Fun in February (despite floods)

My husband's birthday falls in February which calls for some cake, yay!  I admit I did not bake the biscuits but found them in the sale isle of a supermarket for 25p a pack (Christmas stock) with icing pens, red balls and ribbons making this an easy make.  The cake was a very simple Victoria sponge but by far the best I've ever made, despite using the exact same recipe and utensils/ cooker etc.  It was a big hit with the Birthday Boy

There has been so much rain here as many will have seen on the news.  It's difficult to keep younger children occupied in doors so I was pleased when the rain ceased for a day.  Out came the chalks, hats and coats and the girls played outside for over an hour, happily drawing pictures, playing hop scotch and I had a quiet cup of tea.

No arguments or pestering; just giggles, hops and jumps that certainly made the tea taste better.

On the rainy days, I have been taking the girls to the library (which we can almost see from our drive- very close indeed).  Fiona is just learning to read  and really enjoys an hour there exploring her growing awareness of words while Lydia likes the new books and also the putting them away again.  There are pictures and pencils for when she gets bored and of course, there are grown up's books too (for when we get bored).

I borrowed these 2 books which I love for different reasons.  Living in a rented flat has made me think about the home differently.  The items we're buying are usually 2nd hand and so not always to our desired taste as function and cost are the deciding factors.  The Pearl Lowe 'Vintage Craft' has been inspiring as she encourages you  to upcycle in simple but effective ways.  There are loads of books doing the same but I particularly like her style and she gives a little intro to the chapters which I've loved reading.

The other book is also amazing!  It's called 'Crochet at Play' by Kay Golding which I picked it up and saw a few projects and decided I wanted to take it home.  On getting it home, I discovered there were several projects which had been featured in Mollie Makes which I had earmarked and even posted to Facebook.  I've since seen it in 'The Works' for £5 and will most definitely be purchasing a copy.  There are hats, cardigan's, toys, novelty items and interior  bits- nearly all of which I really want to try.  I even bought some cotton yarn to attempt the star shaped rug for Michael's room which is slowly coming together,

So, despite the floods here in Worcestershire, we're having fun and half term hasn't started yet!

Getting Organised

I posted pics a while back of a cabinet I was working on for my craft room.  Well my 'sewing space' has been very cold and damp which meant I couldn't spend much time down there and then it was messy and I couldn't justify sorting it out until the rest of the flat was sorted.  A visit from the Landlord resulted in lots of new heaters, windows and painting being done thus I have finally started getting myself organised.  We are not all completely well so the process is still a little slower than I would like and it is amidst weaning the little man and going back to work.  However, progress I have made and here are some pics!

The said £20 cabinet/cupboard.

My choice of paint- possibly not the best paint as it was gloss and I would have preferred a chalk finish but it did the job (4 coats though!)

I admit I began to panic at this point as the paint looked very thin.  But 3 more coats and I was happier.  I decided to add some gold painted detail around the window panes for a little lift and am contemplating some stencilled golden birds and foliage up the sides in true Victorian fashion.

It's current place in my sewing room filled with fabric (what is left of my stash after a huge ruthless clear out)

This is yet to be properly organised but the box in the middle has my collection of Mollie Makes gifts which I will eventually get round to making up.  They're so pretty that I haven't wanted to attempt them but end up ruining them.  I also have my dressmaking patterns in my mum's old sewing basket (right) and the pink box contains my ribbons which are too nice to remain under a lid (left).

How my sewing room looks today.  More pics to come when I finish decorating it (and tidying!)

stationary state

Another bout of illness, in the form of tonsillitis has induced me into a stationary state, again. Booooo I am really missing crafting which I suppose is why I am enjoying others' craftiness at the moment, specifically photography.  Social Media alerted me to the work of this creative genius;
 http://www.viralnovelty.com/photos-will-blow-mind-one-look-youll-see-mean/

This is one of my favourite shots!

Another photographer I was made aware of was from this link:
 www.boredpanda.com/animal-children-photography-elena-shumilova/?fb_action_ids=10152146145870280&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

I couldn't pick between these pics so I've uploaded both.  The first I love as the little boy reminds me of my own sweet Mikey with similar coloured hair with curls, and I also love ducks.

 
This 2nd picture encompasses an emotion within my own children and one I remember myself which the mother has captured so beautifully (even if the picture has been edited, I don't really care because I think it's beautiful!)

Being ill straight after Christmas definitely leads to sentimental melancholy and thus I have looked over all my own pictures over the last year, categorising which ones I should send off to be printed and which should grace the walls, enter scrapbooks etc.  Here are a few of my own favourites from last year.

insufficient apologies

Where to begin? Apologies won't quite cover why I have been quiet so long.  I had a very busy build up to Christmas with guests coming and going and then the inevitable illnesses which, on this occasion floored me (quite literally).  I had/ have sinusitis and the swelling is putting pressure on my inner ear so lots of dizziness etc.  The worst of it came after Christmas which did allow me to enjoy the holiday before spending 4 days straight in bed unable to move for nausea.  Enough of the pity party now though eh?!  Here are some pictures which captured my Christmas.

Here is the finished advent calendar I previously posted about.  I added pieces of magnet onto the back of them cut from a long strip bought from a craft shop and then I put chocolate coins inside.

 
 And here is my beloved dresser.  It isn't quite as Christmassy as other years but I liked the colour theme taking place.  This is by my front door so is a nice welcome to the home.

 I love the lazy days at Christmas and they have never been better spent than the days when the kids and I sat at the table and did Christmas crafts.  I started a scrap book for them this year and have stuck in pictures, gift tags and their makes inside.  I can't fit their Christingles inside but here is a pic of the finished product in addition to some of their paintings which did make it.

 

Yet what would the holidays be without trips out to places like the theatre for PANTO!

 Fiona got a puppet show as one of her presents that she had to colour and assemble herself.  They were from Oxfam and a great buy.  They advise that they're suitable for approx 7 year olds but she is 5 and Lydia is 3 and they both have had great fun with it.  After having visited the pantomine, Fiona had lots of ideas for the performance.  Her audience consisted of the school bear which she was honoured with hosting for the holidays although her Nanny, Grandad, Aunt and Uncle were also treated to a special performance.  She had some help from her younger sibling too.

Some of the pre-Christmas crafts which have occupied my hands and time included making 12 meters of bunting for Fiona's School Christmas Fair, Stockings for friend's children, and nativity costumes for our Church children.

These lovely tags were made by my clever sister-in-law and will be kept for years to come (perhaps sewn onto their own stockings).

2013 Christmas Markets

 I didn’t manage to get to the Manchester Christmas markets last year with being sick during pregnancy and then I was busy doing fairs at several weekends over the Christmas build up.  I have been determined to get to some this year and over the last 10 days, I managed to get to 3.  Last Friday I went to Birmingham and met up with my mother in Law to have a gentle stroll around the markets with several children in tow.  It was quite the adventure for my little girl embarking on our train journey from the picturesque Great Malvern station to arriving to our 2^nd largest, bustling city.  I came to the Birmingham markets approximately 6 years ago and was quite unimpressed in comparison to the Manchester event.  However I found them much improved this year and less cramped than the aforementioned.  Whilst still being quite expensive, I also thought that they were more reasonable although I can’t share my purchases as yet as it may ruin the surprise for family members who read this post.

My next adventure was to the Worcester Victorian markets.  I was very excited as I have only heard good things about them.  I had my 2 youngest again and decided it would be another new experience which would only be benefited if we truly embraced the theme and thus, I got dressed up.  It was a wonderful day and I am considering having a stall there next year.  

I will write later in the week of some of the stalls I saw as I have links to pages and photos of individual stalls but it was hands down the best fair I have been to.  The prices are reasonable and I don’t mean expensive but understandable, I actually mean fair, competitive prices and nearly all the stalls (perhaps 200 odd) were crafters not traders (which is all I saw at the Birmingham and Manchester ones).  There were many people dressed in Victorian regalia and entertainment on the street for children making the atmosphere very friendly.  Again I cannot share pictures of my purchases as they are for presents.

The last fair visited was the Malvern Christmas Fair and switching on of the lights.  My eldest daughter was involved in the lantern parade as part of her school but there were activities on throughout the day including a crafters market, face painting, a Grotto and choirs, brass bands and the local radio station were hosts.  Another lovely day with a family friendly environment and food and fair rides were quite affordable.  

The craft stalls however, were very expensive.  The sellers are definitely more artists rather than hobby crafters but I didn't buy a single item even though I was very tempted by a baby bib (but I felt £8 was too much for one).   The fair was beautifully laid out and the stall owners were warm and chatty but this was more of a high end gift fair.