finish

I have a pile of unfinished objects that I need to finish - one is a gift for Sunday so hopefully by sharing them with you will get me inspired to finish.......
These birds are going to be part of a mobile for a girlfriends baby shower on Sunday. I plan to hang them on fishing line decorated with crystal beads ..... The pattern can be found on line here

This is my finished knitting project. Just needs some sewing and stuffing before its photoshoot.

This is a new project that has risen up the to do list. Alexander and I designed a dress for barbie because he found pink shoes and there was nothing to go with it. I have had a go - below- but it is not right for 2 reasons. The first he cant actually get it off because I sewed it directly onto barbie because I was having so much trouble, and the second is that it is not THE SAME as the sketch!! Ugh - I have created a monster!!
A drawing Alexander did with (crayola) fabric textas on calico. I think it looks great and plan to make it into a cushion.These little blobs are made from DAS airdrying clay and will be our nativity scene at christmas. There will be three shepards, four sheep, the three kings and the other usual suspects. I have to plan ahead because I know how long it takes to get around to these things - like below - the still unfinished bag for the teacher!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and finally on the bottom of the list only because I don't have a photo, I am really going to try to post more regularly rather than in big blobs of blog. Not promising anything but it is on to do list!

super

not that super - the other one - for retirement. I got a call from one of my super funds today. Yes therein is the problem - one of my many funds as I have worked in a lot of places and have a few funds around costing money. So my super isn't super, actually its not even great. At one time I did purposely keep two funds as one was what my employer was paying into and the other had a really good life insurance benefit, but now I seem to have lost control. There are funds floating around, sometimes multiple policies due to my erratic work since having kids. Also since having kids, I haven't really had the time or energy to sit down and find all the stuff and sit on hold trying to roll them into one place. So today, back on the change I am going to give myself 2 weeks to do it. (It has to be a realistic goal!) Hopefully I can sort it all out!

words

today I gave someones words more power than they deserve. they were just thrown into conversation, and probably forgotten, yet they resinated all day with me. i don't even know if they are true and its from a long time ago - but I let it change my whole mood - my whole day. I was cranky and didn't follow through on any of the things I had planned. Luckily the big squirrel had taken Alexander to play golf -which they enjoyed - so I could spend the day knitting and trying not to think. The little boys played in the garden and these words kept coming back to me.

I realise that it is not the words so much, it is me giving them power. I should be able to control how I feel and not give this power to others. I could so not be a celebrity.

Knitting is all done, now just have to sew it all together....

inspire

(a still from Dali & Disneys animation Destino)

Destination - National Gallery - Salvadore Dali Liquid Desire

Participants - Moi, Alexander and Mr P

Transportation - Tram and Train

Isn't it funny when you decide things are going to be one way and they end up somewhere totally different? I was worried about the gallery being too 'stuffy' for a prep student but it wasn't.

Having rung in advance, we knew it was busy. Alexander was still excited about the tram ride. The lady at the sales desk looked distracted and tired. Mr P bought his ticket - no smile. I asked for an adult and a child - and she asked how old. I don't know why, but I was like, no really - he is a child he's only 5! To which she lit up in a broad smile and announced he was actually free (not the information previously collected, but I agreed with her). Then, she was chatty and explained a childrens tour/activity.

We were greeted very enthusiastically at the door of the exhibition, at about 3:45, and the doorman decided not to take our tickets - usually reserved for after 4pm, so I can actually go again for free. I told you a good mood is contagious.

The exhibition was different to what I had previously seen and really enjoyable for all of us. Certainly the highlight was the short animation collaboration between Dali and Walt Disney. It was beautifully fluid and almost hypnotic and really captured the surrealist spirit. Worth a trip.

create

Yet another really rainy day and it gets harder to keep everyone entertained inside. Today we made cubbies using sheets and chairs and made cookies to eat picnic style inside the cubby. Pegs and fitted sheets work the best.
We also pulled out some of the craft supplies. I got these great flat pack paper trucks from the reject shop some time ago. I think there were 8 in the pack for about $5. We had a great afternoon colouring and building them, and then of course playing with our various trucks.

story

The boys love a story and will often try to convince you of more than one. They just love them and it is a lovely treat to have the story read by Grandfather last night and then today to spend some time with him.

play

A rainy school holiday day was the perfect opportunity to catch up with my godchildren, which has been proving harder given our school committments. It was pouring and we decided to meet at a pub with a free play centre which is much more economical than paying for every child and then food on top of that. We thought we were so clever thinking of this, but as time rolled on, it seemed everyone else at home with kids thought of it too and there were literally kids hanging from the ceiling!!!! Not really what I call relaxing. I will say, I could always find my boys as I dressed them in bright shirts.. (sorry poor image taken on my mobile)