Hot! Hot! Hot!

hi!

 

sorry i've been absent this week...

but i can't promise much this week either.

 

the weather has just been so

hot hot hot

that sitting here at the computer is a struggle

and i've only been visiting when absolutely necessary...

like checking the bank balance before payday

&

removing most of the 84 emails that arrive over a couple of days!

 

by the middle of every afternoon
we are beside ourselves with the heat
so we take off to the local council swimming pool
where the side nearest the bleachers
is shaded.

we ...  that is whoever we can drag along with us...
stay there cooling off for a couple of hours
before heading home to make a cool salad for dinner.

after dinner
we are hopeful that the temperatures come down
so that we can relax and sleep soundly
with our fans whirring beside us
or overhead!

such is the simple life
of surviving summer here in queensland this year.
we got lulled into expecting cooler wetter summers
over the last few years
so this hot dry one has hit us hard.
everyone here
just copes in the best way they can.

some have aircon and modcons...
in our leaky old wooden queenslander
we'd need to stop up the gaps
to stop the cooled air from drifting down through the floorboards
or out through the not quite flush fitting windows.

we love our old 'granny' house...
but in the heat of summer
or the depths of winter...
she has her shortcomings
but
we love living in her anyway!

is your house
practical
or a character?

or maybe both?

have a great week!

naturally Carol xox

 



Going Swimmingly...

 

good evening.

 

i'm sitting here by the window

grateful for every wisp of a breeze

on this black summer night.

 

i still don't know how to address the problem of not being able to upload photos from my computer

but i have discovered that i can upload a photo from the computer

to change my header whenever i want to.

 

so maybe i'll just change my header photo

often...

and maybe blogger will in time

offer a solution.

 

i have got myself into a january routine.

i get up quite early

as the sun brightens my bedroom at about five in the morning...

though i don't get up that early.

 

the dogs need letting out and feeding as soon as they awake.

it is usually between six and seven.

then i do a bit of housework to get the place fit for the day...

any washing up, tables tidied up, lounge room put in order

&

clothes washed and hung out

before the heat puts a stop to anything too physical.

 

but

this week

there is a difference.

i've been out to the local swimming pool

with a couple of friends.

we just move around for an hour...from 8 to 9...

sometimes swimming,

sometimes walking...backwards, sideways and forwards,

sometimes just moving on the spot or treading water.

just always moving.

 

it is cool and refreshing

and it's amazing who we meet there!

 

i didn't make a resolution to lose weight or get fitter

'cos it never lasts as a new year thing,

with me.

i love swimming though

so it's not a chore...

and i don't have to

so it's easier to want to.

 

how are you filling these hot hot days?

 

 

take care and stay cool!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 



Nuts!

 

 

hi!

 

i got up early this morning...around five.

after washing up

i decided to reorganise my linen drawer.

it is deep and wide.

in fact,

whole universes have probably dwelt there under the layers of tablecloths and doilies!

 

 

realistically,

it was a huge mess.

there were not only tablecloths and assorted linens

but out of date bags of spices..coriander seeds anyone?

 

 

 

then right down the bottom

there was a big bag of macadamia nuts

&

another bag of walnuts..in their shells.

i think they may have been from christmas 2011!

 

 

so i've tweaked my cabinet vignette from yesterday

&

displayed the walnuts in a beautiful handmade wooden bowl

which mr w made himself

&

then decided to put mr owl on a pedestal of books...

all owls read books at night,

it makes them wise..hehe!

 

 

i've washed all of the linen today...just to freshen it up...

polished the coffee table

&

cleaned the louvre windows in the kitchen.

 

all in all a satisfying day of progress.

 

how are you doing today...

lazing on holidays or planning your new year?

both are good!

 

 

naturally Carol xox


p.s...blogger won't let me upload pics from my computer at the moment...so these are ones i was fiddling with for doing up my header that mr w. complained was too big for his laptop..so i altered it...just in case you were wondering!

 



Baby Shower...

 

with the baby!

 

 

hi...

this morning some friends and i

held a baby shower.

 

 

 

 

zoe was expecting a girl,

but lo and behold a boy was delivered

exactly two weeks ago.

 

i had made pink invitations

&

had them in my handbag ready to deliver

when a little boy was thrust into my arms.

 

here he is sleeping snugly this morning,

at his own welcome party with a friend.

 

 

last friday

we made some bunting...

 

 



 

which we strung along the rails of the deck at the cafe.

 

easy bunting it is.

coloured paper stapled on to curling ribbon

taped with washi tape onto the railings.

 

we blew up the balloons...

 

 

ordered cappucinos and cake

&

played party games...like baby bingo, baby memory,

name the parents and name the baby.

 

 

i can't wait to help host another one

it was so much fun!

 

i'm hoping you're all having fun this wednesday too...

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 



 

 

 

 

 



Hot Pink!

 good afternoon

on this quiet monday...

 

mr w left this morning

to go back to work,

up north again,

won't see him for at least a fortnight...

{talk daily though}

 

mr m

who was here just for the weekend

went back to brisbane shortly after.

 

it's quiet here

&

there are empty spots where their bags and clothes were,

where computers and phones abounded...

where shoes were abandoned.

 

mr w was here for a full ten days

i'd gotten used to having him around...

feeling married again!

 

it's a monday of adjustment around here.

 

on a brighter note...

 

 

 

made this.

still the jane market bag...

just jazzed up the colour a bit

&

relaxed the pattern a tad.

 

bring on summer i say!

 

how is it at your place today?

 

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 



Summer Blue!

good morning to you!

 

like all good foggy mornings

soon a patch of blue was forming

right over us.

 

i've been sewing another bag,

this one's for me

'cos i'm preparing for summer blue

&

golden yellow...

 

 

 

pegged by lime birds...

 

 

 

onto the banksia tree.

 

 

there are less words and more pictures today

as i'm a bit fuzzy-headed this week.

 

i'm doing more blog reading than writing this week,

thank goodness

that blog posts are short & sweet compared to books...

'cos i've read about two pages of a book

before i end up asleep!

 

 

here we are looking forward to summer blue

&

perhaps where you are there are sweet memories of summer blue...

 

but whereever you are

 

i'm wishing you happiness!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 



 p.s...i know i said that bag no.1 was for me..but i gave it to my mum in n.z! i don't think i was thinking i would love to make so many  more at that stage. i will show you the one i made for my sister next...and i'm half way through one for my brother's partner for christmas.

 

 

 

 



Grateful for..Beach Weather!

g'day...

today there is perfect beach weather...

sunny with a few clouds..

warm not windy..just a bit of a breeze...

this is the view from my computer window

looking towards noosa.

the sea will be warm...

children will be building sandcastles.

max and kara are going too...

to run

max has never been before!

i wonder what he'll think of those noisy waves...

and all that sand and water??

i made another cushion this morning..

while the household was snoozing

...it had to be a beach cushion!

beach balls, sun, sand and surf...

stripey beach umbrellas and strawberry and chocolate sundaes

for fun!

why am i grateful?

everybody is going to the beach....

except for me..

i'm having time to myself

to breathe

and read

and drink coffee!

alone time to refresh my soul

that's what i need.

naturally Carol xox

p.s....only 10 cushions to go!

pps...linking up with 'maxabella' for gratitude saturday!

Breaking My Own Rule!

hi there!

remember how i said that the cushions should be no more than 50 cm square...

ha! ha!

i made these large cushions last weekend

quite unintentionally really...

they just kinda happened!

i think i just went with the width of the fabric...

they ended up 55cm square,

soft and squishy...

made from more of the fantastic fabric

t nancy from 'a gardner's cottage'

very kindly sent to me ...

for flood affected queenslanders!

the front of both cushions are the same...

i called one 'rainforest beach' and one 'rainforest island'

'cos the fabric is like the rainforest meeting the sea!

the backs are aqua

with slightly different features and buttons...

'rainforest beach'...

yellow buttons and an aqua selvedge with little buttons...

and...

'rainforest island'...

black buttons and a geometrically influenced design on the selvedge

here is the close up ...

i machine stitched the aqua triangles and

then handstitched the little running stitches in a variegated green embroidery thread.

the 'if ' tags...

 curly 'if '

and

leafy 'if'...

 

do your weekend plans include a beach,
an island
or a rainforest?

i'm dreamin'...

naturally Carol xox

p.s...someone asked whether i have a coffee machine..i do have a hand me down espresso machine. it was left here when mr s went to taiwan to live.  it is basic but sturdy..i heat up the milk in the cup for a minute and a half in the microwave and then put in 30 mls espresso from the machine and stir.  great coffee with a good crema!

I'm Grateful For..Dry Toes..So Far!

it's been raining...

a lot!

the river's up

and creeping closer...

the road's closed but good for a paddle!

closed for business...methinks!

no dogs allowed here!

we're not going home from the shops that way!

coming out for a picnic?

would you buy this block of land?

its got waterviews going in its favour!

the flooding river...still raining lightly!

looking south across the river...

southbound traffic has come to a standstill...the highway is flooded!

trucks are pulling over to the side...stopped.

shops are shutting up early...

some are removing merchandise and taking it to higher ground.

but...

for george and maud...

life goes on as usual!

we'd be grateful this weekend...

if the river stopped rising right now!

joining in today with maxibella's linky party here 

naturally Carol xox

Summer Tablecloth...

good morning!

did you wonder?

why

on monday i called the post 'tea for two?'...

it was a hint, 'cos

all that sunshine yellow, grassy green and other summery goodness

was becoming

my

summer tablecloth!

 grab a cuppa, sit down nice and close to the computer

 and i'll tell you about it...

i used

bits of a 'dream on' charm pack,

three fabrics from the 'botany' range

and two from 'nicey jane'

based on the dimensions of  six charm squares

joined together to form a rectangle,

it grew like topsy!

my summer tablecloth

measures 45" by 56"....

just the right size for my square table

next to the window in the dining room...about a metre square.

it's actually the one i've been using

for sewing and watching the world go by outside my window.

i patched the front,

lined it with mainly 'nicey jane',

bound the edges

and tagged it!

so one day,

when you come around,

i'll pull out my 'summer tablecloth'.

we'll have tea and scones together

with lashings of jam and cream,
 i'll use my best china,

and... we can both watch the world
go by outside my window.

remember?

i'm giving away

two

strings of 'le petit bunting'

read yesterdays post for details...

you can leave a comment there or here to enter!

hoping you have an opportunity

to use your talents

to bless someone today!

naturally Carol xox