5 Mac apps I want but don’t want to have to buy

  1. Things – I am a sucker for anything to-do list related and whilst I like TaDa lists, I would love a slick desktop list tool. I realise that to-do apps are a procrastinators best friend and yet…
  2. Scrivener – I am not a writer but if I were, I think I would think it imperative that I own this. It looks amazing. I know owning it will not make me a writer and yet…
  3. Memory Book – it’s basically a blog that isn’t online but that you can sync with your iPhone, iPad and iMac. Since I already have three blogs (which I update – I actually have a few dormant ones too!) this is totally redundant and yet…
  4. iSplash – it turns any photo into greyscale and then you select the bit you want in colour and like magic, it’s done! Totally pointless and yet…
  5. sparrow – it’s a simple mail app which is not doubt better than the Mac own Mail application but it is hardly necessary and yet…

More nursery touches

Despite our best intentions, we still didn’t manage to put the finishing touches on Evelina’s nursery this weekend so her bunting is still not hanging on the wall as it should be but is currently draped around her cot.  At least I get to see it every day and it will be going up soon along with her pictures.

However, I did get something done which takes us a step closer – I made her a lightshade for her ceiling light.  She has had a sorry-looking bare bulb for 5 months now because I simply couldn’t find a lightshade that worked with her room. Mamas and Papas have discontinued the range of which her multi-fabric curtains are a part so there was no matching shade there.  With Evelina’s bunting and eventual quilt being made of several different fabrics again, I didn’t want to introduce any more patterns lest her nursery become less vintage boho-chic nursery and more hotch with a side of potch.

When I mentioned to lovely Zoe that I thought about making a lightshade (but was unsure how to go about it), she pointed me in the direction of Duffy London’s kits.  These were the perfect mix of easy and DIY that meant I would be able to use off-cuts of her bunting/quilt Tilda fabric for the lightshade to tie it in.

So behold the new shade!

The kit includes a rectangle of sticky sided paper to which you can attach whatever you want to decorate your shade.  I chose four of the fabrics and then covered each raw join with some ribbon and/ or lace – each join is different.  If I were to do this over, I would not make the joins diagonal since this does not match the join where the two ends of the paper meet and this looks a little odd but hey, I still love it and I am just glad it is made.  It only took me half an hour to do in the end so I don’t know whhy it took me so long.

The instructions were easy and the parts all fit together well/ My only gripe is that the double sided sticky tape they provide to make the tube is not strong enough and although it says it will attach most fabrics (you would think cotton would fit within this!), it has now popped open.  I use really strong double-sided tape to attach the EVELINA letters to her door, so I will get some more of this and use this instead.

I also changed the mobile above her cot, swapping the mobile part for the gorgeous one made by Cie.  I was wondering how I could hang it so should could enjoy it properly, and realised that I just had to hang it on the stand for the one we already had:

So whilst we are not quite done, I am really pleased with how the nursery is coming along…

Happy Easter!

Evelina had some lovely treats from family…  the card, lamb and stackable bunnies above were from Grandma and Grandpa. They are also helping us get some clay prints of her hand and foot in May which are going to look pretty darn cute!

Nanny and Grandad bought her some adorbz clothes.

Bunting, teacups and cupcakes? I think they get me!

And Great Auntie Alison and Great Uncle Steve bought a lovely parrot tee with some cuter-than-cute short shorts which came in very handy this weekend since we had no hot-weather clothes for her and it was scorching.

Finally, I bought her this little romper suit because I felt bad that we hadn’t got her anything which is nuts. She is not yet 5 months old; I don’t think she would have noticed!

My robot baby

This robot rompersuit was one of Evelina’s Christmas presents from Daddy.  I can’t believe that I haven’t taken a picture of her in it yet.  Thankfully, I remembered just in time as she is about to grow out of it!

Here is one of her in her robot bib:

I know these are not very girly but we are geeks and love stuff like this!