Friday, December 26, 2008

Why hanging out washing is an extreme sport around here

I know I should like golden orb weavers. They make beautiful, perfect webs that shimmer in the morning light, they only eat flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches and things, and the fact that my garden is full of them probably means it is quite a healthy little micro-ecosystem.

But, srsly, do they have to make webs on my washing line? And when they see me coming out of the laundry with a basketful of washing, can't they just fuck off out of the way?!!

Freaking spider in hair. Better than caffeine for a wake-up jolt.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

This site will be unattended...

... until Monday. We are taking Patrick for a little holiday- to sydney (for ferries) via the Austra.lian.Reptile.Park at gosford, then to Luna Park and then the zi.g za.g railway at Lithgow. All his favourite things!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Old bras needed

One of the disadvantages of breastfeeding for so long was that I was sick of the very sight of my old maternitty bras, and whilst they are still in good working order, I'll splash out and buy some new ones. But what to do with the old ones?

I came across this mob whilst shopping for a new (non-maternity) bra.

From their website: "Disadvantaged women in the third world often live without a bra... A new bra, if available, can cost 10-30 hours' wages, beyond reach for most. Rashes, fungal infections and abscesses (intertrigo) occur between the breast and the chest wall. Bras will help... Sports bras (for farm work), and nursing bras desperately needed... the biggest sizes are the most needed and are the hardest to get. Every bra donated will become the only bra a particular woman owns... Since 2005, Uplift, through Rotary Australia World Community Service, has sent bras through secure channels, making sure they get to the women who need them without compromising their dignity".

The website says their current stockpile is full, however, its useful information to tuck away, and I've got a bagful to send once they are again accepting donations. The website has a list of drop off and postal addresses to send/take your old bra to.

Don't know if anyone outside Aus does this, but surely there must be... The website says you can post your bras direct and gives addresses in Fiji and PNG.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Craptacular potty celebrations!

Pat did his very first wee and poo on the potty this morning! Yay! Bodily functions! I haven't been this excited to have someone crap since I was a surgeon!!

In celebration... here is my great giveaway- get set for the longest post ever.

First of all, a holiday snap that also fulfils that 'belly shot' criterium: me wallowing in the awesome pool reading Stephenie Meyer





and also a recent shot of my grown up little boy:


And now, the STUFF!


First of all: shoes. A little strange, but that's just me. All of these are pre-worn, I love them all dearly but there is just no way I will ever get my feet back in them. Ever. again. They are mostly flats: I have problems with my feet- they're flat, broad and oddly shaped (the head of my navicular bone sticks way out like an extra anklebone), so I don't get to wear many heels.

Possibly my most favourite pair of heels ever. They are beaded all over with red satin heels. A little worse for wear (I tripped down a grating, so some of the satin is scuffed). The brand is Nat-Sui- size 41, and the widest point is 9cm across the sole.

Next, a duo of ballet flats by Sambag. They are all size 41, with the soles measuring 27cm long by 8.5 cm at the widest point. First of all, black suede moccasin-style:

and then embroidered green cord. These have a little more wear on them, around the toes, but it's nothing you notice when they're on your feet.


Ok, now

Suede lace ups by Fiona Mc Guinness. These are a size 41, sole28.5cm x 8.5 cm. Lovely in winter with opaques and a long skirt.
These are my 'corset' shoes. They look a little bondage, but on your feet look like a sweet little tie-up corset. I LOVED these shoes to death- consequently, they have lots of wear: one of the soles is very thin but you could easily glue on a new one. The leather is in top shape, though. Look great with fishnets.



Red very pointy shoes by Robert Robert, full length of the sole is 28.5cm and 8.5 wide at the very widest. I can't see the size on them, but at a guess they are 41s.

Now, clothes.
A Black Laura Ashley pure wool jacket. I used to use this for job interviews, and the like, but it's really nice- it's a 5-button affair, and is a bit 'riding jacket' style. My bust is way too big for it now.It's a size 16, fully lined, very very nice, I hate to part with it, but there's seriously no way I'll ever wear it again.
This skirt is deep chocolate brown with black jacquard flowers in a velvet/suede. The trim at the bottom is a mink velvet. It's made of a stretch material, is size 16 Mosaic (NZ)label. The unstretched waist measurement is 40cm across (80cm circumference) but it does stretch well.
This is a lovely lambswool jumper. It has a brown neck trim. The stitch changes over where the bust should be- about 10cm too high for me, so it just makes my boobs look like they're down at the navel. It's a size 4: I guess that's about a 14/16. The brand is Raiss- quite mumsy, but can look sweet too.
This is a very versatile black stretch velvet skirt I bought many year sago, and despite it being VERY stretchy, I just never wear it anymore. It's a size 12 and is in very good nick. The unstretched waist is 70cm, but, like I said, it stretches amazingly well. Because it's a a-line you won't get that tucked under the bum' look. I could still wear it today, i just forget to.

This is a skirt by NZ label Robyn Jones. It still has the plastic tag thing in the label. I bought it on sale and wore it maybe once. I have so many black skirts it's embarrassing. The skirt is black georgette/organza type stuff with a nile lily printed on the lining fabric which is dark grey. Gosh it's nice. Unlike most of the stuff here, it's not stretch- size 16, 90cm waist.

This is another skirt I love, I just never wear anymore. It's made of a black fairly sturdy fabric with a bit of stretch in it, but with this red/burgundy panel that isn't appliqued, rather it flaps over. It's really very very nice. It's getting a little tight for me, to be honest which is probably why I don't wear it as much as I could. It's by Moss- another NZ label, size 16, 90cm waist but with some stretch.

Finally, stretchy Green/brown/greyish (I think the label said 'tobacco', whatever that means) pants. Also by Mosaic, size 16. It has a roll waist so i suppose technically you'd call them yoga pants? They're made of a stretchy but fairly dressy fabric. I used to wear them constantly, but now I'm too fat.
Didn't i just make this? Umm, yes. But due to the asshattery of pattern companies, I had to guesstimate my pre-pregnancy measurements to get the pattern size, and although I measured the pattern up against an existing pregnancy tee, it just, doesn't, fit. Slightly stretchy, cross-over bodice with a back tie. Technically it's maternity wear, but i reckon you could get away with it unpreggo.

Finally, stuff stuff.

Red widewale cord, 110wide by 1.5m. I bought this to make Pat a pair of overalls, but the sheen on the pile makes it look ever so slightly pink. I kept it in case Hounsfield was a girl, but he ain't. Therefore, free to a good home.

Broadcloth printed with mushrooms. Retro. A bigger piece, l-shaped, 110cm across, 50cm of that full width, then about another 75cm of half-width.

and smaller mushrooms, 0.5mx 110wide. I've put a dollar coin to show the print size. That's about, what, probably an inch in diameter, probanbly slightly less.


Enough red yarn for me to have started but never finished a cardy. They are all from the same dyelot, about 15 balls. It's Cleckheaton "Show Off", 60% Acrylic, 40% polyester, each ball is 50g/32metres/35yards approx. The guage is 9 stitches by 13 rows to make a 10x10cm square, using 9mm/00(UK)/US13 needles. It's a slightly orangey-red, deeper than the photos show- more like the photo showing the single thread of yarn. I can knit, and this knits quickly, but I just never have the time anymore. Or the patience.

Finally, If nothing is appealing, I can make some little person clothes to your specs: maybe a hoodie:a hat

or a dress?Or anything else you have seen on this blog- let me know the date of the post...

I'll also give away my copy of 'Twilight' and "new Moon"- I can't think I'll ever re-read them and MrT is very unlikely to want them...

I'll probably also throw in a load of my other unwanted stuff i can't be bothered photographing- this whole project has taken me way longer than I ever thought at first..

The catch: well, it's very easy. Just tell me what you like and why you like it in the comments. I'll post a new gmail address for you to write to, soon, maybe tomorrow (ha ha ha, I can hear y's all laughing from here), so maybe just the somments for now.

Hope youse are all grouse!

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

uH, NOPE.

Too busy wit inlaw stuff. Will have to be next week.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Time flies

...when you're having fun. Or are crazy busy. I promise to post the photos of my stuff soon. Promise. Hopefully tomorrow.

News:
feet now too swollen to wear 'old faithful' black clogs.
conjunctival oedema in the mornings makes me bleary eyed.
nothing fits properly anymore. Nuts.
But really enjoying it. Seriously. 21+5/40

It's hard rubbish week, and living in a more affluent suburb, there is some great stuff out there. Pity we are trying to declutter. But we did get a fantastic blackboard/easel for Patrick that just needed a bit of new dowel (too literally one minute to fix), and a ride-on car thingy. We would have kept kerb trawling but Pat was getting tired and ratty. And much as we love it, the pri.us hasn't exactly got the largest cargo area, esp with pat's baby seat precluding laying down of the back seat.

We are off on a baby-free holiday on Wednesday: I feel somewhat guilty about this but I'm rationalising that if I boobfeed Galileo for as long as I did Paddy, it will be close enough to 2 years before we get to do it again. 2 YEARS. I had meant to organise this ages ago, and was originally thinking, like Broome or New Caledonia or Sea Kayaking Abel Tasman in NZ but we are settling for
A Holiday on the Gold Coast
Where people dress in pink
It's a Holiday on the Gold Coast
You won't feel the need to THIIIIINK

My reason is that we could fly free courtesy of several years of accumulated frequent flyer points, and waht i really wanted was to be able to laze in an awesome pool for days on end without having to keep an active toddler entertained. Hence we are going here. It looks like an awful concrete monstrosity- the kind of place I generally avoid like the plague, but the pool looks ossim. And we got it cheap on wotif.

Right. Really need to go prepare the house for the outlaws.