A little light reading

One of my favourite past times has got to be

having a good rummage around a charity shop.
Its the anticipation and excitement at what you might just be about to find. Luckily my thrifting hobby is shared by Mr D, this I guess is not so lucky for the boys! Our searching is often cut short with cries of "Not another shop", and "why are you buying THAT!" and then when they really have had enough there's the stamping of feet and a chorus of "I want to go home NOW"!!
So Saturday we agreed we would only go in one charity shop, what kind parents we are, or was it just that we had so much to do!
Luckily it didn't disappoint.

There's something so playful and joyful about craft books from the seventies.

The second book is "100 Japanese Stencil Designs" in their words "a book ready for use as patterns for wallpaper, textiles, graphics, and needlework, these delicate royalty-free images are ideal for a host of modern decorative and graphic needs".

Quite a few of the designs remind me of the echino prints I'm thinking of using in baby E's room. Oh so much inspiration, the trouble is it makes me wonder what other exciting things are in the thrift shops we didn't explore!! I think they should call it thrift addiction and I truly have the bug!

Bring on the dribble!

I knew my collection of thrifted bedlinen would come in handy one day!

I pulled out some pretty Amy Butler fabric, a bit of
Anna Maria Horner, nothings to good for my little girl, right?!
Err wrong!
A quick glimpse at one gurgling baby and I put all my selected prints back in the cupboard and reached for my pile of charity shop bed linen!!
Now if I was to make bibs out of my favourite prints I know that I would end up being reluctant to use them, choosing probably to hang them up some where rather than see them covered in dribble, milk and eventually carrot puree!
Sad of me I know but sometimes the truth hurts!
Now these sheets on the other hand deserve to have pride of place rather than only being used to line bags and back quilts, so I decided they were just what I needed.

I've backed them with cotton flannel so they are lovely and soft
and have made them quite large so they should keep her clothes clean and dry.
So as soon as I've finished admiring the bibs (!!!)

Baby E will get a chance to wear them and the dribbling can begin!

Sunshine Award

I can't stop smiling!

A very big thank you to Ali at snipsnaphappy who has given me a
sunshine award.
It was just what I needed this morning as I've just got back from school were I left an upset little boy. So as I was feeling pretty fed up when I logged on and then I saw this award and haven't stopped smiling since!
Also a very kind lady has just phoned from the school to let me know J is fine and now happily playing, so 2 things to smile about.
Can't be bad!

The conditions of this award are,

• Put the logo on your blog or within your post,

• Pass the award onto 12 bloggers,

• Link the nominees within your post,

• Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog,

• Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

So I better get on with it, all this smiling can wait!!!
Here are my 12 bloggers,
I think a few might have already received this award but I want to pass it on to people who have made my first few months of blogging feel really worth it, and to blogs that I look forward to reading. Also this is a bit of a kick up the backside for me, I must stop lurking on sites and start saying "hello"!
So here you are,

Handmade at Home

Tabiboo

Quilt while your ahead

Noodlehead

Primrose corner

The swede Records

Lilys House

My Sewing Serenity

M is for make

Blueberry Park

SweetMyrtle

Dragonfly

I must say I'm really enjoying finding new blogs and making new friends
Thanks again to Ali for making my day.

Go on make someone smile!

It's all about days like this

The weekend carried on where the week left off.

Awful!

How many times do we need to tell J to leave his little brother alone, and with the rain pelting down we had an exhausting day as parents. So after a very frustrating Saturday Mr D and I plotted!
Space,

we needed space especially outdoor space and lots of it.
So come rain or shine we planned a day out.
And what a day.

We couldn't have planned it any better!
Household chores were forgotten, sewing plans were shelved.
Crazy to think last week we had snow.

The boys had space,
the sun shone, our first picnic of the year was eaten!
Does it get any better?

As I wandered off to the car to feed baby E
I looked down on the boys (that includes Mr D!)
and boy did I feel happy
and very pleased to be a mummy.

Where does the time go?

It's Friday already!

Where has the week gone?

I asked myself that question this morning walking back from dropping off a very reluctant boy at school. I know the answer of course, the walking to and from school, nursing baby E nearly every 3 hours, the mounds of washing that a household of 5 create (it truly is shocking!) and then in between all the other daily chores there is the entertaining of a 2 year old who I'm desperately trying not to leave out.

This week really has been all about surviving,

I'm sure as the weeks go on we will get into a better routine and as J gets more use to school we will all become that little bit less stressed!
As for time spent on the sewing machine that right now is very limited but I did get half an hour yesterday and was hoping to be able to show you my latest project.

Unfortunately in my haste last night I left it out uncovered on my sewing table
and when I came to photograph it this morning I found it covered in muddy cat prints!
It really has been one of those weeks!

It's not just cats you have to be aware of!
Little fingers seem to love my sewing area as well!

Thank goodness it's the weekend!

Can we go home yet?

I was so excited when the first snow flakes fell.

When everything turns white it becomes so magical.

The thought of building snowmen, having snowball fights,
seeing the boys faces full of wonder
it arouses your inner child

Oh how I've had enough!!!
Within seconds of the photo below being taken, I found myself saying
"I think it's time to go home now"

resulting in J crying.
"are you not freezing, it's so bitter" was my response!
how old do I sound, where has my inner child gone!!!

Saying that though once we got J in the car
the cold hit him and he spent the journey home
complaining of how much his fingers and toes hurt.

Sometimes parents do know best!

A Knitted Surprise

I love receiving parcels, especially surprise ones

and yesterdays was no exception.

Having a mum who can knit is very handy
especially when her daughter cannot!

Surely this is not the same boy who refused to try a hat on yesterday!

What a difference a good nights sleep can make!


Thanks mum they are just perfect for this weather.

What next?

We've got snow

We've got ice


With the coldest night of the winter forecast for tonight
What will tomorrow bring?

A little distraction

Thew.

I've been dreading today for days, weeks, months even years,
And I'm ever so happy today is over, even happier that today went OK.

Today J started school, it's been a big step for us, we feel that for J it's too much too soon, but he has taken it in his stride, in his own timid and nervous way and in his words "it went OK",
Well that's good enough for us. I feel so proud, he's growing up so fast and he's doing OK!!

Today bought more surprises. I actually got chance to turn on my sewing machine and start a project and wait for it............................finish it, in one day, amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Making this bag for J to take his PE kit to school in has been a great distraction for me.

J has loved the echino car print since the day it arrived in the post so it only felt right to use it for his bag. I like the thought of him having a little bit of his mummy's handmade with him at school, maybe when he's getting changed for PE and wondering what the hell school's all about this might bring him a little comfort.

As for the snow that too bought distractions.
A snowball fight on the walk home from school does wonders for tired school boys!

The perfect ending

A very belated Happy New Year!

Hope yours was a good one.

Our new years eve was spent wandering

Admiring

Gasping

Finding two gnomes!!!

and then finally partying!

before all being tucked up in bed well before midnight!

The perfect ending to a very good year.