It's nearly here.......

OK so I just had to do one more post to see the year out.....

The past two weeks have been very hard for us......

The tears still flow....

But I am pleased to say tomorrow is the start of a New Year & a new Decade I am on count down....

Two days after Toad died we had our Chrissie drinks with friends, something we had planned a week or so before....





The photo above is left to right...Dave, Spike & my Darlin' jamming.....

The photo above is where Toad normally sat & as we didn't have his guitar we placed my Darlin's *Cat* guitar in his chair & a can of his favourite *Inner Circle* Rum.....

If there is one good thing to come of all this it is that Mick (our eldest son) & I are now talking again, it just proves to me that Toad is looking after me.....

His funeral was the largest & saddest I had ever been to before & in the end I couldn't write anything, the words just would not come to me but I stood by my Hubbies side as he spoke of the love he felt for his friend, I was so proud of him especially as through all his tears he got to say everything he has written down.....

So many friends who over the years had moved away came back to say their farewells & it was so good to catch up with them at the wake & remember old times, to laugh & cry together.....

So this is the last day of 2009 & as you all know I am sure I am counting the hours down to say farewell to what has been a shocking year for us.....

But at the same time there are somethings I am grateful for....

My Mum & Dad are still with us.....

My family in NZ got to spend time together as a family again, all together at once which is very rare.....

My son & I are rebuilding our relationship......

The five people who love & miss Toad the most are seeing more of each other, we know how important friendships really are.....

I have broken ties with so called friends who only hurt me by their cruel words, it feels so good to finally stand up to them & tell them I no longer want them in my life.....

Tomorrow is a New Year but more important to me it is our Ryno's birthday, he will turn 24 & to me that is as they say *priceless*, it will also be 24 years since I moved to Coffs Harbour, I often wonder where those 24 years have gone.....

I read my horoscope yesterday, something I don't do very often but I think it was pretty bang on, it said....As the year ends it's time to let all that has occurred this year go - especially events which haven't been to your liking. This may include a social circle or even an attitude you're tired of.... Last night I let a so called friend go & feel so good I wont be dragging her hurtful tongue into 2010 with me.....

The tears still flow, the hurt still cuts deep but we are still here....

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year may it bring everything you hope for & be kind to you.....

I also want to thank everyone who has visited my blog this year, left comments for me & have become a follower of my blog, I truly feel honoured.....

This sadly is my last post for the year.....

Firstly I want to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.....

At 10.11 on Monday night we received a phone call that sadly has left our hearts broken, it was a call to tell us that our best friend had died..... just like that...gone.

I cannot tell you just how broken my heart feels right now, the tears cannot stop falling....we just want him back....

I first met Neal (Toad as my Darlin' & I always called him) over 20 years ago when my Hubby & I first met, they were in fact sharing a place together & the thing I remember most about that time was how he made me feel like one of the*gang*. We all shared a house together & my 2 oldest boys grew up regarding him as their second Dad. He was a groomsman in our wedding party & back then before he started loosing his hair he was a dead ringer for *Johny Farnhem* a real spunk.


He loved to go riding with Dave & my Darlin' & Ryno our son until he moved to WA this year, & last year when his older brother *Spike* moved back to Coffs he made up the fourth, every 2nd Sunday off they would all go on their trail bikes & have the best time of their lives true mates just enjoying each others company.


Last Saturday my Darlin' helped him pour a new slab out the front of their house who would have known he would never get to sit out there & enjoy it.


Toad was never one to like cuddles he would however accept heaps of cuddles from me he had no choice I cuddle everyone & in the end he came to expect them.



His brother has asked me to say something at his funeral so I am now jotting things down as they enter my head, this saying farewell speech has to be perfect I only get one chance at it & there is so much that I want to say, need to say, if in fact I can say it.......

This post has taken me 5 days to write I think it is the hardest post I have ever written. Sadly there has been quite a lot of ill feelings towards us, his closest friends from his partner which has made his death even harder to bare, just so unnecessary. His funeral has been set for Monday a day I am truly dreading. It is just over 3 weeks since we attended his Fathers funeral. It will be huge he has so many friends a large amount are traveling from all over Australia to say their farewells & show their love & respect to an incredible Man who at the age of 41 has been taken from us way too soon....

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas & hoping 2010 is kind to you all, surely it cannot be any worse than this year....

Lyn xxx

Am finally getting into the Christmas Spirit......

Ok first off Mum if you are reading this...STOP..... GO NO FURTHER YOU CANNOT READ THIS POST OK.....
Well know that is out of the way... We have had a real heat wave here the past week & as our little Cottage does not have Air Con she can get like an oven inside on hot days. With temps in the high 30's & not a lot of relief at night it was getting pretty exhausting, so imagine my joy yesterday to wake up to an overcast day with a cool breeze instead of the hot North Westerlies that had been blowing. I could actually sew, yes, so was up until 1.30 last night finishing off these small gifts for my family in NZ. We had all decided last year to cut out Chrissie pressies to each other as by the time you buy something & then post it it was getting way to expensive & also really limited us on the weight of the pressie etc. (I have always felt birthday's were more important anyway) Well I had been feeling lately that I just HAD to give something small so this is what I lovingly made yesterday....

A traditional red Chrissie Stocking for my Mum & Dad......

A pink Chrissie Stocking for my Sister & Brother In law.....

Lastly a black & white Chrissie Stocking for my Brother & Sister In law....

Well its a short post I have to get down town & post them off so they get them for the big day...

Oh & today the heats back, thinking I should have asked Santa for that Ducted Air Con....

Wow who would believe after 31 years.....

I want to introduce you all to my best friend when I was growing up..... Carol..... We lived 3 doors down from each other in Hoon Hay, Christchurch, NZ, & were more like sisters than friends. We told each other our deepest darkest secrets, smoked our first ciggy together!!!!! in the play house my Dad had built for us kids down the back (Carol actually burnt her bum when my Mum suddenly knocked on the door & she sat on her smoke while mine was held over the top of the door, the smoke wafting over my Mum's head) sorry Mum.... our first boyfriends were best mates, we even planned on running away together one night (Mum had heard us planning that little stunt & came into my room just as I was about to jump out the window, told her I was calling my cat & there was Carol under my window making the cat meows) do you remember that one Mum???

We were & probably still are complete opposites, Carol was a true blue *Tomboy* while I was the girly girl but that didn't seem to matter yah know..... Then when I was 15 & Carol was 16 her Mum & her moved to England after her parents broke up & my life kinda fell apart. There was no such things as computers way back then, could not afford phone calls so many letters were written between the two of us. We both loved listening to Pink Floyd (as I still do) & I can still remember the day a letter from her arrived telling me I JUST had to get their new LP (yep even before tapes) *Wish You Were Here*, it had just come out in England & NZ was the next country to get it. I played & played that album to death & just like now whenever I play it (now on CD) it reminds me of Carol, have always said to my Darlin'*this is Carols song*!

So when just after my 16th birthday we moved up to Nelson (cried nearly all the way) & it was around this time Carol also moved & we lost contact. Then out of the blue when I was about 18 she just was *there* on my doorstep, those past 3 years melted away & it was as if I had only seen her yesterday, pure bliss! Carol has always been a *free spirit* nothing seemed to really get her down (although before she moved to England she had involved herself in some pretty heavy *stuff* something that I had always been way toooooo scared to try) & before I knew it that last visit from her was over, she was off to roam more of this world & I never saw her again.

Over the years I have tried to find her, you know the school sites etc you can get onto but never had any luck & if she had married I didn't know her married name. Then two night ago I was on Facebook & suddenly thought to do a search for her...... well what do you know, there she was, well I hoped it was her, so sent her a message & yesterday morning had received a reply...IT WAS HER... Can you feel the huge smile on my face.....

I am gathering by the photos I now have of Carol that she works with our beautiful native Kiwi (last 2 photos) putting transmitters on them as they have become very endangered due to foxes etc that were introduced to our country with the first settlers. The second photo is what happens to your arm after being scratched by one (these gorgeous animals are VERY shy & did you know they lay the biggest eggs in the world for their size). It does not surprise me at all that Carol does this type of work, to her it would be a true labour of love, good grief she just hasn't changed, not at all. I noticed (have not had time yet to *talk* to her, am even a bit worried in case she wont *like* me anymore, boy that's a real childhood thing her & I use to say, what I mean is maybe I am just tooo girly girl for her now) that she has a son & I bet she has brought him up by herself to be a fine man, its just so *her*. OK so after the shit year (sorry Mum) that I feel I have had this is to me like a miracle, a great ending to the year.....

Wishing Miracles for you all....

Our Three Little Boys.....

I thought it was time I showed you photos of our oh so cute puppies. This Friday they will be 5 weeks old & have only 2 more weeks with us before they go to the Pet Shop...





I have found this time around I have distanced myself from them, to be honest it really hurts toooo tooo much when it comes time to take them to the Pet Shop, I just get too attached, not good...

The Kiddies have given them names which I have chosen to forget, to me they are just these oh so cute little Teddy Bears or Ewokes who look so much like their Daddy who I love so much, but have to admit here my favourite as always is the little runt, his two brothers really bully him & now that I am hand feeding them I always give him just that little bit more.....

I am on count down, not until Christmas (which by the way is my most favourite time of the year) but am counting down until 1.1.2010.... this has been a terrible year for me & has only got worse as the year went on, last Friday my darlin' & I went to Harry Smith's funeral which was the only one we decided to go to out of three people we knew who's funeral was on the same day... there is only so much we can take.... Harry & his wife Roma were like *Mum & Dad* to my Darlin', we are very close to all their four kids, two being best friends & to see their Dad suffer from Demeter for the last 7 years & then die from a massive stroke is just heart breaking........

Good Grief...Talk About Getting Side Tracked....

I cannot believe how long it has been since my last post, can someone please tell me where the time has gone... right so I suggest as this is going to be a long post it might be wise to make yourself a cuppa & get comfy & put your feet up.

So I told you all about the painting of the hallway well to be completely honest here it had come to a stand still until this arvo so what happened do I hear you asking??? Thing is I was washing the inside of the front door down while I was waiting for the walls to dry started on the outside of the front door & just kept going. Ended up washing down the front porch then decided *well may as well clean the front veranda. This was no small task as I cleaned *everything* walls, picket slats along the front & side, front of the house, all the beams under the roof, chairs, tables even the decking. So then I decided that it was time to rearrange out there so pulled the bench that was sitting out the back veranda & put it out the front (still have to make new cushions for it yet) moved plants from the front to the back which then led me to cleaning out the back of course so there goes another couple of days......

So then after all this cleaning & reorganising I suddenly had the bug to sew as you will see by the photos below....

They have all been listed on Website & soon to be listed on my Etsy store.....

Ok so after I had finished making the above Chrissie Stockings I decided it was time to get back into the painting after all it had sat there for a while unfinished right... So what do you think happens next.... a heat wave hits us & at temps in the high 30's the paint was drying before it left the brush! This morning I was up early (oh by the way I only have one wall, 4 out of 6 door jambs & the picture rail needs one more coat & it is finished) before the heat hit & managed to get a bit more done, I have given myself until Thursday to have it finished. I was going to do some more at night but after the events of the past couple of nights forget it. So you all want a laugh ok well the other night I'm sitting finishing off some sewing when out of the corner of my eye (I really don't like seeing things out of the corner of my eye) I see something go scurrying across the wall, instant heart palpitation's look over & here's a humongous Huntsman Spider. Sewing gets thrown, TV gets turned off, just about to go out the door when here it comes from behind the door to sit above the door. Instant thought is *Oh come on give me a break I just want to get out of here* I have this fear that they are going to jump down & land on my head - YUCK.... So finally pluck up the courage (we are talking a lot of courage here) to make a dash for the door when I suddenly realise that I have not turned the light off, noooooooooo back in again, another mad dash & then there I am laying in bed wondering where this spider is going to end up during the night, get back up & close all the bedroom doors, just to be on the safe side. So yesterday I get my Darlin' to peep behind all the paintings, curtains & anywhere else I can think that a very large spider could hide but nothing, *Probably long gone* says Mr MP&CC, *But gone WHERE* asks I, *Outside* says he, *Yeah right I was not born yesterday*... So last night there I was up late as usual (I'm a night Owl you know) decide it was time to go to bed, exit the lounge without incident, went to walk out of the kitchen when there above the door jamb was yet another huntsman. This one was not nearly as big so decided the bedroom doors can stay open tonight. Anyway I'm about to get into bed when I look up (since the night before I am now in the habit of looking up whenever I enter a room in my home) & suddenly before I can stop it this low moan which gradually gets louder is coming out of my mouth (we are talking around 2am here). Hubby is woken from what he tells me was quite a deep sleep to find me leaping onto the bed & pointing in the direction of the top of the wall (we by the way have rather high ceilings in this old little Cottage of ours. He looks up to see what I can only presume is Mama Huntsman looking down at us! Me well I have broken out into the usual sweat, shaking & nearly screaming at him to KILL IT. *It wont really hurt you you know* he tells me...... *The bleep it wont hurt me, its doing a pretty good job of it right now, please please please just kill it* So off he goes to get the spray (leaving me in the room alone with the thing) comes back with both spray & fly swatter, gives it a good blast when to my complete horror it drops down onto the floor. Thinking his work was over Mr MP&CC starts to get back into bed. *WHAT do you think you are doing I scream really getting quite hysterical by this stage, *Oh I think I go it* he says, *Well if you got it where

is the body then* asks I. I get THAT look as he gets on all fours looking for it. *Must have gone under the bed* says he, that was it that was the last straw, was about to get off the bed & start to pull it out from the wall when once again out of the corner of my eye I see these yucky long furry legs coming up from the back of my bedside table. Screaming even louder now (oh yeah its about now that Taska is woken & comes running in to see what the matter was) jumping back onto the bed, hubby sprints across the room fly spray & swatter in hand & lunging at it sprays & hits it until it is finally dead. Looking at me he knows what I was about to say next so before I can say anything he scoops it up, dashes out the front door where I hear him saying* The ants can eat you now*. All signs of tiredness by this time had disappeared so there I was

laying in bed (looking all around the top of the room) in the end I read until after 3am before I can get to sleep. This morning I came across the smaller one I had seen last night about to go into my sewing room, Mr MP&CC once again assisted in getting rid of it for me. See the trouble is

if I see one & it happens to be a big one then I just know that its mate is around somewhere & if there are two of them well then it stands to reason that there are going to be heaps & heaps of babies which eventually will grow into big ones & the cycle just starts all over again. I think I am going to have to make a little carry bag or something to put the spray in so I can keep it very handy in case some more of these monsters decide to set feet past either of my verandas which is of course forbidden.

Have I told you our Bonnie had three little *boys* who are now just over 3 weeks old. Will take some photos of them tomorrow so you all can take a peek at them.

Well it is late & I am taking longer to write this due to the fact that every second or so I am checking out the walls for you know what.

Hoping you are all having a Spider free day or night....

A stunning Give-A-Way.....

Rebecca at http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com/ is having another Give-A-Way which is open until 6/12/09 US time. Below is the beautiful cushion one very very lucky Lady somewhere out there is going to win....ohhhhhh I just hope it's me, I mean I REALLY want to win this one....

So if you want to be in the running to win pop on over & leave Rebecca a comment on her posts, believe me when you have visited once you will keep going back for more...


I sopose I should wish everyone good luck but na like I said I REALLY want this one...

Sweet Chrissie Wall Hangings....

Just a quicky today as the hall is quietly telling me it needs another coat of paint applied to it & the dreaded picture rails are being a bit more vocal telling me they haven't had a coat of paint yet!
So thought I would show you guys what I made on Sunday.... took a break from the painting & made these sweet chrissie wall hangings.... what do you think, will list them tonight...

Little pearl beads have been sewn on to decorate the sweet tree with rhinestones placed as Chrissie baubles....

Rachel Ashwell fabric used for the chrissie stockings, little *jingle bells* ribbon bows & rhinestones have been sewn on....

Ok so a few of you guys have asked for photos of my painting, this was taken yesterday of the hallway, the darker green looks a bit lighter than it actually is. I love the green on the walls but after 10 years of constant washing it has faded & lost its *fresh* look. My Darlin' was a bit upset to see this colour go which surprised me as he has always left the picking of colours to the painter of the house *me*. Anyway its coming along nicely & am hoping to get the walls finished today & some of the picture rails started......

Oh & before I forget our Government in their wisdom have decided this time to give flood relief payments out to the poor souls affected by the floods last week, it made my day....

Wishing you all a great & prosperous day....

Am away Painting....

I have been away for over a week now have been flat out painting! I started in the bathroom & have just finished Dylan's room which has gone from *pink* it was originally Taska's room, to cream with white picture rail, skirting boards etc. Looks so much fresher & lighter. Have now started on the hallway & all the rooms will be the same colour. I had forgotten how time consuming doing the picture rails were, 3 coats on the walls is no problem but 3 coats of cutting in with a tiny brush can get very back breaking! I have also painted the furniture in his room white & left drawers & doors in the wood grain.... looking good I have to say....
Our Bonnie had 3 little pups all boys this time & cannot get over how fast they are growing.
Friday was a day of hell in Coffs Harbour, for the FIFTH time this year we flooded again, reporting 294mm of rain in just 24 hours. I cannot tell you just how terrifying it is to race around putting as much stuff up as possible & then just having to *wait & watch* the water rising hoping that the rain will either stop or at least ease off so the ground can soak up the swimming pool that is now our yard. A Fire Engine suddenly turned up outside our front yard with the local CES guys going door to door to see if anyone wanted to be evacuated, nobody left their homes I guess we were all determined to stay & try & keep the water out. We were lucky this time, the rain finally did ease off a bit so the drains could handle the huge volume of water, it had got 1/2" from coming into our Garage again. A lot weren't so lucky. In Gundagai Street where I live quite a few homes flooded, Bray Street looked like a war zone with cars swept away after the creek broke its banks, Gundagai Place where people had only moved back into their homes on Thursday after the March 31st floods only to be flooded once again, it truly is heart breaking. Park Beach Plaza our largest shopping centre which only celebrated 30 years of trading last week was also flooded, as was the city centre. A close friend of ours down the road had a leak in his roof which resulted in the entire ceiling in his kitchen caving in! Yesterday the rain eased even stopped for a while but today it is back, to be honest I think we have all seen enough. So I am now left wondering if our Federal Government will provide Flood Relief for those who have been affected once again, so far the citizens of Coffs Harbour have not seen one cent while other towns & cities affected by natural disasters have, I think it is time they showed support for us up here it will get to the stage where Insurance Companies will not be able to afford to keep paying out.

So I will be away for a while while I get my painting finished......

Hoping you are all having a great weekend...

xxx

Waiting for the new additions to arrive & the Winner is....

Hi all you lovely Ladies out there hope you are all having a great day..... Well I am actually a day late with this post to announce the winner of my latest give-a-way so without any more ado, the winner is.......

The beautiful *Miss Ali* at http://adregan.blogspot.com/ . I'll be emailing you soon for your address Sweet......

I managed to get another Christmas Stocking made yesterday, this one is made from a beautiful now discontinued Bark cloth fabric, ivory coloured raw silk & a *Mary Rose* print....

It has a white jingle bell & pink ribbon sewn on the toe & a pink satin ribbon sewn on the side up the top. Am really enjoying making these it has been so long (well actually one year) since I made any......

Our beautiful *Miss Bonnie* has gone into Labour today, I found her in the backyard *nesting* this morning so she is now in her bed really looking miserable, poor baby know just what she is going through. Will let you all know when her pups arrive....

Wishing you all a great weekend....

First Christmas Stocking.....

Hi all have been busy the last few days making a start on my Christmas Stockings to list on ebay & on my website. The first one I have completed is this sweet blue & cream one (has been a real yuck day here so needed my flash on so has come out looking blue & white).....



The front & back have the same *Norfolk Rose* by Waverly, on the front has been sewn Vintage cream cotton lace.....

A pretty blue & white toile has been used for the ruffle at the top....

Inside is another pretty blue print used for the lining....

Oh & today is the last day for my give-a-way, the winner will be announced tomorrow....

Have a great night.....

My Latest Creation.......

Yesterday I showed you all the photo below regarding the new creation I had made. I have had this rambling around in my head for quite some time now & decided it was time to see if it would work. Ok so here are some of the materials I used......

Which I used to turn into this.....

Added some *sparklies* around the dress, burnt my finger prints off using the glue gun, first time in several years & I had forgotten just how hot they get.....

Added a piece of baby pink ribbon to hang this sweetie up, left her over night to see if it all stayed in one piece & what do you know it has worked....

A *MP&CC* original *Christmas Angel Wall Hanging*. So all morning I have been trying to list her on Ebay, boy it has been a long time since I put a listing on there I have forgotten how to go about it! So let me know what you all think....

Hope you are all having a great weekend...

What do you get when.......

What do you get when you have a Artist Blank Canvas, a piece of Mary Rose (tm) fabric, the beautiful Rose Tea Garden & a stunning Rachel Ashwell pink self embossed velvet fabric plus a glue gun???



Well right now I have no finger prints left due to the fact that it has been sooooo many years since I have used a hot glue gun & quite forgot just how hot they get (could commit any crime right now & get away with it) so writing this post is proving to be quite painful! Next post you will see just what it is that I have spent the last couple of days making (if it passes the test).

Hope all you Ladies out there are having a creative weekend & still have your finger prints....

An Apology,Grand Opening & A Give~A~Way.....

I feel I need to give a HUGE APOLOGY to all you lovely Ladies out there for neglecting you the past few weeks & also for not replying to the ladies who gave advice to me regarding the trouble I was having setting up my website. Well I am thrilled to let you all know it is now up & running thanks to the beautiful Miss Ali who went in fixed all the stuff ups I made & also set it up for me so I could set it out how I wanted.... So THANK YOU SO MUCH MY SWEET FRIEND....

http://www.mypinkandcreamcottage.com/

Do you all know how excited I am, can you feel the excitement in the air? I honestly cannot tell you just how happy I am to have FINALLY started this new journey in my life am jumping up & down with joy here. So I want to spread that joy & am having a Give~A~Way to celebrate my grand opening & it is Ta DAAAA....

Another of my Tu Tu Lavender Sachet Holders......

This one is a sweet green one with pink roses.....

While tucked inside is another little sachet chocker full of 100% pure Lavender buds & smelling so yummy....

So here's all you have to do to be in the draw to win...

1.... Follow my blog.

2.... Leave a comment on any of my posts between now & 28th Oct.

3.... Add the link to my website on your blog.

So for one of the above one entry goes in so if you already follow my blog then you already have an entry in OK!

That's it so when you have the time pop on over & have a browse through my new shop ohhhh how exciting is it....

Have a great day everyone....

Hugs & kisses...

Ooops I didn't realise until I had published this post that the button link to my website above didn't work so have put in a link below it, there is also a link on my sidebar......

*HELP PLEASE*.........

OK so please can someone, anyone out there.........HELP ME PLEASE..... I am honestly going insane here.... for days I have been setting up my Website & I keep loosing EVERYTHING...... as soon as I finish a page it just all disappears.......WHY is this happening ??????????? I am very close to THROWING my Computer out the window....... bursting into tears....throwing a tantrum.... you name it......Why am I finding this SO hard when other Ladies out there do it all the time....surely it should be a BREEZE, shouldn't it...... OK time to calm down YET AGAIN...... relax, walk away & have another go later..........

Hoping your day is a LOT better than mine......