Hanmer Springs

We went up to Hanmer Springs for the afternoon to visit our friends who are holidaying there. It's about a one and a half hours drive from Christchurch and it rained all the way there and all the way back. Lucky for us it did stop raining while we were there so all the kids were able to get outside and play with the cricket bat and balls in-between making up wee plays for us adults to watch, which all contained a prince, a princess, and an evil dragon or an evil wizard. The four and five year olds took up their roles with relish and they were all absolutely delightful to watch.

We spent a very happy hour or so walking to the swollen creek down the road and let the kids go wild throwing stones and branches etc, into the water. They ended up with spots of mud on their faces and clothes but the had a jolly good time of it.

It's been ages since we've gone anywhere long distance by car thanks to the price of petrol. The price is dropping very slowly in New Zealand, and now that the supermarkets are in competition offering petrol discounts to their shoppers the current price of $138.99/litre (minus 4 cents shopping discount) is a heck of a lot better than it has been in long time. Yay to being able to go places again!

Home again thank goodness.

Alex has finished with his surgeries for the moment and he's looking good! He will need another one further down the line but for now it's done and we are very thankful to be back home.

A reporter and photographer came out from the Dominion Post to interview Alex and I at the hospital. The photo's were taken of Alex before and after the operation and they look absolutely stunning. I'm a bit concerned about the ones with me in them, I hope they don't put those in the paper!

This is my newest addition to my craft room, purchased off of Trade Me for only $75! It's perfect for holding a lot of my scrapbooking stuff. The shelves on the top and the one in the cupboard are both adjustable so I shifted the cupboard one to fit in my bags holding the paper, and my stamps and plastic drawers fit in there too. I'm so pleased with it, absolutely perfect. And at a stunning price!

All three pieces of furniture in my craft area cost a whopping total of $100. (NZ dollars that is. Halve it to work out an approx US amount.) Besides this unit there's a big white desk with four large drawers on the side, and a double drawer set with eight drawers in it. I'll tidy the rest up later and take some more pics.

I very rarely buy furniture new. The bookcases in the lounge were new, they were bought at the Warehouse on sale before I knew about Trade Me. Apart from the computer stuff and a dvd player, everything in the lounge is second-hand. Same with the rest of the house.

We don't go to garage sales very often as it get's difficult with four kids in tow, so I check out the op-shops while the kids are at school for things like clothes and knick-knacks, and then check out TradeMe for bigger items and more difficult to find items. I've saved thousands of dollars over the years and just as important, enjoyed the thrill of finding bargains!

Said knitted jacket and Amish books

This is the fore-mentioned knitted jacket back for Beth. Unfortunately the colours aren't as bright as they should be but you can get the idea. I'll take it with me for our jaunt up to Wellington for another surgery.

I finished reading The Bishop's Daughter by Wanda E. Brunstetter while lazing on the couch this afternoon. This is the third and final book in her Daughters of Lancaster County series and I'll have to find out if she's written any more books as this was such an enjoyable series that I'm saddened that I've finished it. I love stories about the Amish people. A couple of other favourite Amish books are a couple of series written by Beverley Lewis and a novel called Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. Borrowed from the library of course. lol.

Mini stockings for the kiddos

It's been another busy week, mostly taken up with shopping for bargains, lots of paperwork, unpacking still, and the odd bit of crafting. Today's pics show Grace and Ethan holding the mini stockings that I made out of felt for them.

I'm thinking I will make these for my niece and nephew as well and fill all of them with candy canes. This was a first go at working with felt as well as doing blanket stitch. Nice and easy!

I finished the back of Beth's jumper and have started working on the front. The colours are very much to her liking; purple and pink, and she asks me every day to hurry up and finish it. At my speed of knitting it may be ready for next winter but like most 4yo's, she wants it now!

Inspiration

Spotted on a trip to Wellington in the window of Nancy's Embrodiery shop. Love, love, love the colours on these cushions! There was a gorgeous embroidered bag kit inside the shop which I might have a go at replicating as it was a bit too pricey for me.

The latest surgery went well and I finished my Maeve Binchy book, done some stitching and got halfway up the back of a knitted jacket for kiddo 5. Each time we go up for the surgeries the nurses check out how much work I've done, very motivating!