Black and White

There's been all sorts of frippery going on this last week.

We've had to outsource fix the ceiling in the boudoir because the new chandelier (circa 2013)

pulled it down.

Not quite right out, but sagging alarmingly.

I was nervous each night I nodded off.

The chalkface's Sow's Ear kitchen garden has been repeatedly pillaged by these

white sulphur crested cockatoos.

 They don't make a sound for added stealth when pillaging.

They just eat the passion-fruits.

I could watch them for hours.

They are quite the personality.

Quite nuts.

 Needless to say, there won't be any passion-fruit butter this year.

 

I've had to engage the workers with gusto.

And, I am pretty happy with our progress.

This is going to be cloth cubby-house or pirate ship.

 I wouldn't mind one of those flags.

 I've zhu zhu'd up and made a few décor vignettes for our weekend visitors.

Thankfully, I have still had time to practise my practice of exercising

Millinery. 

 The design brief for this was simple.

Black and white.

It matches a leatherette top and black pencil skirt.

 I've also discovered that the new bath tub makes for

an efficient light-box for taking photos.

Eliminating that annoying background information.

I will not longer have to look for dusty floors or dirty windows.

Or errant pets in the shot.

 How was your weekend?

Did you discover anything?

Look into my eyes.

 Tell me.



10 Good Men + a Sow's Ear

 If you think I'm just about setting up vignettes to take on the Iphone.

 Fashioning floral frippery.

 Or, crafting poodles.

Think again.

You've been warned.

 I've done the hard yards this week.

Painting rooftop finials.

Was the least of it.

Don't be alarmed they weren't up there against that foreboding sky when I tarred them with

enamel paint, and of course, then worked out

I was sans turpentine.

Why? Oh, why.

 It's a nice finishing touch.

I've also weeded and mulched the chalkface's Sow's Ear.

With the workers.

Just in time for the weeds to grow, over the summer break,

which starts tomorrow.

At least I'll know I'm leaving it in good order.

I had the help of J, too.

A senior worker at the chalkface who fits the bill of a typical government school business plan nicely.

She does the job of ten good men on a mediocre day.

It seems that the upper echelons of essential government services 

manage most personnel this way.

Schools, hospitals and the like.

I've noticed a trend.

J looks after the grounds on the campus.

The grounds includes a dry-forest, real rainforest and a myriad of

exotic filled garden beds that are constantly riddled with weeds.

And, in her own time, she's helped with the Sow's Ear or our chalkface

Green Patch.

.

 

  

The vegetable and herb garden isn't something she is meant to do.

She's got enough on her plate. I understand.

In my ideal world, there would be a literacy, numeracy and Sow's Ear audit.

Key question: Can you grow your own greens?

A kitchen garden would be compulsory participation.

Wouldn't it be lovely?



Have you got 10 Good Men in your life?

Well, you're lucky.

Creative Impetus

 I felt like a bit of a nonsense when I posted yesterday's passionfruit butter

session, until I got a lovely comment from Kim at A Very Sweet Blog.

She quipped she'd never tasted passionfruits, let alone passionfruit butter.

And, I thought this is what blogs are all about, aren't they?
Learning stuff, well, that's what we tell anyone who calls out, 'Are
you still on that Ipad?'
I'm on a creative rollercoaster at the chalkface.
It's end of term, and those Calico Capers frocks must be finished.

It's been a flurry and a hive of activity.

I saw fit to re-decorate one of the chalkface's classrooms.
Gave the teacher's-aide strict instructions.
On a sow's ear budget; create a silk purse.
Achieved.

The Design Studio is now over until next year and it's now full of inspirational

posters, thanks to Dainty Doll and her world of motivation.
I have had good feedback already. One of the chalkface workers made her
junior class move around each poster and talk about what it meant to them.
Isn't that nice?

 The old decor, as below:

 And here's the renewal:

I commandered another couple of unsuspectings to paint these stone plant

markers with house-paint to clearly identify what's what in the Sow's Ear.

This is comfrey, if you haven't got it; you should get some.

It's a soil conditioner and nutrient enricher.

This one's been ravaged by something, not sure what.

But, nevertheless.



At the minute, all weeds have been banished and we'll do

another planting, soon.

I'll be trotting out the Amnesty Quilt soon, too. 

For an end-of-term activity.

Time permitting.

Hundreds of hands have made it so far.

There's probably about another three years to go!

I'll have to hold a chalkface reunion when I raffle it!

 Stay renewed.