DIY Friday: Rainbow bright

A skirt and dress for mumma and babe, dress for big sister in the works.

Been sewing like mad this week trying to get my to-do list done before we go away. I seem to be adding to it as I cross things off, hmmmm.

Kinder here we come!

Well, here Jack comes technically. In just a short few weeks my first born will be off to kinder. He is SO excited. I am SO nervous. I know he will have a wonderful time and it will be brilliant for him to have something that’s just his. But, he hasn’t been in formal care since before Lewis was born! I’m sure I’m going to miss him (although I won’t miss the whiiiiining and fighting that is currently driving me INSANE).

I’m nervous about the logistics, getting 4 kids and myself fed, dressed and out the door by 8am? Eep!

In an effort to try and get organised, I’m doing what I do best, stocking the freezer. I’m already prepping food to take on our epic roadtrip so it’s been easy to make a bigger batch to put some aside for kinder lunches.

So far I’ve got zucchini slice, cheese, bacon and corn muffins, blueberry mini muffins, choc chunk mini cookies, banana choc chip mini muffins and apple mini pancakes. Still to come are cheese and vegemite scrolls and ham, cheese and tomato scrolls. Then the night before packing the lunchbox will be a breeze, I’ll grab a savoury and treat out of the freezer, put into his lunchbox with some veggie sticks, fresh fruit, cheese cubes or boiled egg, fill up his water bottle and lunch is organised!

We’ve started implementing some new systems around the house in hopes of making things easier. I look forward to sharing those with you this week.

So for, we’ve bought the bag, picked a lunchbox (who knew that was such a minefield?), labels are on their way, new shoes – with Velcro to make my morning easier- have been purchased and the freezer is groaning. I guess we’re ready. I guess my little boy really IS taking the first step on his schooling journey. Better stock up on tissues.

DIY Friday: A touch of magic

My lovely BFF asked me if I could make her 2 adorable kids some swishy magician capes. I had a little bit of an oopsy with the smaller cape when I realised I hadn’t bought enough fabric. I went with and decided to try piecing it together in stripes, once that was done I decided to try lining it with floral satin I had on hand and I think it turned out pretty cute. Magician one day, fairy princess the next!

Both capes are half a circle so there’s lots of fabric for dramatic magician swishing!

The larger cape is edged in red sequin trim. I was planning on using the sequins for the magician’s initial but my sewing machine has decided it doesn’t want to light bulb to stay in, and sewing on black satin without the machine light bulb is a pain in the butt! But I think the edging looks pretty cool!

In other crafty news, last weekend was a dear friend’s blessingway. She requested that we bring along a bead, a candle and a quilt square. This is the square I made for her, quilters cotton backing with wool felt flower petals.

It was a magical afternoon celebrating a beautiful, glowing mama, showering her in love and catching up with friends. Now eagerly awaiting the news of her little bundle of joy arriving earthside.

Lots more on my crafty to do list before we head off on holidays! And I’m determined to get all the sewing done so I can learn how to crochet before we go. Glutton for punishment? Perhaps!

 

Twinlets room: DONE (for now)

Just when you thought you were never ever going to see them, here they are, photos of the twinlets completed room! Right before I switch it all up again.

Let’s go have a look, no need to tiptoe, they’re off playing with the big 2.

First, let’s see what we started with, this is way back in 2009 before we moved in:

A built in study, 2 entry doors, and lovely brown cork tiles glued to the wall next to the wardrobe (out of camera view).  Pale green paint.

And now…

 

As you walk in the door, Sebastian’s cot is opposite you. The canvases above each cot are wrapped in Michael Miller fabric with a wooden letter on top.  The convas in the middle is, of course, one of the gorgeous shots taken by the amazing Chrissy Torney.  There was an Ikea Lerberg shelf unit between the cots until they worked out they could reach it and throw stuff off. It’s now been rehomed in the big boys room.

To the left is a small photo wall. The small photo in the top middle is this very special photo. Directly under that is a photo of the blossoms on our weeping cherry tree, I loved watching the tree change and blossom when I was superglued to the couch during the twinlets’ pregnancy. The photos on the very bottom on the right and left are of Jack and Lewis cuddling the twinlets’ in hospital.

Let’s take a peek in Bas’s cot.

The simple quilt I made (same for both cots), Bas’s is backed with the main fabric used on the elephant on the left, Ollie’s is the main fabric of the elephant on the right. Bas’s 2 sleeping pals, his puppy and his teddy (Ollie has sheepy and ‘Raffey, we are highly original with toy names in this house).

To the right is Ollie’s cot and the glider is in front of the mirrored built in robes that the twinlets like to head butt. As their room is on a side of the house that doesn’t get a lot of light I wasn’t concerned about blocking light, so we’ve hung basic panels on Ikea clips. Their room is small and we knew one cot would have to be near the window. This way, there are no cords on the curtains, if Ollie tugs on them too much the clips will release the fabric with no damage to baby, or curtains.

As you turn to head out of the room (to the kitchen for a cuppa and some choc chunk cookies, I head they’re fresh out of the oven) you’ll pass the twinlets chest of drawers. They’ve got their sweet little piggy banks (gift for the baptism), more photos, Scout the Vtech puppy (Violet is off being played with) and their Dr Suess birthday cards.

Above are these lovely handpainted nursery rhyme plates (also recieved for their baptism):

Thanks for stopping by to visit before it all gets changed around! Enjoy your cookies

DIY Friday: travel pillows

Starting to prep for our trip now, hoping the big 2 will sleep at least some of the in car time. Wishful thinking right? Well at least they will be comfy!

Every day I’m shufflin’

Oh dear. I haven’t even shown you the twinlets’ finished bedroom and I’m scheming up a shuffle. Thommo is afeared.

I vow to spend the afternoon prettying up their room for some photos to show you all. Before I shuffle it and make it all different again. Oh dear.

DIY Friday: Sunshine skirt

I’m having quite the love affair with yellow at the moment so when I saw this cute yellow stripe stretch fabric at Spotlight on the clearance table for $3 a meter I had to have it.

There was just under 2 meters left, perfect for a quick, easy, circle skirt. I think it’s my new favourite!

A whole new world

The new year is looming, 2012 seems to be so shiny and new, so full of promise and hope. It’s going to be a good year for the Thommo household, a year of change, but definitely a good year.

2012 will see our first little duckling take his first steps into the education system. Jack is THRILLED to be starting kindergarten. I’m nervous and excited for him. I know he is ready, he’s spent most of the year asking if it’s time for school yet. I’m nervous about the logistics, 2 days a week he starts at 8.30, we’re walking to kinder and Thommo will be picking him up, so that means getting 4 children breakfasted, dress and out the door by 7.45. Eep! I’m nervous about not having my Jacky boy home 3 days a week! It’s the start of all my little ducklings flying off to school, 2013 Jack is at school and Lew at kinder, 2014 Lew at school, 2015 twinlets at kinder, 2016 twinlets at school. Why does time go so fast???

We’re also off on our first big family holiday, 2 weeks roadtrip! We’re driving to Brisbane. Why yes, it is likely we are insane! And I’m sure there will be a few posts about it in the lead up as I prepare for it. There are lists. Lots and lots of lists.

2012 will hopefully see us completing a lot of the work we have planned around the house. Thommo has spent the last couple of days working hard in the backyard, flat pack furniture has been purchased and some assembled. And there are some more lists. I’m quite a fan of lists.

It’s exciting and so full of promise, I’m looking forward to sharing our 2012 with you!

 

Christmas wrap up

We had a gorgeous Christmas, nothing beats waking up to an excited child yelling “Santa’s been here, Santa’s been here!”. We were all spoilt with lovely presents, delicious food and wonderful company. So very lucky!

We were away from home from late morning, so when we heard about the huge storms we were very nervous about what we might be getting home to. Thommo took us the long way home and thankfully we managed to avoid the worst of it on the way home, we hit about 30 seconds of heavy heavy rain which was scary but we turned off soon after and drove away from it. And all the worry was for nothing, no damage at home!

The tree has been packed away for another year, although the lounge room is still littered with toys, stray bits of wrapping paper (I’m sure it breeds, I throw it out and more appears) and Iea/flat pack detritus. It’ll get back to normal. One day.

We wish you a merry Christmas!

It’s been rather quiet around here of late. December has been a whirlwind of cooking, crafting and enjoying the lead up to Christmas. I’ve got several posts that I just haven’t had time to write, like our awesome trip to Scienceworks way back in November (or was it October? Eep!). And I’m pretty sure I still owe you a peek at the finished Twinlets’ bedroom, oh dear.

Wishing you all a very safe and very merry Christmas/giftmas/Summer Solstice. I’m sure I’ll be back next week with an avalanche of photos from our day, we are very much looking forward to it!