Breakfast in Bed and a Dragon

The last two mornings I have awoken to a lovingly prepared breakfast tray in bed. Yes I can hear them quietly getting things ready in the kitchen and Madison ever so gracefully carrying the tray down the hall, I pretend to be asleep and pretend to be surprised. The first day Madi drank my juice box and the second day Carter ate my bagel. Oh how they spoil Mommy. I asked them why they didn't bring Daddy a tray and Madi replied, "We tried Mommy but he was too grumpy"! If only I could teach them how to make a pot of coffee.

I finished Carter's felt dragon for his castle. Oh how the battles ensue. You should hear the brave knights fighting the fierce dragon. He yells "I slain you dragon, I slain you".

Oh Happy Thrifting

I have had some pretty amazing thrifting finds lately and thought that I would share a few.

First, a desk for Madison's newly painted pink bedroom.  She's really excited about her "art" desk as she calls it and has already decided what she will keep in each drawer. Of course it needs some sanding and paint but Daddy is as always happy to pick up and fix up my thrifting finds.

Next is the odd looking but unique bench for the entrance. It has these really weird storage compartments on either side, not sure why the handles are there.

And the best find is this 1970's retro style china cabinet that is in almost perfect condition. I got it for $25 which was actually 50% off! I was holding my breath while buying it, before they put the "Sold, waiting for pick-up" sign on it. I love the shelves with sliding glass doors, one side holds my silver tea set and china tea cups and other side has Madison's tea set. She couldn't believe that I was actually letting her put it in there. The bottom holds my serving dishes, has drawers for my silver ware and linens and the other side holds my china which I can actually use now. Of course this also means that I now have more room to store more thrifted tea sets and linen!

Embroidery 101

Much to my delight, and hers, I gave Madison this special Christmas present from Mommy. A box of beginner embroidery supplies, including her own needles, floss, hoop, burlap and of course a felt bonbon pincushion made by me.  She had been watching and asking me for a while to learn how to sew so I was very excited for us to learn together.

Make my heart melt, this is her first creation.  Look at those stitches, some small, some big, the different colours of thread. She even threaded the needle once by herself and many, many, many times by me. And now she wants to sew more!

Christmas 2008!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy Solstice! 

This was our first Christmas with just our little family. We enjoyed our time together and creating our own traditions. I think Scott and I were more excited for Santa to come than the kids, it is so much fun to be the parent (most of the time anyway).

Oh Christmas Tree, missing the felt tree skirt and presents but beautifully decorated and then re-decorated and then re-decorated again and again . . . you get the point.

Daddy went to Madison's school for her Holiday concert and crafting, very exciting for the both of them, I don't know who had more fun.

Advent candle (picture courtesy Madison) we managed to light every night with our meal blessing and gratitudes. Right beside the very flameable Rudolph Bumble which Carter is very scared of.

The ever popular and more elaborate every year gingerbread house.

This year's Santa photo, hanging on our new photo mobile. Gotta love Gabe crying, Cart pouting and Madi the only one smiling.

Christmas eve, we went to church where Carter said, "Shhh, baby Jesus is sleeping". After our appetizers we gave the kids their Waldorf dolls. Madison screamed when she opened Sasha, they have been inseparable ever since.

The stockings were hung and a plate of "sun" cookies and milk for Santa, carrots for the reindeer and of course some nice cheese for Santa Mouse my favourite Christmas book from childhood which I now love to read/recite by memory to my own children over an over again.

Carter's castle which he absolutely loves, he has put in an order for Mommy to make him a felt dragon, "green with a fire tongue" please.

Madison's dollhouse, I love how Santa put the Daddy sitting on the toilet!

Gabriel, our sweet happy easy going Gabe, on his first Christmas morning, he was so excited but had no idea what exactly was going on.

Carter screamed with delight when he opened his roll of scotch tape. He also got 4 glue sticks which is great since he uses on average one per day.

Madison took some time out from playing her new recorder (another present she screamed when she opened) to pose in the new silk cape, which Santa put in Gabe's stocking by mistake, even Santa makes mistakes!

Gabriel posing in the dragon costume which is really for me since I always have to be the dragon, Madi is always the princess and Carter is of course the brave knight (with no armour for now which is one of my many new sewing projects for the new year).

World's loneliest felt doll

Here is one of the many felt Christmas tree ornament peace doves I sewed from Living Crafts

I really enjoyed making them and love gifting them.

And here is the world's loneliest felt doll made with the pattern from Too Cute

Madison couldn't wait for me to finish her and now she won't give her the time of day.

Carter won't play with her either, I tried that, he asked if I could make him a boy doll instead.

So now she sits on my craft table watching me. 

(PS - sorry the photo is so blurry, guess I'll have to work on my photo skills, if only I could find that silly little instruction book that came with the camera)

For the love of Felt

What started out as a small "sample" pack of wool felt from 

Bugs & Fishes by Lupin

quickly turned into  . . .

This, a slightly larger pile of felt sheets in every colour I could find.  

Which of course still wasn't enough . . .

 I then purchased felt by the meter, some of which is thrifted I might add!

What exactly have I been making with all this felt? 

Lots, I will share some pictures in some later posts. 

But I do promise the felt buying has stopped (at least until next year anyway)!

What the h-e-"double hockey sticks" is Simoninigans?

Simoninigans is a combination of Simonini & shenanigans!

Shenanigans is of course:

she-nan-i-gan [shuh-nan-i-guhn]

noun, informal

a) mischief; prankishness

b) deceit; trickery.

a mischievous or deceitful trick, practice, etc.

What a perfect way to describe our little family, we are Simoninis and I will blog about our shenanigans, there you have it folks Simoninigans.