This week's smiles...week 365

Here we are at another round up of all the smiles from the last week....and there have been many :-)  It's so wonderful that in difficult times the smiles keep on coming.  Please join in if you can by snapping a few of your smiles and sharing them with us by linking them up below....we really can't get enough at the moment.....just remember smiles are contagious.

My smiles from my family come to us on a daily basis...

Amy's three have been keeping busy by cooking, planting seeds, making models of the football stadium, power hosing the slabs to name just a few of their activities....they are lucky enough to live in a house with acres of land around them so can enjoy den building, playing football etc all very safely.

The twins have been enjoying camping in their play room and taking a bath pretending they were on holiday in the pool drinking coctails :-)

Lexi has been able to keep up her dance lessons because her dance teacher has been doing them on their Ipads....modern technology really does help at times like this.

Lego has featured in our son, Mark's house...but I'm not sure whether he was building it or Theo.  Mark really loved his Lego when he was a little boy and I'm pleased to say he still does.

He's also been building a raised garden in their back garden to plant their vegetables in [looks like a can of beer helped the progress too].

I've surrounded myself in fabrics in my sewing room....it's been so lovely to make a creative mess and not have to tidy it all away for customers....there's a positive to every negative.

Our back garden keeps giving us more to smile at every day so here is my latest collage to make you smile.

We have also spent one afternoon this week planting up all our veg seeds in our raised bed.  We have covered it in bubble wrap to warm the soil up to get them germinated.

We also have little potato plants popping their heads up and the tomato, courgette and cucumber plants are all growing well.

When it all grows we will be a little closer to being self sufficient....maybe chickens next?....if only the stress of a little Milly barking at them all day would encourage them to lay eggs :-) :-)

I really hope you have found something to smile about during your visit today and will now link up to your own smiles below.

Stay stafe my friends.

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 361

This week we have been celebrating my darling hubby's birthday so we have had lots to smile about. His birthday was actually on Tuesday and we had Theo for a full day from 7am to 7pm so we had a trip to Legoland Discovery Centre in Birmingham as a treat for us all :-)  Here's a few of the photos I took while we were there.....

It was a perfect place to take a pre-school age child but I can honestly say us grown ups really enjoyed it too....I just wish it was there when I was a child because I loved my Lego :-) [still do].

I have a feeling Milly was pleased to see us when we got home because she found one of her favourite toys and brought it to my feet to use it as a pillow....either that or to trip me up if I thought of going away again.

I saw this on Facebook and thought I'd share it with you.

I had to giggle at it because many years ago we used to have a gold fish and one morning when we got up it wasn't in it's goldfish bowl!  The bowl was empty and you can just imagine our shock when we eventually found the gold fish under the edge of the settee on the carpet......We had no idea at all how it got there but just maybe this could be a clue?

If I've made you smile today please leave me a little message so I know you've called by and don't forget to link your smiles below before you go.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 342

The weeks are flying by aren't they?  There is definitely a nip in the air today and our garden is looking very Autumnal....

The fuchsias are really gorgeous at the mo but this morning there was a frost so I'm guessing their time is very limited now.  The leaves on the trees are changing colours and dropping and the two crab apple trees are heavy with beautiful rosy red fruit.....but sadly the birds don't eat them and as they drop off the tree Milly likes to nibble them and make herself poorly so I'm guessing that soon we will have to pick them off  [if anyone wants them then please shout].

I've had lots to smile about this week....

• A weekend at Adam Henson's Farm campsite [he's the rather handsome farmer on Countryfile] in our motorhome gave us lots to smile about.  It's a really lovely site with a farm shop, restaurant and live entertainment on a Saturday night and you can go around the farm to see the rare breed animals [if you don't have a dog with you].  The only down side was the weather....it was wet wet wet....but of course there is nothing you can do about that and we go well prepared.  Sadly Adam didn't pop along to say hello.
• My laptop had slowed so much it was really painful to use so our daughter Amy, using team viewer from her house, did a full service on it and wow it's now super speedy so I'm def smiling now as I type this [thanks Amy you're a gem...I'm so impressed and proud of you].

The last photo I'm sharing today is this one...

Yes the Lego is out and, as you can see, my darling hubby is busy making a boat using the instruction book so it really made me smile because...

• He's really enjoying building the boat for little Theo but note Theo is nowhere to be seen in the photo [he's off to the left busy playing with one of the cars his Grandad made for him]
• but mainly because I have evidence that a man can actually read instructions!!  It's not often you'd see this so I'm glad I captured in on film  :-) :-) 

That's all from me for this week.  I hope you're all staying warm and cosy and enjoying life.  Please share your smiles by linking up below and let's all do our bit to make the world a happier place to be.
Hugs,
Annie x

This week's smiles....week 314

Wahoooo Spring is here so what's not to smile about?  I think this has to be my favourite season by far.  I'm surrounded by sprouting garden flowers and every field round about appears to be full of little lambs and new life.

We had a ride out in the motor home at the weekend and there really did seem to be new lambs everywhere I looked....and of course from the front seat in a motor home you can see over the hedges so I could see so many more than from a car.....I love the Motor home life.

I have a few pics to share with you but none of the lambs sorry.

Tuesday was a fun filled day spent with my hubby and little Theo.  I really love this photo because they were deep in conversation about what they were making and it was all the more special because the K'nex they were playing with belonged to Theo's daddy, Mark and I have very happy memories of him playing with it too.

Lexi and Sam came for an hour after school on Wednesday while their mummy was at their parents evening....the Lego is always something they all love playing with and some of that was mine when I was little....it very long lasting isn't it?  :-) 

These little violets are just outside my sewing room door and they make me smile every time I look at them.  As a child I always picked a few of the first primroses and violets for my Nan so these hold very special memories for me.

Last week I included a pic of the very first tulip in the garden but now they are opening our everywhere and there are red, yellow and cream ones too....just gorgeous.

This is a tree we planted in our back garden just a couple of years ago and I couldn't resist snapping this pic yesterday when I noticed it was all coming out into bloom....just look at that blue sky behind it!!!  There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

There you go.  Maybe you can see why I love Spring?  I hope I've made you smile too.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 300

Oh wow....I've just realised I've now written 300 of these weekly happy posts....that's a lot to smile about isn't it?  Some weeks it's easy to find a smile but sometimes I have to focus a little harder to find them and to be honest this week is one of those weeks.  Life likes to throw us all challenges at times doesn't it?  Enough of that, I have found something to make you smile....I hope.

I had little Theo for an early morning play date on Tuesday and as early morning is my worst time with this b****** sciatica [I'm stiff and uncomfy but thankfully not needing pain tablets now so that's also something to make me smile isn't it?] my darling hubby took the day off to help with childcare.  This photo really makes me smile because they were having such a fun time and were deep in conversation about the garden they were building.....happy memories.

Now you know I've spent a lot of time with little ones and I've always enjoyed reading books especially those with rhymes in so when I saw these pics I just had to....

8 Little teddies all waiting in a line,

I sat and made another one and.....

 ...then there was nine.

It's the most bears I've had here at one time so I just had to take pics.  Don't they all look fab together?  They certainly make me smile. 

That's all from me for this week my friends.  Please leave me a little message and if you can then link up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 229

What a lovely week it's been.  Many thanks to all who joined in the fun last week.  It's so lovely to share all your happy moments captured in your photos.

It's been another week of smiles here for us mostly around our gorgeous grandchildren so here's a few pics I can share....

Little Theo just loves water and here he is having the time of his life at the local splash play park.

He popped to see me on Wednesday to show me how fast he can crawl now and what a clever boy he is pulling himself up on Nanny's table....they grow up just too quickly!

On Sunday Lexi had a day of competitions with the Gymnastics club she belongs to so we had Sam for the day.  This first thing he did was to climb into Milly's cage to tease his mummy that that was where we were going to put him for the day.

We actually had a few surprises planned for him.  We had booked tickets to go for a ride on the Welshpool to Llanfair steam train and his other surprise was that Amy, her hubby and their three had booked to come with us.  They all love spending time together and we all enjoyed the train ride and picnic lunch we had taken with us.

When we got back home neither of Sam's parents had got back so Grandad got down on the floor and enjoy special play time with Sam and the technic lego.....I'm not sure who enjoyed it most.

When Lexi returned with her mummy she very proudly showed us her medals....she had been awarded a 2nd in her tumble routine and 3rd in the group floor routine.....so proud of you Lexi.

The last pics I've got to show you today is this one of Milly.  As you can see we are watching the tennis on the telly but Milly is much more interested in her bird watching on the bird feeders just outside the window.  I'd like to think she just loved birds but I have a feeling her love is more of the 'catch them and eat them' variety.

Just look at my orchids on the windowsill too....they are just gorgeous and so far are really thriving for me.

There you go.  I've lots of smiles to share today as you can see.  We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family all living so close to us and really love sharing every stage in their lives and little Milly never fails to make us chuckle.  Hope you're smiling too now.

Please leave me a little message so I know you've called by and, if you can, then link up to your smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 183

Hello all.  Happy Friday to one and all.  I think many of you are on holidays at the mo because there were only 4 who linked up last week so I would like to thank Angela, Robyn, Kate and Neet for doing their bit to make the world a happier place to be....I really do appreciate your effort girls so am sending you all a special big hug this week.

I have had a week full of smiles this week so will share a few pics with you all....

Shell took Lexi and Sam for their first night camping this week....as you can see it was a big success.

'Look Nanny....my lolly has turned my tongue blue'. :-)

'We are on a dinosaur hunt Nanny....I hope we don't meet the one that made these footprints!'

No dinosaurs found thankfully but holding each others hands to keep each other safe....just in case. :-)

Phoebe loves her books and has already read many during her school holidays.

Steve is enjoying playing with the box of Lego we had when our three were little....it never dates does it?......and Grandad was having just as much fun. :-)

More cousin fun times....all 5 play so well together. :-)

And last but by no means least here is Phoebe and Lulu enjoying a special little girl's pamper day with their mummy.....they really enjoyed the chocolate face packs and having their nails done as you can see.  :-)

As you can see I have many smiles to share this week.  It would be really lovely if a few more would join in the fun by sharing their smiles.  If you link yours below I will pop over as soon as I can to see what's been making you smile this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 95

Happy Friday folk. It's been another busy week here at Sewing by Annie's and as always I have enjoyed lots of smiles.  Lots of you joined in last weeks smiles and I would like to thank you all for making the effort....it really does make the world a happier place.

I am featuring a blog this week that hit the spot with me.  You can imagine how many threads I have here to run my business but it never fails to make me smile when I see the gorgeous rainbow colours of a drawer of threads.  I'm sure if you pop over to Elizabeth's blog her neatly organised drawer will make you smile too.....thanks for sharing it Elizabeth.

My smiles include this pair this week...

Our two little cairn terriers Wispa and Rocky are sat keeping us company while my hubby fits boarding on our new shed floor...they are sitting close together on the first fitted board and I think they know where it's safest while the hammer and other tools are being swung around.  :-)

As you know these two always feature in my smiles because they give me so many reasons to be happy.

They are playing for the first time with our lego.  It's the big box of lego my children had when they were little so it gave me so much to smile about watching the twins learn what they could make with it.

This photo needs a little explanation....

The twins were watching a Father Christmas dvd where he goes away on his holidays before the big day.  He goes to France first but eats the French food and ends up with tummy ache so his next stop was Scotland.

Lexi was watching this very carefully and straight away said.." Scotland?  Oh Nanny that's where Meredith lives".

I asked who Meredith was and she searched her toy box and showed me this dolly....it's one of her Disney dolls but not one I knew so I googled it.  Meredith features in the film called Brave but she has never seen this film and it is set in the Scottish Highlands!!!  It's very easy to forget Lexi is only 3 and I have a feeling she has been here before.  :-)

My last smile I am sharing with you for this week is something Sam said at pre-school this week.  When I collected them the teacher called me in with a smile on her face.  She said she had been chatting to Sam while he was eating his lunch and mentioned that I would be along later to pick him up.  His reply was...."I love my Nanny,  she's a bit crazy you know!!!".....out of the mouths of babes as they say.  :-)

That's my smiles for this week.....I'm sure something here will have made you smile too so please share your smiles by linking them up below and I will pop over to yours when I get a minute.

Hugs,

Annie x