Midweek Suesday

I've already had an afternoon out with Sue this week, on Monday afternoon. I realised I didn't share what I found but to be honest apart from a cute necklace and a couple of bits fabric it wouldn't have been very exciting. I had a phone call from Michael yesterday, he wanted to borrow my laptop so they could set up broadband, so any excuse for a Suesday I dropped the laptop off and headed to Sues. 

We'd heard that a new Salvation army family store had opened, so we went to check it out and we were pleasantly surprised, Sue found a wee haul but I was very restrained. We did however put our names down to be volunteer helpers, probably starting next week.

Next stop was the SPCA shop in Dinsdale where I was the one who found a wee haul, or rather Sue did and just threw it all at me! In the end I had to put it on the counter so I could use my hands again.

Wrap around long cardi $4

Knitted lace cardi $4

Top $4; it looks pink in the photo, it's actually a nice wine colour

Off white handbag $1

White handbag $1

Craft magazines $1 each

Next we went to Frankton, there's a bit of an Op Shop drought at the moment, probably the change of season, I didn't find anything really except this headband for $2

It's tipping it down with rain here and I'm glad I don't have to go out in it again, Joe will be home in an hour or so. He's finished this shift round so he'll be home now for the next four days.

See you all soon ♥

Blooming Marvellous!

Lookit lookit!!! Isn't it gorgeous!!! Thanks to Lucy over at Attic 24 for the inspiration and great tutorial! I have so loved making this Blooming Flower cushion......

Front.........

Back....

Utter gorgeousness!

Shopping at the end of summer season sales

We were up bright and early this morning, well that's a bit of a lie but we were up in the 'morning' so that's a start! Joe and I have decided that we're both carrying far too much weight and with a Cook Island holiday coming up in July we need to lose some of it. 

So we're planning on doing more exercise and eating better and healthier, we eat pretty well but have too many treats and eat far too late some evenings! I don't do diets anymore, they don't work, I'm a testimony to that. I've tried them all and every time the weight goes back on and some! So eating less and exercising more is the plan of attack, if some weight comes off all well and good but to be honest we just want to improve our fitness level. 

That started this morning with a walk around Hamilton lake, it was a glorious Autumn day and it had brought out families and their children, model boat enthusiasts, yachtsman, walkers and runners. It's a popular place to be on a lovely day.

After our walk we headed to The Base shopping centre to look for some beach/swimwear. Some places have final summer clearance sales and we thought we better go check them out before it's too late. We found a few bargains in Postie Plus..

Joe bought these shorts, can you see him in those bright shorts on a desert island?

I was rather lucky to find these swimming togs/costumes and the best part of it all was that every was under $10!! I do love sales don't you?

 Farmers, department store, was next and they always seem to have sales on. Same story here with  an end of season clearance, this gorgeous top was priced at $20 but at the checkout it had been further reduced to $15!! Woohoo result!

Then the score of the day, this dress, originally $80 was down to $10!! Sweet jaysus!

 This T-shirt was also $10 and I thought it would be good to just put on over the swimsuit walking the 20 yards to the beach from our beach front studio apartment!

 Last but not least...a hat! From Postie Plus I spotted in a sale bin by the door as we were leaving, it was just under $6! It's got wire in the edge of the brim so it can be scrunched up in a suitcase and pulled back into shape without worrying it will be ruined.....

More about the holiday in another post...only 126 more sleeps!

Friday funny!

♥Have a great weekend ya'all!

Ooh ooh!! It's me again!!

Loooooook!

Got this rather awesome chair for $30! It was listed on Trade Me (NZ Ebay) for $40 but I forgot all about the auction and it wasn't until I got an email saying that I had a fixed price offer to review and voila! Here it is! I had to go to Cambridge to get it, a 45 min drive or so from our place. I have plans for this little beauty, so watch this space. In the meantime it's hiding away in my dressing room, if Joe see's it I will say 'Wot! That old thing!' Nudge, nudge, wink, wink..say no more!

As I had made the effort to drive all the way to Cambridge I thought I'd better go check out the Op shops whilst I was there. I went in three, not a lot to offer, it's not the same hunting things out when you're on your own! But I did find this Autograph denim waistcoat, which I 'm pretty sure is brand new, it was a bit on the pricey side at $17 but it is a very good brand.

Slightly bored and bereft of friends, poor ole Susie-no-mates, I drove back to Hamilton! I took a detour to see if Sue was home with The Old Fullah as he is off this week so she wasn't meant to be coming out to play. I just wanted to show her my chair! Anyway, long story short we had a bit of an impromptu Suesday. TOF seemed strangely relieved that I had saved him from a walk around the Arboretum and thanked me as we headed out! 

We managed to visit three places Look Smart, nothing there today. Next stop was SaveMart where I chucked loads in the trolley but only came away with this white lacy shawl for $4.99...

...and these great sunglasses also for $4.99, not sure about the dangly bit in the middle though! And NO I am NOT referring to me hooter!

Last but not least we called into Habitat for Humanity where again there was not much to be had, I picked up a couple of craft magazines for 50cents each.....

but then....right next to the counter.....calling me....and I tried to resist....really I did...I swear...I picked it up....then I put it down....then picked it up....and put it down...and then said 'Bugger it!'

....and bought it! 

How could I not!

It was $25 but I fair swooned at it's utter gorgeousness! I'm in love!

Until next time, see ya! ♥

Back in the kitchen!

It's been a while since I posted 'In the kitchen', mainly because we've not really grown anything in the veg garden to be able to preserve, besides I still have chutneys for Africa from two years ago! I haven't done a lot of baking either, no excuses there other than I was just too lazy and the same goes for meals. Not that we haven't been having meals or we might be dead from starvation, it's just they they have been pretty run of the mill or I've already shared them on here before...didn't wanna bore ya! So yesterday I fancied something sweet and had nothing in the cupboards to snack on, we're trying to avoid the naughty stuff. I always have a good supply of baking supplies and as Joe had been whingeing  suggesting that some cakes would be nice I thought today's the day!

Using the Victoria sponge cake recipe which I doubled, I made some butterfly cakes

 This is just half of them, the other half are in a tin, which is probably empty by this morning as Joe seemed to be going for the record of how many cakes can I scoff in one evening!

Whilst I was doing the cakes, I had some bread in the bread maker, it's so easy, get a bag of Edmonds Grain bread mix, shove some in the breadmaker with water and yeast and press a button! I usually just mix it on the pizza dough setting as I like to bake the bread in my oven. The bread looked great but was a bit doughy, probably because it the half pack had been sat in the cupboard a while! I have a fresh bag so will try again later......

.....because we're having soup again for dinner. We had chicken for Sunday dinner and there was enough left to put in a soup, also some veggies and I had some frozen veg, stock and stuff which I just threw in my big saucepan. I tend to see what I have that needs to be used up and in that goes too plus, in this case, some spuds. I left it chunky rather than whizzed it so it felt more like a meal in a bowl. It got the thumbs up from Joe as he had second helpings! I do however feel for his work colleagues today as he had a lot of veg on Sunday then in the soup yesterday...it doesn't bode well for them, they might want to stand downwind of him....just saying!

I'm off out to Cambridge today, I bought a chair off Trade Me so I need to collect that - and as I'm there I might just have to go wander around the Op shops! How awful eh! ;-D See ya later...what you got planned today?

Had to share!

Remember Suesday here?
Well Koo AKA Kerry emailed me the photos she took that day! 

Are ya ready?

We got a phone call from Hugh Hefner that night but we told him that no way were we going be his playthings! Besides Easter is coming up and we're gonna be flat out!

Ooh looking hot!

♥

Just chillin' at da beach..........

Joe woke up from sleeping after last nights night shift and said, 'Let's take the dogs to Raglan and relax on the beach for a couple of hours...so we did! I love that it's less than 30 minutes from our place. We took our towels to sit on, (which reminded me that I have a picnic rug to finish) a thermos mug of coffee each and a book!  Did you ever play the game 'See the sea!' when you were kids? (still do it now lol) Well the dogs do it too, they are generally quiet all the way there until we get the the top of the hill where you catch your first sight of Raglan harbour, then they start! Max has the funniest whimper and Clyde starts to whine. I should video them next time we go. They just can't wait to get on the beach, I'm not sure who's walking who at this stage, in his excitement to be free to run and the need for a poo Max can hardly contain himself and poops as he runs! A lovely image I thought I would share! Clyde's first priority is to find a stick, he rarely poos on the beach...just so ya know! 

We found our spot and I dunno what it is with Clyde but he just has to dig and this will go on for most of the time we are there! That and fetch the stick...easily pleased that mutt..

Max luvs his dad....especially when he knows he has Hobnobs in his bag!

 Watching the world go by...

Couple of guys fishing...they gave up after a while, good job there are plenty of fish and chip shops

As I lazed on the beach I enjoyed the view, turn your head to the left and ya see this...

 Are we sitting comfortably? I surely was...me arse cheeks were dug in nice and cosy!

Turn ya head to the right and you see this.....

The harbour cruise boat at the 'bar', not a boozy kind of bar but where the harbour entrance meets the sea, Raglans 'bar' is pretty notorious...it was pretty calm today though..

Joe after his swim...not quite Daniel Craig but he'll do..........

Still digging.............sigh!