planes, parties, & computer virus!

We have had a very busy fortnight.
When we arrived home from Wanganui we found that our PC had a nasty virus, and it has taken nearly a week for Phil to sort it out.
Thankfully he knows how to deal to these things!

So, to rewind a couple of weeks.
Firstly Nanna arrived home from Fiji, incredibly brown and looking rested!



She had a fantastic time away, doing nothing but baking herself in the sun and cooling down with lots of cocktails!

The munchkins were very happy to see her and enjoyed having her to stay for a few days (more on that later...), before we all headed to Wanganui for Oliver's third birthday.

So the smallish boy is now three!
And he had a marvelous day, really how many kids get not only one but two birthday cakes on the same day!

And his much wanted, and long awaited Woody.
Which has not left his side since his arrival!

He also received a whole lot of other wonderful gifts from family and friends.
Which he also loves especially the noisy ones, and ones he can bang things with, (thanks to Nanna, for the wooden tool set!).
I will get some decent pictures over the holidays and post later.
Our camera has been on the fritz as you can see from Ollie’s birthday photos, which are terrible.

So thanks heaps to every one who helped make a small boy hugely happy!

almost three!

Our smallish boy will be three on Saturday!

I can't get over how fast this has happened, where has my baby gone?

Happy birthday our little brat, oh I mean darling!

Isn't he a nice blend of us both!

post

Our postie has been very busy just of late....

I think my button obsession is starting to get a little out of control!

I think I really need to stay away from TradeMe for a while, and no more cups of tea in front of the computer!

birds and beds

With the trip to the pet shop on Friday, the munchkins are now hot on animals.
All animals, but as we already have Milly there is no room for any more pets at our place.

There is however room for the wild life and a bird has made her nest in the roof of our garage.

Ella felt a little sad that we couldn't bring her inside to live, so we compromised and brought the bird a honey bell.

Which is now hanging in one of our Olive trees in the front garden.

And with the Olives beginning to ripen she and her babies have lots to eat.

I have been a reader of Alicia Paulson blog - Posy Gets Cozy for some time now, and love her blog.
Way back in January of 2007 she started a now huge following and mass making, all over the world Ripple Along Crochet Blanket craze.
You can check out her finished blanket here.

At the time I had no idea how to crochet, but wanted to make one for Button.
So I hassled Mum to work out the pattern (because the book that has the stitch pattern is $60 here and I'm too mean to buy it, and couldn't find it at the library).
And luck have it at the time Spotlight was having a sale, and I almost brought the entire stock of Zhivago for $1 a ball.

When I had finished sorting through all the yarns, and made a list of the colours, I followed the link to the Random Stripe Generator, loaded them all in and hit the refresh button a whole lot of times until I got this:



Now all I needed to do was learn to crochet.
I am a lazy student and only learnt how to chain on and double crochet or in the Queens English, treble.



So this is how far I have got in a year and a half.
I am sooo slow, and keep putting it aside to knit instead.

I do like the way the colours are coming together, and when I asked Ella which was her favourite she pointed to each one and said "this one, this one, this one..." along the length so far of the blanket.
So at the blistering pace I am setting, it might just be ready in time for her 21st birthday!

Well a least I get to enjoy a big pot of tea while I crochet at the pace of a snail!

ella's friday adventure

wet feet

With all the crazy, ever changing weather that we have had lately, I am feed up with getting home from kindy drop offs and pick ups with wet feet!

Well no more!
My lovely Mum brought these beautiful gumboots for me to stomp up and down the street in.



Thanks Mum, I love them!

I have been knitting like mad to finish some birthday gifts.
This is for our friends daughter who turns 21 this weekend.

The yarn is Perendale by Crucci, and 100% home grown New Zealand wool.
It is super soft and snugly, and a dream to knit with.
The picture has lightened the colour a little, but I think that it has turned out nicely.
I just hope it is to her taste!
You can find the pattern for yourself here.


I also knitted a matching pair of fingerless gloves.



I won't be knitting these again in a hurry.
I made the pattern up, using the stitch pattern for the shrug.
And had to rip the first pair about four times before the pattern finally clicked in my brain.


All knitting was modeled by the lovely M.
Thanks a bunch, and it was lovely to catch up with you and your girls yesterday!
Drinking tea, eating cake, and watching the kids get up to mischief.