Park Life

Jobs for today were a) have a fun day and b) get a new paddling pool...... if you're keeping up you'll be saying "but you only bought a new one just yesterday", and you'd be right. The flippin' thing only went and burst along one of the side seams two hours into the fun. Arrghhhh!!!

We decided to do the "have fun"part first. McDonalds pancakes for breakfast - yummy (and a bit messy) ....

.... followed by a trip to the park. We're really lucky that within about 15 minutes from home there are loads of really brilliant parks. We could easily go to a different one every day of the week, all with loads to do for different age groups, and most with a cafe close by for yours truly.

We have a bag that lives in the car with blankets and a frisbee, pens, paper, all ready for impromptu trips, and today we chucked in the loom bands too (of course!).

Today's park, Palmer Park, has sooo much for the Little People to do - climbing frames (wow they weren't that funky in my day), trampoline, massive multi-person swings, big sand pit area, even ping pong tables (must bring bats next time - another addition for the car-bag)...

Little Man got busy with his loom bands, quite content to sit with me - very unusual and most enjoyable...

... and I progressed my crochet roses ....

 ..... there is a community not-for-profit cafe, it doesn't sell the average run-of-the-mill drinks, instead has these organic ones .... ice-cold fizzy elderflower ..... mmmmmm ...... and lemonade for the Little People .... cheers ....

It turns out we planned our impromptu day really rather well because the heavens opened as we arrived home for a quick lunch. I'd love to take picnics out with us, but I know that Little Man rarely wants to stay out this long and I've learned not to fight it, and to make sure we quit while we're ahead.

The other job for the day was to get a replacement for the paddling pool. The paddling pool shop is next to our local Hobbycraft, which I'd noticed last week runs free children's craft sessions every day in the holidays, so we decided to drop-in and have a go. Today they were making hand-sewn pin-cushions.

The lighting was appalling p sorry! And we didn't quite finish - pictures tomorrow maybe - but the girls had a great time, and I got to see how a die-cutting machine works. Ooooooooo!!! Fun!!!!! One for the (shhhhh whisper it) Christmas list I think!

Lazy Days

Hello bloggy friends :) Sorry for the short absence, just family life taking over for a while, but school holidays started today and the madness has stopped. True, there may now reign a different type of madness, but hey, a change is as good as a rest, right ??!

It has to be said though that this first day of the holidays has been really really lovely - slow and relaxing, hot and sunny. I started the day with a bit of breakfast in the garden, always the best start to the day, especially when you know you have nothing special to do, and no particular place to be.

During the morning I spent some hooky time catching up with my rose-blanket, an activity thinly disguised as child-supervision :) Loving this colour combo though ..... fresh and springy .....

Little Man spent pretty much the entire day planted in front of the xbox. He always does this almost exclusively for the first few days of the holidays, before realising that it IS okay to do other things too :) Meanwhile, the girls got busy at the garden table with the loom bands. As well as the usual wrist bands, they've made all sort of wonderful and wacky creations - little people, key-fobs, skipping ropes, hairbands, the list goes on.

I might post some photos of the various works of art tomorrow :)
The loom bands were getting dangerously depleted so we made a trip out to stock up. The girls were in Seventh Heaven choosing from this lot ...

... and then somehow ended up buying a new paddling pool as well :) The weather as been so amazing, and our only paddling pool was titchy, and had been outside full of rainwater (and goodness knows what other gunge) all winter, so we splashed out (see what I did there :) on a new one.

It cooled me down just even watching them in it. Loads of fun, the stuff that memories are made of. There's nothing quite like shrieking and splashing around in the sprinkler, then snuggling up in warm towels with lollies and squash (and even a bit of Mummy's diet coke as a treat). I remember exactly this from my childhood. Water fights in the garden with the kids next door, then wrapping up in towels to eat choc-ices on a big blanket on the grass.

I have a few other exciting things going on, but that will have to wait for another day. In the meantime, check out this totally LusciouS yarn that I treated myself to last week. It's Smiley Stripes from Sirdar, I really Really REALLY love this colour, I think its called Honolulu :) I *think* it will be made into a scarf or shawl or similar, but at the moment I am happy just to gaze upon it :) Here it is .....

Bonny Pink Bunting

The loom band obsession continues. Little Miss making watch straps, hairbands and bracelets ....

.... and Little Tomboy making wrist-bands (NOT bracelets, ok??)

I unashamedly bribed Little Miss today that if she tidied her room (a task of gargantuan proportions let me tell you) then I would buy her some more bands. I also promised her the finished pink bunting that I've been working on.

I'd finished the triangles, and joined them with some banding and buttons, yesterday. Just a bit of a blocking miracle to apply ....

.... do you like my new ironing board cover ?? Quite funky, no ?

I let Little Miss loose in the button tin. If the job had been left to me, I'd have chosen pink and white buttons, and alternated them. Little Miss was far more adventurous. When I saw her choices my heart sank, especially at the red heart. I mean red with all that pink ? Seriously ?? But you know what, it really really works and finishes it off Just Right. Good choice Little Miss.

Aaah a tower of triangles ...

.... all laid out ...

... and in the recipient's hands :)

... and here it is strung along the side of her cabin bed. Excuse the slightly scary clown in the background: she won it at Brownies. It totally gives me the creeps but she doesn't seem to mind him ...

.... I think I may have underdone the blocking but it's all good ....

So there you have it. Bonny Bunting for a Bonny Lass. And look, here is the red heart button again.
Just Right :)

Project Progress June 2014

I'd love to do a monthly post on things I've completed, but life is a bit mad at the moment and a post on things in progress is a rather more attainable goal. I warn you now, its a long list. I am a serial starter. So without further ado I give you In Progress June 2014 (yes I know its July. Just ignore that please :)

... most recently started is this granny square bag ... started last weekend ...

... bike bunting ... not much left on this now ...

... Clara's baby blanket ... cripes better get moving on this one .... Clara is about 2 months old now ...

... lightweight pink scarf ... love the hot pink, this one's super quick to work up so there's no excuse! ...

... poinsettia cushion cover ... started last December, may get it done for this Christmas ...

... minecraft blanket ... design is in flux because Little Man has decided on normal granny squares ...

... muted colours blanket in a sort of slight bobble cluster pattern ... can't remember what it was now ...

... 365 blanket - this is my favourite piece. I Loooooove the colours ...

.... autumn granny poncho .... another one that's almost finished ....

... woodland scarf ... this one can wait until the end of summer I think ....

... I started this as a kindle cover, but really don't like it, so it will become a jar cosy or something ...

... and last but not least ... some pink bunting for Little Miss' bedroom ...

Phew! Waaaaaaay nore than I was expecting, I'm not sure getting these all out at once was such a good idea :-/ Better get cracking then so that there is actually some progress this month :)

Happy hooking everyone :) 

xxxx