Sending Out Across The Universe

I simply must make one or two of these. Does anyone have a pattern that I could swap for or beg or pay money for??? Or better still, does anyone have one already made that I could swap for or beg or pay money for???

Just after my Dah (grandfather) died... the man with whom my Grandma did everything... they cuddled and made things and had a big love together... she got a poodle she named Pierre. The dog got a lot of affection and was thoroughly spoiled, naturally.

Grandma made anything poodle. She crocheted stacks of these things. Bought little poodle things... cards, whatever.

The dog disappeared one day. It was old and blind by now and probably wandered away but she was sure it was stolen. Of course the suburb wasn't what it used to be (Moonee Ponds).
Anyway, seeing the film today created a hole in my heart that cannot any longer be filled by Grandma, but can be filled (as substitution/as reminder) by a crocheted poodle bottle cover.

??? I'll pay handsomely. Cards, patterns, other pattern, other other patterns or money...???

rmsquare@connexus.net.au

A link would make me happy although I've been looking (when I should be undercoating the house).

I s'pose I could figure it out heh?

'No Country For Old Men' By Those Good Old Cohen Brothers

Went To The Pictures Today (Boxing Day). Seems to be a bit of a tradition. We saw the new Cohen brother's film "No Country For Old Men'. I love the Cohen brothers but I think they need a big hug.

Great film though, in a freak-out, palm-sweating, can't-go-for-a-wee-because-you-might-miss-something-even-though-you're-busting kind of a way. I'm lying (for effect) though because I did sneak out but I ran there and back.

It's bleak, to put it mildly. Tommy-Lee is gorgeous as usual. He plays a disillusioned sheriff trying to find and save a hunter-guy who's stumbled upon something bigger than he can deal with but doesn't know it.

Psychopaths are bewildering, and as I walked out of the cinema, I wondered if I really want to see anything about their wicked ways... but then again it was a good movie, full of the usual brilliant Cohen brothers' lines and detail. There was a crocheted poodle bottle cover like my Grandma used to make for starters. Everything in the sets is perfect. Every incidental character is perfect and I always love them for that. I think those brothers love people a lot. Regular people.

Later (that is... now) I've decided that it was terrific and they apparently had a lot of fun making the movie. And it IS a movie. Not real, so I can laugh inappropriately if I want to.

The movie reminded me a lot of Fargo... '"All this, and for what? Just a little bit of money..."

*******

Christmas Morning

To YOU from ME!!

cc

Merry Christmas everyone!!

I'd better scrub up the dunny before the family gets here!

Here We Go Here We Go Here We Go...

This picture makes the colour look prettier than it really is. You can't notice the hill in the floor nor see the sagging ceiling.

vv

The kitchen. Again, the photo is more flattering than the reality (we both thought so) and we've already started with the undercoat which brightened it up no end. Eventually, you'll step through the place where the window now is to a new kitchen, and this area will be part of the pink lounge-room. My honeyest-bunch says the big room will be our 'Doing-Things' room. The Verb Room.

I finished work today, for nearly three weeks (Yay!) so things will zip along at an alarming rate now, just you wait and see.

Jaden 2006

From a photo and my pencil, which tends to the morbid at times?? But I love big fat vegemite cheeks. I could say that it is an interpretation of his image.

Jaden's Wagga

I made this Wagga for my grandson. I began it while my daughter was pregnant and intended it for his birth. Then I thought, Oh Well, First Birthday... but when this too passed I kept quiet about the whole thing. Finally I finished it and gave it to him about eighteen months ago and of course it's too small for his bed. He's nearly eight.

The black woollen fabric comes from a coat of my Grandma's (his great-great grandma) and one of my own oldies. Grandma's bouccle has sadly run when we've washed it.

I haven't done any more of baby's.

You'll Be Sick Of These And Bored Before I Finish...

But it's my blog.

I'm covered in scratches and my muscles ache but it's all good! A full day with a chain saw does wonders! What was once a jungle is now sunny and lovely. Don't think we're vandals when it comes to the nature though... we'll make this beautiful, I assure you!

aa

This is the 'before' shot of the driveway. The wisteria had joined the jasmine to join the feral buddleja's and anything else together into a mysterious but impassable and choked mass.

z The wooden gate there is next doors, but the posts behind were invisible.

bb

And now there is something of a driveway! It's still small beginnings.

Today, we're off to the NGV to see the English painters. And Christmas shop. x

We Can't Believe It Yet!

The Front Porch, which we will build in to be part of the bedroom/ loungeroom.

kk

The view out the front.

This is our house. It's like a marriage without the frock! I made my love carry me over the thresh-hold, poor thing. But he did and we laughed. There was a garage sale up the road and we scored some windows and some cedar blinds too... bonus! Nice people as well. The General Store there is gorgeous. It's one of those old, dingy, messy, un-modern time-warp stores with a post office in the corner and (unwittingly) retro giftcards. The service is country paced and people chat and everyone knows everyone. I was happy there. I'm a local now. We both are.

Clancy Was Here

Echo's of the previous occupants. So cute!

It Is Done!

Settlement is settled, the signing is signed. The debt is entirely ours!

I'm still quaking in my pants after a last-half-hour's almost withdrawal on behalf of the buyers (of Tassie). Somehow, my Tassie Real Estate guy, whom previously I had had great confidence in, did not informed the buyers that there was still a tenant, albeit one who was leaving soon. So with a cheque in my hand and half an hour to go, I had to make 4,000 phone calls and try to help the situation... then wait at the office where settlements take place and see if the answer was YES! Which, 15 minutes late (and two seconds before the parties re-scheduled), it was.

Next, I had a message and had to ring my conveyencer back, to hear that it hadn't gone through! Luckily I was there to witness that she was wrong, or I would have freaked even further!

I've delivered four children and this seems another!

Look What Someone Gave Me!!!

Because I've been voted the one most likely to do something productive. I hope Elizabeth's confidence was not in vain. I'm not sure what to do with them though... anyone got any ideas? Or want them?

I 'Borrowed' This Off Daughter Number 1

It's too me to give back just yet. If I could find a knitting pattern to emulate it, I would. The Fair-Isle angle is easy...

Can you still buy that knitters graph paper? How easy would that make it!

In Rememberance Of My Darling Grandma

These beauties were at the Op-Shop. I didn't particularly like them in the 60's, but my Grandma loved them, and now, so do I. Look at that lovely hoop petticoat and those slender legs! Mmmm-mmm!

At Last, A Promise Fulfilled... In The Spirit Of The Elections...

If I wasn't impatient and a little bit 'she'll be right', I'd photocopy this to make the white-out vanish.

But here it is... The Pattern To Construct The Crazy Bag!!

Never Seen Nothin' Better Than This

Not never... about to go find the DVD.

'The Cost Of Living'

Here's the trailer...

These Are The Before Pictures

This is the pathway down to the 'driveway'. I say that tentatively because it's a bit of a laugh to cal the front bit 'the driveway'. Ane there is Mr. Fixit on the roof, measuring. Measure twice, cut once, he always says and I happen to agree with him.

ll

I'll bung the rest of the photo's on Flickr.

ll

We spent the weekend at The Van, where we met the prospective buyer and he tried to look au casual and will tell us tomorrow night after consulting with his Mrs. It was... is, hard to let the place go and littlest boy had some tears, bless his heart... he's been going there half his little life! Jadey's quiet tears were so endearing to biggest boy that he's wanting badly to reneg. Trying to figure out how.

But I think we have to. Let it go. One must make hard choices sometimes and this is such a time, I feel. We just have to make sure we go play elsewhere, and drag little boy along.

This bottom shot is the same as HERE. Bit of dodgy advertising, what??? (Notice the buxus).

Getting Closer

The fog has dissipated... the deal is (nearly) done... the thinking, plotting and counting has borne its fruit and we are the proud parents of a big, fat, baby mortgage! Not as big as I expected but I'm sure the bank's happy enough. Tra la la!!! The payments won't be crippling, not crushing, just ever and very present. We'll manage, unless I lose my job (and I work for the government so that's a difficult thing to do) or unless my honey-blossom decides to go fishing EVERY DAY!
Have to mention dearest megan, Camilla Engman and Atelier XT and thank them for 'happy home' inspirations. THANKS!!

How could I forbid such a thing? In fact I join him at every opportunity.

OK, I Know You've Seen Them (The Cards) Before...

... But I want to sell them out... out of moving, storing, having. They want (too) to take wing and fly away, away into the world.

GO HERE for a geek..

Any 10 for $20AU... ie. $2 each for 10 or more.

Plus postage which isn't a lot... s'pose you think I should have checked that out... maybe it's about $5 for Over Seas, and maybe $4 for Oz? I'll call it that until I figure out otherwise. If it's less you'll get the cheaper, if it's more you won't.

So, 10 x one design

or

10 mixed in any way you see fit.

Or, 1 of one design and 2 of another + 3 of yet another plus 1 of a different other and 3 bluebirds, or that plus 2 St. Basil's Cathedral... ye ken?

145 ml square with nice clean proper cello covers and real, normal, grown up envelopes (they're not different sizes like in the photo's).

rmsquare@connexus.net.au

Unabashed Christmas sprucing...

The Patch

Now to turn this...

,,

...into this...

We'll take some photo's of the new cottage too, don't you worry... maybe even tomorrow? But rest assured, these top two snaps give you the general idea, sadly. Just take that scrub and the wild, wild Budleja and find an old path through and you get the idea. Ivy, weed, blackberries...

The bottom two photo's of are the garden my beloved made for his children and their house that he renovated and added onto. Even after he'd moved out. Because he wanted them to have a beautiful place to live and because he wanted them to have something of him and because he has to do that kind of thing. Now we'll boss each other and agree and disagree and make a place together and it'll be magnificent when we get there, you'll see.

There'll be cushions to die for and lovely things everywhere and a very nice garden! The place reminds me of Kejoma. And check this out too! We love Camilla's floors and may copy!

This Friday it'll all be a done deal... finance, future, spare time, all spare time, all energy and copious pieces paper to describe it all. We officially become grown-up's.

More pics of my fella's ex's place in all its glory.

I Went On My NGV Expedition

There wasn't much to see, but it was good to do in any case. These examples are lifted from a Google Image search, but have similar methods. I then had a look at the Decorative Arts area, which has a bit of Icon stuff, and caught my eye (thanks Paola).

Hmmm... One's mind gets to thinking...

Whenever I go to the gallery, my brain hurts. I need to formulate and process a lot now, or I'll burst and it won't be pretty. Alternatively, it might be very pretty, depending.

I went to Maria George's but they were re-arranging and said come back tomorrow and I may just sneak down at lunch time since I'm busting.
I caught a bus to Ruby's (20 minutes) but caught the wrong one and 3 buses and 2 hours later I arrived, exhausted and pathetic and couldn't stay long.
I wanted a massage but my dearest and nearest is pre-occipied with house renovation plans.

I found a package with new, knitted, baby jumpers on the bus and handed it in. Then and hour later I left a package with Chrissy pressies at the bus stop by the station and when I rang up, the very nice man ran and got it for me for safe keeping.