TropicalSoup

My creative space...in restrospect

(I would have posted this yesterday, but reality conspired against me)

I don't think I've mentioned before that I'm doing Oh Fransson's paint box quilt-a-long. This is my wee pile of finished blocks so far - I used a Kona roll up (which just happens to have 42 solid colours), and paired them with fabric already in my stash...with a heavy emphasis on Midwest Modern. I need to get a wriggle on and finish the rest of the blocks...I think I have about 1/3 still to go, though they're all cut out and waiting. And really luscious colours.... I'm curious to see whether I'm able to follow instructions all the way without veering off on my own tangent...any bets?

For more creative spaces...mostly on time(!), visit Kootoyou.

Tom Petty was so right

..the waiting is the hardest part. It's a great exercise in working on patience, or it would be, if only I could be slightly less impatient about it all! I should hear by the end of the week, so really, 2 more days at most...how tough can that be?

Meanwhile, I've been working on writing up some of my knitting patterns, and the kids have been catching up on reading, Daddy-style. (Dad's reading glasses and puffing out your cheeks like a squirrel on steroids are apparently incredibly important for this; directionality of text, not so much!)

(can you spot the butterflies?)

Today, I am going to a job interview. I am nervous on so many levels (not least of which being the last time I worked for someone else was when I was 5 months pregnant with Cole and Imogen - it's been a while!) and frankly, the idea of going back to work at all is a little nerve-inducing. Funnily enough the reason for my nerves centre more around being able to still do everything I've come to expect as a mama and wife and whatnot, as well as working 3 days a week.

But, the job is a great opportunity, and is something I know I can do - and do very well - and the kids adore Montessori (how fabulous is it that we have a Montessori that is able to provide full day care? I love that place!!!) so I know that they will be happy and settled and loved. And some extra income would be very handy right now - resettling has been a very expensive exercise, not to mention a few other financial curveballs that have been tossed our way recently.

So, needs must as they say, and this opportunity does seem like the best of all worlds. It's part time, and contracted until the end of October, so I have the chance to reassess come the end of the year whether this is a good fit. And it's teaching, which is something I love and am good at. It's based at the Polytechnic here in Rotorua (the only tertiary institution in town) and if successful, I'll be a Learning Advisor - basically a non-subject-specific tutor for any and all student concerns and needs...plenty of interest and variety, but without the level of prep work from when I was lecturing law, which will make things much easier when it comes time to go home...minimal if any homework for me!

Wish me luck!

CraftMad Fair

(photos of a few very picked over bits of my stall, taken by phone, hence worse than usual quality!)

I did a craft fair yesterday. I didn't mean to not mention here beforehand...I had great plans of letting the news slip just before I went, but then last minute plans took up all the last minutes, as they always seem to do. And truth be told, I was feeling a bit once bitten about the whole market/fair business after December's debacle - it made me quite gun-shy. But, I'm delighted to say that yesterday was a gorgeous fair, and things went very well! There was a really lovely range of crafts available (and they were all crafts, no tat in sight!!!) and a decent turnout given that the fair is still just beginning (it was the second ever yesterday). It is held in Hamilton (in Rototuna) on the first Sunday of every month and is definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. I'll certainly be back in May.

But of course soft furnishings are a natural gift option for a 50 year old man...

 

I'm really grateful D appreciates effort and creativity, and the thought that can go into making something for someone else. I'm also really glad he's not sort of bloke (He's a good egg, that one!) who would be in turns horrified, disdainful and dismissive if a gift for a man celebrating a milestone birthday happened to be a throw quilt and a couple of cushions (...though remind me to tell you the story of the handknitted face cloths one day!lol)

Since I was fortunate to be reunited with Queenie on Saturday afternoon (a tiny broken spring was responsible for all my sewing machine woes!) I managed to race through and get this far before Sunday morning. Yes, D got a quilt with pins in...and I'll show you more of that once I've had a chance to progress the quilting. The cushions were just ad hoc bits of pretty finished with a simple envelope back closure (I prefer zips but didn't have any that weren't at least 6 inches too short, oops)

The funky colours of the Echino combined with the geckos and spiderwebs seemed ideal for D - something funky in the drumroom, and reminiscent of our time on the islands, where geckos and spiders reigned supreme! 

And yes, the booger stayed!

Pansies are for thoughts

So here are a few to let you know I'm thinking of you - just got slammed with things the past few days, and lots of changes afoot. More on that tomorrow. This little lovingly scrunched handful is one of many I get throughout each day...if not pansies, then little collections of wild daisies or buttercups, or a single yellow tiny sunshiney wildflower. I have never received so many gifts of flowers in all my life. Nor such beautiful ones. Have I mentioned lately how much I love being a mama?

Half century speed

The initial plan for D's birthday weekend had been for us to all go away - to rent a little bach (holiday cottage) on the beach somewhere suitably out of the way and idyllic, and to make the most of a three day weekend lying about, beachcombing, swimming enjoying all that there is to savour of late Summer in Godzone. It soon became apparent that this brilliant wee scheme of ours was going to derail when several factors collided to thwart our plans, not least of which being D absolutely slammed at work. (Heaps of work is good, very very good. Just a little inconvenient in terms of timing.)

After last week where D saw in several midnights at the office, he spent all day Saturday *and* 6 hours on Sunday in there too. Finally, at 5pm the kids and I got the go ahead to pick him up, and whisk him off for a little celebration. in the form of racing downhill on steroid-induced plastic trays. It was awesome. We're all a little fond of the luge track (and the accompanying gondola and chairlift rides) and it is always great fun...and terribly illuminating on just how competitive we are, even when we're trying not to be!

On the ride up in the gondola, Imogen was explaining just how much of the world we could see:

That much world looks like this:

When we got to the luge area, we were overcome by the desire to do a happy dance...

 

And in between rides, everyone wanted to sit with the birthday boy on the chairlifts!

Happy birthday darling!