This week's smiles... week 86

Happy Friday to you all and thanks to those who took time out of their busy lives to join in the fun last week.

I am featuring Robyn's post from over the other side of the world at Waterlily Cards.  Robyn took pity on a little gerbera on a discounted trolley and it's now repaying her with a beautiful bloom....how lovely to be that caring eh?  Thanks for making me smile Robyn.

My smiles concern my family again this week.  I have a couple of tales to share with you and a few pics.  As the saying goes....'out of the mouths of babes'.....

1. As most of you will remember my little granddaughter Lulu [Louise] has just started school.  She's not 5 til next April but has already shown them her character in that she has been chosen to be the school council representative for the reception year children.  She went to her first school council meeting last week and when her mummy asked if things had gone ok she said it had.  Her Mummy asked what had been said at the meeting [showing interest as any good mummy would ] and the reply came back....'I'm not allowed to tell you.  It is confidential you know!'.....yes she really is only 4!!  She never fails to amaze us and always makes us chuckle :-)
2. I look after the twins a couple of days every week and we have such wonderful conversations now.  Monday morning Lexi was chatting while eating her breakfast and the conversation went like this....

Lexi...I saw a caterpillar on the floor by the door Nanny.
Me...Oh did you darling and what colour was it?
Lexi...It was green and um.....black
Me...and was it going creep creep like this....my finger pretending to be a caterpillar crawling on the breakfast table.
Lexi...Oh no Nanny....it was dead!!
She does make me giggle at times!!

And a few of snaps that made me smile this week...

We celebrated the twins third birthday this week and here they are putting a lot of effort into blowing the candles out on their birthday cake ...I hope all their wishes come true :-)

Here they are chilling out the day after their birthday with their new children's ipads....they are so IT wise at such a young age these days and really love to show you what they can do with them. :-)

When I went to look after them on Tuesday this week I took with me their Uncle Mark's K'Nex construction set.  Mark used to really love creating with it when he was young and it has been stored safely for use by the next generation since :-)

I spent a little while showing them how the pieces clicked together and then let their imaginations do the rest....Oh what a fab hour was spent playing with it.

Just look at the concentration!

I asked what she was making and she told me this was her flower garden....of course!

Happy happy times....I do get tired but I wouldn't miss this precious time for all the world.

So folks there are a few things that have made me smile this week....how about you?

Please leave me a little hello comment to say you've called by and if you have a smile or two of your own why not share them by linking them below and make the world a happier place to be.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW

Wow how the time flies when you're having fun :-)

Here we are at another Wednesday....one of my favourite days of the week.....they are all pretty good to be honest :-)

I've had another busy week enjoying my extra munchkin days and customers are beginning to find me at the new abode.....about 200 fliers have already gone out around where we now live and another 200 will hopefully be delivered this week.  The best bit is that my existing customers are searching me out too :-)

On my desk this week is.....

I've used more of that stash of gifted fabric and have made a heart garland, a heart ring and 3 little individual hearts hanging on ribbon....rather pretty aren't they?

Just hope they sell. :-)

Can you guess what I'm making next?

Tea bags?...hehe no...I don't drink tea. :-)

They are little bags of lavender to make some pretty lavender bags with.

I then made the 12 little pyramid shaped lavender bags to put the above in with pink ribbon hangers.

And then decorated them all with tattered flowers made in matching fabric.

And just so you can see I've been busy doing paid work too here is my to do /completed sewing rail with.....

• 6 pillar box military hats that I've sewn ribbon bands for.
• 4 pair trousers / jeans I've shortened and
• 2 new men's shirts that came needing their pockets sewing on...has anyone else ever seen shirts with optional pockets like this?  It's a new one on me :-)

And here is a quick pic to show you the new sign my daughter, Amy, and her hubby, Dave, printed for me.  It's just a small sign to help folk find me and it's simply perfect.  If any of you need banners / signs printing for anything then please follow this link to Big Value Banners because they do an brilliantly quick job at very competitive prices.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit.  Please leave me a little hello message and I will pop over tomorrow to see what you've been up to this week [I shall be having a play day with my munchkins today ].

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 85

Happy Friday to all who call by here each week.  This week I must say a special thank you to the three who linked up their smiles last week....yes only three so I am hoping you wont mind me featuring you all....I mean I really can't choose one amongst just three can I?

So a big thank you to 

• Sam with her Friday funny about the zoo,
• Jo [ that much older sister of mine ] with her jars of jam and
• Kate who every week write an amazing blog about all the happy times she has living in Spain.

Many more of you called in and left lovely comments so thank you to all of you too.

My smiles for this week are yet again pics of some of my munchkins...

A settee full of togetherness :-)

They all love being together and all wanted to sit on one settee....don't they just make you smile?

Lexi ran into the house Wednesday and came running out saying "Look Nanny I'm a rabbit"  :-) 

And what a cute little bunny she is eh? :-)

They have been learning the skill of cutting with scissors...not an easy one for a left hander but Sam is getting there.  :-)

Don't you just love the faces they pull when learning to cut with scissors?  :-)

Thanks for calling by.  It would be really lovely if a few more of you will link up your smiley posts some time this week.....it really doesn't have to be done today and I do promise to call by at yours to see whats making you smile.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Here we are at another fun day of the week when we all go snooping at other creative spaces to check out the talents around the world.  If you don't know what I'm talking about [then where have you been for the last 5 years?] please pop over to Julia's at the Stamping Ground and check out the details.  It's free, fun and totally voluntary but does come with a health warning....If you join in you will be back because it's totally addictive :-)

So here's my desk for today...

My  window storage boxes have been slid across so I can watch the bird feeders through the gap that the birds have now found and the box on the left is now full to over flowing with the things I have made using the gifted fabric.  They will be on sale at a craft sale in Pontesbury on 4th October and the money will be given to charity so please call in if you're passing.  

Since last week I have made.....

More little fabric boxes.

14 little fabric Christmas tree decorations.

A taggy dinosaur.  :-)

A taggy lion.  :-)

I made a piece of random patchwork with some gorgeous soft brushed fabric then made 4 lined, zipped purses / bags out of the fabric.

So there you go folks.  As you can see I've had a busy week creatively.  Most of my makes were taken from ideas found on Pinterest....where would we be without it for inspiration?  I have 400 new fliers going out this week to let folk know I'm back in business with sewing but have already had my first new customer since we moved so word is already getting out there.  

We spent the weekend clearing a space in the back garden to make room for a new shed  to give us a bit more storage and we had a visit from an architect on Tuesday night to start the ball rolling on the alterations to our new bungalow.....it's so exciting.  By the time we have the plans drawn up and passed it will probably be after Christmas before we start to knock down / make a mess / build  but there is no rush....we are going nowhere!

Thanks for calling by today.  Please leave me a little hello message to let me know you've been and I will do my best to call by as soon as I get a minute to see what you've been up to this week.

Hugs,
Annie x

This week's smiles....week 84

Hello folks.  Here we are at another Friday post full of smiles....mine and those who take the time to link up below.  Thanks to those who joined in last week.....the world really does smile with you when you share your smiles.

I'd like to feature you all cos you really made me feel I'd been missed while we had been without the Internet.  You are such a lovely bunch.  I am giving a special mention to Judy's blog for the amazing pictures made out of buttons and for those that struggled to find the link to her page click here....It's well worth a visit.  Thanks for sharing them Judy.

My smiles for this week are a few pics of my gorgeous Grandchildren for those that have missed them....

This is all 5 of my little munchkins enjoying playing together on their bikes :-)

I do so love seeing them playing together.

Last week saw Lulu starting school.  She looks such a little dot up against her big sister [ but Phoebe only stated school a year ago!].  They are such good friends and I think Phoebe likes the thought of looking after her little sister at school.  :-)

Lulu is in size 3-4 age clothes and I even had to shorten her trousers by a couple of inches but as you can see from this pic what she lacks in height she more than makes up for with attitude.  :-)

She has settled into school really well and is just like her mum in that she will be aiming to catch her big sister up very quickly.  :-)

Phoebe, Lulu and Steve enjoyed a couple of days at the beach with their other cousins at the weekend.  :-)

Looking at the jumpers on the girls I've decided that Steve is made of braver stuff...brrrrr

This week has also seen the twinnies going for a taster visit to Pre School....think it was more to allow their Mummy and me to adapt to the idea than them as they are well ready for the next step and had a lovely time.

There you go folks.  Hope you enjoyed my week's smiles and will now leave me a little hello comment and link yours below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Hi folks it's been another busy week here. 

There has been more change here at our new home...a couple of posts and fence panels in the back garden have been moved [by my wonderful hubby] to allow space for a new back gate to be put in to give us much better access to the back garden and to allow access for builders when we get plans passed for the small extension we hope to have built.....yes it's all go but it's so exciting  :-)

My little Ikea cupboards are now all painted and I'm rather thrilled with the finished result...what do you think?

I've been busy using more of my stash of gifted fabric to make some little fabric boxes.  I found a little triangular design on Pinterest that I rather liked so I've had a play and here's my first completed box. Like it?  I hope you do cos I've now cut out the fabric for several more and hopefully today I will get them made.....in between paying a visit to all who call by here and leave me a comment of course :-)

And the last pic I have to share today is of a little treasure I found hidden in the new garden yesterday.  A lot of you will know my love of poppies so will know just how much this made me smile.  The petals are just so delicate....just like tissue paper :-)

I hope you like my show and tell for today.  Thanks to all who called by last week and left me such lovely comments.....you really are a very special bunch.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 83

I'm back folks....and I'm full of smiles.  :-)

The move eventually happened and it went well thanks to the amazing job our removal firm did.  I've never seen men work like them.  Thanks guys. x

It took 10 full working days for us to be reconnected to the Internet and trust me when I say I REALLY missed you guys.  I hope you had lots to smile about in my absence and you will all link up your smiles below so we can all share your happy times.

I've had so much to smile about since we last got together and still feel as though I'm walking on cloud nine on a daily basis.  We have lots to do in our new home to make it ours but will enjoy the challenges ahead of us and I'm sure I will take you along for the ride with me.

So here's just a few snaps to show you a little of what's making me smile...

I've been painting my little Ikea drawers to match the curtains in my new sewing room....it's such fun setting up my new creative space.

:-) :-) :-)

The back garden is full of new floral treasures and these Japanese Anemones make me smile every time I look at them. :-)

If you click to enlarge this pic you will see that Rocky, our one cairn terrier, has really made himself at home and is sitting on one of our garden chairs in the sunshine. :-)

At the side of our bungalow was an 8 foot high, 8 foot wide dying conifer hedge that had been a constant irritation to our neighbours and took up so much of the space on the front of our garden that yesterday we had it taken out.  We have so much more light at the front of our little bungalow now and when the weeds die back we are clearing the area off, putting up a little wicket fence and making more parking space for cars to park.....I love the new outlook.  :-)

Well folks there are just a few of the things making me smile....how about you?  Please link yours below and leave me a little hello comment and I will pop over to yours to say hello.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

I'm back  :-)  Wahooooo

As you may well know we were kept waiting til 11 o'clock on Thursday 14th to even know for sure that we were moving on Friday 15th August but we wasted no time in getting our two little dogs booked into the kennels and confirming the move with our removal company [who come highly recommended...they were brilliant].

Removal day went like clockwork and here is the last snap of the sewing room that was....

Just the last couple of Ikea boxes waiting to be packed :-)

There were no emotions on leaving the home that had belonged to our family for over 66 years...I think we had been so traumatised by it all that I was just glad to lock the door.

But as we collected these keys the tears flowed.....don't think I could really believe it was really happening.

Fitting a 4 bed roomed house into a little 2 bed roomed bungalow meant that boxes were stacked high but in the last two week we have emptied most of the essentials and the rest will be emptied when we have done the building work that we have planned.

 

These were the treasures found in our new back garden....lots of sorting out needed but it's a south facing back garden and it's a good size so has real potential.

 

This will eventually be my sewing room!!!  Who does this to a modern little bungalow?  It's a fab sized room but we plan to remove all the Tudor style cladding and plaster it out before I use it.

 

So.....here's what you really came here to see [and I'm not sorry it's taken me sooooooo long to get round to showing you my work desk this week cos I've lots to show you and am soooooooo excited with our new home]. 

 It's only temporary but this is my work desk til we get the alterations done.....and it's already been put to good use as I've had two customers needing sewing already!! ....and for the eagle eyed amongst you yes that is my new sewing machine all set up in the middle of the picture and it sews like a dream.  :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

There you go girls.  I really hope you like my new work desk.  I'm sure it will change from week to week as we get to work on the decorating and building projects but trust me when I say I won't be moving again any time soon!!!

I just need to add a huge thank you for the lovely comments left for me on Jo's blog over the last couple of weeks and for the lovely cards some of you sent us.

Hugs,

Annie x