Xmas crafting

Everyone in Blogland is blogging Xmas craft so here is Aunty jumping on the band wagon. My house is starting to look very Christmassy thanks to some clever handmade felt Xmas tree decor posted to me from Oz with love from my mate over at Happygas blog and my own additions of Xmas bunting.

Spotlight have some very cool calico with Scandinavian prints on them. I managed to nab the green reindeer print for a mere $3m. I have used bias binding in the past to make bunting but once I calculated i needed about 18m of binding to dress up 6 windows at $2 per metre plus the cost of my fabric I was blowing my Xmas Scrooge miser budget big time! So I bought 3m of the $3 green fabric, cut 3m by 10cm strips and whipped up my own bias binding.

I also made what I call "cheats" bunting flags which are one sided cut with pinking shears but were quick & easy. Double sided bunting would look great from both sides above windows but time & money wouldn't allow. I think it all looks super cute and more homely than tinsel. 

10 days to Christmas...........

............and my true love gave to me. A visit to Playcentre from Santa Claus.

Who is that man in the red suit with gumboots on?

Hmmm - maybe if I hide behind the hill Santa will just pass on by with no fuss.

Oh Santa how did ya know I love Thomas! You're not so bad after all.

Local craft

I went to the KINA Design store Xmas shopping night, not just for the free champagne but to check out some local craft & art & do some Xmas browsing. Craft stores are few & far between in New Plymouth but KINA & MANU Design stores are both of a high quality and KINA especially supports local artists.

I did spot my sister in laws latest creations in the window display. She operates Maddy's Store via Facebook and specialises in vintage 50s blanket craft making cushions, hot water bottle covers, wheat bags and I spotted some of her Xmas decorations on the KINA Xmas tree. after a couple of glasses of bubbly I bought my sister a Paua shell brooch which KINA even posted to the UK for me and a red Xmas tree stocking with a Tui bird screen print. And here it is on my tree!

How To Be A Woman

I'm currently reading the hilarious chronicles of womanhood by Caitlin Moran. Many reviews claim this book to be the new feminist manifesto but its more a "lets laugh at the madness of womanhood" instead of this angry victim approach ultra feminists seem to take.

Caitlin Moran is a ballsy Brummy lass who has captured the foibles of adolescence and periods, unrequited love, bras, friendships and pubic hair masterfully. I have yet to read chapters "Pregnancy" & "Abortion" and guess this book can only get more gutsy yet funny. I also love Moran's "Cruella Deville" hair and her openly discussed love of her hairy muff also know as Wookie.

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!