Mother's Day

I love Autumn, it's my favourite season! I took this picture this afternoon, don't the colours look gorgeous? One of our neighbours trees is flame red and it is so striking.

Today is Mother's Day and what a fab day I have had. I have been spoilt (as is all mothers due), had a poke around the shops and did some gardening. Planting carrot seeds, garlic and weeding. I tended my worm farm and lamented the forgotten Fairy garden. I watched "We bought a zoo" with Dave and the kids and finished a dishcloth.

I also came across The Inner Pickle's blog and have since been in a slice making frenzy! I made her Lemon slice  and her Choc Caramel slice, I will make the Insane slice this week cause I just cant work out how it works!!! Yummo!

So I hope all you Mums had a very special day!

Saturday

With Mother's Day being tomorrow, we trotted out to Ashford to see Mum (& Dad). My sister got Mum a pair of massage slippers and I got her Rhonda's Down to Earth book. It very nearly killed me not to read it but I was too scared of creasing the pages to give it a go! Can't wait to borrow it!

There was also a combined garage sale out there this morning so we went and had a look. I ended up scoring a Johnson dinner plate (though we had to buy the whole box to get it! $4) and a couple of other plates in there too.

I also got some 100% cotton to make more dishclothes and a lucky find it was as I was contemplating buying more online! Mum got some cotton too as well as a lamp. Amelia got a pair of miniture rocking horses for her dressing table which is already choc full.

I also got sent home with some molasses to make spray for the cauli's and broc's and half a dozen eggs!

I even got to start a dishcloth out there today!

Mum made lunch, which was delicious and gave the extra bonus of being the main meal so we can all just have an easy dinner. Thanks Mum!

Peg Apron - of sorts!

As I said, I want to make some peg aprons for gifts this year so I unpicked my apron and it kind of fell apart as I was doing it!!! However I DID salvage the three main pieces and not really thinking it through (how unusual - not), I kind of just rushed into putting it together.

It obviously didn't occur to me why there was bias binding on the edges (duh!), so I had to do a bit of regigging of the whole apron as I went along BUT is does work as a peg apron! Luckily it is mine so doesn't have to be perfect. Lucky too that I talked to my sister and she thinks she may have the actual pattern for it ~ maybe I should have asked first!

I am off to visit my sister today, so I have a load of washing on to be hung before we go and a loaf of bread on to take with us for lunch. I might take a jar of homemade jam too! We will also pop in and see Dave's Nan as she hasn't been very well lately and I know Dave is a bit worried about her. She is awesome and lived through London's Blitz, was part of the Land Army and came out to Australia with a young family and started fresh not knowing a soul, in a small rural town! That's gutsy. I just hope she gets better real quick.

What's on your weekend agenda??? Have a good one!

Stocking up on Gifts

At the moment I don't really have any gifts in the cupboard. Usually I have a few small things that can be added to or just given in a pinch, but not at the moment. So talking to my frugal self I have taken the first step of restocking and I made 4 purses. My sister has dibs on one - mind you this will be her THIRD purse (greedy!!!) - as she likes different purses for different things. She is getting my favourite crayon one. I love that.

The plan is to make a few peg aprons as well. I have to unpick mine anyway as it needs a little reconstruction so will use that opportunity to make a pattern to use too. I just need to think of some older kid and some boy gifts that I can keep so they are there when I need them...

Any suggestions?

Crossing off the To Do List

This morning I decided to be very industrious (for a change) and write a 'to do' list. Just so I could make sure at least some of the jobs got done.

And it did it's job very well.....

Here is bub's bunting all done and ready to be sent so that it can then be hung above his cot.

And the dishcloth is ready fto use.

I was having a discussion with my Mum about how much some people get done in one day. In particular after reading all the comments on Down to Earth blogpost about what people do during their days - you can read that post here. I really need to go back to my daily lists, when I use them I can get montains done which frees up time to do other things. So from today I am back to list writing!

Are you a list writer or do you just do what strikes your fancy or do you have a mental checklist?

More Card Making

Mum and Dad came into town today to get a few things and so that Mum and I could spend the afternoon mucking about with cards. It was great fun with mistakes aplenty but with some really nice cards made.

Here are mine:

3 birthday cards, the one in the middle is the designated man card.

Mum wouldn't let me take a picture of hers even though I personally think her were better than mine. Silly lady!

I am still trudging along with the new bub's bunting, my newest granny square blanket and the dishcloth thats on my needles. Plus I have about 4 zippered coin purses to make. I will have to have a VERY crafty couple of days to get it all done before I am back at work!

What's in your pile of "on-the-go" projects?

A Frugal Gift

Here is a present that I have put together for a 6 year old girl. I really didn't know what to go with and at one stage was going to resort to the money-in-a-card back up but and this is the but, I love getting presents. Don't get me wrong I still appreciate any money-in-a-card or gift cards I get but is there anything better than actually recieving a gift? And even better a homemade gift with all the thought and time spent there? I think not!

This is a compromise. All up it cost me $4.50 - that was for the notebook (LOVE a good notebook, actually when I think of it I pretty much love stationery - hmmm weird) and the pencils which are a different colour at each end. I made the bag with leftover material from other projects and I have a roll of musk lollies to put in there too.

Is there any other colour for a 6 year old girl? I wish there was....

I would like this present and Amelia has put her 7 year old girl stamp of approval on it too! Hopefully today I will get the new bubs present finished so that I can post it before he cuts his first tooth! LOL!

What's one of the best frugal gifts you have given?