Unsuccessful Thrifting & Crafting

I want to start with something positive, because the rest of this post is going to be a bit blah. I am absolutely loving this sunny weather, it makes me happy even on the most unhappy days. Will I jinx it if I say it could be an early spring?? Oh how I love spring.

Anyway, I have tried crafting lately, but I am suffering from very uncomfortable back /neck / shoulder pain. I have no idea how or why this started, but it is not getting better, in fact it seems to be getting worse. My body’s natural reaction to pain is nausea, so as well as being in pain, I am nauseated, dizzy and feeling quite queasy today, YUCK!!

But I have a mission, I chose to join the vintage baby swap at the last minute, without a clue what I would send, but with the naive idea that vintage baby stuff would be easy to find. Well, it seems all the thrift stores within a 10 minute walk/bus ride from my house have been cleared of all vintage toys, and all I can find is bins full of soft toys. Vintage children's books have been easy to find, and I have bought home a few, some that I am reluctant to part with, but I’ve made peace with it because I know that they are going to a lovely kiwi mummy blogger.

Of course I have not come home empty handed from my thrift store searches. I just haven’t come home with anything I had actually been looking for. One of my finds I am super happy with, and I can’t wait to find a special spot in my house and a special something to display inside it.

I have been seeing these on other blogs with lovely things displayed in them like cupcakes, birds nests, fruit, little bitty plants…that gives me an idea to use the little bitty blue & white plant pot I found a while ago.

I also came home with a pile of pillowcases to be used for crafty things, except for one which will be used for it’s intended purpose for little princess.

And a pile of vintage linens, doilies, lace, fabric etc.

  A book for me, which is meant for kids, but it has some really basic patterns for crochet and knitting, and I am thinking I should try knitting again. A tea cosy (that's the olive green knitted thing you can kinda see on the left), because even though I don’t actually have a teapot yet, I desperately need a tea cosy. A doll for little princess. A little cross stitch kit that was inside one of the books and I didn’t even realise it until I got home. some round wooden things, I don’t know what they are meant to be, but I am going to stick stuff to them.

And even on the worst of days, when I am feeling blah and tired and grumpy….

I have this little guy to cheer me up with his smiles and giggles. Little man is supposed to be starting daycare next week, it makes me a bit sad, I will miss him. I am still completely undecided if he should even be going to daycare yet, as of yesterday he is 9 months old, but we are noticing some delays in development now. He can not sit up unsupported or crawl, and he has no teeth and is not at all interested in eating any kind of food other than fruit/vege puree. He can, however, laugh enthusiastically at pretty much anything I do, smile hugely whenever he sees me (including if I just turn away from him then turn back again), pivot around on his tummy when I’m not looking so that I find him in a completely different place to where I left him, and he is almost just about sleeping through the night *touch wood*. The daycare dilema is – the staff there are excellent and will know exactly what to do to meet his needs, he needs to start getting social interaction early and he needs to learn to be ok away from me, but on the other hand, I can give him quality one on one time, I have gotten him into a really good routine which will get completely messed up when he starts daycare, and he doesn’t really need to go to daycare yet. I guess it’s worth a try, to see how it goes, and if I decide that it’s not working for him we can put it off until next year. I can’t believe in three months my little man will be ONE. Wow this year is really flying by.

And I think this post has gone on long enough. I’ve just had a couple of parcels from overseas delivered to my door, so I am excited to open them up and see what’s inside.

Busy as a bee with birthdays

It’s been a WHOLE WEEK since I posted anything on my blog. Every morning I start the day with a plan, what I want to create, what I want to blog about, what I need to do around the house, and anything else that needs to be done. Unfortunately the needs must come before the wants, and there really hasn’t been enough time for the wants lately.

Last weekend the presents were a big hit, with the children and adults (I’m pretty sure the adults spent more time “fishing” than the kids).

Tomorrow my little princess turns THREE! The panic begins because 3 whole years have gone by already since I was just a regular twenty-something girl with no plans to ever have a family. I only have TWO MORE YEARS until my little girl goes to school. That means I have to learn to drive and get my licence within 2 years. Cringe.

So these last few weeks have been all about birthday preparations, and I am so happy that we are nearing the end, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. No more pink cake, discussions on three year old tea party etiquette or hunts across town for tea pots.

Having a little princess who goes to daycare means I am obligated to make 2 cakes (one for daycare, one for home). That could even be extended to 3 cakes, but she will not be having cake at home tomorrow night, because it really can’t be good for kids to eat that much birthday cake in one week, right?? So we created, by request, a pink heart orange cake for daycare (it’s pink on the outside and orange on the inside, with chocolate chips added in just for fun).

I almost like this one better than the one we are having for her party on Saturday, but this took a bit more time and effort, and at this stage I am all about taking the easy option.

So when the little miss wakes up in the morning, this is what she will find.

We wrapped her presents with fabric, because I have LOADS of it, and it is reusable, so it won’t make a heap of rubbish to get rid of. Looks pretty cute too, I think.

Even though I’ve been a busy birthday bee, I have had some time for thrifting and crafting, I just haven’t had time to write about it, so I’ll have to do some catch up after the PARTY!! Still no sewing machine (damn spotlight, why bother having online shopping, it would have been quicker for me to walk there and get it myself, all the way to ROTORUA!!) but when it arrives I will be ready. I am so happy I finally learnt to crochet, it is great to sit in front of the TV occasionally and crochet, so I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time doing nothing because I am still creating.

If you want to do something fun, you should join in on The Envelope Project, I have, and I’m super excited to see what everyone sends in.

99 Things

I can’t blog surf tonight because we have once again used up all our bandwidth in less than 2 weeks, and waiting for pages to load on this super slow connection is driving me mad. So I found this on Kelly’s blog, Reclaiming Me, and thought I might as well fill it out. It’s pretty boring, because I haven’t travelled a lot and most of the questions are about places and things around the world. It’s just something to fill in the time, and this space.

Started your own blog – Yup.
Slept under the stars – yes, and it was not a fun experience.
Played in a band - No but I always wanted to, just never got the chance to learn any instruments except piano.
Visited Hawaii - not yet.
Watched a meteor shower – no.
Given more than you can afford to charity – no.
Been to Disneyworld - no, not really on my list of must dos.
Climbed a mountain - yes, a long time ago.
Held a praying mantis – yes, I’m the only one in our house that will go anywhere near them, so I am on bug removal duty.
Sang a solo – does singstar count?
Bungee jumped – no.
Visited Paris – no.
Watched a lightening storm – yes, but I don’t like it, it’s scary.
Taught yourself an art from scratch - yes, a few.
Adopted a child – no.
Had food poisoning – yes, and I will never eat luncheon again.
Walked to the top of The Statue Of Liberty – no.
Grown your own veg – I don’t think so, I’m not a gardener, I have never been able to keep plants alive for long.
Seen the Mona Lisa in France – no.
Slept on an overnight train – I don’t think so, but possibly in egypt.
Had a pillow fight - long, long time ago!
Hitch hiked – yeah, kinda. Didn’t actually accept a ride though.
Taken a sick day when you're not ill – yes.
Built a snow fort – No, I DO NOT like snow, yuk!
Held a lamb – I think so, when I was little.
Gone skinnydipping – Ummm, maybe, but I think I may have been intoxicated at the time.
Run a marathon – No.
Ridden in a gondola in Venice – no.
Seen a total eclipse - don't think so.
Watched a sunrise or sunset – yes.
Hit a home run – no.
Been on a cruise – yes, on the Nile. Would LOVE to go on another longer one on the ocean.
Seen Niagara Falls in person – no.
Visited the birthplace of your ancestors – no.
Seen an Amish community – no.
Taught yourself a new language – Not really. Hubby has been trying to teach me Afrikaans for the 10 years we have been together, I can understand it a lot more than I can speak it.
Had enough money to be truly satisfied - I think no matter how much money we have, it will never be enough.
Seen the Tower Of Pisa in person – no.
Gone rock climbing - not rock climbing but did abseiling at camp when I was a kid.
Seen Michelangelo's David – not the real thing.
Sung Karaoke – does singstar count?
Seen Old Faithful – no.
Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant – no.
Visited Africa – Yes, only Egypt.
Walked on a beach by moonlight – yes.
Been transported in an ambulance – no.
Had your portrait painted – no.
Gone deep sea fishing – yes, I love fishing.
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower – no.
Gone scuba diving – no.
Kissed in the rain – yes I think so, a loooong time ago.
Played in the mud - of course!
Gone to a drive-in theatre – no.
Been in a movie – Do short films made at art school count?
Visited the Great Wall Of China – no.
Started your own business – Sold my jewellery for a while, someday I’ll try selling my handmade stuff again, when I have more time.
Taken a martial arts class – no.
Visited Russia – no.
Served in a soup kitchen – no.
Sold Girl Scout cookies – girl guide cookies, yes.
Gone whale watching – not deliberately, but have seen some while out on boats and stuff.
Got flowers for no reason – No, I don’t like flowers and anyone who knows me should know that so I don’t get them.
Donated blood – yes.
Gone sky diving – no.
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp – no.
Bounced a cheque – no.
Flown in a helicopter – no.
Saved a favourite childhood toy - yes, I have a few dolls and teddies and a huge bucketful of lego.
Visited the Lincoln Memorial – no.
Eaten caviar - eww, no thanks.
Pieced a quilt – no but it’s on my to-do list.
Stood in Times Square – no.
Toured The Everglades – no.
Been fired from a job – no.
Seen the Changing Of The Guard in London – no.
Broken a bone – no.
Been a passenger on a motorcycle – once when I was a kid and I burned my leg, haven’t done it again since.
Seen The Grand Canyon – no.
Published a book - no, but I'd love to write a book some day.
Visited the Vatican – no.
Bought a brand new car – no.
Walked in Jerusalem – no.
Had your picture in the newspaper – yes, when I had my son, but that doesn’t really count.
Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Years Eve – yes, also a looooong time ago.
Visited the White House – no.
Killed and prepared an animal for eating – yuck, no!
Had chickenpox – yes.
Saved someone's life – no.
Sat on a jury – no.
Met someone famous – I feel like I have, when we lived in wellington, but I can’t remember who it was, so can’t have been anyone too exciting.
Joined a book club – no.
Had a tattoo – yes, 3.
Had a baby - yes, 2.
Seen The Alamo in person – no.
Swam in The Great Salt Lake – no.
Been involved in a lawsuit – no.
Owned a cell phone – yes, many.
Been stung by a bee – yes.
Performed on stage in a capital city – no.

Now it’s only 9:30, everyone else is in bed, and I have nothing to do. This never happens. It’s times like this I wish I had a craft room, so I could get my craft on without waking everyone up.

One day.

Soon I hope!