….isn’t what I was hoping it would be. In the spirit of… well… my life, the afternoon I had planned took an unexpected turn yesterday & instead of painting & crafting I was erecting the biggest trampoline I think I have ever seen.
Remember how I told you I was doing the Handmade thing for Christmas, with the exception of a few things for the Punk, one of which was a trampoline? If you don’t call what we were labouring over for three & a half hours last night making by hand….
What an ORDEAL! You even have to sew the damn safety mesh down at the end (which The Boy made a valiant, if unenthusiastic, attempt at)!
Every single part of putting the thing together was worse than the last – every time we moved on to a new step I would declare “OH! THIS IS the WORST part…!” until we got to the awkward & confusing sewing part, which really was the worst.
You may be wondering why we were putting up a Christmas present this early in the game? Well, I have several excuses… I mean, reasons, of which some are;
- Santa had to drop it off early – it would have weighed the sleigh down immeasurably, not to mention a small country or two would have had to forgo presents completely…
- As much as I liked the idea of Punk waking up to a grand surprise of a shiny new trampoline on Christmas morning, I was bluntly informed that if we were to wait, as she doesn’t yet really know what Christmas or Santa is, all we were doing was depriving her of a couple of weeks of trampoline joy…
- Erecting the world’s largest trampoline (…for an almost 2 year old, can anyone say “overkill”?!) is a pain in the ass. There is no nice way of putting it. Better we do it early than be cursing & swearing on what is supposed to be a serene & relaxed Christmas eve….
The size of the thing kind of freaks me out – it’s taller than the back of our house! Not to mention if & when we move, hopefully soon, to a house of our own, who is going to disassemble & reassemble this monster?! Bags not I (& now I have it in writing.)
Punky loves it, naturally (I had a bounce too, of course, and it was very, very fun…). And bounced for the mammoth time of… uh… 30 minutes (it was getting dark!) before we decided we should probably go in & eat, & realised it was 9.30pm. Oops.
Here is a picture of what I had hoped to have finished, complete with pretty photos from artistic angles…. *sigh* (You know this only happened because I told you I had something crafty to share today, right?)
This has been another of Vic’s not so Creative Creative Spaces, brought to you by the lovely Kirsty – you know what to do.
Oh! I almost forgot, unless life happens, I think I might draw my giveaway tomorrow, so you better enter if you’ve been procrastinating over which prize you would like!
OMG that trampoline is absolutely ginormous!
ReplyDeleteWe got a tramp for christmas one year when I was about 5. My parents who were both smokers managed to put a cigarette burn in the mat while they were putting it together and then blamed santa.
ROFL - oh Cam that is hilarious!!! Seriously... that Santa bloke is a total degenerate, he's overweight, drinks god-knows how many bevvy's left out for him on Xmas eve & smokes (carelessly) to boot... ;)
ReplyDeleteI tell you what though - if I were a smoker, a cigerette or seven would have been more than necessary during this task...!!
CurlyPops that hilarious.
ReplyDeleteVic you did a great job putting that monster together!!!!
This takes me back to the night we put together a tramp for my eldest daughter...on Xmas Eve. There was a lot of clanking and cursing, all outside her bedroom window, in the dark. So I know what you've been through sister, well done!! Loved the Popsters comment, poor Santa, I'm sure he is a pipe smoker. xo
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog through Kirsty - looks great - glad uyouand not me did the tramp - I will just say - i'm glad the neighbours have one!!!
ReplyDeleteWe bought a trampoline last Christmas, the kids love it. (I roped in a friend to help my husband put it together, and yes, it was an ordeal!)
ReplyDeleteGeez, I balk at Ikea furniture!! I always wanted a tramp. I have a friend who is an OT working with children and she rates tramps very highly- rythmic bouncing helps calm and order thoughts etc (hmm, not sure what the etc is!). Wonder if it works for mamas after erecting said tramp!!
ReplyDeleteAt leaat you know that only the stupidest of thieves would try to steal something that might break their backs...although all said thieves within a 10 km radius who aren't legally blind would be able to see it! My hubby and his dad set up ours last week- we justified it to ourselves too- but when they finished, it wobbled so some severe backtracking ensued. And you know that it was serious when hubby actually read the instructions before jumping in all "manly testerone, chest beating, I can do this, love, I'm a bloke" Good on you for helping. I hid in my sewing room.
ReplyDeleteROFL Tas - there was no hiding for me I'm afraid - with nobody else to help it wouldn't have been put up otherwise! Impossible alone, impossible with 2 women even I think - it really was a mammoth task!
ReplyDeleteI read recently somewhere that Posh Spice credits her amazing(?) figure to 10 minutes on the tramp everyday!! better get bouncing...and doing those pelvic floor excersizes.
ReplyDeleteWow what a huge effort. Good on you for getting it at this house for lil Punk, no way is Little Guy getting anything that big and complicated before we move next year!
ReplyDeleteLove the cake stand, looking very good and crafty and thrifty and perfect combination.
i think your trampoline planning is a great idea - you will look back on Christmas Eve and a raise a glass to that idea!
ReplyDeleteand your cake stand is fab! what did you use to paint it with!
What a huge trampoline! What an achievement have assembled that thing. YOu are a good mum, I always wanted a trampoline.
ReplyDeleteCam you are a cack.
Yowzers, that thing is bigger than my flat! But probably less bouncy...
ReplyDeleteLOVE the cake stand. Been wanting to make something similar. But couldn't be bothered.
Yep - just done the trampoline thingy too - hired one of Santa's "helpers" to put ours up - sanity saved!! The last pic is interesting.
ReplyDeletethis looks like so much fun.
ReplyDeleteenjoy after a hard and well done work (-:
bouncy, bouncy ooh such a good time. Good thinking getting this monster sorted before Christmas eve. Make sure we get a pic of that cake stand fully stocked.
ReplyDeleteWow that trampoline is enormous! It's a good idea to get it done now rather than Christmas eve all sorts of things could go wrong like getting two front legs in an Ikea box for a desk and turning them into back legs at 3am, that was fun, not.:)
ReplyDeleteholy moly that is huuuuge, i never had a tramp always wanted one, i look forward to the day of kids and having to put one up haha after your rundown of it, maybe ill ask somebody else to do it haha.
ReplyDeleteI loves your stands, they are cute with the glasses!!
we made some a while back for our markets, have you seen it on my flickr?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodielz/3944081586/
also others with cute vintage plates on top of small candle stick holders (this pink one is wooden candle holders and vintage dinner plates!
its so hard to paint vintage plates when i collect them, but, its the kinda used ones who get the treatment!!
do you have a flickr? you should post on there :)
xx
Jodie - I do have flickr but, erm... can't be assed...?! ;)
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen your cakes stands, will have a looky!
Kellie - enamel paint m'dear, though this is just the base coat (not that I thought you might think I would decide grey was a delightful colour for a cakestand....? Nooooo)
Thanks for your comment, sounds as if you had a busy day with your new friend, the trampolin, lol.
ReplyDeleteYour brooch is on its way, I hope you´ll get it soon!
The cakestand lloks nice, looking forward to see the finished version.
Enjoy Christmastime, bye bye
Kirsten
Oh Vic, I giggled all the way through your post... because we set up the kids' ridiculously big trampoline last weekend! Smart, smart move to not leave it until Christmas Eve. An early present is way better than a half up trampoline and cranky parents on Christmas morning!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, that is exactly what Santa is bringing my Mihali Jim for christmas...... um to be honest I'm seriously thinking of sending him a text saying "hold the tramp Sant" cos I'm not sure I'm up to the gravity of the task that you have so generously described. Perhaps I should wait for birthday in a month to take the pressure of christmas list.???
ReplyDelete