Unbelievable!

good morning!

i am totally blown away

by your friendship and response yesterday!

thank you...

i am already enjoying all the new sites to visit and comment on!

as promised

i am giving away an apron

to celebrate the goodness of friendship....

have a look at these...they've both already been featured here.

and choose one

'happy daisy' is the blue one and 'meadowsweet' is the orangey one!

the back of  'happy daisy'

the back of 'meadowsweet'!

you wouldn't believe the trouble i have just had downloading these three pictures..
the modem was overheating so intermittently dropped out my internet connection...
my security firewall wouldn't give me access to my own pictures!
and in the end i had to download a different picture to the one i took this morning...
the trials of the internet...
i should have had this post up over an hour ago!
grrrrrrrr....

anyway back to the giveaway...

choose the one you like best,
leave a comment on this post...

if you are a follower/friend it will count as two chances...
if you are a casual commenter it will count as one chance.

the winner will be picked randomly on friday

i will send the winner the apron they liked the most!

i will contact you by email and on your blog if you have one...
so if you don't have a blog make sure your comment contains your email address.

all are welcome to enter!

best of luck...

naturally Carol xox




 

Actually Not Quite A Hundred...

today i'm grateful for

99   101 103 104 106 110
friends

as i like to call them....

there seems to be 100 102 104 105 111
but there really isn't...

sharrie..my daughter-in-law...

was my first follower.

she had a little portrait and

yesterday it disappeared and became a grey head!

i spoke to her in the afternoon

and she said she would put a new photo in her google account...

she didn't know why her photo disappeared

and became a grey head.

so she did...and popped up as number 100

but

really i only have  had 99!!

sharrie will probably have to take off her first head

and just leave her photo head...lol...it sounds really way out doesn't it?

but it is the truth.

so

somewhere out there is a true hundred...{it was 'maxabella'...thank you!}
{and Nomi quickly followed and was no. 101...thank you too!}
{thanks also...ms style you and renette from south african kiwi}

a solitary beautiful person

who would like to see cushions, aprons

and read a rambling blog

written by an ordinary girl!

{who will follow their blog too...in the hope of getting to know them better}

then i can host a giveaway!

{an apron giveaway will begin on monday now!}

i'm joining in with 'maxabella loves' today...'cos it's saturday...you can join in too if you would like to...

naturally Carol xox

if you would like to join with me and make some cushions for the flood affected families of queensland please leave me a comment or email...thanking you!

Just One More...

cushion!!

how did you know?

i am beginning to think i am boring you silly

with my cushions!

i am driven by the picture in my mind

of all those people who have lost everything in those floods

and have to restart their lives materially...

it is a perplexing thing to think about though

because i know that in brazil they have lost hundreds of people recently in floods too...

and there are so many disasters around the world

where people lose their homes.

and i wonder

how then can i ask people in other countries to contribute to queensland

when we are so much better off

than a lot of countries.

but i can't really do anything to help them..

i have to do what i can

with what is in my hand

and help those i know how to help...

if only in a very small way.

i hope they will see the kind intentions of our hearts

and know that we care!

we can't fix the world

only God can do that...and He has through sending Jesus!

if only people would listen to Him...

but they go their own way...that is free will!

i can only do my bit...

the bit that He has placed on my heart...

and that

is enough for Him.

deep thoughts today...

i am thinking though that i will have a give away apron when i get to a hundred followers...

i'll make one this weekend just in case i get there!...not so deep a thought!!

have a wonderful weekend!

with love

naturally Carol xox

if you would like to join me in making a cushion cover or two please leave a comment or email me and i will get back to you...thanks!

A Serve of Summer For You!

hi and good afternoon!

this afternoon i just want to give all those snowed, fogged, and cold, grey day folks...

a slice of summer.

there is nothing quite like a crepe myrtle blossom laden bough

reaching up to the summer blue sky

to lift the winter heavy spirits.

only a few short weeks now

and winter will flee for all of you northern people

and colour, perfume, green green leaves,

buds and blossoms

will be the order of the day!

this morning

i loaded up the washing machine and fed the worms

and then saw this crepe myrtle

and just had to capture a summer morning!

you are now standing with me in my back yard

my little palm tree

and the lawn

have loved the summer rains.

 yesterday i finished two more cushions...

this is the small 'berkeley'

with non-matching buttons!

and a yellow elephant.

'big berkeley' has an unembellished front

but..

her back...

has bling!

just a final glimpse of summer flowers

from my front yard...

i'm not sure what this pretty baby is called

but she is showy and very hardy

and minds the front gate!

many summer dreams to you!

naturally Carol xox

if you would like to make cushion covers for the flood affected people of queensland

please leave a comment or send me an email...many thanks!

Summertime on Australia Day...

it's australia day!

happy australia day

to aussies everywhere!

i'm off to a barbie {bbq} for dinner

to celebrate this wide brown land of ours...

a land of flooding plains...

as we have recently been reminded about!

still making cushions for flood affected people

this is the front of 'summertime'...

loving the spots...dots...multicoloured dotty bits of colour...scrumptious!

just a 'summertime' selvedge and a square red button...

please excuse me

i am rushing today...

i now think it is my modem overheating that causes the internet to go off!

so i'm posting this as soon as humanly possible...

please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors that may occur in my haste.

have a wonderful aussie day wednesday!

remember the aeroguard if you're outside bbqing...

naturally Carol xox

want to make cushions for flood affected people in australia...

please leave a comment or send me an email....thanks.

New York! New York!

good morning

my internet connection was on the blink on saturday night,
then again last night
so i'm not risking it going off again
i'll post this as soon as i can..

making hay while the sun shines..so to speak!

i completed 'miss central park' today
{the second in my New York series}

so she was displayed on the black couch!

here's a close shot of the people in the park...

check out all those little people rowing their boats on the lake

and the others gawking at them from the bridge...

and those georgeous stylish trees!

the back is similar to the 'mr rockafeller's'

the selvedge looks a bit odd here...but does look better in real life.

here sits 'miss central park'

keeping 'mr rockafeller' company

in the front room.

sunshine or rain

snow, fog or stormy weather

i hope your hearts stay warm

and your mind  free to be creative...

enjoy your monday

naturally Carol xox

Simone and her Mates!

today i'm grateful for

simone

from 'beach vintage'

and her mates

who

have been taking bottles of water

and rolls and fruit

and other goodies

to

flood affected suburbs in brizzie;

handing them out to residents, volunteers and other workers

to relieve their hunger and thirst and give comfort and support!

i am in awe of her actions...

taking several days off work

and just getting out there where she is needed.

go to 'beach vintage'

to see what she was doing this week

and

make a donation to the work

if you want to...

today

i made a cushion for me...

after making them all week to give away

it was my turn!

i have had this fabric for a month or two

and i didn't think i would cut into it...

but

if i don't enjoy it

what's the point in having it!!

retro new york...the rockefeller centre...

check out those cute little umbrellas and tables and chairs

and people...

just irresistable..to me

i love the geometrical forms of the sky scrapers too!

the back...in 'nicey jane' ...'lemongrass'

it featured the perfect shade of olive...

black buttons with a reptilian texture...

&

ha! ha!...buttonholes again!

this chair will be 'mr rockafeller's' home...

in my front room...

soon he will have 'miss central park'

to keep him company.

i'll tell you when she arrives!

meanwhile...

kara is keeping a very close eye,

{you would think that her body is relaxed,

but no!

look at those radar ears and bright eyes}

on my and mr p

while

mr m {the master}

is in brisbane this weekend.

i'm linking up with 'maxabella loves' today...

being grateful saturday!

have a great weekend

naturally Carol xox

ps..the links to 'beach vintage' blog and 'maxabella loves' blog should be different colours...the link is there but the colour to show them up as different keeps disappearing...why?  who knows!!

Spots and Daisies...

i wanted to sew something blue today.

so this is the cushion i came up with

pictures taken on the black couch...

this can either be the be the back or the front...

interchangeable.

the other side.

i have run out of black grosgrain ribbon for my tags...

so it is sadly tagless : (

the little shop in town has not reopened

since the floods...

i hope it does next week.

my fourth successful buttonholing experience!

can naturally carol sew a button hole or two?

no worries mate!

selvedges...

just love the little birds in a row!

just had to put these three little birds

on the other side...

my happy little cushion collection!

the thought of these

and many more

making a little couch or two

a sunnier

cosier

place to be

kept me sewing this week.

i'm not the fastest cushion maker

or the best...

but that doesn't matter at all...

i just want to do my bit

for fellow aussies

who are doing it tough...

join me if you want to.

leave a comment or an email...

and check out last mondays post

right here for details!

naturally Carol xox

Strawberry Fields...

the crepe myrtles are blooming

mauves and pinks

in bunches!

was i enjoying them bouncing on a summer breeze

this morning...

no!

i was beavering

making 'strawberry fields' into chubby cushions!

here they are on the black couch...

this pair just covered their 40 cm inserts...

it was like dressing fat babies!

'strawberry' cushion no1

'strawberry' cushion no 2

back...note my second go at sewing buttonholes...

successful!

all the buttons are vintage or repurposed...

maybe there are sisters out there

who share a bedroom...

and love strawberries

and chubby strawberry cushions!

now

i'm going to enjoy the crepe myrtle blossoms,

the cool breeze

and the white pillowed clouds

drifting above me...

and laze a little.

i'm playing along with kootoyoo today...my creative space....link here

have a wonderful day!

naturally Carol xox

p.s.   if you want to join me in making a few cushions for the flood affected people in queensland...

drop me a comment or an email so i can give you my address to send them to.  see monday's post for details!  all cushions sent to me will feature in a post pictured 'on the black couch'!

On the Black Couch...

as cushions are made

by me or by you,

for the queenslanders affected by flood...

i am going to display them on the black couch!
{and feature them in a photo sitting on the black couch right here on my blog ~ in case that isn't clear!!}

like this one i finished this morning...

i'm calling it 'sunshine'

it has a 40 cm insert in it...

tagged!

yay!!

i found out that buttonholes are easy on my machine...

so now i'm hooked on them...

watch out for the next cushions i'm making.

looking at the back...

do you recognise the grey...

yes, that's leftover from my dining room curtains!!

i am hoping

that 'sunshine' will

make a little of the same

in someones day!

a happy sunshiney day to you all...

and remember

look at mondays post

for details on joining me in making these cushions/pillows

to make a little bit of difference!

...and they will all be featured on the black couch...with your blog site or name too..

unless you want to be anonymous...but i will still feature your cushion/pillow!!!

...and if you like...aprons or even pillowcases/pillowshams...

all are very usefully beautiful...

like you!!

naturally Carol xox