summer nights

ahh well at last the summer nights are here!....... warm nights filled with late night games of badminton, drinks on the deck + night sessions in the garage!  how one loves summer!!

then the rain fell out the sky onto my little parade of happiness!!  damn that rain for falling just before new years!!  please hurry along Ive got important outdoor things to do + a  few celebrations drinks to be had
 with friends + family on new years eve!!

wow where did xmas go?.......the build up was big as ever!!  I over did myself + had to put myself to bed early on xmas day!!  was a fantastic day.........great food + great people to share the day with!!
I didn't over do myself this year with photos.

finn playing mr cool!!

my reindeer ruby........ever so helpful........bless her!!

omg does this boy start with a capital T or what?....... not for Taidhg but for trouble!!

see no over doing!!  one never knows what do with 50 million photos from oneday!!

I am playing a bit of catch up here + going backwards!!
Once again I pushed my creative brain hard to make pressies for the teachers!!  Big effort as I have struggled creatively since my mum has passed + thats over 3.5yrs now.........death eh how it effects us!!  Anyway I can celebrate now as my creative brain is back!!  It feels sooooooooo good + I forgot how relaxing it makes me feel to make things with my hands!!  might even start scrapbooking again!!

So I have a little collection of retro pillowcases going on here + lets not forget the sheets + table cloths!!
And the doilies........omg the doilies!!

I have been inspired by this very clever lady for awhile now dottieangel
so I pulled everything out + set too.
I also have a reason for making these creations.  A week before school finished one of our lovely teachers lost her 19yr old son.  he just died!!  its terribly sad + my heart broke for them + as well our school has had a shitty year with illness + loss.  So I just wanted to bring some warmth + a smile back to their hearts.

I made this for our head teacher

finn had two teachers this year

and for Taidhgs teacher.........sadly I took a crap pic of this (in a hurry)....... this was a lovely irl.

Rubys teachers got a jar of food........he's a man!!
Teachers also got these..........my fav thing to make at xmas..........xmas bark with some apricot slice thrown in!!

so here's to a fantastic new year + lots of good things happening for 2012!!
see you on the other side!! :)

7

On Monday Mr Taidhg turned 7!!
We had a quiet Do on Sunday......just two friends this year.   I asked Taggie what cake he would like for his mini party...........'chocolate cake please'.........yay easy for me!!  Then we covered it in lollies.........can you tell I was going for easy!!

Jelly + lemonade drinks........these are so much fun + you suck the jelly up through a straw.  I got this idea from a Donna Hey birthday mag.  I did these for our Halloween party this year too.

Then for his birthday on Monday I made him frog cupcakes instead of a cake.  Easy again!!

Another great birthday!!  Taidhg had a ball + his best present was his roller blades!!

Now I can pull out all the xmas decos!!

the shadow box!

I brought a shadow box from spolight like 4 years ago.  Its shaped like a little house.  Always planned to do something with it.........but it just sat + sat for a long time.  Then finally this year after attending a awesome vintage fair in Palmerston North back in March I had brought Ruby some miniture cats......a wee family infact + some other vintage miniture animals.  That girl is animal crazy!!

I got it out + painted it white a few mths back......yes quiet a few mths back!!
Then after visiting the lovely Rachel Tucker at her home back in September she gave me some Fancy Pants papers + some bits + bods.  Finally while at the beach during Labour weekend + watching the rugby world cup final with my kids I got stuck into it!!

This was the end result. 

I have one happy girl!!  Aren't those Fancy Pants papers + embellishments cute!