Alfie's back

  My coffee just did that! how cute...

I can't believe we're into the penultimate week of the school holidays- what about all my plans!?

This last week Alfie was away in Cambridge with his friend Toby's Grandparents. We have all missed him terribly (even his brothers readily admitted it by the end of the week) and it felt like he'd been away for months. He returned today - having had the best time. Granny Pam and Gramps have treated them most generously and for that we say a big heartfelt thank you...

So, while he was away we decided to decorate his bedroom. Until fairly recently we have been a foster family - and as a result the boys have never had their own rooms. When our last fostered child moved on at the end of last year we decided it was time for a break and handed in our notice, at which point there became a spare room. 

Unfortunately for Alfie, Granny's cellar conversion started the following month so his designated room became a storage cupboard, housing the contents of the cellar until we got round to the big sort - which we have done this week. (if truth be told we merely shifted it into the dining room but never mind...)

So, and this is the point where I really hope all you Mums of girls thank your lucky stars - most recently Alfie mooted 'black with neon' as a colour scheme for his future room. I tried, and tried some more, but just couldn't embrace it (black sheets for a pre-teen boy? ever a good idea?) 

He also mentioned vintage Marvel comic book - now that I could work with. So here's the before...

(Hmmmmmm....
lovely 
white room, 
ripe for 
filling 
with 
pretty
things!)

...and the after

I painted the vintage Captain America on rough planks of wood with emulsion tester pots. It's heavily sanded and inked to look aged.

The colour palette is white and slate grey with accents of navy and deep red with brushed aluminium
(you can take the girl out of retail...)

The bottle top paper is Tim Holtz and the poster is from Ebay

The headboard is also made using old planks from the original bunk bed. I've mod podged on some vintage comic and added some lettering and Alfie type 'art'!

I rarely get round to making blocks for our house - but was quite inspired to make these. All Tim Holtz paper

 

I had to dig deep - but overall we're pleased with the result - and most importantly, Alfie LOVED it!

Other than that we've seen very little of any of the boys as they've been busy socialising, camping, playing...I can definitely feel a sea change towards independence (and I'm not sure I'm liking it!)

We did have a welcome visit from the youngest members of our wider family, Sonny, Luca and Mabel. Here are my favourite shots of them playing with bubbles

 

and our own littlest boy concentrating hard

...and the photograph I'm most proud of - little Mabel caught in the evening light

Now, before I go I'm long overdue introducing the newest member of the family - our new duck Myrtle!

Unlike the pesky chickens the ducks seem to accept new girls with dignity and grace - although to be fair Myrtle did grow up with our original girls (and boy) on the farm

I know Cleggy is secretly hoping Bertie will mate with all three girls next spring so we can have more ducklings - and he looks the type!

Myrtle is an East Indian duck - her colours are so beautiful in the sunlight. Here she is with Bertie, Polly and Dolly

 and Pearl - who thinks she's a duck

Finally - I know there's a lot of love for Bertha the fox scaring mannequin - but, quite rightly, many requests for her to acquire some clothes!

So Cleggy, Geordie and Kenzie went visiting the local charity shop with a challenge - to dress Bertha for less than £5

 They did well, don't you think?

fee x