On the needles

This is a little dress/tunic I am knitting for Holly called Bloom from one of my favorite designers Tikki. 

This one was a quick little dishcloth. One can never have enough dishcloths!

This is a wee project I am working on and is destined as a baby gift for a friend. If all goes well, I will release the pattern on here soon. 

The big hand and the little hand

A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart.  

~Author Unknown

and then she laughed

And then she laughed..... and it was beautiful.

How do you discribe a laugh? It is hard. You cannot capture it in a photo like you can a smile. Alas, it can only truely be saved in my memory. Hearing my baby girls first laugh was like music to my ears, another of those magical firsts I love so much. 

So big yet so small

I have a toddler. Toddlers are funny little things, so full of determination and independence. Holly likes to do everything for herself, even if it causes her immense frustration. She is certain her way is the right way. Although people may look at us oddly in the shop when Holly has her shoes on the wrong feet or when she is wearing a wooly hat and gloves on a hot summers day, I let her assert her independence because one day, this personality trait of being such a determined little miss will stand her in good stead. It is funny because with a new baby in the house we often praise Holly for being such a 'big girl' when she does things well. Then, like today, I turn around and look down and see she really is such a wee dot, this big little girl of mine.

Holly's treasures

My girl, like many toddlers, loves finding treasure. Even a walk to the shop is filled with stops to examine flowers, plants,leaves, berries and any other special finds. So, it is no surprise that a trip to the beach is one of her favorite things and a bag to collect her treasures is a must.

Holly got to do just this last week during a special trip to visit her Nan and Pop. She bought her bag of treasures home, spending much time playing with her new finds, examining them and carefully lining them up before proudly showing them off.
The thing that is most beautiful about her treasures is what she chooses. Unlike and adult, who would select beauty based on shape and colour. She selects her shells for their unusual little features, a bit of dried seaweed still attached, a hole in it or two shells fused together.

For me, it is another example of the joy I get as a parent, glimpsing the world through the eyes of my child and it, like her little shells, is beautiful.

A smile

Look what I caught on camera... a sweet smile from my sweet girl.

The smile that flickers on baby's lips when he sleeps- does anybody know where it was borne? Yes, there is a rumor that a young pale beam of a crescent moon touched the edge of a vanishing autumn cloud, and there the smile was first born . . . 
-- Rabindranath Tagore

30 days of beauty

Some of you may have noticed the little '30 days of beauty' button on the side of my blog and the pictures below changing daily. It is for a lovely little project I am taking part in that has been organised by bluebirdbaby. The idea behind the project is to capture a little bit of beauty in your life for 30 days. It is something I am having a lot of fun with, my camera has become a constant companion as of late. I thought I would post a few of my favourites from this week, if you want to check out my other photos you can do so here. If you want to check out shots from the rest of the group, you can do so here, there are some stunning shots!

Favourite things

I find myself unusually quiet for the middle of the day. Holly went to stay the night at her Nan and Pop's house and the little one is taking a nap. Thought I would take a few minutes and share a few of my favorite things of this week.

I have just started knitting  this.

This site has some great ideas for those with little ones.

So does this site.

I am a part of this group.

I am enjoying playing around on here.

Loving this shop.

Knitting for the baby

I Finally finished knitting this wee kimono top for the little one. It was a free pattern from The Complete Fabrication. I am really happy with the way it has turned out, hopefully it should fit her nicely by autumn. It is 100% wool so should be nice and snugly for her as the weather cools.

For her room

I recently made these little pictures for Holly's room. They are simple and sweet and perfect decorations for a little girls room. They were very easy to make, I bought some quilting fabrics I liked and a selection of wooden embroidery rings. I stretched the fabric over the rings, cut to fit and voila! Instant prettiness!

Natures Toys

We have been having some lovely summer days here lately. It is nice to make the most of the sunshine and get the little ones out enjoying it. While Holly likes to run and climb, Isla loves nothing better than to lay on the grass and make the most of natures best mobile...

She watches in fascination as the leaves sway gently in the breeze and the suns rays are gently dappled across her. As adults we get so caught up in our busy worlds, it is sometimes nice to take some time out and enjoy the world through the eyes of a baby.

A day at the bay

We have a holiday home at the bay. We don't get over there as much as we would like since having the little ones but when we do, it is magic. To wake in the mornings and look out at the calm sea, to take the little ones beach combing for 'treasure', swimming or just lazing around in the sun- this is what memories are made of. 

 

A recipe for fun

Play dough

2 cups of plain flour

1 cup of salt

2 cups of cold water

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

food colouring

Cook in a pan over a medium heat, stirring continuously. Remove from heat when mixture starts to ball. Lay on a bread board to cool. Kneed well. Store in an air tight container in fridge.

Add a little rolling pin and some stamps and let the fun begin!

Simple pleasures

The littlest one has a favorite pass-time. It is nothing fancy but it brings her alot of happiness and is one of the best things I was given when I had kids. It is a black and white mobile. I have it hung over the change table and both my girls have loved lying under it having a good kick with their nappy off. I gently tap it so it moves and sing this little song- "round and round and round it goes, where it is going to stop only Isla knows". 

I was looking for one recently to give a friend who is expecting her first child but sadly I have been unable to find one the same as mine. I did however find this site where you can make your own. There are so many fancy baby toys out there that have all the bells and whistles, some times it is nice to see that the simplest toys can bring the most pleasure. 

A place to play

Our house has a sunroom attached to the back. For the longest time it has been somewhat of a wasted space, sitting empty. A few months ago, i decided that just maybe, it would make a good playroom for the little ones. We never intended to have alot of toys but alas, our girls are very much loved by their extended family and as a result have been given many great toys. Just this week I finally got round to setting up the sunroom as a proper play area and I have to say I am very happy with the results.

The little wooden table takes pride of place in the playroom, it was made by my father-in-law for Miss Holly as a christmas present. All the toys are now sorted into boxes or on the top shelf.  I must say Miss Holly is loving having a playroom as her toys are now easily accessible and she has a lovely sunny spot in which to sit and play. I envisage many happy hours will be spent in this room in the years to come.

Little ones

Never Forget, you're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

- Christopher Robin