A list of things I want

This is a list of things I would like - in no particular order.

• A mixer - red, preferable Kitchenaid, will settle for a Kenwood.
• A stickvac for the downstairs lino and titles.
• A desk - big enough for sewing and scrapbooking but not too big that takes up the whole room.
• A Tupperware baking sheet - no more baking paper waste.
• A watch - no particular one in mind yet.
• A printer - to get my scrapbooking rolling again.
• A cutting mat for quilting - had to leave mine in NZ was too big to bring.
• A nice cold glass of coke - its a hot one today.
• A Mac desktop - for the kids to be able to use and to start doing more with m photo's.

Please note this is not a complete list.

Crochet - not so granny after all

So as you can probably see we have been through a major upheaval of life recently and with this comes little structure and room for being creative and crafty - wrong!
I have found how much I truly love crochet during this busy time of life. I have found it easy to carry around a hook and a yarn or two. There are plenty of simple crochet patterns which can be taken out and about, in the car, on holiday.

At the moment my favourite yarn is Moda Vera - Marvel 100g balls (available from spotlight stores) It is an 8ply yarn (or double knit) which is able to be used for a large variety of projects and best of all it comes in a HUGE range colours and it is really affordable - which it needs to be as I can't just pick a colour or two...

I was seriously stuck when it came to crochet. I really wanted to be one of the cool kids (seems everyone who is anyone is crocheting right now). I was point in the right direction by Kristy over at Paisley Jade to learn the technique of granny squaring first. To be honest I was too caught up in wanting to make cool things to realise that some basics may be what was first need.
So over to Meet me at Mikes I was sent and what an amazing set of Granny Square 101 instructions it is. I was hooked - haha I know bad joke....
Seriously if you have tried and failed (as I did in the beginning) or are wanting to try crochet this is a seriously good place to learn the basics so you too can become one of the cool crochet kids!

After making a few squares I thought I was a bit too cool and moved on to other projects like headbands, hats, shoes and slippers. But the truth is when you are on the go your love for squares soon returns when pattern, internet, computers or paper fail to stick by you.

So here is what I have been working on for Miss Jaybug - and to be honest I am starting to get excited about finishing it as there has been plenty of time in the last week to Square away.

I don't really have a plan in mind just six colours and I'm going for it. I am hoping to have it complete very soon and will be sharing the finished blankie with you all.

What projects are you currently working on? Have you recently found a new hobby or craft? I would love to see. Leave me a link to your blog in the comments and I will pop over and have a look.
And if you are thinking you might like to try your hand at crochet pop over to Meet me at Mikes and try Pip's Granny Square 101

Things I'm loving

Lots of rain has meant having to find lots of inside things to do. So I was extremely happy when our consignment was delivered. Read more about this here.

Kids starting school again and their super cute uniforms. Read about Jaybugs first day of school here.

 

Spending one-on-one time with Mr Squeak - making triple choc muffins (sadly from a box as I don't have my baking supplies up to stock yet) and loving my kids Tupperware range

Very proud of himself

Picking up online bargains - Pumpkin Patch dresses that I would have never paid full price for as the prices are ridiculous but at $20 each I am happy to buy two! These are available on both NZ and AUS Pumpkin Patch online shopping sites

This is my Favourite!

Family outings again - when the rain stops we can do more of this....

Getting to catch up with good friends - Helen (from over at OneTrickPony) and her beautiful family which is about to have two new additions any week now.

So even with having the flu, lots of rain, everything is flooding, feeling homesick and Bubba having to work away from home. There is still plenty to be thankful for.

Linking in with PaisleyJade for Things I'm Loving Friday.

What have I become?

So it seems maybe my blog has been a little caught up in too much FACT of life lately. I am struggling to find my bloggy voice and remember where this all started. It was a time when I was in need of an outlet to speak about how I was feeling and to meet other people "out there" who may know what I was talking about. It seems lately I have become a little too scared to speak about some of these things and instead I have fallen into the "documenting life" category. <sigh>

I also saw my blog as somewhere to share and enjoy my craftings. This too has been little and far from found at the moment. With moving the craft side of things kinda slowed down a little but I have still had the odd project on the go but just haven't found the inspiration to share. I want to be able to create enough to open a online store filled with things I love and I have made with love. The reality is now with the space in our new house and the time with two at school this is a goal within my reach.

So what am I trying to say? Well really I don't like what my blog has become. Yes I am documenting important pieces of our lives and some really big parts of our journey at this point in time. But I want to find more time to be real to what this was originally purposed for. So I'm sure I will still keep up-to-date on the day to day livings of our family - as this plays a major part in who I am.
But I also want to give myself a big push towards writing things I feel strongly about, getting up at 11pm when I feel inspiration and jotting down the things that are whirling in my head, I want to share what I am creating and ask for ideas and inspiration on what my bloggy pals are creating too.

I often find myself looking at some fabulous blogs and bloggers and wondering how I will ever measure up to them in blogland. The truth is, I don't need to. I just need to fill my own piece of blogspace with me and what I want and need to say.

So I may have done a blog overhaul. One thing is for sure I don't want to just be filling my space with boring life events that wouldn't even excite my Grandmother! This is my empty page to fill the way I like, you don't have to like it but if you do that would be super awesome too. Because at the end of the day this is about finding those friends across the links of pages who you see, read or hear something that makes you think, you know what I would love to get to know that person a little better, or they have been through something I have, or I like the way they etc etc.

So dear blog get ready for something a little different??
I might even find myself some linky's that I can actually stick to!
And I think I might just have to work out some post-scheduling - thanks Simone for some great advice from your blogging mojo post!

Hello stuff!

Well our consignment was finally delivered on Tuesday. It feels like a very long time it has all been gone but then with so much happening in between we haven't missed it too much. A lady in a truck arrived with our goods and informed me that it had been stated no unpack necessary. Hmmm! We pay for this service. I at least wanted our washing machine and television unpacked to insure no damage and that it still worked. But someone, somewhere had decided that it didn't need to be unpacked and if I wanted our stuff now I had to agree, otherwise it would be brought back when they had time to send more people with the consignment. Which with the time it has taken them to get it from Sydney to us I imagine could be quite some time.

So this is what we got:

 

So my mission for Tuesday afternoon was to unpack as soon as possible to check for anything broken or damaged so that we may claim back on our shipping insurance. I was asked to sign paperwork which stated I had received the goods in the same condition in which they were taken. I asked the woman how on earth I was meant to sign this without seeing the goods. She answered me with either I signed it and got my goods, or I didn't sign and they were put back in her truck - she also isn't on my list of favourite people since arrive in this country!

I thought my best attempt at making a claim, if one was needed, was to make sure I photographed each box, what was in it and the condition in which it arrived. This meant a lot of unpacking Tuesday afternoon and checking everything over which equals a very exhausted me! The positive is that nothing was broken and everything was tidy and put away in it's new home by dinner time, the TV was put together and installed on its new cabinet and the washing machine was plumbed and operational and doing its first load of washing! Yes I have a bit of a problem waiting for help and I didn't it all by myself before Bubba got home.

Jaybug was my helper - although I think she was more interested in finding her things only! She was my harping annoyance motivation to open all of the boxes listed with toys and books first. I then sorted into boxes of Quacks, Jaybugs and Squeaks. Next was linen and pictures, then washer, t.v and lastly Tupperware. 

The only box I still haven't unpacked is my craft stuff - as I don't quite have the picture in my head yet of what I want my craft room to look like and how I want to arrange things. So the box is sitting carefully in the front room awaiting inspiration. I am keenly searching pinterest and the internet for ideas....

So if anyone has any ideas or inspiration for me it would be much appreciated if left in the comments... Pictures or links kind received! 

First Day

Today is Jaybugs first day at school.

Seeing we moved and all, it was also Quacks first day at our new local primary school on Monday.

Today we celebrate our little girl entering the school world and becoming a big girl. If we were still in New Zealand she wouldn't be starting school for another four months when she turns five in May. But here if you are turning five before the 31st of July for that year you may start school at the beginning of the school year. If you turn five after the 1st of August you have to start the following year. So a beginner at school may be four, five or six years old (as you legally don't have to begin school until 6 years old).

When we met with the principal on Friday he said that Jaybug was in the younger of the starters and we didn't have to send her if we weren't ready. I looked him in the eye and said "she is ready all right and Mum is ready for her to go." He laughed and said "right Kinda it is!"
Here in Australia they have grades - Kindergarten to year 6. So Jaybugs first year is in Kindergarten where at home she would have gone into year 0 and completed a part year before commencing year 1 at the beginning of next year. So she is what they call at Kin-da kid this year in infant school (which Quack is still apart of in year 2 here, he would have been year 3 at home but it translate to year 2 here)

I love the idea that all the children start fresh on the same day of the year. The all get to be new and nervous together - and that goes for the parents as well. It has been such a big move here but both Bubba and I know that nothing could be better for Jaybug than to start school and get her involved with other children. I am looking forward to a few grumpy dinner times and a few morning tears about putting on uniforms but I know she will be fine. Jaybug is more than ready with being able to communicate clearly and for what she wants and needs, she is able to interact with other children and she loves to be on task doing things. She is very vocal and likes lots of attention, is very stubborn, determined and tells some interesting stories - hence school teacher it is now your turn to assist me in developing this young girl into a young lady.

Jaybug today Dad and I are both so proud of you, as I know so are your other Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and friends. You are growing up too quickly but you are doing it all at your pace. You might frustrate me at times with you stubborn streak and a little bit of attitude but I know if you put it behind your learning and our beliefs you will become a very dedicated student and a loyal friend.
We can't wait to see you grow and blossom throughout this school year and develop lots of new skills. Your big brother is there to guide you and help whenever he can, although he may not admit it in front of his new mates but he is super excited you with him in this new adventure.
We look forward to seeing you build new friendships and find out who you are and what you like to do. Your little brother will be lost without you. But its ok, Mum will look after him and try to do fun things with him like you used to. We love you lots and are always here for you. You are a star sparkling in our sky, lighting up our lives. May you always be as bright and as happy as you are today.

~:~ A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart.  ~Author Unknown ~:~


xxx  your loving Family  xxx

P.s Your teacher just rang to say you at all your lunch at morning tea so I have just had to run over and give you some more - such a Jaybug thing to do. I just laughed and said "Only Jaybug!" Never change my precious girl, and you were still smiling and laughing too which is a good sign.

This is the kids Friday sports Uniform

Fair Aussies if I might say so myself.

The Newbies

So we arrived to Australia a few weeks ago now. Since then we have managed to see a few things and do a few things in the first week that we were here. We had hired rental cars while Mum, Kev and Mosie were here. But for the last week and a bit we have been a little more home bound as we just haven't found the perfect vehicle for us to purchase yet.

We are living in Regional NSW, just out of Muswellbrook. It is a lovely town with a school straight across the road and the main street is two blocks over.

This is our house from the front - I plan on doing a proper house blog once of shipment arrives and I have some stuff to fill the space!

We have an awesome long driveway which is perfect for bikes, scooters, skateboards etc. I was a little worried at first about the property not being fenced at the front but the kids are doing surprisingly well. Apart from one incident while minding my friends children while she was in hospital. I tell you losing your own kids is terrifying but thinking about having to make the call to let someone else know you have lost one of there's - serious meltdown material!

Our backyard is bigger than the front and is perfect for games of cricket, football and rugby. I am lucky enough to have 5 decent size bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 living areas, dining room and an office (which I'm plan on claiming as my craft space). The only down side is cleaning a house this big, I think I am beginning to imagine I work in a hotel or something!

The local Public School is straight across the road. It couldn't be more handy!

Found out this morning this is Quacks classroom.

We also have a Catholic church (not that we are Catholic), an RSL, a zebra crossing, a war monument and a playground all on our street, so it's a pretty happening place.

The kids love this playground.

And then 2 streets over we are in the main street. Our main street boasts numerous cafe, an IGA, a hardware store, post office, 2 pubs, a library, a craft shop, a lawyers, an emergency department, a takeaways, a gift shop, a general store, a lottery shop, a saddlery, a vets, a second hand clothing store, a petrol station and dvd store, a pet grooming place, a hairdressers, a reality office - I know I have forgotten a few too.

Wow! Its huge for such a small place!

I love the look of this shop. I haven't let myself go in yet as I am afraid to fall in love with everything.

The town hall that now houses the hairdresser and beauty shop

A quaint looking Cafe

Not todays petrol pump - just a historic one in the street

The emergency rooms

So even being stuck here without a vehicle isn't so bad. we are pretty well serviced. The thing that isn't so fun is being the newbies. Everyone here is pretty friendly and its seems like a great place to live. It is just hard not having friends and family to call around on or to have come for coffee. As the kids start school - Quack today and Jaybug on Wednesday - I hope to meet some other Mums, over time. There is also a Monday morning library playgroup for Squeak. But all in all its pretty scary having to put yourself out there and start from scratch.
I mean what if no one actually does coffee groups here? Or people are friendly in the street, the shops or the school yard but what if it never goes beyond that? What if people don't like the kids? Or me?

It really is hard being the newbies in town but this is also a new country too. There are lots of new words and normals for us to get used to. I'm sure the kids will pick up on things a lot quicker being in school. We went to the takeaways store the other night and trying to find a hotdog was a nightmare. Bubba ended up explaining that we were new here and the lady just laughed at us and said "and? so am I?". She isn't in my list of nice people I have encountered here. Then we asked for hotdogs and her and the other lady started giggling and asked us if we meant sausage in pastry? I thought it was batter but ok we will go with pastry.
Turns out they are called Pluto Pups? Strange huh! But seriously no need to laugh at us for not knowing people.

I am worried about things that the kids may say and be laughed at for. Things like jandals, slides, water fountains, felt pens and togs all have different names here. I guess slowly people will get used to these strange Kiwi's that have hopped the ditch but for now it is a heck of a nerve wrecking time.