Organizing my Craft Room part three

My Craft room

Today, instead of my usual shops i love I wanted to share with you how my craft room is looking so far. I am loving my new wrapping paper storage, an alternative use for a metal laundry bin from Next. The washi tape attached postcards on the wall are from Belle and Boo and the ribbon spool storage is from Panduro Hobby.

Have a sweet day!

The children of the Latch-Key Kids

The title of this post makes it sound like some horror movie set in some forgotten cornfield. Nothing good ever happened in the corn.

I digress.

I have a theory (yes, another theory) about helicopter parents. This may seem like another digression (seriously, when did anything good happen in a movie after the lens panned longingly across a field of corn?) but it's not. I think that the Latch-Key Kids (LKKs) of the eighties have become the Helicopter Parents of the nowties.

Now, before I get started (properly... without corn references... hang on, what's that movie? Children of the Corn, I just had to go and google that because I swear the title of this post and the whole corn field thing is creeping me out a bit and it did not surprise me to learn just now that the Children of the Corn were not nice children), I should divulge that growing up we weren't LKKs -

- Sorry. Sorry. Just one more thing... see, now that I'm referring to the LKKs it's a bit too much like the KKK and I've set this whole eerie scene up with the those creepy corn kids (who kill grown-ups) and long shots panning across the whispering fields of corn and... well, now I think I'm actually writing a very different post to the one I started writing.

Has that ever happened to you?

[Image via Flickr by Ione Lovey]

Way to Brighten up a Dreary Day

When it's bleak outside I get a little depressed... I don't like the cold. Or cloudy, dark, dank days... I like sunshine. Blue sky. Warmth, friends! We all know Summer was a little tempestuous, to say the least. There was an awful lot of gray and rain, and not nearly enough opportunities to appreciate the outdoors I reckon!

A few days ago when Fern was at preschool, Elliott and I took matters into our own hands and decided to brighten things up a little. We hit the nursery. And bought these trinkets:

a bright lime green hanging lantern

bright pink flowers for the table


A new Adirondack chair (from the Jamie Durie range)

A set of three tables (bargain $20 each from Freedom - not intended for outdoors but powder coated metal and at that price, who cares if I only get a year out of them?!) 

New tables close up - sorry, sun ironically shining as I snapped these pics!
... and I felt instantly happier! Nothing like a bit of colour to brighten MY spirits! What brightens YOURS  when its bleak outside?

snap it {old}


how to play here


i never used to enjoy looking through 'old wares' stores when i was a little girl. it was boring to me. but since i have grown up! i am happy to spend time looking at the treasure & imagining the stories attached to each piece. my mind also races with ideas to use these collectables in my home or as photo props!

do you like shopping at 'old wares' stores?

please add your {old} snap it blog post below. next weeks topic is up close

Paper Mama Hand Challenge.

I had to link up for this challenge. This is one of my favorite recent photos of my hubby and baby girl.

5FB
melts me.

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge

Pretty Easter Egg boxes

Easter Egg boxes

On Saturday I launched my Oodles of Eggs giveaway and showed you how I shall be packaging some of my gold eggs to hide in the garden. Today I wanted to share with you where I bought my turquoise egg boxes (a snip at £3.50 for 30!) and share my labels for you to enjoy.


Easter lace bunny labels

Pretty Easter Egg boxes
Tools and Materials

Pretty Easter Egg boxes, How-to step by step
Pretty packaged chocolate eggs

Start by printing off the Easter lace bunny labels onto a label sheet and carefully cut out. Stick Easter lace bunny label on to top of egg box. Fill box with shredded paper and push cupcake wrappers into egg grooves, and fill papers with foil wrapped eggs. Tie ribbon around box to secure and there, all ready to be hidden!

Easter Gift
Oodles of eggs packaged
Milk chocolate egg

Have a sweet day!

Secret Working Mums Business: WMP


Much like the kid who wants to be an actor but trains to be a plumber, every mother needs a second job.  It's a self-esteem thing, but not as you might think.

Yes, it's busy being a working mother. Busy, busy, busy. It requires the strategic planning power of a General and the stamina of his army, but...

But.

This could just be me, but the thing about being a working mum is that expectations are generally lower. If you're not doing such a great job as a parent this week it's because 'work is just so busy'. Sympathetic nods all round. If you're not matching up on the work front it's because 'there's lots going on with the kids this week'. Sympathetic nods all round. You never really have to show up 100% to either work or parenting and nor is it expected of you.

You can do that as a SAHM or as a child-free worker as well, of course. No-one ever expects 100% of everyone all of the time. We are not machines and there are plenty of reasons why we might not be able to give our all, but...

But.

When you're a working mother you get praised all the time for not doing a particularly sterling job. At least, I felt like I was. In fact, when I was doing a particularly sucky job at either work or parenting, that's when I got the most praise. Working Mother Praise (WMP) is rampant.

"You're amazing, I couldn't do what you do," said my co-worker when I ballsed up a project we were working on together. The Badoo was sick.

"You're amazing, I couldn't do what you do," said my friend when I was an hour late to pick the kids up from her place. Couldn't get away from work.

You're amazing, if only I had your energy, you deserve some time to yourself, I don't know where you find the energy, I should be taking lessons from you, you're amazing. That there are colleagues who haven't had a slick of good feedback in months who are slaving away day after day, giving it their all. That there are mothers mothering around the clock without a single kind word some days, slaving away day after day, giving it their all. Well now. All that WMP makes you feel guilty. Amazing, but guilty.

I miss the praise. Now I'm just another mum at the school gate and no one is telling me I'm amazing just for showing up. It's the way it should be, but oh my, do I miss that Working Mother Praise.


When was the last time someone told you you were amazing just for showing up?

[Image from Steady Mom - Are you a professional mother?]

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