perfection...

I have just found perfection in curtain fabrics for the girls...I have been needing to make Evangeline some curtains for about 2 years....oops...but finding no fabric I liked I was just going to do pink and applique....I made one drop before Morganne was born but didn't like it...so it came to a grinding halt...until this week in Spotlight!

They are both the most lovely heavy weight linen type fabrics...not your normal horrible children's curtaining fabrics! It look like expensive designer stuff...but was very cheap...amazing! I found this gorgeous ballet dresses one for Evangeline...at $8 a metre...I checked with her first in case she did not like the brown background...the colur is slightly different in real life...and this divine Geisha doll one for Morganne...at $9 a metre...Hopefully she will move rooms soon and we will go back to the master bedroom...but we shall try and finish E's bedroom first...Ben is making her a tree house bed...it is half done...It needs a roof and a door...curtains for the windows and it will be painted pink by request of E! And I shall make a couple of beanbags to go underneath...

And speaking of the bed...Morganne is a climber like E and climbs into the bed to play...unfortunately last Wednesday she fell out on her head and ended up in PMH with concussion...but thank fully all was OK...she still wants to climb in but we wont let her until there is a door! And she does say "fall off!" So obviously she remembers! This is Evangeline's drawing of the event...the doctor at the top...Morganne on the bed and the rest of us at the bottom left!You can pick ups by our hair dos!
Ike has been down with my sister for a few days on school camp...Evangeline went to mum's with them last night for a sleep over after we all had tea here...a and so today it has just been M and I...Morganne has been up to mischief all day...drawing on walls and such and changing the babies nappy...but she is cute...We are mostly all over our colds...I had a very painful muscle spasm in my back on Thursday...where the ribs and spine join and the pain was excruciating every time I coughed or sneezed...thankfully a trip to the physio Friday sorted it out..I should have gone on Thursday! oh well!

And we have had our first mango of the season...if you are reading this Ken Evangeline is waitng for her box of mangoes from Papa in Broome!A bit of a dreary day here today...but not too cold...so we have been outside a bit...we might get a shower of rain which would be good for the garden...that is it for now...Lissy

a BIG weekend...

Well we have had a really BIG weekend...not what you imagine though!

Friday night my friend Jo came for a visit...E always tells me I talk to her too much and it is her turn! She loves Jo...Morganne is standing independently now and is pretty chuffed with herself...And here she is outside on Friday...
But the BIG thing this weekend was the play room...I have been meaning to get into the playroom for months to sort it out...that is make it suitable for Evangeline and Morganne so they can both play in there...and I had been putting things on top of the cupboard and shelves to get them out of reach...it was also in a bit of a mess after having some kids over to play...

So I pulled everything out and set too it on Saturday morning...E and M were banished to the lounge room...I have gone through everything...throwing things out, putting things aside to be passed on...putting things away that are too advanced for M...putting all the stuff for M at her level...and organising and putting all E's stuff out of reach...And then I gave everything a good clean...so it took me a day and a half to do...I need some more rails and wooden drawers for E...and then it will be finished... Most fun was "decorating"...I brought out all my mini albums and old canvases and other off the page stuff I have done in the last few years to put around...that means more space in my room and the girls can enjoy them too...and MOST fun was putting up the rabbit and PLAY wall stickers! Both girls are loving their new revamped room...And playing with the fractions puzzles together...
This afternoon E has gone off to the movies with the Albans...M had a little sleep...I had hoped she would have a long one as I am tired too...she has been waking constantly until midnight or 1 a.m. for the last few nights...every 30 - 45 minutes...I think she must be teething...Anyway I am hoping it will pass...soon...

The bushfires over east are terrible...they have had such horrendous weather too...40+C and high winds...it must be devastating to have lost everything and whole towns wiped out...and even worse is the death toll...65 people dead so far...unbelievable...

Ben is some where out to sea west of here...a long way...they are about 600nm from Madagascar (1nm is 1852mtrs) and they are at 35 degrees south 56 degrees east he tells me (that is the latitude and longitude meaning 35 degs south of equator and 56 degs east of Greenwich in England)...there are some islands south of the boat where Albatross nest...as so he has seen a few which must be amazing! I have shown E some pictures and explained to her how big they are(12 foot wing span)and we have mesure it out on the floor...she is fascinated...

Not so good news this week either is some good friends of ours have a 4 month old little girl who is critically ill...what she has is extremely rare...I think it is calcium deposits in the arteries causing cardiac arrest...I am hoping that she will pull through...no parent deserves to be going through such a traumatic experience...and these friends took so long to have this beautiful little girl...here's hoping for a miracle and the treatment works...

We have a busy week ahead...lots happening plus M starts play group and I have to make a turnip costume for E for Friday...aaaaaaaaaaaargh! Anyway hope you are having a great weekend...Lissy

my sister...

It is my sister's birthday today...I posted the card I made for her the other day on here...I don't think she ever reads my blog much so there wasn't much chance of her seeing it...lol...we talk most days so it is not as if anything would be news to her! I think I am so lucky to have such a great sister...I know she is always there for me...She is two years older than me...here we are a few years ago...I went to IKEA today with Alli...I love that place...I bought a TV cabinet...a red lockable metal one as M keeps getting to the TV...and put it together by myself...and some shelving for the laundry with pull out plastic drawers...put that together myself too...so I am rather impressed with myself...lol...now the laundry is kind of organised...and I am going back tomorrow to get more shelving since I worked out two more units will fit in the space in the laundry then I will be super organised!! I am so sick of everything being piled up or on the floor because there is nowhere to put it! This time Sharon is meeting me there!

And I plan on tackling the playroom tomorrow and on the weekend too...and I need to do some gardening...

This is one a layout I did the other day from a Kim Archer class...it always gives me a kick start when I need one if I do one of her layouts...I didnt quite get this layout right but it will do...Anyway I hope you are having a good week - Lissy

dreaming and children in need...

I am dreaming that one day my house might look uncluttered and dreamy something like this one... Rubyellen's House...I always see houses on blogs and magazines similar to this that I like...a collection of character pieces and serene and white and uncluttered...may by the end of my year of SIMPLICITY I will get there! I have plenty of art and character pieces, furniture and so on but too much other stuff cluttering everything up! And a lot of painting to do!

I have been working on our clothes as I said...and have sent about 10kg of kids clothes off to The Children of the Forest...they now have babies up to 16 year olds so I try to gather stuff and send it off a few times a year...I also sent things like pencils, crayons, hairbrushes and so on that they are in need of...postage is expensive but it is a nice way to spend money...and I hope that it makes a little difference to the lives of the children there...

Our girl Por por yii sent us two letters - one for Christmas and one for New Year with some photos and art work...she is lucky to have her sister with her...
Evangeline and I are in the process of writing back to her. What I do is little in the scheme of things but each bit each person does to positively affect the world around them in some way adds up...and it makes me happy - Lissy

not much happening...

Not much happening around here...the girls are sick...E with another ear infection and now vomiting...nice...especially at 1 a.m....and M has a cold and hoping she does not get the gastro thing that E has...or me either for that matter! So a quiet week here...Red cheeks make me think M might be getting more teeth too as she is a bit grizzly at the moment!I am working on sorting in my room again....need some proper storage really but have brought this little kitchenette in from the shed to use to store my fabric and sewing stuff for now...it is petite...85cm wide and 140cm high...looks kind of cute though until I get a storage room built...I like a mix of old and new...my room is the old formal lounge...so I want to fill in the front entrance hall to use for storage...as no one has used the front door...ever...everyone comes to the back door here...the play room is the old formal dining room...just off my room...much better uses of these spaces I think!I have made a huge mess doing this but it is much nicer than plastic tubs stacked up! Now i have to finish sorting so I can actually do something!Fortunately today is fine and windy if a little cold so I have managed to get all the bedding washed and dried and smelling nice again!

I love this pic of Morganne I took...blurry and such but she was having a good laugh!
I hope your week is going well - Lissy