being Real

my best presents ever. 

I turned 42 yesterday and must admit there are many days when I think - surely I should have it all together by now?  Somehow I got it into my head that someday it would all be perfect. Me in the kitchen cooking healthy food; the kids happily playing around me; the dog obediently lying on his mat watching us (like in the movies). I would look good (definitely not harassed or tired) and my home would have that lived in, but somehow still neat and ordered and pretty look about it.

It's really not like that - at all!

What I do have is lots of messy moods, a messy kitchen, a very energetic messy dog, and two (very normal) children who don't always get along, or listen or have good manners. And me - well self-control often flies right out the window.

This grown-up stuff can be hard.

There are many days when I have to remind myself of how it's so very normal, very okay, very real and that GOD is the one I should look to for calm, for help, for peace in my home. And He does help. The best part is the forgiveness part - I can ask him for forgiveness, and forgive myself for all the "imperfect" and start the day new and try to do it better - whether it's the first five minutes of the day, or the last.

So I am afraid I have a bit of bad news for you...whether you are 22, 32 or 42, it's never perfect. Never. But stay focussed on our Saviour and there is always love, often joy, always G R A C E in these messy, imperfect moments. :)

PS. Cute kiddie craft coming up tomorrow using a glove. Hope I have your interest piqued. See you then.

Tea Bag Craft and Gift

 

  

Boy, I know I have been rather slow in posting, but not because I haven't wanted to. Some family/life changes have simply meant more responsibility for me and a little less time (and energy) for fun things (the best things) like blogging. But Love and Lollipops is never far from my mind. This space is like a great old friend - always welcoming, always happy to see me, always fun! I hope that when you do see a new post, you feel the same way :).

Today I'm sharing our Mother's day gift that we made for the super Grannies in our lives. I saw this idea over at Rebeccas DIY blog and knew we had to try it. If you love art, simple crafts and tea, then this one is for you. I absolutely love Rebecca's version and the special box she made, so do go have a look. 

First off, you need to purchase some tagged tea bags and cut small white cards to overlap the tag. Then get arty and decorate the tags, which you must staple onto the tea bag tags. Wrap up the tea bags neatly and put them back into the box (decorated if you like) or a petty flat packet. Now you have a special gift for a tea-loving lady.

Till next time...

PS. Our homemade Mother's Day gifts from previous years:
Cards to use made from children's art
Serviette holder
Mosaic fridge magnets 

OOOOPS!

How embarrassing! I must apologise, but somehow, perhaps between blog writing and serving dinner, I accidently pressed the publish button on a post filled with notes about the movie "Smurfs". I have been considering doing some Mommy friendly reviews of popular children's movies and the post was some rather rough notes I had made. I have deleted it on the blog of course, but I am afraid all my email readers have received it. Please simply ignore it - I haven't gone crazy - at least not yet :).

To make up for it,  I promise a fun, happy, crafty post very soon.

Take care,

Georgia 

Baby Room Art

 

Hehe - No, there's no baby on the way - just in case you were wondering. These are long ago pics that I was going to share - then never did. They were the art I made for Little One's Nursery - now almost five years ago. Can it be true? - he's almost five! (sigh)

To make, I painted a backdrop onto good quality card stock and fit this into my frames. 

I was lucky to find some wooden cut-outs that matched the animals embroidered onto his white cot linen at a craft shop. I then carefully painted them. Usually I don't have the patience for such finicky work, but I was very motivated to make his room special. It helped me work slowly and with a steady hand :).

Lastly, I attached the cut-outs with prestick to the glass. 

I absolutely love looking at pictures of nurseries and children's bedrooms and have lots pinned onto my Pinterest Board, Little People Decor, if you feel like browsing.

Till next time.