Wow - it's been a while!

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I did a post.  Life has been incredibly crazy here over the last few weeks so I had to prioritise things - which meant computer time was almost nil.  But I'm back now and have lots of catching up to do.  Before I start - I just want to say a huge thank you for all the lovely comments I received for my tea cosy tutorial.  It's been fantastic hearing from everyone who has made one!  And a big hello to all my new followers - it's fabulous to have you here! 

Remember this wee tea cosy?  Well it's been on a bit of a journey recently. Sue from Five Course Garden contacted me earlier in the year to tell me about an upcoming A&P Show in Southland that had a craft section.  I decided to enter my cosy in the crochet section and Sue took it with her on her trip to Invercargill.  Now I live at the bottom of the North Island in Wellington, Invercargill is at the bottom of the South Island - I've never even been there, but my tea cosy has!  I have always been the kind of girl who got the 'taking part is more important than winning' ribbons at athletics days when I was younger so I never received many certificates - unlike my very sporty little brother.  So I'm chuffed to bits to get a little certificate for my cosy.  Such fun!  A huge thanks to Sue for giving up precious suitcase space for my teapot and cosy!  I should also warn you that visiting Sue's blog will have you running to the kitchen to have a go at her beautiful recipes.  Mmmm those Portugese custard tarts .....

I haven't touched my crochet hook for a whole week and I am soooooo looking forward to getting it out today.  I only have a few more squares to go and my huge blanket will be done.  Here is it laid out on my spare bed.  It looks fabulous and oh so cosy.  Doesn't it look fantastic with Karen's lovely cushion in the background that I won on her giveaway?  I have to confess that my promise to sew in all the ends as I went has been well and truly broken.  I started well but after the first ten squares, I got lazy.  So now I have that huge job to do.  I will make a new promise however.  I promise to tidy all the ends before I do the very last square.  That way once that last square is added - the job will be done.  Nothing worse than finishing all your crochet then having to wait days and days to show anyone while you finish up with the enormous amount of ends!! 

Today is a huge, huge day.  Today my baby started school.  It doesn't seem real - even though she is completely ready for it.  So it's goodbye Miss 4, hello Miss 5!!  The whole family went to school this morning to settle her into her new class.  There are only two pupils to start with but many more are due to start next week.  Mr 7 isn't so sure he wants his little sister at the same school but I'm sure he'll get used to the idea in no time at all.  

We had her party on Saturday and it was a 'crafternoon tea party'.  Eleven littlies decorating hair clips and t-shirts.  Lots of fun, lots of laughter and lots of totally unhealthy party food.  Surprisingly the fruit kebabs I had made were mostly left untouched, but the fairy bread was a total hit.  You just can't beat white bread with 100s and 1000s on it!!  Delicious.

Miss 5 had asked for a cake that had a daddy cake, a mummy cake and a baby cake stacked up.  It turned out really well and had all the small folk screaming out for a particular coloured flower on their slice.   My gorgeous girl insisted that she could make the flowers out of fondant so I showed her how to do it.  After a few examples I was told I didn't need to be in the kitchen and that she could do it herself.  And indeed she did!  I placed them on the cake but she did everything else.  She has a lot of patience, unlike her mother!

Here's a pic of her party table just as we were starting to load it up with treats.  A tower of chocolate topped meringues was in the middle, pink plates with pretty doilies (I do love a nice doily!), and more of that lovely fairy bread.  Is fairy bread a New Zealand thing or do you have it for parties in your part of the world?  I found this pretty fabric at Spotlight and turned it into a tablecloth.  But every time I look at it I keep seeing other things I could make with it instead!

The children decorated their own t-shirts to take home.  We used a kit that contained special paper and crayons, then my husband did a fab job ironing them on to the t-shirts.  Lots of jewelled hair clips were made too, which were then tucked away into a pink drawstring bag to take home.  I'm kicking myself that I didn't take a photo of the little bags - they were so sweet.

We spent the following afternoon building the Lego that she had received in her amazing stash of pressies.  I have always been a Lego fan, and my son has always loved it, but this new girls Lego is really, really gorgeous.  This is Miss 5 building the cafe, complete with oven, pies, milk shakes and cash register.  I can see mummy is going to have a lot of fun with this too!

Just a few other pretty things to share with you before I go.  I have started collecting this Malvern china since finding a plate and a cup in an op shop last year.  I've never spent more than $12 on any single piece so I was thrilled to bits to buy these 6 pieces for $20 on Trade Me.  All I really wanted was the milk jug so it was a bonus to get the other pieces too.  I can't wait to have a girly tea party soon so I can use them.

Paisley fabric that I used as Miss 5's tablecloth.  I think it would make fantastic pjs, or sheets, or a duvet cover, or a roman blind ..... I just love it!

We finally decided on new curtain fabric for our living and dining area and they arrived last week.  I am totally in love with them and the way it has changed the room.  A big bonus was receiving a huge amount of off-cut fabric to play with!!  This bit is a bit crushed as I've had it in my handbag trying to match it up with cushions and rugs.

I found this pretty tunic top recently and after walking away from it in the shop, I went back the next day as it went on sale - brilliant timing.  I usually wear plain blocks of colour so it was a real wardrobe shake up to wear bright pink roses!  I felt so girly and cheerful.

Last new thing to show you .... we had to get a new light fitting for our spare room (my craft room) and my husband spotted this one.  He thought it would be perfect to have a ball of string type shade in a craft room and he was right.  It looks great and the light shines through it in a really amazing way.

I was so surprised to receive an email from Barbina saying I'd won her giveaway!  After a truly rotten week - it was just the news I needed to lift my spirits.  Thank you so very much - you can't begin to know what perfect timing it was to get such lovely news.  I am sooooo lucky - thank you!

A big thank you to Rebecca and Lily for your lovely blog awards - you made my day.

Well that's all from me - have a fabulous week and I'll see you again soon.  I have to go and take the shortbread out of the oven - it is what my wee girl asked for as her after school treat.  I still can't believe I don't have a pre-schooler anymore ....

Leah
xxxx