End of one chapter, beginning of another....

I finished teaching last Friday. I've been an ex-preschool teacher for an entire week and I have to say, it feels no different! I suppose because all the schools are on holiday now so I know that my 'little darlings' are all tucked away in their homes with their mums and dads or on holiday at the beach on in the mountains so I don't feel as though I'm missing out on them. I know I'll feel differently when the schools go back and I'll think of them cuddling their new teacher (who, by the way, is totally fab) or sitting on her lap pretending to put "makup" on her face....or doing her hair with sticky playdo fingers.....or pretending she's sick in bed and playing nurse "cos she's got an ow'ie"......sigh. It's funny how their little souls eat into your heart. Even the ones that you could happily throttle on a daily basis somehow manage to gently strum your heartstrings with winning smiles or cheeky songs. Actually, I'm a firm believer in the adage "there are no bad children, only bad parents" so I tried to warm myself to even the naughtiest children which wasn't always easy. I do miss them but I have new things to turn to and new excitements to grab hold of......but more about that later. By the way, we had a dressing up day on the last day of school and I went as Funny Lady. What do you think?

The kids thought it was hysterical and kept asking me "Why did you paint your hair green?" !!!! Well, I thought, if you can't be silly when you're nearly 50 when can you be silly?

On the craft front, I've made two more bags with Lucy's bag pattern for a friend of mine and her 4 year old daughter. They came out pretty well so I hope they like them....

Sorry. That's a bit over the top with the photos but I love all those yummy colours sooooo much!!!! I particularly like the floral lining that I chose for my friend's bag as it's a little bit more grown up than the polka dots although I LOVE polka dots on anything (who doesn't?). This friend, however, is very feminine and elegant so I thought the floral would be more 'her'.

As for knitting, well, I've been wanting to make this for ages and ages and so finally this week I cast on and got going. It's just my sort of pattern. Half cardi and half shawl/wrap and very very easy which is always a good thing when, if you're like me, you have 3 or 4 projects on the go at once! The yarn I'm using is lovely to work with. It's Elle Marco and the colourway is called Strawberry (what's not to like?) and is mainly red and white with flecks of black so it will go with almost everything in my wardrobe.....

This is how much I've done so far....please excuse the watering can. I wanted something to prop up the WIP!

And a close up of how it looks ..... gorgeous! I can almost taste those strawberries......

We're off to the beach on Monday for 5 days and I can't wait! Just to feel the sand in my toes and smell that salty air....heaven! Lots of long beach walks planned, sitting on the verandah watching the waves and not much else.....I hope your week is as good as mine will be. ♥

Til soon.

xxx

Winding down.....

Sorry that it's been a while but life is pretty busy at the moment. In just over a week I'll be finished teaching my 'little darlings' at the preschool and moving on to bigger things!  I've decided to try my hand at running my own business and so will be putting my teaching career on hold for a while until 'my ship comes in' (or not as the case may be)...... In which case I'll be on the lookout for another teaching post but I'm not thinking about that at the moment!

Because of my sudden rush to get things up to date in my classroom and at least give the impression to the new teacher that I not only knew what I was doing but was organised too, this month has been a wee bit hectic but I have managed a few things so I thought I'd share them with you.

First of all, I made a little holder for all my beads and necklaces. My mom bought me the 'Smile' ornament and I just added some cup hooks. Cool hey? And Oh So Useful Too!!!!

Next up - I've been enjoying some Autumnal strolls through my garden. The light here in South Africa in the Autumn/Winter is amazing......Very crisp and clear.

This is a Weaver bird's nest. They hang from the trees and are so intricately made. A masterpiece of nature I 

always think.

I've also managed a little bit of this and that on the creative front. I started a commission - one of the Lucy Bags for a friend. Here it is after a couple of hours

 And here's one I've almost finished for her daughter.

Some flowers for the bag. These are the Triple Layer Flowers that we all know and love from Lucy at Attic24.

And lastly here are some bunting triangles which I'll be sending to Lucy for Yarndale. I thought she might appreciate some from Africa!

So not too idle!!! Have also got two beanies (with decorative flowers of course) on the go so my fingers are knowing no rest!!!!

Til soon.

xxx