Phuthu Stay Phut, Don't go!

Up until 3 months ago, I was high-fiving myself for not having to decorate a nursery. Bonus, one less thing to do this very busy year! I already ticked that box 4 years ago. Clever me. Chest pump.

So I really wasn’t re-doing the nursery…I had a perfectly good one waiting for its third use.

And then one day I had a look at things a little more closely….the carpets and the chair were looking a little, mmm well-used. The curtains had holes in them (sent them to the dry-cleaners and the result wasn’t pretty), and the mobile and felt wall hangings were in pieces. So with things looking a little shabby, plus, me having what is certainly my last baba, I thought this was my last chance to enjoy creating a new room for our baby bear I mean the baby would certainly be up in arms if it knew the curtains had holes in them! Wouldn’t you? Yuh see!

So I proceeded tra la la la la..

Firstly, let me just say that we kept the owl and the sheriff bunny from the previous nursery – they are too cute and too loved to live in any other home but ours (forever). I got a few prints laser-cut  but the words on the one below are especially for moi…when I feel tired and broken and I’m asking myself what I’ve done…I can read those words and know that tomorrow is a new day, and that even those sleepless nights will eventually pass. Because we all know that perspective eludes us mums sometimes…often.

How cute are the little moccasins my friend bought me? And the little pine tree cushion!!? Tsaaaaa!!

Good frugal me (hee hee) just re-covered the chair and ottoman and refurbished the old clock. So it wasn’t all new, I re-loved the pre-loved

That deserves a chest pump, right?!

Run wild. My boys are good at that and I have no doubt that this little one will be the same. Boy or girl!

So your room is ready and waiting my little wolf cub! Whenever you’re ready, we’re ready. Your brothers talk about you all the time and promise to give you a dummy when you cry. So loved already, and we only know you as a big ball in mum’s tummy. Have a safe journey little one, we’ll see you soon. The biggest of loves, Mom, Dad, Tom and Will. X

Our little TomTom turned 4 this past month and we thought there was no better party to throw for him than a “Come Dig with Me” party! It was completely up Tom and Will’s alley, with diggers and mixers and dump trucks dotted around the garden, not to mention the sand and spades and paintbrushes and the multitude of construction toys. It was a busy day with his birthday and party on the same day. Oh Boy!!

My beautiful co-worker and friend Marlise made this scrumptiously cute cake for us. I love friends that bake

Note the blue “exhaust” already attached to the wheelbarrow. My boy is obsessed with exhausts and attaches pipes, straws or anything else resembling an exhaust, to anything with wheels!!

There was a lot of work going on in the Dig Zone…

“Boulders” ready and waiting for all the hungry construction workers!

Not to mention the “wood filler”, “spare parts”, “rafters” and “drill bits”!

We needed a “safety check area” as well as a caution to the parents about busy 4-year olds ahead! Couldn’t help myself hee hee.

The birthday boy totally engrossed in his painting.

And another little painter sorting out some water issues…Tom Tom still working hard

Always the best part of a party – blowing out them candles! …TomTom’s wingman right next to him….

And just to top off the sugar highs, I sent everyone home with a bucket of Whispers with chocolate money at the bottom. Their wages

Happy Birthday my little builder. You enrich our lives with your sparkly eyes, endless curiosity and love for everyone!! A special little soul you are.

We love you more than you love exhausts. And that’s a lot of love right there.

X

You know I’m an Etsy addict right? I sell on Etsy, I buy on Etsy, I love Etsy. It’s just so full of goodness….wholesome goodness. Crafters and artisans making and creating for the love of their craft. Anyway…One of my purchases this year included these cool wooden birds by Anna Wiscombe. They came beautifully wrapped (as all Etsy products do) in this little white box. I opened it and looked at these little creations and did a silent aaaaaawwwwww to myself – as in a aaaaaaaawww-my-little-birdies-so-schweet-agha-man-nunus-I-could-just-eat-you. There were 2 big birdies and 2 little ones, representing our little familia. I couldn’t wait for Jem to get home to show him these creations.

So he arrives home and I show him expecting this absolute appreciation of this ladies artwork and to do a little aaaaaaaaaww out-loud. You know, as men do.

uhhh…..NO

Jem: *pulls deadpan expression* *eyes go slightly glazed*

Me: Hun! Look, it’s our little familia…see two big birdies and two little birdies. Aren’t they soooooo cute?

Jem: *Eyes go big and makes crazy look* *appears to be at a loss for words* *really tries not to exaggerate the crazy look*

Me: Hunni, let’s start again. Let’s pretend you really really really really Ruh-Huh-Heally want to get lucky tonight (not that you will because this is just pretend play right).

Take 2 ——————-

Me: Tadaaaaaaaaaaaa - Look, it’s our little family hunni…see two big birdies and two little birdies. Isn’t it soooooooooooooo cute?

Jem: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwww. *Makes sparkling eyes* *raises eyebrows* *jaw drops* *hand over mouth in astonishment*  These are incredible pieces of art! Where did you get these???????? Such masterpieces! Such beauty! Shall we hang them on the wall now???  *looks at each one with wonderment again*

Me:  :)

——————–

Anyway, he got lucky.

And I get to buy another cute birdie

uh-Huh.

Feb 2015.

*laughs nervously*

The end.

Or maybe not.

Just kidding.

I don’t know.

Maybe.

With the holidays over, I’ve finally had a chance to edit some pics from the holiday camp we held at our house in the first week of holidays. The kids had an absolute ball and were kept well entertained by the “camp teachers”. We had 8 kids in total, 4 boys and 4 girls…..all I can say is that I have a new respect for play school teachers….and teachers in general. It requires a lot of energy!! It was such a delight though to have these little sprogs running around our garden and hearing them sing and chatter and seeing them play together. Too sweet!

They all received Camp Sunshine t-shirts, survival torches and emergency supplies (raisin rations) in their welcome packs. Here is Will very proud of his shirt!

Welcome packs for the happy campers!

The popular raisin rations…

Welcome to Camp Sunshine!! Oh Happy Day!

All the art supplies ready and waiting. And all this play dough kindly given to all the kiddies by Morgan’s mom Jo and Aunty Andrea. Thank-you!!!

Morgan’s daddy was kind enough to pitch all 3 of these tents in our garden!!

The kids absolutely LOVED playing in them! If ever you feel like entertaining your kids in your backyard, just pitch a tent!!

Hello Morgs!

Tsaaaaa! Such good friends!

We also had a teepee tent on loan from Aunty Gina, which Will thought was the coolest thing, like, ever!!!!

We had the most perfect weather the whole week…

Miss Sophia!

And after a hard morning’s play, they all sat so beautifully around the tables and ate their food!

But not before they said grace! Liam looking so angelic…

Shirts drying in the sun after some messy play!

And then it was time for ring time where they sang and learnt all about camping. Hearing these little ones sing together…it’s just such a simple pleasure, I never get tired of that sound!!

These are the camp teachers; Philiswe, Angie and Rebecca. We could not have held this holiday camp without these amazing women! Truly passionate and compassionate caregivers, thank-you.

Levi tucking into his raisin rations!

They made “fires” with their hand prints and “torches” they could eat!

Oh and the ice-creams offered a few minutes silence. Little Erin tucking in

All the boys together…

The blue-eyed girls, Mama G and Colbi.

TomTom just loves his Angie Ang!

And at the end of the day, they enjoyed story time with Ang.

And then we held a little Camp Sunshine Party on the Friday….you can see more photos on our SunshineShabby blog

So just cast your eyes to the first pic below…

You kind of like this view don’t ya? In fact you love it. You’d like to have it. It’s okay you can admit it, even silently to yourself. It’s fine and it’s very normal you know. The cool thing is that this loved and nurtured home of ours is up for sale…. *makes little sobbing noises as she writes*

But *pulls herself towards herself*, we are closing the chapter on this housie and starting a new Chapter in an estate later this year. It’s all very exciting. It’s bittersweet actually because we LOVE our home and it will be sad to leave it but we are starting a new journey building a new home.

This little treasure is safe and secure, we’ve had an incident free 9 years in our little road. Despite that, we have the Kloof Police Station just up the road, we have electric fencing and a fully integrated alarm system.

It’s a 3 bedroomed (easily convert a small study to a 4th) house with very spacious bedrooms, the entire living area is open-plan and there is a study/tv room which is small and cosy. There are 2 bathrooms with shower and bath and one guest toilet. Oh and did I mention the sauna? I run my office from home in a 42 sqm space downstairs…this can be used as a teenage pad or games room or an office! We’re 2km away from shopping centres, the post office, the Virgin Active and 4km away from St. Mary’s School. The Kloof Police Station is also just up the road (500m)

If these pictures don’t sell this house to you, then you need to come and see it in the flesh!

Please contact me on [email protected] or 0829282700 to schedule an appointment. Thanks!

X Louise

We love our house so much…we even got married here! Full of very treasured memories.

During winter, we toast our hands and fingers by the fire (there are 2 gas fireplaces, one in the lounge and one in the main bedroom)

Although we’re not big entertainers, this IS an entertainers paradise with open-plan living, dining and kitchen area with a front deck and plunge pool and back deck and kiddies / Chill-out area below.

This outside area area has come in SO useful, it’s the kiddies dining room, play area as well as our afternoon chill-out area. And every year, twice a year it gets turned into the boys’ birthday party area.

The garden – fully indigenous…lots of Aloes, Coral Trees and Acacias. The rolling lawn is also the perfect play area for Sprogs!

This may look like a room that no one uses but trust me we use it (and so would you!)…I just tidied it up for this shot so it looks super duper slick!  But at night, it turns into a puzzle and block-building domain with a colourful array of bridges, towers, cranes, roads and tunnels. It’s the cosiest after dinner sanctuary for our little family.

My busy little office…where all the shizness goes down. You might think it’s messy but I like to call it a creative crafty space

And now for the bedrooms…this one is my favourite, it gets sun all day long. And it’s been the nursery to my 2 babies so needless to say it is full of a good loving feeling!

The tree and the growth chart were handmade by my hubby. I know. Those don’t come with the house but I thought I’d just show them cos a.) they cute and b.) cos I can.

Tell me you can’t feel the warmth of this space? My boys have a lot of little wise owl friends to watch over them.

This kiddies room is full of just as much love and on many occasions both my boys sleep here together. It really is the sweetest thing. If you buy our housie you must just know that that wallpaper was a work of art to put up….and it’s very very very cool. Just putting it out there….you know, just-in-case-you-had -thoughts-of-sending-it-to-live-with-Jesus (if you bought the house of course). On the other hand, if you’re just reading this for fun…then just take a minute to appreciate those spaceships and robots on that wallpaper. Man is that cute or what!?!

This would be the lurv shack. Beautifully styled as you can see with a Thomas the Tank Engine on the headboard.

One of the things I love (and you would probably love too) is the wide passage. For us, we made it into an informal gallery with framed pics on one side and a cork board on the other side which displays anything from happy feel good prints to family pics and recipes. You could literally do ballroom dancing in this passage, I’m telling ya!

Photos from our travels, our sun-drenched lounge and a reclaimed, re-loved, re-covered armchair.

I’m certain this is the cutest little guest loo ever. My hubby made that light and oh boy do I love it!

The kiddies bathroom with bath and shower and our lovingly handmade first aid cabinets (we converted them from bread bins – added shelves and painted a cross)

Promise you’ll have sweet dreams in this house!

Bonus Points – my hubby’s hand built sauna! Yes your very own sauna just outside the main en-suite. Can you frikkin believe it?! A sauna just for you!

So how much is this house you ask? Our asking price is R3.795 million. Please contact me on [email protected] or sms 082 9282700 to schedule to view – serious buyers only please! Thanks!