It hasn't been all poo and trouble, I got some lovely new slippers that make me smile;


The utilities company still hasn't been to sort our little problem but I am trying not to think about it too much, instead I am looking forward to a play date with my lovely friend Laura and her beautiful children.

Daisie xxx

Looking On The Brightside

I currently hate, yes tis a strong word but it's what I feel, the local utilities company. On Christmas morning the toilet was flushed and our bath filled with sh*t, oh yes it did, merry christmas all! And to make it even more horrid, being at the end of the terraced block, it's not just our sh*t. We were reassured, after being on hold for almost an hour waiting for someone to answer the phone, that with the frost most call outs were for the fresh water team and the drainage team were relatively unbusy and raw sewage in the house would make us a priority case. I braved the In-Laws alone on boxing day while Simon waited here hopefully, they eventually came out yesterday, jet washed our bit and said they would send a camera team out today (no sign yet). After Simon rodded the drain over 5m and could not reach the blockage we are sure it's a problem in the main sewer and needs sorting pronto. So no solids through the toilet, in a house of six it has not been pleasant but any more information that that is unnecessary to share.

On the brightside, which I must look to or else I will cry, I got to do this with Sebastian;

And for maybe the last time ever I also got to wash Nathaniel in the kitchen sink;

Daisie xxx

Christmas Day started at 1am when Nathaniel was woken by his big sister going for a wee, who in turn woke Francesca and we were all awake until 3am. Elizabeth woke again at 7am, very respectable, but as all her siblings were still asleep and she wanted to wait for them before she opened her stocking she joined me down stairs where we prepped the lunchtime veg and made toast and coffee. When we got back upstairs, the turkey safely roasting in the oven, we all sat on the bed and the children opened their stockings;


Simon bought us a new camera, hurrah! And these were the first two photos we took;

I love this bit of the day best, when it is just us. I love to hear their excited squeeks and see their smiling faces. I sometimes feel I am the luckiest Mummy in the whole world with the most beautiful babies ever known;

I am also amazed by the sheer joy bit of shiny tat can bring;

Later in the day Iron Man came to see us;

There was some serious Mummy Bag Love going on;

We had a wonderful lunch and lazy afternoon, enjoying Dr. Who before bed.

Today has seen a bit of a rerun at the In-Law's.

I hope each and every one of you had a special day too.

Daisie xxx

Bad Pictures Of Good Makes

How on earth is it Christmas Eve Eve already, argh!!!!! Pass me some more wrapping paper and a couple extra days please!?

Well there are several things that I think were just wishful thinking on the 'list', the placemats are not made, but we don't really have space for a big fancy table for lunch on Saturday as the front room is not quite habitable yet, so that matters not. The bears/robins I had planned are nowhere near even cut out but the small people they were destined for have lovely gifts regardless. Elizabeth's skirt remains unmade but there is a reason for that which I'll share later. My cardigan still has only half a back and I only have half a wristwarmer. But the people who are important to me all have a small gift, be it planned or improvised and that's all that matters really.

Simon has had some small workie men 'helping' in the front;


I did manage to knit some deep red wool petals and felted then in the sink to make my friend a flower brooch similar to one she saw at K&S which was £28! It's not just as delicate as I had hoped for but am quite pleased with the outcome and hope she will be too;


Nathaniel's bag has buttons;

I made this from two huge napkins I got in the summer at the scrap store. There is enough for a pencil roll but I just haven't had time, a new years gift maybe.......

This is why I haven't made Elizabeth's skirt yet;

I got this fabby fabric at K&S for a fraction of the price I had seen it at elsewhere, still expensive to me but well worth it. I haven't made the skirt as I think this fabric would make a great swishy skirt with a net lining, kinda rocksbilly? I want to know what she thinks before I cut into the rest but didn't want to show her as it would spoil her bag suprise.

The dinosaur still needs legs and Francesca's lacy scarf needs finishing, there are a few presents left to wrap and some alcohol calling my name so I'll be off for now.

Daisie xxx

*The pictures are awful, am hoping Father Christmas finds time to bring me a new camera and if not some daylight :)

Custom Monkeys

A while ago, well bloody ages if I'm honest, a friend asked me to make two monkeys for her two sons for Christmas. Being a friend and me knowing that they weren't needed until late in December kind of pushed them down the 'to-do' list. I feel bad, very bad. So yesterday while at home with a poorly Francesca (she was too ill to do her play *sob*) I cracked on and got them done;


They are steampunk inspired;

I love the guy on the right and his little felt waistcoat with silver button and vintage key;

The other one I'm not just as keen on. I wanted them to be different as they are going to live side by side and need their own identities but I would have loved them both in waistcoats with funky button watches! I had it in mind to make some flying goggles, I made some in felt but then abandoned that idea as I didn't want to give the poor little boy nightmares! I ended up embroidering around his eyes, they look a little more like specs than goggles but I'm pleased with how it makes his face look.

I so hope they're not a let down after the loooong wait!

Daisie xxx

The Law Of Sod

It was July 2001 the last time I was employed (thrity six weeks pregnant with ELizabeth, huge and hot) so it's been a very long time. Starting work this week was a little scary, I feel alot of guilt at leaving Seb in someone elses care while he is so small but to be honest he's having a great time with his new carer and new friends and has barely missed me at all. I feel bad that Nathaniel is spending two full days at nursery school. I have been trying to convince myself that I'm not a bad mother. I take them at nine and collect them again at half three so not a long day away from Mummy and time enough for cuddles and fun before tea and bed.

I was welcomed warmly on entering the centre yesterday and asked to sign the staff work sheet, all felt very official. I felt like a proper grown up and everything! I am working in the baby stay and play group first thing so I set up the creche with lots of enticing things for very small people. There were some of 'my' mums in the group that I have been working with for sometime, one lady asked me where Seb was, I replied he was with the childminder. She looked shocked and when I explained that it was because I was being paid for these hours (he comes with me for my volunteer hours) as they had given me a job she jumped up and embraced me and said it was 'about time too'. I went on three visits with the family support team and met two expectant Mums who I hope to be seeing again when their little bundles arrive.

All was going great when nursery school phoned at 2 and asked me to come and collect this;


And then school phoned and asked me to come and collect this;


We have all had the sniffles and a bit of a cough/cold for a week or so. Seb has antibiotics for a chest infection, he is somewhat prone after his pneumonia last winter, but is quite happy and smily in himself. The centre manager was very kind and supportive and we all made jokes about what the odds would be!

It was the staff Christmas gathering last night (I had already been invited as a volunteer but it was nice to be 'real' staff and not feel like a fraud) and we all went out for a curry, really nice to be together outside the centre.

I came home to some very poorly children indeed. So after a trip to see our family doctor today my fridge now looks like this;


I think it may be a long weekend!

A big thank you to my MIL for popping over this morning to sit with the poorly people so I could go and do my baby group and get some paper work done and a thank you to for my manager for not minding that I didn't quite complete my first week at work!

Daisie xxx

I Learnt A New Trick!

Thanks for all the lovely supportive comments on my last post, I must apologise for not emailing back but it's all been a little mental really. I've done most of my staff induction, Sebastian has been visiting the childminder with me and his brother and goes for a while by himself on Wednesday. I start work on Thursday, argh! It's like being a proper grown up and I feel slightly out of my depth but in a giggley excited way, am sure I'll get scared at some point soon!

The dinosaur still needs some legs knitting and Nathaniel's lovely bag still needs buttons, I have knitted half the back of a cardigan for myself (will tell more soon) and knitted half a left hand warmer, Elizabeth has been measured and a muslin of her skirt has been made, two fronts of placemats have been quilted (and are the right size)!

Here is some of the Christmas bunting I made (and a dinosaur having a snooze);


This one is spare, I was going to put it in my shop but the pictures are awful and the light is terrible but if any of you are interested email me and it's yours for just £8, would make a lovely seasonal gift for the person who has everything?

I only had a small amount of this blue with festive bears on so I made just two sets of bunting for two special little boys who made an appearnace this year;



And this is the new trick I learnt;


Look closely, are you impressed? I am! A lovely customer (my bestest customer ever, who had me make a bag for her a while ago and then make another and another for many of her friends who also want to stash their essentials in the most amazing bags ever*) asked me to make a very understated bag for her 16 year old little sister. I was assured that this was the upmost in flattery that a girl of such an age would want to own one of my creations. She specified a black bag with a bright pink lining, a loop and button closure. Check. But my lovely customer just thought that was all a little bit boring and not very DaisieDavies at all and asked me to make a funky corsage to go with it, that way the customer could attach it and try to influence her sister's style but her sister could also remove it and wear the bag as she wanted to.

I would usually have knitted a flower or rosette and embellished with beads and buttons but felt this would be wrong for the bag owner so I found a Kanzashi flower tute and some bright pink scraps and the twin of the button on the bag and created this lovely thing;


I hope she likes it!

Daisie xxx

*blowing own trumpet, please forgive me! x

A Working Mum

Ooooh, I have had a busy day! A fornight ago an advertisement for a part time family support team member offering specialist breastfeeding support appeared in a children's centre where I do some volunteer peer support. I applied. I got an interview. After slogging through the snow to nursery and then school and then the centre I just had time to swap my wet wellies for some smart shoes. I had a haircut last weekend especially. I bought new trousers (and managed to escape the house without snot or banana on them). I was grilled (or it seemed like it) by the head at school and the centre manager. I left feeling there were so many things I wanted to say but forgot. I felt like I had completely fluffed it. I got a phone call an hour later. The post was mine, did I still want it? YES!!!!! It's just two school days a week and they have allowed me to work termtime to fit in with my own children. I am over the moon. I start next week. I haven't stopped smiling yet.