New Header

Well, eventually I have created a new header. It is really simple and just an interim design.

My sister, Joy, is returning home on Saturday, she has been living in Australia for a while now. Joy has been working on some designs for my blog. So, I am really looking forward to seeing what she has created, as she has been keeping it hush-hush and I have no clue what her extremely create brain has concocted.

I’m the Tulip Bag Winner

Last week, while blog surfing I found the most delightful blog, Wren, who lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Seeing the products that Wendren made really inspired me. She was running a competition to win one of her new designs, the Dragonfly and Dots Tulip Bag.

As her work really did inspire me, to the point that my sister (who is arriving from Australia next Sunday) and I are busy working on some designs, I left a heartfelt comment.

And to my delight I recieved the best email in my inbox this morning…

I’m the WINNER!!!!!

Wow, I really do feel honoured to receive such a beautiful prize.

If you would like to read more about Wren Design click here or to purchase a Tulip bag for yourself from her Etsy shop click here…

Flickr Mosaic

I have seen this on a few blogs, Paper Kitty provided excellent instructions, thank you.

The concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favourite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favourite colour?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favourite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favourite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name -> I don’t have a flickr account yet, so I used my new blog name Orangebloom

1. On Inch Beach, Kerry, 2. Double Chocolate Cheesecake, 3. Not available, 4. Orange And Green, 5. EXC ORLANDO BLOOM IN NEPAL, 6. Apple Juice, 7. Budapest Széchenyi Chain Bridge, 8. apple crumble, 9. the little journalist, 10. Love XOXO, 11. Not available, 12. orangebloom……………..

6th Block

Better late than never…

I am supposed to post my blocks every Monday, but have been a little behind… Oh, well!

Wool: Elle Homespun and Sirdar Fresco

Colour: Natural and Shade 0807

Stitches: 22 st

Rows: 36 r

Needles: 7mm Plastic needles that were my mothers

The Sirdar wool was a gift from my mother-in-law, I am busy knitting a jersey with this wool as well. This weekend, I plan to sew a big square together, just to see how it will look.

Opportunity Knocks

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison

Yellow Flowers in June

“Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”

– Hans Christian Anderson

Winter Solstice and Global Warming

I was born on Winter Solstice (Southern Hemisphere) and have always felt special to celebrate my birthday on the shortest day and longest night.

On Saturday 21st June 2008, I woke up to rain? Totally perplexed I thought about all the weird climate changes that have happened just in my area, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Firstly, it has never ever rained on my birthday. On the highveld, Winter is a dry season and we often experience draught like symptoms. Everything dies especially the grass.

The grass is still green? Yes, our grass had to be cut on Friday as it is still growing! This never happens, usually we have to fertilise the grass before spring, so that it will begin to grow again.

Over the last 2 months it has rained considerable, the key reason to why the grass is still green.

I haven’t had to use my woolly gloves. We have been experiencing a rather warm winter with temperatures of around 15*C, with some days at 18*C. We have not even used our heating?

Veld (grassland) Fires – a common site during a Johannesburg Winter is veld fires, usually caused by the sun glaring through a piece of discarded glass and setting the dry grass alight or someone flicking a lit cigarette . I have only seen one this year, which is very rare. I think this may be because of the moisture in the air.

Which leads me to my next point. I have quite a sensitive skin and usually suffer quite a bit during Winter due to the dry cold winds. This year my ski hasn’t suffered at all!

Experts say that due to global warming, Johannesburg will experience a climate change to rain forest weather pattern in the future. Well, according to my observations it has already begun.

Even though our country has far more pressing issues to attend to, then climate change, I have awoken to the small things that I can do to curb global warming and wish to further investigate what I can do.

I have already started to throw away less and plan to recycle more, but that’s not nearly enough…

Rhymes with Orange

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a wonderful day…

I was inspired by Heidi’s blog on her new years resolution progress a few days ago. So, I decided that I would like to do a Birthday Resolution List. And here it goes:

1) I would like to attend yoga classes every Monday

2) Completion of the foundation course in Magazine Journalism

3) Drink a big glass of water before each meal – to help increase my water intake

4) I would really love to develop products and work on my OrangeBloom concept

So, that is my list for now. Every few months or so, I will check in to see how well I am doing…

Wire Works

I have been rather busy this week…

I am having a tea party on Saturday and wanted to do something special for the occasion. So, I decided to knit wire to make napkin rings. I have made a set of 6. Here is one…

Today I get off work early, so I would like to make napkins to match.

I also made a beaded wire flower to match for decoration on the cake.

African Sunrise

Yesterday, I had to get up a little earlier, as our little puppy, Chloe (black miniature Duschund), had to be taken out to do her ‘business’.

She is on a strict routine – doctors orders – as she has a fractured hip. Chloe was knocked by a car last week during one of her escapades.  As hard as we try, she does not like to stay in our garden, and digs and chews and claws her way out quite often.

Our house looks out onto a flei (Afrikaans word for ‘wetland’), which is beautiful as it attracts a lot of bird life. I suspect Chloe has a free soul and doesn’t like to be restricted. But unfortunately due to the accident, she has to be in confinement for 2 weeks so that her hip can heel.

While letting her out on Wednesday morning, I happened to watch the sunrise. It was magical! People always talk about the African skies and for the first time in a long time I really appreaciated the sun for all its power. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots, so that I can have that memory forever…