I’m sure my husband, the e-Business guru, will laugh at the way we drew this giveaway – he would have some computer generated program but the girls and I thought this was the fun way………all the names were cut up and put in a bowl that belonged to my grandmother and drawn out by the girls.

And the four lucky girls are…………..

So, Curly Pops, Suse, Bronwyn and Kylie – I’m looking forward to meeting you all (and remeeting you Bronwyn since we just discovered yesterday that we knew each other about 10 years ago!) and spending a FUN day together at Sewjourn.  I’ll be in touch with details.  Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway and for all your kind comments.

Phew, the end of Blogtoberfest (thanks Big Cat for the suggestion and prompting me to post more often).  I think that means a couple of days off from blogging for me!  We are going to Sewjourn for four days anyway – a few more jobs on the ‘to do’ list there as well as some R&R I hope.

Not as much as I would like but did make Birthday Party invitations for my daughter and her friend this afternoon using the Stampin’ Up! goodies – LOVE the big wheely stamp! The design I have is So Swirly and it looks gorgeous no matter what I do it on – and it’s SO quick and easy.  I’d upload a photo but after last night’s computer probs I doubt it’s advisable!  Also made a few more yoyos tonight for the curtain for sewjourn – still only about 2/3 of the way there though I think.

One more day until I draw the giveaway – leave a comment if you would like to enter and haven’t already done so.

This is my second attempt at this post – and let’s just say that my computer and my incredibly SLOW internet connection are really testing my patience!!!!

Tonight was the 6th anniversary of ‘UFO’.  Each Wednesday night a very kind friend has us to her home to stitch, chat and laugh.  Where has that 6 years gone?  There’s been lots of babies come along (and then graduate to staying home with their dads!), lots of good times shared, lots of support given when it’s been needed, a few glasses of champagne drunk, many good recipes tested, lots of projects finished but even more on the go.  It was weekends away with these girls that kindled my idea for Sewjourn.  Thanks ladies!!!  Looking forward to many more years of UFO……….. (I certainly have enough UFO’s to keep me going for lots of years to come!)

(This photo has nothing to do with stitching but it’s colorful and reminds me of a celebration – I took it in Hoi An, Vietnam last year)

The much-promised before and after photos got pushed aside in the midst of Blogtoberfest and Sunday Stash and lots of other tid bits.  But here’s a couple of the kitchen – I won’t bore you with the details but just think lots of painting, polishing boards and replacing benchtops – I’m happy with the transformation.

Thanks for all the lovely comments on the giveaway post – don’t forget to go and enter if you haven’t already done so.

PS This is theoretically yesterdays post in Blogtoberfest – and it would be if my computer was not so slow due to having used up our download quota for the month (due to reading too many blogs!) – can’t blame the kids this month as they are back at school!

Today we set off on our second road trip – this time to Bendigo and Castlemaine.  All three shops visited – Attic Crafts, Honeysuckle Patchwork and Threadbear are absolutely gorgeous and the three of us all walked out with our bags a bit heavier and wallets a bit lighter!  Again it was a really fun day with lots of laughing and lots of chatting……….only this time I forgot to take the camera so you will just have to take my word for it.

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway before Friday!

If it was 100 years that I was celebrating then I would get a letter from the Queen…….but it’s not!  It’s 100 posts since I started this blog in February this year, (It’s been given a boost by participating in Blogtoberfest for the last 26 days), and I’m hoping to get lots of comments instead.  Of course, that means there is a giveaway.

 Why not start the new year (well the new school year after the holidays are over) with a day at Sewjourn?  Four people will get the chance to come along to relax, create and enjoy for the day – and each will get to bring a friend!  It will be a day of crafting in the studio (bring your own projects to work on) with morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided, to be held on Saturday 31st January, 2009.

Just leave a comment on this post by lunchtime this Friday (31/10/08) to be in the running.  We’ll randomly draw the winners on Friday afternoon.  If you mention this giveaway on your blog then let me know and you will get a second entry in the draw.

I had a great afternoon today at a ‘Girls Afternoon In’ to raise money for Breast Cancer Research.  It was hosted by a lovely lady at her gorgeous house in St Kilda – yummy food, good prizes and time to sit and talk to two of my favorite girlfriends made it perfect!  The girls were creative whilst I was gone……………

And to finish off the day……..this is my Sunday Stash.

Last weekend the ladies who stayed at Sewjourn did a lot of dressmaking so……………….Mal spent a bit of time on eBay this week and the latest addition is this.

This afternoon a friend and I went to ‘Quilts in the Barn’ which was lovely – if you are in Melbourne and have some spare time tomorrow it’s well worth a visit – and the $5 admission goes straight to Breast Cancer Research so you are supporting a good cause also!

The irises in the garden up at Sewjourn are starting to bloom……….

Annual School Concert tonight – and this year all 3 girls were up there singing and dancing!  The theme was ‘Dance Thru the Ages’ and it was great.  OK, so I AM a biased mother but it really WAS good.  Even the costumes looked great up on stage (you couldn’t see from a distance that the hems were zigzagged around rather than hemmed properly!)  As well as all the individual classes performing the choir played a big part in the show – and Kate was the only Prep in choir so WELL DONE for remembering all those words.  And I’m especially proud of Lucy whose tooth fell out half way thru – but the show must go on!!!  Hopefully the tooth fairy will visit our house tonight……….

Sewjourn is now tagged on Flickr so you can search for it and look at all the photos in the album – thanks to the clever girls who stayed last weekend.  When I get 5 minutes (hopefully this weekend) then I’m going to register and upload some of our photos too.

(PS – another last minute Blogtoberfest post tonight!)

(PPS – this is post no 96 so stay tuned for a giveaway soon!)