About Me

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My motto: It's not the wrong way; just a different way... This blog tracks my chaotic life as a mum of six wonderful children and one gorgeous granddaughter, my addiction to knitting and all things crafty, oh, and life with The Viking...

Wednesday 29 June 2011

The Gallery - My Weekend

A Post by Little Grandma

The theme over at Sticky Fingers this week is My Weekend

On Saturday, while everybody was living it up at 'cybermummy', and everybody else was drowning in the rain; myself and The Viking took cover at a local playcentre... along with half a million other people...

On Sunday we were treated to glorious sunshine.

Our back garden is a neglected rubbish tip nature reserve, so the three Little Uncles set off on a bug safari...
Lifting stones to reveal centipedes scurrying away, a cluster of woodlice, or a coiled millipede or two is a firm favourite with the boys... even more so since they discovered the reaction they can get when they introduce their new 'friends' to their big sisters!

Anyway, this 'monster beetle' didn't disappoint

Monday 27 June 2011

A Boy's Best Friend...

A Post by Little Grandma

I am just about ok with spider's, even those of tarantula proportions, as long as I don't have to touch them and I know where they are. What I mean is, I would get pretty freaked out if I saw one sneak into my bed, and then when I whipped off the duvet, it was nowhere to be seen... ugh!

Anyway, this morning I spotted a rather large, hairy specimen on my bedroom wall. I hastily came downstairs and decided not to think about it... until...

...a little voice chirped up, "mum, mum, look, i've got a new best friend!"

So here he is, the Littlest Uncle showing me what his new buddy can do...









Belle doesn't want to be left out...




Turn away now ladies if you don't like hairy monsters....

A shot bravely taken with the macro lens on my mobile...



Wednesday 22 June 2011

The Gallery - Mavis The Dog

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A Post by Little Grandma

The theme over at Sticky Fingers this week is 'three words'. My three words are Mavis The Dog...

...because I am far too much of a meanie to allow the Littlest Uncle his own 'real' dog, he has to improvise. This may involve the use of soft toys, his 17 month old little sister who is constantly told 'no, you're not doing it properly' when she is asked to do 'doggie tricks', an invisible dog, or sometimes he 'becomes' a dog himself...

Anyway, this morning he drew himself a dog. At first I thought it was a three-eyed mutant, but I have been assured that it has '2 eyes, 1 nose and a beautiful smiling face', and her name is Mavis ofcourse.






Monday 20 June 2011

Child's Boho Bag - created by a genius!

A post by Little Grandma

Well, not quite created by a genius, but I did feel pretty chuffed with myself when I managed to make my own pattern for this bag and sew it up nice and neatly on my first attempt.

I desperately wanted to make one of these bags for myself; my two favourite bags have met sticky ends i'm afraid. One was seriously overstuffed with tat; nappies, chocolate wrappers, banana skins etc, causing the strap to rip beyond repair, the other took a dive into a cup of coffee. Anyway, I scoured the internet for a pattern, only to find my mind boggled with overly complicated looking bags with gathered bits and 'decorative topstitching'. As I had used 'small paper' to draft the pattern, I decided to make a bag for Belle first. That way I would waste less fabric too...

Anyway, here it is. Plain red cotton lining, a lovely Timeless Treasures retro apple print on the outside. It has no clasp or button because I thought Belle would prefer it without.


Wednesday 8 June 2011

Button Mania

A Post by Little Grandma

After the challenges of half-term, why on earth did I think that going out for tea at Morrison's cafe, with 4 small children, would be the nice, relaxing, 'easy' option for tea on the first day back at school??

During our short but eventful visit, the Middle Uncle (aka Action Man), was lucky enough to spot three 'celebrities':

Grandpa in my pocket,
Blitzer Malony (all skinny and boney)
and a pregnant man!

These rare sightings stirred up rather a lot of excitement amongst the three boys; sightings of this type are highly significant in a small town, especially the pregnant man; who if discovered would undoubtedly be a subject of special scientific interest. Anyway, Action Man wasn't going to keep this news to himself; he announced it very loudly to what felt like the whole town...

Later that evening, after I had put a bag over my head and whisked them all back home where I nailed them to their beds read stories and sang lullabies; I discovered a lovely way to relax and a new obsession. In fact I have been far too engrossed in my new fetish to blog about it until tonight...

Button jewellery. I can't get enough of it! I've made vintage button bracelets and necklaces galore
Here are a few...



Friday 3 June 2011

A Cute Little Flower Headband

A post by Little Grandma

My 'make' for today is a cute fabric flower headband, modelled beautifully by Elle. This was fairly simple to make and I can definately feel another addiction coming on...



Wednesday 1 June 2011

The Gallery - I am Grateful for..cuddles

A post by Little Grandma

The theme over at Sticky Fingers today is in recognition of Chris from Thinly Spread, who, on monday set off on a journey with Save the Children. Please follow the link and sign the petition. I have.

Anyway, today I am feeling extra, extra shattered. I have, yet again, been up since 5.40am with Belle. I, once again, went to bed ridiculously late after trying to fit knitting and sewing into my life somehow. I love knitting and sewing, and I am trying to prepare stock ready to trade at a festival later on this summer, but i'd prefer not to have to do it when I feel like a propped up corpse.

Enough of that twaddle and back to the point...

I am so grateful to my beautiful boy, Action Man. All of my six children are beautiful and wonderful and special in their own ways, but this morning my gorgeous, cheeky, blue eyed, 5 year old boy recognised how tired I was and gave me the most wonderful cuddles and kisses, and told me he was going to look after me. He is the funniest, kindest, most perceptive little boy ever; he's also sometimes the naughtiest, but with that cheeky grin and his endless supply of warm cuddles, he can get away with anything!