Thursday 14 July 2011

Lovely little trinkets

You may remember from my last post that I mentioned I've been experiencing a certain level of muddle-headedness as far as my WIPs are concerned.  Frankly, I've got enough other gumpf in my life to make me muddle-headed, without WIPs getting in on the act too; so I've decided to be calm and logical and try to tackle them one at a time.  (I'm trying to imagine how I would have approached it in the days when I had a proper job and wore a suit, but my memory's shot and I've given all my suits to charity, so it's not working very well.)
Today saw me sitting outside in the sun, surrounded by piles of flags and bits of bias binding and pins - attempting to finish off my latest and absolutely final batch of tent bunting.  I feel I may now be approaching the point where people are likely to walk past my tent and mutter to themselves 'hmmm, she's overdone it a bit on the old bunting-front there.  Over-egged the pudding, as it were'.  And if there's one thing I certainly don't want, it's an over-egged pudding tent.  Anyhooo, I made my first lot in a very efficient and logical fashion from some rather delectable winceyette (just had to check the spelling of that on Google.  It's a funny old word - makes me shudder a bit.  It seems totally inappropriate for the thing that it's describing.  A bit like sleet.  I always think that's just completely wrong):
And then, with about 500 flags still to go, I ran out of bias binding.  So that was a bit of a pain.

So I moved on to something else: a really simple skirt for baby n, which I'd seen in 'Handmade Living'.  But like a true numpty, I cut the fabric to exactly the width of her waist, as opposed to twice the width of her waist, and that was just annoying; so I left that and moved on to something else...
Do you see where I'm going with this?
Calm?  Logical?  I think not.
So now I'm moving on to something that doesn't get me quite as het-up as my current crafty makes: the rather exciting things that have been arriving through my letter box this week.  Actually, the first rather thrilling blog-related thing that arrived at my house came a couple of weeks ago.  Now, before I go any further with this, I just want to set the scene: I had left the house in the usual flap that accompanies every morning's school run - I walked (ran) up the road to school with the children; meandered back towards home with a couple of friends; decided to pop into the village before going back home, to get some bread (had to borrow a couple of quid from a friend to purchase said bread - which reminds me, I still haven't paid her back.  Ooops); had a chat with a couple of people I bumped into; strolled home again an hour after I'd left, to find the front door standing wide open and an envelope on the front door mat.  After checking that my handbag, which I'd left in full view of the front door, was still there (it was - phew) I realised that I hadn't been burgled, I'd just been a complete goon and forgotten to shut the door in my rush to get to school.  Note to self...  Anyway, the point of all that is that the envelope was from the lovely Cuckoo, and contained the recipe for the elderflower cup cakes that I blogged about before.  So - thank you, Cuckoo - they were yum!
And on Tuesday I had a double-whammy of post-related excitement: this rather cutesome outfit that my auntie kindly bought for baby n:
Thank you, mushroom one!
And this lovely cube for big n's teacher, which I ordered from the very talented Fee.
I'm secretly a bit disappointed I can't keep it for myself because it's absolutely lovely, but sadly my name's not Miss Dorsett and I'm not a teacher, so it just wouldn't look right:
It was extra great of Fee to send this to me as I haven't actually paid her for it yet - thanks Fee, don't forget to let me know how much I owe you!
Blimey, this post's turning into a bit of a tome (by my standards, anyway).  I'm going to finish today with a snippet of my life: yesterday, while trying to make the dinner amongst the usual background of tv noise (boys), computer games (boys), the radio (me), shouting (everyone) I became aware of baby n standing near me saying 'uh oh, uh oh'.  This is a fairly recent piece of language for her, and it's one that never fails to make my heart sink when I hear it.  I turned from my position by the cooker, noting the strong smell of cinnamon in the air, to see bun-bun (baby n's absolute favourite toy in the whole wide world) lying on the floor looking like a victim of some awful, frenzied knife-related crime:
Note to self: must get a catch on the spice drawer... x

9 comments:

  1. There are Soooo many things to write about from this post..!! It was very entertaining to read I have to say..!
    I completely understand where your coming from when you talk about all of your unfinished WIP's, I find myself getting a little stressed thinking about all the unfished things I need to get on with! I think I just need to take the same approach as you and just concentrate on one at a time and just get it all done! I'd be so happy if I could just clear my head of all my WIP's..

    The pink cube from Fee is sooo lovely, I wish I was that talented and could make things like that..! So nice and trusting of her to send it to you before you had paid for it.

    I had a good giggle reading about bun-bun (such a cute name!), he does look like a bit of a knife-crime victim! I have all these day's to look forward to with my nearly 6 month old, how old is baby n..?

    Ashley xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, Fee knows I have your address and she'll send the heavies in if you don't pay up!!! Wa ha haaaaahahaaaaaaaaa

    I have muttered to myself twice this week "At least I have shut the door" when on a frenzied school run. Yours is a cautionary tale and one I use to make myself feel like it doesn't matter that we are late AGAIN and the boys teeth didn't get a proper clean...oh who am i trying to kid? I sometimes think if the door is open a burglee-ur would assume someone was home and in actual fact the said open door is better than a locked door.

    The cupcakes did look yummo. Must get around to trying it out myself.

    xxx
    ps have you got Big N to toot toot yet?!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Emily,
    This post made me laugh. We all have days like this, And you are right the bunny looked like it was in a bad accident. Cheer up, the kids get older and then the mess is emotional instead of spices.
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  4. Emily, I just popped over here after seeing your comment about hubby doing the dishes on a certain blog you and I both read. My neck was almost injured from the nodding of my head in a rather grand style! Yes! I am married to that same man! And I cuss him out every night when I have to follow behind him and wash up AFTER him! If it's a pot that needs a little elbow grease to clean, he puts it to "soak" a bit. That translates to "I'll leave it for 'her' to do later"! And dry the counter or wash the sink? I think not! I just had to say hi because we already have one very large common thread in our lives! HIIIIIIII! x&o, Annette

    ReplyDelete
  5. P.S. - And those with hubbies who DON'T do dishes think me ungrateful because, after all, he IS doing the dishes. And maybe I am ungrateful and don't realize it...but when I still have work to do to finish the job, he doesn't even get partial credit in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just to let you know, I've just nominated you for an award on my blog :o)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really enjoyed reading this post for a few reasons
    1. Its hilarious
    2. its so real
    3. i now know i'm not the only flake out there!
    Thank you soooo much for this, i enjoyed it so much :), what a tonic!!!!!
    Karen x

    ReplyDelete
  8. O oh.

    And I don't pay Fee for anything by the way, I tend to pop round, say, "ooh I need a gift made, but I will do it" in the workshop.. knock over a couple of jars of buttons, stick something to her table, distract her with my child then eventually I find she offers to do it for me and I can leave again happy in the knowledge it will be a way better job than I could ever do. Result!
    Nelly xxx

    ReplyDelete
  9. woah there nelly - (can't believe I've never said that before!) don't be shouting about the fact you never pay me (incidently the current total is £756)
    and I'm sure your OH will point out that I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!!!
    Thanks for showing off your block...it made me laugh that the teacher was called Miss Dorsett (2011).
    Funny post!
    fee x

    ReplyDelete