Hubby's New Car!

My darling husband Michael has a new car :)

In early September he had an accident on the motorbike – he was perfectly fine but the insurance company decided to write off the bike; as it was almost impossible to fix the damage. Basically it was the fall after the accident that did most of the damage to the front of the bike & because this bike was an American import, there was no way to get a new faring without spending more money than what the motorbike was insured for :(

So, after almost nine weeks of waiting for paperwork to be processed & going hunting for a new car we finally have a vehicle to show for our efforts.

He bought a Land Rover Discovery 4WD – I know how incredible to go from a motorbike to a 4WD!




But as hubby explains things it makes perfect sense – you see, the accident was not his fault. The driver in front of him stopped at an empty roundabout & because hubby thought the other driver was just going straight through the roundabout [like you are suppose to do] he was still slowing down when the driver in front decided to slam his foot on the brakes. Now it was early morning & the sun was in hubby's face so he hit him in the back & then he hit the gutter which meant the bike got damaged on the right initially & then more damaged when he fell off after it hit the gutter.

The strange thing is that since the day of the accident the same thing has almost happened to both of us at different times & at different locations – all within the past eight weeks!

Which means that his reasoning for purchasing the 4WD makes perfect sense – he wants us to be safe & only get another motorbike when we have the time to ride in safety & from the way I see most people drive on the Gold Coast these days I totally agree with him!

I’m not trying to say that EVERY driver on the Gold Coast is a bad driver but there are so many people out there who have no idea how to use roundabouts – you should actually give WAY to traffic already ON the roundabout.

I mean who STOPS at an empty roundabout - sheesh!

I know, I know, I'm being mean & judgemental but we just lost our motorbike & I'm not happy Jan :( :( :(

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

Ciao
Mish :)
xxx

They're Home!

It’s official – my Mum & Dad are home from Europe :)

I had to run off to Sydney to pick them up in their car – as they had SO much luggage that Virgin wanted to charge them over $400 in excess baggage charges to fly from Sydney to the Gold Coast – which is only a one hour flight!

The trip only took four days – so it was a quick one, but I got to spend some time with my Sydney family & it was probably a good thing that I was tired as it made it easier to remember how to speak & understand two languages at the same time!

My dad is from Malta & so his family speak a hybrid mix of English & Maltese – they’ve obviously forgotten that I married an Aussie & that we speak very little Maltese at home & so I’ve forgotten most of what I knew as a child; so being tired made remembering the words an easy thing to do. Don’t ask me why but it did!

My parents were staying with my Dad’s baby sister & husband, who they travelled around Europe with & so they made sure we visited their youngest daughter & her babies. I was amazed at how little Maltese [virtually none] my younger cousin actually speaks to her kids, when she speaks & understands better than I & she married another first generation Australian from a Maltese family like her – doesn’t make sense to me ...

So far, we haven’t seen any of the presents that Mum & Dad brought back as Mum cannot remember where she packed anything – the cases were that full!

Thankfully, my parents are all safe & back on the Gold Coast – only thing is we cannot say that the cat is particularly happy to have them back – she’s virtually ignored my Dad since they got home & let me tell you he is not happy about it at all. Somehow, I suspect he’s going to be sneaking her treats until she decides to “talk” to him again ...

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

Ciao
Mish :)
xxx

Wedding Anniversary!

Hello My Lovelies :)

This September we celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary - amazing how fast time flies when you’re having fun :)

We celebrated with dinner at Voila in Mudgeeraba; three courses of the finest French food on the Gold Coast & a sensational bottle of Australian Red Wine.

The pate was perfectly light yet rich in flavour; I had the Duck for main & hubby had the Beef; then I had Chocolate Souffle & hubby had the Creme Brulee for dessert – you can see from the photos how fantastic the food looked!



The food was sensational & hubby literally licked his plate clean & for those who know how fussy my husband can be with food [particularly when we eat out] will know that this happens only once in a lifetime!



I think the waitress might have had a glass or two of wine out the back before she took our photo – but at least we have photographic proof :)



Sadly, there will be no more dinner celebrations at Voila, but more about such sad news later :(

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

Ciao
Mish :)
xxx

Wierd Weather!

Hello My Lovelies :)

All along the eastern seaboard of Australia we've been experiencing some of the weirdest weather I have ever seen. Sydney, Brisbane & Gold Coast have had to contend with a dust storm that has lasted all day. I created the collage below from photos taken from various sources - just so you could all see how bizarre today has been!



Needless to say the hospitals are full of people who are having trouble breathing with all this dust around - the weather bureau are saying that the dust will start to dissapate sometime on Thursday [tomorrow]; I certainly hope so.

Anyway, just a quick post - I know I've been quiet of late but things have been busy around here & so finding the time to chat with everyone has been tricky to find - but I WILL be back shortly as I have some lovely photos to share from our wedding anniversary dinner.

Until next time, take care & tell the ones you love what they mean to you :)

Ciao
Mish :)
xxx

Long Weekend :)

Hello my Lovelies :)

Spoke to my parents today & they are having the best time in Europe - their tour of Europe is now over & they are spending several weeks in Malta; where my dad was born.

They say that the weather is hot hot hot!

My mum has taken 3,000 photos & now needs to purchase another memory card for her camera, so she doesn't have to delete any - I can just imagine the photo night we will have when they return - a very long one indeed ... he he he!

They won't get back home until the middle of October, which means they are going to miss out on the Kung Fu Graduation in early October & that is when Nic [my son] will get his blue jacket!

Yes, that means he passed his blue belt grading a few weeks ago & all that is left is our weekly visits to the tailor to get the jacket made, attend the presentation - where his jacket will be 'given' to him & have his photo taken for displaying on the wall at HQ in Brisbane - how exciting!

He is studying Tong Long Kung Fu through the Chinese Kung Fu Academy in Brisbane - you can check out a video or two on their website & see how hard he has had to work to gain such a high level at only 17. Can you tell that I am very proud of my boy :)

The week after graduation [11 October 2009] our local school at Mudgeeraba is having an open day - so we are all madly training hard to make the event as successful as possible. I am in the process of learning how to play the cymbals so hopefully we can have live music for the Chinese Lion Dance, which is held at the beginning of the day - I just hope that we can all become proficient before then :)

I'm also trying to finish off learning 3 Tai Chi forms - an open hand form [the 42], plus put new fan & sword forms to music - so as you can imagine I will be getting together with the other two instructors on a weekly basis for some early morning [6am] training between now & then, PLUS lots more training on my own!

All of this has made my decision to withdraw from university a good thing to do - yes it was a very hard & sad decision to make but it was one that had to be done :(

We've had so much going on these past few months & the situation with hubby's compensation case looks like it may drag out until Christmas 2010 & to be honest I was having trouble juggling working full-time with Tai Chi & studying; all while trying to keep a life of family & friends happening at the same time ...

Anyway, now that I have taken the step a weight has lifted off my shoulders & I can now focus on the other things :)

This weekend we've had a long weekend on the Gold Coast for the local show - usually it rains but all the early hot weather has meant that the whole weekend was dry & beautiful!

I indulged in reading for pleasure & got through two books in three days!

'C'est la vie!' by Susan Gershman - an autobiographical story of her first two years in Paris after her husband of 25 years dies & 'The Hat Shop Around The Corner' - sorry but I forget the authors name - but it was a novel, loosely based on the experiene of the authors Aunty who had a hat shop in South Anne Street. I got totally engrossed in both books & it was lovely to spend so much time being indulgent - mind you hubby had his head burried in a Sci Fi novel or two & our son worked for most of the weekend - so the house was peaceful & quiet all weekend, bliss :)

So, my lovelies - I best be off & running, as its nearly 6pm & not only do I need to think about dinner but getting myself organised for another busy week.

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

Ciao
Mish :)

QLD Scenic Rim

Hello My Lovelies :)

On Sunday hubby & I decided to take a day trip to the Scenie Rim area of Queensland & what a beautiful part of the world it is!

We started in Beaudesert, about 70 minutes from home on the Gold Coast & then continued onto Boonah & further west. Boonah is such a beautiful place; there was a lovely welcome sign hanging from the verandah of the Commercial Hotel in the main street!

We decided to stop in Boonah for lunch at Cafe 17 & we highly recommend the yummy food; we had coffee, shared Barramundi with salad & then a slice of lemon cheesecake :)







After lunch we took a trip further south-west & found Kooroomba Vineyard & Lavendar Farm - such a beautiful place. We bought some beautiful white wine called Alba & a bottle of Port :)

I couldn't resist taking photos of the beautiful scenery & lavendar - the smell was gorgeous. We are definitely going back for another visit later in the year & next time we will book for lunch before we leave, as the menu in the restaurant also looked amazing.

After that we took a drive to the north of Boonah & discovered that it is only a 45 minute drive to Ipswich [suburb on western outskirts of Brisbane]; we found a small village about 15 minutes out of Boonah & had a great time driving around & finding out more about the area. We saw the most beautiful converted church & a paddock of Goats - the babies were all so cute, that I couldn't resist taking a photo of them too :)





At the local information centre in Boonah we found out about the Bartons Rose Farm at Kalbar - which is on our must see list for Spring!

We also saw the coolest promo posted in the main street of Boonah for the upcoming Arts Festival!



All in all, we had a fantastic weeked - which was exactly what I needed. There's been a lot of "stuff" going on lately & I think in the next 18 months or so hubby & I will be taking a new road [more later] & this break from all the discussion & decisions that have to be made gave me the time to not only sit back & enjoy life but to also help re-evaluate what I want not only for myself but for my family in the future - which is of course for us to be healthy & happy.

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

Ciao
Mish :)

Europe - Here We Come!

Hello My Lovelies :)


No, I'm not off on the ultimate trip to Europe :(


My mumma & my pappa left for their trip to Europe today!

About the same time that I sit down to type this, they were taxing down the runway at Sydney airport on a direct flight to London!


They are travelling with my aunty & uncle [my dad's baby sister & her husband]; they have 2 days in London with sight seeing, then a 3 week tour of Europe, then a few more days in London to recover & then they fly to Malta where they will spend approximately 6 weeks visiting & staying with family; then back home to Australia via Dubai. They fly back into Sydney airport at the beginning of October but will not return to the Gold Coast for several weeks after that; as my dad wants to spend some time visiting his 6 other brothers & sisters & all of their kids in Sydney.

When we saw them on Friday night they were excited but not even the littlest bit nervous! My uncle [who lives with them] took them to Coolangatta airport this afternoon & so I called them to say a final good bye. They had just gone through security at the airport & my dad set off the metal detector with his knee replacements - oops!

Apparently the letter from the doctor & the 2 huge scars down the front of each leg where not enough to convince security; they made him not only take off his shoes but his belt too - then they scanned his body again & only after that did they believe him!!!

Then my poor mum had to empty her entire handbag & she carries everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink - he he he :)

By the time she got to the bottom of her handbag to bring out the offensive object [a pen with a metal casing] her hands were shaking & she was almost in tears - the nerves had definitely kicked in by then - she explained all of this to me over the phone & I could hear the nerves in her voice & the tears too - which made me cry & I was calling them from a shopping centre.

I am sooo happy for them to finally be on their way on this trip, which has been in the planning for over a year or more - I have seen them save like crazy so they could enjoy this trip :)

The only bad thing about the whole experience is that their oven died last night - can you believe it :(

My uncle is going to get an electrician to come out & have a look this week but I suspect that it's time for the oven to go to the great kitchen in the sky.

So, I hatched a very clever plan this afternoon :)

Hubby & I, my uncle, my brother & son are all going to put in & buy them a new oven for Christmas! Of course, we will have it installed before they return from their trip - besides how are we going to cook the baked ham for Christmas if there is no oven .....

I took down the details of the new cooktop that they installed about 18 months ago & I'm going to start doing my research on the internet to see what the prices for a new oven are & then we are going to go & check out all the 'scartch & dent' places & possibly even visit an auction or two & see what we can come up with. Then, all I need is to find an electrician who wants to do a quick favour for us on a Saturday afternoon & install the new one for us - I'll even throw in a few beers for his trouble.

I've got approximately 6 weeks to hatch my clever little plan, which means they will all be busy with work, study & Tai Chi - plus I've got the most amazing audio book to finish - phew busy me but I'm really looking forward to seeing the looks on my parents faces when they get home!

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

Ciao
Mish :)

Good New from Uni!

Hello My Lovelies :)

I got great news from uni today - the results of the Statistics Module Test for last week. My score was 87% - that's my highest score this year - yahoo!!!

Mind you I'm still having all sorts of issues trying to find at least ONE book, etc I can use for my research essay - but the hunt continues, as I have more books to pick up from the library after work tomorrow night. Sheesh, I really didn't think the topic I chose would be so hard to get information about but I might have to have another look at my topic options ... which means another mind map - oh joy of joys!

Actually, I enjoy making mind maps, the only problem I'm really having is that uni have chosen the topic & we must pick the 2 specific aspects relating to the topic that we want to discuss in our essay. The topic is:

" The Australian lifestyle has created some problems for the natural environment. Discuss two of these problems and that ways they are being addressed."

The aspects I chose are; [1] the mis-use of water & [2] the effect of plastic bags on the lives of animals in our creeks & our oceans; & it is the second area that is causing me the most grief.

I can find lots of information relating to the mis-use of water & thankfully today I found a great book that talks in detail about the Murray-Darling Basin; but trying to find someone who has written in detail about the effect of plastic bags on local wildlife is almost impossible.

So, my darlings, wish me luck as I go on my little journey into cyberspace over the next few days - which means it may be quite a while before I get the chance to post again :)

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

Ciao
Mish :)

Monday Night Quickie!

Hello My Lovelies!

Just a Monday night quickie post :)

I was so wrong yesterday morning when I said it wasn't cold on the Gold Coast, because it certainly was chilly on the motorbike! We ended up having to go to two different farmers markets to get what we wanted, but we got to try a Nikimaki [not sure about the spelling] - a Japanese dish of steamed rice, wrapped in Pork & then baked in the oven with a type of soy sauce spooned over the top while cooking. It was very yummy :) :) :)

So we didn't get to Voila' for a yummy, as we were too full from the delicious Japanese. In the afternoon I spent about 4 hours on the computer doing some uni work & research for my uni essay which is due in about 9 weeks - argh!

Quite honestly, it's the research that takes the most time, because:

1 - you have to go & look for articles, books, etc on the topic
2 - read parts of them to see if they are relevant
3 - if they are then you can start to really read the details
4 - take notes from the text to use in your essay
5 - perhaps take even a quote or two

BUT if they are not relevant, then you have to start the whole process all over again - Phew! - no wonder I was over it all by 4.30pm.

So, I went for a nice long walk & yes I was very tired by the time I got back; luckily hubby had made a beautiful rustic Italian soup of potato & berlotti beans - the recipe is in the current issue of the Australian Better Homes & Gardens magazine, but of course hubby changed it!

Actually, he made it exactly to the recipe to start with, tasted it; then changed it by adding a onion which he caramelised in another pan, some garlic, salt, pepper, a tin of tomatoes & more fennell seeds. In the end it was really yummy & there is enough leftovers for a few more meals - yeah!

Before you ask, yes I was able to send of my assessment due today [Monday] in time - I actually emailed it to my lecturer at 9.15pm on Saturday night! I was also able to fix a few things in two other assessments [kindly pointed out by the lecturer], thankfully she gave me the opportunity to change things & resend them to her via email. This is not the first time that she has done this for me & I'm beginning to think that this is part of the way she supports her external students; which really is a very lovely form of support to have. It's great to have a lecturer who will reply to you, point out your mistakes & give you the opportunity to fix them before they mark the assessment - I'm sure we all remember how easy it is to make silly mistakes when you are trying to reach a deadline.

Anyway, I better run as I'm starting to feel quite tired & hubby is starting work early in the morning, so I'll have to make my own breakfast & be ready to leave the house 30 minutes early than normal as I have to drop Nic off at school on the way to work. This is something I always do when he has a shift at Woolworths after school, that way his expensive bicycle [thanks mum & dad] is safe in our garage & I know he will get home safely after his shift is over, as I go & pick him up. Yes, I'm still being the protective mother [as much as he lets me] even though my 'baby' is 17!

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

Ciao
Mish :)

Sunday Morning

Hello My Lovelies :)

Just a quick Sunday morning post! Yes, I know I should still be in bed sleeping away the cold winter morning - but it's really not that cold here on the Gold Coast today; plus I'm having a great time posting this while listening to an audio book version of 'A Thousand Days In Venice' by Marlena de Blasi; I've only been up since 7am & that's pretty normal for a Sunday for me :)

Today, I think hubby & I will visit the Farmers Markets at the racecourse, go to our favourite French Cafe & Patisserie - Voila at Mudgeeraba for coffee & something delicious & then I will probably spend the remainder of the day doing some more study for university.

I spent nearly 5 hours last night working on one subject - I was 2 weeks behind & only had until 5pm Monday [tomorrow] to email in the module assessment. The past few weeks at work have been very hectic & rather stressful - but I'm not going to elaborate, as I need to forget all about it for at least 2 days, or I may not go back on Monday. Yes, I'm still very undecided about this new job - but something happened on Friday that may become the catalyst for change - but we shall wait & see!

Anyway, I'm going to sign off now & sit back & enjoy the beautiful omlete with cheese, shallots & fried onion lovingly made for me by my handsome hubby!

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

Ciao
Mish :)

Hello Again :)

Hello my Lovelies :)

Just a quick post tonight - I've just finished two hours of uni study in Computing & sent off two of my interim assessment activities to the lecturer & tonights effort also means I am nearly two weeks ahead with this subject - yeah!

The other good news is that we finished orientation of the new students today - well for 100 out of the 165 new students we were expecting - apparently it is quite normal for a good percentage of them to not turn up - incredible I know ...

So, I think I'm starting to feel better about my new job - while some of us were busy taking student photos & processing their paperwork, other staff members were packing up & moving some classroom equipment to the new building. Maybe that means I won't have to wait another three weeks for a desk of my own - but I guess we shall see ...

Anyway, I'm running away now, as I've decided to reward myself with a whole uninterrupted hour of TV!

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

Ciao
Mish :)

Quick Post

Hello my lovelies :)

Sorry it's been so long since my last post but life has been very hectic lately.

I'm in the middle of week 3 at my new job & still reserving my judgment; I only got a laptop to work from & full email access today at lunch. I realise they are about to move to new premises but why go on about being under pressure & needing help, then bring on new staff to take the workload but not give them the tools they need to do the job properly - sheesh!

Back to university this week & I am determined to not fall behind at all this semester; I took a contract position last semester that involved long hours & all subjects except one got left behind, as I was too tired to study at night. Not this time - I will not allow myself to do that again & consequently the new position I took is a lot more junior than what I am use to - but I am hoping this means little or no overtime & consequently the opportunity to get my uni work done on time.

We also celebrated Nic's 17th birthday at the end of last month [photos later in another post]. Everyone had a great time, even if the food at the restaurant we chose left a lot to be desired - thankfully the manager was happy to take the horrible meal off the bill & not charge us corkage for the champagne or cakeage for the cake we took to the restaurant. It was just a pity that hubby had a bad experience & as a former chef he is the LAST person a restaurant wants to serve a sub-standard meal too. Let's just say anyone who asked about the night out got a full account of how horrible the food was - I suspect he's turned off many people from trying their food - oops!

Other than that we're hoping we are almost at the other end of the cold weather on the Gold Coast - I don't mind Winter but our townhouse has NO insulation, so we boil in Summer & freeze in Winter :( I'm so looking forward to the day that I own my own house with a fireplace & insulation & those clever ceiling heaters/fan/lights in the bathroom!

Anyway, I better run & get stuck into my uni work.

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

Ciao
Mish :)

P.S. Hope you like my new photo at the top!

Celebration!

Hello my Lovelies!

Just a quick post, as tonight I am celebrating passing my Maths Exam - yeah!

I got 80% or a Distinction for the exam, which I am very happy with - honestly I would have been happy with just a pass [60%] but I obviously learnt more than I thought - could that mean that there might be a functioning brain under all my hair - lol!

To celebrate, I've changed the header photo to an Abacus.

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

Ciao
Mish :)

Happy Dance!

Hello my Lovelies :)

I'm doing a happy dance today as I just found out that I got the job!

I ended up having to attend three interviews so they could be sure that they really wanted me - but honestly who wouldn't want little ole' me - lol!

I start on Monday next week; I had the positioned confirmed over the phone by the HR manager, she was surprised that my new boss had not yet called me to tell me the good news - c'est la vie - it doesn't matter. Now I am just waiting for my new boss to call & confirm the final details - start time, etc.

So I'm trying to spend this week catching up on all those little errands we never get around to; like repairing shoes & boots that have been broken for nearly a year, replacing watch batteries & getting the band on another watch fixed so it can be worn; I also need to get the clasp replaced on a gold necklace.

The original clasp broke nearly 18 months ago & I got it fixed straight away but within a month or so the new catch broke again, I had intended to take the necklace back to the jewellers who did the repair [as they had talked me into a different type of catch as a replacement] but I always forgot about it or got distracted doing other things while at the shopping centre. Eventually I remembered but it was more than 6 months later & I knew that I could not prove what happened in the first place, so my beautiful gold necklace with the Amethyst pendant got put in the bottom of my jewellery box & I forgot about it for quite some time. Then, about 2 months ago an old friend asked me where the necklace was & I realised that I still hadn't got the clasp fixed - so I decided that would be one of the things I would cross off my 'to do' list this week before I start at my new job. Now I just have to find another jeweller to complete the repair.

I also put the overlocker in for a service & repair; I was making hubby new pants for work the other day & got about half way through the process when the overlocker refused to work anymore; upon further inspection I realised that two moving parts had separated & there was no way to rectify the problem without the help of an expert. Hopefully the machine will be ready to pick up after work one day next week & then all I need to do is find some spare time to finish the project.

I'm still on holidays from university until 6 July, so I'm sure there will be a few spare nights to do some sewing; although I am currently trying to finish off one needlework project so that I can enter it into the Mudgeeraba Show at the end of June.

Can you believe that I still have in my possession the 40th birthday present/canvas creation that I made for my girlfriend ... incredible! I sent her an email the week before the Wintersun Festival to let her know I could pop over & deliver the present to her but did not hear back from her & so just assumed that she was busy showing her car at the festival. She has an amazing 1970's VW bug that has been restored & painted Pink & Purple - so, next time you are driving through the Tweed Heads area you might see her zooming along!

Now I'm thinking that I might use this as my entry into the Mudgeeraba Show ... that is if I don't get to catch up with my girlfriend before the end of this month; maybe then you will all finally be able to see some photos of my creation.

Anyway, I better run - I need to think of something to cook for dinner as I've been doing nearly all of the cooking lately now that hubby is working such long days.

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

Ciao
Mish :)

Uni, Needlework & Wintersun Festival

Helloo my lovelies :)

I know its been a while since our last little chat, which is the reason why this post is going to be a little long.

I've been rather busy lately, I've had 3 interviews for a new job & I find out on Monday - so keep your fingers & toes crossed for me!

I finally got the results from my Computing Assessment - my result was HD or a high distinction for those who don't understand uni lingo - HOW FANTASTIC!!!

Just waiting on my last Maths module result & the Maths Exam & I'll be finished for the first semester - we start studying again in the second week of July, which I'm looking forward to after getting such great results.

While on holidays from university I've taken the opportunity to do some needlework - I've completed a bit more of the 2008 Wiehenburg Heart [first photo] & I also started on the 2009 Heart [second photo].





I also did some more work on the Goldfish, a pattern from an old edition of the Jill Oxton magazine - I actually started working on this project while I was working at the Brisbane Craft Show, so the first photo is of the work that I did during the show & the second photo is what I've completed since. My hope is to finish & frame it in time to enter the piece into the Mudgeeraba Show at the end of June!

I also made some more progress on Cheryl's Bouquet [below], Tim from Canberra is also stitching this piece, so I will have to see if he has an updated photo.



I also took Nic & Shannon to the Wintersun Festival on the first weekend of June - the festival is based around all things related to the Rock 'n' Roll era & there was a display of cars from that period of time & some even older than that, so I took photos of my favourites ones :)


Don't you just love the shape of this Orange Car - how cool!


I thought the paint work on this Blue car was amazing!


This is possibly the only type of antique car that I would want to own - if I could afford it - he he he!





Not only did I love the name of this car 'Violet Crumble' but I loved the paintwork on the bonnet!




I took these photos just for my baby brother Bryan - because as a little kid he was absolutely crazy for the VW bug. His first car was a red VW with the Carrera kit - that made it look like a Porsche!

Just remembered that I haven't posted a photo my White Orchid - it is sooo beautiful - I hope you like it too :)



Anyway, I better run as hubby wants to go run some errands & maybe take me somewhere nice for coffee - so have a wonderful weekend :)

Until next time, take care & remember to hug & kiss the ones you love.

Ciao
Mish :)

Orchid Show

On the second last weekend of May we went to the Orchid Show at Broadbeach. There were so many beautiful flowers & I happily snapped away with my camera.

There are so many photos that I organised them into collages, but you might need to sit down with a cuppa to go through this post. So please enjoy the following photos that I took at the Orchid Show that was held at Broadbeach at the end of May 2009.







I hope you loved the photos as much as I loved the experience of the show!

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

Ciao
Mish :)

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 :)

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 :)

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 :)

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 :)

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 :)

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 :)

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 :)

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 :)

I think I understand Algebra!

I just had to post this quickly - I CANNOT believe that I flunked the basic level of maths in school & now I think I actually understand Algebra - OMG!!!

We were suppose to start these lessons last week but I had to delay it, as I needed to resit my 2nd module maths test - still waiting on my results :(

So, tonight I got home, got changed & sat down at my laptop & started working on only maths - I want to get at least one week in front, so that I have the option to go back & redo, if I need to.

But it seems that I might not need to take this option - still it will be nice to be a week in front.

Tomorrow night I am going to work on the last third of this section & hopefully finish off the test for the end of the module.

Then next week I can start working on the other third of the 9th lesson, which is Equations.

Oh what fun!

Until next time, take care.

Ciao
Mish :)

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Phew - what a busy week I'm having!

Even my weekend was full to the brim. While hubby worked on Saturday I trained & then taught Tai Chi, ran a few errands & finally got to spend a few hours later in the afternoon indulging myself by reading a book.

Took Nic [as pack mule] with me to the markets Sunday morning & spent the afternoon trying not to swear & cry while completing the second version of my 2nd module maths test. I emailed the test to my lecturer about 4pm - haven't got the results yet ..... just hoping I get more than 50% - that's a pass.

Then in the evening I decided to make some Potato & Leek Soup for dinner on Monday night - it was yummy & there are still a few servings left in the fridge - lunch for work :)

Working full-time while studying part-time & doing all the other things I have on my plate certainly doesn't give me much spare time.

That's why I decided to post tonight, as I have to spend Wednesday, Thursday & Friday night working on university studies - although I will take an hour off to watch Better Homes & Gardens.

I've just finished giving myself a manicure - I had to as I broke a nail at work today :( but at least I now have pretty gold fingernails :)

I decided to get up a half an hour earlier & spend the time doing Yoga on the WiiFit - but so far I haven't manage to do it once ...

I did do 30mins of yoga on Monday after training & teaching but I have to do it at least 4 times a week to gain any effect. I know I should also be doing some of the muscle & aerobic exercises, but I just couldn't find the energy to make myself sweat that much!

Most of the books I've been reading lately seem to be focused on beauty, or more specifically, French beauty & how French women seem to stay so youthful looking for much longer than the rest of us.

I have a French girlfriend & she always looks lovely, even in our training outfit - she just seems to exude that air of grace & elegance that is built-in in French women.

Sometimes I wish I had just a little bit of French ancestry in my family somewhere, preferrably someone with a flat in the heart of Paris that I could borrow sometime in the future ....

My parents are off to Europe in August this year & about the only two places that they will be visiting that I am jealous about is Paris & Rome.

If hubby & I ever get to take a trip to Italy he's going to have to superglue me to him to get me back on the plane, as I am certain I will refuse to leave!

So, because I LOVE Paris & Rome & because I need to go to bed, I thought I would leave you with a few photos of these two amazing cities.

Vatican City

Notre Dame

Colosseum

Eiffel Tower

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

Ciao
Mish :)

University & Work

Got good news & some not so good news today.

GOOD NEWS
I start working at a local university tomorrow for a month as the PA to the Dean of ### [I'm leaving out the subject on purpose] - yeah!

NO SO GOOD NEWS
I just received an email from my maths lecturer. I got 84% on the first test, 48% on the second test & 80% on my third test. This means that I now have to sit another version of the second test, because I did not reach 50% - sigh :(

So, now I have to find time in my schedule to resit the test while I work full-time, plus I have to notify the university of who my exam supervisor is going to be for our exams in week 12 & week 26.

Unfortunately my first choice cannot help because she is working, so it looks like I will have to ask a favour of another friend, as you cannot use family.

PLUS I have training in Brisbane on Friday night at headquarters, teaching on Saturday morning & we have planned to take a trip to Brisvegas [Brisbane] to hunt around Chinatown for an outfit to use for the QLD State Tai Chi Competition later this year.

Now I'm thinking that perhaps Sunday will be devoted to resitting my maths test - as I doubt I will get the opportunity to complete it today, due to other university work.

So, I'm going to have a rather hectic weekend - which is why I'm posting now & not on Monday [as per usual] & Yes I do realise that I am procrastinating by posting now - lol!

Anyway, enjoy the next few days & your weekend, whatever you have planned.

Until next time, take care & stay safe.

Ciao
Mish :)

Stitching Progress on Wiehenburg Heart

Hello Again :)

Got two more progress photos to show you of the work I have done on the Weihenburg Heart.

The first photo is Friday nights stitching effort & the second photo is Saturday nights stitching effort.



I am really happy with the progress I have made & I cannot wait to finish this one & start working on the 2009 design.



Back at university this week, only problem is we've had a few email issues at home & I suspect that uni is experiencing the same challenges - as they haven't sent us this weeks work update.

Never mind - I'll just have to make sure that I log on bright & early Tuesday morning, so that I don't fall behind.

I've had a busy day today, running errands, washing, dealing with our email problems & I have Tai Chi tonight - it will be a nice way to end today.

The weekend was also busy - I started Saturday morning as normal with Tai Chi training & then teaching. After that hubby & I ran an errand or two & did have plans to go out for coffee but we needed to go home to drop off my set of house keys to Nic [he left them at the mechanics on Friday] - only problem was that once we got home I fell asleep on the lounge for a few hours; so I spent Saturday evening stitching into the wee small hours.

Sunday morning I slept in, luckily we got to the markets just in time to pick up all the fruit & vegetables we need for the week. We even found a new stall that sells pre-made Japanese Curry Sauce - it was more spicey than hot & we took home a packet of the sauce to use for dinner later this week :)

We spent the afternoon visiting my parents & uncle - Mum & Dad are going to Europe for 10 weeks later this year - lucky things! Can you believe that Mum is already making plans for who needs to do what while they are away ... typical mother, we can never be too organised can we - lol!

Speaking of which, I think I might have to start planning my 'shopping list' for the trip - how exciting!

Until next time, take care & stay safe.

Ciao
Mish :)

More Stitching!

Just finished a quick 'chat' on the Wiehenburg Yahoo Group & discovered that Martina designed another heart for Valentine's 2009.

Hubby has the day off today, I showed him the design & he likes it!

So I've decided to use the left over red fabric to stitch this design in the same manner as my current project, I'll get them framed the same & then they will be hung in our bedroom.

It's always exciting when stitching serendipity happens!

Ciao
Mish :)

Stitchng & Uni Holidays

I am really enjoying my university holidays - even if its is only for one week. I'm using the time to re-organise the house & do lots of stitching :)


I took two projects away with me to Tenterfield but unfortunately did not have a good enough light source to do much work in the evenings on either of them.


I am still working on the baby sampler gift but I did get some work done on Valentine Heart 2008 pattern from Kristine Herber at Dragonfly Stitches. Thankfully, I was able to finish off the project last night [photo below].

I did have to frog [undo] most of the left side border stitching as I had mis-counted the placement of these stitches & did not realise until I got to the bottom - argh!


The design is only 53 x 53 stitches in size - so not that large & the fabric is 28 count natural linen - so it was a fairly easy project to stitch.

Next time we go away I'm either going to take a portable stitching light with me or not take any stitching with me at all - problem with option 1 is that a portable light from Spotlight is $129.00 - ouch! Might have to wait a little while for this little splurge.


I also started working on the Wiehenburg Heart sampler last night - yeah!


I only got in 90 minutes of stitching time but because I am using one colour & because I use both methods of creating the stitches my progress was more than I expected.

Being a self taught stitcher, I do not let myself get up with the 'rules' of stitching. Yes I know this will probably shock more than a few stitchers but I find that this works to my advantage at times, as I am willing to try new ideas for creating unusual projects.

The only challenge I am having with this project is the fabric; the edges were not overlocked & I had to pull out the cut threads so that I had an even edge to start working from; regardless of this I am really enjoying this project.

I have no idea what I am going to do with the piece when it is finished - it is not suitable for a pillow & I'm not sure where in the house I could hang it; so I'm rather stuck for ideas.

I would love to hear any of your suggestions :)

Going to spend today stitching, reading, visiting the library & our local art gallery - fun :)

Until next time, take care.

Ciao
Mish :)