Beside myself with glee!!

I am SUPER EXCITED to tell you - I've been invited to join Pinterest!!
Now I'm all signed up, I have some invites to give away to lovely friends.  If you've never been on Pinterest before, I can tell you it's pretty addictive.
If you would like an invitation to join Pinterest, leave me a (nice) comment.  I'll choose two random winners.
They'll be as random as they can, considering I'll be choosing them.  Haha! 

Laundry & Other Challenges

For the first time, I'm joining a linky party!  I love the Freckled Laundry... and this weekend's party is all about textiles.  Hence the title of my post.  Does folding your own weight in laundry count as "textile related"?  It sure isn't very creative, I can tell you.  Apart from folding the queen-sized fitted sheet from my bed.  That requires a high degree of creativity. 

Apart from folding 7 day's laundry in 1 evening, I've also tackled a bit more sewing this weekend.

This cute person was on her way to an Ice-Skating party...

And of course, we needed a special gift for her sweet friend.  Turning 7 is a big deal.  My 6-year-old is already planning her party.  She turned 6 at the end of March.

Here's one excited party-goer modelling the gift I whipped up - a rib headband with yellow rib flower, and a handy-dandy apron for baking with Mum.  Complete with yo-yos for crafty style.

I've had this apron in mind for some time now.  I wanted a curved neckline and curved hem.  It's hard to see on the denim, but there are two little pleats along the waistline for shape. 

This is the best close-up I got. 

I didn't have time to tie it up nicely - we had to get to the party!

What I've been doing instead of Blogging

What have I been doing?  I feel the need for bullet points:

• Painting a mural I am yet to photograph
• Photographing my favourite dress
• Re-creating my favourite dress
• Making "maxi" skirts - I highly recommend it, they are super-comfy.  I hereby promise a tutorial.  Brownie's honour.
• Sewing all kinds of marvelous things
• Trying to decide whether to take a stall at the Kumeu Country Market
• Feeding the bunny rabbit
• Losing my youngest child in the supermarket (ok, that took no time or effort, just a quick glance at the price of minced meat)
• Finding my youngest child in the supermarket (seemed to take hours)
• Putting everyone else's dishes in the dishwasher

Phew!  Think I'll go to bed.  Here's a photo - every blog needs photos. 

I have wanted to be a Mum ever since I can remember.  God is good.  We are blessed.

Have a lovely weekend friends xxxxx

Psalm 18 + Habakkuk

I mentioned Psalm 18 in my "Bedroom" post.  Should have called it "Le Boudoir" or something fancy.  But I didn't. 
I love Habakkuk 3: 17 - 19. 
God first began to speak to me from this verse while I was out running (up a big hill, ironically). 

"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail,
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold,
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
I can run on my high places."

 I also love Psalm 18: 29-36, it ties in beautifully. 

"For by You I can run upon a troop;
         And by my God I can leap over a wall.
    As for God, His way is blameless;
         The word of the LORD is tried;
         He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
    For who is God, but the LORD?
         And who is a rock, except our God,
    The God who girds me with strength
         And makes my way blameless?
    He makes my feet like hinds' feet,
         And sets me upon my high places.
    He trains my hands for battle,
         So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
    You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
         And Your right hand upholds me;
         And Your gentleness makes me great.
    You enlarge my steps under me,
         And my feet have not slipped."

I like to keep these scriptures in front of me.  They really do encourage me to keep praising God, keep rejoicing in my salvation, and also to remember that we are in a battle.  Daily I must bend that bow.  Daily I must use the shield of salvation.  Daily I must run on the high places. 
We are upheld by His right hand, He does not let us slip.  But we must be armed, fit, and ready... each and every day.

My Bedroom

Hello friends... I have to say I'm slightly eating my words.  Since my last post that little tiger bit someone at kindy, performed unspeakable acts against my car, and threw his jeans into a sanitary bin while I was outside the toilet cubicle yelling, "don't do that! Unlock this door immediately!"
Sigh.  It's been a trying day.
However, I did have a few moments (while he was glued to Vegetales, ok) to photograph one of my favourite spots in our home.
I've always endeavoured to keep our bedroom a "sanctuary".  Occassionally it gets a little messy, but I don't let it stay that way.  I discovered in my late teens that I cannot sleep in a mess.  I lie awake all night thinking about how long it will take me to clean it up.  So I keep our room free from unfolded laundry, toys, kids books, and kids!  It helps that it's downstairs, away from the rest of the house.  I tried to keep it free from the cat.  I tried, and I failed. 

I know I'm in the shot... I took one without me in it... but you can't see my cool boots.  If I'm not careful I wear them every day.  They are so super comfortable, stylish and just "me".  The "Smoker's Bow" chair has wonky legs.  I stole it from my Dad and re-covered it.  The suitcase is my late grandfather's, and holds cards, letters, and even my old ballet shoes.  I can't part with them.

The crystal set was my maternal grandmothers.  Her name was also Neva.  Her dressing table was much tidier than mine, I happen to have an explosion of bracelets and headbands happening at the moment.  I don't mind that.  It doesn't stop me sleeping.

And this is our sleigh bed.  The crooked pillows are really annoying me.  How unprofessional.  Oh wait, I'm not a professional!!! 
I did the collages.  The middle one has Psalm 18:32-36 scratched into it.  It's not legible.  That's just how I roll.

My husband made me this bedside table.  I really like it - it doesn't go with anything else in the room, it's more rustic and edgy, where the rest of the room is romantic and "old" looking.  But I like the element of surprise it brings.  That, and the handy storage.  I usually have a stack of books and magazines twice that big, but I've been trying to be sensible this year. 
The yawning baby is our eldest.  He was a beautiful baby.  He's a beautiful child.  His eyelashes are incredible.  The apple is from Franschhoek in South Africa, a gift from my lovely Neighbour Joe and Carol, his lovely girlfriend.  Her name's not really Carol.  My kids can't say Racquel.  It's the funniest thing.
What I didn't photograph, because the sun was beating in, are the two sets of French doors which lead out to a courtyard.  It's currently an overgrown courtyard, but when it's all tidy and the vege garden's flourishing, it's a great place to be.  The chickens used to greet me there every morning.  Oh how I miss their cute clucking, and their lovely fresh eggs!

Little People

I adore newborn babies.  You can just pour your love on them. 

I love one-year-olds.  They're sweet and routined, and easy to care for. 

Two and three year-olds?  They can be a challenge, let's be honest! 

There are tears... and tantrums.  Their language hasn't caught up with their brain, so they find it difficult to express themselves.  And even if they did - would we really want to know? 

I'm not going to list this child's misdemeanours - he has had a challenging toddlerhood.  As a baby he was practically perfect in every way... he slept and fed like a dream.  Then he woke up and realised that everyone else could move, and he couldn't.  Frustration set in, he was so determined to move he taught himself to roll all around the house - he even rolled down the stairs (ouch!). 

A similar thing happened when he turned two - everyone else could talk and he couldn't.  He's spent the past 18 months screaming at us. 

He never stopped being cute.  He just wanted to be in control.  He does give the best hugs in our whole family - if you can get one out of him!

Lately his language has flourished.  He says some extremely cute things.  I tell him he's cute.  His response is "I'm not cute - I'm happy!".  So cute!!

We had a brilliant day at home together today.  I was cleaning the girl's room - it was long overdue for a proper blitz.  My little helper found the window cleaner and the dish brush, and scrubbed the windows for me.  We went to the shops and he didn't run off or throw himself on the ground once.  I was so delighted I had to feed him iceblocks.

Every season comes to an end eventually.  I can see we're beginning to turn a corner.  It makes all that consistent and (sometimes) patient discipline worth it. 

Raise your teacups with me friends, here's to a new day!

Up to my elbows...

... in oranges, sugar, limes and weddings.  Is anyone surprised I can't break my coffee habit? 
The weekend flew by in a blur... Friday was the wedding of my dear darling flower girl, Loretta. 
Here we are at her 21st:

She's all grown up and made a truly beautiful bride (sorry, I was not organised enough to take my camera and actually photograph the happy couple!).  Oh to be young, slim, wrinkle-free and freshly nuptialed!  I just made that word up.  Nuptialed.  It sounds better out loud. 
This September we will have been married 14 years.  My lovely husband had not much to say about that, other than, "man, that's a while".  Immediately after Loretta's wedding, I sat down to watch the royal couple smooch on the balcony.  Very chaste and regal.  And English.  And chaste. 
But I digress.  To explain the recent lack of posts, I would like to address the fact that it was Easter, and I made some significant achievements, including a 10 metre x 4.5 metre curtain.  There were others.  I covered myself in gold paint.  I gave a few people black eyes.  All in the name of the Easter Event - an annual production at my church.  We did have some highlights on the website, but I notice they've been taken down already.  We don't sit still for long.
Monday we whisked up to Kerikeri for a spot of r&r with my parents.  I mean, who wouldn't find this relaxing?

Unfortunately, it's no longer summer, so the jacaranda doesn't quite look this... purple.  But it's still a great place to go and chill.  We came home with a gazillion tonnes of oranges, mandarins, limes, guavas and feijoas.  I've been applying myself diligently to making marmalade, bottling and preserving.  I've gone through 10kg of sugar so far.  My kitchen cupboard doors are sticky.  My tea towels are sticky.  I am sticky.  And I had to go back to work today... making marmalade in the slow cooker tonight.  My house smells fresh and orangey.  Bliss.