Quality Time in the Holidays

So. we are in school holidays at the moment and with Jacob unwell we are trying to do things for the kids at home. Last friday we borrowed this amazing book called...the Usborne Complete Book of Art Ideas by Fiona Watt. Let me tell you, if your kids love art this book is amazing. I actually ordered it from the Book Depository, with free postage everywhere....

They said to use magazine cut outs to create a city scene...I used my multitude of scrapbook paper scraps...Maddie and I began this today and it proved to be a tricky task for her to cut out perfectly, so we went for rustic...it is still not finished, but for now it is, until Jacob gets better...

Daniele, I told you I love little houses...lol...this was planned before I saw your beautiful artwork...hee hee hee...mine is not so much arty as crafty I know, but all family members are thinking it's quite cute...we still are to do a little road with a car and bus on it, that goes across the front, thus the white space still there.

It's wonderful having kids that are into arts and craftiness...hopefully by next week Jacob will be a bit better and this rainy weather has improved and we'll get to do something a tad more exciting for the kids...
until next time
lots of it
mandy
xxx

Life on the edge

In all honesty, I shouldn't really complain. You see, we have had the best year ever with Jacob. He has hardly picked up any viruses this year, in turn that has lead to no life threatening episodes, Earlier in the year we had a few, what we call, crossover episodes, in which his steroids kick in before his airways close over.
But, first day of the school holidays, and he has woken up unwell. With the kind of cough that says, uh oh,,,be ready with his meds...and I am. It is going to be a tough few days coming up, and I really don't like living on the edge. It makes me feel sick!

On another note, here is something that I very quickly made in about 10 minutes. I have bought this new ladder type shelving unit for our front room once it's finished, and I have put it in the entry. It will have all neutral shades on it. Here is what it looks like now, and here are some simple photos to show how I made the brown paper covered books. I love them, for now anyway!!!lol...

Ok...well that's it from me...gotta go and get busy...
until next time
lots of it
Mandy
xxx

what makes you smile

Well, what makes me smile is my spring garden...seriously, I do love a white bloom, and I walked out to my garden this afternoon and was overcome with the gorgeous smell of orange blossoms...I seriously wish you could smell it. It's amazing how a smell can have such a positive effect on you. Sometimes life gets overwhelming, and for me that simple sweet smell brought so much happiness, and yes, I did smile,,,a whole lot. I just pottered about clicking with my phone. My land isn't huge, and the garden is not perfect, but I LOVE it, one of my favourite things about my home. I thought I would hang my sewn together squares on the tree to show where I am up to...still to go to the shops and buy a border that matches, and wadding, and backing.lol...I think it will make a perfect throw to lie on or have a picnic on...

ok...well that's it from me...I have a busy day tomorrow and hope you have a good one too...hope you get to smile like I did!

until next time

lots of it

Mandy

xxx 

big plans for this little pile

Well....after hearing about the death yesterday, of a very young beautiful person that was liked by all who knew her, I hit a bit of a downer. I was teary all day and have woken this morning feeling very down. Sometimes you ask yourself WHY?. Sometimes life isn't fair,

So as silent tears fell down my face last night I decided to do something that would take my mind a little off what had happened. Quite a few years back I ordered some Amy Butler fabric from the US. It is so darn expensive here in australia....
I have had it sitting there not doing anything, I recently made this stool frill with some of the greens I bought, but last night I decided that I would make a simple quilt, a colourful quilt, one that would be achievable for me!!!

I quickly went through my fabrics, and came up with this bundle...It's all cut, by scissors, ouch, and sorted and hopefully looks good once it's done.

We are getting a new bigger lounge set for our front room, which currently is only used for the kids to play the playstation in...it's a waste...so this new lounge is going in there once it comes in...we still have to degrout, regrout...(a horribly job!!!), paint, new skirting...my head hurts thinking about it, but it will be wonderful once it's finished, and the new colourful quilt won't match it, but it will make it cosy.

I will show you it once it's done, but it will take me a while...

Ok...well, that;s it for now

Until next time

lots of it

Mandy

xxx

Brown Paper Packages Tied up In String...

 These are a few of my favourite things....
I am missing getting creative...honestly...but I am ok with it. I have had a busy couple of months with my mil getting very ill then passing away and now my mummy had a mini stroke sunday night and my life is consumed with hospital....
She is a little better now, but mix an illness with alzheimers and its a tad stressful...
Anyhoos....
I feel i haven't scrapped or done anything creative for too long...and I miss putting happy things on my blog...so I thought I'd rehash ( is that the right word???!!!) some of my old favs....sorry to bore those of you who have already seen it...

OK...well...here is to getting creative very soon...

Until next time

lots of it

Mandy

xxx