swinging

We bought a new swing from Ikea last weekend, and the kids have been having so much fun on it. There is something lovely about swinging isn't there, Well worth its money already. Haven't blogged for days because I promised myself the next post would be something handmade! oh well, it isn't. next time.

Just been looking at photos saved on my camera and found some I was going to blog about but didn't, from a recent visit to the Japanese food shop in cardiff. I love going there, and usually try to pop in when I go to Cafe Junior(which is a great place, if you are ever in Cardiff with small childen in tow), as its just round the corner. Heres what I bought this time.


Those pink things, I only bought for the packaging, and because they were cheap. they were also horrible.


These were really yummy though, like pocky.


And these were yummy too, not Japanese, from Korea I think but I cant remember 100%, but they were really nice(despite scary looking potato on the front), we tucked into them on the way home. The other things in the picture are buckwheat noodles and sesame seeds(nice packaging), still in their shells, which you crack open and eat a bit like pistachios. yum.

Also got grape scented incense from the reduced section. how I love grape flovoured things, Britain doesn't do grape anything, such a shame.

Now however, my house is grape-scented.

catching up

Curly girls.

Lucie and her cousin Ana had a great time at the wedding party on Saturday, as we all did. This photo should have been much better than it is, but the girls wouldnt go closer together unless I had pushed them, and we were in a dark corner, and Im just not very good! You can see their matching curls though. There was yummy food, lots of wine, and we didn't get home until 1.30 in the morning.

So, bearing in mind that on Saturday we drove to London and back in the day (more than 3 hours travelling each way), whats the best thing we could have planned for Sunday?? A birthday party in our little house - yay!

It was only a few of Lauries closest friends though, and the weather was lovely so they all just played in the garden, someone bought him water pistols, two people I think, so there was a big waterfight at one point. I will show you his cake as I have hardly any other photos, but dont judge me, its a bit of a butter icing monstrousity, as I didnt get round to getting rolly-out icing, and secretly I like this stuff more anyway tastewise!! It is number 4 from the Numberjacks, for those unaquainted with British kids telly (oh if only!)


The sun cream tube at the top is not a part of the cake, just an indication of the heat of the day and another unprepared snap photo. Oh, and the candles are angel candles, lit but invisible in this photo, they have different colour flames, but dont really work outside, as you can see!

Ahh, a sunny day

Painting is so much better when it can be done outdoors. This was todays after-school activity, Esme always likes there to be something planned, I usually get in trouble on the walk home from school for not having thought of something for that day 'but Mum, thats what you are supposed to think of during the day...' like I have no better things to do - while the coffee shop and bakery remain open, mummy is a busy woman!

And of course then there are charity shops, and more goodies to be had there. Look what fell into my pushchair basket today.


I know, I know, I bought cups and saucers just last week, do I really need more? my husband will go mad when he sees them, I got told off for the first lot. But, he broke a saucer yesterday, so Im one down already, and these are green, and they have side plates, no, CAKE plates. And its typical, I have been looking for cups and saucers for so long, and finding nothing, then 2 great retro designs in one week. Of course they didn't fall into my basket, I did pay for them, but they were only £2.79 for all 6 like this, and I saw them last friday and didn't get them, and they were still waiting for me today, so I thought it must be meant to be. The plates had a price on too, but she wouldn't charge me extra for them. Now I just have to bring them out of hiding, when its safe!

I also took my long overdue library books back, paid up my fines, and found this book in the ex-libris box for 20p



Original Red Riding Hood?? I remember this book from when I was small, and it has great illustrations, Granny gets taken cake and wine, eaten whole, and the wolf gets filled with stones and dies at the end. I will put more photos of the illustrations on flickr, go and look, they are great.

I have so much to say today, we had a hectic weekend filled with parties, I have to go through the photos, so more on that tomorrow maybe. In the mean time, look at the present I had from my Brother and Sister in law, there is a great little chocolate shop just yards from their house, and they bought me all these yummy bars (they know me well!!)

packaging

I had been looking for a picture for my blog today, but now it seems immaterial as blogger isn't letting me add a photo tonight. thankyou to those who gave me blogs for the dress on the last post, it was The Mayfly where I got the patternand I had also seen it here originally, printed out so long ago I had forgotten.

I went to a local creperie today in celebration of my birthday, which is tomorrow, with friends from school and all the pre-school age kids we have collectively, 8 adults and 7 two and three year olds!! I think it took the owner/chef by surprise a bit, even though I had booked last night, he had to run around a lot as he was cooking and serving on his own. I should have taken my camera, as the food was very pretty and tasted yummy too.

Tomorrow we are going to a wedding party, and the next day is lauries birthday party, he was 4 earlier in the week, so its all party party party here!!! must go now and survey the crisps and cake situation!!

a little linen apron dress

I have had a whole week with no internet - cut off from the rest of the world!! never mind, I'm back now, with a new ISP that is finally (just about) working as it should.






Last week, the night before I was cut off, I got round to making one of these smock dresses that I got the pattern from ...

[wheres it from?? - i just spent about an hour trying to find who has this pattern on their blog - help!!] *** edited to add - found it !!! here at The Mayflys blog.

Anyway, I made it from lovely green linen I bought ages ago really cheaply from Ikea, and lined it in a cotton voile to keep it light. I put buttons on the shoulders instead of ties. it crosses over at the back, my model wouldnt stand still and kept running about so most of my pictures were blurry!

Im pleased with it as a first attempt, and hopefully will make more, I have an idea to alter it a bit, and then to make a bigger one too, as Esme wants one like her little sisters.

"there's something good...."

Do you ever get that feeling that there is something good just waiting for you? Today as I walked past one of the local charity shops I had just that feeling.

So, I went inside, to look what it might be. I have been looking for some nice retro or vintage cups and saucers for ages, so thats what I was hoping for, but I looked and there wasn't really anything that caught my attention. I mooched around, and found an embroidered tablecloth, nothing too exciting, but maybe that was it, it was cheap. so I took it up to pay, and behind the till, I saw these!


I speeded round, was amazed at the price tag, and grabbed them quick! There were 6 saucers but only 5 cups, and now they are mine! They are british mde china and quite delicate, and such a pretty shape (that was hard to catch on the photographs) , they arent like the clunky opaque glass or stoneware cups you sometimes see in a similar printed design. And no chips or cracks. And all for only £1.99!!!
So now I am happy, and you can come round for tea and cake if you like, I'm ready!!

WIP-been crocheting

Last week Julia gave me a little present, this book. I have been trying to make the dress for Lucie. I am not very good at crochet though, I only learnt a few years ago, and have never really got going with it.

I am also very bad at following instructions, or indeed sticking to them, I have a rebellious nature, i can't help it.

So, anyone with half an eye for crochet will see I havent been following the pattern, but rather making it up as I go along. I did try, but I couldnt understand it, so I undid a lot, and have simplified it. I do one row of the holey pattern, followed by 2 rows of half double crochets. this gives me a repeat of 3 rows rather than the 9 they were suggesting. seems to have worked so far, but then I hit another problem. I ran out of yarn!

I am using Patons cotton rich in apple(I know the pic doesnt look like apple, but the light must have been bad), and I do have another ball of this SOMEWHERE?? I bought it from ebay and cant see any online today, so I need to extend my search of the house for it!

pretty

I found this lovely wrapping paper at paperchase. Look, it has pretty trees and owls and birds, I wish they did it as wallpaper, I would like to do a whole wall in it!

blackboard projects

A while back i saw this great idea for canvas squares painted in blackboard paint, so you can draw your own pictures for the walls and change them whenever you like.

Yesterday I painted 4 of these square mdf pictures I had hanging around (originally modern art things from ikea that i dont know why i bought) for my daughters room. look, we got pink blackboard paint, she approves.


after I had painted them there was paint left so I started looking for more things to paint.

like a half-wall in the playhouse outside. also a great success!!! I had to paint the rest of the insides of the playhouse white then, to brighten it up and make it pretty.



Now I got paint on my jeans and I think I am over my painting spree.