This week's smiles....week 527

 It's another of those weekends when I write a post so you can all link up but am not sure I will be able to leave you all messages...I'm on an adventure :-)

It's been a quiet one with very few customers this week but as always I've kept busy with sewing for the charity I support and yesterday I had a bride and her bridesmaid here for fittings so I will have work to do next week.  We have enjoyed lots of Grandparent duties this week. I have a few pics to share with you...

Dont you just love it when little ones loose their two front teeth?  Theo lost the first one while on holiday in France and he's lost the other one this week...I'm not sure you can see but he already has his nice new big teeth pushing through.

Sam has been busy with his puppet making this week and has also been enjoying the costume making classes at his drama group.

We babysat the twins Wednesday night and while there Sam made a yellow puppet but the glue was still drying so no photo yet and the last one he has fabric to make is going to be a dalmation [they have a dalmation so he was thrilled to see I had given him some black/white spotty fur fabric].

I've snapped a few pics of my orchids alongside a few pics of the garden flowers this week....they keep making me smile.

Of course there has to be a few funnies...I hope none offend.  I hope you will leave me a little message so I know you've called by and I will do my best to pop over to yours to see what's been making you smile.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 520

 Another week and I have plenty to smile about.  My biggest smile was that I finished the latest bag full of factory sewing....it was a lot of hard work but they have been collected now.  :-) :-) ;-)

I'm sure you my orchids will make you smile but if you look a little closer you might notice a special visitor on the bird feeder outside .... I took the photo from my chair in the sitting room and the woodpecker came back to feed several times :-) :-)

Three of my grandchildren are moving up to secondary school in September and have all been for taster days this week....and thankfully all have really enjoyed it.

Here's the twins wearing their leavers hoodies.

This is Stephen wearing his hoodie and his sisters have lined up in their hoodies for a photo shoot....they are such lovely keepsakes of their times at primary school.

They are all growing up far too quickly that's for sure.

Of course it wouldn't be a Friday without a few funnies and I hope I've found something to make you smile here.

Please leave me a message so I know you've called in and, if you can, please link up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 481

Here we are at another week's catch up of the happy moments and smiles of the week ....I'm sure it does us all good to spend a little time searching out what has made  us happy in the week and it's lovely when they are smiles that can be shared.  Feel free to link to your own smiles at the bottom of the page....we really can't have too many.

We went to the Red Kite campsite in Llanidloes for a couple of nights to test out everything in our new caravan.  It's an adults only site so is quiet and the facilities are spotless....it's a perfect place to go for a couple of nights and the caravan was wonderful.

Whilst away, on the Sunday we went to a Red Kite feeding station....there were literally 100s of Red Kites that appeared from nowhere at 3 o'clock when they get fed...it was perfect.  If only I could take a photo of them all!!!

The garden flowers keep in giving but this week I'm sharing our orchids with you....they are all blooming their hearts out at the mo and even some that looked 'dead' are now sending up flower shoots.

Finally here are a few funnies to make you smile.  I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine safely and are having a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 457

 Happy Friday to one and all.  I have lots to smile about this week because I am now feeling more myself and have had lots of sewing to do to keep me busy....and it's so lovely to feel up to doing it all.

We had a visit from a young lady that 30 years ago I childminded at just 6 weeks old from 8 in the morning to 6 at night....she really was part of the family.  She very proudly came to show us her gorgeous baby boy and it was so lovely to see what a lovely little mummy she has become.....special memories were made.

I'm sharing the gorgeous flowers we have in our living room window now.  The Amaryllis has now bloomed....its over 30" tall and there are 4 huge blooms...aren't they stunning?

One of my orchids has decided to bloom too...it has lots of huge white blooms too.

The garden is full of promise...lots of bulbs are shooting up now.  I love this time of year.

Finally I saw this funny on Facebook and it made me chuckle....I hope it does you too.

That's my lot for this week.  Please share your smiles by linking up below and have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 451

 Here we are at another round up of smiles for the week.  It really does me good to focus on the smiles I've had during the week...it's like a therapy when life gets difficult.  I know there are many who like to read the happy posts and several like to share their smiles so why not join in too?  Everyone is welcome.  Lets all do our bit to make the world a happier place to be.

The garden outside is all looking rather shabby now.  The frost has taken the flowers and many of the leaves have now dropped so I thought I'd share my orchids with you. The top two little pots have new little plants growing that I took off the pink one....and I've already given two away.  On the left you can see I have another flower shoot growing and the other plants keep giving with gorgeous blooms....I love them.

I've been given these gorgeous flowers this week and they are just too pretty to not share them with you all....hope they make you smile too.

Theo enjoyed a trip with his mum and dad to fetch their Christmas tree this week.  They went to a local place that allows you to choose your tree and actually cut it down yourself...and what fun they had.

I really love the photo of Mark lifting him up to put the star on the top of their tree and the gorgeous family photo of them all together.

I hope you have all enjoyed my smiles and will leave me a little comment so I know you've called in and will then link your smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 439

Well one things for sure is that I never get two weeks the same here at Sewing by Annie's.  Last week my feet didn't touch the ground with all the work that came in and this week I've had no sewing to do at all.....think my customers are all away on holiday.

We did make the best of the lull and we went on a days adventure to Aberdovey on Tuesday....but sadly I took no photos.  The sun was shining and it was a really lovely day.

I've enjoyed time in the garden and have sat renewing my love of crochet with my new crochet hooks...I put a photo of them on my post on Wednesday and what a difference they make.

I have a couple of photos to share with you and, as you can see, I have used one of them as my new header pic....aren't they gorgeous?

The garden keeps on giving.  The fuchsias are huge now and covered in beautiful little balerinas.  The sunflower plant is a self set seed that has grown from the bird feeders....I guess that's one way to grow more food for the birds and we can enjoy the flowers on the way.

This orchid was a tiny plant when I was first given it and when I last planted up some of my orchids it was put in a bigger pot and has gone from strength to strength since then...it has sprouted several new small plants that I have potted up and the one I gave Jo has already flowered.....It just keeps us smiling.

That's all I have to share with you for this week so please leave me a little comment to let me know you've called by and then link to your own smiles at the bottom.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles ....week 387

 Hello all. Hope you've all had a great week filled with smiles and will share them with us by linking up at the bottom of the page.

It's a quick post from me because life here is a bit hectic at the mo.  I've got customers coming and going each day now :-)

It's been a back to school week for some...Here's the twins posing for the start of their next school year.  Of course none of them have been to school for the last 6 months and there's lots of changes for them all.

Lulu and Steve went back on Wednesday....and for the first time there's just the two of them because.....

Phoebe started at her new secondary school yesterday. She was a little nervous going but once she met her best buddy at the school gate they went in happily together.  I love how Amy has collaged her school days from the very start here.

We spent the weekend building a pergola outside our kitchen doors and I really love it.  It makes me smile every time I look at it.  We have planted a clematis up the one side and a wisteria up the other so it should look lovely once they have grown up.

A few months back we repotted our Orchids putting them all in see through pots with new Orchid bark and it's really paid off.  They are all blooming their hearts out and the little one at the front [that nearly got thrown out because it appeared dead] has now got 3 lovely new leaves growing on it too so the smiles keep on coming.

That's all from me for this week.  Please join in the fun by sharing your smiles too because the world really needs all the smiles it can get just now.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 382

I'm curious to see what my Friday post will look like now as they appear to have changed things again on blogger.  I struggled to find where to write a new post to start with...now I've found it but whether it's going to allow me to add photos and Mr Linky at the bottom may be a different matter but I'm going to try.

My smiles this week [up til now!] have been plentiful so I will try to share a few with you...

Lexi has started ballet lessons privately at home with her dance teacher...just look at these lovely poses from her. 😍😍😍

Last weekend Shell, Brent and twins had a few days down in Cornwall with family and they sent me these photos to share what a lovely time they were having down there.  😍😍😍

While Steve was at his football session Phoebe and Lulu wen't shopping with their mum and they wanted me to see they were wearing the masks I made them...I love that you can still see they are smiling by looking at their eyes. 😍😍😍

Amy sen't me these pics with the message...'Not a bad office eh?'  She does the office work /artwork for their banner printing business so had taken her laptop to their local park so the children could play in the sunshine while she worked....nothing stops her 😍😍😍

And for those that have been missing our garden pics here's a few of the latest....including our first tomato ripening, our peas [nearly ready to pick] and one of my orchids that is blooming it's little heart out at the mo.  I really do think nature is doing it's best to compensate for the difficult times we are going through at the mo.

I hope you have enjoyed my show and tell for this week.  I'm now going to try to add Mr Linky for you all to link up to but if I fail please just add your link in the comments....we wont let blogger beat us!!

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 307

It's been a busy week here at Sewing by Annie's and that always makes me smile.  My 7 special bears are now finished and I will share a pic of them on Wednesday [if I remember]....they are being delivered on Sunday so I'm really hoping they are loved as much as I enjoyed making them.....I actually think they are my favourite bears I've made to date.

I seem to be surrounded by smiles this week so here's a few I can share with you....

Give children a cardboard box and they will amuse themselves for hours.....Shell said this one was the hub of activity and had evolved by the minute.....it had security codes for the door, TV screen, World map, Ice cream machine and dog kennel at this point.

I love to see how they use their imagination.....that's got to make you smile.

I have flowers everywhere making me smile.....these were just a couple of bunches of alstroemeria I picked up at the supermarket but aren't they stunning now the blooms have opened up?

Two of my orchid plants have sent out new flower shoots and this week they both opened up.....I love my orchids.  They almost look too good to be real don't they?

From where I sit in my sewing room I am able to watch the snowdrops shooting up and blooming...they are so pretty.

Plus all the daffodils on our front garden are now shooting up and the blooms on these ones will be soon be opening up.....Spring won't be long now folks.

That little lot has kept me smiling this week even though I have a cough and my asthma is playing up....I guess I'm just keeping in fashion with so many at the mo.  I think we all need the warm sunshine and lighter days now.  Please share your smiles by linking them up below.....anyone can join in....the more the merrier cos I'm sure we can never have too many smiles.

Hugs,

Annie x

Friday's smiles....week 230

Before I start to tell you about my week I want to say a big thank you to all who joined in the fun last week by sharing their smiles.  I really do love to see what's making you all happy so thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to link up.

So onto what's been making me smile this week? 

What a week it's been here for me....it started off with my Mojo going on holiday and I really was struggling to get creative.  I mentioned this on my Wednesday post and the comments that came back really made me smile.  What a truly wonderful lot of friends I've got.....many I've never met [hopefully I will meet many more at the crop at Llandudno in September though] but even from a distance you were able to really make my day. You lifted my creative spirits my friends so thank you soooooo much.

From having a couple of quieter weeks this week turned manic.  Everyone had left much wanted sewing to the last minute so I've been chasing my tail all week to not disappoint anyone. 

I've...

• Shortened two dresses for my daughter, taken one of them in on the side seams and lifted it on the shoulders ready for her holidays
• Shortened two hems on an evening dress ready for a posh event
• Shortened the sleeves on a young man's jacket ready for his school prom
• Made 3 school memory bears to give as end of year gifts
• Altered a Kindle cover/stand for one of my customers to take away with him on his holidays

.....and yes it all makes me smile because I love my job and work best when under pressure. I was rewarded for my efforts by selling another of my eye spy quilts yesterday too so that really made me smile.

My photos for this week are of my orchids because they are really stunning at the mo and two of my plants that flowered last year have thrown out new flower shoots and yesterday when I snapped the pics the first of these new flower shoots had a bloom opening.  

I hope these have made you smile today.  You should be able to click on the pics to enlarge them if you want a closer look.  Please leave me a little comment to let me know you've called in and then link up to your own smiles below.  I will be along as soon as I can to check them out.

Hugs,

Annie x

T for Tuesday....

I'm starting my day off with scrambled eggs and wholemeal toast today with my usual cup of coffee of course.....I can't drink tea [it makes me sick :-( ] .  My tablets have already been taken and I thought you'd like to share my gorgeous orchid too....what you can't see is that is has a second flower stem now growing at a pace of 1cm a day  :-) :-)

Today I am also sharing this with you.  it's worth reading carefully and thinking about each point.  We really can learn so much from the elderly.  Remember they are the lucky ones who have lived to tell the tale and share their wise words.


Written by a 90 year old

This is something we should all read at least once a week!!!!! Make sure you read to the end!!!!!!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 42 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it..

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

11. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

12. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

13. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it...

14 Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

15. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

16. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

17. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

18. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

19. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

21. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

22. The most important sex organ is the brain.

23. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

24. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

25. Always choose life.

26. Forgive but don’t forget.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does..

31. Believe in miracles.

32. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

33. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

34. Your children get only one childhood.

35. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

36. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

37. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

38. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need.

39. The best is yet to come...

40. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

41. Yield.

42. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."



I think we all have lots to learn from these wise words don't you?  


If you'd like to catch up with lots more blogs who join in the T for Tuesday post then pop over to Elizabeth's and link up.

Thanks for calling by and for your lovely comments.
Hugs,
Annie x