2013

Well I'd planned to do the obligatory 2013 Round Up Post, but after looking through my photos I realised I didn't achieve much in 2013. Don't get me wrong, it was a busy year, it's just that it seems like I spent most of it helping others achieve things. It was a year of change with my hubby's business becoming extremely busy, my eldest began high school, my youngest started full time school & my middle child had to deal with not only these changes but also the start of recognising that she is different to her friends (my daughter is autistic).

I started to feel quite sad that I hadn't achieved much for myself when I have friends that have started businesses, gone back to college, started new careers. But then I thought of the people that matter the most to me, my husband & my girls. I hope that if they look back on this year, of the ups & downs, of the challenges they overcame, I hope that they felt that I was there for them, that I hugged them when they were sad, picked them up when they fell, made them smile, encouraged them, celebrated their successes & loved them.

So 2013 was a year helping others achieve their goals.

2014 is going to be My Year. (Well, I will still be there 100% for my family, but I'm not going to feel guilty anymore for taking time to do stuff for me).

I'm now going to spend the last few hours of 2013, planning on what I want to do/achieve/experience in 2014.

I hope that wherever you are, you are having a fantastic time celebrating the New Year & that 2014 brings you everything you wish for.

Xxxxxxx

One month to go.....

......till Christmas!! 

So far, I've actually completed a fair bit of the shopping. This is a bit of a miracle as normally I'm completely unorganised. I haven't started the crafty bits I need to make, so will have to get a wriggle on.

I was inspired over the weekend to make some Christmas decorations, Kawaii style.

I've been telling my girls that before they start to make something that they need to draw it out & plan it. So I decided to take my own advice & draw my idea, before making it. I love how cute Kawaii is!!

My 1st attempt wasn't exactly how I wanted it to be, but I know what I need to change. Still pretty cute though <3 ( apologies for the poor lighting, this was taken last night)

But the decorations will have to wait for now, I have a new pot of Annie Sloan paint waiting for me......

Happy Monday!!

Xxx

Popping in to say Hi!!

Is it just me, or does it seem like this year is flying by? I cannot believe is halfway through November & Christmas will be here before we know it!

I have been busy, crafty wise.

I'm loving autumn as its the perfect time to stay indoors, with hot tea, candles lit, trashy TV & crafting time!!

Xxx

The one where it was very Cloudy

 Oops! I did it again & took a bit of a break from the old blog. Was totally unintentional but once again life is kicking my backside. But enough about that, lets talk about more interesting things.

For a while now I've had an idea about making a felt cloud mobile type of thingymabob. I've seen lots of cloud cushions, mobiles etc around Blogland, & wanted to make my own but just never seemed to get around to it. I've recently introduced my eldest daughter to the world of Kawaii (I'd add a link but am posting from my iPad & haven't figured out how to link from it, any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!). One evening whilst pinning lots of Kawaii images to show my daughter, I had a lightbulb moment & decided to try a Kawaii style cloud. A few days later, I actually had some time to sit down & try it.

In progress.

Ta Dah!!!!!!!!!

One little felt cloud with crocheted rain drops.

& a happy Kawaii style face!!

I posted the above photos on IG & got some brilliant feedback, in fact a few people even requested to buy one.

These three Sweet Dreams Clouds sold straight away!!

& there's a few more waiting to be finished!! I've named them Sweet Dreams Clouds as I'd imagined them hanging above my daughters beds & I've lightly scented them with dried lavender. They measure 17cm x10 cm approx, & I'm selling them for £10.00 each & £3.70 p&p (uk 2nd class recorded), if anyone is interested, please drop me an email at mcevoy.lisa@yahoo.co.uk.

It's a great feeling knowing others like what you create so much so they want to buy it. I'm definitely one of those people that are super critical of themselves so this has been a massive boost to my confidence! (Don't worry about me getting big headed though, no chance of that!)

So once these clouds have been completed, I've got some more ideas I want to try, the main one being an autumn style garland (autumn is my favourite season), something along these lines:

But bigger, with leaves, acorns, maybe a squirrel or two.

What makes you think of autumn?

Well cloud stuffing (& maybe a bit of crochet) is the plan for today, along with making a big pot of stew. We are having a grey & rainy Sunday here, def a day for staying inside in the warm.

Have a good one.xxx

Adventures in using chalk paint

A few months ago I was browsing in Ikea, trying my hardest not to buy anything I didn't really need. But Ikea being the sneaky little minx she is, tempted me with the wooden drawer unit pictured above (along with a few picture frames, a couple of latte cups, a vanilla candle or two & the obligatory bag of tea lights!)

I had a vague idea of painting the drawers, then whilst visiting the lovely shop Tiger, I bought some little  decorative knobs with the bright idea of adding them to the drawer fronts. Unfortunately I'd forgotten about the cut out section on each drawer. 

Lets just say that the knobs looked pretty stupid next to the cut out section. Hmmmm, back to the drawing board.

One day, whilst washing up, I had a lightbulb moment. Leaving the washing up half done, I rushed to the drawer unit & pulled out one of the drawers to find that the back of the drawer was a solid piece, perfect!!

We (by using the term 'We', I mean the Hubby) then proceeded to drill a little hole in the centre of the back of each drawer.

Once all the holes had been drilled, me & a can of Annie Sloan 'Old White' got busy!!

Now I've used Annie Sloan before & whilst I loved the ease of use (no sanding or priming etc), I didn't seem to achieve the smooth finish I'd hoped for. 

This tin of paint had so far painted my dresser, a small side table & a chair, so it was just the dregs in the bottom that I was left with to paint with. I wasn't too sure it was going to give me enough coverage until I noticed on the back of the tin that this paint could be watered down. So I added a small amount of water & mixed well, then slapped the paint on. The coverage was brilliant, even better after a slight sanding, how had I not realised this before *smacks head against wall!!* 

I'm not too keen on the chalky feel of furniture painted with chalk paint, but you don't seem to get this when the paint is watered down. I still need to varnish or wax the unit, but for now.......

Ta Dah!!!!!!!!

Since these photos were taken, I have switched the knobs about. But I have to admit, I'm loving how well it turned out!! It sits on 'That Counter' in the kitchen, the one that everything including the kitchen sink gets dumped on, & so far, it's doing a great job keeping the side uncluttered & tidy. 

Now I just need to get around to painting the 4 chairs that are stored in the conservatory, I'm thinking of painting them in different pastel tones.

Have you used chalk paint? What did you think about it? Any hints or tips?

Xxx

This week.....

Has been a week where nothing has gone to plan.

All 3 kids were due to be in school full time this week. For the first time in 11 years, I wouldn't have a child at home with me for at least part of the day. It's something I have to admit that I was not looking forward to.  Whilst I love watching my girls grow up, & become individuals in their own right, I'm not dealing very well with the fact I won't be having anymore babies. People told me to enjoy having 'Me' time (what's that?), enjoy having time to craft, bake & take bubble baths in the day. My Hubby has been encouraging me to finally take the leap & start making things to sell. (It's a dream of mine to have my own little business, but taking the steps to realise that dream is pretty terrifying!)

So I was slightly dreading this week. I thought I'd ease myself in by just concentrating on a bit of housework, some baking & getting around to finishing a CK inspired quilt (the top has been assembled for ages!!) It was starting to sound like a pretty good week to me.

But Monday rolled around, & involved my eldest daughter being sick off school. No crafting or baking took place as she needed looking after ( I'm not complaining about looking after her, it was nice to have that time together). So my plans were postponed till Tuesday. 

Then Tuesday involved a emergency doctors appointment for my middle daughter, & picking eldest daughter up early from school as she was feeling poorly again. Plans postponed again.

This morning, I woke up to all 3 girls feeling poorly. Autumn has definitely arrived here, not only has it brought the cold, darker mornings & evenings & a fair bit of rain, it's also brought a bunch of nasty colds. So today I'm in full Mum mode, to 3 poorly girls home sick from school. I'm not holding out much hope for the rest of the week being easier, tomorrow is full of hospitals appointments for middle daughter, Friday will be spent grocery shopping & doing housework. Maybe this is life's way of helping me cope with the kids going off to school, as I'm sure I will appreciate a bit of peace & quiet & routine next week lol!

& because no post is complete without a photo

I wish we were back on the beach.

Hope you are having a good week.

Xxx

Prototype Ta Dah!!!

I made a needle book.

Well it looked better in my head but for a first attempt I guess it's ok.

I know what I will do differently next time.

But it will do me for now.

My stitching is a bit dodgy ( my machine needs a good clean, that's a job for the weekend) & the corners are a complete mess. It's been so long since I've sewn & it shows. But I've needed a needle book for ages & I've finally got around to it.

& I even made a space for my scissors.

Definitely need more practice, the one in my head had neater stitcher & corners lol.

But hey, practice makes perfect right?

Xxx

It's Friday!

The weekend is almost here, yippee! Hoping for a relaxing weekend at home (well as relaxing as it gets with 3 kids, the hubby, a cat & a dog, plus housework & washing!)

Big change in the weather today, yesterday was 27 degrees & blistering sunshine. Today it's 14 degrees, grey, miserable & threatening to rain. That seems to be the forecast for the weekend too. Perfect excuse to stay home I think. It's the last day home with my youngest before she goes back to school on Monday. So far today we've done the school run, gone for a walk & played on the iPad. She is now happily playing with Lego & I'm going to play here!

The weather seemed the perfect excuse to put on the fairy lights, I might even light my scented candles too.

Fingers crossed I will have a Ta Dah post for you later!

Hope you get some playtime today too?!

Xxx

The one where we went on holiday

We just spent an amazing week by the beach in Southern Ireland. 

The weather was gorgeous.

Couldn't keep the kids out of the sea!!

It was so relaxing & so needed.

Unfortunately it was over too soon, & we can home to a broken washing machine, broken dishwasher & the kids going back to school.

The summer was a good one, but over too soon.

But it's not all bad. There's a hint of autumn in the air (my favourite season) & I've got a few plans up my sleeve which shall be revealed very soon. 

Xxx

This week.......

.......consisted of 

Sitting in front of the wood burner in the garden watching a meteor shower with my hubby & my middle daughter (the other two couldn't last till midnight & went to bed). We saw quite a few meteors, was an amazing thing to witness.

Had a picnic at the zoo.

Saw a baby giraffe 

& the elephants which are my favourites!

Found a monkey sitting behind me in the car!!

Went to an indoor 'beach' & turned my youngest into a mermaid.

Went shopping & went home with a fox & a cat!!

Then woke up this morning realising that I've completely overdone it & my body was hurting all over, so some relaxing time in bed was called for. ( stupid hypermobile body!! )

& that was my week.

How was yours?

Xxx

Don't ya just love it....

When the picture in your head of an idea, actually turns out looking the same! Love this feeling, although it doesn't happen a lot.

I needed a new pincushion, but just couldn't find the right one, so why not make one? I've made a couple of large round crocheted cushions & the idea struck me that I could make a pincushion in the same style.

I decided to challenge myself & try & make it without using a pattern, ( I know it's just a pincushion so not exactly a major challenge but I wanted to see of I could remember the 'rules' of making a crocheted circle). I'm thrilled that this is my first attempt. 

I wanted it to have a flower effect, so used a cream scalloped border. It looked nice, but not enough. So I decided to slip stitch around the edging of the scallops in pink, which again looked nice, but not enough. Then the lightbulb pinged on! How about a large stitch in between the scallops to break up the cream? & this time, it not only looked nice but was more than enough!!

Ta dah!! My new pincushion.

& it works perfectly!! & looks pretty, which is a major bonus, especially as its going to be 'on show' on my desk.

Love, love, love it!!

But now I want to make more in different colours..................

Xxx

Sundays

Gotta admit that I love Sundays. Especially Sundays when we don't have major plans. 

I think my perfect Sunday would consist of the kids sleeping till past 8am, having breakfast made for me, served in bed!! Then maybe a walk in the woods for an hour or two. A Sunday roast dinner is a must, beef or chicken, Yorkshire puds, stuffing, roast potatoes, veggies & lots of gravy, then a lie down on the sofa afterwards to watch a film or something funny whilst crocheting. A nice long soak in a hot bubble bath then an early night, especially if there is clean fresh bedding on the bed. Absolutely perfect.

Today wasn't perfect but it was a good day.

No lie in, hungry kids woke me up. Made everyone breakfast, but went & got back into bed to eat mine. Tried to have some time browsing various blogs & Pinterest but the iPad was soon hijacked to look up the Loch Ness Monster, & then to watch the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cartoons on YouTube! So instead I got up & cleaned the kitchen & put some washing on. 

Didn't manage a walk in the woods, but instead we pottered about in the garden, picking the first blackberries & a few apples out of a neighbours tree (with permission!). There was only a few ripened berries but give it a few weeks & the bushes will be laden *note to self:look up blackberry recipes*

After a while the kids got bored so went inside to watch a film. I started dinner & thought I'd paint for a while. I studied art in college but haven't painted for years. It's definitely a skill you can forget, so it can be frustrating to not be able to get what's in your head down on paper.

Flowers are definitely a favourite to paint!! 

Didn't quite manage a full roast dinner, but chicken, roast potatoes, veg & gravy seemed to satisfy everyone. I made a apple & blackberry crumble using this mornings pickings. 

Whilst it cooked, I spent some time playing with a new type of project.

Hexies. 

Teeny tiny hexies in fact, made from a scrap bag of Liberty fabric that I brought from a craft fair. Hadn't tried English Paper Piecing before & I was surprised at how easy it was! I had originally planned to make a quilt, but I don't think I will have the patience or the motivation so this seems destined to become a cushion.

Oh & the crumble was delicious by the way, with lots of custard!! Still feel stuffed nearly 4 hours later!!

Didn't manage my nice hot soak in a bubble bath, but a shower will do. Nor did I manage the fresh sheets, but I guess that could cheer my Monday up instead right?

So, how was your Sunday?

Xxx

Trying something new

It was my eldest daughters birthday last week & I always try to make my girls birthday cakes from scratch. After browsing Pinterest, I decided to make a square cake & decorate it as a paddock, with a horse cake topper. My daughter is horse obsessed!! Clay seemed the best option for the topper, then she could keep it as a keepsake after.

So I brought a few packs of Fimo, & hid myself away to make the topper! 

Did I mention that I've never made a 3d topper before? (I have previously made a flat clay Monster High topper for my middle daughters birthday, so this was a brand new thing to learn!)

I had a few ideas in mind from Pinterest but couldn't find the right sort of tutorial so had to figure out the shapes from looking at various photos & just trying it out.

It took less than an hour (me being me, left it to 2 days before her birthday to make it) & I have to admit I was really happy with how it came out. It was a nerve racking 30 mins to see if it survived the baking!!

It survived!!!!

Of course she needed a pink bow!!

I kept her pretty simple, as I didn't want to try & put lots of details then mess the whole thing up! 

The cake wasn't perfect, fondant is not my friend, but my daughter loved it & that's the important thing.

I should at least get 100% for effort right? Lets not mark the technique lol.

Happy birthday to my gorgeous girl!!

Xxx

It's that time again.....

To sort the kids craft cupboard.

You know it's bad when the door bursts open on its own!

See what I mean?

Urrrgghh!!!!!

My kids are hoarders, every bit of packaging, old scraps of paper, used stickers etc, nothing is ever thrown. So every so often meanie Mum has to be ruthless & purge the lot.

Aaaaaaah, much better!!

Is there anything better than new pens & freshly sharpened pencils? 

& a big thanks to Pinterest for keeping the youngest two entertained so I could purge in peace. Who knew a house drawn on the inside of a cereal box could produce such happiness. It's the little things in life that really produce happiness.

Thanks for reading.

Xxx