Finally!!!!! Something to blog about

Sorry I have been missing from blogland  for so long, not because I wanted to just have been having a break and lurking.   Nothing exciting has happened lately since I returned from holidays, except catching up on things round the house.

Also have been in a slump and not felt like stitching.....just lurking round the internet and watching tv.

Finally I have pulled myself up by the bootstraps and finished of this which was a work in progress.   My creative mojo seems to have gone on holiday too, so all these stitches I am behind with are on the one piece of embroidery.  Not very inspiring, but they are completed and that is my aim at the moment.

This is the piece I had as a WIP, and now after adding some buttonhole wheels and beads I have completed as much as I am going to with this.   The background fabric is one that I dyed from a workshop I attended some weeks ago.

It has been so cold here still, that I wanted to know what the temperatures were...sort of a masochistic thing.....so purchased this little gadged which sticks itself to the outside of the window so I can see how hot/cold it is before I decide to venture outside.

Oh, and I should mention that I have been shopping too.  Have a wedding to go to in October in Melbourne, and decided I would wear an outfit from another wedding, but add a different top under the jacket.   After walking the length of the main street the other day, I was about to give up finding something suitable, when I spied a lovely blingy top on a rack outside a shop.   It was just what I had in mind, and it fitted perfectly on my new slim body.   The best part was it was reduced from $200 to $50 because a few of the beads had come loose.

Easily fixed with the  little bag of spare beads and sequins  that came with the top, and feel very pleased with my bargain.

The skirt is in getting the hem taken up at the moment, but is gored with a little flip out at the bottom.    The grey sequins have taken on the colour of the pale blue jacket.   It looks grey in the picture but is actually blue.  it is good to give this an airing after sitting in the wardrobe for 14 years and still looks fashionable.....well for an old lady it is.   Also just happen to have a pair of gunmetal grey shoes that will go perfectly......too bad I just recently threw out the matching handbag that was very scratched...might have been able to renew it.

Building sandcastles

It seems forever since I went away and it is so good to be back home again even though the weather has been bleak and awful since my return.  Holidays are nice but being back among my own "stuff" makes life so much simpler.   I did not even turn on the computer for 3 days and retreated to the couch under a doona to watch the Olympics.

We did get to build sandcastles and had walks on the beach.   The weather was not kind enough for swimming though although we did have some nice sunny days.

Late one afternoon the girls had a lot of fun with their father building sandcastles.  It is lovely to see them all so happy together.

On the girls  last day we had one last walk down to the beach where we again dug a moat round the sandcastle and had fun trying to rescue it from the surf.

Even the seagulls got into the act.

During the week I took the girls to see the Katy Perry movie, which they enjoyed, and there were walks down to the shops, where Georgia scored some new clothes...purple jeans and a haircut which she was so happy with.

It was all so busy, the time flew by and before we knew, it was time for the girls to return home.   Very sad for their father as he misses them a lot.

I don't know how they found us on the 22nd floor, but every morning for a few days we had these visitors coming for breakfast of apple and honey

We were even treated to the antics of some playful whales out in the ocean that was so exciting to see.

Now I really must concentrate on catching up with my Tast Stitches so I promise some photos of the results soon.