Frustrations, Op Shop Score and huge job ahead!

I have had a week of frustrations, an unwell child (and not feeling too crash hot myself) saw her spend more time at home than at school which is a shame but was also necessary to try and help her get better and not spread the germs. Not sure if we had 'the bug that has gone around' or if that is instore for us this week (I seriously hope NOT!) or quite what we have had. After a very upset tummy on Monday we were left with a bit of a croupy sounding cough so we tottled off to the GP's mid week. Amelia had a pink throat on Wednesday when we went to see the GP and on Friday our GP was blown away with the colour! Guess it must be bad. And cough... I. Am. Fed. Up. With. Hearing. Her. Cough. All that aside I really do feel sorry for her. I must be taking it out of her, she has lost about 2kg this week... Amelia doesn't complain, not about being sick anyway. She tends to battle on and it is her eating cues that trigger alerts that something might not be right. When she was little she used to drink gallons of milk when she had a sore throat. Now she rarely touches milk. Cereal or hot chocolate is about her limit. This week when she was allowed to eat it was a sandwich not toast that was the request, apples cut up not eaten whole, ice-blocks not ice-cream. And water, gallons of water, about a litre a day. A lot for a little body. Definately a sore throat.

Anyway, frustrating week... I had set myself up that Tuesday when Stef was at work and she was at school and my orders were packed I was going to finish Lucy's dress and get it in the post for her birthday. Once that was done I could have my head clear and ready for costume sewing... Nope, no sewing happen here!

As if I didn't have enough on my plate... My sister in law and I went Op Shopping (Thrift shopping) on Saturday morning. First stop the Anglicare Depot at Summer Hill in Sydney. Kate is a regular there, and the best time to go is Saturday first thing. You get the cream of the unsorted crop. Bins of shoes (on the hunt for a new pair of $3 Birkenstocks) for $4, bins of clothing and other things for $8 per kg. I have a friend who will catch a VERY early bus up from Canberra with an empty suitcase and go back squealing with delighted squeals of the treasures she has found!

We spent about an hour going through shoes, found one Birkenstock that fitted Kate, a pair of silly summer sandals ($4) for Amelia for next summer and a pair of boots for Stef ($4) (that were too small unfortunately). Then I found a stack of clean canvases ($10) in varying sizes, always good to have in the art stash for a rainy day. We ventured into the shop and white ticketed items were half price, sadly all the warm jackets were other coloured tickets but I did find one shirt for Stef ($6), we will be making it a short sleeved summer shirt as the sleeves are a little too short and a little tight but the shirt looks great otherwise. I also found a larger kid sized Snow White dress up for $12! Score!

On our way out of the shop we half heartedly picked through the clothing bins not really with any great intentions and then it caught my eye. A half sized wing backed chair in a blue gingham and in really good nick.

I got really excited and took a photo and sms'd it to Stef. With no immediate response I rang the home number, went to voice mail. Impatient I rang the mobile. He was in the shower! Conversation which followed... 'Look at this. Oh hang on you can't coz I am on your mobile. Right I will ring the home number'. At $60 we (Kate and I thought it a bargain). Conversation had, involved reference to covering with some of the Michael Miller fabric I was very kindly given and surprsingly Stef said yes!

Next problem, it wasn't going to fit in my little Tiida! Luckily Stef's brother was home from his run/bike ride and came to the rescue picking it up in his Citroen. Too easy! Now I have to channel my inner Tara Dennis and recover the chair. In hindsight the MM fabric might not be the ideal choice but rather than remove the current home decorating fabric I might somehow make a slip cover and some cushions for it. Now to find a wee foot stool for it!

I think she likes it! She has curled up in it with a book. Finished doing a new sticker book in minutes. Watched a bit of telly. Had all her 'friends' (of the stuffed variety) in it with her. Blankets and cushions, they have all been in it with her! It's a keeper.