Advent Calendar

Our Mum's Group have been inspired to do some Christmas craft so have been surfing around looking for ideas suitable for 2 1/2 year olds! Came across an idea for creating your own advent calendar out of old toilet rolls and paper - suitable for 4 year olds (at http://www.dltk-holidays.com/xmas/advent_calendar.htm). I made one on Thursday night when both the kids were tucked up in bed. There is NO WAY I would I attempt this with a 4 year old - it took me more than 2 hours to do and I'm eight times the recommended minimum age for this craft!

Anyway, Matilda should enjoy the eating (each half-tube contains either a marshmallow or a snake) but next year I might just buy one from the supermarket!

And yesterday our toddlers had a lovely time with glue, glitter and other assorted bits and bobs making mess whilst the Mum's all made an array of decorations out of pipe cleaners, toilet rolls and sticky stars!

I love Matilda's star picture (photographed with my toilet roll angel and pipe cleaner Christmas tree!!).

Christmas is Coming!!

Yay! I really enjoy Christmas so we have our tree up already (with Matilda's help) and I have some photos to share with the world.

There are also pictures of Matilda and Kelvin with their special "first Christmas" bauble - that has their name and birth year on it.

I am slowly making progress with Kelvin's Christmas Stocking and have cut-out the pattern for Matilda's dress (to wear to her auntie's wedding in the New Year) so I'm still crafting when I get the chance!

Matilda's Man-kini

Just had to share this picture...

Yes, it's my daughter Matilda with her homemade version of a mankini (she was playing in her Dad's underpants drawer!!).

Also, a big thanks to Jo in Tas for "announcing" me to her blogging friends and thanks to all of you for leaving lovely messages. I have managed to start stitching the nameband for Kelvin's Christmas stocking but not much else - still plenty of time until Christmas (or at least that's what I keep telling myself).

Time Flies - One Month Old!

Well, Kelvin is one month old today. I took a picture every month for Matilda's first year and I will do the same for Kelvin. This time I'll try and take each picture in the same spot with the same toy as a reference. I used these photos as the coverpage in Matilda's "First Year" album and intend to do the same again for Kelvin.

So here is the first picture - Kelvin (my one month old son) on the couch with "Ranga the Rhino" (don't ask...)!

A New Beginning!

It seems that everyone needs a blog so hence me starting my own! My intention is to post photos of my craft project and get inspiration from other crafty-types at the same time. Apart from being kept busy by my 29 month old daughter (Matilda) and 4 week son (Kelvin) I have just designed and helped put together 55 wedding invitations for my sister-in-law (unfortunately too many personal details to blot out - hence no photos).

So what project do I get onto now? I have stitched Christmas stockings for younger relatives over the years and have two to do before Christmas (for Kelvin and my cousin) - they should look like this (navy blue for Kelvin and red for my cousin)...

I also want to get my photos for 2008 into an album (yes, another scrapbooker) and start Kelvin's "First Year" album, and get on top of Matilda's album. I also have heaps of travel photos to get done too - the days are either too short or too full of everyday living.

There are also several sewing projects on my wish list too - including a dress for Matilda to wear to the wedding in early January and some cabbage patch doll clothes and a "front pack" to carry her doll in (like mummy does with Kelvin).

That seems like quite enough for now!!