Bits and bobs, and wire...

For the last two days I have felt a little out of sorts. This normally happens when I get swamped with all the jobs I need to do, and I feel completely overwhelmed. It's frustrating knowing what needs to be done, but not quite knowing where to start. So, as per normal, I ignore mundane jobs and do something a little more creative. Yesterday I decided to strip a lamp of it's very shiny red shade. I originally bought it because I liked the base, but the shade was a little on the loud side for my taste! Instead of making a fabric shade, I tried something completely different and used wire. I used the original framework, and attached wire to it, and I'm quite pleased with my new quirky lamp. It now has pride of place on my sewing desk.

The plus side to a lamp like this as opposed to one with a more traditional shade, is that it gives optimum light fot all those late night sewing projects!

Whenever there is a new addition to my work space, it prompts me to have a good old tidy. So, a little more order at last!

A few vintage treasures...(oh, and a bit of Cath for good measure!)

...okay, maybe more than just a little...

A little shelf in our bedroom did undergo a little tweaking too...

Some vintage sewing cotton reels sit alongside a vintage tape measure, ruler and hosiery elastic, and a little boat called 'Hope'...

I used to love paper dolls as a little girl, and not much has changed! The Tilda cupcake pin cushion was one of my very first attempts at sewing.

A few more thrifted treasures and other knick-knacks...

All dusted, tidied, for now...

So, a few little jobs done, but many more to tackle! Until next time me lovelies!

Playing 'House'

For such a long time now I've been wanting to give the kidlets' playhouse a makeover. Daddy built it a couple of years ago, and over the years it has faded to a pale, weathered grey, not the best site to stare at as you look out of the window. Every time I washed the dishes, I'd sigh and mentally add it to the very long to-do list that grows at the rate of Jack's beanstalk! Last summer I kept putting it off by another week, and only now, a whole year later, has it been given a new lease of life. As I'm like an overly excited puppy with a new Louboutin shoe, I can't help but share it with you! It might help to show you  a 'before' picture, but I failed miserably to get the camera out to take a shot. I'll share an older picture with you instead, baring in mind it was taken a couple of years ago when 'The Little House' was still quite new and cheery!

As you can see, it was lacking in imagination a bit, and needed some TLC. Firstly, it needed some colour. Hubby kindly donned the painting gloves, and we decided a lovely Forget-me-not blue would suffice. After adding some white trimmings, it looked a lot fresher.

And the result....Ta-da!

To turn our little house in to a home, we needed some finishing touches of course! I sewed some patchwork curtains to add summer cheer, along with some bunting. The little bench that sits alongside it, also got a lick of paint. The kids were itching to get their fingers dirty, so they had the job of painting furniture. It was so much fun, and they did a brilliant job! However, if someone had to look at our back garden via Google Earth, there is no doubt that they would think we've acquired a swimming pool, as the garden is still covered in blue paint!

Of course every house needs a house name, so we decided to stick with 'The Little House'. I made a housname plaque for it, as well as a fire bucket. If you know my two year old, you would know it definitely needs it! Here are some pictures of all the finishing touches.

Ooh, just one more thing I have to share! A little while ago a dear friend turned up with a present for our little man, a red radioflyer trike that she had found in a thrift shop. Thank you Dianne! Isn't it gorgeous?

Well, I think there will be a lot of playing, dreaming, tea partying and imagining going on, and that's just me! I hope you've enjoyed our little trip 'playing house'...Now, time to grapple with the chores of a real house...Until next time!