Flower Power!

We are having such a wonderful summery day today.  Well actually the weather might be that way but in reality I've been busy vacuuming the whole house and helping make trays of cookies.  Funny how I always end up finishing the baking! 

Anyway I thought I'd just pop in and show you my new creation.  Look, it's crochet too!!!  Thank you Maria for your inspiring stripy blanket to get me back into hooking for a while.  Have you met Maria before?  She makes such wonderful things.  Pop on over and visit her if you like, she'll love to have you over for a while.

Pattern from Lucy, Attic 24 of course.  Never thought I could do something this cool!  Loving the summery colours.  It was so easy to make but it's probably a little baggy on the jar.  When I was filling the jar with water, No.2 asked me why I didn't take the cover off first so it didn't get wet.  It's just far too sensible really!  And yes it did get wet.  Who cares in this heat. 

Gosh it's so very hot, about 28 degrees C here now and we're sweating away eating iceblocks and anything cold we can get our hands on.  Hey do you want a sneaky peek at our new bathroom?  I ADORE it!  It's so tranquil and beautiful, as is our bedroom.  I could live in our bathroom it's so pretty.  Loving the little tiles below the mirror.  We still need the fan, lights and towel rail to be installed and then it's all done.  Then there'll be whole room photos.

I made these cushion covers last year and finally added one more colour last night.  I do love them and must get them finished for the winter.  They will add much needed colour to our lounge in the cooler months.

Well that's it for today.  I hope your weekend is going nicely too.  Thanks for stopping by!  Oh, note the bigger photos?  Much prettier.

Today It Is Officially...

Winter.  Oh dear, never mind.  Just as well we have some pretty colour indoors to warm us up.  Do you like Katie's new scalloped garland?  It's all ready to go up on her pretty blue/green wall next week.  The painting of the two little girls' rooms and the hallway is finally completed!!  The carpets are going to be cleaned by hubby on Saturday, the rest of the doors rehung, ready for the big move in next week.   

Take a looksie outside today.  My poor little Christmas tree is about to float away I'm sure.

All the bark is floating away too.  These photos were taken half an hour ago and it's so much worse now.  I hope I don't have to go out in my bare feet to rescue the garden later.  I've done that before and it's freezing cold water.  There is a big drain just in front of the red pot, it works well doesn't it? 

It sure is an inside day today.  Slippers...

my mother's pumpkin and orange soup, very yummy and scrummy...

and perhaps a little crocheting of Grannies later...

Last week I had Lucy home from school with a tummy bug.  She and I needed some entertaining so we decided on origami crane making.  It turned out to be the best thing because we were both rolling around the floor laughing in the end.  Honestly those instructions are just impossible to work out.  In the end we did get one made correctly...

only to forget the last step each time.  Thankfully my brain kicked into gear by about the fifth one and then we were off.  Aren't they so pretty and colourful?  We would have preferred the pretty floral ones in the book, but perhaps another day.

This new puzzle was also impossible.  We ended up with one piece that didn't fit anywhere no matter how hard we tried.  In the end we both got up to move on with life and found Lucy had been sitting on the correct missing piece all along!  So we have a full puzzle and an extra piece.

Now I have a question for you all.  I'm making a notice board for Molly and I have cut a couple of pieces of fabric to fit over the cork.  I have enough fabric to slip under the frame edges to make it neat and tidy.  What glue would I use to attach it onto the cork?  I don't want to make the fabric all stiff looking but don't think it would work with just the edges glued either.  Any advice?

I have some lovely red ric rac to go across in rows and will decorate some wooden pegs with buttons for her to hang her goodies on.   This photo is just the corner of the whole board.  What do you think of the doily use? 

Well the sun is out and the rain has stopped.  My feet have been saved for now.  Hopefully the school pick up is dry and the day continues to improve.  May the sun shine where you are too!  

Gosh I nearly forgot to say, have you all posted your aprons?  The aprons should all be posted by now unless you have an agreement.  I'm thinking in a week or two we should have an apron day where we all post a photo of our apron.  That way you could pop over to my blog, search through the apron blog list and ooh and aah over them.  What do you think?

A Very Busy Time

Look at my sweet girls.  Walking to school together for the first time with their new bigger sister.  Oh she was so excited this morning when she realised that she was going to be starting school for real today.  I have never seen her get ready so quickly before!  May that continue.  Nana and Papa also came to take photos of the three school girls. 

She seemed to settle into school after a few minutes of me being in the class with her. Her teacher was more concerned about the fact she knew no one in her the class, than me.  I know she'll be just fine, she's good like that. 

Her party yesterday went well and all the little girls seemed to have a good time.  We had lots of lovely colour in the decorations and the food.  A note to mothers planning a party for a little one, don't bother about fruit, they don't eat it - at all!  Stick to rubbish food, it's a winner every time.

The cupcakes were lovingly made by my mother.  Aren't they wonderful?!  They were very popular and some even ate the cake part as well - always a bonus.  And my rainbow jellies, which took me the better part of two days to prepare, were happily received but not many were actually eaten.  Still, I had a great time making them and I love jelly.  I think perhaps the jellies were really made for me!

And the cake?  Yes the cake was a huge success.  It was a bit of a challenge to get the lid to stay upright but we got there in the end with a bit of pink tack and some patience.  The cake was the treasure box at the end of the rainbow.

I did have a wonderful time putting it together.  Finding all those pretty lollies at the dairy down the road.  Reminiscing about the same old coin sweets I used to buy when I was a school girl.  They are so out of date  now, but a lovely memory for us oldies.  I had fun planting a pretty garden around the edge of the box too. 

But the surprise for No.3 was the hidden rainbow.  See it peaking out of the centre?

Just perfect.  I'm amazed it came out so well.  I found the recipe here and decided to give it a go after dear Lululiz suggested how perfect it would be.  She was right of course!  She always is. 

And this is how it's all done.  Six yoghurt containers of batter, all in a different colour of the rainbow. 

Look how amazing it looks in the cake tin.  I made two layers, the other one had the colours in reverse.  Not too time consuming really, the prettiness sure made up for any extra work involved. 

And of course it was also Mothers Day yesterday.  I made my mother a tote bag just before the party.  It's amazing what I can do sometimes!  And look at this beautiful card No.2 made for me at school.  What a thoughtful teacher she has.  She's only young herself and not a mum yet.  I'm sure these precious cards were all gratefully received.

And have a read of what she wrote if you like.  It's so sweet.  Thank you Lucy.

And now it's just No.4 and me.  I'm sure we are going to have a wonderful time filling in the weeks by ourselves.  She starts at afternoon kindy three days a week tomorrow.  But Mondays and Fridays are our days.  I'm looking forward to them.  It's the first time she's had me to herself.  How exciting!

Edited to add:  I've decided to make a special time each Monday for No.4 and I to do something special together.  I'm calling it 'Mummy Mondays' and hopefully there will be photos to show you on Tuesdays, time permitting of course.  Tune in tomorrow for the first installment.

Giving Colour Away

Oh you poor, poor, little darlings in the snow who are craving colour right now. Have no fear, I am here.  For your eyes, and for your eyes only, I have hunted out some of the most delicious colours, just for you.

First up we have one of my very, very favourite paintings ever.  Isn't it magnificent?  No.2 was the clever artist and is it not worth framing?  I just wish teachers weren't so happy with the old stapler.  Still the colour manages to hide most of the holes.

Anyone for a lovely orange?  Mmmm this could be going a bit far.  Sorry if you are now in serious need of one.  I might have to bite into one in a min too!

Now how could you not wake up in a cherry mood when greated with this array of colour.  I just adore these bowls so much.  They have matching lids too and I do love mixing them up to add more colour.  Unfortunately it messes with No.4's brain and she forbids me to mix her green bowl and lid with another colour!

Spotty dotty buttons on spotty dotty fabric.  This would be one of my favourite fabrics of all time.  Oh yes, this is certainly something to cheer the winter blues away.

Peaches anyone?  Or maybe a peachy button instead?  Loving my pasta jars of buttons.

Stacks of red gingham, the ultimate of all fabrics of course!  Don't think I'll be running out of it any time soon.

An almost heart shaped strawberry, just for you... with love.  xxx

Children's toys are always filled with colour, and sweets in this case too.  Would you care for a lollipop or a drop?

OK on to a slightly more serious note.  I LOVE this quilt.  I love the fabrics.  I love the white sashing.  I love the simplicity.  I love the squares.  I really do absolutely LOVE it!  It's all about the fabrics, this quilt.  And fabrics are what I like.  I'm thinking this would be perfect for our bed. 

Yes thank you, I do remember I am still working on my Rainbow Strings Quilt.  And no I haven't done much work on it lately.  I've been busy actually, doing secret squirrel work on my swap.  Shhhh!  I finally stopped tossing around with ideas last night and cut into some very important fabric.  And I'm liking what it's becoming.  We are supposed to send something so very lovely that we would be tempted to keep it for ourselves.  Well I think I'm there and I WANT IT!  I'll be making two of these I guess!  Willeke (my swap partner) likes colour very much too, and I can tell you, she won't be disappointed in that area.

Happy Colour Day to you all!  Oh I hear it's Shrove Tuesday today.  Guess what I'll be making for pud tonight?  Go on, I'll give you three guesses.  Ha ha!!