Friday's smile...

I do my best to find a snap or two every Friday to make you smile before the weekend and today this one could be labelled.......

.....'independence'

When the munchkins come for a play day with me they usually bring their changes of clothes in a large bag all together but this week their mummy has bought them their own back packs....cute or what?

I think the idea is once they are walking they can carry their own!  Can you imagine just how much has to come with them for a day out?  I can't say I blame Shell for encouraging them to share the load!  :-)

The other snap I'm sharing today is of Sam all tucked up in bed and I'm labelling this one,,,

... 'special friends'

He has decided he wants to cuddle his teddy....what a little sweetie.

All I can say is... I bet you are smiling now.  :-)

Have a great weekend.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Happy Wednesday to you all. This is the day of the week when we all link up over at Julia's and expose our crafting spaces to the world.  :-)

So?  What have I got to share with you today?

He's not on my desk I know but when my 'Colin Firth' came to collect his sewing he allowed me to take a couple of snaps to share with you to show you just how dashing he looks in his costumes.  I'm pleased to say the alterations had gone well and my customer will probably be back for more.  He has loaned me his waistcoat pattern to peruse and, who knows, I may be making him one of those next.  :-)

Just imagine it all with his waistcoat, tail coat, top hat and boots added.

Creatively, this week, I have been dumfing dragonfly bodies [you can see them centre front on my table].  Jo and I plan to make some more dragonfly pictures to see as the last one Jo made has proved very popular......watch this space as they say.

Doesn't all that multi-coloured wool roving look fab?

On the work desk in the kitchen I have been using up all the ripe tomatoes from our greenhouse to make some fresh tomato sauce to go with pasta.  It includes...

• onions, chopped
• fresh garlic, crushed
• fresh basil, roughly chopped
• tomatoes, skinned and chopped

Yummy!

The other picture we wanted to share was one of the curls that have developed over night for Lexi.  :-)

At the time of the wedding her hair was pretty straight but now it's curly....how does that happen?

And what a cutey she looks with it too.  :-)

Hope you have enjoyed sharing a little of my world today.  If you leave me a little 'hello' comment I will do my best to pay you a return visit in between my sewing jobs.  Thanks for calling by.

Hugs,

Annie x

Need a bank loan...

It never fails to amaze me what you can buy these days and with first birthdays up and coming there have been searches for suitable presents.  How about these?

Biker boy like daddy?

A girly pink set of wheels?

"We are even happy to share one Nanny!"

Needless to say that's not what they are having even if some of them are half price in the sale!....but it is fun trying them out.  :-)

Hope you have enjoyed my Friday's smile snaps for this week.  Have a great weekend.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Life moves on as they say....or does it?

This week has seen me altering Regency style shirts and trousers so I feel like I've gone back a few years.  :-)  

My newest customer arrived on Monday with two shirts [one a plain everyday shirt and this one, a frilled best shirt] and ...

....this pair of trousers [with button down front flap].  Aren't they amazing?  He takes part in the Jane Austen events in Bath in September and these are the latest additions to his new costumes.  I feel like he has introduced me to whole new possibilities.  The Jane Austen dresses are just so floaty and romantic...I can just imagine wearing one of those can't you?

My last two weeks have been really quiet ones with just a few sewing jobs to keep me ticking over but Monday was just something else!....I had over a dozen phone calls and nearly as many customers....can you tell Jo was AWOL!!  Where was she when I needed her?.....she was going for a ride on a steam train that's where!!  

You've heard me mention my sewing mountain from time to time well here is a pic of just part of it!....7 pair of jeans needing shortening [by Friday!!] and on top of that my 'to do' rail is full plus I have 3 huge foam pads to cover to make a bay window seat......what a difference a week makes eh?

I don't want you all thinking I sat with my feet up since last Wednesday though.  You saw the body parts on my desk last week?....well, they are now all joined together to make two little characters that you can see peeping out here....will do a show and tell after 20th September [the twins 1st birthday  :-) ].  I know their mummy reads my blog [even though for some reason she is now able to leave comments!] and I want to keep them hidden from her til then.

My last pic this week is of some of my car boot finds.  Up til last Sunday I had never been to a car boot sale so was a complete car boot virgin.  Jo is always showing us what fab things she finds so this week hubby and I plus Shell, Brent and the munchkins took the plunge and went in search of bargains.  These 4 pieces of fabric were just £3 [worth much more!] plus we picked up several new toys....all immaculate.  We all came away thrilled with our bargains and may well go again  :-)


So, that's me for this week.  Why not pop over to Julia's and join in the WOYWW fun by exposing your crafty space to the world.  Thanks for calling by.  Please leave me a little hello comment and I will do my best to pay you a return visit....I'm sorry if I missed any of you out last week....it wasn't the best of weeks as most of you will have read below.  :-(
Hugs,
Annie x

Friday's smile...

Some weeks it really is easier than others to find something to smile about.  My cup is always half full....I focus on the things I've got and the things I CAN DO but this week seems to have really challenged me so I am making myself write down all the good things for this week...

• Monday was Funday with Jo.....I was lacking my friend Mojo but still managed to start making the two dolls for the twins...I've made so many rag dolls using this pattern now that Mojo wasn't missed!
• Tuesday was Munchkin day....I've always found caring for little ones easy so having a day with those pair was truly wonderful....lots of love and hugs.
• My gorgeous son has been offered a new job.....he has been working as a locksmith and really enjoyed it because he enjoyed the challenge of the job.  He has learnt so much in the years he has been working there and has even learnt all the intricacies of access control security systems.  Whilst working there he put himself through the first two years of training to be an electrician but to continue to the third year he needed hands on experience.  He has just accepted a new job with an electrical company who are willing to put him through the rest of his training.....wahooooo we are so very proud of you Mark.
• Last night we babysat for our daughter Amy.  Their other Nanny and Granddad had looked after them from the middle of the afternoon so for about half an hour the three grandchildren had 2 Nannies and 2 Granddads looking after them......Amy had already told us that it takes all 4 of us to do the job the two of them do!! [I think she forgets I had three and the other Nanny had 4 children  :-) ].  We had a lovely evening playing with dollies, push chairs, shop etc etc and can proudly say all three then went straight to bed at about 7.30 and not another murmur was heard later.....they are an absolute delight to care for.

So, that's my positives for this week.  As you can imagine if you've read the post below it really hasn't been easy to find things to make me smile this week.  I would like to say a huge Thank you to all my wonderful blogging friends who left me comments of love and hugs yesterday....you really do make a difference. I am so very blessed to have 'met' you all through blogging.

 Here are just a few pics of what I've got to smile about.....

Morning smiles from Phoebe, Louise and......

......Steve.  Three happy, healthy and full of fun children.  Aren't they just adorable?

Here is the latest set of snaps Shell sent me of the twins having 5 minutes of hugs, kisses and giggles together.  They are so funny and never fail to make me smile....I am truly blessed.

It really does do you good to focus on the good things in life.  Why not have a go and share with me the things that have made you smile this week?

Hope you all have a good weekend.
Hugs,
Annie x

Not the best of days...

Yesterday was a sad day for us.  We not only attended the funeral of a good friend who was usher at our wedding 30 years ago but our little friend Skye had to be put to sleep. The funeral was probably the most beautiful I have even been to.  Our Crematorium was full to the rafters and there were many stood outside. He was carried in in a beautiful wicker coffin, the music was very special and many beautiful words were spoken....he had touched many lives.

Our little friend Skye was 14 1/2 years old and had been a very loyal little friend.  She suddenly became unwell in the morning and just got worse throughout the day.  On examination the vet said she had a heart murmur and a growth in her liver and was obviously in pain so we made the only decision we could make.....you will be missed my little friend.

WOYWW....with body parts

Hello to all my wonderful blogging friends. My friend Mojo is away on her holiday but I am doing my best to manage without her just now.....I'm sure she will come home soon with her batteries recharged and with lots of creative ideas so I'm happy to wait.  :-)

I have a few pics to share with you to show you what I am doing in the mean time....

I've finished my last 'fish and chip' set and now posted it to Dawn ready for them to be shipped out to Africa.....If you still have any waiting to be posted don't forget to get them posted soon cos there is a final deadline coming up.

As you know we were asked not to make them pale colours so I made this one out of some bright random wool I had....fab or what?

Yesterday was a munchkin day so that Mummy could get some school planning done and here they are saying hello to all their blogging Aunties from the reading corner  :-)  They have had high temps this week with a nasty little bug....Lexi had it first and was kind enough to share it with Sam!  Thankfully they are little fighters and seem to be shaking it off now.

At long last I have made a display of all the wonderful ATCs I received in the 3rd birthday WOYWW swap.  I have attached them to 1" wide cotton tape and fixed the tape over the door of one of my wall cupboards....I'm rather pleased with the finished result too and am able to sit and admire all my wonderful talented friend's work while I am here typing at the computer....thank you all so much.

This is what you call perks of the job....these are trimmings off some gorgeous vintage lace I had to use for one of my customers.  He rebuilds and referbs old vintage caravans and I was honoured to be asked to make the curtains and blinds for his latest one.....I'm sure these bits will be put to good use in some creative moment [that is when Mojo gets back from her holidays!].

I can here you all saying..."so where are the body parts Annie?"

Here they are.  You will be pleased to know they are only dolly body parts.  :-)

It's the twins 1st birthday coming up next month....where has that time gone?!!!!.....Their mummy has asked if I will make them each one of my rag dolls so this is the work in progress.

I'm just waiting for a new bag of stuffing to arrive to finish off the bodies.  I promise I will show you more as they progress.  :-)

I hope you have enjoyed your visit today.  If you would like to leave me a little message I will do my best to pay you a return visit in between my sewing jobs today.

Hugs,

Annie x

Friday's smile....

Many of you have asked to see more wedding pics so today I am making you smile by sharing a few of the professional wedding pics with you.

You should be able to click on my collage to enlarge if you'd like a closer look.  As you can see the day was perfect and I have so very much to be proud of.

I also can't resist sharing this painting that Phoebe [only 3 years old!] did yesterday of Bananas in Pyjamas....who else could it be?

I think we have a little artist in the making don't you?

This was Lulu's painting.  A little more in the pointillism style wouldn't you say?  Maybe a budding Van Gogh?

Here is Steve playing in the ball pool celebrating his little friends birthday.

'Didn't realise these balls were quite this deep Nanny'

And finally here is a snap of the twins enjoying their holiday last week with Mummy and Daddy.  :-)

Such happy little munchkins.


I hope you have enjoyed my pics this week and you all have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Hello fellow WOYWWers.  It was a pretty manic week for me this last week catching up with all my customers sewing jobs but thankfully I'd cleared the decks by Friday and I was ably to chill out and enjoy the Olympics over the weekend....in between napping! [guess it was my body's way of telling me I'd done too much!]

This week has found me looking to be creative...the first time in ages really!  On my desk this week is some hand dumfing for you to see  :-)  Jo and I saw a wonderful article a while back in her Molly makes magazine written by one of our blogging friends Gretel Parker of Middle of Nowhere blog and of course I just had to have a go.

I chose to use some of the fab wool rovings I'd bought from Sara at Crafts of Texture .  It's a mixed colour rovings and I thought it would add extra character to my little creation.

"Can you tell what it is yet?"  :-)

Here is a basic shape....it reminds me of an early scan of a baby here  :-)

Hmmm yes it has ears.  :-)

Introducing my version of a little doglet.  I hope Gretel approves  :-)  I had so much fun making him so I must say a huge thank you to Gretel for the inspiration as it's been a looooong time since I hand felted anything and I have caught the bug again now.....thinking of a name for him/her now!

How about  Ruby or Rusty or Plum or even Beetroot?  :-)
Ideas on a postcard please  :-)

Now who might this be?  I told you I'd caught the bug didn't I?
My little doglet just needed a little friend didn't he and what a cute little kitty she is too.

Meet Candy the kitty.

Also made with gorgeous mixed coloured rovings bought from Sara.

The other things I wanted to share with you this week are these gorgeous 'fish and chip' jumpers and beanie hats made by one of my customers.  She was needing a bit of occupational therapy whilst poorly.... I just passed on the pattern and some of my odd balls of wool and what a brilliant job she has done with it.

I would like to add that the deadline for getting these jumpers in by is coming up so make sure you get any finished jumpers over to Dawn as soon as possible. Do check out her blog for more details.

Thanks for calling by today.  If you leave me a little hello comment I will do my best to do a return visit.

Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

A few more garden treasures....

I snapped my lavender over the weekend to change my blog appearance but this morning I felt the need to snap a few more of the gorgeous flowers around the garden to share with you.

Aren't they just gorgeous?  Have a happy Funday Monday.  :-)

Blog changes...

I walked out in the garden this morning and noticed my lavender was at it's very best and was alive with bees.

Here you can see one of the busy bees.  I just love the colour of this lavender so of course it was time to change my blog colour scheme.....hope you like it.  Don't forget to check out my Friday's smile post below, that I posted this morning to start your weekend with a grin on your face.

Hugs,
Annie x

The funny side of a beautiful day....

Happy Friday to you all.  I've just a few snaps that I hope will make you smile today.  Even on a perfect day there were moments to cause more than a giggle or two.....

They say 'start them young' but maybe not this young eh?....I will add Sam wasn't actually allowed to drink any even if it was his Mummy and Daddy's wedding!

Here are the twinnies busting some moves on the dance floor with Mummy and Daddy [ in their PJs by this time but too excited to sleep]  :-)  They loved the music and all the sparkly lights.

Even beautiful little flower girls have to take a nap from time to time  :-)

As you can see we had many moments to make us all smile last Saturday...these were just a few of them that I thought you'd like to share.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Hello to all my wonderful Wednesday blog hoppers.  As you know it's been a really exciting and eventful week for me and I know a lot of you wanted to see a few more snaps of my beautiful daughter's wedding so I've put together a collage of a few of the family's snaps for you to share [if you click on the pic you should be able to look closer if you want to].  It was a perfect day, the sun shone and everything went to plan.....but, of course, rather too quickly.  We won't have professional pics back for a couple of weeks but aren't digital cameras just wonderful?

 

And on my desk today is.....

 [no pics cos it's all pretty boring and I know all you really came to see is the wedding pics  :-) ]

• curtains...needing shortening
• trousers...needing shortening
• tops...needing taking up on the shoulders and taking in at the sides
• a bridesmaids dress... needing major alterations from a size 18 down to about a size 12! [yes, miracles do happen here!]
• and an evening dress....needing shortening

So as you can see life is very quickly back to normal for me and it will all get done....slowly and surely  :-)

Thanks for popping by.  I will do my best to pay you a return visit so please leave me a little 'hello' comment.
Hugs,
Annie x