But Kimba is having a DIY day and I thought I'd join in and show off a few little projects that I've completed lately.
I made this bag a few weeks ago as part of a birthday present for one of Ella's friends. They're all quite "into" their cuddly toys and so we bought her a large bear. But to make the present a little more interesting we also got some kids clothes that would fit (a dressing gown, a shirt etc) and a selection of cute ribbons for around it's neck so it would have it's own wardrobe and I made the bag from bits and pieces I had, to keep them all in. I think Ella would have liked some for her own as I had to stop her repeatedly changing it's outfit prior to wrapping it up.
Next on show is the mantle piece that I put up in the kitchen. We have a little alcove where the oven is and where the wood stove used to be. It still even has the holes in the ceiling where the chimneys used to go. Well as you can see from the below photo, it has really bad lighting and Mitch probably has to duck his head to go under there and so I can't decide whether I hate it as a nuisance or love it as a bit of character-adding architecture. I decided to play on it as the latter by putting a mantle piece on, plus I've always wanted something like that to decorate for Christmas.
I found one end bracket all dirty and chipped at the markets and asked Mitch to make me a matching one. Painted them white, put up a shelf and voila. I'm still not sure what to put up there, at the moment these are things that I don't really have a spot for elsewhere. I love my spotty teapot and creamer plus I have a matching sugar bowl. I'm saving up for the matching cups and saucers. I also love my vintage flour tin which I bought not long ago for 50c.
Next on show are some long overdue photos from the girls' bedroom. (I promise to do a full room tour soon.) Below is one of the shelves that Mitch made for me to my specifications, which I finally got around to painting and installing on the holidays.
Rosie and Ella each have one above their beds. You can also see on Rosie's bed a raggy quilt I made for her for winter out of new and vintage flannelette. For raggy quilts you are meant to normally have three layers - the top, batting and backing. I thought I'd skip a step and save money and just backed the top with an old blanket. Ella's (in shades of blue and yellow as opposed to Rosie's blue and pink, so we can tell them apart) is cut up and ready to go...I've just been waiting to find the right blanket which I think I found today.
A closer-up look.
And last up is my battered old khaki suitcase (no before photo - I never think of that until too late) which I gave a lick of white paint and some cheery ribbon around the handle.
I use it to store some of my material.
Mitch says it looks like a clown's suitcase. I don't know what I think yet...but it is better than how it started.
And talking about Mitch, I'm very proud to announce that he won the Australian Amateur Heavyweight Boxing title two weeks ago, so he now holds the Australian title for both Cruiserweight AND Heavyweight. Yay Mitch.
