Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Quickee :)

Helloo

Just another quick post!

I've finally finished my last assessment piece, the hardest part was going through the essay and deleting out enough words to bring it down to the required word amount - but then anyone who knows me or has read this blog more than once is well aware that I'm good at rabbling on when I am passionate about something - lol!

Which means I can spend the rest of this morning completing a few sample Maths tests, then after lunch I will be off to the post office to mail my last two assessments, to the library to pick up some books and then off for a drive in the country - as I have a contract assignment at Tomewin that starts at 3pm.

Until next time, take care, stay stafe & hug & kiss the ones you love.

Ciao
Mish :)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Quick Post :)

Hellooooo

Just a very quick post today - while I madly work on the final two assessments due for University on Friday.

I just received the results of my algebra module test - my mark was 85%

Can you believe that!

I am a very happy girl about this result; because if I can keep up this level for the remainder of my course then I should be on track for a Credit or Distinction in the final BIG exam in late September.

We have the choice whether we sit for the BIG exam at the end or not - there are two other smaller exams that we have to pass but the last one is an optional extra; which insanely as it sounds I want to sit for, so I can accurately gauge my effort for the year.

Now, I'm waiting on the results of my algebraic equation module test - which hopefully will arrive before Saturday.

You see on Saturday I sit my final exam for maths for this semester - luckily it is the only exam I actually have to do, all the other subjects are making us submit essays.

So, I am spending these few days concentrating on handing in any outstanding assessments & trying to complete as many sample tests as I can.

So loves, off I go - back to the grindstone!

Until next time, stay safe & hug & kiss the ones you love.

Ciao
Mish :)

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Tai Chi Seminar

On the third weekend of May I attended a Tai Chi Seminar; it was held at our school in Mudgeeraba. Our Sigung [head of the academy] travelled down from Brisbane to teach us & all of the Tai Chi instructors got to have lunch with him – which was a real treat!

Most people think that Tai Chi is just for relaxation & health, but the photos of the day definitely show how you can use this gentle art for defending yourself with some not so gentle moves!


Sigung taught us how to use the circles within circles to our advantage, should we ever need to apply the fighting side of Tai Chi to defend ourselves with – it was wonderful to spend nearly six hours with a man who has 50 years experience & knowledge of the martial arts.

We held a similar seminar last year & over 40 people attended, this year there was only 14 students but in the end the smaller group worked to our advantage; because as you can see from the photos we all got the opportunity of being personally instructed by Sigung. Trust me when I say this is something that doesn’t happen even if you are an instructor – so we all knew how lucky we were!

It was a day filled with lots of laughter [when we got moves wrong & fell over], yummy food, the love of learning & a new insight into the art of Tai Chi :)

Until next time, take care, stay safe & make sure you hug & kiss the ones you love.

Ciao
Mish :)

Friday, May 22, 2009

4 More Assignments & 1 Exam!

Yes, that's right - just four more assignments & one exam left & I'll be on holidays from University - yeah!

I was just thinking about how wonderful it will be to be able to spend my nights stitching, rather than sitting at my dining room table glued to my lap top.

I will of course, still do regular blog posts - actually they will be more regular & on time as I won't be preoccupied with my studies.

So, I decided to celebrate tonight by posting a photo of a very pretty, brightly wrapped present :)


Of course the photo is not mine; I'm still learning how to use my camera properly. It is a photo from the Stock Exchange website; its free to join & there are some amazing photos available - some without royalties & some with - it just depends on the photo & the photographer.

Anyway, enjoy the photo & have a wonderful weekend, whatever it is that you will be doing.

Until next time, take care, stay safe & make sure you hug & kiss the ones you love.

Ciao
Mish :)

Mothers Day

The next weekend we had Mothers Day – which unfortunately my mother had to celebrate in the Tweed Hospital visiting my dad, who has just had his second knee replacement!

I am so happy for my dad, as this now means that when they visit Europe in August / September / October this year he will be able to walk around all day without a lot of pain & trouble in his knee. He had his left knee replacement nearly three years ago & did not take up the offer from the doctor to go on the list to have the right knee done pretty much straight away - silly boy!

About six months later that same knee started to play up big time; so he had to go through the whole process again with specialist visits, x-rays, etc, so he could go back on the list; at least now he can relax :)

Poor Mum really didn’t get any real celebration for Mothers Day, but we did go & visit at the hospital & took down a large box of chocolate seashells – YUM!

I got a beautiful orchid as a gift [photo below] & there is an orchid show in Broadbeach on the last weekend of this month; hubby has promised to get me a white orchid to add to my collection!


So, I will definitely be taking lots of photos of the orchid show, my new white orchid when I get it & of course I will create another beautiful collage to show it off to you on my blog!

Until next time, take care, stay safe & make sure you hug & kiss the ones you love.

Ciao
Mish :)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

New Header Picture

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick post today. Do you like my new photo at the top of the blog?

I've been wanting to change it for ages but couldn't find anything that I really liked & I've always had a thing for fans - don't know why. So I decided I should replace the pretty blue fan with a pretty wooden fan.

Hope you like it!

Ciao
Mish :)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Brisbane Craft Show

I started this month by working at the Brisbane Craft Show on a weekend in the middle of my contract position at the university, so I worked twelve days straight!

Unfortunately for my friend Naomi at Stitches & Spice the show was not as busy as she hoped it would be, which means that she will no longer drive from Sydney for the May craft show in Brisbane next year but I will see her again in October this year.

The same weekend I missed out on my son’s girlfriend, Shannen 15th birthday celebrations :(

Can you believe that I have still not given her the birthday present that I made ... yes, I know unbelievable but true. It’s something I intend to rectify in the next few weeks; I just have to remember to take the present with me to training or to her house the next time I have to pick up my son Nic. I do have a photo of Nic & Shannen together & a photo of the very beautiful necklace of silver & amethyst that Nic bought Shannen.


Nic & Shannen



Also, I came home from the show with a few extra pieces than I intended to purchase – which is nothing unusual for me!

In the photo below you will see the book - Stitch Graffiti, which contains designs from Monster Bubbles; I love their designs but you can only purchase them over the internet from America.

The next pattern is the new Butterfly Quaker by Martina from Stickideen von Wiehenburg, a very talented German designer. The next pattern was a last minute purchase; the Three Crazy Cats from Forever In My Heart Designs, the thing that I love about this design is that each cat stands out for being totally unique – a lot like me!

The next is a book & pattern for a replica antique Italian embroidery purse; Giulia Manfredini owns the original & this inspired her to make up a replica; Judy Odell from Just A Thought has added the finishing instructions.

The last book is collaboration piece from several Italian needlework designers; they have all contributed to this collection of Christmas ornaments & the book is the 2007 first edition. All the profits go to Hospital Bambino Gesu´ of Rome – a very worthwhile cause.



So, you can see there are many hours of happiness ahead of me while I stitch & make up all these wonderful projects :)

The only problem with my trip to the craft show was that I forgot to pick up the needlework kit that I was intending to stitch for Nic’s 17th birthday in June & now there is not enough time to complete the project; unless I complete ignore my uni studies – which I cannot do :(

There were also some very interesting displays at the show; some of the most amazing tea cosies I have ever seen [I didn’t get any photos]; some very imaginative crochet [no photos either] & some very clever knitting, including a knitted clock [photo below] & I believe that it works.


There was also a display of items made out of the selvedges from fabric! The selvedge is the edge of the material that shows you all the important information about the fabric, the designer, the colours, etc. I’ve seen a photo of a dress made the same on another blog but I never thought I would see one for myself & I couldn’t resist taking lots of photos.



There was also an exhibition by Esmod – which is a French Fashion College that has just opened a school in Australia in Sydney. I took photos of only one item, a turn of the century negligee – I couldn’t resist as it’s so beautiful :)


The detail around the neckline is simply stunning & maybe one day I will recreate one for myself!



So, all in all it was a very busy & tiring weekend. I am glad that the weekend is over & I did enjoy myself but having to work twelve days straight is something that I really don’t want to repeat again in a hurry!

Until next time, take care, stay safe & make sure you hug & kiss the ones you love.

Ciao
Mish :)

Sunday, May 17, 2009

An Overdue Update

Hello again,

I know it has been quite a while since I last posted & I apologise for that, but I do have some very good reasons why.

I have spent the last 3 ½ weeks working at a local university full-time on a contract basis, I finish Wednesday of this week coming - so I’m going to have to start looking for a another job after my contract finishes. I’m still teaching & training tai chi, fitting in uni studies & trying to have a life – so unfortunately my blog has been forgotten about.

I’m sorry, I know that working full-time & all the other stuff I do is no real excuse for forgetting about my blog & everyone but with the change in the weather I have also been very tired. It seems this year to have taken me longer to adjust to the colder weather; we’ve had quite a few very cold nights [for the Gold Coast] & starting work at 8am is not the best when you are an insomniac like me!

Anyway, a quick update on what has been happening this past month & about what I will be posting on over the next week or two.

We started the month with the Brisbane Craft Show & my sons’ girlfriend birthday on the same weekend, then Mothers Day, the weekend after was a Tai Chi Seminar, then I think we have a free weekend during which I am going to try & deliver my girlfriend Jennifer’s 40th birthday present & the last weekend of this month is an orchid show at Broadbeach!

Plus, we got given dates for the QLD State Tai Chi Championships in September; I got the results of the maths test I had to re-sit, the results back for my first Language & Learning assessment & I am madly trying to finish off all the assessments for university that are due before the end of this month!

So, you can see I really have been busy & not just slack in forgetting all about you. So, I promise I will be back in the next few days with the first of my many updates.

Until next time, take care, stay safe & make sure you hug & kiss the ones you love.

Ciao
Mish :)

Friday, May 1, 2009

Craft Show Weekend

Even though I am working full-time in a contract position at a local university, I will still be working this weekend at the latest Brisbane Craft Show.

When I work at the craft show I usually go up with a rather large 'crafty' shopping list - but this show my list is quite small - hard to believe I know!

My son's girlfiend, Shannen, turns 15 on Saturday - so I will miss out on her birthday lunch on Saturday :(

But I am going to make her a bracelet as a present & I'm hopeful that there will be some beautiful beads to purchase from the show - so that is on the top of Saturday's list.

I promise I will post a photo next week, along with the present that my Nic bought for her; which is also very lovely :)

I did start creating a needlework present for Shannen for her birthday, but with working & my uni studies I just could not possibly finish it in time - so that will become her Christmas pressie instead - which makes my life easy as I won't have to think about what to get for her then.

My shopping list for Sunday is quite small - I am going to find out the price [only] on a portable stitching lamp & magnifier & I want to purchase a particular needlework kit [which I usually dislike] that I will make up & frame for Nic's 17th birthday in June this year.

Other than this, I really don't have anything else that I would like to get, but there are a few stands that I will definitely be visiting & who knows what nice things they will have that will catch my attention ...

The funniest thing happened with my needlework this week!

I am part of a Yahoo group for Aussie stitchers [mainly cross stitch] & I made a comment on the group that I simply had to know who the designer was of one particular piece that Tim is working on. Luckily both Tim & Val sent me the link to the designers page - it turned out the piece was a free pattern that was created to celebrate the life of a very dear friend.

Cheryl was the type of person who would only encourage others with their stitching & the design was to celebrate her zest for life & for people - the website has asked that if you stitch the piece that you should try & use bold & bright colours - as they were her favourites. So the design is called Cheryl's Bouquet :)

Tim, is using a verigated thread & has started stitching in the centre & he is using a fabric with lurex through the fibre - very colourful :)

I am stitching the piece in black & white thread on a Honey coloured linen & I have started stitching in the top corner - I do intend to change over to black thread again when I get to the edge of the motif that Tim is currently stitching.

I cannot wait to see both projects finished - as I'm sure the contrast is going to be amazing. I think that is the aspect that I love about needlework the most - that two people can stitch exactly the same design & just by using different fabrics & threads the end results can be totally different :)

So, other than the craft show I will be spending the Monday public holiday glued to my laptop doing uni studies - oh what fun! Actually, it will be good to get through some more maths & get ahead in my other subjects.

Until next time, take care & stay safe.

Ciao
Mish :)