Guest Post on HomeSpun-Threads

As I told you a few posts ago, I am guest posting over at HomeSpun-Threads.

You can see it over here. I completely missed when it was put up and then I have been having trouble getting computer time. (Again!)

Check out the other ideas for the Summer Soiree while you are over there. Heaps of great ideas for entertaining the kids.

Have a great week. Hopefully, I'll be back soon with another post :-)

Another box cubby house

I love when we get a new appliance that comes in a big cardboard box. These boxes housed our new split system air conditioner. After we watched the electrician drive out of the drive way, Amelia and I raced outside and dragged the boxes inside. I was really hoping the boxes would be left behind. We haven't had a box cubby for a while.

The girls made the window boxes out of rice bubble packets and I struggled with the roof. We did make paper flowers for the window boxes but they didn't survive too long. After the cubby spent about a month inside being used as lots of different things, the girls dragged it outside to use in the yard.

It has gotten so cold out now and the kids all have colds so they haven't been able to be playing in it much. It gets dragged under the car port in the late afternoon so it doesn't get wet overnight. Once that happens it will be off to the recycling! Cubby houses are so much fun! Do you make box cubbies at your house?

Thinking about birthdays

Esther and Ellamay are going to be 7 in June. As they are about to be 7, they no longer want "baby stuff". Yikes! Trying to work out what will be good gifts is a bit tricky. I decided to go with some creative gifts. I like to encourage their creativity because I want them to grow up being able to look at something and have the skills to make it themselves if they want to.

Using my vast collection of acrylic felt, I cut out some simple shapes that they can practise their sewing skills on. I also cut out some Little Pink Houses and some owls. Follow the links to find the patterns for them. The owl is actually a pattern for a teething toy. I thought if they don't feel like sewing some of these, the shapes can be glued onto a canvas as a cute picture for the wall. I have packaged each felt project in little click bags and even printed the little house picture out so Esther and Ellamay had a reference for it.

These are some other bits and pieces I have bought for their kit. I am including some coloured elastic head bands that they can sew some of the felt shapes onto.

I have also bought some kids stitching books. I will share those another day though. (Need to take more pictures).

Silent listener

Tim took this photo at the little cottage at Campaspe Run when we were there recently. "God is the head of this house. The unseen guest at every meal. The silent listener to every conversation." What an important thing to remember. God is always there. Mum and Dad have this on their wall too. I saw it every day when I was growing up. I think I get it more now though. God is there not only keeping us in check but taking care of us too.

Scraps of a birthday project

Craftiness! Hooray! I do still have a little bit of craft left in me. I know it's been lacking around here. I hope I have got my groove back now. Esther and Ellamay are turning 7 next month. My wee little babies aren't babies anymore. I have been trying to come up with suitable presents for them but have had a hard time this year. They are getting so grown up apparently.

I have been working on sewing kits for them. It was a great idea because I have such a huge stack of acrylic felt to use up and it is perfect for them to learn to sew with. And I can whittle away the stack. Everybody wins! :-)

My next project is to take photos and post them here so you can look at all the pretties.

Hopefully, I can steal a bit more time on the big computer to do that. :-)

Summer Soiree at Home Spun-Threads

You might have noticed this button pop up over the side there --->

I am extremely late posting this (of course - still trying to catch up!) but I was asked to do a guest post over on Home Spun-Threads. There is a great craft each day of May, for kids. Now we aren't coming into summer here in Oz but winter. Plenty of these crafts could be used in the winter time too. So pop over and check out all the crafts that are featured. I am going to be up some time next week I think... I have to work out how to send the post first! (Sometimes, I am not so tech savy.) And make sure you visit all the clever people featured.

Royal wedding watching

Did you catch the Royal Wedding at the end of last month? Our little darlings were excited that it was on telly. Can you believe I let them stay up until 10.45  P.M. to watch it?! Madness is what that was. I paid for it the rest of that weekend too. They were a bit tired.

You will have to excuse the mess. In between watching intently on the TV, they were busy making royal flags, playing with Princess Kate paper dolls and Esther made a letter E fascinator which she wore for most of the night. Unfortunately, not in any of my photos :-(.

I painted their nails, they dressed up in sparkly material and we had a royal dinner of chips and pasties. The kids loved it. And the thing about royal weddings? You remember what you were doing when you are older so you can tell the story to your own kids.

I am glad royal weddings don't happen too often :-)