Classic Mummy Moment #243....

....cuts OWN toast into rounds of four.

*sigh*



(AND - how is it 20 past 11 already?! Damn you daylight savings....!)

Happy Birthday... Friend.

I turn to you when I have trouble finding what I need elsewhere.

You always have something to cheer me up.

You get me money when I need it.

You help me clean out some of my inevitable-brought on by an opshopping addiction- clutter.

You bring me souvenirs from across the globe.

I can't help but get excited when I see a congratulatory email from you in my inbox.

...

You are eBay... and you're 10!

Can you believe that eBay is 10?! I certainly can't.

I remember boasting to people about some goodie or other recently purchased on this magical auction site, and them wondering what on earth I was on about. "e.... what now?" "Which Bay...?!" "Who are you & why do you think I care about your roller skates?"

Now it is officially a household name, almost a beloved family member in this house - hardly a day goes by when it isn't mentioned in some context "Sell it on eBay!" (...usually uttered by the boy in response to "Look what I bought!"), "Look what I bought on eBay!" (...usually uttered by me to The Punk because I don't want to advertise to The Boy that I've been buying things on eBay), "How much are they on eBay?", "I saw one on eBay", etc etc.

I prefer to find things I love for myself, at oppies & garage sales & auctions & the like, I love the story that goes with the item, but when there is something I really, really, really want, sometimes eBay is the best & only way to go. These pictures are all things I have "won" one eBay (even the fact that you "win" an auction instead of "buy" a product has pleasant connotations...) & wouldn't be without.

I've sold a few things on eBay too - had fantasies of becoming "that woman" you see on telly & hear on the radio who makes millions from her eBay business by buying things for $2 & selling them for $200 - but that just isn't me. If I find something fantastic I want to keep it - and if I don't like it, I don't even notice it, let alone want to buy it. That & I don't have the patience to endlessly measure, describe & list things I have no interest in (because if I were selling it, I wouldn't be interested in it...!).

Anywho - like I said, it's eBay's birthday & I'm posting about it 'cause you can win stuff! Yeah! Winning stuff (and not having to pay for it later lol) is grand, is it not?

Today you can win a party! I'm not entering because I still don't know anyone here & sitting amongst $1500 worth of food & party supplies on my ownsome would be, quite frankly, depressing. ;)

The Best of the 'Fest!! (Giveaway Goodness!)

• 
  

  Right! Blogtoberfest has grown to mammoth proportions already, and with no closing date for sign ups (so rush on over to Tinniegirl now if you want to be part of the party), it's sure to get even bigger - how on earth is a poor blogger supposed to visit everyone, everyday, and still blog a little something themselves?!

  
  
  
  I know I'm not the only person feeling just a tad overwhelmed - but I just love Tinniegirl's concept;
  
  
  
  "I've decided that I'm going to treat the sign up list like a candy bowl. You know, something you can dip into when you've got a spare bit of time and feel like a treat. Best not to try and eat all the candy at once - you'll make yourself ill!"
  
  
  
  I'm going to join in the give-away fun of the festival with 4 different prizes, one each week from next Saturday... because I need your help!
  
  
  
  There is just no way I'll be able to visit everyone everyday... I have doubts anybody could do it without going through some serious sleep deprivation and having nutritional issues (there are only so many things you can eat over the keyboard, keeping your mouse-hand free... although.... those sporks of mine would be perfect....).
  
  
  
  So, starting next Saturday, I'm going to put up another 'Best of the 'Fest' post & to enter the giveaway all you have to do is let me know via a link in the comments section, your favourite post from the festival for the week prior that you think we should all check out. Entries will be open for 24 hours & a winner will be randomly selected.
  
  
  
  It's a total win win - somebody wins a special something (to be decided and/or made sometime this week hehe) & I (we?!) get to read the cream of the blogtoberfest crop without spending hour upon hour scouring blogs! Hurrah!
  
  
  
  So, the dates to come on back & let me know what is rocking your festival world;
  
  
  
  Saturday 10th entries open, close Sunday 11th. (Will Post OS.)
  Saturday 17th entries open, close Sunday 18th. (Aust Only.)
  Saturday 24th entries open, close Sunday 25th. (Will Post OS.)
  Saturday 31st entries open, close Sunday 1st of November. (Aust Only.)

*You don't have to be a poster in Blogtoberfest to enter, just let me know if you come accross something awesome around the festive blogs!



I certainly hope that sounds like fun and we all get to share our Best of the 'Fest!

Orange Jack-O-Lanterns! Halloween How To.

Not only is October Blogtoberfest month, it's Halloween month too! Halloween isn't really a big thing in Australia though I so wish it were... there are lots of things I wish for; to grow a real money tree, to meet a fairy, the power of invisibility.... none of those are going to come true any time soon.

No Matter!

The Punky household can still indulge in some spooky fun, no matter what the neighbours may think!

Depending on what sort of time I find on my hands, I intend to craft up some more Halloween goodness in the next few weeks, but I made Orange Jack-O-Lanterns today; they are super quick, super easy & super cute.

How To In Comic Strip Form:

So, that is (in case that graphic is too weird for you...);

1. Gather up your supplies- Oranges, a bowl, a sharp knife, a tea light candle, a marker & a spoon.
2. Set your orange down so you know the best angle for it to sit still & steady.
3. Mark the face.
4. Slice off top of orange (keep the top!) & scoop out all the pulp into the bowl.
5. Carve out features with your knife, if you put the spoon back against the side you are carving you won't go through to the other side accidentally.
6. WASH OFF THE GOOP! There will be much goop (why I drew the process instead of photographing it!) and you will be sticky.
7. Place a tea light candle inside your wee jack & light it, place lid on carefully.
8. Voila!
   
   

Of course I don't have to tell you not to leave these babies unattended but I will anywho... Don't leave them unattended!! If you have long burning tea candles I would recommend leaving the orange top off, I promise it'll still look cool!

Playing Tourist.

Well - here we are at Day 2 of Blogtoberfest! So far, so good!

Yesterday was a nice day (for here at least...), it was pretty damn windy but not raining, so we decided to play tourist.

Since moving to the country last Christmas, we've been exploring a little, but not as much as we'd like, so when The Boy heard on the news a little while ago that one of the 12 Apostles (...that is false advertising if I ever heard it...) on The Great Ocean Road had fallen down, he was rather upset. "There will be none left by the time we get there!" He cried.... So yesterday, we went there.

Check out the numberplate that confronted me when we stopped for Gas!! Talk about a guilt trip;

On the way home we stopped in a pretty little town reminiscent of the mountain towns we like so much, you know the type, wee little shops with cruisy hippie types strolling about... We got bakery treats & had a play in the park & I admired a group of crows ("A Murder Marge... A group of crows is called A Murder....") flying around. I really, really like crows, I think they're beautiful....

Blogtoberfest...

Two posts in one day...?!

Well I never....

After my disastrous attempt at my very first meme; A Drawing A Day (I am sooooooo sorry Pepper!!!), which for me, turned more into a drawing & a half a week, I thought surely I would rock another challenge!? ;)

Ah, I'm not that foolhardy... I hope. This'un I CAN DO. Not that I couldn't draw every day... I just didn't... but this... well, I'm already almost doing it....

Blogoberfest is an October Blog carnival hosted by TinnieGirl, and I heard about it only yesterday on Curlypops' blog.

Of course I decided to jump right in - thinking that since I think I only missed one day of blogging in September, October would be a piece of cake... delicious, delicious cake... mmmmmmm

....

Ahhh... where was I? Oh that's right... It's October & I have pledged to post every day along with my other festival goers & join in all the bloggy goodness.

I realised, too late, that my Mum & a sister & brother or two, are coming to stay for a holiday next week... probably not the best time to have committed to trawling blogs & posting prolifically... but hey... I'll give it a whirl - and my Mummy takes amazing photos so I'll steal... uh.... showcase some of them, while she's here.

This is going to be FUN!

My Creative Space.

I SO wanted to have last week's WIP ready for you today (that pic is Le Punk "helping"...), but alas, my wrist feels rather carpel tunnel syndromish and I can't say I enjoy it... I've been (hand)sewing, drawing, sewing, writing, sewing & sewing and it is starting to take it's toll so I am taking a break & stocking up on ideas & inspiration, which means, today, My Creative Space is sporting crafty books & mags.







There are old books, new books, library books & opshop mags. Yup, that's Better Homes & Gardens on the bottom there. I find it hard to believe that I own any Better Homes & Gardens mags - 50 cents or not - but I swear to you they are SO much better than you imagine them to be... really! Full of cool home ideas & crafty stuff & even the occasional yummy recipe (meanwhile, that big ass CWA cookbook has maaaany yummy recipes...!). Like the super annoying TV show without the super annoying stuff. Will be scouring the Oppy for more issues, me thinks.






(See - how awesome is that bookshelf wall? I am drooling over pretty like this right now, obsessed with buying a house, hopefully we get to go house shopping around xmas... woot!)


I'm going to get me an old peeps brass bracelet or something & get sewing again... if I don't have that WIP up next week feel free to kick my butt.

More Creative Spaces here.