Čestitke - mada ne novogodišnje (Cards, but not Christmas ones)

Obe naše bake imaju rođendan u novembru, pa smo iskoristile priliku da obožavano crtanje vodenim boja uobličimo u čestitke. Jedna od Eminih omiljenih tehnika crtanja vodenim bojama (mokrim bojama, kako ih ona zove) je crtanje prstima, pa smo se toga držali.

Pravili smo buket cveća tako što sam ja nacrtala drške cveća, a ona je umakala prste u boje i dodavala cvetiće. Ukoliko dete ne želi da igra po pravilima, pustite ga da stavlja tačkice gde god želi, a vi posle docrtajte drške cvetova.

Planirala sam da napravimo takve čestitke i za novogodišnje praznike, samo da umesto drški cvetova na slici bude kontura jelke, a da tačke predstavljaju ukrasne kugle, ali smo bili prezauzeti sa selidbom i majstorima, pa jednostavno nije stiglo na red ove godine.

Both of our grandmas have birthdays in November, so we used this chance to channel our beloved water colour drawing into making birthday cards for them. One of Ema's favourite techiques when using water colours (or wet colours, as she calls them) is finger painting, se we stuck to that.

We made a bunch of flowers in a way that I drew the flower stems, and she dipped her fingers into the water colours and added the flowers. If your child doesn't like playing by the rules, let him/her put the dots wherever they want and add the stems later.

I was planning to make similar cards for the upcoming Christmas holidays, but with a drawing of a Christmas tree in stead of the flower stems. The dots were to represent Christmas ornaments. However, with our moving into a new flat, I was too busy to see this through. Next year, perhaps.

Norveško zeleno - Norwegian Green

Konačno sam ga završila! Počela sam još u junu, ali su me vrućine omele, tako da sam se tek nedavno prihvatila igala. Mustra je savršena, nisam morala ništa da prilagođavam. Jedina zamerka mi je obrada teksta karakteristična za Dropsove mustre (sva uputstva su data u jednom pasusu, mali prored, teško se mogu snaći prostim bacanjem pogleda). Ali, kad je besplatna, ne smemo se puno žaliti. Ukoliko neko od vas poželi da isplete ovaj džemperak, a ne razume baš engleski, neka ostavi komentar i poslaću vam prevod. I ubaciti veći prored i podeliti tekst u pasuse, obećavam.

Sve u svemu, veoma sam zadovoljna sa ovim radom, iako nisam imala dovoljno prediva (nedostajala mi je jedna trećina štringle da završim okovratnik). Ali, ne primeti se, zar ne?

I have finally finished it! I started knitting it in June, but the heat waves put me off Alpaca yarn, so I decided to finish it only recently. The pattern is perfect, I didn't have to change a thing. My only complaint is about the layout of the text, which is characteristic of all Drops patterns (most of the instructions are given in one paragraph, with very small spacing, it is difficult to find where you are by just taking a glance at it). But it's free, so we shouldn't complain.

Anyway, I'm very pleased with how it worked out, even though I didn't have enough yarn (I needed a third of a skein more to finish the yoke). But you wouldn't have guessed, right?

Miholjsko leto i naglo zahlađenje -- Indian summer and a sudden winter

Evo kako smo mi proveli poslednjih par dana lepog vremena:

This is how we spent the last sunny days in September:

1. Igrali smo se improvizovane školice. Krugovi su kamenčići na koje treba da se stane da bi se prešla reka. Odlična igra za trošenje dečje energije. Kasnije možete pokušati pogoditi loptom određeni krug (tj. kamen).

We played improvized hopscotch. The circles are stones which you are supposed to step on in order to cross the river. It's a great game to channel your kid's energy. You can later try to hit a certain circle (ie. stone) with a ball.

2. Nacrtali smo kvart po Eminom izboru. Ucrtali smo sva mesta koja ona voli - bakinu i dedinu kuću, igralište, vrtić, prodavnicu, park itd. Onda smo se vozili kamionom od mesta do mesta i prevozili razne životinje, krede i sve što se može transportovati.

We used a chalk to draw a city block on the concrete in our yard. We drew all of Ema's favourite places - grandma and grandpa's house, the playground, the daycare, the store, the park, etc. Then we rode the truck from place to place and filled it with toy animals, chalk and all other things that can be transported.

3. Baka nam je dala pun lavor okrunjenog kukuruza i gomilu raznih plastičnih posuda, lopaticu i kašiku. Presipanje kukuruza iz jedne posude u drugu je trajalo više od sat vremena. Isto smo pokušali i kod kuće, u zatvorenom prostoru, sa pirinčem. Emi je bilo jednako zabavno, a meni još zabavnije da pokupim pirinač pod nameštajem.

Grandma gave us loads of corn seed and a bunch of plastic boxes, a plastic shovel and a spoon. The pouring of the corn seed from one box into another lasted for over an hour. We tried the same thing indoors, using rice. It was just as fun for Ema, and even more fun for me, trying to pick up all the rice from underneath the furniture.

A onda je zahladnelo...

And then it got cold....

1. Pošto je dosta teško pronaći gotove aktivnosti za klince ovog uzrasta, crtala sam Emi razne zadatke. Ovde je potrebno spojiti šerpe i poklopce koji su iste boje. Rešavali smo zadatke gde je potrebno spojiti koku sa jajetom iste boje, telo sa njegovim delovima, i sl.

Since it can be difficult to find ready made activities for kids this age, I draw different tasks for Ema myself. Here she was supposed to match the pans with lids of the same colour. We also had tasks to match a chicken with the egg of the same colour, or the body with the missing body parts, etc.

2. Ovo je jedna odlična ideja koju sam pronašla na blogu mame ne rade na repeat. Naime, od trulex krpe isečete razne geometrijske oblike i unutar njih prosečete otvor. Na krajeve kanapa vežete po dugme, dovoljno veliko da možete da ga provučete kroz otvor. Dete treba da naniže geometrijske oblike na kanap. Odlična igra za razvijanje motorike, ali i za učenje naziva boja, oblika ili čega god se još setite. Veličinu dugmića i rupice prilagodite detetu.

This is a great idea I've found on the blog moms don't work on repeat. What you need to do is to cut the cloths you use to wipe dust or tables with (unused ones, of course) into various geometrical shapes and to cut out an opening in the middle of them. On the ends of a string you are to tie a button, big enough to be able to slide it through the cutout. The child is supposed to line the geometrical shapes on the string. This is a great game to work on motor skills, but also for learning the names for colours, shapes or whatever you can think of. Adjust the size of the button and the cutout to the skill of your child.

Izlog u radu - Work in progress

Svi koji me iole poznaju znaju da ja nisam osoba koja skače sa projekta na projekat i koja ostavlja stvari nedovršenima. Međutim, ovo leto me je promenilo.

Počela sam da pletem ovaj džemper od prediva koje mi je stiglo iz Norveške, ali je ovo leto bilo toliko vruće (i još uvek je) da jednostavno nisam mogla da smislim dodir alpake.

Pa sam prešla na jedan drugi projekat. Pletem ćebe. U početku je bilo zamišljeno kao ćebence za moju ćerku, ali mi se čini da ću joj moći to spakovati i u miraz.

Kom tipu pletilja vi pripadate? Onima sa više započetih projekata ili onima što dosledno završe sve što započnu, pre nego što pređu na nešto drugo?

All of you who know me are aware of the fact that I am not a person who jumps from one project to another and leaves things unfinished. However, this summer has changed me.

I started knitting this top using the yarn I got from Norway, but this summer was (and still is) so hot that I just couldn't imagine the touch of alpaca.

So I switched to another project. I am knitting a blanket. In the beginning it was supposed to be a baby blanket for my daughter, but it has grown, so it looks like I'll be able to save it for her dowry.

What type of a knitter are you? The one with a lot of works in  progress or the one that always finishes all that she begins, before moving on to another project?

Slagalice u domaćoj izvedbi - Home made puzzles

Ema je trenutno oduševljena sa nekoliko stvari. Prvo sa Timijem (odn. Me, kako ga ona zove), Pepom Prase (što već znamo) i najnovije sa Benom i Holi. Druga velika zanimacija nam je slaganje slagalica. Kraćim obilaskom prodavnica došla sam do zaključka da su slagalice prilično skupe, a naročito one sa likom i delom gore pomenutih junaka.

I tako sam došla na ideju da napravim svoje slagalice. Sasvim sam sigurna da nisam izmislila rupu na saksiji, ali rekoh, ipak da podelim sa vama. Početna ideja je bila da slike (skinute sa Neta) odštampam u fotokopirnici (budući da nemam štampač u boji), zalepim na karton i onda isečem. Međutim, pretpostavljala sam da neću uspeti tako lepo da zalepim a da se ne odlepljuju krajevi. Druga ideja je bila da u fotokopirnici umesto redovnog papira štampaju na samolepljivom, pa onda da to zalepim na karton. Međutim, veoma ljubazna devojka u kopirnici, puna razumevanja za moje dileme, ponudila mi je opciju da mi slike odštampa na najdebljem papiru koji imaju, što se pokazalo kao dobro rešenje.

I, evo kako to izgleda:

Potreban materijal:

1. Odgovarajuće slike (šta god da je aktuelno kod vaše dece)

2. Skalpel ili makaze

3. Hamer ili samolepljivi papir i karton

4. Kolor štampač ili predusretljiva teta u fotokopirnici

Prednosti domaćih slagalica:

1. Daleko su jeftinije

2. Možete sami birati slike

3. Možete sami seći slike, tako da delovi predstavljaju smislene celine (što nije uvek slučaj kod kupovnih slagalica)

4. Možete biti ponosni na sebe i svoje delo

Nedostaci:

1. Delovi se ne uklapaju baš najbolje, nego se moraju približiti jedan drugom, pa često klize (preporučujem platneni stolnjak na radnoj površini)

* * * * * 

At the moment Ema is captivated by two things. Firstly with Timmy (Me, as she calls him), Peppa the Pig (which you already know), and lately with Ben and Holly. Her other great fascination are puzzles. A short trip around the toy stores lead me to a conclusion that puzzles are quite expensive, especially those depicting the above mentioned characters.

So I came to the idea to make my own puzzles. I am quite aware that I didn't invent anything new, but I still wanted to share this idea with you. The initial thought was to print out the pictures (downloaded from the Internet) at the photocopier's (I don't have a colour printer at home), glue them onto a cardboard and cut them out. However, I decided against it, since I believed I couldn't paste the picture in a way that it wouldn't come up at the edges. The second idea was to use the self adhesive paper for printing at the photocopier's and paste that on the cardboard. However, the very helpful lady at the photocopier's, who showed incredible understanding for my dilemmas, offered me the option to print the pictures on the thickest paper they have.

So, here it is.

Material needed:

1. Pictures according to your wishes (whatever your child is into these days)

2. A scalpel or scissors

3. Thin cardboard or a self adhesive paper and cardboard

4. A colour printer or a forthcoming lady at the photocopier's

Advantages of home made puzzles:

1. They are less expensive by far

2. You can choose the picures

3. You can cut the pictures yourselves, so that the pieces are meaningful (which is not always the case with ready made puzzles)

4. You get to be proud of yourselves and your work

Disadvantages:

1. The pieces do not fit into each other, but have to be put close to one another, so they tend to move around (I recommend using a tablecloth when playing with the puzzle)

Godišnji odmor u Krašićima - A summer holiday in Krašići (Montenegro)

Proveli smo deset fantastičnih dana na crnogorskom primorju, u Krašićima, kao gosti naših dragih prijatelja Miroslava i Helene. 

Krašići su jedno malo mesto smešteno u Bokokotorski zaliv. 

Ukoliko ste željni ludog provoda do sitnih sati, onda ono verovatno i nije stvoreno za vas, ali ukoliko volite miran godišnji odmor sa puno sunca i lepih plaža, nemojte ga propustiti. A evo i zašto.

Šta se može raditi u Krašićima?

* * * * *

We spent ten wonderful days on the Montenegrin seaside, in Krašići, as house guests of our dear friends Miroslav and Helena.

Krašići is a small town situated in the Boka Kotorska bay.

If you are looking for a wild time till the early morning, this probably isn't the best place for it, but if you prefer a peaceful holiday filled with nice beaches and sunshine, don't miss it. And here is why.

What can you do in Krašići?

Kupati se u bistroj i čistoj vodi. 

You can swim in a clear blue water.

Ako imate decu učiti ih da plivaju na lepo prilagođenim plažama za klince.

If you have small children, you can teach them how to swim on beaches appropriate for their age.

Dobro klopati posle iscrpljujućeg kupanja.

You can have a nice meal after an exhausting round of swimming.

Popiti pićence u hladovini Zanzibara, tik pokraj plaže.

You can have a drink in the shade of the Zanzibar cafe, right on the beach.

Baviti se ručnim radom.

You can do handwork.

I uživati u fantastičnom pogledu.

And you can enjoy the fantastic view over the bay.

Kivi devojčica iliti Napad panike (My kiwi girl or A Panic Attack)

Znate li onaj osećaj kad vam se jedan projekat približava kraju, a vi uviđate da nemate isplaniran naredni? Ona pitanja u glavi - Šta ako ovaj projekat završim večeras? Šta ću ujutru da štrikam? Ili - Sutra je nedelja, a prodavnice sa predivom ne rade! Šta ću da radim do ponedeljka?

E pa, ova kivi haljinica je rezultat tog napada panike. Jednog petka popodne, navrat-nanos, Ema i ja smo otišle u St. George da izaberemo predivo. Na brzinu. Bez razmišljanja. I kupile St. George Una 23. Kao što sam mogla i očekivati predivo se rasteže i pušta boju (vrhovi bambusovih igala su mi kivi boje). Ali, kol'ko para tol'ko muzike. Dobra stvar je što će, s obzirom na stepen rastezanja prediva, Ema moći da nosi haljinicu još godinama.

Mustru sam takođe odabrala na brzinu, mada se tu nisam pokajala. Moram da priznam da mi je odlučujući faktor bila jednostavnost mustre i preslatka devojčica na slici.

* * * * *

Do you know that feeling when your project is getting near the end and you slowly realize that you haven't planned another one? Those questions in your head - 'What if I finish this project tonight? What am I to knit in the morning? Or - It's Sunday tomorrow and all the yarn shops will be closed! What am I to do till Monday?

Well, this kiwi wonder is the result of such a panic attack. On a Friday afternoon Ema and I hurried to St. George yarn shop to pick some yarn. In a rush. With no thinking. And we bought St. George Una 23. And, as expected, it stretches and the colour runs (the tips of my bamboo needles are now kiwi coloured). But, you get what you pay for. The good news is that, having in mind how much the yarn stretches, Ema will be able to wear the dress for years to come.

I chose the pattern in a hurry, as well, but I have no regrets about it. Although I have to confess that the deciding factor was the simplicity of the pattern and the cutest girl in the photo.