5 minutes of fame

Cam had the Gardening editor of The Age newspaper ring last week. He chatted to her and told me about it later when I got home. "oooh, how exciting. What's she writing". "Don't really know, forgot to ask" (fair enough, it's not every day 'the media' come calling!). 

Off we went to the first market of the year (Mansfield). I remembered how intense it is and physically draining while also being fun. 

Drove home- the small one and I slept a bit of the way, my lovely mum had offered to cook us dinner (hooray for my mum!). My parents get the weekend paper and as we were about to have dinner, I suddenly remembered "Cam, I wonder if you are in the paper today?" (really expecting not to be!). And there he was,well his name, anyway and a big article on Heritage varieties of fruit trees. I haven't even got a copy to scan and show you- but page 12 of the A2 section if you have Saturdays Age!

As well as the business reference, it's really nice to see 'air time' given to something you are passionate about. Yes, people, there are more than the say, 5, varities of apples you regularly see in the supermarket. They may not store in a cool room for 12 months well but do you really want them to? They taste unreal, texture is great, the are fresh and yummy and not that hard to whack one in your back yard. Okay, enough about fruit trees!

The crafty girls came round last night. I really need to reinforce 'the curfew' (I like my sleep)- I didn't look at the clock till after they had gone and it was near midnight- ahh, pumpkin hour.

Amidst the talking I did get these two done.

The car applique is Kellie's design- featured in the current edition of Homespun. I thought I would start small!

I did a purple one too, because I don't know yet if 'Spanner' (my cousin's still in utero baby) is a boy or a girl- hopefully will find out any day now! It's okay, I am not spoiling, she doesn't read my blog! I think I might add a stem to the flower.

The fruits of our labour. Oh, and the winner!

 It's our busiest time of the year. 

This week has been 'tree digging week' and we are off to our first market for the year this weekend. 

Mansfield- pop in and say hi if you're around!

 Hooray for the fact that the strawberries are still hanging on, can't have too many strawberries, ever, I don't think.

Now, I don't mind sharing but don't you think someone is being a bit greedy here?

Or-  see, we really are organic!

 

Picked and eaten all within 3 minutes. That's seasonal, that's local, that's delicious.

That's great.

So that's a brief farm whip around. Now, hmm, what was that other thing I was going to blog about tonight? Sometimes I just lose my train of thought. Oh well, it will come back to me.

Oh yeah (wink- I was just 'gaggin ya')- the giveaway winner.

Sally promising  to cross her fingers and toes  must have worked because her lucky number came up. Lucky you Sally, hopefully Australia Post will do us proud and you will have it on Friday.

That's it, my first giveaway is over. I got a record number of comments- hooray for you lot. After much anticipation about how I would randomly select my winners number I must boringly admit to googling a random number generator and plugging the parameters in. Sal's number came up

(yes, I left in everyone's number, including Sally - who left this comment on my previous post)

"So sorry to hear that your son barracks for a team that wears the colours of wee & poo (can you sense I'm a swans supporter???)"

Cheeky or what? So that was generous and forgiving of me, wasn't it?! I didn't exclude anyone on the basis of race, age, religion...football team!

If you haven't met Sally or her blog pop on over and say hello. She's an interesting lass!

Now I feel abit post giveaway disappointment- I loved reading your comments and I want to give you all a prize. I'm not going to- but I will have another giveaway at some stage because I found it quite a nice thing to do.

The thing I started at 'Sew it Together'

The thing I started at bloggy meet 'Sew it Together' is now finished- I didn't just sit and talk, I cut this little guy out.
He's made from 'eco felt'- not lovely like the woollen felt you can get, but better than the normal acrylic- it seems nice and strong. Apparently it "is a high-quality polyester fiber made from 100% certified recycled plastic PET bottles. On average, 10 plastic bottles produce 1 pound of fiber." Try and get your head around that one and then ask yourself who thought of that idea!
Before

After

Now really, which would you prefer?! The pattern is one of this lady's creations. I have got a bit to learn about ear placement.
So, my quest to make up any softie elephant pattern that I see continues, Parsley (or Beet) is cut out and I have started sewing.

Seeing double?

I have to struggle with myself not to start each post with 'Okay'- I don't start my talking sentences with 'Okay' don't see why I see the need to start my bloggy sentences that way.

Okay (just joking) I just found out I won a giveaway over at Cath's. I have won a few in my time- lots of generous bloggers around, and it always causes me to get rather excited (are you suggesting my life is boring...?). I have been planning a giveaway for a while but (in theory) was waiting for my birthday (which is in July) so I could have an 'it's my birthday and I am giving you a present' kind of post. That is not going to work because I am notoriously bad at surprises and waiting, and July is ages away. 

So, in honour of spontaneity I have a present for one of you lovely bloggy friends (no, surprisingly, not my 72nd post, my birthday in a month or the sunny day we've just had!)

 

You'll notice I get one too! It's the first book from these girls. I have always admired their fabric (and wondered how it is that is always seems so nice and soft) and reckon they are pretty clever. The book has lots of projects and screen printing tips and tricks as well. Actually, this is what they say about it

Our first book, Prints Charming, guides you through the world of paper cut screen printing and also includes 40 wonderful projects for you to make. Each chapter comes with a copy right free motif for you to use when screen printing. You will be able to create fabric that you can use for the projects included in the book, or clothing or home wares or ...we can't wait to see. Beautifully photographed, this is more than just a instruction manual. Spiral bound to make for easy browsing and an envelope at the back of the book with pattern sheets, Prints Charming would make a great gift for you or a friend.

See, they think it's a great gift too 'for you or a friend'- I went with both!

Please enter if you think you would really love this book, because I would like it to go to a home where it will be well used and loved. My record number of comments is 12- so if history is a measure, that's pretty good odds you have of winning! 

I haven't had a giveaway before so let me collect my thoughts and work out what I need to tell you.

• To enter- leave a comment on this post
• I will leave it open and draw a winner on Wednesday 9th June, about 10am  so you might be able to have it by the long weekend, depending on where you live and when I get your contact details. next Monday June 14th (to celebrate my day off work because apparently it's the Queens birthday)
• Please make sure I have a way of contacting you if you win.
• I am sorry I can't send this overseas. But still leave a comment if you live O/S and I will send you something nice if your number gets called. Once I get the hang of the giveaway business I will hold another one down the track and I promise not to be exclusive for my next one!

I wonder what method I will use for my random number generation, I have a week to plot and scheme!
Good Luck!

I can't get italics off for some reason. Blah!

Just back to change some rules!

If you live overseas, please still comment if you would like a prize!, if your number comes up I will send you something else  nice and draw another, local, winner for this book.

I have changed it so I am drawing it Wednesday so I can post Thursday so the winner might have it by the long weekend.

The Aussie in me.

I wrote that post title about half an hour ago. Then thought of that song that goes 'the monkey in me, makes me want to do it, the monkey in me makes me want to chew it' (anyone know it?). Being the modern girl I am (!), I google it. 

Oh, my gosh, there goes half and hour (well not quite, but it would be very easy to get lost forever on YouTube). Who knew that someone has been bothered putting up loads of old Young Talent Time clips (bear with me if you are under- what?- 35?)

I was 9 years old again. Watching, I admit through slightly less rose coloured glasses, as 'the kids' covered songs from 'the top of the hit parade' while skipping and dancing and oh- all that smiling! How I loved spending my (Sunday I think) nights watching that show wishing I could be one of them! Anyway, I digress.

The Aussie in me. Culturally we have a tendency to be abit self- effacing, negative even, about our skills, talents and abilities. Plagued with self criticism and self doubt, unable to accept a compliment with 'yes, I am rather brilliant, aren't I'.

Crafters- an example;

COMPLIMENTER 'great quilt/ dress (whatever) you have made there' 

COMPLIMENTEE 'ahh, but don't look to closely at the stitching, seams, quilting (whatever).

Subtext: it's not quite good enough.

With a thick Brittish accent 'Leave off' of yourselves a bit, would you.

I am trying to. It's much nicer! It will take some practice.

So, where has this come from. Well, I have heard myself telling people alot lately, 'no, I can't knit, I am left handed, no one could teach me, oh, I have tried...' Then I found this.

  I am not suggesting major knitting skill base required. But, this is knitting. I can knit. Once I remembered that, I remembered a few other things too, like this.

After that reminder and confidence boost I have something on the sticks again. A twirly whirly scarf. 

Something to do at Auskick (well I just wanted to mention Auskick because my 9 year old got to play on the MCG on Sunday in a 'little league' game. Swans versus Hawks (just a lucky fluke because he is a Hawks supporter). The funny thing was he had to dress up in the Swans colours (go number 11!)

Vegetarians wont be interested in this one...

Oh, I have started this post a few times now but then I get all lost in words. So I have promised to keep it simple and not get all intense. If you've been visiting me for  awhile, you'll know we got pigs last year.

We didn't get them because they were cute (although they were). We got them to raise for meat. You see, we eat meat and are quite keen on knowing where our meat comes from. It's a self sufficiency and personal responsibility thing. Our pigs had a good life, I reckon, running madly round our paddocks for most of their life, drinking boidynamic milk, home grown vegies, grains. They didn't have to go to the (horrible) abbatoir to be killed. The mobile butcher came and all that going from pig to pork meat happened at home.

We appreciate the lives of our pigs and are thankful for good, decent meat.