bubble paintings, bubble fun

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." Buddha


Sleep. Its a funny thing really, I know full well my littlest darling wakes at the moment somewhere between 6.10am and 6.30am ( shes still in training but shes a stubborn mule unlike the other two who got with the program pretty quick and now dont get up until 7.30am for jumeirah and 8.30am for jared) and yet I still go to bed past midnight most nights. You'd've think I would have learnt by now :)

And so, bleary eyed yet again ( 6.30 this morning.. eeww its bad) I began the day mustering every ounce of energy and enthusiasm to do something "fun" as is the call most mornings from Jumeirah.
Once Jared had served me my very high in protein breakfast in his cafe of steak, cheese, chicken, sausage and tomato, I was rearing to go :)


This morning, we were planning to make some cool cards and so we needed to make some cool paper. I got out some straws, dish washing liquid and black food colouring to do some bubble painting.

WARNING WARNING WARNING

This has potential to be extremely messy. Dont do it half asleep or you'll end up drinking it and its baaadddd. Also, for kids, I cut a small nick in the straw to prevent it going up into their mouths in the event that they forget to blow. It works a treat :)
I also use a small container for the bubble mixture. I have learnt that if you use a big container the bubbles burst easier and you end up with chicken pox. I learnt that the hard way too.

I started this off so my little neat freaks could see I could do it without getting too messy ( I love mess but I worked hard not to get covered in ink) and then Jumeirah did the blowing and Jared did the printing.

They turned out fantastic! I love the effect and its a pretty simple way to make cool card paper!



This afternoon, while we were all still lovin bubbles, I got out the big bubble wand we bought last week and we had fun chasing around giant bubbles in the yard.

Arent bubbles great?!?!

high tea in felt/ scrapbook pages

I have been totally awed by what I found outside yesterday..... MY FIRST FRANGIPANI BUDS!! To all who told me it wouldnt flower in the first year... LOOK!!!

And then today, I got my very first pickable flower :)

Luckily there is more coming so I picked this one and put it behind one of my favourite ears :)


The colour is amazing. Its hot pink on the back and the very tips of the flower and yellow centred. Its truly the most beautiful flower EVER.


A new week has started and with that comes a few new projects... I am currently madly trying to make a present for a friend whos birthday is in a few weeks ( 4 to be exact ACK!!) from all her friends. Kinda one of those "warm fuzzies" presents that will show her how wonderful we all think she is :)
Anyway, I have been back to a craft I havent done in ages and although its taken a few days to get going, I am absolutely loving it!

Here are a few of the pages so far. ( I cant show any of the work that will go on until its finished and delivered but here are the basic layouts)








Scrapbooking is an easy, therapeutic craft that doesnt cost a lot to start and can be lots of fun. Its something that can be easily put away (when your husband tells you he needs the table you have totally taken over) and you can do it for half an hour or get totally engrossed and realise that you've been working for 4 hours only when you stand up and leave your butt on the chair :)

Today started with a whole lotta crafty kids. I had set Jumeirah up with her Hama beads (best ever purchase BAR NONE) which she absolutely loves and spends hours on.

Todays creations

Amahli wanted to sit up and be part of it today and so I sat her up to watch... which was not quite what she wanted but was also hilarious as she can barely see over the top of the table. But she was happy just being part of the "gang" and chatted and passed random things she could reach to Jumeirah.

What she could see above the table :)

Apparently thats kinda hilarious

Jared also wanted to help her today so he sat up and passed her the beads she needed and also began his own little car.

Didnt quite finish it before he wanted to see what would happen if he picked it up... we then played 200 pick up hama bead style and we decided to do something else.

After the fun we had making tents last week ( except my disasterous one), all kids were wanting something they could play with together. And so we set up our gorgeous food cart that Ma and Pa gave Jumeirah for her birthday and created our wonderful patisserie cafe :)


All three were completely involved in the running of this little place...Jumeirah took orders and poured coffees, Jared served cakes and cleared the table, Amahli was chief taster of both the coffee and the cakes.

Hmmmm Donuts

We had such a fun time playing in this space. We are planning to have the shop running all week with different things to serve each day. Should make for a fun week!!

cake anyone??

Have a few other fun things happening this week... stay tuned :)

scrappy fun/ collage smorgasboard

How can you possibly going to school in just a few short weeks???

The tent.... they came, they saw, they read for a minute, they left :)

Really not a great little project that one. Luckily I only spent a small amount of time making this one... I think most of the problem is it isnt tall enough. I really dont like that they cant stand up.. so its back to the drawing board :)

The rest of the day, I pretty much floated around whilst these three were "hard at work".. creating, building, discovering.. it was such an amazing day to sit back and watch where these little ones were driven to.

Jared, who didnt go near the tent after Amahli walked straight in and thumped her head, was more than happy with the railway I set up for him :) Hes totally Thomas obsessed, yesterday we found a place in Japan called "Thomas Land" and hes already packing a bag :)
He also set up a all his trains and they spent much of the morning travelling around the loungeroom.

Jumeirah got stuck into this construction set (I) Santa bought for christmas. She talking to herself like she was under great pressure to get this masterpiece right.

Finally, I am presented with this:

"Its the 2009, walker helicopter device of the year" ( her words, I didnt have the heart to tell her its 2010)

After that, she wanted to "craft something" and so I got her out some stuff to create with from my collection ( its dimishing fast, replacement seems imminent) .
And so she began.

I also had little miss wanting in on the action and so Amahli and Jumeirah happily passed pens back and forward, Jumeirah showed her how to hold it, told her what colours they were ( oh shes so like her mum!) ( shes a brilliant teacher too! Look at Amahlis 1 yr old pen grip!)

Jared was soon to follow, wondering what was so fun at the table and was soon also heavily involved in cutting every piece of paper that wasnt glued down.

Concentration is MASSIVE.. check out the tongue :) ( this also is so like his mum)

Jumeirah made this gorgeous page for a friend from a kit we got from The Scrapping Bee a few school holidays ago.. it allows her to create as she likes while giving her the starters to get going. She loves them and they turn out so well!



This giraffe is from another current favourite story " Cherry loving Leila" about a giraffe who loves eating cherries!

I love creative days:) I just wish they could pass a little back to me....

wWnt be here tomorrow, I am off to the outdoor cinemas!! See you Monday!

indoor cubbies :)

I totally blame Charlie and Lola for todays obsession :)
We have been reading " But where completely are we?" in which Charlie and Lola go on an adventure and go camping. Now, as yet, my children have never had the real thrill of camping... bugs, sleepless nights, strange noises, treks to the toilets.... but reading this book has totally got them wanting to go. And so, this morning, the request was for sheets. Hmmmm.. ok. How much destruction can three children make whilst I attend to breakfast??

Actually I was quite surprised when this little indoor cubby was constructed without completely decimating the loungeroom, and once breakfast was over,( and with the gentle bribe of "help me tidy the rest of the house, and I will help you deconstruct the only room we try and keep you guys out of") we got to fixing this little cubby to make it better :)

All three had a plan and set to it. Jumeirah set to finding food to set up a kitchen, Jared was keen on pulling pillows and sheets off beds to make a sleeping quarter, and Amahli was dead keen on testing the bungee ability of the sheets and attempted a few kamikaze runs before Jumeirah gave her pots and pans and told her to go cook. Which stunningly, she actually did.
And so this was the areas of our simple indoor cubby.




the Master Kitchen

An apprentice chef

Sleeping Quarters.. due to the fact that its a very busy place, only one can sleep at a time.

Dog at the front door :)

They loved it. And so we played in our cubby until daddy came home.. early.. whoops... the room was quickly restored and cubby rests until tomorrow :)

For tomorrow, I have set up two cubbies outside using the big table and a huge sheet. Am yet to make the pillows for it but will do that as well...trouble is, I stupidly got on the net tonight and found these awesome card table playhouses on Etsy and in particular this train one which I know Jared would just love ( his birthday is in a few weeks). Then again, surely I could make one?????

And so even more stupidly, I googled tutorials and BAM! heaps of them...

a girly one, a christmas one, a very much a boys one and this one that I think I will go with. I love the picture frame idea and the pockets. Jumeirah loves her cubbies for reading in so this idea is perfect. I dont really like the height much and the fact that they cant stand up but will test out whether thats an issue with tomorrows cubbies before I embark on this little mission!