Say hello to our performing elephant ...

The podium mould I made yesterday was a success and the plaster has now dried so tonight I had a podium to decorate ....

and an ellie in need of a neck ruffle!

I think when the duo takes it's place in top if the cake the ellie may be positioned on its back legs but this gives you an idea of minimini1's cake topper.....

gliTTer eGGs

Happy Easter all, bonnet making and parade during the week, family Easter egg hunt tomorrow and today more crafts to add to the Easter tree....
1. Start off with your local free range eggs
2. Wash, blow and save (smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for lunch!)
3. Pick your decorating props, today we have paint and glitter
4. Go go go and enjoy !

For more ideas come back later or have a go with felts, stickers, tape, glue, beads and well you get the idea anything goes x

easTer bOnneTs

So mini1 came home yesterday with the easter bonnet letter in her book bag..... next Tuesday there will be an easter bonnet competition and egg hunt.
"We must make it now mummy, now, quick,"
Well yes we need to be zippy with it but Friday night was not the time instead we had a rummage in our craft cupboard for pipe cleaners, pom-poms, tissue paper and chicks and then up to the dressing up box for a hat and down to the cellar for the hot glue gun. All was then ready for when the time was right (before Tuesday) to get this hat done and paraded.

Today was not really going to be the bonnet making day as we had plans to go to a lovely party but mini mini1 had a bad croup attack and all plans have changed, so what better than be jolly making tissue paper flowers, nests and a jolly hat..... here is the bonnet and a cheery chickie one too currently being modelled by Lennie!

Party prep #funfunfun

Time flies by and my baby turns five!
Today's prep for the party has included these mini tiny party hats that will be for the fairy cakes.....
(completed cake pics to follow)

Remember me dolls

Following on from yesterdays post here are the pics as promised. When we were deciding on our farewell teacher gifts we did think about doing individual dolls that looked like the teachers. Mini1 though thought that this would be better..... dolls that look like her so that the teachers will remember what she looks like when she has left. I like the idea and biased as I may be I'm sure doll or no doll those who know mini1 will always remember her.
The added fun part to this was chopping up lots of letters and picking out the correct ones to spell names, Mini1 then picked the doll that she thought the teacher would like best.

what's been going on....

sooooo much..... 

Entertaining the little ones as the weather continues to not brighten. 

Booking appointment with independent midwife

School parents evening ready for September!

New work project that's really exciting

VAT return, not so exciting to say the least

Baking, playing, crafting and making peg dolls riding on cardboard cut out animals

In addition to this there has been other daily chores that have been so time consuming but I've also been enjoying reading a recent article in this Tuesdays Guardian about an increase in fear of giving birth to mums to be, we need to offer the good happy positive birth stories, I have two that I'm happy to share and hope the October birth of our mini newbie will be as positive (already positive thinking and it will be a breeze!)

In addition to the article on pre-birth, Radio 4 had a good listen this morning about life, sex and relationships post birth.

If you'd like to hear a positive birth story pop back and I'll post during the next week, got to dash now me and mini1 are ready to take out our lemon drizzle cake and drizzle with that lovely lemon syrup, mmmmmmmm

princess polly peg & the pea

As a lover of crafting, making, doodling and textiles also collector of bit and bobs I have lots of things in my make room. Before the girls when I worked in busy fashion studios producing prints and such I'd make like a busy bee in my own free time oodles of dolls, softies, this and that.
Since having the girls people with other kiddies have seen them and asked for one of this or that and I really love making the for presents and for other friends. The other day we got playing with the peg dolls and putting her to bed and this reminded me of the princess and the pea I've made in the past so today with the minimini1 we made a new set, can't say that the little one really helped (only just 2) but she loved the fabric and especially wrapping herself up in pretend headscarves.
We decided to give our Princess Polly Peg the same colour hair as mini1 as she was not with us but we were thinking of her as she played at forest school, I might need to do another set before pick-up as I feel there could be a little competition for playing PPP&TP!

new adventures and a distraction

What a day....mini1 is happily settled in her day nursery but with reception class looming in September and a drive away we thought it best to enrol her for the term before school starts at he pre-school nursery that has the connections with the school she will be going to. Today was the day she started, and...... she did GRRREAT!
Phew!, relieved or what I only called once and she was doing fine, I was so happy and very proud. Later she told us of her new friends and to think what trouble and upset we had a year ago but with an amazing day nursery and this new one she has been a real star.
I was lucky too, i had my mind taken off the matter by my wonderful cousin coming over and having a sewing demo, she requested for the demo she would like some fabric accs to be created so here is what was created, floral wrist piece using navy linen and liberty cotton voile, vintage buttons and gro-grain tie, plus a single vintage floral linen wrist piece that my lovely cousin models here by sowing it in it's multi use form as a pin brooch.
We did well, happy all round and the next workshop will be.....

a weekend of planned & unplanned events!!

Hello again and sorry for the absence, it seems we already have following who are keen to see what loveliness and journeys we have been having so here we go...

Well how was your Jubilee weekend ? Ours liked I'd mentioned in a previous post was to be filled with family activities, some focus on the littlies and even a short focus on me and mr loveliness. Mmmm strange how things can take a turn and the unplanned crops up!
So we kicked off Friday evening with the youngest minimini1 being popped to bed at 6.50pm (& went down a treat as always), Mr.L and mini1 took the hound out to the woods and I prepped supper. Well 40 minutes later the door went and a sad face looked up "I've been sick...I've got bugs in my tummy" Yes the D&V bug going around for what seems forever and we have successfully avoided decided to share itself with us at the start of the holiday!
I won't go into the rest of the evening as it's not that pretty, very tiring with little sleep and sad faces, but I'm sure you get the idea!
Unfortunately the next day; Saturday, mini1 did not leave her room, we had to miss the day of magicians and face painting but if I fast forward to Monday afternoon the neighbourhood party took place and the girls made crowns in the morning and waved their flags too.
There was some confusion about Queen Lizzies absence...."we can't start yet, Queen Lizzie hasn't got here" followed by "why is she not having the party at her house and we all go there?" questions soon dropped when the singing and play started and picnics began.
In the end all was good, the weather was dry and the family were together (almost) Mr L had to stay behind and attend to some emergency, not animal related but DIY!

crowns modelled by Lennie (by ceramist Olivia Brown)

  

but where is the queen?

i crown you....

The sun has taken our crafty sessions outside and with a mix of cutting and sticking I chatted to the little1's all about Queen Elizabeth being crowned and celebrating the Jubilee in a couple of weeks from now. At nursery they've been busy bunting making so out in the sun with cardboard tubes, scissors, glue, stars and some pretty foil we got making our own crowns and crowned our own 'mouse' and 'hophop'.........

i crown you queen hophop

king mouse & queen hophop

queen hophop