Oh Hai!

It seems I have finally emerged from my creative hibernation - with a record 3 projects completed this weekend!

Firstly - the finishing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Admittedly not strictly my project per se - but as fellow gentle readers shall attest, it has been a commitment spanning several years. In many respects, as I had enjoyed the story so much, I was not looking forward to the final installment - the end of a fantastical journey filled with real tears and laughter. Not to mention nights cuddled up with my best beloved hanging off his every word. Yes I am the luckiest 32 yr old alive to still be read aloud to - he even does voices. But it is, or was, a privilege reserved only for the Potter series. No more arguments about pronunciation - cries of that's not Hagrid's voice - and the once surreal experience of discovering a small bat flying about the house during a particularly chilling chapter.

But without spoiling a thing for those who have not yet read - I am actually somewhat relieved now that it is over. Too many sleepless nights spent worrying about the emotional and physical wellbeing of a fictional teenage boy.

As a side note: the subsequent hysteria and caterwauling associated with the harm of actual people I know is a force to be reckoned with. And a warning to all vets: I am without doubt the most inept and appallingly behaved pet owner you could ever wish to deal with. Fortunately my brother is a vet, so you may be spared the indignity. Besides, years of abuse as my younger sibling has numbed him to all pain.

I digress. So the Potter saga is over - and while I may miss the thrill of the unknown ending, I am perfectly content in its conclusion and any pangs of longing I have for the exquisite world of Hogwart's can be instantaneously quenched by the opening of a book. Just as Narnia, Middle Earth and other such places will always exist on my bookshelf waiting to tempt an idle afternoon.

Second on my list of accomplishments is I have FINALLY put the binding on my quilt. Hurrah. Now I can rankle over what I wish I did differently and inevitably start collecting fabric for the next one. The sun even came out momentarily for a picture. Excuse the overly verdant garden but I also had to take a picture of my new sneakers. Not quite ruby slippers but just as magical (hey - they can put a smile on my face instantly - and I have been known to sing songs about them) I wonder if that's how it started for Imeda. First purple now silver. I have forewarned jms that this may become a problem. For him.

And finally the third project to have its eyes dotted and nose stitched - indeed the little face heading this post. Sometime this week M & J's new bub a.k.a. 'cashew nut' shall be making an appearance - so Aunty Cato had to extractus digitus and make a softie suitable for a lil 'un.






















Possibly a little too "if Jimi Hendrix made plush toys" yet for some reason this fabric always spoke to me of giraffes gone wild. Hopefully an ideal size for tiny grasping hands and a wee face ripe for sucking on. Partly "Splendid Toy Book" with a large shout out to julie giraffe, a treasured gift from Miss Red. And check out her sweet hiney.