15 Minute Challenge - Happy Mothers Day

 I'm feeling much better this week, some nice weather has probably helped.  Mothers Day was 27 degrees which is well above average for this time of year.  

Maestro always works Mothers Day it one of the busiest days of the year in the restaurant, but he was pretty happy he was only on prep and not doing too much cooking, so he squeezed in a phone call.  He came over for dinner and footy watching Saturday night gave me my flowers.  

I had a lovely Mothers Day, morning tea with some of the Mum's in the street, then a walk with just the dog and me and I finished watching Queen Charlotte with a bit of crochet thrown in.  

I can't say I have done a lot of sewing or crochet this week, just felt like doing nothing much of a night this last week.  I've nearly finished another Mandalay square, I'd like to finish at 4 but I think Maestro will want it bigger as he is not small (6'2") so he will want full coverage to snuggle up on his lounge.  

Maestro's dating life is a bit of a running joke in the house (he doesn't have one).  He was set up on a date with a girl the other week, it lasted a joint date (with the couple that set him up) and 2 other dates and he was trying to work out how to say it wasn't going to work and she texted him to say the same. Oh well.  

Mo's bake sale at the uni was a great success they made $1200 and sold out.  Here are the biscuits she rejected.  

We are ramping up to some busy times and I'm going to be increasing my hours soon, not sure how I feel about the extra work load but the extra money will be good.

Head to Kates to catch up on what everyone is up to.  

15 Minute Challenge

For the last week I have been trying not to get the head cold that Mo had, all I got was the headache and a bit of a sore throat, but have now ended up with another sinus infection which I am again trying to avoid the use of antibiotics.  

The week before last I did manage to crochet every night but last week I'd say it was a 3/7 week as all I really did was head to bed early to try and get some sleep to help fight of the germs.  I have finished 2 squares and have another square 3/4's done.  

We did some more work at Maestro's townhouse the last two weekend, he now has curtains in his living area.  He is back at trade school and is juggling both school and work again.  

Mo took on being  on the committee for the graduate exhibition for her course.  Which is way out of her comfort zone but great experience.  They are running a bake sale on Thursday to raise money, the first of their fund raisers and she  is busy doing her first batch of cookies tonight.  

A poster she did as part of illustration last term was a finalist in a Government sponsored competition for Advocating Refugee program, the winner will be announced in the coming months.  

Head to Kate's to catch up with everyone's stitching progress

15 Minute Challenge & Anzac Day

 I only seem to be able to blog when we have a public holiday today is Anzac Day. 

I looked at more serviced offices last week and after the boss rejected a great office I told him I wasn't going to do  any more looking as he wont compromise and HO keep changing what they want us to have.  I told him we need to refit our current office which is double the size of any of the serviced options we have looked at and we will easily fit 3 people in it with a refit and he has agreed.  I guess we just have to make it happen.  

I've done some gardening today repotting philodendron  that has outgrown its pot and put 2 new fuchsias that I purchased via mail order in bigger pots.  I think my shade house is pretty much full now.    I'm waiting for all my fuchsias to finish flowing and cut them back and take cuttings and hopefully get me plants.  

And let' get to the challenge, I've been crocheting the last 2 weeks.  I have finished one big square and have been struggling with the 2nd one,  having unpicked rows 20 to 23 about 4 times.  I think it is now right so I'm hoping that from now on I should be able to finish the last 10 rows.  I'll start with 4 blocks and see how I go.  I used the better part of a 200gm ball to finish one square and I have 8 in the stash I'm thinking 3 x 3 will be a good size.   

That's it for me, I might switch back to stitching next week, head to Kate's to see how everyone is going and I had better check in myself.  

 

15 Minute Challenge & Happy Easter

Missed again last week, been busy and been unwell.  A couple of blood tests and a couple of scans, turns out I'm in menopause but I was pretty sure I had already gone through it about 6 years ago.  Hard to tell when you have had a hysterectomy so one of the scans was to see if there is anything going on with my ovaries.  

In the meantime I am on HRT for a couple of months until things settle down and hopefully get ok results back next week on the scans.  I have slept 3 nights straight which is wonderful because I think it is a month since I've had a decent sleep if not longer because I usually sleep badly for a week and then sleep like the dead for a night or 2, 3 good nights in a row is unheard of.  Got to say I am already feeling 100% better than I have in a long time.  

Hubby and I went for a walk this morning and I felt really good.  We went and did another couple of jobs at Maestro's house yesterday.  He is working and at trade school and hasn't much down time.  I'm waiting for him to get sick,  he says he is going to have a few days off so I might try and get him to get a flu shot he gets really sick every winter and takes weeks to get over it.  

Crafting wise I'm dividing my time between appliqué and crochet.  I have 4 squares finished for my infinity scarf, not sure if it is going to be long enough, probably only have enough wool for another 3 squares and then a border so it will probably end up being just a scarf.  

Maestro was complaining about being cold while watching the footy so I pulled out some granny squares that I have worked on a couple of years ago and I might do a couple of bigger blocks and use these as a border to make a throw for his lounge.  It's wool so it might end up being a bit scratchy but should be warm enough for a bit until I can make something from cotton that I have in the stash to make him something big and masculine.  

Progress shots on my appliqué project.  I'm really glad Anni's style is pretty rustic as these aren't too perfect, but it should look nice and fun when its finished.  

That's it for me head to Kates to see what everyone is up to.  

15 Minute Challenge and some Me Time

 We only spent a couple of hours this week at Maestro's place and it wasn't too bad this time  though he is still pushing to get things done, some which just couldn't happen.  He is doing TAFE (trade school) at the moment as well as working so his time is limited.  Work want him to finish all his modules in the next couple of months.

I've worked on a few more blocks from my Hatched and Patched Quilt but there was a couple of days missed.  

This weekend I did a class at the local yarn shop with Shelley Husband.  The class was quite nice though a bit short, I'm use to all day classes.  

On Sunday I went to FibreFeast which is a market for all things yarn and fibre and happens once a year.  

The green block is using some of the wool I purchased which is Poll Merino and is super soft and has a lovely drape.  I'm going to make an infinity scarf from it.  Don't ask me what I am going to do with the rest I don't know but I had to get them.  

Mo has been experimenting with cup shapes, she has been doing this petal shape which is quite nice to drink out off.  She is obsessed with white clay and hasn't been able to get clay white enough without going to porcelain which is hard to work with.  She was advised to underglaze with white to get the effect she wants and it worked.  

That's it for me this week.  Head to Kate's for the round up.  

15 Minute Challenge and an Exhausting Week

AHHH not great on the challenge this week in fact I only managed 1 day of sewing and that was today.  I've spent the day in my PJ's after heading to the shops to get a few groceries and returning some of the curtains and hardware that we purchased.   All the blinds in the top on the top floor are block out and were fixed in such a way that putting curtains in as well was really difficult so we opted not to. 

Maestro's room had curtain rails (but no curtains) as well as blinds so we were able to get ready mades for his room.  He wasn't too keen on the colour at first but once they were up they he realised that they were perfect.  

By yesterday after 5 days of walking up and down the stairs my legs were really complaining, but most things are done and Maestro is pretty much settled in.  He has TAFE for the next 3- 4 weeks, he was only going to work 2 days but I think he feels he needs the extra money to get things with the house right.  We knew there were the curtains and the showers needed resealing but all the down lights were too dull and had to be replaced as well as the tap in his bathroom so $500 that we weren't expecting to spend happened as well as a few other things.  The joys of home ownership.  

His tenants have moved in and they are pretty quiet and seem to be easy going so hopefully it will be smooth sailing for  a bit and will help with his mortgage.  

My fuchsias are finally blooming and the begonia which I received for my birthday is flowering.  

That's it for me this week.  Head to Kate's to see how everyone is going. 

15 Minute Challenge New Quilt Start

Our Office search continues, head office didn't like the fact we found a place out of the CBD, so last week we had to start again.  We visited 5 places and found somewhere that we think head office will approve of.   The office is western side of the city which suites both of us and I can take public transport and leave the car at home, but my boss may be fighting to get a paid car park.  

I've been a bit unwell the last few weeks, I think things are just getting to me too many ball's in the air coupled with a change in meds which I don't think has agreed with me.  Will head back to the Dr's after Maestro moves in this week.  

Settlement on the house has been moved up and is tomorrow.  I have taken a day off on Friday to help, I'm sure it will involve more trips to shops  and will probably be back and forth for most of the week.  The place has no curtains so that will probably be a priority. 

Sewing wise the last two weeks I have been keeping busy and I think I only missed one day of the challenge.  I ordered a  kit from Annie Downs from Hatched and Patched.  I've cut all the blocks out ready to stitch but am working on the appliqué blocks first.  Annie's style is pretty quirky and simplistic which is about all my appliqué is up to at the moment while trying to get me groove back.  

That's it for me this week.  Hopefully I can have some house pictures next week but won't hold my breath about getting Maestro to pose.  

Head to Kates to catch the round up.