RAOK - Was a hit!

I promised an update on the scarf recipient from yesterday. 

This morning the lady I gave the scarf gave me this. Inside she says I made her day.

Happy Thursday everyone.

RAOK 2016

I saw lots of blurb online last week for RAOK day. I had to admit I didn't realise there was a specific day for Random Acts Of Kindness, I always took it as something you did as and when. However I was thinking about it some more today and I thought I might set myself a RAOK a month challenge this year. Nothing huge, nothing momentous and it certainly wont be changing the world but hopefully it will brighten up someone's day now and again.

I didn't just want to donate a bag to charity, books to a book sale, etc. I do that regularly anyway. When things are grown out of they go on to someone else in a variety of ways, some are sent to Gambia to the village of a child my friend sponsors, some are given to friends who can use them, some are taken to charity shops, etc, etc. No I wanted these to be other acts, something I had to think about doing rather than something I did from habit.

Last month, January, I gave a gift to a friend to say thank you for being a friend, it was nothing amazing, she happens to love elephants and so I gave her an elephant teddy and a card just to say thanks for being you. She was telling me today that it sits in her living room and the flowers on the card match her wedding bouquet. Act 1 complete!

I am attempting Act 2, February today, I made my daughter an infinity scarf and the fabric of which there was a tiny scrap left was much admired by a school mum. Today I have created an infinity scarf from a fleece scarf I had bought to try embroidering on at Christmas but hadn't gotten around to then I used the scrap of fabric to applique hearts on to the scarf. Again it's nothing super amazing and it wont change the world but I hope she will like it when I give it to her at pick up today.

This is a terrible picture but you get the idea. I didn't have enough fabric left to cover the scarf so I put it on and looped it with the seam at the back and tried to work out the best places for sewing so that they were visible. In theory whichever way she loops it she will have at least one heart showing.

I will let you know her reaction next time.

Happy Wednesday everyone.

First day of school

So half term is over and the small boys are back at school. Madam and I had an empty day ahead. Then Madam was gifted a bag of new story cd's and DVD's by a school mum at the drop off so she was set up for some fun. I had to let her watch a couple it would have been cruel not to, besides Sylvanian Families on DVD! Even I was a little curious.

And I decided to have a go with the Hama beads. We had a huge tub from of IKEA like beads and then we were gifted a tub of 10,000 Hama beads. I haven't used them since I was a small person and it was so much fun.

Rapunzel has since been joined by Ariel, my sons after school wanted in on the action too and made a Minecraft pickaxe, a Minecraft creeper and have started on a TMNT. I have added a panda to the collection for number 2 son and Madam has made a heart of multicolours, even the Mr had a go after work with his own version of a horror movie mask. Addictive little things.

I did stop to make a meal which was also great fun as I had a go at making chicken slices from scratch. They were absolutely delicious, plates were wiped clean and the leftover meat that didn't fit in the parcel vanished too. It's satisfying when that happens.

I hope you all had a good day too.

Sunday sewing and a bit of a trim.

Today we finally cut the last of the tiles for the bathroom floor. It looks fantastic, just need adhering and grouting now. It's starting to take shape. I keep having décor ideas but we need to get the bulk work done first.

Here is a picture of it last night, it wasn't finished then but you get the idea.

This evening we trimmed no 2 sons hair and Daddy's hair, no 1 son had his cut at the hairdresser earlier. So little miss thought she would give her Anna doll a trim, luckily we caught her before too much had come off and we can give it a brush and the short bits get caught up in the long bits. Just as well it wasn't Barbie, she would be bald!

I decided to try my hand at a scarf for little miss after she asked very nicely if she could have a scarf like Mummy yesterday. This was my first attempt. The fabric, originally from Rooftop Fabrics, was left from a top I made her when she was still in the sitting still stages. I have been holding on to this bit waiting for a project to come along and this was it. She knew as soon as it was done what it was and we had to put it straight on. Her grin and giddy thank you Mummy said it all.

So after she went to bed I dug out this treasure I had been holding onto, a remnant from the stickered shelf at Walmart last summer. I couldn't resist but I was never quite sure what to do with it. Until tonight. I can't wait to see her face tomorrow. I hope it makes up a little for the revelation that Anna's hair isn't like ours and wont grow back after cutting. 

I am tempted to have a go at making some for me too. I admit I did try hers and they just fit me.

How was your Sunday?

Send a little love - blog swap

This year when I saw Tracy at Mad About Bags was running the Send a Little Love swap again I didn't have to think twice about signing up. I had such fun last year getting to know my partner and we have kept in touch via email over the year.

This year I was partnered up with Debi at Busy Little Chicken. We sent a few emails back and forth and I tried to get some ideas of what to post out. I completely forgot to take any photos but you can pop over to her blog to see what her parcel contained.

I wasn't well prepared when opening and forgot to get the camera to photograph the packages themselves but they were wrapped very prettily, in fact I think there is a picture over at her blog too.

But I did remember to take a photo of the contents before they were too depleted.

We have a pack of nail files, some blue patterned fabric, a heart tea light holder, three fun little pegs and paperclips, a pin wheel, a scented key ring, a bookmark, a little sachet that was full of chocolate mini eggs but is picture containing all the ribbon and thread used to tie up the packages. There was also a chocolate heart lollipop and a box of Maltesers. The photo is a card with a little swap day message inside, it had the book mark in it too.

It was a lot of fun taking part again this year. I shall have to keep my eye out for more fun swaps to take part in. After all who doesn't enjoy receiving snail mail now and again that isn't a bill.

Thank you to Tracy and Debi for a lovely swap day.

What a month!

They say it never rains but it pours and this last month I couldn't agree more. And I am not just talking about our visit from storm Imogen or the rest of the blustery wet weather we have been on the receiving end of down in Dorset.

First our boiler went, so we called had to get that sorted, then husbands car broke down on his way home from a week away, we paid to get the fixed and a week later his car died in quite spectacular fashion, billowing smoke and leaking oil, luckily our lovely garage is not far from his work so he was able to get it there before it finally spluttered it's last burst of steam. He was loaned the loan car of our friend at the garage and we ended up buying it from him as we have no choice with school and work but to have two cars, then I had to tax the new car. The following week I was sandwiched between a truck carrying a crane and a high bank on the way home from school, the crane foot got stuck in our wheel arch as he passed us and 30 minutes and some nerve crunching later we were on our way home. You would think that should be about enough for one month but just to make it really end with a bang I was parked up at school on the home run and some one caught the back end of our car. I think I just laughed much to the confusion of those other parents who were not aware of how our month had been going.

I also had a birthday this month, it was a little overshadowed with the other events and was pretty much of a nothingness if I am honest but I was made a cake.

I have sent off my packet for the Heart Swap and am looking forward to receiving mine and to a better month. Well lets be honest it can't really get any worse.