The template for Bunting is temporarily unavailable due to a breach at the storage site. Many apologies for the inconvenience and thank you Sue for notifying me. Cheers all.

Read more...

Dear Bunting Buddies

Due to the onslaught of spam that I am receiving in the guise of praise for my template, I am having to use word verification again. Now I know it is a bother, I hate it, but I still would appreciate it if you still post a comment to say that you have used the template.

As for the spammers...way to ruin it for the rest of us.

Also. if you lovely bunters have some pics of the bunting you have made, is there a way to post it on this blog? Or link it? I am out of the blogging loop on such this since I took up full time studies so I have no idea how to do it.

Please share if you know as I would LOVE to see other peoples bunting.

Email address has been updated as one was not functioning. Apologies if I have missed emails.

Cheers

Melanie

Read more...

Bunting Template news

Hello bloggers
I have had a message alerting me to an error when downloading the Bunting Template and wanted to let all of my bunting buddies know that it still works fine and as intended so I am not sure why you are getting an error message. If it continues for other fellow bunting buddies can you let me know and please describe the error.
Cheers
Melanie

Read more...

Mondays

Read more...

Do you ever wonder?

Where do bloggers go? When once they blurted/blogged/tweeted regularly and watched you do the same and then abrubtly did it no more. Just gone. Some might have passed, some just moved passed onto something else and some may have accidentally dropped their computers whilst cleaning their gutters. Who knows? Well I know where I have been and now I am back to tell you. I gave up my knitting needles for pens. I swapped my templates for unit assesments and I gave away reading blogs for text books that are not half as much fun and give my brain the sensation that it is an elastic band being stretched to the point of snapping.

I have still be spying on you especially my local ladies just incase I bump into them.
Miss Muggins and  One Pair of Hands are always busy and making me jealous because they both lead busy hectic lives and still whip up a zillion things. Alas, I cannot. I have a one project personality. I cannot multitask and I do not possess the skills of those amazing mothers that work, do mum stuff and obtain degrees with high distinctions. I am actually lucky to pass at all. But I want to do it and I want to get that degree. Why? Because , well , I got so tired of being mad at how things were run around us that I decided to educate myself to use words that the people in power would understand since they clearly didnt understand Melanie speak which often regressed to obscenities and the use of inappropriate raising of middle fingers. Oh my. It took me 40 odd years to realize that kind of behaviour gets you no where.

So basically, I am taking my blog ranting to a new level. I miss crafting, knitting, sewing, EVERYTHING actually and I miss blogs, reading blogs and the constant Ooooh factor like this blog Limoncello.  Oh my gosh I want to make everything on her site. So why am I here? Well I want to push myself to do more than just one thing at a time. I have a studio/shed, infact I have two and it is full of all of the things I dreamed of owning to play with so what a waste. Why cant I do both? My art may suck but it is what makes me tick and without it I havent been ticking too well. See you all.Great to be back.
Blog ya later
Melanie

Read more...

Be a part of breaking the longest bunting in the world effort.

For many reasons I have not been able to blog but recently I have seen much activity in my email regarding my Bunting Template. YAY.
Thank you to everyone who is enjoying my template. I believe I have repaired the link and it is now good to go. Please let me know if there is a poblem and GOOD LUCK.

Message recieved today from another avid bunting fan. Check out the links.

Hello! Me and a whole load of ladies are using this template for the guiness book of records longest bunting! we are getting everyone from around the world to send in triangles with this template thankyou very much! if you would like to join in and promote please attend this event... https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=214123248627250.

.. Or promote the tumblr!
http://fyeahbunting.tumblr.com/
Thankyou very much! Spread the word! xxxx

Read more...

My creative space - Thursday

Sooooo , 2 years ago my son moved out, to which I quickly responded by making his room into a sewing room.
2 years later, son moves back, I'm booted out of sewing room into the big shed which is to be my new "Creative Space"

My plastering is a bit iffy, my painting a bit hap hazard and due to the lack of rooms now we have camp stretchers as beds, floors as wardrobes and I am exhausted because of health stuff and I FINALLY got my top teeth out and today I get fitted for my new ones YAY. pardon the massive running sentence.

So! After many years I am finally getting my teeth for christmas AND a new, bigger, much improved "Creative Space"

I am sure you will find prettier creative spaces at Kootoyoos and although mines not pretty right now, it is super exciting.
Due to niggling illnesses, new found deficiencies that I didn't know existed and way to much self absorption I have been an absent crafter but I have turned the corner and feel my mojo returning and cannot wait to create, be artful and share with you all.

Cheers
Melanie

Read more...

yum and yummer

I know I claim to hate cooking and I stand by my claims vehemently even though I do seem to be cooking a lot. Its OK, its just a phase. I blame masterchef.
My cupcakes were too sickly sweet for the birthday do yesterday so I did what any cooking hater wouldn't do and spent hours scouring the Internet for recipes.
I am most pleased with the results and realized what you cooking nuts already know. These are fantastic recipes for kids to make too.  Make the day before if you can.

YUM!

No Rum Rumballs 

• 250g Nice biscuits.
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 395g can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence) 
• About  3/4 cup desiccated coconut, for coating

Using a food processor, combine cocoa and Nice biscuits. Blend until they look like fine crumbs( I don't mind the odd chunky bit )
In a bowl mix crumbs with remaining ingredients

Refrigerate for half and hour to make mixture firmer but no longer or you wont be able to get it out of the bowl........(yes , I did that and then later found my husband hacking away at it with a knife to eat it)
Roll into bite size balls.
Roll the ball in the remaining coconut to coat.
voila

YUMMER!

Vanilla Wafer balls 

Vanilla wafer balls (I made this recipe up using bits and pieces of other recipes. Amounts may not be accurate but these are so yummy it is worth experimenting on your own for desired results. I know kids will love these.)

I used the 65 cent wafers from Coles in the biscuit section

• 1 and a half packets of vanilla wafers
• Half a  packet of Marie Biscuits(120g)
• Half a cup of coconut
• (another 3/4 of a cup of coconut to coat balls)
• 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk ( I used 99%fat free because we want to appear to be healthy don't we?)

Throw wafers in a food processor and mix until they are mostly fine crumbs but leave some chunks for texture.
Blend Marie biscuits until they are a fine crumb
Mix all ingredients in a bowl then roll them into bit size balls.

Roll into remaining coconut to coat.

For added Princess sparkle value I rolled mine first in fairy dust sprinkles but I am a bit like that. You can omit this and it wont effect flavor.

YUMMISH!

Non Alcoholic Rumballs

These were OK but not to my taste and ever so sticky and messy to make. Some people loved them though so it was worth it.

• 2 1/2 cups Madeira cake crumbs (approximately 280g)
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 cup Condensed sweetened Milk(99% fat free of course)
• 1/2 cup of raisins or sultanas
• 1 tablespoon rum essence
• 1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles

Combine cake crumbs and cocoa in a large bowl. Add Condensed milk and rum. Stir until a thick, 

sticky mixture forms. Place chocolate sprinkles in a  bowl. Roll  into a bite size ball and 

roll in chocolate sprinkles until well coated. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve.

Yummiest

BUCKEYES

picture: Allrecipes.com

They never last long enough here to take a picture.

Click HERE for a look at the recipe. Best eaten straight from freezer, mmmmmm

Needless to say, I am feeling a little bit stuffed and podgy today because there were so many and I am supposed to be freezing them, however, they don't seem to be making it to the freezer....

I really love that I can freeze these for rainy days when the kids use thier whiny voice and say" muuum, there's no food" whilst staring into a full pantry.

Happy Wednesday girls

Cheers

Melanie

Read more...

And now it's September

Birthdays galore and a little get together planned  on Tuesday to celebrate all of the September girls.
I said I would make cupcakes but they're just so sweet and sickly.

I took these photos with my Birthday present, my iPhone, and although it is a handy little camera to have in a pinch, I am somewhat perplexed at why the pictures always come out upside down and the blueish tinge on everything is a bit eery.

As a phone Brilliant. As a camera it makes a great phone:)
My kids have gone to QLD so I am all alone. Oh what plans I have with my precious alone time.
I will first start by making something less sickly for tomorrow.
Happy Monday Girls!
Cheers
Melanie

Read more...

Avoision

Yes I love that word. I always thought I made it up but then I heard some one else think they were clever for making it up so there ya go. Regardless, its an awesome word and its what I do with such precision. I suffer from avoision and have been avoiding things for years but funny how some things you cant avoid.

Yesterday was one of those days.

As stated previously I hate crocheting.

  Unfortunately someone hadnt heard my proclamation of loathing towards the craft and did the sweetest thing for me and now I am bound by the code of crafters to at least keep trying.

Yesterday I was pleasantly surpised to have this placed in front of me with a "There you go" or something similar.

Now people have expectations and there were witnesses. I even had one lass trying to help me hold the wool how she does to perhaps make it be more comfortable on my fingers so that I may love it more....
Helen even brought in a How To book with easy to read instructions for complete nutcases that cant read instructions and guess what, I understood them!!!
Ho hum
Crafter's are like drug pushers. They're always on the lookout for someone they can push their crafting drug of addiction onto. Well FINE...
Ill keep going with it. Not like I can avoid it now.
P.S I love that my friends care enough to want me to love something they love.
Cheers
Melanie

Read more...

Fantastic Plastic

Oh I know, the title is a complete contradiction to all nunde beliefs but I am still being as nunde as possible(nunde does = natural after all).

You see my friend is clearing out her clutter and she even preceded her question with an "I know you don't like plastic but..." and then she offered me her old Tupperware. Um Yah !!! Ill take preloved Tupperware any day. This stuff is pure vintage gold and is perfect for mobile storage. I will still never ever ever buy plastic containers, EVER but I will gladly take your old Tupperware and I can put it in my "reclaimed, re-used, recycled etc" category to ease my nunde mind.
So while we are on this topic maybe I can prod you to ponder. Do you buy plastic? Bottles, cutlery, plates, storage containers....the list goes on? Do your really need to? Next time you go to buy anything that is plastic ponder the less toxic alternatives that have been around for longer. Or ...raid your friends Tupperware:)
 Have a great Monday girls.
 Cheers
Melanie

Read more...

My Creative Space

This is all I have in my creative space.

I wanted to learn to crochet forever. I looked on with envy as others compared and shared their skills and felt that somehow the skill of crocheting was missing from my crafting resume.
Well, after many attempts, followed by epic fails, I have mastered the granny square and I am making one giant one for my son for Christmas. Full of mistakes it is. Wonky on all sides and not at all what I envisioned. But I will finish it and Oh how he better love it because I have discovered something.

I hate Crocheting. 

Hats off to those who love it. I am happy as ever to continue on my old way and buy crochet items from you so its a win for all of us:)

This post is one of many involved in Thursday's "My Creative Space"

Read more...

Tuesday with the girls

I finally ventured out of my hole again, which has been quite rare this year, to see the girls at The Homestead and it was well worth the effort I made to brush my hair.

Had an awesome time as usual and now I am about to make Pea and Ham Soup while I listen to my new CD that came in the mail yesterday. I love Amazon and I love Baino for linking the clip on her blog which enticed me to listen to it, then search it, then buy it with monies I havent made yet....On ya mate!

Working for a nuclear free city.

Hopefully some new tunes with inspire me to get my mojo back.
Have a good one!
Cheers
Melanie

Read more...

Puddles

One of my favorite things and something to be treasured in this big rainless country.

Not sure this mushroom thinks so....

Im off to PiPs in Berwick. Have a great day!
Cheers
Melanie

Read more...

Hangin with the girls

The Homestead

Hot soup and large skinny caps were consumed in abundance today as we froze our toes off at the homestead. Thats how devoted we are to whatever it is we do, which sometimes is a lot, or sometimes nothing at all.

The Project

Today's project that was right up there with things to do that I think are cool and it involves refashioning things from the Op Shop.
I will show you more as we go along. Perhaps I can bust out an EOFYS (end of financial year)tutorial to celebrate the start of another financial year.

I arrived with nothing today but apologies for not having  an old jumper ready for the chop and just like magic Pam whipped out a jumper for me(probably foreseeing my slackness) and she never ceases to amaze me because it was my colors to boot. Pink, lime green and brown. Awesome!

Last meeting I learned the art of making Dorset brooches and the meet before that it was a Christmas theme thingy that I ruined and they may suspect it was on purpose because I loathe Christmas. I can assure you it wasn't on purpose...or was it?

So anyhow, to make up for my epic failure with the Christmas project I need to excel with this jumper /bag refashion idea to save face, and well, refashioning is my thing isn't it?, so I have no excuse.

A Random Rant

With the upcoming elections we briefly discussed politics and the subject that perked up my attention was that the Greens were going to ban Open fire places. Now at first I was outraged but then thought back to only yesterday and the multitude of days, weeks and years prior that I have had to inhale the pollution coming out of peoples chimneys because they burn toxic things that blow into neighboring yards, chasing us from our gardens on beautiful crisp perfect gardening days. Stinking up our washing! YES! Ban them I say. In residential areas you have no business polluting us. We only live a few feet from your chimney for crying out loud and don't you have a natural gas line running past your house too? This is the 21st century ya know?! Of course, all of this occurred to me as I was gazing into the alluring flames in the open fire place at the Homestead. I will miss those fires but I wont miss the ones in our street.
I can not express how much I am loving this winter and want it to last. I am normally a winter hater so this is odd for me. Old age perhaps?
Have a great week guys
I have a lot of blogs to catch up on.
Cheers!
Melanie

Read more...

Someones junk

Became a storage device for my ever increasing bits and bobs.                

Another glorious Hard rubbish find.

P.S I finally got time to visit the Narre Salvos Op Shop on Tuesday and found once again used items priced higher than what they were when they were for sale brand new. The highest priced Op Shop in town. Shame on them.

Have a lovely Thursday!

Cheers

Melanie

Read more...

Happy Mothers Day

Im still here, Just busy doing mum stuff lately:)

Have a lovely mothers day.

Blog ya later

Melanie


*picture link*

Read more...

Bag Testing and Witches Brew

Well, yesterday I put my market nunde style bag to the test and carted home 19kg of cold remedies, most of which ended up in a pot to make chicken soup. I googled every herb/spice/veggie known to help get rid of colds and it all went in  to make one big pot of green brew.
So how did my brew work?

Umm, I still feel pretty crook but I do have enough brew to feed me for a week....or 2.

So chicken soup/witches brew may not have been a huge success but my nunde market bag stood up to the test. I was hoping the soup would perform miracles because Master nunde has  a cross country run today which I am helping with.
No matter, with a hanky in hand I will be there still and try not to pass on my cold to the contestants.
Have a great Wednesday
Melanie
xox

Read more...

My Creative Space Thursday

I am still here. I have been a bit preoccupied with things and just got too distracted. Family stuff, injuries to family, family drama, family on life support and it goes on and on and on. Yeah, I know, you guys know how it goes.
My only claim to having a creative space is my new stack of freshly borrowed library books. With any luck I will get to dabble in some new stuff I am about to learn from within these pages.
Check out the huge LIST for other Creative Spacers

Cheers Ladies!
Melanie

Read more...

Old sheet - Refashion Apron

Old Doona cover that my daughter has grown out of because it is pink and she hates pink.

Is now a Pinny for me.

 

Lots of fabric left over so I need some more ideas.

Cheers 

Melanie

Read more...