Hear Me This

Back in 2010 The Divine Miss M was lucky enough to get a brand spanking new pair of grommets for a first birthday/Christmas present, after the first year of her life being plagued with chronic ear infections. Here she is rocking her gown.... if only all patients looked this cute with their butt hanging out.

We'd been down ths line with Delilah too (I blame Luke's genes!) so I was relatively (we'll as much as my stress head is able) relaxed about the procedure for M.... though I might have had a tear or two, nothing like the blubbering I did when D had hers done, I blame the pregnancy hormones for that. Mackenzie came through her little op fine, and it was a realtively stress free experience. Except for one pesky ear infection that took a few weeks to budge, little M had been infection free since.... until two weeks ago, when her left ear drum perforated.

Her Doctor had mentioned a couple of weeks prior to this that he would likely need to put grommets back in if the fluid in her ear hadn't drained by November..... fast forward a month and he tells me today that she needs to have it done now. He said "How does September 24th sound?" I said "It sounds like my Birthday."

So this year, rather than getting a little op for her birthday/Christmas, she gets one for my birthday instead , in two weeks time. I've been thinking about it all day, and I am feeling quite nervous this time.... how does one tell there coming up to 3 year old that they are going into hospital for an operation? I know this is minor, compared to what other parents have to deal with, but how do I explain it? More importantly, how on earth do I explain to the child who is perpetually "Hoooooooongry" that she can't have breakfast?

D gets it. I told her. "So Kenz is going to hospital to get her ears fixed, ok Mummy!" *shrugs* "Do we still get to have cake?". That was easy to answer.... "In this house there will always be cake on Birthdays". Hmmmmm..... maybe I'll bribe M with the promise of cake.

The Long Run And A Scary Photo Of Me.

24 hours after completing my first ever marathon, I decided to check out the photos Luke had taken of me post run. I was horrified and immediately made them black and white, despitely trying to make myself look better.

Five days post marathon, I'm ready to show a pic to the world (or at least my 17 readers!), because hey, this is what I looked like after running 42.2km, and I need to be proud of that. So here I am in all my sweaty, shattered, fuzzy haired, exhausted, nauseated, tear stained glory.... I'm with my bestie, Gemma, who'd done the half as part of her training for the (gasp!) New York Marathon..... I'm sure she'll be totally thrilled that I have shared this with the world (you'll keep it to yourselves right? All 17 of you!), but hey, next to me she looks like a godess.

So now that I've frightened you, I will spare you all the details of my 4 hour and 23 minute run. However, I do want to share a couple of things I learnt.

1) I learned that determination will get you anywhere you want to go. The lovely Amy of Giggleberry Creations, who is also an avid runner, asked me post race how I'd coped with the pain, how my mind had coped and if I'd wanted to stop. The answer for me was quite simple, I wanted to get to the finish line having run every single step, so the pain was inconsequential, just a side effect of the big picture. Therefore stopping was not an option. I just kept chipping away, knowing that with every step the finish line was gettng closer, and so was my dream.

2) Realising a dream is a very emotional experience. When I reached the little marker that said 1km to go, a big smile crossed my face, and then quite unexpectedly a big lump formed in my throat. I spent the last kilometre fighting back tears as I realised I was going to do what I'd set out to do. It got harder and harded as I got closer to the finish line as more and more people were there clapping me on, telling me how well I was doing, that I was almost there. I could barely look at my family as I ran past them to the finish line, the sight of Luke and the girls almost made me lose it. I grimaced as an old man put a medal over my head at the end, telling me "you deserve this, you've worked hard for it". I held it together until my Luke put his arms around me and said "Baby, I am so proud of you", then I came undone....... probably contributing to making that picture of me above even more unattractive.

The support I have received in the last couple of weeks has absolutely blown me away. I have cried a lot of tears, over these last two weeks, pre and post marathon. The encouragement from people I have never met has warmed my heart. Apparently I have even inspired some to give running a go, or to run further.

What I have achieved with my running isn't for everyone. But having a dream is. Realising your dream is too........ Now what should I aim for next?

The Dramatic Twist In The Marathon Tale

So, just like a Hollywood movie, there always has to be a twist in the epic tale right? Some hurdle that the hero of the story must conquer before they can triumph? Well I have had mine this last week and a half.

Last Tuesday was when I first felt it, an ache in my left knee while running. I didn't think too much of it, these things happen, no big deal. Probably that was the moment when I should have realised that I needed a rest... I had just run 81km over the previous 9 days afterall, plus I was on nightshift. But no, silly me, so close to the finish line, and honestly, a little obsessed, went running again on Wednesday. That is when it started to hurt. By friday, I could only run a kilometre before needing to stop because of the pain. I had a massage after that on Friday, but then only managed 3kms the next morning.... that is when I realised, and heart sinkingly so, that it was time to stop, and heal.

On sunday I grimaced my way through Lollipop Markets, I had a great day, but I was in pain... so much so that immediately after arriving home I dragged my family down the beach so I could go wading in the water footballer style in the hope I could reduce some inflammation. Not suprisingly I got a lot of stares wading around out there with my trackie-daks hitched up as far as they could go.... it actually felt kind of nice though I will admit.

Because at this stage I'd put myself on a running ban until Wednesday I made arrangements to go swimming at the aquatics centre on Monday night with a friend... but sadly as my style is a bit crap, my kicking motion still made my knee hurt. That is when my friend convinced me to make an appointment with a physio. I couldn't get in until Thursday.

On Tuesday a care package arrived express post in my letter box care of the lovely Shan from Missy Melly . Shan is a woman of many talents, one of which is that she is a qualified acupuncturist. My care package contained adhesive anti-inflammatories and a diagram of where to put them and instructions explaining how to use them. I cried. Big gulping hard to breath cried. I've only ever "met" this beautiful woman virtually and she cared enough to send me this. How awesome is this world. How awesome is she.

Shan's method worked brilliantly for me and by wednesday afternoon I was relatively pain free.... until my test run of 5kms. It was highly uncomfortable. But still an improvement on the weekend. Could I run 42kms in this kind of pain? Maybe.

I sat with ice last night trying to will my knee better.

This morning I hurt again.

In my 17 years or so of running I have never had running related knee pain. To say I was starting to feel scared this morning is an understatement. But by now I'd made up my mind that I was doing my marathon no matter what.

I walkied into the physio today and said. I am running the Adelaide Marathon on Sunday, I seem to have developed runner's knee in the past week. I hurt, but I need to run this marathon. She said the words I needed to hear "Ok. Let's see what we can do".

So after an inital assessment of my knee, she said there was no damage to my knee and I "will be fine to run my marathon on Sunday". RELIEF. My problem turned out to be a ridiculously tight quad that was restricting movement in my knee cap, causing the pain. She suspected that night shift had made me too tired to recover properly..... stupid night shift.

I'd like to say she massaged my leg, but that conjurs some kind of relaxing, candle lit, soft music kind of senario... I would more liken it too tenderising a piece of meat. I love a tough massage but this was literally breath-taking, eye screwing up pain. Then she stuck in about 12 acupuncture needles and repeatedly pricked me with some kind of aparatus, kind of like aerrating a lawn. Then she strapped my knee, carefully showing me how to do it myself....and the best bit, gave me strict instructions to make my husband massage my thigh every night. Awesome.

I was then sent off, feeling immediately better and having been told to run tonight to see how it felt.

Adelaidians will know how the weather is tonight.... cold, pouring with rain and very windy. I strapped on my shoes and ran... some of the run was a little uncomfortable, but mostly it was fine, especially the further I went. WOW! I cried...as I do.

I suspect tomorrow I will feel like a train wreck in the thigh region, but right now, all I can do is smile. It was always going to hurt, now probably a little more so, but, that marathon is still within my grasp.

Moments Like This.

I had a kitchen sponge throwing incident today. I'm on night shift. Night shift makes me feel like I am walking around in a big fog, the cummulative sleep deprivation really starts to make me nuts as the week moves on. Currently I'm half way through, 2 nights down, 2 to go, so the sponge throwing was a little unexpected, it's more of a Thursday thing.

Hours later, I'm not exactly sure why I did it. The house was quiet, Delilah was at kindy, Mackenzie was down for her nap, I'd just gotten up from my 3 hour sleep to tide me over until tomorrow morning... I should have been all good. But no, one minute I'm doing the dishes, and the next minute I am going postal and throwing the kitchen sponge in my poor husband's general direction while ranting about everything that I felt needed to be done right that second and kind of hyperventilating. To Luke's credit, he stayed quite calm, and came and gave me a hug, and told me everything would be ok, I guess he's a bit used to me after almost 12 years. I ranted for a bit longer. Then calmed down.

I have moments like this every now and then, really it's not suprising I'm having one this week, no sleep, a big market coming up on the weekend and the Marathon only a week and a half a way, realistically a crazy moment was probably over due. However, it's always perplexing to look back on a moment like that, and just go "What was that about?".

Since that moment, I have done some crafting, had a coffee with my Mother's Group and been out for a walk along the beach at sunset. Now I'm calm again, and the moment has passed... I'm sure it won't be the last time though, but for now I'm ready to push on.

Fabric Addict

My name is Sam and I am a fabric addict, more over, I'm a :

I see it, and I need it. And what is worse my Husband enables me. He brought me home this all in one day last week:

And this is why we began Verri Vintage over a year ago. A means of constantly destashing so we don't become crushed my our mountainous piles of pretty, soft, retro, vintage, floral, scrummy (ok starting to drool..)fabric.

And while Ryan does say it's ok:

Sometimes it is best to share out the love a little.

Scared

I'm running the Hills to Henley tomorrow. It's a 30km fun run from Athelstone Primary School to Henley Sailing club. I am scared.

When I was at work on Tuesday I felt the first signs of a cold, my worst nightmare at this late stage in my training for the Adelaide Marathon.

I downed four cups of hot lemon juice and water while I was at work and woke up feeling fine Wednesday... then stupidly didn't bother to think about it again and unfortunately woke up on Thursday with a full blown cold.

I stayed home sick on Friday and went to see my Doctor, who raised his eye brows and shook his head at me when I insisted that I would be fine to run on Sunday. He sighed and said "You are going to do it no matter what I say aren't you?". He got a resounding yes, 30kms is part of my training regime and I *need* to do it this weekend. So with the promise that I wont try my hardest (LOL!) I'm allowed to run.

I tried a bit of this as medicine:

And I feel quite confident that it was the right idea.

I am stil scared though.... imagine how it's going to feel in three weeks time.

Sweet Dreams - Or Lack There Of.

This is my happy place...

My bedroom... or more specifically my bed. Now get your mind out of the gutter, it's because this is the place where I get to sleep.

Anyone who has known me pre-children will know just how much I like my sleep. I was the girl who would sleep late, read in bed in the afternoon, take a nana-nap if I thought a big night was on the cards (or turn into a pumpkin at midnight so I could head to bed), and I would sleep so soundly, not even an earthquake would wake me.

Then came Miss D. She was a typical newborn, and we had the standard first 8 weeks of sleep deprivation, entirely expected. What I didn't expect was that she wouldn't sleep during the day either. Around the 8 week mark she started to settle a bit and we started getting glorious 5 and 6 hour stretches of sleep, she still wouldn't sleep during the day, but it was alot easier to handle with a little extra sleep under the belt at night time. But alas, it all went pear shaped at around 4 months. No sleep, ever. And it stayed that way.

D had chronic ear infections which,as we all know, are absolute agony. Always so much worse when one goes to lie down. During the day I would get her to have a small nap lying on me (something she did until I was so pregnant with Miss M that at 18 months she would no longer lie down on me and started dropping day time naps.)Night times were just impossible. I have a vivid memory of passing out on the floor next to her bed one night because I was so tired, I was about 8 months pregnant, so to say I woke up uncomfortable is an understatement.

I remember just before M was born someone asking me how I felt going back to those sleepless nights with a newborn. My answer? "How could it be any different from right now?".

It was different, M fed every two hours and at 8 months was still having several feeds during the night. She was such a hungry little monkey (incidently that hasn't changed I hear say "I'm Hoooooongry Mumma!" about a 1000 times a day). The difference was that she slept really well during the time she wasn't feeding, and so long as she was in her own bed her day time sleeps were fantastic.

M arriving, and sharing a room with D had an amazing effect on her, she began sleeping through the night. However by this time we had such a firm ingrained bed-time routine, we found that it was impossible to alter it even slightly with out getting a sleep-less night from her. This is something that has remained, and now even at 4 we find that if she has a slightly late night, sleeps in a different bed or even doesn't have a cup of milk before bed we pay for it for days.

In four years it is safe to say that we have only had a handful of full nights of sleep, most of them recently. I realise that many others have experienced, or are experiencing this now.... it's nothing new or special. What I will say though is that it has had a profound effect on Luke and I. We have both become quite sensitive about the subject of sleep. When out, we like to have dinner early, so we can get the girls home to bed at the right time. We will often have friends over for late lunch rather than dinner so we don't mess up bed time, and if we are somewhere and our kids are tired, we will leave, no questions asked. Sometimes I get cross with myself for being so regimented about it all and throw caution to the wind and mess with the routine. It always, always backfires.

There have been some upsides, now when I do nightshift I find that I can (usually) withstand a week of literally no sleep with out bursting into tears. I can function really well on so much less sleep and have discovered that there are so many more hours in the day to get things done. Most importantly, I will never again comment or pass judgement on the way another parent deals with bedtime.... I say do what you have to do to keep everyone happy. If, in this house it means that sometimes we have to cut a night out short, or leave a party because M needs a nap, to ensure a semi-decent night sleep, We will do it.It wont be forever after all.

My Own Fun - No More Borrowing

I was directed to a very interesting blog post yesterday by Natatsha Burns about image theft and copying. You can read it here

It got me thinking about my own use of images and how I had inadvertantly been theiving the work of others by posting images and not referencing them on Facebook. It was of course something that had never occured to me, saving a pic found on Pinterest here and there and then posting them on my page, I never saw anything wrong with it. Then I read this article and a slow blush crept up on my face and I felt sick realsing what I had done.

Now honestly I am a bit of an over-reactor, I take things pretty hard, and I really do need to learn not to stress so much, but this realisation really got to me. I have been copied before, I have also had my own images shown but not referenced and these are things that rather than have made me angry have actually just plain hurt... and I really just felt I should have known better.

So after having a bit of a stress and getting in a bit of a fluster, my usual style, I thought, what can I do about it? Especially now that this kind of accidental theiving is so unfortunately common? Easy. I can make my own stand, even if it's just me alone. So as of today I pledge to only post my own created image or if I share another's work, it will ALWAYS be appropriately referenced, so that if you like it, you can find where it came from and the right person gets the credit.

Anyone else going to make their own fun?

The Finish Line

I am on nightshift this weekend. One of the only good things about nightshift is that I get a glorious Friday all to myself before starting work at 10pm that night. Lately with all the running training the friday morning is taken up with a long run, which then paves the way for a very quiet book reading, movie watching nana-napping kind of an afternoon. This morning was no different, despite the ice on my next-door neighbour's roof being a massive turn off I laced my shoes for a 20km run.

So what do I do when I'm runnning, do I listen to music? No. I look around me at all the beautiful things. And I think.

This morning while running next to the ocean, along the river, underneath low flying planes near the airport, past the fancy mansions at the marina and eventually back home I spent the two hours mostly thinking about how far I have come in the past two years.

Over two years I have lost almost 18kg and have progressed from 7.5km being an epic run, to a regular 20km jaunt on the weekends, I even managed 30kms for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Yes, it has taken a long time, and no, it hasn't been easy. But I have done it.

I am only weeks away from my very first marathon now, and the thing I am starting to find the hardest is the mental fatigue. While I have become physically very strong, I am finding that my mind is beginning to waver. I constantly hover between believing I can do this and wanting to throw it all in.

The travel down memory lane that my head did this morning was very helpful. My brain reminded me that how I feel after a 25km run now, is how I felt after 14km a year ago. It reminded me that this time 12 months ago I was 7kgs heavier. It even reminded me how only just two months ago getting up at 5.30am in the middle of winter to fit in a 10km run before my girls wake up would have been unthinkable.

So I realise now, that the finish line is so close. I have come so very far, and yes it's hard, but I won't be giving up.

Colour Me Happy

Tommorrow is Luke's Birthday. He's always a bit bit blaise about it, but Birthdays have always been a huge deal to me, my Mum always made them such a special day, so every year I try to make it special for him. Tomorrow is Tuesday. Every Tuesday I work 2pm-10pm. Luke leaves for work every day at 6.30am. Tomorrow we will see each other for about five minutes. Bugger.

So tonight we did birthday dinner. I made a super tasty freeform vegetable and proccuito tart (hmmmmm maybe I should post that recipe?) with a salad, and we had his parents over to enjoy it with us. And we had birthday cake. I love birthday cake. I let the girls decorate this one. They even chose the decorations.

I have been feeling very sad lately, but today I have grinned from ear to ear. So many moments from today have made me smile. What made you smile today?

The long Weekend - Instagram Style

Since I've had the girls, going away kind of stresses me out a bit, and this weekend was no exception. Having said that once we were packed up and on the road to Normanville, a cute coastal town aan hour south of Adelaide, I actually started to relax for once. Of course the weekend wasn't with out it's hiccups, and typically as my children aren't the best sleepers, Luke and I have come home VERY sleep deprived, but the time spent with my family and my sister and her family was wonderful.

Here is my weekend in instagram pics:





















It's nice to be home now though:)

If you want to join me on Instagram you can find me as sam_verricharmed

Home Truths

A few weeks ago I came across this on pinterest :



I had a bit of a laugh when I saw it, because it would seem that I actually hadn't missed the memo. I craft, I cook from scratch and then there is that marathon I'm training for.....but then I got to thinking about what people might see of me and think what I'm doing is some unrealistic, unattainable, amazing thing. It's not. Here's why.

The first thing to know is that I craft, cook and run because besides my family and friends, they are the things that make me smile the most. I credit running the most for keeping me some what sane, to me running is what yoga and meditation is to others.

The second thing you need to know is that my life is not from the pages of a home beautiful magazine:

I have trouble keeping on top of the cleaning, tidying, washing, gardening, picking up of dog poo from my lawn (and we have two massive dogs, they go alot!). Sometimes the clean washing pile is taller than me (and I am tall)... infact when I'm trying to put it away my kids are usually dive bombing into it, because it's such a large squishy pile of fun.

I am absolutely no fun at all until I've had at least one cup of coffee in the mornings.... and my poor children are aware of this, "You need a coffee Mummy?"

Despite my 40-50kms of running a week I am still not at my goal weight because I really don't pay attention to what I put in my mouth.

I cry over the stupidest things..... at least once a week. My poor husband pats my shoulder and listens to me rant and rave, he seems to have endless patience for my crap.

I am freaked out by playgrounds. I hover underneath my children, waiting for them to fall down and break something.... I tell myself it's the radiographer in me, but I suspect it's just because I am a massive stress head.

Tonight my Luke noticed a slight frown on my face and he asked me what was wrong. I walked over to one of our orginial 1940's kitchen cupboards and pulled the handle. The whole door came off in my hand and I picked it up and showed it to him.

The more uncomfortable I am, the more I smile, laugh, and make jokes at my own expense. Unfortunately I think I do this so well that I just come across seeming like I'm really aloof to some.....Oh trust me I'm not, I could be laughing away while wishing I was hiding underneath the table.

I could go on and on about my neurotic behaviour, dusty shelves and epic mountain of clothing in my walk in robe that's on the floor rather than hung up neatly, but I guess what I'm getting at here is that it's easy to take things at face value, but there is usually so much more hiding behind the surface. I craft, I cook, I run and I am happy, but I am definitely not perfect.

My Best New Favourite.... Instagram

A couple of weeks ago, after setting the girls up with their breakfast as I do every morning I settled down with my toast and coffee and switched on the computer to check the news. The first thing I read? Instagram was now available for Androids..... I had that baby downloaded on my phone before you could say "Good Morning!". The funny thing is I didn't know what to do with it now I had it.....oh but I worked it out.

Oh boy did I ever work it out..... and now it's my new best favourite:)

Pushing Myself April and May

I've been continuing on my journey pushing myself a little harder each month to try out and achieve new things, suprise, suprise April and May have been all about the running.... hey if I'm going to do this Marathon thing I've got to have some running goals right??

So first up was the last Sunday of April, when I ran 21.1kms for the very first time, completing the Greenbelt Half Marathon. I ran a lot harder than I thought I would because I was trying to escape two ladies that were having a really loud chat (???? honestly who has the energy to run and talk like that ???), I run for the peace people! I grinned so wide at the end of that race, finishing it in a not too shabby time of 2hrs 6mins.

This is me about to cross the finish line.

This month I had the new goal of a 25km run which I did just this Saturday passed. There was a small panic moment when I reached what I thought was going to be my half way mark (I'd carefully planned it out on google maps) when no, the Endomondo APP lady on my phone told me in her electronic voice that I hadn't quite hit the 12km mark.... bugger, I had to run further. Anyway I did it and I got home in around 2 and a half hours sporting some big blisters, but I still managed another grin at the end, I'd even run an extra 500m just for good measure.

Of course next month I have more running goals, but I won't bore you with them, I'll be back to challenging myself with the sewing machine. In fact I have a very specific sewing goal next month........ ZIPS. I'm frightened of them, and am determined to have them mastered by the end of June. I think I'm going to need some luck and patience for this one, 42kms of running seems a bit easier.

Comparison

Yesterday I ran the 7.5km Mothers Day Classic. Here is a pic of my big sister Tatum and I wearing our awesome Billy Mac tanks, custom made especially for the occassion.

I ran the distance in essentially the fastest time I am aware of running over that distance ever, 36 mins. Super fast for me and I was thrilled. My big sis ran it 2 or three mins faster, as did my training partner Gemma(as they should, they are both faster than me at the best of times lol!)they too are training their butts off like me to do a marathon. I was stoked for both of them.... woohoo we smashed it!

But then later in the day, as I heard stories from others, something crept into me, I began comparing my self and my time to others who haven't trained like I had, who ran faster and I began to think that I hadn't tried hard enough.....

Fast forward to some rolled eyes from my husband and then a good night sleep last night and I remembered this:

A very wise quote from Theodore Roosevelt that I stumbled across on pinterest a few weeks ago. It was a brilliant reminder not to focus on what anyone else is doing and that the only person I need to beat is myself.

So today I'm back to this one I also found on pinterest a while back:

Because it is so important to be proud of your own achievements.

Four Years of You

My gorgeous Miss D, two days ago you turned four, I can't believe how fast time is disappearing, how much you grow and change before my eyes. Right now this is you:

You are a real girly girl. All you wanted for your birthday was "A dolls house and lots and lots of Barbies".... we obliged, and you are enthralled.

You can write all the letters of the alphabet, and several words unprompted. You also recognise lots of words by sight, and can tell the time quite well. It amazes me.

Whenever I ask you what you want to wear today, you say automatically "A running shirt and shorts"..... I think you might be a little more than impressed with Mummy's running:)

If I give you a pile of craft stuff to play with you will sit for hours making things, but you prefer my company while doing so.

You are constantly impressed with my sewing, you want me to make everything for you, the other day you called me "A Sewing, Machine", it made me laugh until I had tears.

You swap jokes with your Daddy, you have an amazing sense of humour.

You love dress ups.... "Mummy, I have a moustache and I've come to clean your house!"

You are very sensitive, you get embarrassed easily and your mood swings baffle me.... you remind me a little too much of myself.

You are thrilled to be starting Kindy properly this term "Mummy I get to eat my lunch there like the other kids!" I think you are going to thrive.

You are a small mystery.

You have a kind and beautiful heart. Your sister is your best friend and you constantly watch out for her.... Even if you do sometimes use her face as a blank canvas.

I love you baby girl. x

An Experiment

WARNING: Lots of pictures of randomly coloured flowers, because they make me smile and I can't choose which ones I want to show you.

And with the warning out the way on to the experiment.....

I found this gorgeous pic of rainbow roses on Pinterest the other day, and of course being a lover of all things brightly coloured I felt the need to try out my own version of some rainbow flowers with D and M, so yesterday we visited the local florist and came home armed with a gorgeous big bunch of white daisies and a refreshed supply of food colouring.

We began by getting out my big glass IKEA Vase and six random small vessels, six shot glasses would have been perfect, but alas I have no idea where luke has put the 50 (!) or so we own (mental note, must ask him about that!), so we ended up with two shot glasses, two espresso cups, a tiny stine shaped glass and a pony glass, my usual mismatched style. We put a little water in each glass and then quite heavy handedly added food colouring to each one. We went the the spectrum, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. We then placed these individual vessels into the base of the big vase.

Next we chopped a little off the end of each stem (we could have done more!) and split several of the stems in two for a short distance and then placed each stem or half of into a different colour water/food colouring mixture. The big vase helped all the flowers to stand up nicely.

Within an hour you could see a little colour coming out into some of the daisies.

By this morning we had lots of beautiful daisies with brightly coloured centers, stems and leaves.

We found that the green, red and blue colourings worked the best, but the whole effect was quite delightful. We even found that on one of the bunches where we had split the stem at the base into two and placed one half in yellow and the other half in red, that we actually had a half yellow, half red flower.

Over all, it was super easy, lots of fun and a great way for the girls to learn about plants..... plus I have this unreal bunch of flowers now!