Spoiled Rotten

One forgot to mention how spoiled one was on one's birthday.  My birthday started before my birthday, if you know what I mean...Dad and Jen took me out to a concert at St Mary's Kangaroo Point with a picnic dinner to follow in the new park.  We watched the bats glide across the river and the lights come on as we sipped champagne

and I cried over the beautiful design of various kitchen accoutrements given to me - how is it possible to get excited about a juicer....?  or measuring jugs?  If you've lost a measuring jug to a husband intent on mixing bog to fix the rust in his car..well, you'll know why I was excited to receive not one - but three beautiful measuring jugs with both imperial and metric measurements.  And the juicer...well...check it out...space age n'est-ce-pas?

On my actual birthday family gave me a Blue Ant Hands free kit for my mobile phone which was lots of fun to install.  Cas hunted down Wolf Hall for me in a bookshop which was a major feat for him as he is not a reader or a bookshop afficionado. My sister-in-law swung by with a bottle of wine on her way home from work which was much appreciated.

Later in the week a bunch of us gathered at Cloudland for lunch which really is a great place to go to with a big group.  We shared tapas and I was thoroughly spoiled with flowers and books.  Grand Purl Baa excelled herself by generously giving me some of her stash and a beautiful book on Patchwork and the Reader's Digest Guide to Needlecraft which is magnificent.  Another friend gave me my very own cup and saucer together with some beautiful Di Bella coffee.

This week I made the momentous decision to buy a new sewing machine to pursue my new found interest in sewing....I christened the new Bernette H70 by finishing my first applique project - a cushion....

I took Grand Purl Baa's advice and changed my nook from a family history nook to a sewing nook as per the photo below so I was all ready for my first class in Patchwork yesterday at Patches.

Today is Sunday which is always a wonderful day being free of work.  However one is always perplexed as to how to spend it as one is torn between various hobbies - to knit? to patchwork? to read? to go to the movies?.   Inevitably one ends up experimenting with food !  I took the plunge and made some Fat Rascals, as inspired by the Needled blog (the recipe is on this blog).  But I confess I wouldn't know a nutmeg if I tripped over it and used powdered nutmeg.  Here is the result....

The scary faces with almonds for teeth seem to have met with some small acclaim.  Dan likes 'em but they are too sweet for Caspar. 

I think I can die happy now - books, wool, flowers, wine, coffee, fat quarters, fat rascals, friends, family.  Thank you one and all.  You're the best!!