The 2013 Challenge!

I started a challenge at the beginning at the year,  not buy any new clothes for myself. I will instead be making, mending, up-cycling or charity/ebay sourcing my wardrobe for whole of 2013.

The Make do and Mend Mission 2013

The rules

• I can buy underwear, shoes, socks/tights and t-shirts/vest tops
• I will be able to accept gifts/swaps/hand-me-downs
• Borrowing is allowed too
• I can buy from ebay (just not new items)

I seem to have/have had quite a few social engagements this year, so this has been a bit of a challenge for this self confessed shopaholic. But almost 6 months in i think i have done really well.

The first thing i did was 'mend' my black jersey maxi dress, the elastic had come away from the fabric at the top. A quick hand-sew later and its was wearable again, i do love this dress. i got it in the sale from TU and i have already 'adapted' it by adding some more shirring rows (shirred dresses are never deep enough for me lol) and taken a couple of inches off the length as i am only 5'. I like to pair it with a nice wide belt and a pretty cardi. A very comfy and well used dress.

 Well that was a mend, i've not managed to make anything yet, but hopefully that will be sorted soon.

Celebrate good times, come on!

5 years ago today we had just brought home the most precious of bundles, our 7lb 10oz baby girl and so began our first steps into parenthood.

 

Fast forward to now and we have a beautiful, petite, bright, sociable, stubborn, amazing girl. Who loves pink in a very big way. So much so i have had to repaint her bedroom from the most delightful pale turquoise to pretty pink. Everything she has received as a gift has been pink or purple (as that is an acceptable colour too). Her main present is her pink camera, but mummy still managed to get a few of her touches in too. She wore her No.5 badge to school with pride and absolutely had to wear it again at her party, then there's the knitting kit, i found some sweet little size 4 pins in our local craft shop - they have hearts on the top!! Dunelm came up trumps with reasonably priced pink gingham storage case and i raided my yarn stash for some practice wool. She was very happy. (Phew).

 Oh of course there was the cake too, the brief was a princess cake. i think we nailed that one.

But my little girls birthday wasn't the only thing we had to celebrate this weekend, my dear big Cuz also got married, yey!!

I love a wedding, the chance to get dressed up and party. And i love making things for people i love. Very proud of the way the button picture came out and not forgetting the lucky spoon for the bride. I really hope they liked it.

 

My boy wasn't left out either, he was the dapper little gent in his London icons waistcoat and the best part...we have another wedding next week so can do it all again :)

A Sunny bank holiday

What a lovely bank holiday so far and such nice weather, looks like more of the same today too.

The kidlets and i had the pleasure of attending a darling little man's christening yesterday, i took this opportunity to try out my Easter pressie. I think she performed very well don't you? her name is Elsie-May and she is a Janome MC200E, i'm having lots of fun learning how to use her (more of that later).

I hope you enjoy the rest of your bank holiday, i'll be sorting out the conservatory to enable the smalls and i to co-inhabit peacefully, how did we manage to accumulate so much craft stuff and so many toys??