This week's smiles....week 391

 It's been a week filled with smiles this week....

Thursday night we went to Theatre Severn to watch Sam taking part in Elf...it's so lovely to watch him grow in confidence with each performance...he was even dancing in this one :-)

Louie always makes us smile...here he is sat on the work surface in our kitchen staying 'safe' from Peggy puppy who gets very excited to see him and sometimes jumps up too much....who am I kidding?  She has to learn manners yet but she will get there.

We woke up to snow on Tuesday morning and Peggy was so funny when she saw her first snow...she did zoomies around the garden trying to catch all the snow she threw up.  In the right hand pic she was watching a pigeon up above her on the pergola.....every day there seems to be a new experience for her. :-)

On Friday Shell's school had a Pudsey day to raise money for Children in Need and Shell went dressed as Tom, the school cat.  The children loved it.

Saturday afternoon Shell and I went for a couple of hours fun at a painting session...it was my birthday treat from her and we loved it.  We had instruction to paint a highland cow [just in case you can't tell what I painted :-) ].  We both enjoyed a mocktail too while we painted....thanks Shell I really enjoyed the session.

Finally I have a few funnies to share with you.

...this one made me chuckle cos I'm sure we all have days like this.

I hope you all find something to make you smile and will then link up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 347

Christmas is fast approaching and my Sewing room is being kept very busy and that always keeps me smiling.

Wanting to get fitter and loose weight we have both started going to the gym this week and have found muscles we haven't used for a while....fingers crossed we will find the exercises easier soon and start to notice the benefits....I'm on a 14 week course advised by my Dr but my darling hubby is coming with me so that has to be worth smiling about eh?

My shared photos this week are Grandchildren based...and they never fail to keep us smiling...

Last Friday was Children in Need day and all the Grandchildren had to go to their schools dressed with spots in mind...and then each of give money towards the charity for the pleasure of going in dressed up.

We had a long day with little Theo on Tuesday.  We were up at silly o'clock to be ready for him and he didn't go home til after tea so we had lots of fun all day as you can see....he really loves building with the K'nex and has made a 'tree' out of the 'stars' he's made...such an imagination for a 3 year old.

He then got the pushchair and dolly out...he is so much like his daddy who had his own dolly at this age...I think it means they will make good daddies [I know Mark has].

Amy sent me photos of the girls cooking a lasagna for their tea....they make a good team cooking together and it really makes me smile that they are able to cook meals like this.

Michelle had bought a new fun cook book of how to make cakes in a tea cup using the microwave oven and Sam is showing the chocolate chip cookie he'd made.  The hardest part was waiting until it had cooled enough to eat it. :-)

That's all my snaps for this week.  Please leave me a little hello comment and then link up to your own smiles if you can so I can see what's been making you smile this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 197

Happy Friday to one and all.  Here we are at our weekly catch up with our friends to share our smiles.  If you don't have smiles of your own to share then it's OK just to share ours....we all need a smile from time to time to make life happier.  Life has a way of challenging us and as the saying goes...'what doesn't kill us makes us stronger'.

I would like to thank all who joined in last week and I would like to feature Kay's blog.  She has recently moved into her new home and has shared a photo of her new neighbour....all I can say is wow!  I would really love to see that when I looked out of my window.  Thanks for sharing Kay and I wish you many happy years in your new abode.

I have a couple of smiles to share with you today.  It was Children in Need last Friday as you will know and my little Grandees paid to dress up for their day in school to raise money.

Phoebe, Lulu and Steve had a spotty day at their school so went dressed in t shirts they had decorated themselves....plus a few extra spots on their faces. :-)

Lexi and Sam had a onesie / pyjama day.....what fun.

I hope you have enjoyed my pics for this week.  Please leave me a little message to let me know you've called in and if you have smiles of your own to share then link them below.

Hugs,

Annie x

Children in Need quilt update....

Yesterday afternoon our good friend Jacquie came with her arms full of the quilts she is making using the quilt blocks donated for the Children in Need appeal to update us on their progress and Jo and I were totally blown away by each and every one of them so I felt I should update all our wonderful blogging friends as a thank you for their efforts in helping to make them possible.  Jacquie has been really touched by how many you girls made and it allowed her to make 6 amazing quilts for Children in need.  4 now completed and last two just to be wadded and quilted together.

Quilt number 1 completed....lilac sashing to link the quilt blocks

Quilt number 2 completed....pink sashing to link the quilt blocks

Quilt number 3 completed....red sashing to link the quilt blocks

Quilt number 4 [an earlier pic as it was out on loan yesterday] now completed....orange sashing to link the quilt blocks

Quilt number 5 to be completed....navy sashing to link the quilt blocks

Quilt number 6 to be completed....green sashing to link the quilt blocks 

All different but all simply gorgeous and each quilt will have it's own Pudsey bear label with the names of the makers on it...

The draw for the quilts is on Thursday 5th December so good luck girls.

There are also 3 wall hangings and two gorgeous cushions that have also been made with quilt blocks that will be sold to raise yet more money for Children in Need but I'm sorry to say I don't have photos of those as yet.

T for Tuesday...and quilt square update

It's half term holiday here this week so this means I don't have my little twinnie munchkins to keep me busy today.  Please don't imagine for one minute that I'm sat with my feet up though.  I had a really busy Funday Monday with Jo yesterday....not only did I make more quilt squares for the Children in Need fund raising but I think at the last count I had 7 customers throughout the day.......this of course means I now have a rail full of sewing to clear this week.....including 2 pair of ******* curtains!!!

Today I am joining T for Tuesday and linking up over at Elizabeth's....just cos I can :-)

My cup of coffee in one of my fav mugs was enjoyed with my breakfast of porridge.  As I can't have sugar I add a sprinkling of no added sugar fruit muesli before cooking and it tastes really yummy...try it sometime.  :-)
I have done my best to snap my pic to show you the gorgeous autumn colours out in the garden.  The sun is shining this morning and it looks wonderful out there.....even Rocky is enjoying the view today. :-)
 [or just maybe he has seen a squirrel :-) ]

I am also sharing with you all the wonderful quilt squares made by my blogging friends for me to pass on to my friend Jacquie today.  I would like to thank each and every one of you for the quilt blocks and the £2 donated with each square made.  These quilt blocks will be made into children's quilts and then raffled off to raise further funds for the Children in Need appeal....every one who kindly donated squares will have their name entered into the draw so will be in with a chance to win one of the quilts.

6 quilt squares from Tilly [Tillyscraftycorner]

5 squares from Jo[Jozart]

5 squares from Jan [Lunch Lady]

3 squares from Janet [Fairy Thoughts]

4 squares from Jo [Twiglet]

Plus of course a few of mine to go with them. :-)

I will do my best to get pics of the finished quilts to let you all know what the finished results looked like but would like to say a huge 

 THANK YOU

to each and every one of you for helping to raise the funds for Children in Need.  I am taking all the quilt squares down to Jacquie this morning so she can get quilt making.  :-).

WOYWW...

Here we are with another week flown by and joining up with our crafty friends all round the world to share a little of our creative spaces.  It's a quick post from me for today cos it's my birthday and I have lots of catching up with my sewing cos I've had my usual two little munchkins Monday and Tuesday.  I will do my best to find time to drop in on all that call by here...and a few more probably but it may take me a day or two to get there this week.

On my desk today is.....

....a few more quilt squares in the making for the Children in Need appeal.  Please folow the link to check out the details.

If anyone has promised me squares I hope to get a few more finished myself and plan to take them all to Jacquie's next Tuesday before the closing date so please do you best to get them to me by then....Thanks to all who have said they will join to help to raise funds with us.

I must say a big thank you to Tilly who has already made us 6 quilt squares for the appeal as they arrived yesterday morning....they are really gorgeous Tilly....you're a gem xxxx

The other completed thing I'm sharing with you today is the little knitted hoodie I've made for our neices new little boy Noah. Cute isn't it?

Finally I'd just like to share a glass of bubbly with you to celebrate my birthday.....lets hope before this time next year I have lost even more weight [weigh in this week confirmed I have now lost 2 1/2 stone :-) ] and I hope we will be will be sold up here and moved into a nice bungalow closer to the family.....keeping everything crossed.

Cheers.
Hugs,
Annie x

This week's smiles....week 40

Wow!  40 weeks of smiles!!! Where has that time gone?  Thank you to each and every one of you who has joined in during all that time.   My featured blog this week is Ros over at Wild Cards on my Workdesk.  I just loved her pic of those baby ducks with all their little legs stretched out behind them.  :-)  Thanks for sharing Ros.

I have so many things this week that has made me smile so I'm sharing them all.

Birthday fun for our youngest Grandson  Stephen.  Don't you just love his cake?

I know they will bless me in years to come but this really made me smile.  My little twinnies reading their books while sat side by side on their potties  :-)

My third quilt square for the Children in Need fund raiser....you can see details here if you want to join in....there is still time as a simple square like mine really doesn't take long to make.

And my last pic is of the most gorgeous rainbow over our garden this week.  Isn't nature wonderful?  Thanks for dropping by.  I really hope at least one of my pics made you smile as much as they did me.  Please leave me a little hello comment and if you can then please snap something that has made you smile this week and link it up below to share with your friends.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

I noticed the boss has posted early this week while enjoying her holiday in Spain so if it's ok for her I thought I'd join in the fun early too  :-)

As most of you will know I had 3 twinnie munchkins days last week so that just left me Thursday and Friday to play catch up with all my sewing jobs.  Life here is never boring :-)  I now have 1263 customers on my books and I still get one or two new ones each week so I'm kept pretty busy  :-)

It was a party day on Sunday to celebrate our youngest grandson Stephen's second birthday so on Saturday [yes, I know I leave everything to the last minute! ....something about a cobbler's wife going barefoot comes to mind :-) ] I looked in my wardrobe for something to wear.  Now girls when you've lost 2 1/2 stone in weight you can imagine just how much better I am feeling but when you check out last winter's clothing you can also imagine that my clothes just don't fit any more!!  Some I can take in of course but I thought I'd share a pic of one I tried on to give you a giggle today....

I bought this top for last Christmas and yes it was a loose fitting top but not quite that loose!!! In fact both my hubby and I can now get in it [he's lost over a stone too].

So? What does a girl do when her clothes no longer fit?

Answer.....Of course she spends all Saturday afternoon making herself a new top that does fit.  :-)

Do you recognise the material Jo [zart]?  It was the piece I bought in Abakhan on the day we came to see you.....and I love the results.  :-)

And the family we saw on Sunday at the party were family that we hadn't seen since I started to lose weight so I had lots of really lovely positive comments while I was wearing it.  :-)

Makes you feel great doesn't it?

I have also made my first two 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" patchwork squares to raise money for the Children in Need appeal.....if any of you can make patchwork squares and are willing to help us raise some money than please check out the details on this earlier post.

I am very happy to collect the squares here and will pass them on to my friend Jacquie to be made up into children's quilts to be auctioned to raise further funds so please contact me for details if you need them....wipso@toucansurf.com

The last pic I'm sharing today is one of my little munchkins examining some of Nanny Annie's buttons.  I think the love of buttons is in their genes cos they spent ages carefully looking at each one....I have such happy memories of doing just the same with my Mum's buttons as a child.

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) 

Thank you for calling by today.  I hope you have enjoyed your visit....I think I visited everyone who visited me last week but I couldn't leave comments on them all for some reason so sorry for that.  I will do my best to do better this week but alas these computers and blogger sometimes have a mind of their own.

Hugs,

Annie x

To all my quilt making friends out there.....Can you help?

Back on 11th September my 'much older' sister Jo shared with you pics of our good friend Jacquie's new sewing space in a local shop.  She is getting lots of interest in her sewing workshops and business is picking up nicely for her.  She is such a lovely, fun loving girl and I really wish her all the luck in the world.

I am sharing her request with all you quilt makers out there.  She is raising funds for the Children in Need's appeal and would like any of you out there who can make a simple 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" square patchwork block to join in the fund raising.

I have scanned her leaflet so you can see all the details but am more than happy to receive any completed squares and pass them on to her so please email me at wipso@toucansurf.com if you are willing to take part and join in the fun.  Jo and I will of course be making a square for her to support such a good cause so I am happy to pass yours on with ours.

Thanks for taking time out to read my post....I really hope a few of you out there will have fun making your quilt square and will send it with your £2 to me to be passed on to Jacquie.  

Hugs,

Annie x