This week's smiles ....week 446

 Here we are at another Friday's catch up of the week of smiles.  My aim is to share my smiles and to make the world a happier place and hope everyone who can will link up at the bottom of the page and share their smiles too.

By biggest smile this week is that I am soooooooooo thankful to say I am now feeling much better and more like 'me'.  It has been a long haul to recover from the Covid virus...I guess when something knocks you so hard and you're getting older it takes longer than it used to but I have been very sensible and have listened to my body and only done what it was telling me and have rested lots.

As promised last week I have photos to share with you of our babysitting at Amy's last Thursday night...

I set up their Singer sewing machine on the one side of their table and my Janome on the other side and the three children all made a haloween pumpkin out of felt.....they cut out their paper patterns, pinned then onto double thickness felt then stitched carefully around leaving a small gap.  They then stuffed them, stitched up the gap and then decorated the fronts.

I was so proud of all three of them and they were all really proud of their finished projects.

My biggest smile came the following day when they set up their sewing machine themselves and each made halloween black cats and/or bats totally unaided using the same method and then sent me the photos.

Theo's birthday treat from his one uncle was a day at Chester Zoo.  They had a really great day and sent me lots of photos of all the animals they saw there.

Here are some of the outfits from the Halloween weekend....they enjoyed a bit of trick or treating and some Haloween parties....a fun time was had by all.

Saturday Shell treated me to some birthday fun. We had a mother and daughter session at a Kinkiglass workshop at Ironbridge and then she treated me to lunch out. The rainbow was mine and Shell's was the mermaid.  They have to be fired and will then have holes drilled in the top so they can be hung in a window.  It was a really lovely couple of hours and we had a good giggle together.

Finally here is the latest collage of colour from our garden.  Yesterday we had a good frost so I'm guessing these flowers wont last much longer but it was really lovely to capture the colour before it all drops.

I hope you have enjoyed my smiles and will now leave me a little message before you link to your own smiles below.....everyone is welcome to join in.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Firstly I must say my intentions really were good last week but sadly my body had other ideas.  The workload multiplied as the day went on and when I had done all the sewing I could manage all I needed to do was sleep so I must say a big sorry to all the blogs I failed to leave comments on.  I am feeling much better now thankfully and will do my best to call round you all this week.

I'm sharing photos of just some of the work I've done...

The 5 bears I had cut out on my desk last week turned out to be 6 bears cos they loved them so much and another family member wanted one too.

These were made in memory of a much loved Grandad using his two favourite jackets and shirts.

The 5 bears I was expecting turned out to be 7!!  They were made in memory of a much loved Grandma using her 4 favourite jumpers....it took a bit of juggling to get 7 out of just 4 jumpers and I still managed to make all 7 different.....I waved my wand lol.

On top of all those the one dress fitting I had to do turned out to be a wedding dress....much more work than I was expecting.  

I love my job and always enjoy a challenge but my batteries were running rather low and it used every bit of my available energy......so much better now thankfully.

I am expecting one Memory bear from a local customer this week and 3 more coming in the post from Swansea....exciting times :-)

I promise I will do my best to pop over to yours this week to see what you've all been up to and really hope you're all keeping well and happy.

Hugs,

Annie x

Thiss week's smiles....week 445

 Another week has passed and I'm very thankful that I'm very nearly back up to normal energy levels. We enjoyed a lovely weekend away recharging my batteries....a lot of sleeping was done but on my birthday we went to Minehead and enjoyed a little walk on the front plus fish and chips lunch in one of the beach shelters and a Mr Whippy ice cream on our walk back to the motor home....bliss.

It's lucky that I'm feeling rather better now because I've needed my  energy this week....  

• A lady came to me wanting 5 Memory bears making....she then decided to have 6 made.
• A lady came to me to have a dress altered and it turned out to be her Wedding dress.
• Another lady came wanting a dress fitting....she brought two dresses with her
• Another lady came wanting 5 Memory bears making and decided to have 6 instead then messaged me later to say she'd decided  to have 7 made

The amount of work being done is still being decided by my body but each day I am feeling better thankfully and I'm working my way through all that's needed.

We enjoyed a meal out at Cote Brasserie in Shrewsbury Wednesday night and then we watched the screening of Cliff Richard live at the Albert Hall at the Old Market Hall Cinema....it was really good and I just wish I was as fit as Cliff at aged 81!

We went to watch Stephen play a football tournamant on Monday night.

He won 2 games and lost 1 but he only let one goal in which he was very pleased about.

Here he is in his new team football strip.

It's been a week of baking by the Grandchildren  while they have been on half term holidays. 

These are the twins buns....yum yum

And these were the biscuits and buns Phoebe and Lulu made.

Last night we 'babysat' for Amy and the girls cooked us our tea then we all enjoyed some fun time on the sewing machines before bed....there may be photos to share with you next week.

That's all from me for this week.  Please share your smiles by linking up at the bottom and I will do my best to call by at yours to see what you've been doing this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Hello all.  Firstly I want to thank Julia for my get well/thinking of you card.  It's so lovely being part of this wonderful gang and feeling so loved.  It was my birthday at the weekend and my darling hubby took me away for a few nights in out motor home to Wiveliscombe in Somerset....it worked like a tonic too.  My batteries are recharging well now and it's really just as well because...

I returned to an order for 5 memory bears so yesterday [my day off]  I set to and worked out how I was going to make them all different....it takes a lot of brain power and thankfully I managed it ok which is just as well because....

....Today I have dress fittings at 9.30, 10.00 and 10.30 and at 11.00 I have another 5 Memory bears arriving.  Plus at some point I have 2 [or possibly 5] more Memory bears coming another dress fitting and 3 pair of trousers to shorten....if it all arrives!!  I am letting my energy levels decide how much I do each day but it's so lovely to be feeling more myself now.

That's all from me for today.  I promise to call by to see what you've been up to this week when I get the chance.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 444

 I'm here with some smiles today.  I'm running at about 60% energy levels but I'm getting there thankfully.  I can still nod off at the drop of a hat but I guess that is more to do with my age and recovery than anything else....we don't bounce back the same as we get older do we?

So here's my smiles for this week...

Theo had his first session at the forrest school this week and just loved it.  He's been a little gem Facetiming me too to see if I was better...It works like a tonic to see his smiling little face.

Whilst we've been poorly it was Stephen's 10th birthday.  Sadly we had to miss joining in the fun this year and his birthday presents were rather late but he said he was just glad to have us better....such a kind caring thoughtful boy.

Lulu had done tie dying at school and couldn't wait to send me a photo of the results.

Both Lulu and Phoebe have had commendation awards at school this week for their sewing....that sewing machine really has helped their confidence.  Their teachers were very impressed with their ability....so proud of them both.

Finally I thought this one would make you laugh.  This is me at the mo.  I saw the pic on Facebook and it seemed so appropriate I couldn't resist sharing it with you.

I must say a big thank you for all the lovely get well wishes from last week and for the gorgeous card that Angela sent me....I really do feel loved.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 I'm here....just.  I've not been in my sewing room for 2 weeks and I can honestly say I've never felt so poorly.  I'm so glad I am double jabbed because I imagine things would have been rather worse otherwise.

Please if you've still not had your vaccines then get them quickly and stay safe.  We are always very careful, wear face masks and use hand gel and have no idea at all where we caught it because no one else we have been in contact with has had it

So what's on my desk today....absolutly nothing but I will share these two brilliant books Amy and family have given me for my birthday [ a little early but who's counting...I'm so glad to have survived to get there lol].

Amy had asked me what I wanted and I thought they were both really lovely projects that I can share with the children on their sewing machine...I can see us having lots of fun together.

That's all from me for today....I hope my energy levels return so I can have more to share with you next week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 443

 Sadly there are no smiles from me this week.  I am self isolating with Covid and boy have I been a poorly girl.  I've run really high temperatures since last Thursday and am still feeling as weak as a kitten.  The annoying thing is we have no idea how we have caught it because we are very cautious and always wear face masks and use hand gel everywhere we go [although of course not everyone else is so careful].  I am so very grateful that I am double jabbed.  My hubby has also tested positive but thankfully his hasn't been so severe and he is mow much better [and is doing a great job of looking after me].

So please link up your smiles below because, trust me, I could do with them this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 442

 Another week and lots more to smile about.  I feel so blessed that I really don't struggle to find something that has made me smile each week.  Work has eased off again this week but I really don't seem to struggle to find something to do each day.

We caught up with these three at the weekend...Stephen will be 10 this weekend and one of his uncles will be 40 so we celebrated both birthdays with a hog roast and live entertainment in their garden [in their marquee]...it was so lovely to all be together safely.

Theo has had his first school photos [these are the proofs hense the quality].  He looks so grown up now don't you think?

I call him 'No fear Theo'.  Here he is climbing up a climbing wall....notice no ropes and there's no stopping him.

He's such a confident little boy and I'm sure that will carry him through life.

Finally here's the latest collage taken in our garden....the colours really are looking so Autumnal now....I love it.

I hope you will share your smiles by linking them at the bottom of the page.

Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x