Snippets 'n' Scraps

This is one of those posts where my blog lives up to its name, a sampling of this and that, completely random sights and happenings that have kept me sane smiling in the 5 weeks since I arrived home from my Botswana bash.

No gracefully spreading acacia tree canopies here in my local park, but these artfully planted eucalypts always lift my spirits when I see them in the morning sun casting shadows on the damp grass.

While I've been away our new Saturday Morning market in the park has grown into a great gathering place for our community, and I've started dropping by this stall and trying a Green Square smoothie (kale, banana, Fuji apple and mint). If you follow me on Instagram (@darlingdi) you'll know how I love my green smoothies😄.

The verdict? Yummmmmmmm........

More deliciousness, a surprise package of goodies from across the ocean in Florida! Linda found this tiny bracelet with my Word for the Year, "Courage" and knew I would love it (I do!). 

Not only that, she made me a simply beautiful little pouch which would be perfect for holding my precious bracelet - if I ever took it off!

Finally, Linda enclosed a card she designed and had printed with a photo of a quilt I regard as her best, Bloom, from a design by the marvelously talented Emma Jean Jansen. Who wouldn't be excited to receive such a gorgeous surprise bundle!

Sarah is back in the States, and last weekend she did some spring cleaning . She organized her sewing and craft supplies neatly into boxes and labelled them accordingly (as you do). But I had to laugh when we were Facetiming and I saw the third box on her shelf. Tell me, do any of you crafty types out there keep 'snake stuff' in your sewing room?

Of course the snake stuff belongs to her Californian King Snake, "King" who, Sarah assures me, has a lovely nature. Hmmmm 😟. 

Now that she knows where everything is she has picked up a Cathedral Windows hand stitching project we prepared together 18 months ago when she was home in Australia. I'm loving her first Cathedral Windows block, a tiger! 

More 'show and tell' from Di B who has just finished this fantastic quilt top in no time at all!  Maximum impact from quite a simple idea.

You don't have to be Hercule Poirot to spot the fact that I haven't shown you what I've been stitching. That's because I haven't done any since arriving home 😟. Instead I've been spending most days at my computer chipping away at the backlog of work that was waiting for me. 

I love my work. It's enjoyable, stimulating for the brain, and funds my fabric, but it does cut into my stitching time😄.

'Delayed gratification' is my middle name, and since December I've been savouring the anticipation of my very first Daniel O'Donnell concert, my Christmas gift from my sister. The big night finally came, three weeks ago, and it was wonderful! Spending it with two strong and inspiring women - my darling mother and my sister - made it even better.

Then the birthday season was upon us, with both Mr J and the Princess having birthdays in the same week.

Finally, for all those who've been asking for more photos of Chester, here's my beautiful boy in pensive mood. I love that handsome profile!

And I'm not the only one: I've been approached twice in the last week by professional photogtraphers asking permission to take young Chester's photo. What a boy😄.