Pin it....

Teagan and I worked together to make our own version!

For some months I have been "pinning it". PINTEREST ( is an on-line scrapbook and is a wonderful way to store and share ideas.  Many for me are inspirational.  As I am a crafter at heart and have finally achieved my ultimate career choice (not working and raising a child), I love creating along with the rest of my activities.

On Sunday evening as I was playing on my Pinterest boards, I heard a creak as a door behind me opened; little footsteps very silently (but not silent to my mummy ears) stood behind me looking at the computer screen and then the gasp happened; "oh Mum, can we make that?"  After that she dived into my sewing room and flew into the fabrics!  Do I write that this was at 9.30pm?  Never mind, she has been off school sick so after choosing fabrics with an assurance that we could indeed make one "similar" to the one in the photo the little feet snuggled into a long sleep.

Tiny is well now!

Here is the actual Pinterest link:

The wee mouse in a tin house CLICK HERE

Teagan feeling much better after a few hours in Al Ahli

The nurse who "vampired" Teagan and helped sort her  out

And what did we find....

Tiny

Today we found Tiny.  Tiny is Tiny.  Tiny on the inside fast lane near the Duhail fly-over and mewing for his little life.  I drove past him as there was no time to stop and considered the risks of saving him versus carrying on my merry way.  As usual, if a woman stops on the road a man will stop too, so Mr Nice Bloke stopped and helped block the non-busy traffic as the mewing jumped up into the suspension of the car not to be seen until a timed stop at a friend's house. Nearly NZD250 later we are the proud foster parents of a manky, sickly little scrap of life.  I daresay there will be a few broken nights as the little creature gets his health and strength back ready for some rehoming here in Doha.

Feeding time

I had to include this: where else do you need to advertise functionality
at +58 deg C!

Team work: off to the pool after school

Half term break....

The back of Teagan's new top (no good front photo)

Half-term break was one week long.  We started with gusto but that fizzled exceptionally quickly into a mass of contemplation, low motivation and talking.  Clearly it was the fire at Villaggio that took away our energy.  Everywhere we turned someone was affected, there were tears and always always always the sadness at all of those lost.  The event was (for us) not "overseas" in a remote place that we did not know.  It was a place a lot of us have been too and ended the lives of those we knew. It was a time for community.

The ankles of Teagan's new leggings

Hence, Teagan and I laid low.  We did not go out to the "play lands" with our Bedouin friends (my mutual agreement), nor did we go out to other houses.  Teagan and I had a quiet time at home absolutely focused on....... drum roll.....it must be exciting...... SPELLING (or as they call it at British school "spellings").  Teagan was on a mission to get the first goodness knows how many high frequency words spelled correctly (guess 240).  An hour of focus in the morning and an hour in the late afternoon and you guessed it........ a heap of time and focus......and she, well, she did ummmmm ......  did make "some progress". All good intentions and plenty of effort have led to an improvement in some areas: handwriting!

And for me, it was finishing off some projects.  My list of "to dos" before packing up for New Zealand has diminished horrendously; how on earth did I do it?  Anyway, I am posting here a photo of Teagan's long planned and designed "longies" with her accompanying tunic: she is sure that she will be warm at Grandma's house.

Tomorrow, I have to get some buttons to finish off her wee heavy winter skirt and then post off all of my company accounts off to the accountant.  And, yes, I am on to my next list now.....

Far too fragile..

Here in Doha we have had a massive fire, a fire in a place close to home where One sees and feels the direct results.  This was a fire in a place that we frequent often, a place where I have left my own daughter, a shopping centre where many many many people go and feel safe and comfortable.  Through the night we learned that three of our NZ expat community have been lost (the NZ triplets) and many from other nationalities.  Claudio (our spanish carpool buddy) has just lost three of his friends.

Right now I am sitting at the computer keeping an unemotional face as I have two 6 year olds happily drawing in another room.  My heart is not unemotional and my eyes are burning holding back the tears for all of the lost.

I would also like to say, that whilst many have not lost their lives or their families, some will have lost their income and their jobs: it is not going unthought of....

There by the grace of God...

Acknowledgement to the prayer cartoon: Doha-based cartoonist Khalid Al Baih drew this cartoon as a prayer to the deceased.

Only 1.5 hours to go....

There is less than 1.5 hours until Teagan gets home from school.  We now have three families in the compound car pool and this has meant that I only have to do four school runs per week, which leaves me with the bliss of a Sunday completely at home.  Hence, today, I have some time to write up a short blog post!

Count down is beginning.  The academic year is in its last throws with school production, assessments, family fun days and all of the business that comes.  For me also, it is the financial term: tax preparations, portfolio rejigs ("sell in May and go away"...I then come back in November) and finishing off my "to-do" lists before Teagan and I head out of the sandpit for the oven baking summer that Doha turns on.  So today, I am loading onto this blog three of my completely finished outfits.

But first, before the photos, the logical question to raise here (in Qatar) is: "why on earth sew clothes yourself when you could get a tailor to make them for you?"  Easy answer, "because I want the skill myself!"  Clearly, I have no designs on being a tailor, that is a highly skilled and practiced trade but to be able to see and make of my own hands is something I will never lose.  A bit like time really, a skill learned is more valuable to me than money.

The inside of my Collette Patterns BEIGNET No.1005

The BEIGNET: using Liberty of London Cotton

Colette: CLOVER pants No. 1019

Added detail using Liberty of London lawn cotton for the trimming: fabric was  cotton gaberdine

Vogue V8507 dress (modified neckline by me).  Sorry but I haven't done well on the photography so the sleeve detail
does not show up at all.  Fabric again is Liberty London fine lawn cotton.

Am I being good....

Since Sunday, Ross and I have been enduring Teagan's aches and pains.  These acute (or chronic), problems appear to stem from one wobbly tooth.  You see, "it shows I am growing up and it is really hard doing growing up".  Everything came to a head yesterday at school pick-up time when I lifted a rolling whimpering child off the classroom mat.  She had quite a bit of sympathy and accordingly I carried her to the school's nurses.  Fifteen minutes later with no abnormal temperature we were in the car travelling back to the compound.  It was a miracle, she was well again and graced the swimming pool with her presence! (Note: she was put to bed 1 hour earlier than normal and went to sleep quickly!)

The bake-up: step 1

Step 2

Step 3 - you cook it...yes she did burn her fingertips whilst being silly!!

Compliance

Car buddies - and Barnaby Bear

Kitchen independence

Cup obtained

Lowering down

Now to make the coffee

Checking out the lost tooth

Look hard and you may see the gap!

Thursday mornings are tidy the house day....so we make a house

Creations at the desk

A double lot....

Yes, I have taken while to load this blog.  Thankfully, I can blame it on technology understanding.  As I wanted to load some archived podcasts, it look me a while to locate the sites to link to in a useable format for potential listeners.  To make up for it, I have put in a double topic: Podcasts and an update on my creations.

(1)  PODCASTS

As I work and exercise, I also spend time listening.  Via the internet it is easy to get radio stations but by far my favourite thing to do, is to listen to podcasts.  Amongst my favourites are Melvyn Bragg's "In Our Time".  Ross and I loved these when we were living in Malaysia from 2000 until 2004 and are happy to report that he is still broadcasting and I have collected the best (according to me).

I would like to share two that I think link together very nicely.  If you are interested in the topics, be prepared for at least 40 minutes for each cast.  Personally, I loved them both and would recommend that you listen to them in the order that I have linked them.  For me, the best of the two is the one on "Plate Techtonics" - do not think for one minute that this is restricted to just earthquakes - it is a major enlightenment podcast and may put a lot of the earth's systems into perspective.  Freakily, you will note that they also successfully predicted an earthquake near Christchurch  (and this was in recorded in 2007).

Plate Tectonics

IOTS: The Origins of Life

For on-going interest here is the website link for all In Our Time Science Archives: CLICK HERE


(2)  UPDATE ON MY CREATIONS

As in the past, I have a list of things to make and have been making slow but sure progress:

I can't stand still - try hard and you will see my double layer circle skirt

I asked Mum to make this skirt for me - I chose the colours off  the  website www.yarn.com
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino (dk) on special of course!

Here is my double layer cotton circle skirt that I asked for too!

Here I am modeling it in Rome

Mum's black top - she wore it all the time travelling.
It is a boring colour!

The same top in use

How to get a child to eat up all of her dinner - present chocolate eclairs dripping in chocolate icing and place in the line of sight!

Here I am making boiled Mayonaise - I am adding the vinegar and stirring until it is thick

Hmmm - the best thing to do after school - playing in the boat with Claudio!