Gail's trial Jacket and Cape.

The Jacket...

The stages of assembling the cut out pattern. Made in Dark Green Faux Suede with double back darts, front bust darts and sleeve darts.

Checking all the pattern pieces are correct and have the necessary darts sewn.

Then sewing the front and neck facings, the front darts then sewing the fronts to the back.

Assembling the sleeves before sewing the sleeves onto the jacket.

Completed Jacket.

And now the Cape...

The cape made from sequinned organza in a Dark Fushia colour.

All the cut out pieces are laid out to be checked then the front darts sewn, the facings sewn before the garment is assembled to the finished product. A Frog closure is added at the top to complete the cape.

...Of course I did get some help from my little fur Angel Honie Princess... She sits right next to me watching that I am sewing all the seams straight and listening to some relaxing music as we sew.

Sewing for friends

Having fractured both my arms after slipping on gum nuts on a walk home from Marion shopping centre I appreciate just how much I had taken my arms - fully functional, for granted... being one who thrives on using my hands for all sorts of crafts and sewing, knitting and crocheting... noticed how I did not say anything about using my hands for cooking????

I was so glad aftertwo weeks of not being able to move them (let alone use them) to be able to once again sit at my sewing machine and sew something... My parents choofing off on a cruise to India and South Africa was a great excuse to sew something... anything!!! So I made my Mother a few outfits... seven garments in all... two satin dresses and five jackets to mix and match with the dresses.

As they are having several formal dinners (and some with the Captain) then something special was called for so I set to work and loved it. See Photos below.....

Now I amall excited about being able to sew a few things for my friend Gail so today I spent most of the day drafting the patterns for the jacket and the cape. Looking forward to tomorrow when I start to cut the patterns out from material and start sewing... on cheepy fabric so I can assess the fit, then once I know the garment will fit well then I can go ahead with making the proper jacket and cape... see the pattern drafts below...

Once that is all finished I do some sewing for my other friend Dianne who is off to Asia this July...

Finally I can sew something for myself for Brennie's and Annelise's wedding... not allowed to have any crushed velvet according to Alan... dagnabbit!!!

OK so now I am 50!!!

It's been a week already since I've had my 50th birthday dinner and it was everything I had hoped it would be. A big thank you to all my friends and family who came, for all the lovely gifts and messages received and for all the wonderful moments that made my birthday and especially the night one to remember... pressies are still arriving from overseas so the fun is still continuing... Wooo Hooo!!!

My closest friends and family were there to share the special night and despite the dramas before hand with the shocker of a meal served by another restaurant already booked for the occasion we had enough time to change venues without too much hassle.

With all that had happened in my life health wise I had not expected to see this milestone so to reach it there has been much contemplation about where I have been and especially where I go from here... and there is one thing I have learned over the past 50 years "The universe does have a sense of humour and it is futile to try and take control of your life... they have plans already for me so I just need to get in, buckle up, shut up and hang on!!!"

After having two angels visit me (in the shape of Matt and Kelly) and giving me a wonderful new direction and challenge to kick start my next 50 years off I am now venturing on a new career as a Civil Celebrant!!! Who would have thought I would ever contemplate marrying people for a living but after speaking to Mattymoo and Kelly angel and doing a little research, as well as numerous people telling me I would be perfect as a Celebrant, the idea fit like hand in glove.

Now I am studying for the next seven months before I apply to the Attorney General's department for my license... then we are off to Singapore for Christmas and New Year's... Life is never dull!

If this is the start of things to come then the next 50 years are going to be great!!!!

Some days are just GOLD

This is one wedding anniversary we will never forget... not just because Alan and I are celebrating 27 years together but for the gift our son gave us... read on!!

Some days are just gold, but in this case, for Tim they are blue...

Today Friday 22nd October 2010 was school mock up day at Tim's school, which meant all the year 12 students would thank their school for all the years of memories (and hell) now coming to an end. It is tradition that on the very last day of High School the year 12 students cut loose and think up all sorts of mischief to inflict on unsuspecting teachers and fellow students, all in good fun and all in the name of Prosh Day!! According to Tim, some kids came in drag, some did pranks like glad wrap the toilet seats and others of the more sober persuasion contemplated exams to come and their life future without school... Tim however, painted himself blue.

By late afternoon the weather had changed and it began sprinkling and settled into a steady rain when we got a phone call from our beloved son...

Tim: "Mum, where are you?..." (Sounding somewhat perplexed!)

Me: "On our way home... why?"

Tim: "I can't start my car..."

Me: "Are you still blue?"

Tim: "Well if I wasn't earlier, I am now..."

Me: "Why so?"

Tim: "My key broke and I can't start the car... and everyone is looking at me..."

Me: "Why? What are you doing?" (forgetting momentarily it is peak hour traffic on Brighton Road and my son is looking like one of the Na-avi from Avatar!)

Tim: "Can't get my car started so I'm running around all blue in the face..."

Me: (trying not to laugh) "... call the RAA!!!"

Like I said, 'Some days are just gold' especially because we are so closely related to Murphy and his law!!!!

Gods Streuth!!!! Friday 24th September 2010

Gods streuth!!!! What a right mess tonight was....

Alan and I got dressed up and made it to the Restaurant by the appointed time of 7:00 pm... present in hand and expecting to see my friend Gail and all her family sitting there waiting for the fun to start... we were a tad late... the Restaurant was deserted save for a waiter and rows of empty well-set tables.

The non English speaking waiter approached us and kept trying to usher us to a table - any table but especially one by the window and it all went South from there... (Picture Manuel from Faulty Towers)

Manuel: "You want table?"

Me: "Errr... actually we are here for dinner - booked in for the Gill party at 7:00 pm"

Manuel: "Cee, you want to Gill dinner?"

Me: "Errr.... no I want to eat dinner not Gill it..."

Manuel: (Looking somewhat perplexed) "Cee, you have to Gill dinner then eat it..."

Me: "I'll Gill you if you keep this up..."

Manuel: "Que?"

Me: "Never mind where are we supposed to sit?" (Pointing to the nearest table setting).

Manuel: "Ah, You want zis table? ok I give you... what... four?"

Me: "Pardon???...I'll give you what for... where is the Manager?"

Manuel: "Ah Cee, You have dinner with Manager?... I go get him!!"

By this time I am about to pass out either from hunger, or confusion... which ever comes first!!!

I am also wondering if anyone spoke English at Pinochio's and what fun it will be trying to order from the Italian hymn list... thoughts of green spaghetti spring to mind !!!

Manager walks to bar... I tell him we are here for the Gill Party... Manager looks at me and says "That's tomorrow night..."

By this stage Alan is heading out the door.... my head hits the counter and I start making groaning noises... I GOT THE WRONG NIGHT!!!!!! Don't tell anyone!!!!

On my way home.

Having had a bad turn and not recovering enough from it PLUS missing the boys very much I decided that my best course of action will be to cut my trip short and head home.

So having re-booked my ticket and then confirming my flight I packed and just enjoyed the time with Sandy before my trek home.

Unfortunately I will not be seeing Rhonda and Kathy as I was looking forward to meeting them both but my health has had a major downturn and I need to get answers from the quacks that pose as Doctors so I am heading home.

This morning Sandy and I went for a drive to the famous beach where you are able to drive your car along it... I was a little apprehensive that we might get bogged and I would miss my flight but we managed to keep from sinking in the packed sand.

We headed off to the air port in plenty of time to catch my flight (or so I thought)... once I presented my ticket to the curb-side check in the attendant asked me to go inside check in there... well that should have been my warning that things were about to go bad...

Once I presented my information to the check in assistant she said that I have not been ticketed and I would not make my flight to Atlanta!!! There was over an hour to go and I could not see the problem but she spent the entire time on the phone getting a ticket from Virgin Blue and by the time I was all ticketed my flight had left.... Panic quickly set in!!!

The best she could do was to book me on a direct flight to LA but leaving from Orlando instead of Daytona... GREAT!!! ... instead Orlando air port was a good two and a half hour drive away.

Sandy saved the day by asking if there was a shuttle I could catch and promptly rang the shuttle bus to book me on the next departure... in an hour's time!!!!

So off we went to the Bus depot and another teary farewell... lemme-tell-ya I hate goodbyes and I am going to miss seeing these girls I have come to love and have a place in my heart for.

I had plenty of time to catch my 6:00 pm flight which would get me to LA for my 10:30 departure... barring no more stuff ups!!!!! Met two great people on the plane which work in the entertainment industry; one as a camera man and the other as a sound man and they kept everyone entertained through out the flight!!!

Ok, now I know I am related to Murphy and his annoying law of when something goes wrong it does so at the worst possible time... The plane flight to Sydney was delayed by two hours, meaning I would not get to there in time to catch my connecting flight to Adelaide... all because... they had no flight crew!!!!!

At this point I was ready to scream except I was in an air port terminal with more security than the crown jewels so having a hissy fit would not help me... but I did think about it a lot!!!

Met this couple who are Cherokee and they chatted about all sorts of interesting things including knowing about my friend Colleen and her stand at Wounded Knee!!! Wooo hooo you go girl!!!!

Finally they found crew, we boarded the plane and were thankfully on our way back to OZ... I felt just ghastly and was not looking forward to the cramped 15 hour flight back home... so I watched movies and made the best of it despite the fact they had stuffed up AGAIN the dinner and gave me a regular meal instead of the gluten free one I had arranged...

Yes, getting into Sydney I missed the flight back to Adelaide... I am NEVER going to fly Delta Airlines again EVER!!!!

I rang Alan from Sydney and told him the time I would be arriving and when I finally touched down in Adelaide I was thrilled to bits to see him and to be home... but I felt as though I was a zombie with no sleep and jet lag and the fact I was not feeling well at all...

The experience was amazing... meeting my friends and sharing some very fun times, even though the whole episode with Delta marred the trip considerably but I take with me a lot of experience and the memories of those I met will be with me always...

Now I just need a few days to recover...

18.08.10 St. Augustines

With an early start to a little town of St Augustines, Sandy and I drove along the very picturesque coastal route for the two hour trek to our destination. This little town dates back to when the Spanish settled here and the fort on the shore line is a reminder of long gone days where Pirates were amongst the waterways along the Florida coast... very exciting stuff... Jack Sparrow would be proud!!!

Along the way I was surprised to see by the side of the road a loggerhead turtle trying to get off the scorching bitumen and onto the grass verge ... which incidentally all footpaths in the US have very steep curbs.

The town itself is just gorgeous and wandering the cobbled streets was fun and very hot so we cooled off in a little hotel restaurant for lunch where we received complementary Margaritas... (Gee I could get used to this... ) and very good service...

More sightseeing and bargain hunting followed and upon spotting a chocolate store that sold Gelato we indulged in the icy concoction... I sampled the rich dark chocolate ice desert and told the two girls serving behind the counter asked me how I liked the Gelato? My response brought for giggles from the two young ladies when I said: "You two girls must be angels because I had died and gone to heaven!"...

The drive back was enjoyable and having been a very hot and humid day Sandy took me to her favourite restaurant situated by the water and had a very Hawaiian influence from the way the waiters were dressed to the delicious menu.

I kept up the tradition started way back in LA for Margaritas except I first ordered a Pina colada... which was yummo!!! Then had a Margaritas... I think Margarita's and I are going to be firm friends!!!!

Having driven home after a fun day with Sandy I was a little sad that the trip was ending but looking forward to getting home and finding out what was causing this thing in my chest to suddenly flare up the way it does...

Last minute packing and farewell to all her many and varied pets including 5 snakes, 1 rat, 1 iguana (who is a major sook but very cute) an assortment of frogs and turtles and a tarantula called rosy... not to mention the many little lizards, squirrels and birds that come for a visit each day!!!

My time with Sandy was just magic and I loved being in such a richly diverse ecosystem with so much beauty and wildlife.. Thank you my darling for a wonderful experience...xxx