To paint or to sew???

This seems to be the question I ask myself every morning lately.. will I paint or will I sew?

Last week I finally made a start on my dining room table, actually the chairs...

This is going to be a bigger job than I anticipated. The table itself has sort of split and lifted slightly in the middle so hubby needs to attach some wood underneath so he can hammer it down and he also needs to cut out some seat for the chairs. It did originally have springed seats but they were all out of wack (which was not mentioned when I bought them from ebay) so all that needs to be done.

I have been painting them by hand and it takes me about an hour to give a chair 1 coat. It is so fiddley and it was just last Friday I was saying to hubby I need to buy an electric spray gun so I can just spray them. I would ask hubby to spray them but he has so much on his plate right now I thought I'd just do them myself.

Anyhow you wouldn't believe what I found at a garage sale I went to on Saturday...

Now is that freaky or what..! and only 5 bucks.. bargain!

 I haven't tried it out yet as this week I decided I really need to get some sewing out of the way..

These fabric squares will be a ballerina quilt soon.. I am making it as a gift for my neice's little girl.

She is just adorable and reminds me soo much of Lisa when she was a baby! She melts my heart! The squares in the background are for a quilt for a customer. All floral, it's going to be so pretty.

I'll show pics when it's done.  Ok better go as I have lots more cutting to do.. hope you have all been well..

take care, Maryann



When life throws you lemons?

What do you do when life throws you lemons.... and lemons.. and lemons..? Well you cook them ofcourse!

I have had so many lemons from my tree this year I could not stand seeing them literally fall from my tree to rot. After giving some away to family I decided to have a go at making a few different lemon recipes. With the chopped up peel you see above I made candied peel... great to use in cakes or sweets..

With the juice I made home-made lemonade...

and heck I even had a go at preveserving some too!

But I think my favorite thing to make for summer from now on is GRANITA!

This is my first go at it and it was so yummy. Granita is very popular in Italy and Malta.. sort of a cross between an iceblock and a slushy... so from this...

to this!

It was delish! and if any of you would like the recipe

for the Granita click here  My kids loved this so I think I'll be trying a few different flavours this summer.. take care, Maryann

week end finds..

Hi ladies, went to a couple of garage sales over the week end and this is what I found ... a great wicker basket for my laundry, which I want to paint white so it matches my clothes basket , some pretty floral fabric, a small square tablecloth and some great cook books. I love buying cook books and for a dollar each who could resist! Not that I need anymore,  I've way too many already..

and I was so pleased to have found something I have been on the look out for a while..

it will either be a desk for James or maybe a computer table for me. It all depends how it turns out and if Sir James approves with the final result or not.. kids.. they get so picky after a certain age!

Anyhow, I'll be pretty busy for the rest of this week preparing for my son's 21st birthday party as I will be making alot of the food. In all honesty I am looking forward to it but will be glad when it's all over. Then it's a race till the end of December to get ALL my projects done before Xmas! I am having all our family (and it's a big one) over to my place this year and would like to get as much done as possible. So hopefully, you will get to see quite a few 'afters"  (finally, you saY!).. and somehow I still need to do a bit of sewing in between. Ok, talk soon.... take care girls.. Maryann

Lisa's yr 12 formal..

Lisa had her Yr 12 graduation and formal just a couple of weeks ago.. My how time has flown. She has grown up so much..

She was so excited preparing for her formal.. what dress to pick, jewellery and shoes.. especially shoes, she definately has a thing for them!  I have to say, she looked beautiful, not that I'm biased or anything ya know.

These pics were taken at a local park..

She wanted a picture of the back of her dress so I made them do a 'pose'

and here's Ryan and James. Ryan will be turning 21 on the 20th, just a few more days. He'll be having some mates and cousins over so I will be a little busy with that too!

She's just applied to TAFE to do a Children's Services course, that is she wants work in a preschool or daycare centre. She tried it for work placement at school once and she loved it. I can really see her in that line of work. She has such a lovely temperament with little children. She hopes to then, later on, go to uni and become a primary school teacher. Looking at my children now, I think where have the years gone? They grow up so quickly these days. They really are my pride and joy.. take care, Maryann

busy bee & hutch makeover

Hi ladies, I hope you are all doing really well!  I have been one busy bee lately. With the onset of spring (my favourite, favourite, season) sunny mornings and a warmth in the air I feel truly revitalised and ready to go!

So lately......... I have been maintaining this...

planting out this...

                                                   building this ...  with hubby ofcourse!

making over this...

and revamping this... I purchased this quite a while ago from a garage sale and yesterday was the day it got it's makeover! Yes it's done.. have a look.. This is the before.. first gave it a light sand..

Now primed ...

painting done.. yeah! Now to distress and decorate..

Here she is!

I had so much fun with this painting it green. I love white but thought I'd have a change! I love a green piece of furniture in a room. Soon I will show you the room this beauty now graces! I am so happy with how it turned out.. take care,  Maryann

forever changing...

Do you have one particular spot in your home that you just can't seem to get right? Well for me right now it's this big black blob of a fireplace!

I have a tendency to keep moving and changing things on it in an effort to make it look good. Being black it really stands out from the rest of my decor. I have had flowers in vases on it, lamps..etc. but I've never really been happy with the look. I can't get rid of it though as it is a definite must where I live.

So for now it looks like this... still not 100% happy with it but it will do till I find the perfect piece to compliment it..

I am thinking a lovely birdcage maybe and have been on the lookout for one, but haven't found one that I REALLY like. So what would you put on it.. any other ideas?

take care ladies, Maryann