received an award........

Narelle has given me this lovely award- Thanks Narelle, I have never received one before.
With the award come some duties to fulfill.

* Thank and link my presenter

* Post the award on my blog.

* Tell 7 interesting things about myself. This is going to be hard!

* Nominate 7 blogs. (I only can list a few).

* Link those 7 blogs.

Let's do the easy part first, the blogs to pass the award to-


Lorraine -the balancing Kiwi

Micki- Irish Muses

Kymberly - The cotton patch

Bev- Bev's bits and pieces.

now for the 7 interesting things.....I am not too sure if they are interesting but they are things..

1. I vowed that before I turned 40 I wanted to learn an instrument. My hubbie bought me a beautiful Squier acoustic guitar and I took lessons for 2 years. I just loved the fact that I could make some, not too terrible noises from my guitar. My favourite songs to play are 'one' by U2 and The river by Bruce Springstein. I hate to play in front of anyone other than my family as I am just so self conscious. So I pretty well just play for my own amusement. I even just love playing scales and cord exercises-just so long as it sounds nice.
2. I have done dog obedience for nearly 24 years on and off and have managed to title 3 dogs at a basic level.

3. I lived a year in Italy with my family when I was a teenager and went to school there too.
Was a great experience and I long to return just to revisit the places and see my relatives again. I really want to share that history with my kids.

4. When I gave birth to my boys they were all born at similar times . 3.05 am, 3.08 am, 3.13 am.

Boy this is hard!

5. We have a Pope in our family (quite a few generations back) on my maternal grandfather's side.

Only two more to go!

6. I talk (and occasionally walk) in my sleep.......those that know me are not surprised- there are usually comments about talking & wet cement made too.

7. I love to laugh and love comedies. Laughing makes me happy.

Wow that is it!
Thanks again for the award Narelle. It was fun but I must admit it took me a few days to finish it off.
Hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Marina

up and down like a yo yo........

Last night I couldn't be bothered focusing on anything in particular so I thought I would go through my stash and cut some squares to make yo yos. I got quite carried away and made heaps. I don't know what I am going to do with them but they were a lovely time filler and I do love them all together. I will add to them when the mood strikes, in the meantime they will just look prettiful.......

I also have been working on my Life is Beautiful stitcheries so here are some update pics . I have got some ready to applique onto the 4 patch blocks.........
My stash for the blocks just needed a few more colours to add to the browns so Mum and I headed off to Harmony Quilts in Lancefield. They specialise in Thimbleberries fabrics so it was only fitting that the first and last fabrics for the stash came from there. Some of the other fabrics were a birthday present from Els in the Netherlands. Tonight I will attempt to make a start on cutting the squares. I can feel it coming together...

These are the medallions ready to applique .........

I am a bit of a collector not always by choice but sometimes by default!
You find one thing that you like and you display it, then everyone assumes you just have to have many more! With biscuit tins more is definitely not less.
I had a few lovely biscuit tins (and they were a lovely small collection) and then they just multiplied. ...
So here is part of the collection that sort of grew on it's own. Every year another Anzac tin is issued for Anzac Day and we just don't want to miss out on it so they have started to pile up....if we don't buy one some one else makes sure we don't miss out. Each tin has a small leaflet explaining the significance of the picture on the front of the tin. Some are quite touching.
I use them to store things, one may have cottons, one a project on the go, another crochet cotton.. and so. Thing is I have to remember which one has what in it.
My Jemima Puddleduck tin is now storing my yo yo's (in pic above).
I will show some of my other tins in future posts and show another collection that grew on it's own without much input on my behalf. You gotta love it.

So off to cutting 4 1/2 inch squares.

cheers
Marina
ps. not long till Dorothy's new stitchery pattern for February!

arrived and arrival!

I received a lovely unexpected surprise in the mail today. First was confirmation that my siggy block had arrived in Ireland at Micki's house and secondly a lovely siggy block from Micki in case I decide to ever to a siggy swap! That's just lovely Micki, thankyou. I will try to find a special place for it till a project comes along.
Tonight no 3 son and I went to his school for some 'seriously social volleyball'. It is great fun and we get to spend some time together. When we first started going last year I think I surprised him that I could 'play a sport at all'. Usually i am not a very sporty person especially when it's competitive. I just don't do competition well. But this is super fun and that will be my sport for the week. Sad isn't it!
Have been plodding along with my 'life is beautiful blocks' and my border appliques.
I tried to get my block four of my Heart and home but only managed to get half done. Talk about precision cutting and piecing but it will be worth it and I will have learnt some patience!
If it's worth doing it is worth doing well.
Cheers for now
Marina

lost in transit?

Three weeks ago I posted a siggy block to Micki in Ireland but as yet it hasn't arrived! I am so disappointed but I still hope. If it doesn't arrive in a few weeks I will make another one.
And no I haven't joined a siggy swap, Micki is in one and I just wanted to make her one as I love to visit her blog.
I only have one good pic of the block I made so I thought I would post it anyway.

I didn't join the spring swap either. I have decided I have enough on the go....but......one of the girls at work is going to be a grandma for the first time and has asked me to make a small quilt for her grandchild. At last I will use the pattern I bought last year with the baby stitcheries.
I have till August so plenty of time.
We are off to a wedding tomorrow and for weeks I have been trying to find something to wear. After work tonight I dashed out to find something and managed to find an 'it'll do' outfit.
If I was just a few sizes smaller it wouldn't be so hard...... so what else is new.
Have a lovely weekend.
Marina