Small things make super fun

Hi again,
For Christmas I was given some foam card a.k.a. foam board (this may have different names in different countries). I intend to make basic miniature buildings and furniture and have tried out a few simple ideas. It cuts quite easily with a sharp craft knife and glues with pva or a hot glue gun. In my dabbling I made a few small scale buildings for Sean's Lego Star Wars figures games. He then requested some barricades and so a few minutes later he had some new scenery.




It really didn't bother him they were untainted. I suppose it just looked like it was from a desert planet like Tatooine.




I won't pretend these models will last forever, but with reasonable care they will last a fair while, and it cost about a pound or two to make about seven small buildings and barricades. The best bit is that they can be rearranged easily and encourage free style play.

I really like the sense of adventure and imagination he used to make up new games and missions. Best of all he had a lot of fun... Who says kids only like expensive computer games all the time- I don't think so!

Until next time
Gillian

Great Day for Getting Things Done

I've had the most wonderful day today. My darling husband, of course, has spoilt me with chocolates and cooking a gorgeous meal tonight, something I haven't had for ages, mousaka followed by home made waffles---- yummy!!!

Perhaps it sounds weird but the biggest treat was letting me have the kitchen to myself to sew all morning- once the ironing was done of course!

So with 3 hours of sewing time I decided I would finally make the cute little owl I found in the Buttons and Blooms book by Whimsicals  (the book was expensive but is absolutely stunning). I was so thrilled to actually finish it before lunch! There were a few moments when seams appeared to be impossible on my sewing machine because I could not get them over the sleeve arm of my machine, but somehow I managed in the end. So here is dear little Olivia Owl- isn't she fabulous!

I think some owl brothers and sisters will be needed soon...


This afternoon has been perfect too, watching a DVD of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers- one of my favourite films- with my youngest son. As some of you may know I never just sit and watch TV though, so I managed to finish off my Harvest Awe quilt whilst watching it.


It really is outrageously bold for one of my quilts- I am usually much more restrained and avoid such bold colour and pattern variation in a single quilt.


Unfortunately the lighting was awful this evening (overcast skies and taking photos indoors just doesn't really work well). The square that looks purple in the photo was dark purple brown with a beige middle but the rest are pretty colour accurate- so why is one square the wrong colour... and why only one square??? Oh well I'm sure it's the flash causing it but to be honest I don't really care today- I just wanted to show the finished quilt.


One thing I particularly like is the back of the quilt... I used all the leftover  jelly roll strips to make some stripes that make the back match the front (again the purple where it should be dark brown---arrrrrh!).


So two projects finished in one day and all those chocolates to look forward too...


Until next time 
Gillian

New Tastes

Sean eating his first ever McDonalds burger

This summer Sean has started to eat the same foods as the rest of us... for the first time in his life he has been trying new foods. So, after years of surviving on bread and butter with prescription vitamin enhanced milkshakes, he is daring to put new foods in  his mouth. This is a big deal for us all!

His motivation is that he really wants to go to school camp next summer on the Isles of Scilly. We've said he can but he has to be able to eat more foods just like his friends otherwise it's not really possible. Fortunately he is bright enough to understand, and though it is not easy for him, he is really trying.

(Admittedly we are also using bribery and corruption and giving him money  as a reward when he does try new foods- but even the psychologist we saw a few years ago said this would be worth trying when he was old enough to understand).

I've started a hexagon granny square blanket this week. Inspired by the crochet along with the Inner Hooker on facebook. Here is my first 10 blocks...

 I was working with the idea that they looked like a field of flowers, but my lot all seem to think they look like lily pads, so even I am thinking of them like that now... I've even started to look at maybe making an amigurumi frog to sit on them... I'm sure  I've a pattern for one somewhere...

Anyway, until next time
Gillian

Summer Laziness

Hi, It's been a while but I'm still around, busy enjoying our summer break. Five and a half weeks off work- the advantage of working in a school- I know that should have given me more time to blog but in my world it gives me more time to do so many other things I haven't had time for it!

So, what's been happening?

Two weeks visiting family- we do this every summer- it's hard not seeing them for months on end so we try and make the most of invading their houses and spending time with them all...

Then a week and a half of high stress waiting to find out if Tom had got the grades to get into University- he did!- and also to see a Skin specialist to find out if I had skin cancer- I don't- the specialist said it was a skin coloured viral wart in an unusual place probably because it was where my sunglasses rest on my nose!!!! Anyway that was a relief and she froze the thing off so it looks better too. Still my lot are all taking using suncream more seriously now so hopefully they will never get skin cancer...

As part of looking after myself more I also started doing more exercise. I like doing DVD's at home as it's so much more convenient and cheaper than going to a gym. My asthma is playing up so doing aerobics is too much, so I've started doing pilates. Although it's really hard I actually enjoy it, it's good to feel strong and actually feel your muscles... it makes me feel good.

For the last week I have been able to relax more, Kieran got his GCSE's today, he was so laid back we had to beg and nag him to even get his results- they were really good even though he didn't exactly over do the revision for them!

I'm also making a new quilt topper- I saw two gorgeous polka dot fabrics in a shop last week and just decided to make it with just these, so that pattern is a simple checkerboard design, its working out quite well- pictures to follow soon...

I've been doing a lot of crochet- amigurumi and hats so far- again pictures to follow. I also just decided to do a crochet along with Inner Hooker on Facebook- ( see also http://oxfordfam.blogspot.com/2011/08/crochet-along.html ). I love making granny blankets but think it will be even better to do it to meet targets- so often I start something and then after a little while it gets put away while I do something else...

.....that's just the way I am I suppose....

So until next time
Gillian

My Family

 I wanted to share some gorgeous family photos I took today at Charlestown, Cornwall. Sean, John and I went there to go geocaching and more on our day there can be found at Adventures in Geoland http://adventuresingeoland.blogspot.com/2011/06/charlestown.html .

Sean on a sea wall

Sean

John and Sean

John 

Sean and John

Me (Gillian)

Until next time

Gillian

Plymouth my way!

Here's a few of my more unusual photos of Plymouth... they are a little grey, but the weather was overcast and drizzly so I think it gives an atmospheric feel- my way of saying there wasn't much I can do about it!

We wanted to do the Plymouth wheel but didn't have time before we had to check out of the hotel.














Loved the way the bird was just sitting there... maybe it understood what it was about!








There were loads of amazing statues and monuments on Plymouth Hoe.



















We really enjoyed the Barbican area- it strikes me as a weird mix of old and new trying to look oldish- but it works for me.


My favourite photo of the day---- John








... and here is my favourite of me- sometimes I do let someone else have the camera!







Have a look at out family blog Adventures in Geoland ( http://adventuresingeoland.blogspot.com/) for more about our day in Plymouth.

So until next time
Gillian

This Week...Changes...New Phases of Life

I've had one of those weeks you sometimes just have to live through and endure. On Monday I was told that all the teaching assistants at my school would have to reapply for our jobs as the school was cutting 50 hours a week TA time- this in reality is 2 full time jobs or, as few of us have full 25 hour a week jobs, it could mean several people get put on zero hours (which basically seems to mean that you still have a contract but obviously no pay and they don't have to make redundancy payouts). I love my job and really want to keep it; the pay is not good but I really believe it's important to give the kids the best education possible and I want to be part of that. So, as the deadline for applications was Friday, I have had to put a lot of time into that this week, which, combined with not enough sleep due to the stress, has left me pretty worn out. Anyway the application was done on time and now it is a matter of interviews in a couple of weeks- horrible as I am directly against my friends for jobs!

In the meantime life goes on...

Yesterday my wonderful husband John took me away to Plymouth so that we could see the Illusionist and Menatlist Derren Brown at the Plymouth Pavillions. It was an amazing show. As Derren requests I won't give anything away to spoil the fun for anyone else, but, if you get the chance to see it, then I'm sure you won't be dissappointed. It is a three hour, packed show: the pace never slackens and it is non stop entertainment. The best show I've ever seen...

Instead of travelling back from Devon to Cornwall late at night, we stayed over at a hotel. It was the first time in 18 years we've been away together so this was something special. I think it marks the start of a new phase in our lives. Kieran, 16, left school on Friday (though he should be returning to 6th form to do A levels in September) and Tom, 18, left 6th form on Thursday (though he is hoping to go to University in October), and as they are now young adults they can take the responsibility of looking after their younger brother Sean for the odd weekend.

I'll be posting more about Plymouth later..
So until next time
Gillian

More family photos from the Clay Trail

These are are family photos from our first Wherigo geocache, Treskilling Trek...


My boys...

A photo of me I like...

Me and Sean, complete with my windswept hair...

I love photos with the scene and my family admiring the scene...

























For more on this walk go to our family blog Adventures in Geoland (http://adventuresingeoland.blogspot.com/ )


Until next time
Gillian

Family time

Sean horse riding!

We went on a lovely walk today and took some sweet photos of each other that I wanted to share.

Father and son

Mother and son!

We don't always remember to photograph each other, I particularly usually forget to ask someone to take a photo of me, so today I wanted to make a point of getting some new pics.

Until next time

Gillian

Happy Birthday Sean

Sean is nine today. His favourite present was from his brothers. An Arsenal football shirt with his name and age on the back...

He was delighted and enjoyed posing for his birthday photos.


































He particularly wanted us to do a surprise party so we all had to hide and jump out shouting 'surprise' so we did! (I'm not really sure about there being much of a surprise in that!)


We did a party style tea for him...


...with a cream tea (Cornish style with jam before clotted cream on the scones)

... biscuits and mini cakes
















... and a cake with trick candles that wouldn't blow out

 ... it was really funny and had Sean in stitches with laughter.


Until next time
Gillian

Our Wedding Anniversary

It's our anniversary today. We were married 19 years ago on a breezy day in Surrey. Three years later our second son Kieran was born on the same date so our anniversaries tend now to be low key though obviously precious.

Our children gave us some gorgeous gifts...

beautiful flowers
































and a very yummy looking chocolate champagne bottle

John and I make cards for each other so we can make them personal.
Here is his to me...

It may be unorthodox but it is just right. He cleverly made a decopage using a photo of me on a plank bridge and an image from a google search for dangerous bridges. (the message inside made it all make sense, but that is just for me!).

Until next time
Gillian

Easter egg hunt

Thomas decided to set an Easter egg hunt today so after tea he hid all the eggs and the rest of us went into the garden to search. We hunted high and low and between us  we found 17 chocolate eggs. The thing is, Thomas thinks he hid 18... and none of us can find the last one... Oh well. Sometime in the summer we'll probably find it...



Until next time
Gillian

Some funny photos

Here are a few photos we can't take too seriously:-


"I think the tree is taller Kieran!"

 Strange trees grow in Cornwall!

 Kieran in his alternative role as a gargoyle!

 And finally a serious photo- my lovely family...

Until next time
Gillian