The Blankets

I'm almost embarrassed about how many blankets I have stashed in my sitting room.









I've tried to squirrel them down into more sane proportions (can I just say that apart from these four large quilts and blankets, there four or five more behind the shots), and I know blankets are my thing, but still - can I really justify the instigating and making of TWO more, all in the name of cosy??!

Will there be a time when there will be 'enough' blankets in our house? In reality, yes, we're there already. In my head? Never.



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C is for CUSHION

Cushions have been the theme of the week here - firstly a couple that I ran up myself for the new-to-me sewing chair. These fabrics started life off as 1970s placemats (they were new when I was little) which were calling out for a new lease of life. And what better way than to be coupled with a vintage soulmate from the same era?

And then there were these :: lovely retro barkcloth offerings from H is for Home. What can I say? I love them. All of them. All lined up looking glorious and posh.





You can tell the children aren't allowed to touch these right?



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Colour Blind

So. We had discussed it over the winter months - the time to redecorate the boys' room was fast approaching with Springtime around the corner. Their room had been slowly sliding into a midden for a while and an overhaul was long overdue, and this weekend winter plans were dusted down and made real.





In my mind I had envisaged duck egg, or antique silver with cream trim. Maybe a manly mint and grey combo?







Yeah... and that's the thing with raising freerange kids - they have, like, minds of their own, and can be mighty firm in their identities and decisions... short-hand for :: the boys didn't want duck egg blue or antique silver with cream trim. Oh no. They wanted cardinal red, bermuda blue and tropical lime green.

I managed to talk them off the cardinal-red ledge but they were not budging on the blue-green combo...







On one hand I'm impressed with their ability to compromise, make decisions, know what they want and be grateful for the redecorating. On the other hand? Well, on the other hand, I have tropical lime green in my house, people.







Come on in!











The boys were VERY happy - pleased as punch - giggling and hopping on one foot kinda happy. I am accepting it gracefully - I mean, not everybody has a room that matches a LeapPad do they? I have plans for one or two accessories to add to the room - art on the walls - a couple of cushions, maybe another floor quilt - perhaps I'll get to finish off those mama-made hand-sewn quilts that are STILL on the WIP pile (and as an aside - a bright orange quilt really will match this room nicely yes?).

It has a carnival feel to it, and the fact that it makes my babes happy is more than enough reason for me to love it too.



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Blue & Yellow

Ignoring for a while the debris and destruction that awaited my return yesterday (can I just say, again, that three males in one house - albeit, or perhaps because, two of them are mini-men - come second only in line to forces of nature and acts of God in their destructive ability and devastation-causing ways. Dust, crunchy carpets, smelly bedsheets, a film of smeared grease over the kitchen, the smell of a byre and two children who hadn't been bathed in TEN days... OH. MY.), I want to ignore the immense amount of work I have done on my return and the mountain-load left to tackle (I am so tired) and instead do that squinting-eye thing I do to focus my mojo on the positive, pretty things in life. Play along and pretend dirty windows are de rigeur OK? OK. This vintage, kick ass plate was gifted to me by a sister I have never met in the flesh but who, on occasions too numerous to count, sends me the most amazing things to make me happy. Her thoughfulness never fails to hit it's mark, and I was once again reeling and agog at the most beautiful, delicate gift I had ever received.

It's aqua, it's vintage, it's ceramic and it's a stop-you-in-your-tracks kind of pretty that had an immediate impact on not only my mood but the course of decor choices in my kitchen!





Sure, we have blue in my kitchen - aqua, duck-egg, creams and whites - but never coupled with yellow. And that one little detail made my heart pitter-patter and I was smitten with the combination. Aqua and yellow.... oh yes.



So I've been shoe-horning little bits of yellow in here and there in the intention of carrying this combo through.





It's even affecting my thrifting!







Not that I'm complaing one little bit.

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A Little More Granny

Somewhere in my sitting room lies a relic of a good idea, when my inner granny colluded with my inner thrift queen who then made a pact with the Re-Use not Landfill conscience and they conspired to give an old coffee table one last chance.



It involved wallpaper. And glue. Mod Podge may have been a contributing factor. And it involved patience. Patience for drying time and patience for Mama's weird and wonderful trial and error masterpieces.



Or not. As the case may be.

I'm not sure I'm convinced. It may need a different paper. Or it may need a bit more time to settle in.

Inner Granny is happy. Outer Debbie is still cogitating.

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Come on in...

The Room. The New Room. I've been banging on and on about it for months and I'm sure you'll be wondering what all the fuss is about.

It isn't a big space or a trendy space. In fact, I didn't really want to show you it until it was 'done'. But really, what does 'done' mean? Are we ever really 'done' with any room in any house; isn't everything a continuous project?

So, please be aware that this room is far, far from perfect or 'done'. Many things have yet to find a 'home'. There will probably be a lot more reorganisation until things flow properly here, but essentially, this is how we rock this space right now.



The back door opens into the place we hang our coats and put all our shoes and outside stuff. This chest of drawers keeps everyone's hats and mittens and scarves and what-have-you. I have placed a large curtain (which will probably change several times til I'm happy, but right now this is warm) to close off the rest of the room from the door and shoes etc. and when you walk past the curtain and look left you find the lion's share of the room::

This is our new-to-us table, large enough to fit all of us and our work with ease and space leftover. Bliss. I have waited for this space for a long time and we are enjoying spreading out and being creative here.







Over here is the bookcase full of teaching resources and manipulatives, whilst the dresser is where all our art equipment is now stored (this may change if I find something more useful), most of it within easy reach of the midgets for when the artistic urge strikes.






In one corner instead of shelving I have utilised these thrifted, vintage suitcases for storage. This is where the fabric and textiles craft things are kept - everything from felt, fleece, yarn, looms, knitting needles/forks/dollies, and embroidery. Beside them is a thrifted sewing machine for the boys' use.



One large wall was painted with chalkboard paint. It's a usefull resource and the boys like to draw here.



In front of the chalk wall is another smaller table. Useful for when one of them wants to work alone, or to keep some work out, to dry paintings and to shove the rice tub under.





Currently this piece of string serves as our art line. Not pretty, may change it, but it does the job. Also need to find a space for the boys' own inspiration wires and inspiration boards.



When is junk not junk? When it's in the invention box, of course. In here are interesting cartons, nuts and bolts, pieces of wood - all ready to be transformed into their latest art work or inventions.



This coffee table currenly serves as a place where manipulatives are, erm, manipulated? Think this is going to be leaving our house soon...



Musical instrument corner. Boys not that interested in music, but they like to have a bit of blast on the keyboard once in a while...







Fabric scraps - multitude of uses from imaginitive play to sewing and sticking...





Play corner - dressing up and kitchen and what-have-you, facing the books...









Here they can sit and play and read.









So as you can see. A messy space. A space in need of new homes for many things, a couple of rugs (working on that), some organisation, but basically a space for the boys to explore their creativity and spread their wings a little. There is a lot of work to be done here, and a lot of work *being* done here, but messy or not we really love this new space of ours and the opportunity it gives us to be a creative and homeschooling family. Masha'allah.

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