Couple of things to mention:

We finally found a piece of art for the stairs:

 It's a good size at 60 inches wide and 40 inches high.

Pig to hang, but pleased with the look.  Got it at Pier One Imports.  Ordered a piece of furniture from there at the same time, will be here in a couple of weeks.  Sucks how much more we have to pay here in Canada.

Got a baby set finished.  A gnome and a newborn hat.  Knit with Bernat Softee Baby; which was a pleasure to knit with.

I have at least another two sets to do, but have a more urgent project to do that involves this colour yarn:

Yep that's Bubblegum Pink.  I hope this works out as it will be a fun thing when it's done.  I will show you more as soon as they are done.........yes there are plural of them, and they have to be finished by the middle of November!

Do you remember my gnomes?

Look what we saw on vacation:

"The Gnome Project," by Jessica Peill-Meininghaus

I didn't pick it up, but maybe I should have as the reviews are on the whole good:

What do you do when life is too chaotic? How about felting a gnome? Or 365 of them, one for each day of the year.

Artist and wool crafter Jessica Peill-Meininghaus decided that she needed a project to teach herself follow-through in life. She settled on making one of her popular felted-wool gnomes every day for a year. With pipe cleaners and wool roving, amidst the chaos of raising four children and moving cross-country, Peill-Meininghaus felted her way through hundreds of charming, pointy-hatted, often bearded characters.

Lavishly decorated with photos of each charming creation, The Gnome Project is the surprising and magical story of what happens when we commit to something small. (Hint: It's something very big, as in making life more meaningful.) Here is her inspirational tale, complete with gnome-making instructions. 

All ready for the big day........

Got all the gnomes done for Our Little Man's birthday party.  Here they are all lined up ready to go:

I then made a gnome and baby hat set for a couple who are expecting in January and are going to the party.

I used a different yarn for the set and as they are not going to find out the sex of the baby, I thought the colour was appropriate for both a boy or girl.  I would love to make this is a variegated grey yarn.

So far I have five babies and a wedding in the first four months of 2016.  So more baby gift sets and a baby quilt to make.  Better make a start on them!

You know when you don't think you have anything interesting to say?

Well that's what it feels like at the moment.  Life is just plodding along, nice and quietly.  The weather is just too hot and humid at the moment so I have been hibernating.  It has helped me finish off all twelve gnomes though.

I am going to give knitting gnomes a break for now!!  These are all take home gifts for Our Little Man's 1st birthday party on September 12th.  That year has just flown by.

Via Facebook this photo was posted of dh's dad back in the late 60's early 70's:

He is taking explosives down the mine.  He worked for a company called British Gypsum and he was a general worker in the mine.  As far as we know he didn't set up the explosives in the mine itself.   At one time or another the majority of dh's family worked there, though dh was never down the mines.  My dad and my granddad also worked for British Gypsum and my nana was one of the cooks in the canteen.  My granddad and nana worked at a different plant.  It was a major employer in our area.

Back to the photo.  Do you think today's Health and Safety might have something to say about the way the explosives were being moved????  OF COURSE THEY WOULD.......LOL

A bit of this and a bit of that........

Just seen a hot air balloon go past the house.  Looks kind of fun, if you don't mind heights.......

The morning's are so nice and cool at the moment, just love that.

Dh's hand is on the mend, still wearing the brace at work.

Talking about his work, the factory where he is contracted out to had to call the police in, as someone was growing marijuana plants in the grounds???  No one was arrested!

Dh was up at 2:30 am this morning to go to work........hopefully he'll be home by lunch time......

Our Little Munchkin went on a Thomas the Tank Engine train ride last weekend and had a great time:

This week she also said Nana without someone prompting her to say it!

Got all 9 gnomes done, just making another three now as "spares."

Our Little Man was running a temperature this week, but is fine now.  He'll be one on September 12th.

Our Little Princess has a new name now; "Little Miss Chatterbox," as she never shuts up and is always asking why.......sound familiar!

Going to get the yearly sticker/licence for my car today, as it goes up $10 in September......AGAIN!

Right; better get in the shower as just just after 7:30 am.  Have a great day!

Lots and lots of body parts.......

I am busy knitting gnomes as take home gifts for Our Little Man's first birthday in September.  I have a bag full of body parts all ready to sew together.  I like to knit a few and then sew them up all at once.

 Here are five that are completely finished.  

 I have also knit a couple of baby hats.  The one on the left is for a little girl it is pale blue, lilac and cream, and the other on is a blue/lilac shade for one of two babies that are due in the New Year.  I am hoping one of them will be a boy!!

I haven't had much time to do any reading.  Although I did get this book read this past week:

Ariadne Evans swore her sleuthing days were over after her very own knitting shop became a crime scene a few months back. But she hadn't anticipated that the Freeport Wool and Yarn Festival would become the site of another murder -- with hers truly as a prime suspect. Since Ari was the one to find the body of Felicia Barr -- the much detested and influential owner of Knit It Up magazine -- with a knitting needle stuck in her back, the cops are needling Ari for answers. In a stitch, Ari dons her hand-knit detective cap and helps her on-and-off boyfriend, Detective Josh Pierce, untangle the day's events and solve a very woolly crime -- before the killer strikes again....

It was an okay book; guessed part of the murder/mystery, but not all of it; it was an easy read.  You can read more about it here on Amazon.  Does have a couple of knitting patterns in the back of the book for A Padded Coat Hanger, which is super simple and a "No Hair Day" Chemo Cap, again a very easy pattern to follow and uses Lion Brand Fun Fur.

For more Yarn Along with Ginny posts please click on this link.

I am a rotten blogger at the moment..........

however in all fairness I have been busy.

On Saturday we went up to Barrie where gas/petrol prices were below the dollar mark per litre.  Been a long time since we have seen that:

Called in at the garden centre and had a wander around and among all the photos I took, I took this one:

Called in at the DIY store and bought wood to start finishing off the basement and then came home.  We then headed out to the airport to pick up son and daughter-in-law; as they had been in Rome, Italy for the week on vacation.  They had a super time and walked 73 kilometres while there.

Their flight along with a "hundred" other's all landed at the same time.  They were held back twice when walking to customs as there were that many people trying to get through.  We had a good time waiting as it's always interesting people watching and seeing what other people were up too.  

On Sunday I was up bright and early as I was a woman on a mission:

 Yes the deck was to seal.  I got all the flat surfaces, the stairs and some of the railings done.

I can only do so much at once as it kills my hands.  It looks so much better though.  I hope to finish it off either Thursday or Friday depending on the weather this week.

Monday was also a busy day.  One thing I did decide to do was a batch cook.

I got a baked bean lasagna made, shepherd's pie for both of us for one night and dh for Sunday night; I am out.  Then two meals of scotch eggs.  I had hoped to stretch the ground beef/mince to include pasta sauce but there just wasn't enough meat.

In between all of this I have been knitting.  I have five gnomes completely finished.  Two gnomes knit that just need to be sewn up and stuffed and am starting another one.  I am hoping to get them ll done by the beginning of next week.

Home of the Week and other things.........

This week's "Home of the Week," is not my cup of tea and it's not the $1.2 million asking price that's putting me off; it's the fact that it is a triplex; aka: a three times one bedroom apartments in a two story building.  You can't swing a cat (sorry Jane and fellow cat lovers) in any of the apartment's.  No I'll pass.

I LOVE, LOVE this week's "Condo of the Week,"  It's on the market at $550,000 and is a co-op.  I don't know anything about co-op's but unless you are a cash buyer it could be a little difficult trying to get a mortgage.  It is small at 800 square feet, but look at those views and it does feel bright and airy inside, don't you think?

The "Cottage of the Week," is on the market for $3 million and comes with two smaller islands.  It looks very nice but you can only reach it by boat from what the description says?  Also who has $3 million to spare for a cottage, not me!

Gill's "Cottage of the Week,"is on the market for $189,900 and yes it needs a little work!!  Okay it needs a bit of work, but is on 31 acres.  I love it and will be showing dh this one.  The bathroom does worry me...........A LOT!!  The kitchen needs work and the deck outside is DANGEROUS but the potential is there and oh did I mention the 31 acres!!  I wonder how long that would take me to cut the grass??  I'M JOKING!!!

Okay now I am confused thank you everyone for pointing out the link doesn't work.  So I went back to the listing only to find it's not there anymore?  I have to assume it has sold, as I know I saw it yesterday......senile I may be getting but I know I saw it!!!  I was even planning in my mind what I would do to make it ours; what changes I would make.....oh well I will look for another cottage and post it tomorrow.

I posted a book review yesterday for "The Chaperone," by Laura Moriarty. It's a super book and our book club choice for September, you can read it here.

I am a gnome knitting factory at the moment.  I have 9 (I think) to make for Our Little Man's birthday party as take home gifts.  I volunteered for it.