Thimbleina

Planes & Buns

   

Sunday consisted of making paper planes from this old newspaper supplement which I thought would come in useful sometime. If you have a look here you will find instructions for making all sorts of paper planes and coloured paper to print out to make them more interesting like the ones above.

  

Out came our big mixing bowl to make some

 

Cranberry and dark chocolate hot cross buns. I had the recipe for this tucked away but was reminded of it when reading this post .

Along with grass cutting and car washing a good Sunday

The big top

 

Our new tent has arrived after months of looking at all sorts of tents on the internet as we needed a new one for camping this year.

That is Master T in the box as he really loves the box and the tent.

I had never thought of having a canvas tent, we had looks at lots of the typical type of tents which all looked pretty similar to the one we had. But when I saw Emma's tent I knew this was the one for us. After reading up on these tents and quizzing Emma we ordered one from Soulpad who give a list of pros and cons of these tents and any other information that you might require. The tent arrived within a week.

So this weekend we put it up to weather it and so that we have some idea what we are doing when we get to the campsite especially if it is raining when we get there.

 

Well I think we might be starting a circus it looks like a big top (which might be good as later in the year Lady A wants a circus party - there is one prop already). We are really pleased with it - I think there might be serious tent envy when we go camping with this. It stood up to rain and some quite blustery winds ( you see those concrete fence posts, they are not very nice on the eye but quite necessary where we live as we are on a hill and the wind really whips up and before used to pull all the fences down everytime there was a decent wind).

The tent is so spacious inside as it has no bedrooms, just one big space which is great if it rains as it normally does when we camp - so we will have lots of space to play games with the kids in. I can't wait to go camping - I have a feeling that we will camp alot more this year.

By the way the tent only took 15 minutes to put up the first time and could be done by one of us while the other amuses the children.

  

It's a winner

 

Lady A won the Easter Egg competition with her Strong Man. She was so pleased as it is the first competition she has ever won. We are all so proud of her!!

  

Lady A and I had a girly day today with a little painting for her at Fired Arts and Crafts where a friend of ours is holding the fort while the lady that runs the place is off on maternity leave. We had lunch at one of our favourite places and bought a few little birthday gifts for Master T at a lovely little shop called 'Nellie in the shed' which sells all Cath Kidston and lovely retro toys, they had a beautiful old toy pram outside, I must take a photo next time I go to show you, it is a little treasure trove.

Also a photo of Master T on his outing this week with some of his friends to celebrate his birthday

  

This photo sums him up, he is nearly three but loves to live life in the fast lane and permenantly wears his wellies.  

Handmade with love

 

These are the beautiful things that both Lady A and Master T made for Mother's day. The pillow made by Lady A was made at school and was inspired by Paul Klee which is an artist that they have been studying. The large card was made by Lady A at school, the one on the top right by Master T and the teacup card was made at Rainbows by Lady A, it had a poem inside ' Time for a break so put your feet up, switch on the kettle and reach for the cup, nothing compares to a nice up of tea, so here's one for you, with love from me'  this had a teabag attached - such a nice simple gift in anyone's birthday card.

Arty Party and an egg competition

 

We have just come back from a birthday art party and this is what Master T and Lady A produced, they are now proudly hanging in the downstairs toilet as they suit the colour scheme in there. I think these little stretched canvases look so good.

Also on the agenda this weekend was the creation of Lady A's entry to the egg decorating competition at school. This was her idea - a strongman, I think it is meant to be Adolf the strong man from Pippi Longstocking's visit to the circus.

Birthday preparations

 

A little man around here is soon to be 3 so I am trying to get a little bit made for his birthday. I haven't in previous years got around to making birthday crowns for either of my two so thought that now is the time. Master T is having a little Tea party tomorrow with two of the little people that he knows and all being well we are going on an outing with two more on Tuesday and probably another little party with one other as well next week - so lots of celebrating!!

Master T gave me a little present that he made at playschool earlier this week for Mother's Day

 

A little Viola (I think that is what it is called). Anyway if i don't get chance to post again before the weekend, have a great weekend and to those of you in Great Britain and anyone else who celebrates on Sunday - have a lovely relaxing Mother's Day.

Refashion - jeans to skirt

 

I thought I'd saved a picture of the jeans that this skirt once was, but can I find it? no is the simple answer to that one.

Anyway I had worn my jeans so much that holes in the knees worked so big I couldn't wear them any longer in fear of the whole bottom part of the legs coming off. So as I am I cannot willingly throw clothes in the bin that have no use to anyone else so they go on a pile of clothes that I am going to transform into something else (at some date- sometimes they just stay there until I realise the only thing they are going to become is rags for mopping up really mucky things).

So I took the scissors to these jeans, chopping the bottom of the legs off and cutting close to the seams. I then cut a triangle out of each leg near the hem to attach to the hole left when overlapping the legs to make a skirt. Some of the sewing I managed on my machine with a heavy duty needle, some I had to do by hand with a backstitch which although a little wobbly I think looks better than the machine. I'm quite pleased with the result and again I have a new item of clothing for no pennies. Here is a photo of the back:

Decorating the Easter Tree

 

We have been busy making and decorating our Easter tree this weekend. We have more to put on which I will show you when we are finished.

Book bargains and heavenly cakes

 

We have had a lovely day out today. We popped in a local specialist Oxfam shop which does just books and music and picked up all of these books for just £4.00, they are all in excellent condition.

Across the road from the shop was a farmer's market and the lady that makes the most heavenly cupcakes had a stall there so we all had a lovely creamy cupcake, these disappeared so fast I didn't get my camera out in time to photograph the roses on top of the children's mini cupcakes of the lemon buttercream on the other.

We found a lovely park with an enourmous sandpit and lots of climbing frames which the kids did not want to leave. Now they are all including daddy having a nap so they can go out on their bikes.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend 

Postie package and other gifts

 

 

The kids received a wonderful Easter parcel from Abbott and Cal, Lecia's boys. There were lots of Easter goodies that were soon spirited away by those little hands in the second picture. We have sent today our parcel which hopefully will arrive with them safely in about a week's time. I hope they enjoy their parcel as much as mine have enjoyed and are enjoying theirs.

  

I eventually finished this a cardigan for my baby niece, which will be her Easter present as being so small she cannot have Easter eggs yet.

  

Another completed Easter gift, a felt pretend play fried egg.

Mr Thimbleina went to the hospital on Tuesday and they have decided it is ligaments and not a fracture (which is what he was told in A&E). So he now has a plastic cast that he can take on and off, but still is on crutches. The consultant said it could take longer than a break to heal depending on how fast his body heals and I think as well how much he rests it. I am trying to encourage him not to do too much, but he really isn't used to being inactive.