Happy Australia Day

Not happy Jan

This is a saying popularised by an advertisement by Yellow Pages and it's now firmly embedded in the Australian vernacular. 

Definitely describes people living in the City of Perth for the next 7 days. Our local bureau of meteorology seem fairly confident in their prediction that we will be experiencing hot weather of mind bending proportions.
I've included the forecast below... fingers crossed we keep our power supply for the next few days... the only thing worse than such hot weather is no power to run the aircon! How did the pioneers do it??
Today was quite hot too. We picked up my Mum and took a day trip to Lancelin (315km round trip) for a swim. We wanted to go to Geraldton for an overnight stay but couldn't get accommodation at any hotels there. The beach at Lancelin isn't (in my opinion) as nice as those nearer the city or down south but the water was nice and cool, the air-conditioning  in the car blasted away and kept us wonderfully cool and there weren't too many cars on the road. 




There were only 8 people on the entire beach. We stayed for about an hour, had a bite of lunch and headed back home. 

We have more than travelled 1500+km this week. I am getting behind with my stitching due to all the time I've spent behind the wheel this week. TAST week 4 has been posted already and I still haven't looked at week 3.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forecast for Wednesday
A very hot and mostly sunny day. Moderate to fresh E/NE winds, easing in the
afternoon with a mid afternoon seabreeze near the coast.

Precis:      Very hot. Mostly sunny.            
City:        Min 24     Max 40 
Mandurah:    Min 23     Max 38 

UV Alert:    8:20 am to 4:40 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 14 [Extreme]  
Fire Danger: Coastal Plain: HIGH        
             Hills:         HIGH        

Thursday     Very hot. Partly cloudy.               Min 26     Max 41
Friday       Very hot. Partly cloudy.               Min 25     Max 39
Saturday     Very hot. Sunny.                       Min 26     Max 42
Sunday       Very hot. Windy morning.               Min 24     Max 40
Monday       Very hot. Sunny.                       Min 23     Max 40
Tuesday      Very hot. Sunny.                       Min 26     Max 40

The next routine forecast will be issued at 4:50 am WST Wednesday.

Feeling a little crispy

Mr W and I went to the beach today. Sorry for the poor quality pics today, I left my camera in the car, so these were taken on my phone.

The water at my feet was so cool and bubbly.

We only live about 30 minutes from some really beautiful beaches but felt like a change of scenery so we drove to the beach at Busselton.

Mr W (red shirt) immediately made friends some nice kids.

We had a splash about for about an hour and then came home. I got a little sunburnt on my forearms and side of one knee (I missed these with the sunscreen)

Busselton Jetty... almost like a postcard.

At the start of today's trip stopped at our local library and Mr W chose a book to read while we were driving... he finished it on the outward trip so we returned it on our way home. The librarian was very surprised to see us back so soon.

Travelling South today and East yesterday

Today we travelled between A and the southern B (365km 228miles). The other trip on the map is the one we did yesterday to York, Beverley and Westdale A-D (335km 208miles).

Tomorrow we will consider taking a day trip to Gingin (186km 115miles) to see the Gravity Discovery Centre. It will depend on the weather... believe it or not (from the clear blue skies in today's pics) storms are predicted tomorrow. Perhaps we will take one of the neighbour kids with us. Or we might just stay home and watch a movie aka stitch temari.

Maybe heading North tomorrow?

But for now I've covered myself in after sun moisturiser and I'm off to bed.

Unbuttoning My Lip

I have been keeping a secret for ages and ages. I am quite good at keeping other's secrets even though I really hate to have any secrets of my own. This secret is such a really awesome and juicy secret that it has been just about impossible to keep. I have found myself almost biting holes in my lip and holding my breath while counting to 10 so many times trying to keep myself from blurting it out that I may have done minor  damage to my brain function due to oxygen deprivation... not that most people would notice - tee hee:)

Anyway seeing as it has been let out of the bag at TC by the secret's owner I can share it too.
Let me give you some hints... it is:
something most all of us have dreamt about for an awfully long time...
something which is very drool worthy... and
something I wish I could have in my hot little hands today.

No!!! It is not Hugh Jackman, Robert Patterson, Ryan Reynolds, Brad Pitt, Gerard Butler or George Clooney*.

Ok ok ok I'll just tell you...

 it's a book...

a temari book... 

a temari book written by Barb Suess.

Barb's new book due for release in March 2012

Double excitement with a dollop of cream and a cherry on top, right?!! 

I have been lucky enough (along with a select few temari makers) to be able to test stitch some of the patterns which may feature in this new book (Title still TBA)

I have made space in my bookshelf for the book although it wont be available for purchase for some time yet. Possibly another 6 months or more but knowing the book is a near probability instead of a distant possibility is very comforting (wrapped in exciting, wrapped in thrilling and tied with a bow of joyful)

I am sure if you bookmark Barb's website or blog you will be one of the first to be able to order a copy when it is released.


*(Just a side note to my DH in case he reads this post: I googled 'the most gorgeous men' to find out who they are... I don't fancy any of them myself... well unless you count Hugh but that is just because he is a dedicated husband and father  - like you - or Gerard but that is just due to our shared Scottish heritage although Dutch/Spanish beats Scottish every time... but can you practice your Scottish accent a bit - just kidding!)

TAST with Sharon B's Pin Tangle

Week 2: Buttonhole Stitch

This week I tried two versions of this stitch... with varying degrees of success. Buttonhole Wheel and Rosette of Thorns. I think I got the first one OK but managed to keep messing up the second. Nevertheless it seemed to go OK and I am fairly happy (not completely disgusted anyway) with the end result. I am still yet to get my flat sampler organised so I am already a week behind on that but never mind I hope to get to it this week. But first I need to get some Dutch Courage to get into my craft room which is so full of boxes, fabrics, board games and assorted junk that has been dumped in the over the last few weeks. Ugh!!! I hate when it gets into such a state but that is the result of 'get to that later' housekeeping.

Oh now what was I talking about??? Yep got it, my TAST Week 2 attempt. You want to see it right? Well here goes... keep in mind I am a temari maker but not an embroiderer so all these stitches are brand new to me.

Surely it must be easier to stitch these on a flat surface (something I hope to discover during the week once I am organised). When this ball is filled up I will make a new more densely covered temari to continue this challenge which will make all the future stitching look better too.