ooooh Kris Kristofferson, he's so handsome isn't he". Yes Joy he is!

Thinking of Christmas

I know its only September but I have already started thinking about Xmas. Possibly because my in laws will be flying over from Geelong, Australia & also Oscar will be almost 3 years old & will hopefully "get it". AND more than likely because Alicia Paulson over at Posy Gets Cosy has her adorable Xmas felt craft decor kits up for sale. I am VERY tempted to buy the Walk in the Woods kit with its little gingerbread house and woodland fawn. The shipping is very pricey as with most online shipping in the US.

Come on Xmas!

My New Print by Annie Sandano

Today I hung some new art that I received as a collective birthday gift from my folks, my inlaws & my husband Nic. Its a woodcut limited edition print by Annie Sandano who is a Brazilian born New Zealander. She combines Maori design with folk art & favours colours black, red & orange. This print is called "Fantails On Kura Landscape". I am quite obsessed with birdies, folk art & shades of Russian Red & Burnt Orange which can be seen all through our home.

I bought this print from a local crafty gallery Kina NZ and could spend a small fortune there if I had it. The owner Luella is really helpful and friendly and let me have this print on lay by for sometime! She also put me onto a great local picture framer & helped me choose the right colour frame too. 

Loving my new print thank you to my family for a beautiful birthday gift.

Stony Oaks Wildlife Park

Our local Playcentre organised a trip to Stony Oaks Wildlife Park as part of our Spring theme so off we went with our gumboots and morning tea out to Inglewood on a cloudy damp typical Spring-in-Taranaki Day. I was excited for Oscar to see some more unusual animals aside from the usual sheep & cows we see on our daily drives and heard there were baby Nubian goats, pheasant chicks & even a Highland Cattle calf. 

But the flavour of the day with Oscar was......................the cow! Yep, the good old brown bovine was loved & adored by all. She looked a bit old & tired but didn''t mind all the hugs & attention.

Somehow Oscar got it in his head he had to RIDE the cow. I'm just glad the cow just lay there because she was massive. The rest of the morning was spent chasing small animals and cuddling bunnies & guinea pigs. Stony Oaks is a fabulous experience and we'll be back there soon for more cow rides.

I am a One Handed Wonder Mum

This may be a short post but it will take me forever to write as a fumble along with one hand all swathed in bandage and the other clumsily typing (hurrah for spell check!). But now have to get used to having only one hand for at least 2 weeks until I get these sutures out and dressings off. This will make my days interesting!

  So I've just had a spot of surgery today on a very bad case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. When I was 1st diagnosed with this I thought "but that's an old ladies ailment" however have since discovered it is very common in women and aggravated during pregnancy. Along with the repetition of yanking trays of muesli out of the oven the last 18 months have meant I can barely pick up a piece of paper and the agony at night has left me with broken sleep. So at long last my number was called and I had the operation at Taranaki Base Hospital. What a bright efficient bunch of staff & the surgeon was super fast (completed in 13 minutes) and APPARENTLY has sewn some very tidy sutures. Although we all questioned his bandaging technique however Dr  assured me my overstuffed dressing would welcome much sympathy my way. More jelly on my ice cream please.