Slipped through the net......x

I'm a fond fan of a cushion. A girl can't have too many to squish and snuggle amongst.........and I can't believe I forgot to show you this baby.....she is new, and a birthday gift from a pal, hand made with her own fair hands.

Pretty, pretty fabrics, lovely bit 'a pipin, and some pom-pom trim, and of course some patchwork.

It's brilliant isn't it?

We have been party planning this morning, little bumblebee has a few girly friends from school over this weekend, and both my girls have been keen to get involved. We made cheese straws...munch munchy, and assembled party bags too, having fun with sweeties, cellophane, and stampers..........

We're hoping to make some tissue paper pom-poms to hang about the house/garden too...(  my cushion maker friend, also showed us these...will reveal all soon ! ) .......and that will be it. I LOVE children's parties soooo soooo much, ....BUT they can quickly get out of control, and before you know it, you are up till gone midnight perfecting a princess/ladybird/castle cake....freaking out about the colour and consistency of your icing, wrapping up layers and layers for pass the parcel, only to get to the end and forget how many you've done....

Well those days are over....for me anyway, not to say the children won't have fun, and oh yes there will be party games, AND a SORT OF cake ( boggled yet??!! ) fun, giggles, and smiles.....BUT it will be simpler for me, less panic and more enjoyable for all.........

It's the only way forward.......T.T.F.N xxx

Homemade wrapping paper.............x

Wrapping presents, for me, is up there with the smell of nutmeg, flower meadows, a crackling fire, and children's giggles.....

I suppose you can spend £5 on a lovely roll of thick wrapping paper, beautifully printed......BUT I prefer brown paper. We jazz it up with pretty ribbons and tags, patterned tape, potato printing, and the bumblebee's love to use their colouring pens to draw pictures relevant to the receiver.....

Using scrap pieces of paper, the girls set to making their own wrapping paper this morning. I would be thrilled to receive such a piece of artwork!!!!!

F.Y.I........left is a toadstool and right is Cath Kidston's house! I love their little imaginations......

xxxxx

A change and a sink????????????????? ......x

On our first day of the summer holidays and the bumblebee's are happy enough to spend it at home.....goody I say. It gives me a chance to catch up on things...and to play with my girls.

AND to show you a new treasure. Biggest bumblebee was poorly with a stomach bug this weekend....but by Sunday morning she was back to her perky self, and eager to car-boot it to find some Rainbow Magic books to add to her collection. We are such obliging parents......off we zoomed over the hill to Devon to the Rousden Boot...always full, good for a spot of china, and rainbow Magic books!

I have been ever so good of late, and only succumbed to a few bits and bobs ( I am aware of Mr.Q's voice echoing in my ear..." for every new treasure in the house...one must go!" )...so I avoided eye contact with a pretty woodland oil painting, touched and ahhhhhhed at an old black first aid metal box then popped it down, BUT even the Q couldn't resist what we saw....he did a good deal on it too....

A mini belfast sink, presumably used in a lab or a school......the lady wanted £10, but Q got it for £7.50......pretty good I thought eh?

For a while we have wanted one, to go under the outside tap for the bumblebee's to use washing hands, boots....etc...but thought a full sized one would be too big ( in true Somerset style, the neighbours have right of way behind our house )....so this mini version is perfect!

Right then, this whole de-cluttering has got me thinking, perhaps I have too much stuff??????? My dresser has caught my attention...is it too much? I quite like the hap hazardness of it all, but maybe I need some clutter treasure control......

The dresser we found on that super on-line auction site.....in all its mahogany glory......bit of left over Farrow and Ball soon sorted it out, plus some left over wallpaper from our old house too....

 A little bit of handmade bunting, kiddie creations, treasures, a string of flower lights from my little sis, hummmmm I'm just not sure, I do tend to over think things...too many cups? More colour needed? take it all off and start again?...............

xxxxx

P.S Thankyou for some lovely comments of late, it's so lovely to see some newbies, and I love reading comments.

xx

My Goodness........x

More surprises!!!!!!!!! My goodness..........

I love it when the postman comes.........I love receiving post, most days though...we all have those annoying sofa or energy efficient companies sending their dreadful flyers or letters about.......but there are worse days......when the bills start coming - these are addressed to Mr.Q for good reason....I don't go near them!!

But some days a letter will come, or a card from a far away friend or relative which brightens my day.

Yesterday however...ta daaaaaaa .............my bestest friend had sent me a parcel!!! Super exciting, I nearly forgot to grab the camera...

Now one thing I need to tell you about my bestest is....she is a very clever thing, she makes and sews and pretties everything up. She runs her own little making business called Casper Greens, and if you are ever in the area of  Sussex, I am sure you will come across some of her lovely children's gift and wears in shops there.

Oooooohhhh I say!!! Floral clip on earrings, make up bag/purse, vintage jug and brooch, Alice n Wonderland pencil tin........ooooohhhhhh such wonders......shall I continue????......................

Now this little lovely is called Annabel, and Annabel had a frightful journey to her new home, she arrived feeling quite queasy and dizzy, so she decided that a good look around to stretch her legs is what she needed......

Just look where I found her next.......

All snuggled, with a smile on her face..........

She truly is a poppet. Her fabrics are lovely, she even has little laces on her shoes....rosy cheeks......

I feel utterly spoilt rotten, and thankful for such a perfectly creative best friend.

I am sure, Casper Greens would love to make you your own custom made doll too........please do contact me and I can forward your interest onwards.........but I warn you.....these dollies are quite cheeky and play hide and seek often, I have hunted high and low this morning finding Annabel, only to find her snuggled asleep in biggest bumblebee bed! Fancy that! xxxxx

Two surprises and a sprinkle of appreciation.....x

Us mummies do seem to be busy bees especially right now, with the end of term dangling like a carrot in front of us. So it was lovely, yesterday morning to have an unexpected chit chat with a pal. She bought cakes with her ( one of the reasons she is infact a pal!! ) and we drank tea and chattered about all sort of terribly important things.....but we also had a birthday swap. Both being June babies......I unwrapped the cutest little felt cottage, which is a pin cushion AND a tape measure ( pull the front door!!! ) soooo sweet I am in love with it!!!

That was surprise No.1

Surprise No.2 happened when I picked the bumblebee's up from school. A little chap from class.1. found me and presented me with roses, a huge thankyou card and a little pressie!!!! Awwwww those little kiddies are so cute, it's all for my helping out each week with swimming......

But it's the notes the children wrote that got to me......what ARE they trying to do to me?!! A tired mummy, end of term madness had begun a long time ago ( you know the sorts of things I am talking about...little mistakes, putting the dog food in the fridge, trying to boil a kettle that hasn't been switched on...wearing cardigans inside out ).......

Sometimes, it's just so nice to be appreciated. A card would have done, but I am so grateful for my bits......

The bumblebee's have a WW2 lunch party today....many a child is dressed as an evacuee, sandwiches were made, homemade cakes too..... knee high socks and flat caps were abundant......what fun they will all have!

Big bumblebee also has her drama performance after school, and a friend coming for tea....is it no wonder then, that I wear my cardigan's inside out??!!!!!

xxxx

Because it's wet............x

The water butts are filling nicely from this wet weather....BUT....don't you just hate it when.......

the whole house looks like a laundry room.........xxxx.......

Newbies..........x

It's Friday, and the sun is shinning in Somerset.........how perfect.

A very nice friend, kindly passed me a bag of leftover fabric from her daughter's bedroom. She described it as a Toile style animal print, and my goodness it is sooo beautiful. I don't know the make/brand, but it is quite a heavy cotton, I'm thinking cushions for the bumblebee's daybed, but it's the sort of fabric that......you feel like you can't cut. It's too pretty. But I'm sure I will put it to good use.

Did you notice the Ikea Rosali fabric??? I could not believe my eyes. We were very naughty parents last night, and took the bumblebee's off to Bristol Ikea after school, promising dinner out and a quick sight seeing whistle stop tour of the city. Well..... I think we all know by now, that you can't just pop in and out of Ikea......you just CAN'T..........I thought the rosali fabric was discontinued due to conversations with Cath Kidston? Anyway, I did actually squeak when I saw this duvet cover, lying all alone, on a shelf. It begged me and begged me to take it home, and love it forever. I couldn't say no. They also have lovely matching curtains, and bedspread too....just so you know....

But the real reason to shop was because we kept breaking out garden chairs. I cannot tell you the obscene about of pennies it cost to paint these chairs in Farrow and Ball paint. It makes me feel sick thinking about it.....so I was determined not to have wood again, but rather thought metal a la vintage styleeee would suit better. Alas pennies can't stretch that far, so Ikea won out....and I am super pleased with our bargain £15 each chairs.........

I had Mr.Q scrambling up into shelves to get the colours I wanted while the bumblebee's found an empty isle to sing and dance to whatever was playing over the speakers..........we must have looked a sight!

Four chairs, two stools, and a bag full of bits later, we exited..............and journeyed home, quite late, on a school night, with snoring kiddies in the back......tut tut.......

A cup of tea, a good book, feet up in a new garden chair ( without fear of breaking it and falling off....must exercise this week...just must ) enjoying the sunshine.........what bliss.

xxx

Garden love...................x

A certain little bumblebee's 5th birthday is coming up. For weeks this little mite has been changing her mind from a mad hatters tea party, to animals like cats and dalmatian doggies themes....oh it a huge decision don't you know. We have finally chosen fairies........I am not surprised in the least, but pleased....as this is a theme I know well.

So whilst the party ideas ebbed and flowed this morning, I sought solace up at the vegetable patch and with the ladies......this place is fast becoming my refuge and quiet spot.

I fancy we're doing alright with our produce up there, if you stop still for a few minutes ( usually sipping tea ) and actually look at what's around you, the wildlife is a humming buzzing mass of wonderfulness. I love my house, and my little plot......I'm no expert, oh no not by a long shot. But it just so happens that this week, Alys turned up with a helping hand. In the form of her Edible Garden book.......it is invaluable. My new bible, packed with handy helpful hints and tips which are thoroughly tried and tested by the lady herself.

What I like is this............wayward interesting gardens, that look good, and are edible.

" From the start I have to admit that there is no plan - no regime, no particular order or rules to abide by, just recommendations. Your own experience teaches you more than anything else, so you will need to take a big breath and leap forward " Alys Fowler

xxxxxxxxxxxx