Summer Wrap Up and Shop Update

I never really did get the hang of Summer.  Some people are so organised and go into it with a handful of kids and plans for days out and holidays and trips to the beach and they do this with a clean house, a well stocked kitchen, a mountain of stuff in a rainy day box and with a camera in hand so they can show you how much fun their beautiful kids are having every day.  I fail on just about every level.  I end up running head long into it without so much as a notion scribbled on a napkin let alone a plan and my camera has been plugged in for use the last handful of times because I just don't seem to have gotten round to charging the batteries yet ...

Summers are disorganised chaos here, put it that way, but despite lots and lots and lots of rain we've still had plenty of fun.

I can't quite believe we're into the home stretch already.  Just two short weeks and Chloe will go back to school.  This week is the start of her crash course swimming lessons so even though it's tipping it down again ... oh aye it is .... I've actually got something planned, so there, neener neener and all that:)

She starts swimming classes in school this year and although she's pure water baby (it could have gone either way, I love the water, her dad ... not so much) and she's very comfortable in the water so should take to swimming, the last time we had regular access to a pool we didn't seem to get too far beyond this;

See, having far too much fun and none of us thought to maybe whip the armbands or rubber ring off her and see what happened.  With a bit of luck this week will give her a good start at least and then the school swimming lessons will take over and, save us all, I'll even dig the swimwear out and take her myself a few times.

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The shop has been quite tricky to manage this year too.  Way back at the start of Summer I was asked by Folksy if I'd like to be one of the beta testers for the new plus account.  Stupid question .... of course I would.  I figured it would be a great incentive to keep me on track and let me add lots of new stock ahead of Christmas.

Christmas is never a bundle of laughs for crafters, even if we're just making for friends and family as gifts we somehow manage to think we've planned a butt load of time to get everything done and still end up sitting hunched somewhere under the world's smallest table lamp, with the sewing machine on a towel so we don't wake the family at 2am.  I loved the idea of a head start!

 

And cue Summer when I typically get nothing done.

I have managed quite a bit though ... I've surprised myself, but then I've had a huge amount of help from my mum and dad this year as they've whisked Chloe away almost every weekend to let me get on with a few things.

I've really been enjoying making the Kindle cases over the summer, they're a great size so I can cut a few at night ready for sewing the next day, and they're easy to pack away if need be without anything getting so badly out of order that I can't find where I left off.  I'm looking forward to getting back to some larger projects once Chloe's back to school and I've more time and space to play with.

In the meantime I have been motivated by the plus account and have added lots of lovely new kindle cases.

Kindle Case in Coffee House Canvas

Kindle Case in Cherry Blossom

Kindle Case in Harlequin Kaito

Kindle Case in Honey Gold and Flambé Pink - New Season

Feel free to click over for a browse, these are only the very tip of an ever growing iceberg!

Ickle ATCs

Crafty Lil things is organising an ATC swap for the little(ish) ones.

I missed the swap organised last year by Wise Craft, so I've signed Chloe up for this year's swap and she's really looking forward to it.

If you're not familiar with ATC's, they're Artist Trading Cards, the only rules about the cards are that they must measures 3.5 x 2.5 inches and they must be swapped and not sold.

Kids are invited from anywhere in the world to take part and the three age groups are:-

12 months to 3 years
3 to 6
7 to 10

You can send as many or as few cards as you like and they're pretty inexpensive to post as they fit in a regular envelope. The only thing you are expected to send is the card itself and aren't obliged to include any extras whatsoever.

It's a great way to introduce the very little ones to the idea of pen pals, as I know there is a pen friend programme in Chloe's school for kids age 6 and over and it'll give the kids something fun and a bit different to talk about on the show and tell days once they're back to school.

You can make the cards from absolutely anything and in any medium so you won't need special materials or anything like that, kids can paint, draw, colour, cut and stick or whatever takes their fancy and you can even let the very little ones go nuts with a big sheet of card and then cut it to the right size yourself.

You can pop over to Crafty Lil Things to sign up for the Kids ATC swap, and you'll receive an email with your recipient(s) and the date for posting shortly. Ideally this will take place over the remainder of the Summer hols so sign up quickly. You might even receive a mini Chloe masterpiece:)

Snippets and why kids shouldn't eat crackers in bed

• Nothing beats lying on the grass, eating ice cream except maybe lying on dry grass, eating ice cream when it isn't raining. Still good though.
  
  
• The peas are in and we've been picking and munching away on them. A single pea has yet to make it past the back door though and Chloe will only eat them if they're still in their pods. I'm glad I bought those delicate little plants instead of the woody big boys that taste like monkey nuts.
  
  
• I've a website now, kind of, well it's getting there and for scatter brained little old me I think I've done alright so far.
  
  
• I've cut my hair again. It is very, very short even by my standards. I'm plucking up the courage and waiting for whoever it is that is going on holidays and left their luggage hanging around beneath my eyes to come and collect it before I chance any photos.
  
  
• My old faithful camera is very nearly knackered. I do not like the husband's canon as much as I did when it was merely a back up instead of my very soon to be only option.
  
  
• I wonder how hard it is to fix a digital camera!
  
  
• My mum's dog, the rottweiler, has taken to sleeping on Chloe's trampoline when he thinks no one is around to see him. Unfortunately twice now he's being doing that walking in circles thing that dogs do before lying down and he's obviously gotten up a bit too much speed and started to bounce, not been able to control it and vomited all over the thing. Hasn't stopped him climbing in there though.
  
  
• When do sunflowers flower? Our plant just seems to like making more and more leaves and if it gets any taller we'll have to go upstairs and look out a window to see the flower if it ever does make an appearance.
  
  
• Children left unattended after their bath are more than capable of sniping downstairs, grabbing a box of cheesy crackers, climbing back into bed again and eating half the box all in the length of time it takes to rinse out an average sized bath tub.
  
  
• Cracker eating in bed will result in me having to endure the husband's dirty looks as he tries to wipe the cracker crumbs from the bed at half past midnight before giving up and plodding off downstairs in a sulk.
  
  
• I slept in that bed all night, didn't feel a single crumb.
  
  
• Sometimes I think I live with the princess of princess and the pea fame.
  
  
• It occurs to me that if the "princess" had a hairy chest and hands like shovels, whether or not she could sleep in a bed with fresh produce would have been the least of the prince's worries.
  
  
• And seriously how convoluted a plan was that whole pea under a gazillion mattresses thing anyway. Surely an easier way would have been to tell her she'd let herself go a bit. If she runs off crying then she's the delicate (if a bit high maintenance) little flower for you, if she lamps you one round the side of the head then it's probably time to start hanging out in singles bars again.
  
  
• I thought bullet points were supposed to focus the mind and stop people prattling on endlessly about complete nonsense.
  
  
• I probably shouldn't do too many posts like this.
  
  

Just sitting on a wall, hiding from the sun and being silly

Frugal Finds

I love a good old plunder around charity shops, though if I'm honest I'm rarely very lucky where greats find are concerned.

For instance, I've yet to find the bin bag stuffed with vintage Laura Ashley fabric for a tenner, nor have I come across the shoe box stuffed with great granny's buttons for a quid. It just doesn't happen to me.

But occasionally I do find some real gems, especially on days when Robert has been abandoned very kindly offered to stay at home with Chloe while I go a rummaging.

On Saturday I snaffled these lovely patchwork pillow cases out from under somebody else. A lad had been looking at them and had hung them back on the rail again, but I could see her mulling it over so as soon as she turned her back I grabbed them.



Not very nice of me I know, but you snooze you loose:)



I do have a thing for the flowers, don't I.

I've also been keeping my eye out for a summer quilt or blanket for Chloe's bed. During the Summer the front of our house is baked by the sun for most of the day and Chloe's room is at the front of the house. It's not a problem if we're just pottering around the house and in the garden because I have all the windows open, but if we've spent the day at the beach and arrive home at about 6pm the heat in her can be powerful and by that time opening all the windows is like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.

I found this lovely, very light quilt (I've said before I don't do ironing, don't you judge me). It's a very pale yellow with little feather prints all over it. She really loves it and I'm hoping that because it is slightly satiny (not a word) when she turns over in bed the quilt should just stay on top of her rather than getting tangled around her and making her sweat.



Well, I hope so anyway.

Tale of the Lost and Found Phone Photos

onto two I'm pleased with myself today, I managed to get a ton of photographs sorted out last night and filed properly. It'll hopefully make them much easier to find. I also copied a load as slide showscd's for my mum. She'll eventually ask me for prints of the ones she wants, it would be too much to print all of them (although she would if she could).

I completely forgot to take my camera to the park with us last week, but the husband managed to take a couple of photos on the Blackberry.





Her upper body strength is amazing, but I think all kids are like that aren't they. She swung like that for ages.

I'm surprised actually that they turned out as well as they did considering its supposed to be a phone, pleasantly surprised really its a lot handier to carry around than my huge camera. I really do need to see about getting myself something more compact. Any suggestions of a nice, compact and more importantly easy to use camera would be really appreciated.

I've been thinking ahead. Sometimes being organised can be a bit of a pain and yo may hate me for it, but I've been double checking my Christmas list and making sure that I've made a good start on everything I'm going to need.

Then while I was sorting out photographs I came across this one.




Its another shot snapped with a phone. We were at the Christmas Market in Belfast in December and Toots loved the merry-go-round and I mean loved it, I think this was her third or fourth go and clearly she's still enjoying herself, plus this one also shows why I'm so impressed with the blackberry photos.

And just because it made me laugh.




This was taken one morning when I was at work very early and the husband had the job of getting Toots ready for daycare. Notice the subtle use of three hair clips down the side of her head.

When I collected her from daycare that evening, the girls told me that they had to stop themselves laughing when he dropped her off, because those three visible hair clips were in fact three of twelve.

He managed to fit twelve hair clips on the head of a three year old.

Although he still maintains that he and Toots did it "for a laugh" backed up by the fact that he took a photograph. Hmmm, the jury's still out on that one.

So that's another box on the great never ending to do list checked.

Again though if any has any good suggestions for a camera I'd love to hear them. I do like my big old camera and its very good for taking photos, but there is a short delay between pressing the button and taking the shot which is fine for static things. Try getting a four year old to stand still long enough to take a photo though, I've missed more than enough photos of her already.

My little flower is wilting

And we were doing so well too.

Toots is completely off her food and the naps that were a thing of the past are back again. In fact she slept this afternoon for two whole hours and probably would have slept longer only I woke her up, which of course led to a very grumpy four year old.

I can't blame her though, I have to admit the last few days all I've wanted to do is curl up in a ball and have a nap myself.

Toots has never really known heat like this. Summer last year and even the year before was relatively cool and before that she was only an ickle baby so those years don't really count.

I need to get my hands on a better sun screen too. On Tuesday when we went to Stormont Park I absolutely plastered the poor child in factor 50 every time I could get my hands on her and pin her to the grass for a few minutes. Seriously, the child was a funny shade of blue (cause the blue tinge doesn't magically disappear) and she was fuming because her hair kept sticking to face and even with all that she still managed to come home with a tan. A ha-uge no-no in my book for a four year old.

Any recommendations on a decent sun screen that doesn't turn my kid all the colours of the rainbow, actually works at, you know, screening the sun and if it comes in a spray bottle, properly works and comes out in a mist rather than just spitting and dribbling out globs of blue cream would be greatly appreciated.

And then after my little menu plan yesterday, the poor husband ended up having to work late and I couldn't face the thought of cooking anything so Toots and I had a bowl of weetabix for dinner. Her suggestion, not mine.

I think perhaps I need to treat Toots and I to some nice Summer clothes, something very light and floaty. Maybe that will perk us up.

Still there is a silver lining to all this sunshine. I get to tell everyone that I haven't bothered to clean the outside of my windows because they'll only go streaky in the sun.

Not sure how long that excuse will hold up, but I'll push it as far as it goes.

Paddling Pools and Panic Shopping

I can't believe its almost July already.

And just because a) I was always THAT girl in the office and, b) its a little bit funny, I provide you with the following information;

It is exactly 26 weeks to Christmas!

We'll just let that one sit there for a second while I hide behind this scatter cushion.

Anyway, that means I have now been at home, looking after Toots full time for half a year. Its been a hell of a half year. Mostly good, occasionally a handful, sometimes a hair pulling situation.

My own hair obviously, don't even go there.

I know I haven't been around a lot lately but I have been busy elsewhere. I needed to finish a custom order which is finally complete, absolutely gorgeous (if I do say so myself) and sent off in the post. I also had a couple of other surprise projects to finish up and I'll hopefully have them done and ready to go by the end of the weekend.

And I've been spending a lot of time with the family outdoors. The weather here has been fabulous and its set to reach 30C next week so I'll have to prepare myself and everyone else for that. We don't do that kind of heat here, there's something very unnatural about 30C and there not being a plane ride involved.

The Irish melt in that kind of heat.

We've been to Stormont Park, the beach, where Toots fell face first into a huge wave and didn't freak out, and we enjoyed a nice day in Bangor for the husband's birthday.

Well nice until it turned frantic as I had to run off from the Pickie Fun Park into the centre of town to try and find a new outfit for Toots after she assumed I was my usual organised self and had packed her a change of clothes and she belly flopped, shoes and all, into the paddling pool.

Such a pity I wasn't organised that day. And that's why you should always pack a change of clothes for your kid, cause you never know.

And you might want to chuck a clean t shirt in the boot of the car for your husband while you're at it because while you're running like a headless chicken through a packed town with your mobile phone tucked safely out of earshot in your bum pocket, your daughter will climb (saturated) from the paddling pool and give your husband his big drippy birthday hug.

Fun in the Sun

We're just not cut out for this kind of weather in Northern Ireland. Don't get me wrong we appreciate it and are very grateful (if anyone in particular is listening) we're just not used to it. Especially when it sneaks up on us. The rain just stopped one day last week and the temperature rocketed and hasn't dropped since.

The poor child is suffering from a bit of heat exhaustion. She spent Saturday playing in the above ground swimming pool my mum mistook for a paddling pool. She woke at my mum's house on Sunday, stripped off her jammies and ran nekid out to the pool again. My mum just about managed to wiggle her into a swimming costume and force feed her some breakfast.

for some dinner. I know, we actually ate out for a change, but I just couldn't face the thought of cooking. I've cooked outside all week because its enough of a headache to cool the house at the minute without adding any more heat to it. So fish on the We then had a gorgeous afternoon at Knockinelder and Quintin Bay, before heading to Kircubbinbarby, salad and bread has been the order of the day, every single day.

Monday we played in the garden and took a few short walks and on Tuesday we spent over four hours at the duck pond and then on the way home Toots bought herself a petite stitch junior sewing machine in a charity shop so that she "could be like mummy". Sometimes she's almost too cute.

I did have photos planned for this post but my micro drive has gone walkabout. I will deliver as soon as it turns up though.

Wednesday was another day for running around. We had to go food shopping in the morning and with a very active four year and the obvious lack of a driving license it turned to be a nightmare, but we managed.

Yesterday we vegged in front of the TV in the morning and replanted all of the seeds destroyed by frost earlier in the year in the afternoon. Toots even planted up a little kit garden my mum bought her a couple of months ago. Its the type with a few packets of seeds, a little seeds tray and cover and a rock hard block of "magic" compost which needs to be reconstituted with water. She had a lot of fun with it to. The whole kit only cost £2.99 and had a pirate theme so inside the box, along with the necessary bits and pieces were a pirates eye patch, three flags to mark the position of her seeds and a treasure map so that she could mark an X at the spot she planted each seed. Even the seeds are themed. She planted monster sea gourd, some money plants and sea holly. I really hope something grows because she checked on it countless times yesterday and she's been outside twice this morning already to see if anything has grown yet.

She's also learnt how to open the side gate which is amazing because even I have trouble opening that gate at times. It weighs a ton and the lock is really stiff. It does mean that there has been no shortage of chase scenes around here lately because the side gate leads to the driveway which leads to a pretty busy street.

Guess what I'm doing today?

Yep, adding another lock to the bloody gate. I'm all for independence, but I'll be damned if she's going to play in the street like some little four year old urchin. When she's older fair enough, but not yet.

My house, my rules kid!

So we're a bit tired and worn out round here. I can already feel the sun burning the back of my neck through the window and it's not even 9.00am yet.

Its going to be another long, hot day.

Menu Plan 1/6 to 7/6

If this weather holds out and I really hope it does, I'll be having a nice light week, with soups and salads and fish.

I really can't stand the thought of heavy food when its this hot and red meat just gets kicked to one side on the really hot days.

Monday

Steamed mussels with butter and parsley and a side salad.

Tuesday

Smoked white fish with tomato salad and crusty bread.

Wednesday

Chicken noodle soup made in the crockpot.

Thursday

Frittata made with cheese, sauteed onions and potatoes.

Friday

Baked cod with Spanish rice.

Saturday

I bought a pack of frozen wonton wrappers when we went to the Asian supermarket so I'll use those to make crispy chicken wontons and mini prawn and vegetable spring rolls along with some dips, salad and maybe some steamed rice.

Sunday

Roast chicken, because I'm a creature of habit:)

Baking

My freezer supply is running very low so I'll need to make some peanut butter cookies for freezing Toots is going to have to get her fill of them before she starts school in August. I think that will be the hardest thing for her when she starts school because she usually eats nuts of some description at least once a day and she won't be able to have any until she gets home.

Cake, I don't know what kind yet but I want a cake in the house. Probably a nice tangy lemon.

And oh my good flah we went and bought Toots school uniform on Saturday because the place in town had a half price offer on for her primary school.

There is a school uniform for a child old enough to be going to school hanging in my wardrobe.

That can't possibly be for my child, can it?

And is it really June already?

The one where she rambles on and on and ...

Houston we have confirmation.

The cat is a girl.

The husband took a deep breath and went outside to check.

I asked if he was sure.

He looked insulted.

The weather here the last couple of days has been out of this world. It shortly after 9am at the minute and absolutely cooking outside. Which is exactly where I am by the way. Sitting on the deck with a good cup of coffee, I actually put the percolator on this morning. So I'm sitting on my deck with my lovely laptop, my coffee and kitty purring away happily beside me.

Cat sounded far too manly for a girl and I'm pretty sure we have a pet cat now. The husband's even in the garage as we speak building her a little outside house thingy. Is it still a kennel if its for a cat. I should really buy a book shouldn't I?

My mum's complete inability to read the size of something clearly printed on the side of the box continues. Yesterday she arrived home with a "paddling pool" for Toots which turned out to be an above ground swimming pool. Seriously this thing is huge, it covers her entire deck and we can all fit in it. Not that we all tried mind you.

Also, she didn't buy a pump to inflate the thing. Have you ever got high huffing on kid's inflatables. Anyway, one last minute, blue in the face, completely knackered run to Argos later and we had a fully inflated pool and no serious cases of oxygen deprivation.

My dad also dug out the old swing ball. People outside the UK might know it as tether ball, I'm not sure.

Now swing ball might look like a nice innocuous child's game but that's where you're wrong. At least if you were raised by my dad, you are. You see to my dad, swing ball is a vicious blood soaked battle and his early teachings wore off on both my brother and I.

Toots looked a little concerned to begin with when confronted with this side of her mother. Teeth bared and angry glare on her face as she smashed the ball back at her own dad, who in turn hammered the ball right back at me.

My dad was never a big fan of the whole "kids should always win" idea. As far as he was concerned you had to WANT to win and be willing to fight for it. It's a fair point really. Imagine your kid grows up and wants to become a surgeon. Is it ok for them to step up to the table every day and have patients die left, right and centre as long as they at least tried. Not really.

Anyway, most games of swing ball between my dad, brother and I usually ended with either the ball flying off the end of the tether or one of us breaking a hole in the centre of the plastic bat.

Good times.

I spent yesterday afternoon making some new jewellery for the shop







I wanted something nice and light and summery for myself, so I decided to make a few extra at the same time. I seem to get stuck in the rut of always wearing the same jewellery, but yesterday in the heat I just couldn't do it.

I'm planning on putting the finishing touches to a few things for a giveaway today. It won't be here, but don't worry I'll tell you where it is once its up and you can run over and get your entries in.

First things first though. I'm off out the garage to make a new scratch post for kitty.

See you all later.