Library Bag for Emma

Every Monday fortnight we've been heading to our local library. Emma spends half an hour or so picking out books and DVDs to borrow, which I'm hoping will be the start of a life long love of reading. It's also a free activity that's been great during winter. So far she's been really excited to go, and there haven't been any tantrums about giving the books back at the end of the fortnight (touch wood).

To add to the excitement, I decided to make her a little library bag. It's a messenger style bag, and while there are heaps of tutorials on the net I decided I would just give it a go myself!

I lined the bag in purple polka dots, and put a small pocket inside for our library card and the receipt that reminds me when I need to take the books back.

I attached the strap on the outside, thinking that as she gets bigger I can just take that one off and put on another, longer one, if I want to.

Love the Ikea material again, it will probably be making one more appearance in a yet to be decided project (I have just a little left!).

Catherine

Memory Mirror

Something I'm starting to develop a bit of an interest in is home decorating. Maybe it's living in a new house, getting sick of blank walls, or feeling like I want a grown up home, I've been itching to make our house feel like 'ours'.

And I've found some amazing people doing some very creative things. Right now my favourite is Centsational Girl, who shows her gorgeous Op Shop finds and how she renovates them.

So it's with this in mind that I finally made a start on this mirror.

The mirror is one of the very few things I have from Dad's family home. His family had a fibro holiday house by the beach and when he married Mum they moved in. The house was filled with odds and ends furniture, including a wardrobe with this mirror in the centre. I couldn't keep the whole thing, but decided the mirror would one day make a nice momento. Underneath that terrible mint green was an interesting teal colour that almost caused me to give up (you can see it on the edge of the mirror in the pic below). And to the relative who painted on the actual glass... ARGH!!

And here it is now...

I'm really happy with the outcome, especially for my first project (looking at the photos I am reminded again about getting a good camera, maybe one day). It's not on the wall yet - I think Danny is a bit scared to touch it given the sentimental value. I let a little of the old paint colour and wood show through, 'distressed' I think it's called. Can't wait to have it on the wall, I think it's a project for the school holidays.

Fathers Day - Freezer Paper Tees

This year for Father's Day we were on a tight budget. I mean really tight (I am also harboring a tiny grudge from Mothers Day, but that's another story ;) ).

So for Father's Day, I made Emma and Harry some Dad love t-shirts and photographed them wearing them. The photo-shoot was hilarious (read : insanely difficult) - when one smiled the other frowned (or worse still cried), so they got individual photos instead. I framed the photos for Danny to put on his desk at work.

Freezer paper t-shirts are so easy! I followed this tut, though there are a million around.

  It was so cute seeing them in their t-shirts on Sunday morning. I have two more cut and ready for 'painting', I just need five minutes!

My other project for Father's Day was something I salvaged that relates to my Dad. I have a post about it in draft, I'm just waiting to get the perfect 'after' photo. It's taken up most of my time - I've never done anything like it before, but I have to admit that I have caught the bug and there are other projects like it just waiting for me in the garage!