A little laugh for Christmas

Here is a little something that always makes me laugh.

It is from a show that ran for about 24 years here in Aus and had some really funny segments.

One of them was Red Faces - a "talent" segment with weird and sometimes wonderful acts vying for first prize.

Here is an Australian School's version of the 12 Days of Christmas.

Please note - no animals were harmed in the making of this clip - except for the dead snake - which was already dead (I hope).

What can I say - Aussies have a warped sense of humour.

Put the volume up loud and enjoy

And to all a Very Merry Christmas.

WOW WOW WOW - StyleArc are AMAZING

Guess what!!!!??

I emailed StyleArc to let them know I was giving away a voucher on my blog to thank my readers.

This was their response:

Hi Beverley,

 

Wow! Thanks for your support - that's fantastic!

Here's what we'd like to do... We'll supply the gift voucher. You don't have to buy anything! We love what you've done!

 

All you need to do is send us the winner's name and we'll prepare the gift voucher. We'll email the gift voucher to you and you can forward it to your winner.

Btw... the voucher is really just a code that gets entered at the checkout. It lasts for one year. 

Told you their Customer Service was phenomenal.

So - after I picked myself up off the floor - I thought how great is that!!!

Well I still have the $25 I put aside for the voucher burning a hole in my pocket so ....... drum roll please .... there will be a second draw (or should I say random calculator pick). That way another commentator can experience StyleArc for themselves.

What a happy little Vegemite I am.

So - second drawing

Random number pulled up this for the post

That was this post

http://ontheroadtosewwear.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/two-birds-one-scone.html

This was the post about the PR afternoon tea? Did you comment?

There were 25 comments on this post.

My new friend Random Generator bought up this number

Lucky number 13 is Leonie Picton. Leonie I will be in contact when I arrange the voucher.

Isn't it great that I was able to give away 2 vouchers from StyleArc,

I hope you enjoy the patterns as much as I do.

And the winner is.........

First let me tell you about the draw.....

From about 7:00am this morning I have been copying and pasting comments onto a word document in order to cut them up and draw a winner for the StyleArc voucher..

I spent the time to delete any of my own comments (didn't want to take the time to cut them up)... I got to page 94 and realised that I still had a year's worth of comments to go and thought - hell's bells - there has got to be a better way than killing a bunch of trees, the blades of scissors and my hands and time.

I had seen the random generators on other blogs but thought - nuh - don't have time to work this out - but then I thought of all of the time printing and cutting. Then I thought - well - how will this work as the comment numbers start again for each post and I wasn't going to count through all the comments...

Then I though - well - generate a number for the post and then one for the comment.

So - drum roll for post.......

Out of 112 posts number 68 was drawn.

That post was Taking care of business - Pyramid Giveaway and Liebster Award from January this year.

So - did you comment on this 

These people did

So back to the random generator - 9 comments

Commentator number 3

The gorgeous and eternally funny Anne from Pretty Grievances.

Anne - I will be in touch once I organise the voucher

All in all - using the Random Number Generator was incredibly easy. I am going to use it in future.

Thanks everyone for playing with me.

Blogiversary

Well tomorrow (17th in AUS time) is my second year anniversary for blogging (and a little more time sewing) and I have absolutely loved making world wide friends and especially IRL friends through this little blog.

So - how am I going to celebrate this marvelous milestone.

Well with a gift of course.

Now there are few things in life that gets my goolies - I don't know if this phrase is used outside of OZ but it means gets me riled. I am pretty laid back and happy to let most things flow over me.

Funny - I am more likely to sweat the small stuff than the big. The big stuff - well - you can't really change it and so therefore way out of the circle of influence so I let it go. The small stuff can niggle.

One of the things that really gets my goolies is all the great offers out there "FOR NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY" Banks offer great deals for new customers. Foxtel (cable TV) again - for new customers only etc. Now being a business owner I can understand the need to attract new customers but - hey what about the loyal customers that have been bringing business your way for years... What about me....

Another thing about me is that

 Why do I love StyleArc?

1. There are not many pattern producers that go up to my size so already there is huge lot of pattern alterations just to get it to my size let alone individual alterations
2. The customer service is phenomenal
3. The styles are current and up to date and you can get ANY of their patterns in your size (up to 30) not ones that look like tents
4. There is one size per pattern. Now I know that this is a bone of contention for a lot of people but if there are more than one size I find that I trace the pattern (more work) just in case, where if there is only one size I cut it straight out. 
5. Can I repeat that THEY GO UP TO SIZE 30 FOR EVERY PATTERN
6. They give a free pattern every month with your order

So.... adding my love of StyleArc to my love of my love of blogging and my appreciation for those who read and comment on my blog I am going to give a

to one of the people who comment on my blog. I have calculated that you SHOULD (no responsibility) get one regular pattern plus the month's freebie sent to most places for the $25. If you put it into your cart but not purchase it will tell you the cost. If not - then it should at least cover most anyway.

Now I appreciate all of you who read my blog and *hopefully* enjoy it - and believe me - I lurk on many a blog. However this is for all of those who have IN THE PAST have taken the time and the love and commented on my blog. Yes - this is where the "current customers" rant from earlier comes in to it.

To be in the running all you have to do is have posted a comment on this blog prior to this post date.

This is NOT open to people who comment on this post (although all comments are welcome and who knows what will happen on my 3rd blogiversary).

This is open to all comments prior to this post and every comment will be entered so the more you have commented then the more chance you have of winning.

I will do the massive job of printing out all comments, cutting them up and drawing as soon as I have the time so stay tuned.....

Love and appreciate you all.

Plans are nothing; planning is everything.

In the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower - Plans are nothing; planning is everything - and it is that time of year again - Yes - the Artisans Square SWAP 2014 has hit - and plans are popping up and peculating in the bloggershere and in the chat forums.... 

Now I posted my mighty fine ideas for my 2013 SWAP and only got a short ways through it before the period ended - but not one to be discouraged for long - I have decided to set myself up for failure to join in the fun of planning again - because that is what I love to do. Set patterns to fabric and dream!!! (and sometimes sew).

Mind you, this is the 3rd totally different incarnation of my SWAP since I first read the rules about a month ago so you can see how fickle my mind is - it gets caught up with new patterns and fabrics that waft my way and so the plan changes to accommodate.... *sigh*

I already have my first item (Stone coloured StyleArc Barbara Pants) cut out, but sewing has been put on hold whilst I prepare for Christmas visitors but I do hope to have them sewn up before boxing day as this year's swap is very flexible and allows one item to be sewn up prior (and one item to be purchased and one item to be sewn up before the announcement of the rules).

Now you may well ask how this fits in with my garment of the month for Sarah Liz's challenge. Well the stone coloured Bab Pants were originally going to be the muslin for the mint coloured pants - but now they have been promoted to prima donna item of the month and if I can get them done before boxing day my next item will be a top to go with it.

My big worry (so far) is that the greens don't match (the shorts and top). I don't have either fabric yet - both are winging their way to me as we speak - I told you I was fickle - saw fabric - *needed* fabric - bought fabric - changed plan. I will compare them when I get them and change the fabric for the top if need be.

I am thinking of calling it "Put the lime in the coconut and blueberry shake it all up"

It may have to move over and make way for some Animal Print in January too.

I know some of you are participating in the SWAP. What are your plans?

Sales sales everywhere!!!

Ooh I have been a bad girl....

I have been stalking Butterick 5998 on sewingpatterns.com which is where I purchase most of my patterns (seeing as how expensive they can be in Australia). Alas - the new Buttericks are not showing up there yet - however they had a Simplicity sale - $2.99 so I just had to buy one or two or ten.... Then - guess what - Buttericks went on Sale at the Butterick McCall Vogue site at $2.99. Not only the Buttericks are on Sale, but Vogue and McCalls too - sooo - several more patterns are flying the friendly skies to Aus.

Lucky the holidays are coming up soon - It is going to be a true sewcation for me. Sister and BIL are coming for a visit but apart from that I will be sewing up a storm.

I have decided that the last week in December will be dedicated to UFOs and fixits so that I can start 2014 fresh. Then I started thinking about it - I have 4 items that need fixing and at least 5 UFOs.... hmmm - maybe more than a week. This will be after I finish my planned item for December's One Garment Per Month Challenge of course.

What will you be doing over Christmas?

On my post about my Pia Top I mentioned that I thought Suzanne Gray may be right about sewing sleeves in instead of doing them flat from hem of top to hem  of wrist and I had a couple of questions regarding that.

Now - I may be wrong but I feel that the sleeves would be more defined if it is sewn in (sorry - I can never get the right terminology)

The photos highlighted it for me - but then again - maybe it is just that the armhole is too low.

 

 

To me - it looks like the curve of the uninterrupted seam.. Anyway - I will do some experimental sewing with the next Pia and see if it makes a difference.

Next post I hope to have the StyleArc Barb pants done.