Getting in early; Free Easter Colouring Page

Since everyone seems to think my drawings lend themselves to being coloured in, I thought I’d give you all an early Easter pressie!

Go here to download & colour to your heart’s desire.

Q: What is better than $5 Opshop furniture….?

A: FREE Opshop furniture!

Oh. Yeah. It’s fair to say that these finds absolutely made my Monday morning! We were driving home yesterday when I asked The Boy to swing by the Oppy with the open garage – you can see any new furniture they have from the road – but I complained as I asked him “Not that there’ll be anything – and if there is it’ll be too expensive – the prices have gone nuts lately.” or some such whinge.

Past we go – I spot these lovelies with “FREE” plastered on them. Free! I squealed & made The Boy zoom around the roundabout & stop in front of the garage. I run in (one of the rare times I would run) & hover around the cabinet, perusing it’s lovely oldness & in particular, it’s rather fetching freeness. Was I too late….? There was a lady there already – talking to an Opshop worker. Looking at the furniture. My furniture.

“$10 to get it delivered?” She asked the worker. She nodded. She pondered a little longer. I start hopping around, in spite of myself, like I was in desperate need to go to the loo. A physical manifestation of the thoughts in my head “Hurry up & walk away lady!”. She did. I pounced on the poor Opshop worker; “Did I just hear you could deliver these for $10?!”, yep yep!

I am beyond happy. A new furniture project… better than that – two new furniture projects! The cabinet is way cool, the top unlocks (it still has all it’s keys!) & lifts up, I can imagine it’s past life housing an array of shimmering jewels… and the dressing table – how awesome is that mirror?!

Things I Keep Forgetting....

...the very first thing being that I forgot to even blog yesterday - I was immersed in a blasted WIP that is taking much longer than I anticipated, which is annoying me because I am ALL about the instant craft gratification. All I am going to say is that it as close as I am ever going to get to quilting, and the fingers that hold the needle feel both numb and as though I should expect horrible callouses at any moment. Sounds like a fun project, no?

Anywho, I actually started this catch up post the day before yesterday, or the evening before yesterday, but as I was typing *zloop*, everything shut down. It was super windy & the power was out.

We sat around looking at each other for a while, considering our predicament, and then decided to go for a drive & see if it was just our side of town temporarily plunged into darkness. Turned out that not only was the entire town power-less (it is both strange and satisfying to see those 'golden arches' and 'bucket in the sky' unlit in the night), but most people had the same idea - driving around sticky beaking... probably, upon reflection, not the greatest idea we've ever had, since the traffic lights were also out of business.

On the way home, I saw one of those cool (weird) bright plastic toy boxes in the shape of a round frog on the side of the road, with some other random stuff & a "FREE!" sign - I practically jumped out the window and scared The Boy half to death; "STOP THE CAR!!! I NEED THAT....!" he was like "....what the...?" having seen the stuff earlier on the way home and totally ignoring it (*sigh*), he had no idea what it was. "It's a toy box!" I breathed excitedly, having seen one at the Mill Markets on my birthday for $50... "And I NEED IT!!!".

So he had to turn around and drive back, then I jumped out to get it... but it was much heavier than an empty plastic tub should be... it was full of toys! I almost had heart palpitations, that's how excited I was.... luckily, as we turned into our street, we say street & porch lights turn back on - hurrah!

We (Punk & I) rushed inside to peruse our free loot - and loot it most assuredly was - the first thing I picked up was a little Miss Piggy Muppet baby figurine that I recalled from my childhood, a Mickey D's toy from 1986 no less - and then her car.... score! ;)

The other stuff that went into 'Mummy's" pile; a matching gonzo on a rocking horse, a fozie bear sans whatever he was supposed to be on (or perhaps he went on the rocking horse... I can't remember), and ALF clip on with tag still attached from 1989, a carebear, a smurf, 2 teenage mutant ninja turtles in cars that I also recall from road trips, a beagle boy, Rodger rabbit, Donald duck & Fred flintstone.

Punky was thrilled with about a gazillion cars & trucks (she loves them as she only had like 2 Fischer price cars before), Donkey from Shrek with the tag still on, and various other little figurines.

Even The Boy had something to get excited about; an unused Michael Jordan shrinky dink from 1996!!!

I don't think Mr Frog and his stomach full of goodies could have found a better, more appreciative home! I hope all free stuff people put out because they can't be bothered to take them to the oppy have such a fate... ;) We think he must have been a "Grandma's House" toy box, considering what was inside.

Anyway... I digress! All that had nothing to do with my actual post, which is about stuff I keep forgetting to post, starting with;

Lemon Meringue Update;

It WAS delicious. The Boy was very happy with it - pleasantly surprised you might say, and that means I don't have to put up with the hopeful "I bet you can't make a lemon meringue as good as my Mum's..." ever again. I also forgot to mention that the lovely Lisa from Crafty Mamas pointed me in the direction of the (obviously foolproof) recipe for Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie, I had to sign up for the free trial to get the recipe, but it was SO worth it; http://www.cookscountry.com/pwlogin....ecipe&iseason=

Punky Update;

She has a big girl bed! She loves it, even though the sight of my little Punk in a big bed made me a tad weepy to start with. The very first thing she did after it was put together was to bOuNcE....

Drawing A Day Update;

*shuffles feet* There isn't one. I've not been doing it. I have no excuses.

Flylady Update;

See above. *sigh* The house really looks like a bomb site today, since I've been working like a maniac on my afore mention WIP and hence ignoring everything else, including Punky's rampaging destruction.

Mail Update;

I fully intend to try my hand at a review for the book, I have had a thorough look through already, of course, and can say that it is a pleasure to look at, at the very least.

Right'o, that's everything updated... now I have to go get my house in order.

Chickens, Eggs & A Free Light box...!

Punky has been SO good with helping to collect the eggs lately, she is super careful & carries one all the way from the coop to the egg carton on the kitchen bench...

I "made" a light box yesterday...! Okay, not so much made, as discovered a ready made one, in my craft corner, filled with fabric... my scrap bin! I'd been using an old Styrofoam container that my uncle dropped off here a while ago, The Boy was going to use it to plant things in but I claimed it first.

Yesterday I was looking at 'how-to' tutes for making your own light box & came away thinking about what I'd need to get to make one, then I went out to the craft area & sat down, considering what to do next, when I looked down & tada!!

One second & an overturned pile of scrap material later... a light box! :D All I really need now is a brighter bulb for my lamp.

I took a couple of random shots to see how it works, and I am quite pleased with the results...!

Next time I try it out I might put some plain copy paper on the bottom too, although I quite like the textured look of the Styrofoam under the objects...