The Butterfly Birthday Quilt

Remember those posts about the quilts for my friend from Mothers Group and her son, Master S? This quilt was for Miss Z, also a member of that beautiful family.

I love this "Butterfly Fling" fabric and started this quilt what feels like many moons ago. I wasn't really sure who it was going to be for, but when the time came to choose something for Miss Z then I knew that this would be perfect for her - bright and bold - just like her!

Quilted by Emma and gratefully received, I am happy to tick another quilt off my WIP list!

Heaven is a Place on Earth

My girls and I have just spent 5 glorious days with this view over Main Beach, on the Gold Coast in sunny Queensland.

We flew up to meet and stay with some friends who were up there. It is the 3rd time we have been up there in the past 18 months. We absolutely love it. We had a wonderful time though we missed Daddy!

Our days went something like this;

Mornings
Wake up
Breakfast
Coffee on the balcony
Put togs on and lather up on the sunscreen
Head to the beach until lunch time
Mosy back to apartment for lunch

Afternoons
Rest
Relax
Movie
I-something
Putt putt
Pool
Or whatever took our fancy

We headed down to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for a day.

We bought seafood and hot chips from the best fish market on the coast and ate it on the beach one night. With champagne, of course.

We had dinner with friends from Adelaide who were up there as well. Southport SLSC is a great place to eat out with kids.

I took this photo on the last night, it was so pretty!

It is always tough to finish a great holiday, but we were excited to get home to see Daddy and the dog. They missed us too!

We now have 2 weeks of holidays left. And then another school year will begin! Where does the time go?

A Birthday Quilt for Master S

I have known Master S since he was 6 weeks old when his mum and I met at Mothers Group. He is the son of the friend I made the quilt for in my previous post. He claimed his mum's quilt for his own room a number of times before finally asking me if I would make him a quilt for his birthday. How could I say no? His birthday was yesterday, 29th December, so I had it finished in plenty of time for catching up with him for his 9th birthday in a couple of days.

You can read a bit about Emma quilting it here
Of course, his sister Miss Z couldn't be left out so the Butterfly Quilt is going to her in early February, I still need to bind that one!

A Birthday Quilt for a Special Friend

I have a lovely friend whom I met in Mothers Group. Our families are close, the kids go to school together, we have had holidays together and we all get on very well. She is one of my best friends so I knew when her 40th birthday rolled around I had to make her quilt. So I chose fabrics that were happy and bright, just like her and I love this. Although she didn't receive it until closer to her 41st birthday she absolutely loved it!

Wonderful weekend

I just spent a lovely weekend with 6 of my crafty friends coming to visit from all over the place - Victoria, Queensland and northern NSW along with another Sydney sider!

We had so much fun - chatting, laughing, crafting, dancing, drinking. We even left the house and went to visit Calico and Ivy, had lunch on the water at Drummoyne and stopped in at Material Obsession.

In between all the chat, I worked on my Pies and Tarts, cut the rest of the Swoon blocks and did actually finish an embroidery from the Prints Charming embroidery workshop that I did. The kit was intended as a cushion but I have decided to make it in a wall hanging for my sewing room. Love the Prints Charming panels I have to say....

Not going great guns with the 12 WIPS in 2012, but it has certainly gotten quilting back on my radar!!

Australia Day

Hope you had as much fun as we did, celebrating this great nation!

Friends...

are the family you choose!

I am blessed to have so many really wonderful friends. Without their love and support, life would be duller and laughs would be fewer.

This is one special mate who I met when I was 11. Like all friendships we have had our ups and downs but we always come out on top and have shared so much over the past 25 years that I think I would truly be lost without her!



There are probably hundreds of these immature and silly photos through the years - we don't get away with them as much as when we were 12...but we try!!



Between us we have 4 special princesses who adore each other as well. It is so special that the friendship lives on in our next generation!



We have just spent a really fun time hanging out in Fiji all together, along with some more of her family and other friends.

Things That Make Me happy...

So my poor little blog doesn't get too neglected, once a week I am going to post one thing that makes me happy. There are so many things in my life that give me a little kick and make me feel grateful that I could do this every day...but with the daily responsibilities of life this is not realisitic but on a weekly basis....very doable!!! I should be going for months!

On Friday night our dear friends Mel, Jon and Finn came for dinner. Mel knows my favourite flowers and gave me a lovely big bunch. I didn't take a photo of these beautiful friends (who make me happy) but here is a photo of one of my life's happy moments - the beautiful tiger lily, ah the sweet smell in my family room right now gives me a lift everytime I am in there!

Just What I Needed...

With Dave away last week, a night out with 4 great ladies, yummy Japanese dinner, girly giggles, a couple of glasses of plum wine and a chick flick was just what was needed for my sanity and my soul! Nothing beats a girls night out!