Off into the wide green yonder...

Heeeey lovelies,

Hubby and I are moving! 13 hours away... whilst I'm 31 weeks pregnant... with 13 days notice...(all the 3's and 1's are a COMPLETE coincidence!). I'VE GONE MAD!!!! I 'spose to most of the people around us this has sort of come about rather suddenly, and really it has but moving has been on the cards for a few weeks now. Damn jobs really do dictate everything don't they? It's like this, our work contract runs out at the end of December this year and for a while we've been desperately searching for a new job to go to so we're not left up a certain creek when bubba bean gets here. It's been a crazy decision to come to, and especially on such short notice. It's either we waited around until our contract ran out and hope for something to come up with a new baby or we take a deep breath and go in search of other opportunities elsewhere before bubba gets here. I'm sitting here today after speaking with our real estate thismorning about breaking our bond with my head spinning and not knowing where to start... naturally I decided the internet was a good option and here I am writing about madness. I keep looking around at everything that needs doing and it takes me a moment to remind myself I'm rather heavily preggers and have some serious limitations on what I can physically get away with. *OH GOD* How is this ever going to work?!?!?!?! 

Annnyway, so we're off to Albury. In 13 days. *Hyperventilating* I'll be ok until this orange poppyseed muffin runs out. Maybe. Some baking may be in order... but dang haven't done the groceries yet. Bummer! Ok maybe not. Pregnant or not it's a huge step to make (and an expensive one) moving to a new place. It's especially hard knowing that the midwives I've gotton to know here won't be there for me and I'll need to adjust to a new hospital and new midwives. As someone who finds new situations quite confronting that is a very scary prospect. I know I'll manage somehow, you do what you need to do, but it doesn't stop those little anxieties taking hold in my mind. We'd just set up our nursery here in Armidale, it was starting to seem more real. I didn't realise how important it is to know that you'll have someplace to call your own, a home, somewhere to prepare for the arrival of a new family member until you're faced with the prospect of not having those things. If the few jobs we've applied for don't come through for us (although I have a good feeling about one of them) it will take longer and longer to rent a place of our own and that is absolutely terrifying to me. It's not like we won't have a roof over our heads, my husband's parents are very VERY kindly taking us in for a short time til we find our feet. I'm not sure if this is my maternal instinct or if I'd feel this way regardless, but I honestly cannot fathom not having my own space to bring baby home too. A new baby is a whole new adventure on its own! I don't know that I would be able to mentally and emotionally handle not being able to left to fumble through those first few weeks without other added pressures. It's so hard to explain, I'm probably not explaining what I mean very well. Of course this was something we had to weigh up as a possibility as part of making this move, but ultimately in the long run this is the best option for our family and we just have to take it all as it happens as calmly as possible. That seems so easy to say. 

It'll be so close to our due date, I am a huge muddle of feelings. Excitement, nervousness, a good deal of stress. These past few nights haven't been without their melt downs, I wish I could sit back and let the organisation go on around me so I wasn't as worried but I just can't do that darn it! 

This should definitely mean there will be lots of new adventures to blog about! :o) So yep...that's what's going on! Time to get up and get into it I guess. I'm not leaving you guys though, I take you with me! Handy thing this internet business isn't it?

Oh lordy where do I start on this mess? *le sigh* 

27 weeks and 5 days ~ 86 days to go! Pregnancy so far

• Dog fur on everything drives me more NUTS than usual. I cannot stand it! I want to shave my dogs.  
• Nothing is ever clean enough these days!! 
• Braxton Hicks have started... and oh my crumpets are they weird?! I get a few in the mornings and a few again at night normally when I have to pee! Or do the Braxton Hicks make me want to pee? Who knows! Either way they're weird. Nothing says 'you're growing an alien' like Braxton Hicks!
• I still can't stand Garlic Bread EWWWW 
• Bras are the devil. Not wearing a bra is also the devil. Can't win hehe 
• I can go from hot to cold in 2.5 seconds and I don't mean in the *wink wink* kind of way. Feeling way too cold during the day, my feet never seem to feel warm and at night I'm too warm under anything more than two blankets. 
• Bubba kicks all day and it's the best feeling in the world! I love his little wiggles, twists and kicks they're such  beautiful things to experience. 
• If I lie still you can actually see little feet (or hands!) pushing outwards! 
• Even though some people think antenatal classes are a waste of time, both myself and hubby found them to be very useful. Yes most of it is common sense but each hospital is different in it's practices and hearing how the particular hospital we are booked into goes about things was a huge comfort. I think I irritated everyone by the end of each day with all my questions! 
• Still no crazy cravings! Well, not really the kind you see in movies where the woman sends her husband out at 2am for watermelon and Chop Suey anyway. I had one for a caramel latte frappe from McCafe a couple of weeks ago and it tasted like heaven but that could have just been that I was missing my coffees. Any cold dairy product is a win and I usually always feel like cold milk on cereal (I've been having a bowl of cornflakes before bed lately, lovely lovely lovely!), chocolate milk, custard, yoghurt, iced anything = yum! 

Things that now feel like Olympic sports:

1. Washing your legs in the shower/ Drying your legs after a shower

2. Getting into one's own knickers

3. As above with pants

4. Picking things up off the floor

5. Climbing stairs (or maybe that's just me being hideously unfit)
6. Getting out of beanbags.
7. Rolling over in bed

• I've developed odd little OCD habits. For example I have to wash my hair everyday or I just rage. It's true!! I can't STAND the feeling of unwashed hair against my skin at the moment. Is that weird? I should probably get used to NOT doing that though hey? Other things include not wanting to cut my own fingernails because I can't stand the feeling of a nail file. It's the sound and the feeling, I just hate it! 
• No heartburn! (yet) Does that mean a bald baby? Or it could have something to do with all the milk I've been drinking.
• I still get sick in the mornings *sigh* but thankfully so long as I shove some toast down the minute I get out of bed it's all ok... except when I don't make it to the toaster in time. Not nice. 

So far so good actually :) I was having troubles with the information being given to me at antenatal appointments that were causing some stress but just thismorning I was contacted by the hospital and invited to Group Practice which has really lifted my confidence. It means I will see one midwife for the remainder of my pregnancy rather than whoever is on at the time and if she is available then she will attend the labour aswell (although that's not a guarantee it's still very comforting). She then visits me at home after I leave the hospital to check up on me and bub for a period of time. I'm looking forward to finding out more information next week at my next check up but it sounds like it will suit me and make things a bit more comfortable for me (what with the anxiety and all). We are of course still flipping out over the things we still need to buy and wondering how the heck we're going to manage it over the coming months but it will work out in the end. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself... I may lose my mind otherwise!

The ripple stitch and a real bitch

I started this with odd balls from my stash way back before I even knew I was pregnant and only found it again at the beginning of last week... you ever have one of those 'found a project and have no idea what size hook I was using' moments? Yep that was me! I worked it out eventually... I found a photo here actually from when I'd first started it (click here for the post!) and ta da! The hook was in the photo *phew* Oh and in case you're wondering, I only ever got that one scarf made but I donated it all the same :o) I hope someone found it and loved it! Wow thinking back you really wonder where all that time went, I've been told pregnancies have a way of dragging but I'm finding it flying by! That might be because I feel so unprepared, I feel like I need a LOT longer to get everything sorted out but bub will come when he's ready whether I am or not :o)

I spent my weekend working on it, it was meant to be around the other way (horizontal ripples instead of vertical) but I only had the 6 balls to work with and ran out; it didn't matter in the end anyway it fits nicely the size that it is.

Today has been kinda crummy, had to have my glucose tolerance test today which involved a god-awful sugary beverage that tasted like Off! Bug Spray mixed with sugar and wait around in pathology for an hour to have blood taken. In that time I managed to make a small child cry by speaking to him (I'm gonna make a GREAT mum!). After getting home I then had to call the midwives clinic about something you don't want to know about and had a horrid experience with a bitchy-midwife-from-hell.... the way she spoke to me was bad enough but removing/replacing your knickers in front of this woman was absolutely one of the awkward moments of my life. She's a midwife! She looks at fannies all the time! What was so darn fascinating that she had to stare at me the whole time?!?!  Yeah, I know, I realise come birth I'll be half naked and surrounded by strangers but that's not the point.

But anyway... I've likely mentally scarred you now. Sorry about that!
Back to crochet..... Now I'm SURE I have another unfinished ripple blanket stuffed in a cupboard somewhere but I might just leave it there for the time being to be found and worked on another day! Oh and hey, if you did happen to read that post where I first started this project, you'll remember that lovely striped elf hat with the pom pom I'd made? Well it was absolutely perfect for the little fellow it was created for, wouldn't you agree? I sent it home with his parents as a gift :o)

 I am seriously freezing my metaphorical nuts off at the moment (could that midwife SEE my metaphorical nuts? Maybe that was what she was looking at)... it's currently 4 degrees Celsius outside and probably bloody close to that inside our apartment; the hubby, the fur balls and I are holed up in the bedroom trying to enjoy to last amounts of heat radiating from our pathetic little nearly-dead heater. Hunger is becoming a problem and I know we'll need to venture out into the kitchen to cook dinner soon. If I become an icicle and never write again, it's been nice knowing you!

There's gonna be a baby Shmoogle Bean!

I know right! SQUEEEEEEEEE! We are absolutely thrilled, as you may or may not know we are expecting our very first bubba this year!! EXCITEMENT!!!!!! Well you know, hubby and I had been married just over a year and we thought hey, let's make this year 'The Year' and try for a baby...we decided this in December 2012....I fell pregnant in January :o) I gotta admit it was a bit of a suprise! We kind of thought 'oh hey, it'll take a few months, longer maybe!' so you can imagine the look on our faces when one Saturday on a whim we duck into Coles at 11.30pm to pick up some pregnancy tests...and I think maybe I should wait til morning to take a test. Impatience got the better of me and a few minutes later, there it was...the second little pink line clear as day. I'm not sure what I thought at the time, maybe that it couldn't possibly have fallen pregnant so fast and promptly took the other two to make sure the first one wasn't faulty and lo and behold, there in front of me were three pink lines! We didn't get a lot of sleep that night, the nerves were crazy! After popping along to the Dr to confirm our good news, we were sent for a dating scan and first saw Baby Shmoogle Bean... ok so it was more of a splodge than a baby at 7 weeks 5 days but all the same, it was wonderful! Little heartbeat and everything :o) Epic smooshy moment! So there's not a lot to see there yet... but we get our 12 week scan next Monday and I am beyond excited!!

 



I have had the dreaded morning sickness since week 3 and alas it's not restricted to just the mornings...it's been



 

And let me tell you absolutely no fun! (despite any enthusiasm from The Kinks) Your excitement is kinda dampened when you have your head in a bucket....BUT sickness is apparantly a good thing meaning my hormones are doing what they're supposed to. Then all those things that come with being pregnant start happening...like a nasty UTI that was actually bleeding into my urine, then the absolutely shocking bout of thrush that came from the antibiotics that kept me up for nights on end...then the flu which I've acquired recently bought home by my husband (who works with school children all day) so thanks a bunch mother who sent their kid to school with the flu! Needless to say I've been stuck on bedrest A LOT these past few weeks....loads of books being read through and TV series' being watched. But you know what? Everyday that passes I'm thankful that I've made it past one week, then the next, then the next and all seems well. I am currently 9 weeks and 5 days, 10 weeks on Thursday and I breathe a little sigh of relief everyday. I have the most wonderfully supportive family although we live apart and whilst some friends have dropped away I have been blessed with those people who have shown sincere concern, excitement and happiness towards us since the beginning. People who remind me that through the sickness and worry I am growing a happy little vegemite and that Baby Shmoogle Bean will be loved by many! I might be turning into a bit of a hermit but Pinterest is here to help! (Hopefully) I've been stockpiling pins for this amazing occassion so that I can channel my creative vibes into creating for bub...to keep me occupied I'm simply going to choose something from my All Things Baby board and go for it! Which I will share of course :o)

I know most people don't usually share the good news until after 12 weeks, but my darling husband spilled the beans a tad too early and it kinda meant we had no choice haha! Very exciting stuff nevertheless and I am sooooo looking forward to seeing bubba again on Monday! :o)

 

 

SQUEEEE!!! 



Newborn fox hat and nappy cover

Ta da! I managed to partially recreate something I found on Pinterest *yay me!* I had an hour to kill thismorning whilst waiting for a client so I sat in the park and made the hat...then this arvo I worked up the nappy cover and the tail! Hoorah! Another cute little crochet doodad to add to my ever growing photography prop collection ^.^ I just kind of made it up as I went (except for the nappy cover...I use THIS pattern for that bit) It was pretty straight forward...I've nailed newborn hat sizings with most hooks and yarn sizes which is a plus, the ears are a touch too big but that's probably just the perfectionist in me talking and the tail was just a matter of increasing and decreasing in the right places. Please don't ask me for the pattern though...as much as I would LOVE to write it all up and share it with you I don't want to infringe on anybody's copyright.

If you're crochet-savvy I'm sure you can work it out...as I said, it's pretty straight forward and you can give it your own personal touch :o) I could probably have worked the tail in sc to hide the filling....but I hate sc. I really do.

As for my collection, I'm quite happily making and crocheting away expanding that..I'm trying my best to keep my bits and pieces original, searching for unique yarns and things to give them a personal touch but on the odd occasion that I find something (such as on Pinterest) that is just too damn adorable I have to make it too ^.^ And speaking of yarn, I have 2 beautiful balls of blue/green Poems Sock Yarn on the way as well as a GORGEOUS 'Lucy Pack' of acrylic yarns with colours inspired by the beautiful Attic24 that Daina (hi Daina!!!) snaffled up and set aside for me! SQUEEEEEE


Yarn... I heart yarn.

Nappy Wallet Sewing Tutorial ~ Very Handy and Very Cute!

Hey guys! You may remember this tutorial was featured at The Babbling Baby's Blog but unfortunately due to personal circumstances Charlene closed down her website. I was able however to retrieve (luckily!) this sewing tutorial I made up especially for her blog and relocated  back here to the QC Shmoogle Bean! I know a few blogs have featured this tutorial since then, if you are one of those wonderful bloggers, I have emailed you with this link if you'd like to replace it with the old one :o)
This is a gorgeous project to make as a gift for any mother-to-be, handmade gifts have that special personal touch! It takes very little fabric and is not a difficult sewing project; I made one for a friend of mine for her baby shower a few months ago and she just loved it! I hope you will enjoy this tutorial!! *I make no income from my blog and my tutorials are created for free for your personal/gift use only. Please do not sell items made from this tutorial; no part of this tutorial, text or photographs, may be sold, copied or reproduced in any way.Thankyou!

You will need:
Ruler or tape measure
Fabric scissors
Tailors chalk
Sewing machine and matching thread
Hook and loop tape
(2 x 5.5cm loop tape and 2 x 5.5cm hook tape)
Iron
Focus fabric
Lining fabric
Iron on interfacing

Fabric
For the nappy wallet:
1 focus fabric piece 42.5cm x 26cm
1 inner lining fabric piece " "
Interfacing " "

For the inside pockets:
2 focus fabric pieces 12cm x 14cm
2 inner lining pieces " "

For the wrist strap:
1 fabric piece 42cm x 7.5cm

For the closure strap:
1 focus fabric piece 9.5cm x 22cm
1 inner lining piece " "
Interfacing " "
This adorable 'Hungry Little Caterpillar' fabric is from 2 Little Bowerbirds, they stock some absolutely gorgeous fabrics and are an Australian based supplier. Before starting this project, be sure to have all your fabric cut and ready to go and be sure to read through each step before you start :o) I've included plenty of photos to help you along so it should be nice and easy to follow, but if you get stuck at any stage, please don't hesistate to ask me any questions!
Step 1: Iron the interfacing onto your nappy wallet lining fabric. Set aside

Step 2: Iron the interfacing onto wrong side of closure strap lining. Flip over and position both pieces of loop tape side by side in the centre onto right side of strap lining 3cm in from the top as shown. Overlap the tape slightly so it's easier to sew. Pin, and sew.

Step 3: Once your loop tape is sewn on, place the two closure strap pieces right sides facing and pin in place. Sew along the edge using a 1cm seam allowance leaving the bottom end open for turning. Cut a 45 degree angle at the corners close to the stitching, this will give you a nicer corner. Turn the strap right side out, fold in open end 1cm and press. Topstitch all around close to the edge. Set aside.

Step 4: Place one set of your pocket fabric pieces together (1 focus fabric and 1 lining piece), right sides together and sew around the outside using a 1/2cm seam allowance leaving a gap for turning. Turn right side out, fold in opening and press. Do not topstitch. Repeat with your second pocket. Set aside.

Step 5: Take your wrist strap fabric and lay it  wrong side up. Fold in the sides to the centre lengthways and press.

Fold the strip in half again enclosing both raw edges inside. Press. Your wrist strap will be 2cm wide. Top stitch along the open side close to the edge. I like to topstitch down the other side aswell to make it look more finished.

Step 6: Take your two main nappy wallet fabric pieces and place them right sides facing. Pin. Now take your wrist strap and fold down in half. Sandwich it between the two nappy wallet fabrics in the centre leaving 2.5cm of the ends outside as shown. Pin into place. Note: to find whereabouts you need to pin the wrist strap, fold your fabric in half and pin the strap in at the fold. Also make sure your wrist strap is not twisted inside the fabric pieces.

Sew all around the edge using a 1cm seam allowance leaving a 10cm gap for turning. Be sure to sew over the wrist strap to secure it. Trim off excess fabric and cut 45 degrees on each corner. Turn right side out and press the whole thing nice and flat.

Top stitch around all edges, being sure to catch the 10cm opening.

Step 7: Fold your nappy wallet in half. This is what your nappy wallet will look like when closed and is how we are going to position the closure strap. On the back of the nappy wallet, position your strap velcro side DOWN in the centre (about 8cm in from either side and 8cm down). Pin into place.

To attach the strap, sew a square 6cm x 6cm lining up the bottom of the square over the stitching at the bottom of the strap. Sew across from corner to corner. Don't worry, once we place the pockets on the inside of the nappy wallet, you won't see the stitching on the other side.



Step 8: Still with me? :o) Don't forget if you get stuck or have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Next we will be positioning the hook tape onto the nappy wallet. Lay your nappy wallet down as shown

Measure in 6cm from the top edge (about 8.5cm in from either side) and this is where you will sew on your loop velcro. Lay your velcro side by side slightly overlapping as before and pin into place.

Sew on your velcro.

Step 9: Take your two pocket pieces and position them at each end of the wallet as shown about 2cm in from each side.

You will be sewing along the sides and bottom edge leaving the opening towards the middle so when you are positioning your pockets, be sure to do so with the gaps you left for turning on the bottom of the pocket so they will be sewn over and closed in the process. Sew around each pocket as close to the edge as possible. And you're all done!! All you need to do now is add some nappies inside, gift wrap it and I am sure the mum-to-be will adore it! The nappy wallet will hold 2 newborn to 5kg nappies in each pocket snuggly plus you could easily fit a folded changing mat and another nappy or two between the pockets when closed.

Grouchy catch up - craptastic craft stuff and general crankiness

Having a royally sh** day and seriously couldn't care less if the world imploded and all that was left was an army of nuclear-enhanced cockroaches. I have cramps that could kill people, my usually cynical outlook is now plain vindictive and it seems everyone is out to test how far my temper stretches. There is not nearly enough chocolate in the house and I feel like the Good Year blimp right now, bloated, full of hot air and a huge eyesore!

I could go on complaining in more detail but the specific people who are currently annoying (I very much wanted to use a more colourful word but I didn't think you'd appreciate that) me off might get narky... or at least more so than their usual kind loving and considerate (BARF) natures.

Anyway, here are some photos of things I've been doing recently. I feel like I haven't blogged about anything crafty in a while. I am barely bringing myself to formulate sentences but hey, you get that on the big jobs.. DAMNIT i'm mad. Ah who cares...sorry, on with the catch up stuff.

I made a tiny crochet top hat..

I drew a chibi Jade from Homestuck - if you don't know what that is, I'm not explaining because it's all insane..just enjoy the pretty picture

I drew some portraits

I made a pair of baby booties

I took a Hipstamatic of my dog

I finished a baby blanket I was working on

and I took a silly photo of myself on my webcam.

That's about it! Now I'm going to go make myself French Toast DRENCHED in sugar because I am hungry and already feel like a fatty so I don't care. So what if all my blog posts aren't all happy cheerful grammatically correct stories of wonderment and joy! That's just life sweet cheeks!

Hope your day is less... infuriating...

My first attempt at making a quilt

Today I scrambled through my meagre fabric stash to see what I had in there..I had this brilliant idea that I was going to give a baby quilt/play mat a go today (after finally giving up on the housework. The bathroom is clean, I smell like a Exit Mould) I only had two pieces of fabric large enough to make a quilt with, some green spotty fabric and some dark blue cotton which worked out well because it means now I have a unisex quilt to add to my baby box. I also discovered I had no batting either and being too broke to go buy some more (as usual) I fished out a piece of old pink mink that was faded and used two layers of that instead. And then I set to it! And voila! It didn't turn out so bad :o) The only bias binding I had was 1cm wide and at first I tried in vain to wrap it over the outside edge but as you can guess, that failed. So I cheated and folded it in half and topstitched it on instead! That worked!

The spots made it a bucket load easier for me to sew nice even squares too ( I just had to count between them to get straight lines), I'd have been stuffed without them! Perhaps all my blankets in future will be spotty...

Then for extra measure (and with extra fabric) I put two applique birds on the corner....unfortunately though my sewing machine is very old (A Globe Electronic 390 to be exact) and doesn't really have an applique/embroidery function so I just sort of eyeballed it and used a small zig zag stitch over the edge twice. Some may call it dodgy, I think of it as improvisation! I'm pretty impressed with my handiwork, my sewing machine has been a bit neglected recently (blame Mr Crochet Hook) though it definately has room for improvement next time!

My poor drawing pencil was being neglected!



What happened to the days when I used to draw all the time??? Why have I suddenly stopped doing what I love most?! I guess my mojo went on holiday.....I don't know when the last time I drew a portrait was. I decided today was a good time to see just how rusty I'd become and look what happened!

 I am glad I did it and am really looking forward to getting in some more practice! I've never had any kind of training in this area...I did try to once but I fairly sure my teacher hated me, EVERYTHING I did, in her opinion, was wrong while the rest of the class was perfect :/ So in a nutshell that didn't last too long. Maybe I'll try going through professional training again one day but definately not at the same place!

I'd done a few drawings for friends in the past, I found copies in a folder on my computer recently and had almost forgotton I'd done them at all!

I was a bit taken aback at first, I had a moment of 'did I really do that??'. I will definately be striving to get some more practice in and hopefully even start selling some custom portraits!

DIY Baby Tutu

The completed 'Starry Night' tutu is available for sale at 'Sweet Little Shmoogle Beans ~ Photography Props'

NOTE: You may sell items made from this tutorial with proper credit back to this blog and tutorial. You may not copy/sell/reproduce any part of this tutorial. You may not use photos from this tutorial for any purpose. Please respect the time and effort that goes into the production of free craft tutorials :o)
What you will need:
Braided elastic - mine is 1/2 inch thick but any size between 1/2 and 2 inches in fine.
Tulle of course! - I picked up 2 kinds from the scraps bin at my local fabric store for only $10. They're about 2m by 80cm-ish each. Since we're doing this on a budget, if you can manage to pick up an assortment of smaller lengths of tulle that would be perfect for this! The tutu is only small so you won't need alot.
Scissors
Sewing machine (and matching thread!) You can sew this by hand though if you like!


Cut your elastic to comfortably fit the waist of the bub you are making the tutu for or if you are making for a newborn baby as a photography prop or a gift, then make your elastic 15 inches long and it should fit just fine! If it's a bit big, have no fear bub will grow! :o)

Now cut your tulle into lengths. For a newborn tutu you don't want to have the tulle too long so cut each peice about 16" by 5-7" wide. (You will fold the tulle in half when sewing onto the elastic so your tutu will only be 6 - 8" long when finished) I am using two colours and I used 22 strips of each to make the finished tutu.
Sew the ends of your elastic together (overlapping about 1/4 inch should do) with a zig zag stitch. Sew back over a few times for extra hold.

Take two pieces of tulle, one of each (or whatever you're using; you can overlap two of the same colour or different colours, it's up to you!) and lay them on top of each other. Now fold the two pieces lengthways. Fold it at the middle over the elastic and scrunch up the tulle a little to gather it, sew over the tulle just under the elastic.

Fold your two layered pieces of tulle (that have been folded lengthways..we did that to add extra puffy-ness) over the elastic.

Be sure not to sew over the elastic when adding your tulle

Continue adding your layered tulle! See what I mean? By layering the pieces you will get an extra fullness than if you were only using one layer at a time

The tutu is taking shape!! only a little bit more to add and you're done!

ta da!! That wasn't too hard now was it? :o)