Wordless Wednesday

Splashing

It turned beautiful this afternoon, very warm and sunny - after icy rain yesterday... No3 couldn't resist taking her shoes off, and splashing. This all in the current favourite fairy dress. The blossom is from the peach tree which is now creating our own natural confetti. Beautiful!

Happy Birthday x2

It's full swing birthday party season here, fortunately everyone is well now as we had a double party today - a semi-inseparable pair of the twin's friends. The cake was another Pelit one, slightly over sized as you can see from the little hands picking at the icing, but it was very well done, and delicious. All the littles had their faces painted and an interesting Russian/Turkish buffet for the adults with some delicious potato curry..... On the other side of things - we arrived to glorious sunshine and the littles playing outside and left the weather having dropped perhaps 10 degrees and after a couple of heavy rain showers.... one of the Turkish moms told me .... 'Never trust Istanbul weather or women.....' interesting... the first time I've heard this one.

What I did Tuesday night

Poor No3 couldn't fight the nasty D+V bug that is doing the rounds, we ended up in the paediatric emergency ward for help..... so sad to see that 'huge' cannula on a tiny hand..... she's not back to her self but is much improved, and has generously shared the bug with the rest of the family - generous wee soul she is.....

Wordless Wednesday

Peach blossom time

Yahhay it's spring - the peach blossom is out, I took these a day back, but the tree is laden with blossom and humming bugs.... t2 made a special survey which involved dangerous boy's activities - trying to convince him he IS NOT spider man in any incarnation is difficult, but he did get it in the end. We got new sand for the sandbox, some garden toys out of the basement... and had a conversation about growing potatoes (no idea why potatoes since we rarely eat them anyway!) The blossoms are slightly deformed, -2 degrees, unexpectedly a couple of nights back has taken it's toll. I guess it makes little difference, all these blossoms will fade and leaves grow, which will be shriveled in the sun and with the help of peach leaf curl virus. Only 2 summers in the past 4 I've had a good yield, regardless of spraying with copper.... this year I am inclined to do nothing, there was massive defoliation after the 2nd spray last year.... and the tree looked scruffy all summer, though still gave some good shade.

Treasure

One of my friends was having a clear out - beads, sequins, charms and lots of paints - perfect for the up coming summer holidays (hush!) and some dressing up clothes.... 3 boxes of loot.... now to find a place for all of it! a little bit like Christmas.....

Seeing spots

A week ago I painted T2's bedroom, he'd made several 'attempts' at changing the brownish-pink paint, with nail varnish, marker pen, felt tip and crayon..... it was yukky looking. I gave in. We went to the hardware store and this is the colour he chose, no conspiracy with Sadik Bey (I had imagined trying to persuade him out of fluorescent yellow!) He was thrilled with the roller Sadik gave him and 'helped' with the process..... Yesterday he decided he wanted blue spots on his yellow walls..... dilemma - do I paint blue spots and then have to deal with de-spotting the room some time in the future, yada yada.... or .... do I get him to make his own blue spots and blu-tak them onto the walls.... blu-tak won. They look cute, 'sadly' he now has a 'great idea!' - lets put spots on his white duvet cover.... sticking them on with blu-tak will not work this time!

3 day challenge - day 3

The last steps were to stitch the pieces together, add words and embellish the points. It is held together by wrapping yarn around it. Very cute. Thank-you Leilani! Just the right size for No3's head...

Aren't her chubby fingers the cutest?

3 day challenge - day 2

It dried good! - I sandwiched and using FME stitched the top to the base, no wadding, then waited for day 2's instructions... they were,

'take your SCISSORS.... and cut out little jagged triangle notches into the top edge of your piece! about 1/2" or so.. THEN..... fold your strip in half and cut down this fold - then fold those two pieces and cut down those folds... so you will end up with FOUR EQUAL pieces.' There was an optional extra of adding some light embellishment, I seed stitched the pieces whilst the littles watched a movie with their friends and I chatted with my girlfriends at our local 'co-op' - they are used to my stitching now, and are always interested. Somehow they just didn't get my blind faith in following instructions with no pre-determined end.... 'so, what is it going to be again?' was said more than once.... love them all!

Wordless Wednesday

3 day challenge - day 1

The FAT group I belong to had just issued a new 3 day challenge, you don't know the end result - for 3 days we get 'instructions'. This one called for 'find a sturdy-type of fabric, thick muslin or lighter canvas-cloth and cut out a 15" x 4" strip. alter it - by either coloring it or stamping all over it...drawing it, fabric-painting it...etc.
Fuse it to another length of 15" x 4" strip (un-altered) - you could alter it if you'd like (then fuse it to the wrong side - so both altered sides are facing outward). Free-motion stitch all over it'
I used the soluble wax crayons - caran d'ache - on it and need to wait for it to dry so the colours blend (dry top pic, wet bottom pic) before I stitch it, or do anything else on it! perhaps tomorrow morning.....

Happy Birthday E

A birthday party for N03 today, cake, crisps and sandwiches. Perfect for Monday lunch! The chap is 3 and the oldest in our 'baby group' the youngest will be 2 next week! he's also the only chap! not that he realises yet.... cake was good and similar to this one.

They're back

*photo to come!*

When we were driving early on Saturday morning I spotted the second chimney of storks this season, circling and moving on to Europe for the summer - unfortunately I couldn't stop to take a picture... it will come when they next come! The way they fly is stunning, it's great to be on the migration path for these beauties! it also means that the blossom isn't just a tease and spring is on the cusp. The peach tree is fat with flower buds.... I love peach blossom!

Rusya Eğitim, Kültür ve İşbirliği Derneği

We went to the Goodbye to Winter, Hello to Spring 'performance' at one of the cultural centers. Being Russian, even the smallest little person was encouraged to get on stage with a microphone and perform.... it was interesting to say the least, those who can't speak Russian can follow - even the slightly over the top 'clown' and the seriously over the top Winter and Summer ladies - who were the compares, summer is featured here - made it entertaining for adults. T1 and her rhythmic gymnastic group performed, more than half of the 18 girls are at least half Russian as well as the coach - she loves it and performed well - it was the first time they were on stage as a group, complete with fancy imported Russian rhythmic gymnastic leotards..... it's all taken very seriously. In return for a great performance she was given a very large bag of candy which caused riots with the other littles..... We then decamped with some of the girls and their parents and siblings to one of the malls where they ran around and ate lunch.... quite a good idea....

Excited about sardines

I don't think I am one of those folks who waxes on about how much better things are 'back in xxxx' - insert a country of your choice. But.... there is always a but.... I haven't figured out why I can't get good sardines in Turkey, perhaps it's time for a 'State of the Sardines survey', - or is that plain silly? This week, by chance, I got my hands on a FREE can of sardines thanks to the Philippine Embassy - oh they were good, being free they tasted even better. I mashed them up a bit and 'spread' them on toast (I ate them too quickly to photograph!) I love the illustration from the can, somehow it makes the humble sardine look like a whole salmon. They were good - did I say that?

Wordless Wednesday

Great big pile of fluff

I've been working on another skirt, this one white.... like the pink one.... but a little longer - I gathered together some of the pink 'offcuts' and made a hair thingie, only problem is finding a suitable - and small - clip for the back, it's just 3 inches across so I need the little people size.... more hunting....

Oya

Another Oya edged scarf from my 'collection' this oya is said to be 'antique' though I have no way of checking.... it's neatly made, the colours are less harsh than 'new stuff' - the scarf however is odd, I can't figure if it's an odd quality of polyester or old.

5 year old eyes

Above is the side view of the building below - this has a arch through which cars drive - it's one of the entries to Boğaziçi Üniversitesi. These again are taken on the same stretch of road as T2's from the open car window....

I am not sure who that is contemplating the view of the Bosphourous - but that seagull looks ominous.....

5 year old eyes

This guy lays strings of balloons on the water, tied together with string, then with a pellet gun you shoot them.....





All taken last weekend by T2 from the open car window in the Bebek area - we were moving very slowly in heavy traffic. T1's side of the road tomorrow!

Bye Bye Blue

Sadly my mom had to put Blue to sleep earlier today. He was nearly 16 years old - good for a cat..... but his time had come.

Beach combing

No 3 and I went to one of the beaches yesterday morning, nice day - just long sleeve t-shirts on, there was a lot of debris, lots of fabric swatches in the seaweed, some yukky medical garbage, and some prayer beads, these are Islamic ones (33 beads) and plastic. I wonder if it's good Kama to bring them home? I left the swatches, the had something yukky and mysterious happen to them - or more likely the glue.

Wordless Wednesday

Spring

For the last week I've been watching various blossoms burst open. Excited I was! Sadly today spring seems to have vanished and winter returned.... blah! The peach tree has fat buds and the Chinese Quince beautiful waxy red flowers, pity the crummy, dreich weather today kept me inside.... tomorrow I hope.

Incoming mail - Art Lottery

The 3rd and final card arrived on Saturday - I need to check out the corresponding techniques to the lottery numbers 4, 6. 21. 26, 42 From DAanna