Featured Hottie Number 27

Oooh look at that gorgeous chenille! This lovely soft and snuggly hottie is by Selina from Selina's Vintage.

She put a pink and red flower on it... just for me!

Definitely warm and snuggly.

Thankyou Selina.... and good luck with the house move.

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Hottie Flickr Group and the Hottie Exhibition Group

Why timing is everything

I arrived home late last Monday night, tired, cranky, and even a little bit teary (over *emotional much)?

It was cold and wet and dark but as I checked the letterbox, there was an unexpected package inside. A beautiful floral tea towel from the Paris Flea Market.

Uhuh! The PARIS Flea Market.... in FRANCE

While Selina was off enjoying her holiday in Paris, she spotted this and thought I would love it (as of course I do).

There will be no sharp implements allowed anywhere near this tea towel. I'm going to get my brother to make me a stretcher frame in the right size, so that I can make it into a piece of wall art....

Oh, and the chocolate, well I'm sure you can work out the fate of that after a week at my place?

Thankyou so much Selina - you absolutely turned my day around (more than you know)!


*after a visit to the Specialist last week, he thinks that it's time to go forward with the pre-testing for a lung transplant to determine whether I can be added to the waiting list. I'm still absorbing the news..... but I have started a new blog..... because what else would I do at a time like this?

A Kitcheny Bon Voyage

I actually managed to tick something off the BIG (whoops, typed BOG the first time) sewing list yesterday.

It's a Kitchenaid Mixer Cover for Margaret from Konstant Kaos.

I really like the crispness of the black and white together.... and it matches perfectly with my CurlyPops labels too!

Now for the Bon Voyage part of this post:

Selina is heading off on the trip of a lifetime (to Paris) tomorrow, and planning for her medical needs during the trip has been quite a stressful experience. I think it would be lovely if as many lovely peeps as possible could pop on over to her blog and wish her Bon Voyage before she leaves. I'd really appreciate it if you could!

Have a happy weekend!

Mini Me

Now that some of the christmas pressies have been sent and received, I can finally start blogging them.

These two came from requests for mini sized iPod pouches. I have a little old iPod myself, so I probably should whip up another for me (that'll never get done ha)!

The back side has a little pocket for earphones. I'm admiring my super straight stitching on that binding.... that doesn't happen very often!

I know that one recipient is very happy, so I hope the other one gets a lovely suprise on christmas day.

NQR (Not Quite Right)

Do you remember that I had very exciting plans for this lovely woollen jumper from the oppy?

I thought it would be best to give it a hot wash before I tried to cut it, just to make absolutely sure that it had been properly felted (or fulled). I've never used the hot wash cycle on my front loader, so I cranked the dial up to 90 degrees, added some detergent (not sure whether I should have or not), and let it run through a cycle.

Now this is not exactly the result I was looking for!

Selina, please stop laughing now.

A bit of pink and blue

One of my favourite tea towels found a new home this week.

I originally received this one from Selina at Selina's Vintage in April.

I teamed it up with some pretty pink and blue florals, and my favourite pink polkadots for the trim and straps.

After languishing in the freezing cold state of Victoria for the entire length of Winter (plus some), it has now headed back north to whence it came.......... for a new life with Lisa in the Cute as Buttons household.

I'm hoping that it's thawed out by now!

Co-incidence

Do you remember the Disneyland tea towel that Selina sent me a couple of weeks ago?

It's now become an apron for Katy

.... and as a happy co-incidence today, check out this post over at Lucy Bowler

When the going gets tough....

The tough go shopping..... crafty online shopping that is of course!

I saw these beautiful Sheeps Clothing mug cozies on Staceys blog a couple of weeks ago, so I couldn't resist. I ordered a pink one for me (of course), a green one for my older sister, and a purple one for my younger sister.

The colours are just amazing, really deep and rich, and they're so soft. I delivered the green one today, and I'll be handing over the purple one on the weekend. It makes me want to go and make a cuppa just so I can use mine. If you need to buy a gift that would suit anyone, then one of these would be perfect!

I also bought another little gift just for me. I've been meaning to make myself a needlecase forever! I always end up with a huge mess when I try to pack up my sewing supplies for crafty days out.

I spied this one over at Selina's Vintage. Selina has used vintage chenille and a vintage hanky to create this gorgeous needlecase.

Inside has plenty of room for lots of pins and needles....

.... and there was also an extra special suprise of vintage tea towels! How cool is this one from Disneyland? Thankyou so much Selina.

Sweet parcels in the mail

I arrived home lastnight to find two parcels waiting for me squeezed into my little mailbox (I might need to do something about that).

I was the super lucky winner of the Selina's Vintage mystery giveaway. Well, the mystery parcel included vintage fabrics, vintage pillowcases, chenille, beautiful trims and buttons, and the cutest magnetic postcard for my fridge.

Thankyou so much Selina.... I'm imagining some gorgeous creations as I type!

.... and in the other parcel was the fabulous 1983 teatowel in brand new pristine condition from Jannimary, who won my embroidered doiley giveaway.

Thanks so much Janice!

I'd better get back to working on my Snailblazer swap goodies.... I'm running late (and blaming the horrible lurgy).

In my letterbox

Lovely things have arrived in my letterbox this week....


I won this beautiful flannel bunny in Miss Muggins' Easter Giveaway. She doesn't have a proper home just yet, as I'm a little disorganised, so she's currently minding my books in the bookcase.

I've christened her Missy. She looks like a Missy, and I think it suits her to a tee.

I'm planning on making a new home where she can join Jane the Kiwi, Esther Bunny, and Cherry.

I also received a lovely package of teatowels from Selina at Selina's Vintage.........

They're all beautiful, but this one is my favourite. 1974 was the best year! .

Thanks so much Laurel and Selina!

Eye Spy..... a magic elixir

Such a fabulous theme today! I could show you my medicine box full of magic tricks, but I much prefer to eat my troubles away (where possible)....


If I'm feeling under the weather (especially around cold and flu season), then there's nothing better than my magic chicken and vegie soup. The only problem is that it needs to be pre-made and in the freezer already, because if I'm sick, then I'm definitely not going to have the energy to actually make it!

Which is why there is a back up plan....

If all else fails, then instant chicken noodle soup and a packet of plain potato chips usually does the trick. These are two staples which must be in the pantry at all times.

For general wellbeing and happiness, I recommend keeping a stash of magic chocolate elixirs in the cupboard. You can never be too sure about when you might have an emergency chocolate craving.

To wash down all of the sugar and fat and salt, I always keep a good supply of coffee, tea, and most importantly.... raspberry cordial!

I'm sure there's a very good reason why most people try to keep their kiddies away from red food colouring. It works wonders for me, peps me up every time. Who needs alcohol when you have raspberry cordial on hand?

Thankyou Amy for this weeks funny theme. Head on over and say hi to Cindy to play along.

PS - Check out the magical Mars Bar Cheesecake over at Selina's Vintage and enter her giveaway.