The Front Gates

Today I thought I would begin to show you around the property.  

We fell in love with this place over 7 years ago when we bought it and when I walk around it today I realise how much we have done to it.  From the gorgeous colourbond fence you can see at the front to the additional garden sheds etc - We have actually done quite a bit in that time so it's not all bad.

Now don't look at all of those grass and weeds - They are on the short list and won't be there too much longer - They are on my "next week"list.  So welcome to "Goldwen Lodge" our home.

We are very lucky to live in a semi-rural area only 20 minutes from Hobart.

Come on in through the front gates.  You can see the "Fee Mobile" in the car port and the doggy trailer too.  That's what we hook on the back when we go off on doggy racing days.

My husband is a greyhound trainer, in fact that's how we met well over 20 years ago.  We both have a "love" of greyhounds and both our fathers were also greyhound trainers.

I should add that we are supporters of the Greyhound Adoption Programme for retired racing greyhounds and care for our doggy's like children.  Greyhound racing is extremely well governed in Australia and the care of our greyhounds is our priority - They even live in airconditioned comfort.

As you keep going up the driveway you arrive in "doggy land".  I'll show you that another day ......

Off to the right of the car port is our home and the home of "Designs By Fee"and "Fee's Shabby Shack"our home businesses.

We love our home and now that I am currently unemployed it is our priority to get it back looking spic and span and to try to earn enough money to pay the mortgage in the interim until we decide what the future may hold for us. 

The studio and "Fee's Shabby Shack"are located to the left of the door.  So if you ever come to visit now you won't get lost.  

I have been a good girl spending 1 hour a day outside every day this week.  Today I planted lots of new plants and I have even spent a number of hours behind the lawn mower.

I could SO get used to this lifestyle.  I am nutting out a plan at the moment to try and make it happen.  Stay tuned.

Before I toddle off to pack today's orders I will leave you with the sign hanging on our front door area.  You all know just how much I love my pussy cats and I believe that this quote is just so true.

Hugs,

Fee xx

Realisation

Thank you so much for your encouraging messages and e-mails.  Even though I still have man flu I am feeling much better this week.  

It is not until your circumstances change and that you stop for a little while to assess things that you realise how much things have got on top of you.

We live on a 3 acre block of land which was the reason we bought this property nearly 8 years ago.  I am ashamed to say that we have neglected the place in the past year or so badly......  The gardens are over grown, the lawns long, the weeds thriving and the flower pots empty.

How sad I felt when I walked around the property on the weekend and realised just how bad things were.  

On the upside I now have some time to do something about it.  I know it isn't going to happen quickly as the old body isn't what it used to be but hubby and I have committed to spending 1 hour each outside each day working on getting the place ship shape.

I began on the weekend by potting up some flowers for spring and summer colour.

I totally adore this pot plant stand and when I saw the white paper daisy at the nursery I knew it was perfect for it.

I re-filled the wine barrel with fresh potting mix and planted some fancy lettuce.  Here they are just after there first drink.  I'm pleased to report that they look much stronger today.

I felt so much better once the pots around the place began to fill with seedlings.

And I even took some cuttings and potted them up.  I have grown many of these in the same way over the years.  They will be so pretty together once they settle into their new home.

I am so ashamed to show you this shot.  Especially if you are a long term blog reader as you would have seen how much I treasured and cared for my veggie garden.  Look at it now.  Disgusting !  Well that's about to change.  It will take me a long time but I am determined to get it back into shape if I can.

Wish me luck.

Hugs,

Fee xx

Wise words

 

 

My adored grandmother used to always say start out the way you intend to go on ......

 

 

Well since Tuesday's turn of events I have been getting up each morning and getting myself ready as if I am going to work.  I have to drive Amy to the bus at 7am anyway so I figure I might as well be dressed and ready for the day.  I don't want to get into bad habits so I'm trying my best to stay motivated.

 

I'm also making an effort to economise and  be frugal in the kitchen.  I hope it lasts but today I whipped up a batch of meatballs in the slow cooker for dinner - They were delicious and a firm family favourite.  I'll share the recipe and steps next week.

 

 

I had a bit of a lazy day but did manage to delve into the scrap bin for this new project I am doing.  I am a member of "The Fussy Cutters Club" on Facebook and we are doing a stitch-a-long to make Judy Newman's Dilly Bag towards the end of the month so I decided to get a head start. 

 

I am certainly going to be diving into that scrap basket a fair bit into the future I think.

 

 

 

I have been plodding along with my Lucy Boston Blocks.  This is such a lovely project and so easy to do.  I am finally getting to use up some of my treasured shabby fabrics.

 

 

And some of my leftovers.  I look at this block and the centre fabric which I have used in other projects instantly reminds me of them.

 

 

Here are all 7 of my blocks together.  I think I will do 36 for a 6 Block X 6 Block Quilt.

 

If you want to try your hand at Lucy Boston Blocks I have the papers over in my STORE.  They are super easy to do.

 

Well I had best be off I plan to get into the garden today and plant some seedlings.

 

Have a great Friday and an even better weekend.

 

Hugs - Fee x



Finally I can tell you !!

 

 

The last few weeks and months have been quite difficult in the land of "Fee" For sometime now I have known that I was going to be made redundant and that the love affair with my job would be over.

 

It has been a long drawn out very stressful process but finally on Tuesday morning of this week I was given a termination of employment letter.

 

How bittersweet was that !!  Having been in the job for 9 years and having grown the role and business from the ground up it has been quite a sad journey to get to this point. 

 

To be honest I am not sure how I feel about it.  For the last 2 mornings I have woken up at the same time and laid in bed thinking - WOW I don't have to go to work today - But I don't think it has sunk in yet.

 

So what will I do next?  I have absolutely no idea !  I am the bread winner in the family so some sort of decision has to be made but for the next few weeks I am going to concentrate on my little business and see what happens. 

 

 

One thing I do know is that lots of things have to change around here - Most of all financial things.  We will not be able to afford to waste any money and frugal will be my new "Go To" word.

 

It was my turn last night to do supper for the sewing girls.  As I am suffering from man flu at the moment I had contemplated just going out and buying a store bought cake to save the hassle but the frugal word kicked in and I decided on a batch of date scones from the pantry.

 

 

And they were delicious !!  It has been at least a year since I have made them - Mostly because I just haven't had the time.  Hubby and I have had the left overs this morning over a cup of coffee.  Yummo !!

 

As a matter of interest I worked out this morning that the entire batch of 10 scones cost just $1.45 to make.  That is fantastic !  Next time I make them I am going to wrap some up and pop in the freezer for a quick morning tea fix for hubby and I.  If you do "Pinterest" you can Pin the above photo straight to your board if you want to save it for another day.

 

 

One thing that having some extra time will allow is for me to start stitching my new Block of the Month for 2015.  I am so in love with the colours I have chosen - They remind me of summer fruits.

 

 

I had fun putting the threads on my little holder.  Do you store your threads for a project all together?

 

 

There will be one final luxury for this household delivered in 3 weeks time.  I have splurged some of my severance pay on a TM3 Thermomix which will be delivered in 3 weeks.  I know that over time this little machine will not only make my life easier but will save me money as well.  I am looking forward to taking delivery of it.

 

So you had better get used to seeing more of me in blog land - Because blogging more often is way up there on my "To Do" List.

 

Hugs - Fee xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curve Ball

 

Sometimes life throws us some curve balls - Sometimes we catch them and sometimes we don't ........

 

Our little life here is having some major disruptions and changes - Most of them out of our control

 



 

It is quite upsetting and frightening when you are not in control of decisions and outcomes that will affect your life moving forward ..........   SO

 

In some sort of little "stamp of the feet" I have decided to make some changes to some of the little parts of my life I still do have control over and that is my little business here in Cyber Land and my Blog

 

 

So stay tuned for some direction changes, a new look and a new business path for "Designs By Fee"

 

It is nice to still be able to make SOME decisions.

 

I hope you like the photo's of a few corners of our home.

 

Hugs - Fee xx

Creative Challenge

Clare offered up a challenge.

 

She sent this picture

 

 

 

and this colour.

 

 

 

I had to make something.

 

 

I tried and tried to get those pinwheels out of my brain but they just wouldn't go away so I knew that there was no getting away from them.

 

 

 

They just had to be made in Yellow - So not my colour :)

 

 

 

So I now have a lovely pot of pinwheel flowers  BUT I wasn't happy with them in a pot.

 

 

 

I decided that they needed to be wall art - Like those flying ducks that grandma used to have on the wall - You know the ones?

 

 

 

Well now my studio has flying pin wheels on the wall.

 

 

 

 

What do you think?

 

Go over to Claire's and check out all of the other challenge players and see what they came up with.

 

Hugs - Fee xx