umbrella prints trimming competition

 

Last year I didn't get my entry in on time

for The Umbrella Prints Trimming Competition.

 

Even though I've known for ages that this few weeks

at my place is going to be frantic with

stuff going on I still really wanted to join in.

 

I bought my packet of trimmings months ago.

 

Yes I did say months.

 

I finally got something together last night watching

the Blues win Origin.

Maybe I was good luck for them ??

 

Anyway if you like my wonky balloon a little bit

you can vote for my entry by pinning it

when it goes on the board in the next few days.

Go here to see all the creations.

 

I hope someone pins my poor balloon.

 

Edited ~ Amy has just informed me that we need

to comment on the pins we like.

 

choc chip muffins

 

Choc chip muffins are very easy to make

and taste much, much nicer than packet made ones.

 

They freeze well too so you can make a

double batch and always have some

ready for lunchboxes or afternoon tea.

 

You will need ~

2 cups of sifted s/r flour

2/3 cup castor sugar

100g melted butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of milk

2/3 cup choc bits.

 

Mix it all together with a whisk.

Spoon into muffin cases and bake at 180c

for about 20 minutes.

Makes 12 largish muffins.

 

I told you they were easy!

 

 

give me a sign

 

I love the cheerful signs that people have in their homes.

Sometimes though I feel they may be a bit twee for our home.

 

 

Also considering this newspaper clipping

that has been hanging on our lounge room wall

for years and has become a bit of a favourite

may show just what sort of loopy family we are. 

 

So I think we may just go with our new favourite.

After all we do have teenagers.

show us your crafty bits

 

I'm so easily distracted.

I got side tracked for a bit doing the

Blog a Day with Claire

and I'm going to get back to that.

Then of course paid employment always

 gets in the way of crafting.

 

 

But then I came across this stool at Vinnies for 10c

and there was no way I was leaving that behind.

 

So I taped over the tears in the vinyl

 

covered it in some pretty fabric

 

added a bit of pom pom trim

(I painted the plain silver upholstery tacks

in glittery green nail polish)

and now the cat and I are both happy.

 

Well mostly happy as I know the tacks are not all straight.

Anyway .....

 

Don't forget if you look to the right you can see my Instagram

link and I'd love it if you found me there.

 

day 4 ~ your earliest memory

 

Let me just say right now I admit

that as a child I was a monster.

 

Even before I was out of nappies I was running away.

What child does this to their parents?

 

My poor mother was forever adding latches

to the doors to lock me in and had to constantly

have me in her sight as I would just take off.

 

The running joke saying in our family  is

"Where's Clare?"

 

This leads me to my earliest memory...

I was standing on the kitchen table in my grubby bare feet

being told very sternly by the local policeman

that I wasn't to run away again.

 

My latest adventure had been that I went to visit my dad

at work but I couldn't find him so I went to the beach.

I have no idea how long I had been gone or how I got

home but I do know that was definitely not my last escape.

 

Oh did I mention my father was a nurse at Long Bay Gaol?

Not really the place for a barefoot child to give her dad a surprise visit.

day 3 ~ changing tracks

 

 

~ a song that you hear that reminds you

 of a certain time in your life.

 

Every time I hear Rock around the Clock

it takes me back to the kitchen of our family home.

 

My father would turn this song up really , really loud

and we would all dance around like crazy!

I have 5 sisters and two brothers

so there was some wild dancing going on

and so much laughter!

 

Good times.

 

day 2 ~ a favourite movie

image from here 

 

This is a hard one for me because I'm

one of those really annoying people who say

"oh but the book was way better!"

in a very snotty, sanctimonious voice.

 

The movies I liked most was whatever I went

with my kids to see.

Going to the movies when you live in a country town

is a huge adventure.

 

We would talk about it for a few days before.

We would get up nice and early to prepare.

We would then begin the hour drive to the closest theatre.

 

If we were early enough there was time

to just sit in the foyer and people watch.

Yes we are creepy people watchers.

 

My kids would then wait for their brown paper bags.

 

Brown paper bags?

 

Whenever we went on a long car trip I would make up

brown paper bags with some lollies and pencils and paper

and sometimes a little toy like a kaleidoscope or a small puzzle.

I would do a little drawing and put their names on the bag

just like my mum did on our school lunch bags.

 

Anyway I did the same for our yearly movie trip

but it would just be a few lollies and juice

as we all loved to have the movie popcorn.

 

So while this post really has nothing to do with

my favourite movie it has something to do

with my favourite people , my kids.

 

 

 

 

Day 1. My day in 100 words.

image from here

 

It was a combination of too much coffee during the day

and too much tweeting at night that

led to my decision to join in with

 Claire (great name by the way)

blogging every day in May.

 

I haven't been much of a blogger lately so maybe

this would be the little push that was needed.

 

Claire has provided great prompts to help us along

and a lot of them are really, really interesting.

 

So for my first day I will share my day in 100 words.

 

It would be so embarrassing on my first day to run out .....