Toys

You may have noticed I haven't been on the blog much lately. Soooo exciting I have been playing with my new toys.

No I haven't been a star (or is that Tinkerbell's little trail?)

 No I haven't been stitching

No I haven't been to Egypt!

(love the ears!)

I have been playing with my new ASUS Transformer. I love it! These are all photos I took with it and then used some of the free apps from the Android market to have fun.

I did say toys and this is the other one that has been occupying my time, not as enjoyable I have to say (especially putting it together) but definitely a necessity,

I NEED MORE EXERCISE!

Researched while I was away (with advice from my daughter) so I could just go in and say

'THAT one, please'

Now trying to do at least 15mins each morning and night. I can now do it without
completely passing out,
lowered my heart rate
but not quite to the stage of

INCREASING 
my time!

It has a very

LARGE
seat!

PS Happy Birthday for the 25th Mikey.

Happy (birth)days

My holiday was brief but so enjoyable. Part of the reason for going was that it was Nicole's birthday last Saturday.

We started the morning with a walk around the olive grove with the dogs.

 Then it was present time, I had put together a little goodie bag.

Unpacked :)

Here is the bag I made, there were a few hints through the blog but this is the first time to show it all! It is from Anni Downs

The World as it Should Be book. So cute and you can make it as a cushion as well. You may notice I quite like her designs especially the pin cushions!!! Notice the dog poking out the top of a previous photo.

Out for a bit of spoiling

Checked on the cygnets on the dam with Mum and Dad standing guard.

Out of dinner with the rest of the family, what a fantastic day...and night, wonderful moon.

I am afraid not much sewing was done!!!

But at least a start

Now back to earth with a thud and four days at work, life wasn't meant to be lazy...(to mis-quote an Australian ex-prime minister)

A tale of two gardens

Before I left home for my little holiday (why does it seem so long ago!) I wandered around my garden and took a few photos.

Before I left Broke to come home I wandered around Nicole and Clint's garden and took a few photos.

 High water a lovely iris

  my climbing rose, masses of flowers (and weeds)

 Just Joey

 Think these are a type of gladioli but don't quote me.

 Very prickly cactus but what a beautiful flower

 My orchid - doing very well again this year!

 Nicole's herb garden near the kitchen window.

Part of the walled garden

 More walled garden with fruit trees.

 Outside the wall, just lovely, 

oh to have so much land

what am I talking about, I can't look after my little

quarter acre!

 Even more trees planted out!

 Beautiful shadow from the palm tree

 Front of house garden, fairly new so plants just getting established.

This, 

one day

will be

a

lovely 

camellia 

hedge!!!

Lavender around the pool.

Back tomorrow to finish off my holiday photos.

Ladies who lunch

I needed to have a great title for today's post.

Morpeth *sigh*

You know how in the Australian country it takes for ages to go anywhere and I was so looking forward to our trip to Morpeth. Always lots of little shops to look at and of course the

PATCHWORK shop!

But no longer, very disappointed and the

PATCHWORK SHOP

had disappeared. I found it afterwards in East Maitland but the charm had gone, instead of an open, light filled shop in a heritage building it is now pokey and dark *sigh again*.

The day started with a lovely walk along country roads down to the "the brook" (Wollombi Brook) with the dogs.

The water is great!

  Come on, come in with me

Oh no, this is so cold on my little tootsies.....

The brook is quite overgrown and deep now very different from a few years back

Then a lovely walk back through the Olive Grove

Morning coffee at Majors Lane restaurant

 These little birds in the garden were cute, one is in the nest!

 Then off to *sigh* Morpeth where lunch was the only highlight. We chose

Le Beau Cafe Morpeth

and weren't disappointed.

Pink lemonade!!

 

 Bruschetta for lunch

*YUMMY*

Lovely view from

the balcony

Delish coffee

BUT no little Morpeth shops that were

interesting to poke around in

and NO

patchwork shop!!!

Then back home for a swim

Can we come in?

It's a hard life but someone has to live it.

We set off early yesterday morning for a bit of theraputic shopping down at the

Kotara shopping centre.

We stopped first at the Hunter Barn at Pokolbin for a browse and a coffee. Nicole bought a gorgeous necklace, you can see it in the photo and of course we needed coffee!

 Coffee in hand looking out at this lovely view!

 Next to Domayne to look at tablets,

we love them and I am so close to buying the

ASUS EEE.

BUT

I did buy this little cutie
APPARENTLY like gold, hidden behind the counter as they were going out the shop like
hot cakes.

 

Then lunch (of course) at Kotara.

I think

there is definitely a book in this

Eating around the world

.....

 Lots of looking but not much shopping - I did renew my toothbrush (stop press news - about time too) and we had our nails done. Mine (the wrinkly hand) is

Off With Her Red

and Nicole has

The Perfect Man-darin IS Hard To Find.

Much fun and laughter as we tried to make our way back to the car without messing up our

LOVELY NAILS.

How hard is life when we come home to this,

Champagne on the front deck, notice the

CUTE

cork, also purchased at

Domayne.

AND

Chicken Caesar Salad

made for us by Clint and Nicole's teenage son. He is so

talented!

P.S. forgot to mention, homemade croutons and homemade caesar dressing