Zippy Gifts

It's the last day of the school term tomorrow, this school year infact!! From half past two tomorrow afternoon I have all my babies all to myself :-)

It saddens me that I seem to be the only Mummy in the playground who looks forward to spending time with her children. I know there will be times when they annoy me so much that I want to lock them (or myself) into a cupboard, I know that at some point the girls bickering over silly things will make me want to bang their heads together and am sure I will shout at least a few (million) times but we will have fun adventures and lazy days and snuggles and not have to live by the timetable that dictates when we get up, when we go out, where we go etc. I can't wait!!!

And as it's the end of the year I have made little prezzies for the girls' teachers. Little zippy purses with felt flowers (on brooch backs so can be removed and added else where);



All colour coordinated to match the teacher's personal taste and the card I made for them. Two of Elizabeth's teachers have got little tea towel pinnies that I made but Elizabeth ever efficient and not at all anal (?) wrapped them before I could get to them with the camera, don't know where she gets it from....?

The same happened with the cards, they are coloured and styled to suit the teacher but I put them out to be written after school and they were signed, licked and sticked before the blink of an eye. Here's the last one, I got to Francesca before she licked;



Busy day tomorrow, lots of presents to deliver, Simon's college is moving to a new site after the summer break so he is packing his office tomorrow and I will be needed to to and fro with stuff, girls finish early and in theory I am being taken out for my tea sans children, oooh, watch this space (as they say).

Daisie xxx

The Death Of The Chicken Hottie

The death of the chicken hottie (not The Death Of A Disco Dancer!), how sad. I have cut my last piece of yellow fleece with amazing scalloped edging (an IKEA bargain) into four chickens (2 small, 2 full size). I am very sad as I love these little fellows. Here they are waiting for faces and wings;


They will go to the fair with me. May have to have a trip to Ikea and See if I can get another but I haven't been lucky on that front for quite a while :-(

There were a few off cuts that are on their way to becoming taggy blankets for the soon to be arriving babies. Here's one I pinned last night;

Just need to find a nice gender neutral cotton for the back and hey presto!

I have a busy day ahead. I have been invited into Francesca's class this afternoon (in lieu of a parents' evening meeting) to see how the class works and to watch Francesca in her school environment. I am quite excited about it really. There will be time for a one on one chat with her class teacher too. I just hope that it's not like Elizabeth's first parents' evening when I came home in tears! Long story. The only sad thing is that because it's so early in the day Simon can't come too.

Then I am collecting Simon from college at half past three as we have an appointment with Elizabeth's class teacher just before 4. Then we can collect the girls from their sports clubs (Elizabeth is doing dance and Francesca is cheer leading!) and come home all together and eat together and maybe Simon will listen to reading books and read stories at bedtime. I am very excited and pleased as punch to have him home on a week night!

In between all this school/parent activity I need to make a red dragon pie, wash the floors, sew four chickens and try and get Nathaniel to have a snooze before we go to school and maybe even have time for a cup of tea!!

Daisie xxx

Competitive Mum

Who?

Me?

Elizabeth came home from school yesterday with a letter explaining that the children would be reenacting a Celtic Battle (as this is the period of history they are studying at the moment) this Thursday and would need a 'costume' of some sort.

We rummaged in my stash and found this wonderful John Lewis fabric called; Celtic Scroll;




Last night I found her school t-shirt and took a basic bodice shape from it. I cut out the pieces and then left them as I was busy being a star (apparently).

After playgroup today while Nathaniel snoozed in his pram (it's hard work playing) I pinned them together and ran them through the machine;

I decided against trying to recreate an iron age zip so have sewn in some ribbon loops and will add two buttons tonight;

The bottom hem needs doing but I didn't want to do it until I have tried it on Elizabeth and made sure it all fits as it should.

I was going to knit her a shawl but won't have time to do it for Thursday as I have a very special order to fill for this lovely lady so am mostly knitting beads!!

Will she be the best Celtic princess of all or what?! She also wants to borrow the ring sling and attach baby Annabell to her. May or may not have time to make a miniature Celtic outfit!!

Daisie xxx

English Weather

To say we have had no real summer this year isn't really an understatement. It has been cold and wet and thoroughly miserable with maybe one or too fine days thrown in here and there. Ask any UK resident and I'm sure they'll say the same!

This week however it has been beautiful. Not overly warm but dry and sunny. Today I have stomped through fallen leaves with Nathaniel on the way home from playgroup and we even found conkers!! Autumn is coming I think.

So it seemed a little odd making these;



When the sky looks like this;

Christmas crafts are still being made in abundance here at Daisie Towers (that came to me the other day when thinking over something else because I thought we should rename Lynsey's blog Swirly Heights, don't ask why, I don't know!!) ready for my up and coming craft fair, ooh, excitement mounts.......

Off for a meeting at the new children's centre near school to sort out lots of new exciting projects for me to be involved in. I need something more to do to stop me missing the girls now they are back at school.

Hope it is sunny where you are too!

Daisie xxx

Thomas

Well, after only one full time week at school Francesca was bestowed the biggest gift of all by Miss Sutcliffe. She is the first person who gets to bring home the class mascot, Thomas, for the weekend. He comes with an overnight bag complete with a spare change of clothes and a scrap book in which to record his weekend adventures.

We stopped to put flowers in his hair on the way home on Friday;


And today because it was sunny (I know, couldn't quite believe it either) Francesca showed him her rose bush in the garden;

Hoping for some more sun tomorrow!

Daisie xxx

Hi Ho Hi Ho

....it's off to school we go!

She does look very grown up *sniff* and so beautiful;


Please note the new love heart pin I made for her last night because even when she's at school I love her. She was very pleased to see it this morning when she came down to breakfast.

Elizabeth has her flower on her bag.

I am going to miss them so much.

Still crying from this morning.

This picture is a little out of focus but I had to show you her socks as they are her favourite bit;

My big girl goes up to the junior yard this time, time goes by too quickly;

I get to collect Francesca after lunch as they are only doing half days until the 15th, can't wait to give her a squeeze (even though she'll have that horrible school smell they all get). Back home for a snack and to hear all about her school adventure and then off again to collect Elizabeth.

It is good to be back in a routine but so sad at the same time.

Daisie xxx

Laughter and Makes

We went this morning to school to collect the girls PE kits, Francesca is modelling the smallest size (and she is considerably taller than alot of her peers) and Elizabeth is modelling the next size up. I am sure that school buy them like this so as to amuse the teaching staff twice a week!


We laughed alot and then packed them away with nice clean pumps in their bags. We also bought new book bags, needless to say they are now decorated with a Daisie Dangle or two.

My lovely friend Claire was bought some flowers a few eeks ago and she saved me the packaging;

Mmmmm, lots of lovely things! Claire started her new job today (am going to miss her, don't mind telling you) and I made her a 100% recycled card;

The blue/silver backing paper is a piece of a water proof kitchen roller blind. It looks really shiny and slick. The silver square is from a box of chocolates, the pink net is from Claire's flower bundle, three buttons from the french lot my mum bought and the ribbon I have woven through the net is from the shoulders of clothes (you know the little bits that the shops tangle round the hangers to make trying them on a nightmare), I have a big pile of these that my sister replenishes often for me :-)

I have made this lovely squashy hot water bottle cover for a friend who is very poorly. It looks quite posh (I must get a better camera, or just get better at taking pictures) and expensive but cost me around 50p to make. It is padded so has a quilted effect with the mother of pearl buttons;

I bought some brooch backs from a lovely lady on folksy last night and they arrived this morning so I made these Daisie felt badges;

Elizabeth has already claimed the orange one and the other is on it's way to her friend.

Bath and early bed tonight as we're all off to school tomorrow, the end of the holidays is here :-(

Daisie xxx

There's A Hole In My Finger!

There's a hole in my finger :-( I feel the need to say it again, blimey it's sore!


The hole in my finger has appeared because I have been knitting like mad trying to complete a project. A friend's daughter celebrates her second birthday in a week and I have a present (have had for ages) but haven't made anything for her so I felt the need. I have adapted a pattern idea from the lovely book that Jenny gave me and here's a sneaky peek;

Am having a night off from knitting tonight to let my poor finger have a rest and hopefully be better to go again tomorrow. Am thinking I may have to wrap it in masking tape or something as time is against me!

My apologies for the sharp change in the weather, it's all my fault! I put on a skirt (a very nice skirt donated by Swirly) which was a mistake. It didn't last long and I ended up in long trousers and a cardigan by mid afternoon! Here's a pic that Elizabeth took at half eight, before the sun went and hid;

Sorry if my too white legs frightened anyone!

Other news; I MADE A SALE ON ETSY ON MONDAY!!!!! Can't believe it's taken me this long to mention it, I squealed and danced round the house, woohoo!! One of my beautiful hotties is on it's way to Australia to keep someone warm, ah!

Francesca has been at 'big school' this afternoon and has had a ball. Full of stories and news, really excited and she can't wait to go back next Wednesday.

Daise xxx

Phew!

What a week it has been.

I spent Wednesday morning at Boundry Mill with my mother-in-law, not overly exciting (she bought lots and lots of things) but I did manage to buy myself a new black (surprise, surprise) top that has rather nice puff sleeves.

Thursday was our usual boobie group and I remembered to collect a 'MILK' t-shirt for tomorrow's Race For Life. Simon and I had been to a meeting at nursery school at 9am to discuss Francesca's progress and the transition to school. She's very bright and popular, but we knew that already. The staff at nursery can see no problems with the move to school at the beginning of September. We both left smiling. We know all these things about our children but there is something amazingly satisfying when others see the same and tell you so. I could become a parent/teacher's meeting junkie!! Later that evening we went to school to do all the paper work there and meet the teachers and see the classroom (we are old hands though). It was strange sitting there with Nathaniel on my lap thinking of when Francesca was just a tiny bit bigger sitting with me while we filled in all the forms for Elizabeth. I am much less scared this time. I know the teacher Francesca will have next year is marvellous and that she will flourish in her care (as Elizabeth did in Y1). And school's not so scary when you know what's coming. I think that makes it easier for Francesca too, everything is familiar to her.

Friday saw a trip into Manchester in search of a bra, I won't embarrass us all by telling you how big it was but when I emerged from the changing room with a huge white contraption all Claire could do was giggle. We both thought that if the traffic was heavy going back home we could tie it to the car as it would make such a good sail, we may even take off!! We also did lots of lovely shops but sadly bought nothing for ourselves but many many things for our beautiful daughters! There may be a trip to Blackpool next Friday just for us, yeah, like we could ever go shopping and not buy things for our babies!!

All this with an awful migraine since Tuesday afternoon which has seen me sucking bottles of water at all times, chewing paracetamol at every opportunity and with my head in the toilet more often than not!! Feeling slightly better today, I seem to have stopped chucking up (for now at least) but am feeling 'delicate' and am still in my pyjamas!!

Hope that I am fully recovered tomorrow and that me and Mum don't get rained on!!

And finally, because I don't like pictureless posts, here is my son the great engineer. He built his first 'tower' and was so very pleased with himself, especially when we all clapped and cheered!!

Daisie xxx