compare and contrast - start and end

It was the kids last day of school today. The twins finished their first year of prep. Amazing really. Where has that time gone? But all the same they have grown and learned so much in that period.

Here are the munchkins at the start of Feb ready for their first day...

And here are Spencer and Benji in the same positions (pure luck rather than good management) at the end of the year. Much more confident and ready for adventure.

 The same for the picture of all three - all of them look like different kids. 

A big wish

Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since mum was sent home from hospital - the neurology ward. In the last 6weeks we have been on an incredible roller coaster ride, with dad receiving treatment for cancer and in the same week he came out of hospital, he was sitting in an ambulance with mum.
With days spent by her bedside, we were expecting, and told, the worst with brain surgery scheduled for the Wednesday. About 10 minutes later, a doctor was back in the room explaining there may be some discrepancies with their diagnosis and we would no more in the morning. That Tuesday morning, mum was in a diffent room and we were chatting waiting for the doctor - on a knife edge but still expecting the worst. Then a registrar came in to discharge her. Of course we were suggesting he was in the wrong room - but then we saw a doctor who said they were 95 percent sure it was a bleed and she was going home that day. We didn't even have any shoes for mum to go home in - that is how unexpected the news was. Now it is a month later and a follow up scan is scheduled for tomorrow.
Mum has been doing well, adjusting tot he medication and taking it slowly. She has been up and down in her outlook and it is hard for all of us to do anything without thinking about 14 August. No plans are being made- it is hard to see the future beyond tomorrow. Mum thinks there is still a tumor and wants everything sorted by tomorrow. We are, as you can imagine, hoping with everything we have, that this was an isolated incident due to stress and self medication, and that she is going to be fine.
I was going to write her a letter to let her know how much I love her and want her to fight against anything that may be in our way- but I decided against it. Not that I don't feel that, but I don't want her to feel like I am yang goodbye just in case. She needs all our positivity and love and I know she knows how much she means to me. . I think the waiting and uncertainty is the hardest bit. Now just to get on with things until we know more of what our future holds.....

Apologies

Anyone who knows me has no doubt waited somewhere for me, or for something from me. Why?? Because I am ALWAYS late. My vision of myself is a wild haired lady crazily running from one thing to the next. This is by no means intentional, its just that I am easily sidetracked. Like today.
Today I am working from home. The actual work that brings in money...I did do some, but then I got a bit bored and started to think about other things. The other things in pinterest.

Yes Pinterest, that place which if full of ideas where time has no meaning. Its a bit like the pokies for me - terribly addictive but doesn't result in much, until today.

I had seen a tshirt on there that was so me and I made myself one.

 As one of the big squirrel's colleages just commented - no NOT pregnant, but maybe that's just HIS issue. Putting it on my top saves that little bit of time....

How I did it.

With my MARVELLOUS Silhouette cameo, I cut out the words on freezer paper. Set on a lightweight paper setting with the shiny side of the freezer paper DOWN. This way it comes off the sticky mat easily and means you do not need to flip the fo

Then I ironed the freezer paper onto a tshirt

As I am not only late but inherently lazy, I used these fabric pastels to colour in the tshirt. Why? I couldn't find my fabric paint but I did find my lost felting tools - yeah!!

The fabric pastels are simply that - and I coloured in from the outer edge in. It worked best if I heated up the tshirt a little. This made the pastel melt and colour quicker.

Once happy with the depth of colour, a hot iron over a sheet of paper sets the pastel. Once this is done, I could remove the freezer paper stencil.

And ta-da completed shirt.

Thought I was being clever taking this picture on the computer instead of in the mirror - but found I had to flip that one anyway!

Emergency Refashion

I have a bit of a before and after for you today - all thanks to a mirror! I got dressed today, knowing I was spending the morning in the classroom. What I didn't know (until 8:30) was that it was walk to school day and we would be rushing to school on foot. 

 That is where the outfit began to come undone. It rode up, the petticoat rode down and it was all a bit hot mess. Not to mention the fundamental flaw that the dress does not suit my shape. In my imagination I am tall and willowy. This is not my reality. I made the dress last year and it is batwing and comes in towards the hem (fabric from Spotlight) I also made the cardi and leggings and clearly should take photos with some reflective aid prior to posing! Anyway .... I haven't worn the dress much because it is too much hard work. I need to wear a slip, heels and really work it which clearly wasnt happening today. Also it grips around my bum and hits in all the wrong spots.

 So I chopped it off! Simple as that - I marked where it needed to hem for a top and the rest - well I hung it around my neck and it became a scarf! Two rows of overlocking and two seams and I have a new piece which will get far more wear.

 Here are the after shots - with the aid of a bit of makeup and some lighting makes it all look so much better - but pared with my dark teal coloured jeans (Kmart for $19) all much better.

 Sooooo much better than before and all done while catching up on Y&R!!

Patchwork?

This pattern is in the new burda (Feb 2012) which I had to try. Mum and I did the rounds of the fabric shops last week for coloured ponti but remnant warehouse didn't turn up much, nor darn cheap. (subsequently I found a variety of colours at Lincraft) I got the beige at Remnant warehouse and the rest at Darn cheap. The citris is actually stretch velour and was a bit harder to manage.
I didn't have the pattern with me so didn't quite get enough fabric - particularly the grey - but it worked out in the end with the black on the bottom - which for me is better. The back is similar colour splicing except for the exposed zipper which runs all down the back.

That I will have to get on Monday so until then this is a work in progress.....

Football

Today was the annual Mothers Day round at Auskick. The gods were smiling on us mums today as the weather was perfect and the Dads organising it had actually staggered the matches, so that Mums with children in different year levels could play in each match. This was a little scary for me because the G3+ group actually know how to play!!

 The morning started with the preps and as always this is a lot of fun. There are lots of kids and lots of mums which is great. Then it was down to the lower oval where it got serious.

 Lets just pretend that this one went through the goals shall we....

All in all a lovely morning spent with my boys.

Before and After

Before

 After

 Soooo much better in so little time. The old cover was a cheapie to cover over some stuck on interfacing glue or the like. I never thought to wash it - so the covers just keep building up. Extra padding I like to call it. So now there is a new funkier version. This was done with  quirkly fabric from Spotlight which was $10.95/m. Don't know what else you would make with it - maybe bags?

This is slightly on the bias to fit the board into the whole meter that I bought. Would you believe I also have a new cover on my table top ikea version out of the scraps? It does have a join in it but again, much better than what was there.
(This has fitted sheet elastic sewn around the edges to bring it in- just incase you were wondering)