Pencils please!

Last year I gave Tom this pencil case for his birthday. I’m pleased to see it get plenty of use, and find myself regularly pinching things from it.

There is no doubt, a pencil case is a useful thing, and yet for years I’ve languished in a muddled mess of digging around in the bottom of bags or sheepishly borrowing biros from strangers. For someone with a long-standing love of all things pencil&paper, I have a funny way of showing it. Today, with rain clouds looming, and every excuse to stay indoors, I set about remedying my state of inky limbo.

This was made thanks to another easy pattern courtesy of design*sponge. Honestly, it took me longer to uncover my sewing machine from the mess of my desk than it did to stitch this up. I now have renewed vows to keep the study tidy so that I spend more time stitching and making, than clearing and tidying.

Tomorrow I’m headed outside. Sunshine is promised and Tom and I have had the map spread out on the floor, planning long routes and pub stops. The camera will be packed, along with plenty to eat. And maybe this time I’ll take some pencils too.

Trees

Tom has been at it again, exploring new corners of the Island and tree-spotting. On this walk to Quarr, he came across a fellow tree-lover..

This squirrel is the closest I’m getting to anything red on this 14th of Feb. Tom and I are meeting for a date after work tomorrow and trying out a new country pub. Any date of the year is special with him .)

Tom: World Explorer

Happily, living with Tom means that my head is often filled with incidental knowledge and new ideas. Whether it’s over a strong brew, or walking up a hill, Tom is always sharing the best bits from a recent read, or his latest classroom topic. This term’s topic on plants had us exploring woodland and looking at beautiful books, whilst the last classroom space exploration had us looking up at the stars and thinking big. I have been the subject of many mini maths lessons (and I think I finally get fractions!) and my dad’s Christmas present had confusion on particle physics whizzing round our home. Tom has so much enthusiasm for learning; and I’m so glad I get to share it with him.

Tom returned from his Hook Court field trip on Friday, with talk of rockets, aquaducts and balloon races. Whilst I was at home by the fire, he was attending tudor banquets, ghost walks and snowball fights. His return filled our heads with plans for adventure and endeavour, which I can’t wait to begin. Tom is a world explorer; and I’m so happy I get to be his travelling companion.

I love my guy!

Home Alone

Tom is away on a school trip for the next couple days, so I am revelling in some home-alone time. Our tiny terraced house is small enough for one, so it’s easy to settle down and enjoy my own company for a while. Tonight, I have big plans: meal for one (large stack of pancakes), non-bloke-friendly TV (New Girl) and sleeping like a starfish in the middle of the bed. Of course, anticipating the reunion makes time apart all the sweeter. I’m already looking forward to meeting him at our favourite pub and hearing his tales of misadventure in the West Country.

Little Ones

Several of my friends have had babies recently, so I’ve been busy making newborn knits. I love this pattern. It is quick to knit up, perfect for using leftover yarn, and simple enough to knit+chat (I’m generally very bad at multi-tasking.) I’m excited to send off my little packages tomorrow. I just hope they fit the intended heads!

On the subject..

I think this is the most beautiful nursery, especially the reading corner.

And, I love this big brother letter to baby.