Some creative goodness for your Sunday

I have been doing a bit of creative stuff lately, its the WI arts festival on Friday which is the main driver for most the stuff I've been making but I am also doing it cos I want to and its fun.  Thought I would share some of the things I am most proud of with you all :)

1: This is a dress that I finished off today, am very pleased with how it fits and looks on.  Cannot wait to wear it, so bring back some warm weather please lol.

2: This cloak/coat I made from two old woollen blankets.  It is the first time I have ever made bound buttonholes and while a couple of them leave room for improvement I am still very happy with my effort. And also can't wait to wear it though its very warm so need some cold weather for this one, that can wait tho I think, just for a little while...

3: It took me almost exactly 6 months to knit myself this jumper, then about another 6 weeks to get round to sewing it together lol.  I am not a fan of sewing up knitting or crocheting.

4: This is a vest I made for Henry, he's 1.  So I know he'll like it cos he's too young to know any different (atlst in my mind he is hehe).

5: And this jumper was made using leftover fabric from two jumpers I made myself last winter and is for the only small human I kinda like.  She has seen a photo and loves it which is cool.  She also can't believe her Aunty Jilly made it which is cooler lol.

It really is the little things sometimes

I took Freddie to the mechanics today for her WoF and Service and I was reminded why I like my mechanics so much.  When I picked her up they commented that they hadn't met her before (yes they used the word met) and I really liked that they noticed she was new to them and that they therefore hadn't been introduced.  They said she was lovely, which I know but it's nice she was lovely for them as well <3 

They also checked she was my car and that I was to get sent the bill, as if I had brought her in for someone else they could be sent it.  Did not expect them to offer that and while it was tempting to give them someones email addy (like dads hehe) I wouldn't actually do that lol :)

So yeah, my mechanics are lovely, all of them there at that garage, in my opinion.  And the reason I started going there was that the other one I went to gave me a quote for work once (early on in me being over here) and it seemed a bit much to me so I rang Uncle Bob and he confirmed it was likely a 'female' rate and to look elsewhere, so I went to Dave Jones just to see what he would quote (he supports Radio Kidnappers so I figured he had to be a good guy) and he told me I had been given a 'female' price and that it would cost much less.  Costed even less than he said in the end as it turned out I didn't even need all the work done that the first place had said I would, bad first place!!  And since then Dave Jones Motors has been my go-to and I have been happy as (mechanic-wise) since then :) and my Cleo and Freddie have never complained either, I personally think they like the eye candy there lol

My hair is everywhere...

It's not even what I would call long yet but my hair is already getting everywhere, it's insane how much of it is apparently not on my head lol.  I had totally forgotten (as you do) what my hair is like when it is longer so it's been a bit of a surprise that it is getting into everything.  Even the brownies I made couple weeks back managed to get some hair in them, as have some dinners.... doesn't mean I am going to be cutting it again, cos I am growing it, but I may moan about it sometimes lol.

Anyhow this is a gluten free update for you all, cos I figure the world always needs good news and it is now at the definitely good news stage :) I know yay right.  I have been on the strict as gf diet for a couple months or more now, and while it is still tiresome and tedious at times it is proving to be worth it as I have been able to start running again (am up to 5km which I think is still not very far but I try to keep reminding myself its still a good effort lol) and I definitely have more energy at the end of a work day than I used to.  Total plus that :) Have even found that in wknds I am getting way more done than I used to be able to, and the amount of time to recover from doing something is less than it used to be.  Also a total perk, and def a reason to stick with the boring strict gf diet.

I think even my hands are improving, not in everything but I can def knit for longer than I could before and can sew for a decent period not pin then break then sew then break then overlock then break then pin etc.  Now can do pin sew overlock pin sew overlock repeat.  Not endlessly, still need breaks but the improvement is there.  Sadly driving is still not great, but I also don't have a steering wheel cover and used to need one of them before all the other stuff got bad.  Freddie is one of those cars, the ones with the weird sized steering wheels that you can't easily find a cover for, I do still love her though, so have ordered her a cover from overseas and hopefully this will help when it arrives (fingers crossed).

Baking Brownies

I realised that over a year ago I said I was going to make and review WI (Women's Institute) recipes from the Home & Country magazine and while I have been making some I haven't been putting them up here... whoops.  Pretty sure none of you missed them though so that's all good lol.  In the wknd I made the Brownie that is in the latest Home & Garden though so thought I would review it for you all, then that will make 2 recipes, which is almost a thing lol.

The Brownie was super easy to make, like even easier than I was expecting easy.  Pretty much a mix all together, dump in a tin and bake, then enjoy eating lol.  The recipe was for a non-gf version but I just swapped out the flour etc to gf and it was all good.  Would say it was a bit crumbly but that is normal for gf baking so wasn't really worried.  And it just means that you get it eat it with a cake fork which is awesome hehe.  And it tastes real good, well so long as you like brownie it does nom nom.

My negatives with the recipe is that it uses 4 eggs which is all I had and so I am now out of eggs :( mostly cos I don't like going to stupidmarkets (they just take more money than I want to give them) so aint got any more yet lol.  It also makes quite a lot of brownie, so have frozen half, with fingers crossed it freezes well though I can't see why it wouldn't.  Spose neither of those are really negatives are they... lol.

The Recipe...

Brownie:
200g melted butter

4 beaten eggs
2 cups sugar (I used brown sugar)

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

8 Tbsp cocoa

1 packet chocolate melts

Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Press into lined 20x30cm tin.  Bake at 180C for 35 mins.  Leave to cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Note:  I didn't do the icing sugar part, as you will notice in the photos lol

Actually pretty tidy baking for me lol, and about to go into the oven

nom nom enjoying it time xxx

Vinyl and a biplane

Finally got some vinyl for my kitchen and bathroom/laundry areas.  Was thinking for ages that it is just a stupid cost and not worth it, then something happened late-ish last year and I decided to go for it, can't member what it was now and it doesn't really matter.  I did have to wait about 3 and a bit months from accepting the quote to getting it laid which gave me time to think oh do I really need it, can I be bothered getting it.  But the part of me that doesn't like talking on the phone decided it was easier to go ahead with it than to call and try and cancel and gotta say its a good thing that part of me won out.  Didn't realise till it was there how awesome it would look and how much it would feel like such an improvement from carpet offcuts on concrete.  It's also rather surprising how quickly I have gotten used to it and now it feels like it was just always there lol.  As I am sure you will agree it looks pretty awesome :)

Now I know some of you think I am a tad spoiled... soooooo this next part might not help with that but just so you know in advance I am more than happy to be spoiled if it gets me things like this :D

A while back, not sure how long ago now, I asked Doffy (aka dad) if he would be able to make a biplane for Glenny, with room for Fishy to be the gunner at the back.  There were of course other requirements, as I am me and it wouldn't be a me request if it was totally simple lol.  And Dof has done an amazing job, and not only my bear loves it but so do I.  

In the pics Big Ted is the gunner, but right now he is on the couch with me and Little Ted is winging it as the gunner (he can't actually see over the walls so he is shooting blindly lol) and Smudge is wing-walking/'helping' Glenny pilot.

Bro is going to paint it for me at some stage, would say its cos he also loves me but is probably more cos I haven't really given him much of a choice lol.  Hey what can I say, I'm a little sister, its what we do hehe :)

note: sorry bout the bad lighting in the photos, I took them the night we put it together and haven't got round to taking any more, mostly cos have been either playing with it or chatting to Glenny instead lol.  The last photo is for size reference, obviously being for my bear it aint a tiny plane...

Last week....

As many of you are aware last week was a bit surreal over here in Hawke's Bay.  We had a cyclone come through (Cyclone Gabrielle if you are keeping track) and it definitely left its mark.  While I was one of the lucky ones who still has a place to call home with nothing in it water damaged there are many out there who are not so lucky.  I also lucked out with the power situation and only lost mine for 6 hours or so.  We did ponder if this was cos I live so close to the hospital but turns out I am not quite that close as I know some people who only lost theirs for 1.5 hours, which is how long the hospital lost theirs for.

Now even though I am lucky, and I might have been playing it cool when people asked how I was, I just thought I would let you all know a few things (don't worry I am still all good).  For starters, Monday night was no fun, AT ALL!!  That wind and rain, just wow!!  I never want to experience anything like that again.  Each time I got up to check stuff I was honestly expecting that my feet were going to touch down on wet carpet.  And the experience of having your concrete house shaking and rattling is not a fun one.  Concrete is meant to be sturdy and not shaky.  Am very surprised the tiles on my roof are still all there (technically actually haven't checked cos not sure I wanna know if they aren't, but there were none on the ground and there are no leaks so I'm assuming they all there still lol).  There was a moment when I thought it couldn't get any worse, then the next gust of wind made me think it was giving up moving just my place and wanted to take the two units somewhere new.  Even if I had been allowed to work Tuesday I'm not sure I would have been any good as was shattered from the lack of sleep.  

I know I am lucky cos I could (and did) go to work from Wednesday.  But there were still the mental side of things to deal with, such as how your friends are.  I knew most my friends were ok, but there were some I weren't sure about as I hadn't heard from them. And I knew it was probably cos they had no reception but it still stresses you out a bit, the not knowing, esp as each day passes.  Finally heard from the last one I was waiting to hear from on Friday evening and it lifted a weight I hadn't realised had been there.  It is also rather surreal and weird going to work like everything is fine when you know that just over there its not, and that quite a few of your friends don't have power, and then work is a bit of a ghost town and there are people on your floor sleeping at work as they can't get home and are pulling crazy shifts to help out cos doctors can't get over, and you know, just stuff like that.

Now for those of you wondering, my lemon tree is fine.  That sucker will survive anything I have decided.  It lost two lemons, that's it.  No branches down, no leaves missing, just two lemons on the ground, and they were two older lemons that were probably just ready to go anyhow.  Typical.

The only item of mine I know of that got damaged is a book I had loaned to David.  It was on his nightstand right underneath the hole in his ceiling that formed when a tree branch fell through his roof/ceiling bringing loads of water and tree debris with it.  So the book is now a bit waterlogged but I figure that just means it has a story to tell hehe.  And no it is not in my place which is why the statement up the top about nothing in my house being water damaged is true :)

But just to reiterate I am fine, I am annoyed mum and dad are temporarily (it better be temporarily) further away now than when they lived in Inglewood but thats a very minor problem.  
Glenny would like me to add that he is fine as well, and that he wasn't scared Monday night, he was just clingy to me cos he was worried I was scared.... (believe him if you like, but I know the truth hehe).

A gluten free update you didn't know you needed

Late last year I went to see a celiac specialist, figured why not since no one else seems to have any idea why things are so wonky with me health wise, what's one more persons lack of ideas to add to the list, or wishful thinking maybe someone does have an idea, and how awesome would that be if that happened. 

Well she had an idea yet it was one I didn't really like the sound of... and that was to go back onto a strict gluten free diet.  Now I am sure some of you are sitting there thinking but you are good at being gluten free.  Haha yeah not so much sadly.  I am good at it for someone who is intolerant but not for someone with celiacs, as I learnt from Ana (the specialist).  Zero cross contamination is allowed so that means no eating out anywhere that doesn't have a seperate prep area and seperate cooking implements (pots, pans, bowls, stirring stuff, chopping boards etc) for my stuff.  And that includes friends and families places.  So big thanks to those family and friends that I told about this and went and got me my own set of stuff so they can cook for me, and bro who cooks for me at mine sometimes cos its just easier.  Gotta say it is weird basically saying to friends that they can't cook for you unless they buy this extra stuff and then don't use it for anything else but cooking for you.  Does make one feel loved when they don't even blink and just go of course and no you don't have to pay me back.

I didn't start this strict gluten free thing till this year, but I did start doing it a bit last year, kinda lol.  Now though I am about 3 weeks into the strict thing and just gotta say that I miss Jarks, and am over cooking so much.  It is hard work cooking most nights, and the hardest part is the what shall I have part I think.  So don't care what I eat most nights but still have to figure something out to cook.  

It will take about 3 months for any changes to really take effect (that's how long even trace amounts of gluten stay in your system), so still have a ways to go before I know if its working but my fingers are crossed.  Ana is pretty positive it will fix the energy issues and thinks it might even fix the hands issue (I did not know this till she sent me the info to read but constantly having small/trace amounts of gluten over a long period of time for a celiac can lead to arthritis like symptoms which when tested for that the tests come back negative, cos its not arthritis).  So fingers are def crossed for something to happen in the positive.

While I would love this to fix everything I am going to be a tad pissed if it does, but mostly cos in the last 5 odd years that I have been having these issues not one single doctor has asked how my gluten free diet is going and how strict it is.  In fact in the last decade of me being gluten free no one has asked me that in a medical sense.  If this could have been stopped sooner and with less stress on my part (waiting to see specialists with all the what-ifs going round your mind is not fun in my experience) that will be a bit annoying.  It will also be annoying to find out that I have been the one causing myself to not be able to do things I love... that will just be sucky as.

So yeah, the HB Gluten Free Fish & Chip Adventure has been called to a premature halt.  But on the bright note there are a couple places I can eat out so it's not a total end of the world.  And I've discovered that I can actually make a pretty good steak, and my wedges are pretty amazing (and will be even more so when I am patient enough to let the potatoes cook properly lol).  I can even make pretty good mashed potato these days (stop laughing ppl who have known me for ages and ages), so I guess its not all that bad... lol

2022 in books

As has become a thing in the last few years here is my last year in books (as according to GoodReads anyhow lol) 

Total books read - 70

Total pages read - 22,976

Shortest book - 71 pages (it was a play)

Longest book - 672 pages (surprisingly enough it wasn't either of the Wilbur Smith books I read)

Average Length of book - 328 pages

Here is the breakdown by genre (my genre grouping, not GoodReads so some might be grouped diff to how others would do it lol):

Fantasy - 24

Chick-Lit - 14

Non-Fic - 7

Sci-Fi - 6

Historic Fic - 6

Thriller - 5

Child/Gen Lit - 5

Classic - 3

A surprise contestant in the HBGFF&CA

Our book group (the library one) went out for our Christmas dinner the other night and this is where the surprise contestant comes into the HBGFF&CA.  We went to The Loading Ramp which is a pub in Havelock North, and on their website is no menu and when you get there the menu doesn't list what is gluten free and what isn't so I had to go and ask, oh the effort I go to sometimes lol.  I was super tempted by the pizzas they had on offer, but then I thought hmmm prob won't be back here so why not get the gf fish and chips and add to the adventure, after all that is what it is all about really :)

So the gf fish and chips I got, and once again too much salad in my opinion.  Did I eat it all this time?  Ummm no cos Julie offered me a piece of her gf pizza pork belly pizza and pizza totally wins over salad every time :D hehe.  The fish was dry and meh, but the chips... oh wow the chips.  No idea what they did to them but Julie, Michelle and I all agreed they were next level and possibly magical.  So very delicious.  And there was a nice huge helping of them so def can't complain about that :)

Everyone agreed that the food was good and rather generous portions for us all.  There were a few doggy bags taken home, never a bad sign I don't think.  Though the service did leave something to be desired, Mya did have to go and tell them we were ready to order when they still hadn't come back and some of our drinks were almost gone.  We had also had to go and ask for a drinks menu as didn't get one at the table.  The lighting was rather dark, I think it was meant to be moody or atmospheric or something but it didn't really work for us.

Score time (remember all are out of 5, total out of 15):
Presentation and Service - 2 (sorry Loading Ramp)
Atmosphere and Drink Selection - 2 (sorry again)
Taste and Quantity - 4 (pretty purely on chips alone lol)
Total - 8