Georgia Anne's 21st Party Preparations

Here's a sneaky peak at the hive of industry that is party preparations for Saturday night. The atmosphere is electric around here....the creative energy is AWESOME. I can feel the roof lifting and straining to keep the lid on the house. We might just lift off - UP style. 

In no particular order......

Guest of honour

floral embellishment

Glitter parade
 

Put your head in the hole
 

Lolly land

Sherbert Fizz Bombs

Props

 

Photo memories
 

Snippets from my little corner of the world

 

So a little itty bit of sewing has been going on in my little corner.  A few more blocks sewn for my scrappy 9 patch above.

 

A quilt top pinned and ready to be hand quilted...exciting ...it will be my first attempt.  I'm a bit nervous and not sure how to begin, so I'll watch a few online tutorials first I think, but I have cotton, needles and hoop at the ready.

In the space on the mezzanine where I work I have my knick knacks collected during my childhood and my travels.  Each one of them is a very special memory.  Here's foxy.  A little ceramic red fox.  I just love his attitude! He was given to me by one of my English Great Aunts, arriving in an oh-so-exciting-Christmas package one year.  We were so lucky with the generosity of our English rellies.  Packages would arrive via sea mail every year and be placed under the tree tantalising us in the lead up to Christmas.

 

 



 

 

 

And so I digress from my progress report.  Another 2 blocks for my Scrappy Trip Around the World...below.

 

And here's where I sit and hexie away.  Pamela one of my childhood dolls keeps me company in her rocking chair.

 

Whistle stop blog post

The only crafting I did this weekend was admiration!  I spent a whole 5 minutes throwing my growing hexie quilt over my king sized bed to see how much more I needed to do.  A bit yet, but I am getting closer and closer all the time... The side view here shows you another row of flowers is needed.  It was oh so exciting to see ma beauty spread across it's future home.  Hugs to all :)

Retail Therapy

My last week has been very stressful, so when I got an email from my local fabric shop announcing 4 DAY SALE, I knew what I had to do :)

I've been sorting my stash a little lately - I know I have, but to the onlooker they may not see my progress.  Piles of fabric covering a fairly large floor area = sorting to me :)

So off I chuffed in my lunch break...I'm lucky enough to work in the next suburb...for a bit of light relief from a fairly harrowing office environment lately. Having recently sorted I identified a few gaps in my stash...and a sale coinciding with pay week...what serendipitous timing.  The planets have aligned and spend I must :)

Down to Materialise I drove...and here is my stash builder collection

I know you can feel my glee and hear my squeals of happiness and delight.

Here is the hero piece of the day....

The bolt had just arrived and it leapt into my arms.

All in all I think I was fairly restrained...with 20% off EVERY bolt in the store, I may have to venture back...I mean after all....it's an investment in my future......

Flower Power

So here's a few snaps from a funny old week.  Monday I was up bright and early to take Bridgie to have here wisdom teeth out - all four of them.  Lots of TLC required, including the making of lots of soft food...scrambled eggs, soup in an array of flavours, mornay, frozen yoghurt, drinks, regular icing and medication.  It's now Thursday and one side is giving her much discomfort. We watched a couple of feel good movies together...my all time fave...Mamma Mia.  God I love that film!  It is so much fun.  I love that age is no barrier to aphrodité!

Here's a pic of the patient - post op!  I had to snap a few (to store away for the 21st!)  I am a mean mother, remember?

Last night was a real treat - George is appearing in the play "'Illyria" a Curtin Uni production at Hayman theatre.  It's about war and new beginnings, quite intense and particular scenes incredibly confronting. Very well done.  George is a stand out in the production...of course!  It is absolutely incredible to watch your child perform.  She has such talent and I'm not just saying that :)).  It is so  so much fun to watch her theatre.  The roles she plays are so diverse.  She has great comedic timing too - not that last night was a comedy - her previous role was. Unfortunately, I forgot to take any post show photos (hopeless mother!) - hopefully on Friday night when I hope to see it again, ticket sales permitting - I was busy meeting all her co-performers and chatting about the performance.  The movement in it is very graceful in parts. 

This morning as I left for work I took joy in the wisteria flowering on my front verandah.  It is so true what they say about FLOWER POWER.  It is a great salve.  It is so beautiful.

And across the road is this divine tree, covered in flowers.  The delicate scent is beautiful.  I keep forgetting the name of it.....this time every year it puts on a great show.

 

 

Today I am off the funeral of a friend...2 deaths in 1 week...very sad. Dave was a very funny man, always making those around him laugh.  And so positive.  He was really pissed off he got cancer - he had so much to do with his beautiful Dorothy.  He leaves a great big gaping hole in a lot of people's lives.  What did he say...the glass is half full, and the other half was very nice...thank you!

Day in Doha - Part 2 - Sensory overload at the Souk

Just in case you're wondering if I was ever going to continue with my Doha post...yes!  Sit back and enjoy..... here is my second instalment of photos....

 

Great flooring in places

 

 

Souk fabric shops...I was not allowed in :) my sister kept me moving....

 

 

 

Perfect refreshments

 

Pet shop ... Bunnies for sale

 

Camel wool anyone?

 

 

You will never guess what this shopper is doing? She's withdrawing money from an ATM.  All of them are elaborately encased in these fantastic structures.  On my next visit I will photograph the various styles.  Absolutely brilliant ..

 

 

My fantastic nieces...so much fun...

 



 

Sweet treats...check out the nougat...yum!

Choose your weapon! 

 

Waiting for the obligatory cheese pancakes...

 

Souk colour

I so regret not buying my Arabian night slippers...

Legumes, nuts, seeds, spices, lollies....

 

 

 



 

Pipes

 

Tiles...oh the tiles...somewhere deep inside me is the burning desire to live in a Moroccan tiled mansion.  I know I was in Doha, but I see tiles and simply SWOON...

 



Building fretwork

 



 

 

Men in white, women in black

 



 

Gorgeous hats

 

 

Honestly, the vibrancy of life was so infectious...our conventional lifestyle seemed so flat amongst the night market.  I felt stimulated and excited and so lucky to be in a position to experience another culture.  It fed every creative fibre of my being.

 

A Day in Doha - Part 1

My sister Helen is currently living in Doha, Qatar for a few years with her husband's work contract, so I flew via Doha to London on Qatar Airways to stop off and glimpse her new abode and surroundings. 

It was so interesting to see such a distinctly different environment to my own.  I loved my Day in Doha, and will hopefully return for longer to explore the gulf region a bit further.

Here's a brief overview....Helen picked me up and drove me home via the camel market. What a sight! Hundreds of camels in all sizes in smallish pens. Deals were being struck on elevated platforms where the relevant parties sat cross legged or reclined on cushions.

Sadly, the heat had taken its toll on several camels.  They had collapsed where they stood in the pens. Here one had been removed to the nearest skip bin.  It was an awful, awful sight.

 

And one dead in its pen.

 

 

 

Here's where the deals were struck - on these elevated platforms.

And here's one ready to be transported to its new home.

 



My pictures don't indicate the size of the area and the hundreds, if not thousands of camels for sale.  There were also sheep and goats - they were at least housed in covered sheds so there was some shade for them.

Next on the agenda were the weekly riding lessons, held somewhere on one of the Emir's properties or estates. His stables house 100 horses!

 

I watched for a while and then went exploring...to find he had a mini zoo with a resident Oryx, the national emblem/animal.

 

 

Here are a few pics from around the complex.  I loved the Parisian lamp posts.  The whole thing felt a bit like I was on a Doctor Who setting...totally transported to a ghost town of a parallel universe as the only inhabitants were the 2 Welsh riding instructors!

 

 

 

 

 

The temperature was escalating so next stop was for a dip in the Gulf Sea.  How beautiful the water was. We lunged in.

 

 

and gave it the thumbs up!

 

 

It was getting close to lunch time so we headed to a local jaunt passing a few Qatari style fast food outlets along the way....Falafel anyone?

 

 

We escaped from the heat of the day with a siesta.  Emerging late afternoon to head to the souk. First stop the Falconry centre, where you can buy your very own bird...

 

 

 



 

and fully accessorise it with all sorts of things, including these hoods!