Mufti Day

Here in Australia our schools have what is called "Mufti Day".  It is a day on which children and staff wear casual clothing, usually to raise funds for a cause. Those choosing to wear mufti on a set day may do so as long as they donate a gold coin (in Australia a one or two dollar coin) for the cause.

My Grand Daughter, Little Miss Seven (almost 8) has mufti day at her school today to raise money for Jeans for Genes Day.  She wore pink jeans to school and, as it was our turn to drive her today, she spotted the knitting I'd been making for her and asked if she could wear them to school.

This is a very simple beanie pattern where the top is drawn in with thread after knitting a rectangle.

The accessory I made from felt cut from a Bigz flower die on my Big Shot and stitched on to a brooch back so it can be removed. 

I've fallen in love with the fingerless gloves.  They look so cute.

And to finish off - a scarf.

I purchased the wool yarn from the Faulconbridge Blue Gum Rotary Markets in July specifically to make the trio for our Grand Daughter after she spotted my own set which I made last month. 

This red wool was a gift from my walking buddy who is a wool spinning enthusiasts. It's got such a lovely soft feel to it which makes it all the more wearable.

I used the same pattern to knit my Grand Daughter's set and scaled it down to fit her.

We've had such a cold winter this year that there have been days during which I've worn coat, gloves, scarf and beanie indoors in an attempt to get warm.

Tuesday just gone was the coldest August day (in NSW) since 1974. 

How have you been faring this winter/summer?

Autumn Already

Summer is almost over, here in the southern hemisphere, and I'm beginning to already feel autumn in the air.

My favourite season is most definitely autumn.  This February has indeed been the season of mists because of the many days of rain so far.

None the less, we've had the odd sun shower and much humidity and the gardens are seeming to thrive on this unlikely mixture of weather.

Yesterday afternoon, Little Miss Seven danced in an afternoon rain shower while visiting her uncle at his new house and picked an exotic assortment of flowers. 

She left them at our house last night and this morning I couldn't bear to throw them out so arranged an outdoor bowl of flowers. 

 

But now I'm facing a dilemma; I love to have decorative bowls around the garden, filled with water.

This one catches drips from the garden tap on our front verandah. I know water attracts snakes to the garden but I haven't worried too much about this as in our fifteen years living here we have seen maybe one or two. I've figured that the benefits of having water for other wildlife outweigh the risks.  That is, until today...when I spotted the largest, sleekest, blackest, red belly black snake in my entire life(and believe me, I've seen a few) in my front garden. Now I have to rethink this practise - at least until the weather cools. 

Shoes

Today, I was going to show you my new coral coloured sandals, which I only purchased last week, but really, how could I resist the opportunity to show off my beautiful red suede ankle boots? 

I must admit, I'm not really a heel person but these are so comfy, and they make that lovely clack-clack sound when walking on hard floors.

I don't wear them often, usually for very special occasions or I when I just want to feel a bit glamorous.

I don't have an overly large shoe collection, but I truly believe every man, woman and child should have at least one pair of red shoes in their footwear collection.
I always do!

Letters

I went shopping today, and I just happened to make a purchase of a bunch of letters that when put together made some inspiring words.

Getting ready for Christmas!

Day 290/366

The Red Ensign 

Day 196/366

Roses are Red

Day 181/366

Palmer Street Darlinghurst

I have a fascination with doors.

This one particularly appealed to me tonight, at the East Village Hotel, where we had an impromptu dinner with Youngest Son who turns twenty five today.

It was a nice way to end a very busy last business day of financial year from work too.

As I work in a membership based institution, there was, as always, a last minute rush to get those payments in before June 30 so as to claim an extra tax dollar!

Phew.

By the way, I couldn't fault the food in this establishment's dinning room.

Also, the Hotel claims to have links with Sydney's notorious Tilly Devine.

Previously known as the Trademan's Arms, it was in the heart of Sydney's Gangland (during the 1920s and 1930s).

In the early 50s I was born just 650 metres away, around the corner in Crown Street Women's Hospital.  Throughout my life I used to take great delight in telling people that I was born in Woolloomoolo. 

This may not be technically correct but who's not to say that fifty years ago it may have well have been Woolloomoolo.

Anyway, I'm hoping that by the time I came into the world, the area had lost its reputation of ill-repute and had become a little more genteel.

Today, Crown Street is a trendy place to reside, with a multitude of eateries, and an ultra-modern library (in Surry Hills).

Crown Street Women's Hospital building is heritage listed and has been refurbished and leased.

Day 150/366

In a fit of passion I urged Mr Honey Pie to paint a feature wall in the lounge-room red.

Well - "Rum Runner" actually.

I'm sick of mundane, I'm sick of safe, I'm sick of predictable.

Life has been overbearing and overbearingly mundane.

Of late life has been brutal, sobering, depressing.

So I've had a wall painted red.

Do you like it?  

The colour reminds me of Old Gold Cadbury Chocolate, Moulin Rouge, pirates, treasure chests, extravagance.

I'm over predictable and safe.

Day 15/366

This is not what I originally intended to post for my day's photograph.

I started out photographing the beautifully soft and furry leaves of oh-so-green banksias, resulting from all the rain we're having this summer (even as I post!).

My photographs were all washed out and I was not happy with them at all.

Then this beautiful diary caught my eye. 

It's a gift from our son's girlfriend to my Mr Honey Pie...a belated Christmas present.

It's has a very ornate cover in a mottled brick red colour and so I photographed that.

I'm feeling very much in the mood to play around with Picasa's editing program today and this is the outcome.

I realized that a beautifully hued item has resulted in a reflection of today's weather...grey.

I hope you like it!

Irish Chain Quilt Top.

I am well on my way with a quilt (I mentioned in an earlier post ) for one of my Twin Sisters' fiftieth birthdays. I shall call her The Younger Twin.  The colours are not quite what I had in mind but I wanted blue to be the star colour in her quilt.  
As always, I never stick to the original pattern layout.  I didn't particularly like this layout either so I changed it to suit myself. Of course this means a nightmare job of rearranging blocks and then of course, I tend to change my mind halfway through the quilt anyway!!!  
So...I have three options to chose from 

This was my original option but I dislike quilt tops that draw your eye to the centre (unless it's an art quilt).  My preference is to take a little journey around the quilt, surveying the entire piece.

Option Two is a bit subtler in the centre, maybe too subtle?  It does strengthen the blue colours though.

I think Option Three is more balanced, the focus is still the centre yet the stronger reds and rusts draw the eye around the quilt.

Which would you choose?

And yes, I know, there are blocks missing...my next task.  This will also probably mean that once they're complete, I'll change my mind again...about the layout.  Hehe!

I Love My Tutu.

Tutu Gorgeous.

One More Tutu ...

Yesterday, I found this gorgeous red tutu in Frou Frou .
Frou-Frou is one of my favourite shops in Springwood and a number of items purchased from here adorn my house.
My G-D already has a blue tutu but is always asking for a pink one.  Believe it or not, the blue one belonged to her mother at around the age of eight.
  I'm sure this one will delight her, even if it's not pink.  It's in the wash at the moment and I'm hoping it will have dried in time for her return from pre-school this afternoon.