Lovely Fridays

Easy crafts for little hands

By iveth, on December 22nd, 2010

I am running a little late for Christmas preparations
as the Grinch almost stole our Christmas tree…Seriously!!!!

Well, we usually put up our Christmas tree around the 15th
of December once the kids are officially on holidays.
This year his we were so concern and busy with Rozhin’s health
that we were not just late but we also forgot that in our midyear
cleaning day, we had thrown away our old Christmas tree.

And there we were already at the 20th with no Christmas tree,
no lights (also gone with the box tree) and everything sold out in stores .
After days searching, we found one that although not of our
total taste …. it will still do the work …

I am still hands on some little details and with so little time
I have no choice but to sit my little ones next to me
and also make them busy with something to do as well .

I never regret doing this . They always amazed me.
It is almost magical to see the love and imagination
that even the most little ones can put into their creations.

I though I could share some of them with you , in case you also need
to keep those little hands away from your projects in this Christmas time.

—PIPE CLEANERS CANDY CANES

-Pipe Cleaners cut in half to make 2
- White Yarn to roll around the pipe cleaner.
-Glue to stick the yarn into the pipe cleaner.
-Pieces of stream to make a little hanger.

They can be made in any color and shape you like,
and if you feel a little bit more adventurous ,knit
a single crochet stream with the white yarn to give
it a little more of a handmade touch.

—CARDBOARD CHRISTMAS TREES

-Cardboard to draw the shape of the tree
-Green acrylic paint for the tree.
-Wooden Cloth pegs
-Brown acrylic paint for the pegs .

THE CHRISTMAS CHOIR PEOPLE

-Remaining cylinders of toilet paper
-Acrylic paints and different colors to paint the cylinders.
-Paper, scissor and color pencils to draw and cut the faces.
-Spare socks to make the little hats.

Have FUN!!!!

Christmas candy cane treats

By iveth, on December 14th, 2010

Make it sweet

The permanent state of our table this week
is not precisely the swetest view , isn’t?

But the creations that come from that apparently mess
and the time we spend in family sitting around
just letting the imagination create …it is indeed
the sweetest time of Christmas time for us.

We spend last week doing a little lollies treats
for the kids classmates.

It is a tradition in Australia that in special ocasions
lie christmas or easter , kids gift the other peers
with greetings cards and sweets.

For us is a perfect excuse to create.
Every year we think about a different idea
and this year we are giving little Christmas trees ornaments
made with paper doilies besides the candy canes.

The first 2 weeks of December it is all about, crafting,
crafting, having a family time sitting around this table

many times a day.

I love to see that even my little boys had the initiative
to sit by themselves and exclaim ” I have a good idea Mum”
and work on it …

Even my eldest daughter who is not much into craft
find at some point some inspiration.

I was so impress when she came up with this idea of
a paper doilies Christmas tree for her bedroom.

I think it looks fantastic coming from a 9 years old who doesn’t like crafting
as much as I do…. It is magic around Christmas time without a doubt!!

The Advent mantel

By iveth, on December 5th, 2010

It was a crazy-crazy week with all
the end of the year school activities going on.
It feels like we try to squeeze the complete year
in the last 2 weeks …. but we are almost there,
Holidays are almost here.

But still,this Sunday we took the time to lit our 2nd candle in our Advent table.
The candle for “LOVE” .

This is one of the traditions we as a family had adopted
in our sweet mission of settle in and becoming part of our new home.

Christmas celebrations in my culture and my Husband’s culture
are completely different. Over here in Australia,
we don’t have the opportunities to offer the same traditions
to our kids and we had to conquer the challenge
of defining our own family traditions .

Sunday Nov 29th Our First candle was lit , the candle “HOPE”

I decided to use all candles white this time around and keep it to 4 only.
Meaning: Hope, Love, Joy and Peace.

I sometimes wonder how did other immigrants families
overcame this challenge.

It will really really lovely to hear your stories.
LOVE & PEACE on Christmas time!!!!

Coloring Christmas

By iveth, on November 28th, 2010

Our Pre-christmas adventure : Color it pretty!!

Choosing the colors to dress up our home for Christmas
has to be the most fun step of all!!!

I enjoy this so much!!! Just relaxing with a cup of tea,
flicking through magazines or exploring the many
web ideas for inspiration…

I had almost decide my theme for this year,
Choosing a color palette it just make it easier.
Here are some mosaics I found on Flickr
and some color palette I’ve made
with Color Hunter utility.
I hope you’ll find some inspiration too.

Aqua colors

Purple colors

Pink colors

Blue colors

Enjoy!!!!

Make it clean!

By iveth, on November 24th, 2010

A few cleaning tricks that work for me.

One of the best childhood memories I have about Pre-Christmas
it was the time we spend in family cleaning ,repairing
and replaicing old stuff around the house .

The smell of new paint , the tidy backyard
and the sparkling ceramic floors …I t made me feel at home.
This is one of the traditions I truly want to pass to my kids.
The feeling of belonging ,the expectation of something special coming.

It does not only feel good but it opens up space for all the load of
food, presents ,drinks and visitors that the season brings around.

Cleaning is fun , keeping it clean is a mission and with
4 little-people jumping around, I had to come up
with some unusual tricks and cleaners that save me time
and keep the house clean in beetween official cleaning days.

WITH TOOTHPASTE:

I keep the metal bathroom tap in the bathrooms free of
lime scale with a little bit of toothpaste . I simply rub
a little bit over the surface , rinse with water and wipe dry
with a clean clot/kitchen towel . Is done in no time

WITH COKE COLA:

We don’t drink coke cola in our home but when one comes around,
I keep it to clean the kids blackboard.

I use a lint free cloth soaked in coca cola
It removes all chalk residues and it look like new again.

(If you have any Coke-cola left over pour it into your toilet bowl,
let it sit for an hour before you flash away.)

VINEGAR AND BAKING SODA

Probably the old times favorite cleaner of everyone.
Mine too.
But I had some issues with the mix solution.
I just didn’t like the way the mix got cloudy and thick
after a while sitting in the bottle, so I came up
with and idea that suits my needs.

I keep them separate in a fancy- ready to use containers:
I have a Mix of 3/4 of water 1/4 of white vinegar in a spray bottle.
and I used an empty can decorated with nice paper
make some holes on the lid to make it easy to sprinkle the baking soda.

Everytime I want to clean I just sprinkle the baking soda in the surface
and spray on top with the vinegar mix.

IN THE BATHTUB:

I keep bigger containers in the bathroom cabinets and
at soonest my last kid finish his shower .
I fill up the bathtube with a mix of clean water ,vinegar
and baking soda. I go around with normal routines and
and come back later to let the water flush away. Done.
Sparkling clean in not time and with less effort.

It works for me I hope for you too!!!

My Pre-Christmas “To Do” list

By iveth, on November 22nd, 2010

What could be more exciting than the arrival of Christmas.
I love this time of the year and the opportunity
to dress my humble house with the love, magic and family times

I must confess that it was not always so.
When my little ones were babies
Christmas was only a overwhealming nostalgic time as I used
to miss the colors, people and traditions of my birth country.

As children have grown I’ve grown up with them
I’ve learned to overcome the nostalgic feelings
by painting the season with their innocence,expectations ,
fresh ideas and most of all the laughter of their company.

We follow a very simple Pre-Christmas TO DO list

Make it clean
Color it pretty
Make it cozy
Define a tradition
Make it sweet
Make it fun
make it “Yours”

And I would like to invite you today to be part of my last week of November
meanwhile I prepare our humble home with the colors of Christmas.

~Ivice

From T-Shirt to Bean bag

By iveth, on October 28th, 2010

I remember having this passion for recycling since I was a kid.
It is this habit of seeing a things not for what they are ,
but for what they could be, that have being part of me since ever…

Now being a mother of four kids
that grow quicker than I can dress them all,
I found myself in “recycling heaven” sometimes.

But not just that…the other day I felt so drawn to the color
of this T-shirt at a discount store…
I dind’t quite know what to do with it at the moment,

but I bought it anyway for a couple dollars …

and this is what I came up with:

BEAN BAGS
My kids favorites thing to sit or lean back in the playroom.

1.- Cut the bottom of the T-shirt

2.- You’ll end up with a rectangle . Saw close the open edges.

3.- Leave a 10cms open hole and fill up with beans or any material of your choice.
close with hand sewing once it is done.

I use the same technique for all the shirts that
don’t fit the size or style of my kids anymore.

Most of them we keep because
we have some kind of connection with it
being presents sent from overseas by our dear ones.

Like this kitty pillow at my Little “R”s bed.

Or the “Let it Rock ” one at ”k” s bed .

Reciclyng your old-loved clothes can help not just to save money ,
give you a unique decoration item , but most of all to teach our kids
a little bit of appreciation and caring for the little memories on life.

A sneak peek at my home projects

By iveth, on August 22nd, 2010

Probably one of those bits that not many people knows about me
is that ” I love, Loveee tools….and I know how to use them!

I had love them since I remember.
When I was a child ,I used to follow my Father everywhere
and sit beside him meanwhile he was repairing stuff around the house

I asked and asked so many questions until it was quite annoying
and he just reply “Sit and watch” – and so I did
and from those little experiences in early chilhood
I learned not to be afraid to handle a tool or a paint brush
later on in life.

Well I have to admit that inthe beginning things not always
ended up perfect , but I did learn and I do enjoy
being the one who fix stuff around my own house now.

But before I was just concentrating in little repairing, and painting jobs
Until yesterday when encouraged by one of my favorite bloggers Chez Larsson
I finally got hands in a carpentery project.

And I was able to build a mini desk for the boys!!! All by myself!!!

I had never feel more proud of myself!!!!
Aww.. I can’t show you more than a sneak peak,
because is not quite decorated yet-it will soon.
We are finally having glimpses of spring here in Australia
and I am in the process of redecorating the Kids playroom.
It will be lots of mini projects to show in the weeks to come for sure!!!

You can Check up Chez Larsson Blog for lots of inspiration
and Do it your self projects

The pursued of inspiration

By iveth, on August 20th, 2010

I’ve been feeling quite guilty fot the last few weeks. I let myself fall into procrastination
and as a result now I am running against time to meet my goals of November
for the projects I am working on…or better said : ” I supposed to be working on” .

And even when it sounds like an excuse, the true is that :I feel so out of place on winter time ,
being a Latin American born, the cold weather and nostalgic moods just made me hibernate.

I’ve being spending much time on Facebook too , which was not to bad at all
because I got to met again with many of my childhood friends,
the fact that I got virtually to see them and talk to them again it kind of nurtured my soul
and warmed my winter days.

But something happened this passed week :“Inspiration can come when you less expected”.

I got to make contact again with sweet lady from Los Angeles with whom
I swapped some magazines and small gifts last year.

She has a very inspiring blog and as I was reading, I was so touch by her sweet detail
of mentioned me and one of those little gifts I made for her
(the little Matryoska pillow on her desk)

That few words , a photo and the kindness of an online friend was quit enough
to wake me up to fact that it is a side of my self that I am not really giving it
the time and appreciation I should.

Her inspiring blog “Mama Without borders”

Filled my soul with creative energy this week. And I woke up yesterday hands on my projects,

Finishing some half way ideas and shaping up some others
that have being wandering around my mind for a while.