Five for Friday edition 5

1. I have my camera back! Canon was brilliant - as was my local camera repair shop. Despite handed in before the Easter long weekend I had it back just a day longer than a week later- repaired totally free of charge under warranty. It was the motherboard - I am very thankful it was still under warranty. It's like having an old friend back.

2. I have a new iPad - replaced by insurance but due to my old one being almost 4 years old we chose to get an iPad mini. I am so glad I chose it - am loving it from the start again. I use it quite a lot for work so I had to get it replaced but I am loving Kindle all over again.

3. At the first sign of cooler weather the kids were in their onesies. They literally could not wait. They always look like a threesome of teddy bears in them. But yes, of course A's would be too short. I went straight to Pick n Pay who had heaps last winter and yes, heaps again - very warm thick ones, slightly thinner ones, with hoodies, without hoodies.... take your pick.

4.  You know those things kids need for school? Odd beads, maybe coloured paper, ice cream sticks and stuff - it seems less now than in pre primary but they are still there. This week it was lead free soldering wire for Afrikaans. I kids you not - for Afrikaans ! And a spoon and beads. It turns out lead free soldering wire is rather tricky to find in small quantities and cost a fortune in rolls. The moms of the class banded together and soon we had it sorted among us. And if the result is as pretty as the spoon below... anytime. (It was a "follow written instructions assessment" )

5. Mr C is into origami - honestly those little diagrams and instruction leave me confused. But he seems to get it - totally by himself. I am amazed and proud - and a little ashamed that I have not tried harder to do this myself.

With that - wishing you a great weekend.

We all seem to be colouring in.... or not?

When I talked about hobbies last week I was quite surprised at how some of you feel you do not have hobbies. I guess some things goes down to interpretation of the word. For me it's anything that brings YOU joy and that you do from time to time for mostly selfish reasons.

My problem is that I love to do so many things - most of them creative to some extend. Although my most practiced hobby is definitely reading - I do that without fail sometime every single day, I crave some creative bits. I am really a bit of a craft addict and any raft or art project makes me very happy indeed. However packing and unpacking materials, setting up etc can take a lot of time. And sometimes you have a few minutes to spend on yourself. For this, the not so new any more craze of adult colouring in is just perfect. I enjoy it tremendously and have 4 books of which 2 were gifted to me.

So I thought I would share my favorite colouring in materials with you.

Books:
Gosh yes, there are many many books for every single possible taste . My favorite is a small A5 one that I can slip into my handbag and take out anytwhere. But honestly I adore all 3 the others equally - it's just the size of this one that makes it more desirable. I am not even going to share which ones I have - I suggest you visit any local book shop - Exclusive books has shelves full and CUM books stock beautiful ones with inspirational Bible verses in.

Colouring in pencils:

My favorites is a set of Derwent fine art pencils that I absolutely adore and do not share with anyone. However when we bought school stationery this year I by accident bought an extra set of Staedtler Noris colour pencils and I have these in a pencil bag that I carry around as I feel less precious about them than my Derwents. They are stunning and feel very different than they used to - almost as if they are heavier with a different feel to the whole pencil. Give them a try.

 Felt tipped pens /kokis:

Fine - Stabilo 88

Thicker - Stabilo 68

I am a total total Stabilo fan - I have used the thin yellow ones for year - I write every single day with them because in my books life is way too boring to write in black. Bring a little colour. I also use them to colour with - in particular if it is very fine lines and area or if I feel like colouring with lines etc. This year I discovered the Stabilo 68 ones - a thicker one but fine enough to colour in with. They have a great very firm tip without being too hard and showing lines too much. The perfect koki.

So, who has tried this? And what are your favorites?

In 8 minutes time...

I am off home, to wait out the last few hours before 3 little ones see their Ouma and Oupa from Port Elizabeth. The excitement is as thick as toffee in the household.

We had a great weekend - one where Hunter did a heap of work in the house, and I did my part too. One where after a visit to the doctor on Friday night a certain Mr C is way better today.One where a wayward gate motor had us frustrated. One where the Springboks defeated the bad boys of rugby Samoa and one where 3 kids entertained themselves for a Sunday. Although they played together so well for most of the day, the also had their moments that they split into what is possibly more girl vs boy stuff.

So let me share their creative play - the boys made a fire truck with their two Ybikes and garden hose trolley.

A little house for Lemee the Lemur and baby Moya - made in a photo copy paper box with beds and table from muffin holders and lamp from straws and cupcake holders.

So, how was your weekend? And looking forward to anything?

This weekend...

 While Hunter was in the bush and we had heaps and heaps of rain and sudden cold on Saturday we:

Met friends at the local Spur as the horse riding was totally rained out. The kids had a blast and we had more than 2 hours of happy entertained kids and Spur's R20 breakfast.

 We visited my mom to pick up A's flower girl dress for Friday's wedding and had some tea. The boys were totally silly and over energized.

Crafted - Miss K was visiting and the girls painted rings - the boys painted wooden aeroplanes (still to be assembled.

I also did a nice bit of decluttering which made me totally happy - a 9/10 one.

 After Miss K left the Princess used a take away container, pipe cleaners, a feather and glitter to make a dog and a garden and pool for her doggy. I love the creativity. Totally imagined by her. She then tied it with a ribbon and opens it to play with.

Sunday dawned still rainy so we had "pannekoek": for breakfast - the SA version of crepes - with sugar and cinnamon.

After church and  a quick trip to the shops we had a lovely day at home as the rain stopped and the sun peaked out at times. We played hopscotch and drew on the paving with chalk

  Played with our puppies

Saw the chrysanthemums bloom and the first ripe lemons on the lemon tree. We then baked cupcakes with lemon frosting - Hunter's favorite to welcome him home.

We also had a visit from the bride to be and her mom, unfortunately to collect a plant A went to get at the church's "we care" inititative for the groom- who in a freak accident broke his arm on Saturday night and was being operated on Sunday afternoon. Luckily we had some cupcakes to console the bride. Yes, the wedding will go on - arm and all. (and no it was not a bachelors party or anything like that). They also brought little Dareus along to play with our puppies who were so good with him.

It was a good weekend, even though the weather was rather unpleasant - it was however great to welcome Hunter home Sunday night with a roast chicken meal who shared this beautiful image of the mist over the valley in Pilansberg on Sunday morning. (BTW they saw a leopard - such a  great sight)

 So how was your weekend?

It was granny's birthday on Friday

Both the grandmothers has often told me that all they actually want for any gift is some form of photos of the kids. Hence we have done calenders, photo books, handmade canvasses, printed water bottles, handbags etc. This year I hit a bit of an inspiration. One of the guys in the office went past the Consol shop the other day and I asked him to pick up a few Solar jars for me (nope, I got nothing from Consol for this - this post is not sponsored in any way - wish they would send me a few but alas ). Then I added a simple little something to it to make it a wow gift.

Step 1: Buy a Solar jar for R130 (Also available at Pick n Pay for about R60 more per jar)

 Step 2 : Compile photos into one image (9 x 22cm works perfectly) I used Photoshop

 Step 3 : Print on tracing paper or bumf (thin transparentish paper)

 Step 4: Paste two edges together with sellotape and insert into jar. You can also add flowers or silk flower, beads, whatever into another jar.

 Step 5: See granny smile astonished about a lovely photo gift of her grand kids and an emergency light in one.

 I love these jars - I think they are such a clever idea. So I would like to know about some of your clever photo style gifts.

It's a friendship thing

I have never talked much about friendship here. The honest truth is that Hunter is my BFF and this friendship just grows and grows and still grows. My other two BFF both moved really far away - one to Calgary Canada 8 years ago and the other to Canberra Australia 3 years ago. I miss them both, and I am a lazy email friend. Time differences means that Skype is not such a great option either and neither of them are on iPad or iPhone Face time or enthusiastic Facebookers.In fact, the one is not even on Facebook. And although we keep email contact I miss the day to day things, I miss just having an impromptu coffee date. A quick phone chat - which I did with both of them regularly.

Yes, I am trying to build new IRL friendships - I have one mom at the school whom I have met for lunch a few times and will again - she is wonderful - best friend potential right there. Only problem being I am a bit like someone dating - they are planning to move to Australia next year. I do not want to go through losing another good friend.Our friends that we as a family spend a lot of time with does not really "count" here - they are on the brother and sister level - family , well better than family. Pure gold. But I do count I as a great girlfriend - BFF too, but we seem to always visit with the families.  I do have other not so "heart" friends around that I sometimes meet mainly for lunch, but it's not on that great friendship level. That one that you share so much with. They take time, commitment and a whole lot of understanding to build, mostly over years. I have my cousin /friend A who is possibly the closest to this is have at the moment. And the book club girls and other friends I love to spend time with but we still have to walk that mile together, eat that bag of salt together. It may come.

In the meantime, I have a great pack of friends I made here in the virtual word of my computer and iPad. What I love about bloggers is that we also talk about the things that you do not often get the time and chance with IRL. We support each other through comments, emails, Facebook chats. Some develop into IRL friends with time. We talk about our dreams and our visions - and our word for the year. As part of my word for the year "Embrace" I decided to as a friendship gesture ( Embracing friendships) doodle a few blogging friend's words for the year. I have posted quite a few (some delayed thanks to the post office strike) and some are still in process of being made. If you really want one let me know and I may just send you one. I just made notes of words as I saw them and as you know the first part of my year has been rather hectic, so I may have missed a lot. These doodles are giving me so much joy - I love making them and even more love sending them on and the joy they bring on the other side of th epostal system.I include a little Typo note book for each to write about what their word brings to them this year.  (BTW I only took a photo of each and did not scan them and sent the original to the recipients so they are uniquely your little doodle - a one and only original)So let me share the ones that I know have been received.

Marcia's

Julia's

Lynette's

Shayne's

Tania's

Pamela's

If you were wondering, yes, there is a process and some words "come to me" easier than others. I find very short words or phrases more difficult than single words. Yes, some symbols do have meanings to me but only one is in every single doodle (can you spot which one?) And tell me why I have it? The rest is mostly a process of drawings what the word/person/sketch "feels" like. As to the colours, I try to reflect a bit of what I see in you in those or I may just ask you to pick colours.

Joining Marcia today

Last day of school 2012

Friday was the last day of school for the year. I thought that documenting only the first day of every year will be way more sensible if one documents the last day too - to see how much they have changed in the year.

It was also the very last time that we will have kids in our very beloved little Catholic pre school, so I decided on a whim on Wednesday to make each of the teacher (8 in total)  a little something. So I popped into Ruby's (a treasure trove) and found wonderful bits to make something. In the end I am almost shy to admit that each gift cost me R8,60  - but put together with much love. I then decided to send one each for some of the teachers that was important in the Princess' life this year too and made 15 in total.

I bought crochet flowers, felt, ribbons and brooch pins and glued it all together with my trusty glue gun.
I am very happy to say that I think most teachers loved them and most pinned them on immediately.

There are two types of people...

Those who like cats and those who like dogs, those who love rain and those who don't, those who adore chocolate and those who prefer jelly sweets, those who love coffee and those who love tea....
And those who have to doodle and those who don't.

When you are next stuck in a meeting on conference, have a look around you. Some people make the odd note (while some make tons of notes), but some people draw in between the odd note. I am one of those. I find it virtually impossible not to doodle in a meeting (unless I chair it - in which case I do not have time to write, less doodle). I doodle while talking on the phone, I doodle while I take notes and am busy working. I doodle as a necessity. It helps me think, it helps me concentrate. And then as you know, I have the love of any pen that is not black It also provides a simple day to day outlet for my creative urge that I know I have to feed daily in some way. I get lots and lots of comments on my doodles, and whilst the ones in the side lines of meeting minutes are certainly not worth a space in the blogsphere, my more elaborate ones that I build up over months in the back of my note book could possibly be. And so for the ones made during long boring courses and speeches  filling a page on their own.

Typical page in my note book where you will find notes on the one side and a doodle in progress on the other.

In my current note book - a city scape

And a tree - it was meant to get birds but I decided against it. Maybe in Monday's meeting?

Another sheet of random doodles build up over a day in a course (on the course note pad)

 With my birthday two years ago I got a Doodle book as a present - I love this too as it takes a bit less concentration and I keep it next to the phone in my office.

one in process

I am well aware that there are doodles on the web which are awesome works of art - that is not the object of mine, nor the level on which they are done. Mine are more just and outlet, a way to keep the hands occupied while the brain works.

So of course this morning my question to you is -" Do you doodle?" and if you do, is it just on sidelines of notes or is there someone somewhere that crazily build up doodles over time? And is there anyone out there who has a doodle "colouring book:" or any of those "colouring books for adults". And do you colour with your kids? I love to - I find it hugely therapeutic.

BTW - I like both cats and dogs but am more of a dog person, I adore rain, I like some types of chocolate but in general I prefer jelly sweets, I am a total coffee- holic if it is good coffee, but if not I like tea and I love my late evening tea with the hubby. And you?

Yes, I am addicted.

To washi tape, that is. When I got my first few rolls form Marcia, I was interested, but the bug did not really bite until I discovered Paper Peony, where I could order in South Africa and had it delivered the very next day or the day after. So after my first bunch of rolls, I really got going and have subsequently ordered a second batch and some butchers twine as well. BTW I can totally recommend Cathy at Paper Peony -excellent friendly service.

I have used it for so many things - just wrapping presents in plain brown paper bags with washi tape makes them special. We have decorated countelss little plain note books for birthday "cards" I have even stuck two tapes of equal sides back to back for a simple book mark. But let me show you some of the crafts we have done:

For the arts weeks at school the kids had to make a drum out of a coffee tin and then were taught basic drumming on it. We decorated the Princess' with washi tape. It was quick and easy and looked really great.

 I also made a little holder for my spare change in the office that I keep if I need a bit of cash for a snack or so. Below the before and after.

For the same arts week at school the kids had to decorate cupcakes in class. We made these small flags with washi tape on tooth pics for her cupcake.

Even the Princess' first formal school project got the washi tape treatment by her. Not sure if that gave to edge but she got a merit for one of the best projects in the class and it was on the class wall for a while.

I love to give the teachers a small acknowledgement at the end of each term with something a bit bigger at the end of the year. We always make something for them and at the end of last term I made little gift tags for them to use. I packaged them in small cellophane bags in a group of 15.

The one I loved most of all though, is the bookmarks I made for the girls of the bookclub. I bought rough printed ribbon at the florist and then finished the edges with washi tape.

So have you done any exiting washi tape crafts? BTW  my favorite roll of tape is the little birds on a wire one ( used on the gift tages).

There's no place like space for a great party.

Imagine having twin boys with very different passions and having to organize a party that both of them will love? Up to this year I think anything would have been fine for them and they did love their Lion and Crocodile party last year, but by 5 they very much have their own opinions and I wanted a theme that would thrill both of them. Mr C is at the moment totally obsessed with space - he knows all the planets, how many moons and rings they have and all sorts of facts that I do not even know at all.Mr L is still obsessed with everything with engines be it with wheels, wings or whatever. His ideal party would have possibly been excavators etc, but the promise of many rocket ship items the week that space was the theme for the week at school did it. And a space party was born.

We had the party at their pre-school - a brilliant idea. You can rent the school for a Saturday for a fee - it is cheaper than a party venue, has all that you need in terms of playground, tables and chairs etc and theirs even have a braai area as it is connected to a church. The school gets extra money for maintenance of equipment etc and you get a great party venue where the kids totally feel at home.

On to the decor/theme stuff:

The party packs were plain silver paper bags with each child's name on their rocket ship. Inside were some stickers, and "alien" to grow and bangles and rings for the girls and a slinky for the boys.

Silver paper plates and cellophane bags to take left over sweeties home in the party packs

A few balloons with silver stars on and CD/dvd's with silver pipe cleaners hung on the gazebo edge.

Mr C's Uranus cake. I swear I am the first mom in history to make a Uranus cake (yes, I did Google and found one bakery one). I was so stressed that he would not like it but he counted the moons, confirmed that 9 was indeed correct and gave his blessing. He loved it! (Chocolate oil cake with butter frosting)

Mr L's rocket ship cake. My, was that boy crazy about his cake! He totally loved it. (Vanilla hot milk sponge cake with butter cream frosting.)

I made some of my now (almost) famous colouring in table cloths for the tables. But due to the sunny weather not much colouring happened.

 For the first time ever I did a sweetie buffet in stead of sweets pre packed in party packs. The little aluminium containers on the left had names on and was used to dish sweeties in. Every sweet type was named something to do with space like "Space cadet vitamins" and "Alien faces". What was left at the end of the day was taken home (plus some just because). Amazingly the kids ate very little sweets, chose only what they liked so the waste was minimal and I totally loved that so many parents had some sweets and took party packs home for themselves.

Below you can see why a pre-school is the perfect party venue - lots of equipment, dressing up, sandboxes and yes, the ever popular jumping castle.

The kids just played and played until we gave them all a nice Boerewors roll to eat (Prego steaks for the parents.).

We then let them loose on the sweetie buffet. The only item that was totally finished by the end of the party was the sherbet. A total hit with all!

 Then we went on to make each kid's own little bit of space by making little mini space globes (snow globes). I used little plastic containers bought at the packaging shop, beads for planets, big stars and smaller stars and glitter for the final stardust touch. I then added water and sealed the lids with bostik. Most kids loved it, even the smaller ones.

 After a lot more playing and chatting we all dispersed just in time for us to tidy up and be back home just as the Springboks took the Aussies on.

I loved that the party had a relaxed atmosphere, I loved that it was relatively low intensity - I made everything before hand - to set it up took us about and hour, to tidy up less. Above all I loved that the boys declared it the very best party ever.

(BTW - I did not take many pictures - thanks to teacher Wendy for the ones marked "Captured by Cat" and Marcia for the rest - you two did a great job.)