The Casino Theme

Saturday night we went to my niece's 21st B'Day with a casino theme {don't ya just love themes & dressing up its heaps of fun}.
we had a great time :o) i went as a show girl





& to continue the Casino theme A & i went into the city yesterday {track work, so was a combination of buses & trains}. caught the ferry over to Darling Harbour, lov traveling on Ferries But not on the Cats they just arnt the same. the water was quite choppy so made for a fun journey.
walked over to Star City gambled a bit then went up to Sean's Kitchen for some lunch, wow what a meal, A had a Rabbit Pie with Green Beans & i had a 400g Rib Eye Steak, hot crusty rolls & to drink a Matador. we will be going there again :o)
went back down to the casino floor for a bit more gambling, came home $50 richer :o)
wondered around Darling Harbour for a bit then walked up to the Apple store so A could get some new ear phones {got an ipod touch for Christmas}. then over to David Jones for a new wooden spoon :o)


to get home it was either a bus from Central first stop Penrith {no where near enough buses for the amount of people & only run every hour it was pathetic} then a train home or the option we took was a train to Granville then a bus to St Marys, train to Penrith & then a train up the mountains, going this way was heaps better, plenty of room & heaps of buses running & the train was just about empty. running 2 buses every hour for an 8 carriage train is just ridiculous & they expect you to buy a ticket.

thank you for all my B'day wishes, & id like to say a late Happy B'day to Deb who has hers a few days before mine :o)

B'Day

well its Happy Birthday to me 37 , wow do the years fly by
today will be spent just like any other day, feeding people & animals, doing the washing, a bit a house work, 40 mins on the Wii Fit. haven't had a Birthday Party since i was 18, it might be nice to have one again but i don't want to have to organise my own party so don't think it will happen.
my boys really are not organised when it comes to these things i am the one who usually reminds them / nags them to go shopping for gifts & stuff. the good thing about today is i don't have to make tea tonight :o)
well that's it for now, the washing machine is beeping to let me know its finished & Sally is crying at the door

New Gates

we did not have a back gate so all the kangaroos & other wildlife would come in & eat all my veggies so i put up to pieces of iron in September. it has worked pretty well.



now that we have Sally it just wasn't good enough so yesterday we purchased 2 farm gates.
the ground is nowhere near level so one is a bit higher than the other & there was a bit of a gap but we solved that with some iron attached to one of the gates & chicken wire over the mesh down to the ground, so little Sally can not wiggle through.




while working on the gates a neighbour who we have not met but who has a great veggie garden out the back {i am always walking down to have a look at their garden} popped down to ask we would like some cucumbers as they had way too many, smiling i said yes please & he handed over 4 large green cucumbers. cucumbers are my fav salad food i pretty much eat them every day. i think his name was Brian {im not good with names, so it will be Brian unless i find out other wise} asked if we would like some corn for the chooks as it was not good enough for the kitchen & of course said yes. he came back with a bag full of sweet corn & at lease a dozen sunflower heads. we chatted about his garden & my chooks for a bit & i offered him some eggs when the girls start to lay, then he was on his way back to his gardening.

i hope this is the beginning of new friends & new things to learn.
oh & last nights cucumber had a very mellow taste mmmm {dont ya just hate bitter cucumbers}

New Years

Resolutions?
do you make them?
do you keep them?
are they reachable?
or are they unrealistic?

Resolutions?
i don't make them & never will, it just seems ridiculous to me.
i do how ever have goals.
whats the difference you may ask,

well for one, i don't set a time limit, that way i am not disappointed when other things/life gets in the way

some may be a struggle to reach but they are never imposable

i never set myself up to fail

life is a journey & just because you have goals does not mean you cant have fun & break the rules along the way, after all you only live once

goals may be added too or taken away as things change, you just never know whats around the corner

Goal Starter List

as of today i am back on my Tony Ferguson Diet {boy is it easy to put the weight back on :-/}

i am also going to not buy unnecessary electrical items, i am not really a gadget person so my aim is to try & talk A out of buying said items {mmm wish me luck} an air conditioner is at the top of his list. my argument is we only get about 3 or 4 really hot days a year so it really will be a waste of money.

i only buy Australian food products as well as other items found at the grocery store so now
i am also going to try buy other products that are made in Australia & stay away from any products that come from over seas in particular China, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find items made in Australia from Australian products. China seems to have a big foot hold here & it is very worrying, their items are cheaper but the quality is disgraceful but even so people buy them & in doing so put our local companies out of business.

to buy land & build a home, this goal is not just mine it is also A's
as i am now working this goal could become a reality & not just a dream :o)

& as always to be the best person that i can be

Mustang Sally

our new family member now has a name
Mustang Sally
well that's what will be on her kennel,
but she will be known to one & all as Sally

Family

January 1st 2009 saw us come home with a new member to our family







she belongs to our youngest son, as of yet she dosent have a name but hopefully by the end of today she will. she is a boxer X & quite well behaved for 8 weeks old.
she slept all night last night & was playing happily at 6.30 this morning when i came out.

Rooster in the house

well its official Big Bertha is a rooster
& doesn't he act like one, strutting around the yard, fluffing up his neck feathers
he is twice the size of the others & hes not fully grown
& at 5am this morning he started crowing
i am hoping to swap him over in a week or so
which is a pity as he is very handsome. if he didn't crow then he would stay but i don't want the neighbours to complain to the council.

Days of Skirts

before Christmas i cut up my $3 secondhand sheet & made a skirt {still quite a bit let over} its an easy pattern with just 2 pieces. all straight stitching, & i added a lining. Kwik Sew Pattern 2805


yesterday between family visiting i ran up 3 more skirts using 2 different patterns.


this one is the shortest skirt on the above pattern {Kwik Sew Pattern 2805}
again with a petticoat, i added blue cotton lace & it hangs below the skirt hem.




this one is a wraparound
i found the pattern on the net at http://fitzpatterns.myshopify.com/collections/free
its the 211 Dana A-Line Wrap Skirt. just printed it out in the size i wanted, cut out & taped together.
supper easy just over a hour to run up
lov the fabric, soft cotton starts with a yellow/green, fades into aqua then to navy blue
very summery & has beach feel




this one is also the Dana 2211
this time i used a heavier cotton & added a contrast waist band & extra piece down the finished opening in Red with White spots
also just over an hour to run up.

Time Flies

well the time does fly when your busy.
i would just like to say thank you to everyone for your Christmas Wishes
sorry i haven't gotten back to everyone, just haven't had enough time to sit & say hello.
i hope everyone had an Awesome Christmas with family & friends.
we had a quiet Christmas day with just my boys { the most relaxing day i have had in quite a while}. Boxing day saw me cooking up a storm for the extended family of an early tea.
new recipes
Banana Cream Pie
Mango Pavlova with Orange Cream
Pistachio & Banana Pavlova
if anyone would like the recipes, let me know.
more family over yesterday for lunch {don't ya just love leftovers}

Father Christmas brought me a
Wheelbarrow


Ratchet Loppers


Ratchet secateurs

Sewing

Sunday i did a bit of sewing
sewed the PJ pants & Skirt i had sitting on my desk for way too long
also made a couple of things for the http://goinggreenlife.blogspot.com/
shop. i will be adding a couple more things over the next week.

a quick sew {1 hour}
i am also going to make a longer version

Zero Footprint Week

more on that when i get home :o)
http://www.zerofootprintweek.org.au/



so zero foot print week for me was all about trying harder

walking to & from the station
the train to & from work
didnt use the oven, only the gas cook top
fruit & veg from work
blanket on the couch when it got cool, instead of the fire
every thing turned off at the power point
only 1 bucket of rubbish
everything else either recycled or eaten by the chickies

Quick Tip Recipe

Shaving Cream
1/2 cup Lux Flakes
300ml boiling Water
1 dessertspoon Olive Oil {i used sunflower oil}
a few drops of Lavender or Rose Oil

in a screw top jar shake soap & water until soap is dissolved
add oil & rose oil
shake to a thick & creamy consistency

add more or less of the soap & water to get the right consistency for you

Chook pics


this was taken on Nov 1st

& this on Nov 20th
only 3 of them have names, first up is Brown Betty the smallest of the Rhode Island Reds, she is always the last to go to bed, just keeps wondering around {drives me nuts}
next is Suzie Silver the Silver Laced Wyandotte she is the head of the coop, on their first day together she made the pecking order very clear.
then the Blue Laced Wyandotte, Big Bertha she is the biggest of all the birds & not just in height also the size of her feet & comb. i have a funny feeling she may turn out to be a rooster.
the other 3 havent gotten names yet, i will need to spend some more time in the yard watching them .

Big Bertha
they are quite funny to watch, when i let them out in the mornings a couple of them have taken to launching themselves out the door. they stand on the roost & just kind of dive fly out the door & down the run. always makes me smile. will need to clip their wings soon, mind you it will be a fun day, i have not been able to catch any of them since the first week they really are very fast.
one of the other funny things they all seem to do is they will just be standing there then all of a sudden they will run at full speed down the other end of the pen & then just stop.

on My Fridge

see this is what happens when after 3 days of work i lounge around all day, & blog surf

"FRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY" over at http://badskirt.blogspot.com/
so whats on my fridge, well not a lot
magnets mostly







& this spider list. it has been on the side of my fridge for quite a while, dont even know where i got it from.
dont you just lov the headers
DEADLY & DANGEROUS
TOXIC {POISONOUS} - PAINFUL BITE
" LOW RISK " SPIDERS

Tagged - Green Meme #2

Deb over at http://greenfumb.blogspot.com/ tagged me for a Green Meme
number 1 was quite long so i decided to do number 2 {hope you dont mind Deb}

Green Meme #2

Guidelines:

1) Link to http://greenmemebloggers.blogspot.com/
2) Link back to whoever tagged you. (no need to wait to be tagged!)
3) Include meme number
4) Include these guidelines in your post
5) Tag 3 other green bloggers.

Green Meme #2

1. Do you use baking soda toothpaste or baking soda shampoo? If not, would you consider it?
i have thought about using these, i would like to try the shampoo, not too sure about the toothpaste tho

2. Do you make any home cleaning products?
yes- Vinegar, Bi- Carb & Tea Tree Oil are awesome products & can be used in a number of ways to clean pretty much everything

3. What is your top green issue at the moment?
mm probably my veggie garden & water saving {i am obsessed}

4. Given unlimited cash, what is on your fantasy green wishlist?
a Green Home on acres with wind turbine's, solar panels & water tanks
a big veggie garden to feed family, friends & neighbours
meat animals
to run basic workshops from home, teaching how to
sew, cook, garden, shop, basic home repairs, the list is endless

5. Have you implemented any new green act/behaviour/product this month?
the only new thing is i now get all our fruit from work & for those who dont know i work at an organic internet supermarket. all the fruit & veg except kiwi fruit {New Zealand} is grown in Australia & as anyone who knows me, knows i only buy Australia products.


i would like to tag but only if they want to do it

Emily over at http://littlefarminthecity.wordpress.com/
Jacqui over at http://www.lifeinthedome.blogspot.com/
Mandy over at http://theolddairy.blogspot.com/



Deb also sent me a "Prize to the Personal effort" award
thanks Deb you are a sweety, i think i am all tagged out so i wont send this on even tho there are many i would like to link it to. so i will instead leave it open to all who are on my Green Life Blogs List on the side bar :o)Write 6 of your most important values and 6 negative points you condemn

i dont know if i can do 6 but ill give it a go, think ill stay away from the negative tho.

1* family is everything
2* being the best person that i can be
3* teaching others, passing on ones knowledge is very important, weather its a skill or a way of life
4* do the things you want to do, that you know are right, never be afraid of what people may think.

Tagged 6 random things

i was tagged by Country Wife for 6 random things
i will not pass this on but if anyone wants to do it leave me a comment :o) & ill pop on over

mmm 6 random things or not so random
my collections

1* old rusty stuff {lov barbed wire}
2* old Jugs & Mixing Bowls
3* old Kitchen Utensils
4* old Honey Pots in the shape of Bee Hives
5* Bird Houses {old & new}
6* old Glass Milk, Cream & Juice/Cordial Bottles
this is just 6 of my many & ever expanding collections
what do you collect?


Honey Pots, i have a few more but these are my favs


i made all of these bird houses except for the pine one at the end, son #1 made me that one at school
i have a few more scattered around the house, i move them around all the time.

i also built & painted this, its a CD cupboard

every thing is still packed up from the painting & carpet & will stay that way until after Christmas, so maybe some more collection photos when it all goes back.

Card Class

i am teaching a card class on Sunday 30 November 1pm
cost of the class is $20. if there is anyone in the mountains or surrounds interested send me an email by thursday 27th Nov
i will also be having a sale, i have a stack of new & some used scrapbooking/card making supplies.

On My Desk Thursday

wow i am getting really behind.
new things on my desk, i know i have a lot of old things on my desk but decided to do something different this week.

something new for my wall

2 new pages for my Go Green Book


a B'Day Gift, the bag has Ferrero Rocher in side

these are for my Great Niece who is 1 next month

idiot painters

the painting started on monday the guy has done about 6 hours of work all week, i have paint more than him. the boys rooms are finished, well finished as there gonna get {the guy is an idiot}
waited at home all day on friday for him to show up & nothing was a huge waste of a day. if had had all the supplies here i would have painted the rest myself this weekend. as all the rooms were emptied, all the furniture went on the front veranda & every thing else went up into my craft room. last night was the first time i could even get to my desk. the carpet will be layed this week so will have to move all the furniture again. the boys rooms on thursday & the rest on friday. so that idiot had better be finish by wednesday. i was pretty pissed all friday & saturday, im a bit calmer now but will see how much he gets done tomorrow.
& the new colour that the owner picked Grrrrrrrrr why are people so afraid of colour
it is a mint green that has been lightened 5 times, its not even a colour. so both the boys rooms, the hall, the kitchen, lounge & dinning room are all this colour. i really HATE it. makes me want to go & paint something RED.
photos at the end of the week

Baking Sunday

well Baking Sunday has rolled around again

Choc Chip Cookies
Rock Cakes
Lemon Fingers
Banana Cake

Lasagna with homemade pasta for tomorrow nights tea

on the Pear front

Pear & Cinnamon Cake
Pear Crumble {thanks to Jo over at Sparklygreenknickers}
Pear Ice Cream
Puree Pears for the freezer

an afternoon Cocktail, Raspberry & Apple quencher

On the Pear Recipe List

Pear & Almond Smoothie
Vanilla & Pear Smoothie
Orange & Pear Shake
Pear & Ginger Upside Down Cake Oven
Pear Pancake
Chocolate Pear Tart

i am down to 1/2 a box so if anyone has any other Pear recipes let me know.
i will be passing on the Poached Pears in Red Wine {not keen on those}

Saturday we went to the Small Farm Show out at Richmond
saw lots of different cows, goats, alpacas, sheep, pigs, working dogs, retired grey hounds, ducks, chooks mmm sure i have missed something, well never mind
tractors, water tanks, solar panels, animal fencing, wood splitter, log saws
all of these things make me smile, we really need to own a farm
picked up a Jockey wheel for our trailer {no we dont drive but we do own a trailer}
& 4 bars of Lemon Myrtle goats milk soap mmm lov this soap

Awards

Mandy over at The Old Dairy gave me an award, never gotten one before & it was a nice surprise
thank you Mandy :o)

This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literacy and personal values every-day.

I will pass this award on to.......

sparklygreenknickers.blogspot.com
nolifewithoutwife.blogspot.com
littlefarminthecity.wordpress.com
bushlandproject.blogspot.com
earthmotherwithin.blogspot.com

Pass an award on to another five people who you would like to encourage with an award.



i also just got an award from Anne from over at Loopity Lou
thank you Anne :o)

“This blog invests and believes in ‘proximity’

[meaning that blogging makes us 'close' - being close through proxy].”

Now, I am to pass on the award to 8 other bloggers and they in turn pass the lovin' on to 8 others

I will pass this award on to.......

twopinkpossums.blogspot.com
greenfumb.blogspot.com
countrylifewithcountrywife.blogspot.com
thebluemountainsmenagerie.blogspot.com
lifeinthedome.blogspot.com
thetinhouse.blogspot.com
handmadebitsandpieces.blogspot.com
ourredhouse.blogspot.com

Pears

on Wednesday i brought home a box of Organic Pears from work
now i need all your Pear recipes

i have just made Pear Ice Cream
& have a recipe for Pear & Cinnamon Muffins that i will make on sunday
also a Chocolate Pear tart

so if you have a great recipe or one you havent tried yet, send it to me & ill give it a go
either email it to me or put it in the comments

has anyone ever dried Pears in the oven? if so i could use your hints & tips

i had one for morning tea, they are oh so sweet & smell devinne :o)

Thursday Quick Tips on a friday

it seems im a day late all this week :o)

today's quick tips are all about Glass Wear
as we are coming into the "silly Season" with partys & get togethers
i thought it was fitting to do today's on cleaning glass

* when washing glass wear always line the bottom of the sink with a towel to stop chips & cracks
* put lemon skins in the rinse water for added shine
* a few drops of ammonia in the rinse water will also give shine
* to separate glasses, fill the top one with cold water & place the other in warm water
* to clean decanters or thin necked bottles, dry rice with a bit of soapy water & swirl around to clean
* to clean vases, dissolve 1 steradent tablet {the ones you use for dentures} in hot water, leave over night. you can also use this for wine decanters
* a flat head on a beer is caused by a not well rinsed glass. wash beer glasses in hot water with 1 tab spoon bi-carb, rinse in water with a few drops of vinegar. do not wipe glasses leave to drain & then store in the fridge.

On My Desk Thursday

i know it is on my desk Wednesday but from now on im doing on my desk Thursday. im just too tired on Wednesday after work & i have no time in the morning before i go.
so whats on my desk? well lets just take a look

a container of seeds, most planted but still have a couple more to do
a pair of socks that needs darning
red spotty PJ pants that need to be sown together
single bed quilt, still working on the top stitching
on the section you cant see are still the patterns from last week
& skirt that has been cut out & pinned weeks ago & needs to be sewed
there are a few other bits & pieces like new sewing items that need to be put away
garden catalogues that need to be filed

so this weekend i am going to try & finish off a few items
& get started on my Christmas list
& today i am off to the dentist......

Garden & Sunday Baking

8.30 till 3pm i spent out in the yard. it has been a cool overcast day, just perfect for garden work.

Planted Out List
Carrots* Littlefinger & Chantenay
Capsicum* Californian & Golden Wonder
Cucumber* Lemon & Lebanese
Butternut Pumpkin
Sweet Corn
Zucchini* Black & Golden
Tomato* Hardy Tom, Sweetie, Yellow Pear, Break-O-Day & Roma
Hilled the 4 lots of potato cages & made 3 new ones

all this pretty much finished of the dirt pile, all that is left is a dead patch on the grass


this is the Lebanese cucumber



this was a drink holder then a fire pit & now it has Roma Tomatos in it



Sunday Baking
ANZACS
Snickerdoodles
Honey Jumbles
Choc Chip
Orange & White Choc Cookies
Banana Muffins

Saturday nights tea was a roast beef with veggies & dessert was this weeks new recipe, Bread & Butter Orange Pudding {got the thumbs up}


Bread & Butter Orange Pudding


My Mothers day Rose, the perfume is gorgeous.