Tuesday 15 January 2008

Meet the family ...



I bought these two cushions for my daughters at Christmas. I love the fabric, colours and shapes. It struck me the other day just how much their new owners resemble them! Little Sister is indeed a cheeky little squirrel. Always up to mischief, running around, leaping from one thing to another.



An incessant hoarder - she buries her treasure around her room and woe betide anyone who digs it up and moves it to the wrong place. She sleeps surrounded by her goodies, cats, fairies, sylvanians, the odd milk tooth stashed in a purse and is only content when everything is in its right place, even if her mummy can see no order in this!



At her happiest perhaps in the garden haring around or at the park on her scooter, she likes to sleep cuddled under her eiderdown with her head on the pillow that Big Sister made her for Christmas (watch out ladies Big Sister is turning out to be a dab hand at the soft furnishings!). How much sleep she actually gets is always a mystery to her parents, as one eye seems to be permanently watching over those treasures!

Big Sister on the other hand takes life at a more sedate pace. A lot of time is spent languishing around her room. Just like the deer, she is not often to be seen. Long legged and graceful she is taking those first furtive steps into adulthood and taking a few tumbles along the way. Shy amongst strangers she is happiest with familiy and close friends. I would photograph her room but believe me there's piles of make up in there that even I don't want to see close up!



It's wonderful isn't it to be able to watch our children grow and heartbreaking to see them unhappy. Neither of my two have had the best of weeks and it is hard as a parent and as a child to learn that there are some things that you just can't make better. So Miss Squirrel and Miss Deer this is for you - LOVE YOU.



And a word of advice - Miss Squirrel, no more treasure please, your hoard is big enough to get you through the winter and Miss Deer, please tidy up your room before the magpies are attracted by all the glitter and things start to go missing!

32 comments:

kathyann said...

What a lovely posting,makes you just want to hug them both,your daughters and the gorgeous animal pillows!My daughters are just the same and all three of them love doing arts and crafts,Bethany is now talking about going to an art and design course at college when she finishes her exams and school this summer!Best wishes to you all,from Kathyann and the girls

Unknown said...

What a lovely post ! Having a little girl myself I can appreciate your comments. She sleeps surrounded by all her treasures too - at the moment she is particularly attracted to a big plastic elephant - I don't ask why ...

Lovely cushions too, my sort of thing
x

kari and kijsa said...

Loved this post (and the wonderful pillows!!) And the final words of advice had us rolling!!!

Have a wonderful day filled with blessings,
kari & kijsa

Tracy said...

LOVE the animal pillows--so sweet, and great, fun fabrics. I have heart-shaped fairy lights in my sewing room--I'm still a little girl at heart ;o) Very sweet post, Kim. Wishing you all a happy week ((HUGS))

mollycupcakes said...

That was lovely to read Kim,
Your little dear sounds very much like my oldest, make-up and GHD's everywhere and gets very cross if her little sisters touch any of it lol
They love nothing better than getting in her room and messing with her stuff.
Miss squrriel sounds like lots of fun and great to be around when your low. I bet she's picks you all up with her smile.
Great post.
Hugs.
Catherine x

Garden Girl said...

Hi Kim, I think my room was like Miss Deers' (and still is sometimes!) I bet they will be the best of friends as they get older. I think I recognise that Cath Kidston duvet cover from the good old days when Ikea sold them. Such a shame they don't anymore, I love mine but it is getting rather worn out now!

tess said...

I love the way you describe your girls, I have 2 squirrels, but rather hopeless ones who wouldn't make it through the winter because they collect treasure but can never find it, or maybe that makes them magpies...

Racheal Miles said...

Really lovely descriptions of your two children.

Racheal x

Margaret said...

Great post! It's always such a joy to find perfect gifts for children (I particularly love the squirrel pillow! It's incredibly cute).

Berber said...

That's a lovely post about your daughters!
The pillows are very cute... are they handmade?

Thimbleanna said...

What a cute fun post Kim! Isn't it funny how our children can have such different personalities? And my sister and I were joking just the other day, that of all the siblings in our family, the oldest as a child was a slob and the youngest was neat and tidy!

The Crafts House said...

I loved your post today...made a grey day bright
sandra

Curlew Country said...

Awwww, being a mummy, very bittersweet. I have two small boys but your post really put me in mind of what my mum must have felt bringing 3 girls. What a saint. Your eldest doens't do upholstery yet does she?!?!? I'm in need!
Steph x

Lucy Bloom said...

Hi Kim, those animal pillows are just the sweetest things. Funnily enough, my brother and I had furry deer and squirrel toys when we were little, I still have my squirrel, she had a squeak in her tummy but that's long gone.
Lucy x

Anonymous said...

Such a lovely post about your sweet daughters, Kim. I love the comparison you make to their pillows (which are adorable!) ~ hugs, Lynda xo

weirdbunny said...

The deer one is just like bambi !

Amanda and Tim said...

lol how wonderful! Those cushions are so beautiful and I can see why you chose each one for your daughters (even if you weren't aware of how apt they were when you bought them lol). Also, Big Sister really is very good at soft furnishings - WOW!!

Sorry to hear they've been having a bad week - I hope things start looking up soon!

Cowboys and Custard Mercantile said...

Hello Kim
I wish my boy liked to collect pretty things!! Instead he collects fossils and mud on his rugby kit!!
My dear mother used to make me lovely items like the cushions.. in fact I still have one she made for me in the 1960's..It is a lovely cat from Clothkits.
I hope your darling girls have a better week and put their woes behind them... the sun is shining today.. that helps raise the spirits!

Love
Michelexx
P.s Thank you so much for recent messages

Alchamillamolly said...

A word of warning my daughter was like your squirrel and she is 22 next month - the hoard just gets bigger! She used to have a box - which she called her 'specially box' - we asked why and she said "cos i keep specially things in it" and then gave us a look that only a girl can give! She has a round stone that Alan picked up for her on Marske beach when she was nearly five and she even takes it on holiday with her in her soapbag!! I only discovered this last summer - she said its her favourite thing!

Sweet Cottage Dreams said...

Such a sweet post!!! I love the bit about the oldest transitioning into adulthood and the way your youngest watches over her sweet things. So adorable!!

xo
Becky

PS: cute softies, too!!!

Samantha said...

What fabulous cushions - where did you buy them.

And love the stories about your girls!

Anonymous said...

Love the cushions and I bet they do too. My daughter Emily was always so untidy and had a room full of treasures. Some of her books and games are still there even though she's now married with a 3year old and about to give birth to their second child. Amd so it goes on...happy times.
Margaret and Noreen

meggie said...

You always write a very interesting touching post Kim. Lovely tributes to your daughters.

Nonnie said...

Such a lovely post Kim. Actually made me feel a little tearful. Love those cushions and the way you have compared them to your girls is really sweet.

julia said...

It always amazes me how different my two are from each other, same parents, same upbringing but totally different personalities - may go some way to explaining the fights they have with each other!
Lovely post and I love those cushions, where did you get them?
Julia xx

Louise said...

Gorgeous cushions and the pillow your daughter made is so pretty. Not sure what animals would represent my daughters - they both have too much and are really messy!

Naturegirl said...

What sweet additions to a sweet girls room!

Carol said...

Hi Kim, a lovely post. It is funny reading this, as so much I can relate to with my own girls.......how lucky they are to have such a good Mummy to watch over them.
Bug hugs,
Carol xxx

Cape Cod Washashore said...

What a sweet and endearing post! My daughter is much like your youngest daughter (I believe they are the same age). I can find no order to her dresser-top, but she knows where EVERYTHING is and woe is me if I try to tidy up! heehee Yes, squirrel-like! She puts soooo many of her stuffed animals on her bed at night, it looks like she is sleeping amidst a circus! Well, with all the busy-ness around my house, I guess she needs it even when she sleeps (or perhaps she just needs the extra warmth)! =) Have a lovely day, Kim!

Heidi said...

This is the sweetest post about your girls! You are such a loving mother Kim. The cushions are so lovely and I think it is so neat the way you compared them to your daughters.

I am just loving Lark Rise to Candleford and cannot wait until Sunday to see the next part! The actors are all so perfectly choosen. It is a real treat right on the heals of the wonderful latest version of S&S. It was fun to have you stop by my blog to talk about it.

Hugs ~
Heidi

Anonymous said...

What a delightful post Kim.

Marie x

dottycookie said...

Oh, what a lovely post, Kim. We've been having a tough back-to-school time; I think I need to go and give my little big girls a huge snuggle.

We are nearly drowning in Sylvanians - or, as they are fondly known here, geraniums.