gifts for girls

Well it has been the most beautiful couple of days here in the sunny BOP - after the equivalent of a year's worth of rain in the last six months it's about time we had some sun! Combined with daylight savings it's been lovely- we've had a morning at the beach, lots of time in the garden, a dinner outside and even got some washing dried on the line for a change! 

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few pics of some cute pressies for little girls I've bought or made lately...

I bought this gorgeous skirt for Miss 3 for christmas from the very clever Sarah from Cotton Kiwi via the Felt Aid shop. She is going to love it as her favourite things at the moment are playing dress ups and dancing (like a lot of 3 year olds girls!)

I made a personalised pillowcase and a toilet bag for a little girl's second birthday.

This is going to be a pencil case for a 6 year old girl- her mum took her to Bernina to choose her own fabric and zip as I didn't have any fabric in her favourite colour!

I couldn't resist buying this cute fairy finger puppet the other day for the girls. I found it at the teacher resource shop in Tauranga which is a really great shop (even for non-teachers!) Heaps of cute little things and reasonably priced too.

Well, here's hoping for another nice day tomorrow!

Megan x

my creative space: pink flower purses

I've had this lovely fabric from Kate Fitzpatrick for a while now- I bought it about 5 years ago to cover a noticeboard in our old house but I had a bit left over for a few little projects. I used some to make a make-up/toilet bag for my mother in law...

...and I used some more to make a little make-up purse and lavender sachet for a friend for her birthday.

I used the same pattern for the purse as I did for the bridesmaid purses I made recently but just made it shorter and lined it with nylon.

I've still got a little bit left too which is good!

For more creative spaces visit Kirsty's here

Megan

Margaret Mahy inspiration

One of my favourite authors of children's books is New Zealand author Margaret Mahy. I took Miss 3 into town this morning and saw a display of Margaret Mahy books at Books A Plenty with a sign for a Margaret Mahy exhibition at the Tauranga Art Gallery so along we went. It was a lovely exhibition inspired by her poetry with beautifully illustrated drawings by David Elliot.  The Art Gallery is holding 'Story Telling sessions' related to the exhibition in the school holidays which sound like fun.

Then we walked along to the library where I got this book out "The hand that first held mine" by one of my favourite novelists Maggie O'Farrell. Amelie chose a couple of DVD's to take home (we really should be taking home books too!)  and I spotted this Margaret Mahy collection so we got that too.

It's got the "The Witch in the Cherry Tree" on it which I loved reading when I was little.

(I found a Brambly Hedge DVD too so had to get that one as well!)

Margaret Mahy's first book published,  "The Lion in the Meadow",  is still one of my all time favourite children's books and is already one of my toddlers favourites too.

I took this book to school the other day for the five year old class I teach in. I read them the story and we talked about how the mother gives the little boy a matchbox with a dragon in it to scare the lion away.  I gave them all their own matchbox and they decorated it with kozo tape and drew and cut out a little animal to put inside the matchbox to scare the lion away (although some decided they wanted the animal in the matchbox to be friends with the lion instead which was cute!)

Happy reading!
Megan

a kids questionnaire

Here's something fun to do with your little ones...my sister found this questionnaire on this funny blog so she asked my three and a half year old the questions the other day. It was pretty funny reading her answers! Definitely something to pop in the memory box and have a giggle about when she's older.

1) What is something Mummy always says to you?

That I’m beautiful and cute, and that she loves me.

2) What makes Mummy happy?

When I talk nicely to her, and that she loves me.

3) What makes Mummy sad?

Don’t know.

4) How does your Mummy make you laugh?

When she laughs at me!

5) What did your Mummy like to do when she was little?

Play puzzles and read girl books.

6) How old is Mummy?

Don’t know.

7) How tall is your Mummy?

Medium

8) What is her favourite thing to watch on TV?

The Go Show

9) What does your Mummy do when you’re not there?

Has a sleep and does her jobs.

10) What is Mummy really good at?

Reading stories to me. Stitching and sewing. I miss her when she’s at the sewing shop. I stay at home with Daddy and Stella and we eat a nummy dinner.

11) What is your Mummy not very good at?

Reading funny books without her glasses.

12) What does Mummy do for her job?

Sewing. She gets her money from the money shop when she needs more.

13) What is your Mummy’s favourite food?

M&Ms. Roast chicken.

14) What makes you proud of your Mummy?

Doing beautiful pictures with her.

15) If your Mummy were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Don’t know.

16) What do you and your Mummy do together?

We go to bed and have cuddles.

17) How are you and Mummy the same?

*a whole lot of gibberish about who the tallest is and reaching really high books*

18) How are you and your Mummy different?

Don’t know.

19) How do you know your Mummy loves you?

She gives me presents.

20) What does your Mummy love most about your Daddy?

Chicken pie.

21) Where is your Mummy’s favourite place to go?

Bernina (sewing shop)

22) What is one thing you wish you could change about Mummy?

I would turn her into a frog! *gales of laughter* cause I like doing that when I’m a fairy. And a princess.

23) What would your Mummy do with a million dollars?

Buy lots of toys for me. Buy Superman. Buy lots of zips. (pronounced thipth).

24) What do you wish you could go and do with your Mummy?

Play schools and have morning tea.

25) What is one thing you hope never changes about Mummy?

I hope she never turns into a frog.

Megan

a reversible shoulder bag

My sister Amy put in a request for a shoulder bag for her honeymoon so I found this great tutorial at the fab blog verypurpleperson.com. It has really clear instructions with photo's and the pattern too.
I ordered some lovely Echino fabric from stitchbird.co.nz for Amy's bag and used some fabric I already had (also from Stitchbird) for my one as I decided that I really needed another bag too (*insert snort from husband here*).

I just used some white cotton duck for the lining for Amy's bag so it's not really reversible (unless she wants a white bag some days!) but the duck was good for making the bag nice and strong.

One thing I found when I made up Amy's bag was that the strap ended up too short so I had to unpick and add a 10cm approx panel to the strap.

So I added a 5 cm approx panel to the pattern when I made up my bag.

It's a great size for a shoulder bag, not too big but big enough for all my day to day stuff. 

I also like the look of this tutorial from Tinyhappy for a shoulder bag with just one strap that you wear across your body which I find great when I'm out and about with the kids.

...And on a completely different tangent, have you seen these in the supermarket? 

I went in there the other day as you do to get just one thing and ended up buying all three of these as well...naughty end of the aisle promotions!!  I have a friend that used to have a bit of an addiction to Squiggle Tops...maybe these will find their way to her mail box soon..

Megan x