My Old Mum is Having a Birthday...Shit I Need a Present!

I sometimes wonder where the day goes and today was one of those days. Get up, look after and play with Ewan, clean the place a bit, a million loads of washing and then it's time to cook tea and go to bed! I know I'm not the only one, I'm sure you feel like that sometimes too.

Today was a bit like that but in between I've had a freak out and realised that it's Mum's birthday on Friday and I haven't organised her anything (and I have to work the next two days to time to arrange anything will be limited). 

Mum is one of those people that doesn't really like store bought presents. She lives a life where she is reasonably self sufficient by growing her own veg, chickens for eggs, uses tank water etc and I've inherited my love of tip shops and second hand shopping from her.

So all that in mind (and so you don't think I'm a total tight arse), I've started putting a few things together for her birthday. She has asked for some recent photos of Ewan for her fridge which I'll arrange tomorrow in my work lunch break but I don't think that's enough so I have spruced up an old fowlers jar that I bought from the Longford Tip shop a while back ($1) with some jute string and a little clay love heart pendant.

Yes I'm still reading the Fifty Shades books...I'm on the third and pretty hooked!

So the spruced fowlers jar can be used as a vase, she can put something decorative into it like I have or she can use it for holding her cooking utensils etc.

I've also been experimenting with making diaries/note books with second hand Little Golden Books. This is how it's come along so far. I've used a Little Golden Book from the op shop (20c) and then added a blank note book and a cheap tabbed journal which comes with the binding rings ($2 from Kmart).

I've kept the pages of the book at the back so she can read Ewan the story someday!

It's far from perfect but I still really like how it's come together. There's plenty of room for Mum to add other documents, photos etc as she requires.

Phew, another busy day. This pledge to make my gifts this year can be tiresome but no more so than going shopping I guess. Still, it's like I've gone back to my childhood, how I used to pour some much time and love into my gift making. Hardest part thinking of ideas on what to make/give a new life with a different purpose. 

Bed and sleep is sounding really good right now, have a good night everyone.