Our holiday in Scotland

As most of you will have noticed I was missing in action last week because we had headed north in our motorhome.  We intended catching up with family and friends on our journey so you may recognise a few familiar faces along our travels.

We left Shropshire on Sunday 8th and headed to our first stop on Haltwhistle Campsite in Northumberland.

The campsite was by the side of the river and this is what we looked out over....beautiful.

The purpose of this stop over was to meet up with my second cousin Sally and her husband Graeme who we met up last at Michelle's christening 35 years ago.  We've kept in touch since then at Christmas and on Facebook of late but not seen them since then so they had changed a little....in fact I guess we all had :-)

It was really lovely to see them again and we felt as if we had lots in common....not only our walking sticks eh Sally?

On the Monday we travelled on further north to Calzean Castle campsite looking out over the sea....as you can see Biscuit bear loved the view as much as us and was excited to see who was already on the site waiting for us.....

Catriona and her hubby had stayed over there on the Sunday night and had the kettle on ready and waiting for our arrival.  It was so lovely to catch up and as you can see Biscuit bear was just as excited to catch up with his friend Harris bear.

We spent Monday evening in our motorhome chatting and catching up with them both and on the Tuesday morning they left fairly early to continue their travels further south....we relaxed and waited for the next excitement.....

Elizabeth and her hubby drove over to us and picked us up to take us out for the rest of the day on the Tuesday.  We went down to Ballantrae where we met their friend Alfie the donkey and treated him to some carrots then we called in at Girvan on the drive back where we posed for a few photos and I snapped the local RNLI boat especially for Jan :-)

The Tuesday night was very windy so we were rocked to sleep but thankfully we survived and there was no damage the next morning.

On the Wednesday we travelled further north through the hills and passed some really stunning scenery...as you can see there were some black clouds above us but we headed towards the blue sky :-)

We stopped for a toilet and coffee stop by the side of one of the Lochs and also saw a hydroelectric powerstation en route to our next stop near Oban.....this was a small campsite inside what was an old walled garden.

Our next stop was on the Rosemarkie campsite looking out over the sea....a lovely site and we enjoyed a walk on this beautiful sandy beach.  There had been sightings from here of seals and dolphins in the bay but alas we didn't see any while we were there.

The following morning we travelled south to our final site to spend our last two nights at Beadnell Bay site in Northumberland.

En route we stopped on a layby on the A9 for a coffee and my darling hubby picked me a bunch of heather....it's now tied with ribbon and is hanging in my sewing room :-)

We called by to see the Kelpies but refused to pay the 5 pounds they were asking just to park the motor home so I snapped a quick photo as we passed.....stunning and much bigger than you think.

Before we reached our next site we passed Bamburgh castle....really stunning building so just had to snap a pic.

The campsite at Beadnell Bay was much bigger than all the rest and for the 150 pitches it only had one toilet block at the opposite end to the pitch we were given so it was too far to walk to use...thankfully we have our own facilities in the van but I did feel for the ones in smaller vans and tents around us.

Over the road from the campsite there was a rocky beach [just the sort I use to love as a child for hunting in the rock pools] so of course we had to have a little walk over there on the Friday evening.

On our last day we drove to Alnwick and enjoyed a walk around the grounds [much further than normal for me so have been rather stiff since!]..It was really lovely there and we even saw a Japanese couple getting married there in one of the rooms.

The swing seats were really lovely there.....there were lots of them up through the bank of flowering cherry trees....I bet they were even better when in full bloom.

There were many water features through one area of the garden so I snapped several of them as we were passing through....even one where Dod could go down some steps and stand in the middle of....feel free to zoom in to spot him :-)

Every time we stopped [even for coffee stops on laybys] we spotted a little robin.  I know there are lots of them around at the mo but it did feel like they were watching over us and keeping us safe during our travels so thank you to the little robins....we had a wonderful week and are now safe back at home.

This week's smiles.....week 286

I'm a little late posting my smiles today because I had a really busy day yesterday, when I normally write it and we babysat little Theo last night so here I am writing it this morning.....better late than never eh?

My smiles tthis week have been many.

• I've caught up with a friend I've not seen for a while [busy lives!] and when she was here we did a lot of chatting, laughing and eating doughnuts!.....life always seems better when we've spent some time together.....must do it again soon and make a habit of it.
• I've finished all the sewing/making for little Theo's birthday, started a new project and work has suddenly got busier.
• The lady that won the last gift draw on my Facebook Page has now received her bear and she sent me such a lovely message....
  Thank you so much.  He's arrived and he is gorgeous. It is so uncanny that today at 2 o’clock we put my darling Bob in his resting place which has made my Bobby bear  so much more special so thank you so very much he has made a very upsetting time special. As I said when it is my time Bobby bear will be coming with me in the cofin as he is made of the last gift from Bob to me just a couple of weeks before he died.   I just can’t thank you enough. God bless you and thank you for making a lot of people happy and giving lovely memories to lots of people. You are one special person.

So here's a few snaps to make you smile for this week....

I had little Theo for the morning on Tuesday and he fills my morning with smiles....at this point we had built a house, done all the first jigsaws and we went on to enjoy come colouring, sticking and making paper dollies dance ......happy days.

My latest little Memory bear was made from a school jumper from the school I went to so that really made me smile.....and the little girl I made it for chuckled when I told her I had been to her school too.....in fact many generations of our family also went to that school and my Grandma and Aunty even taught there.

My final pic for this week is this one of Lexi reading her latest book.  Her mummy reminded me of a song we used to sing when she was little....and it's been going round my head ever since so I'm sharing it with you.....

Halfway down the stairs.

Please click on the link....hope it works for you.

That's all from me for this week.  Please leave me a little hello comment and then link up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 118

Hello folks.  Here we are at the end of another week and although it's not been my best week health wise [I have a chesty cough/cold] it's certainly been one full of smiles as always for me.....plus it really does do me good to spend a little time focusing on the good things in life.

Thanks to the five who joined in again last week.  I'm featuring Laura's gorgeous picture of English bluebells today.  The mystery plant in our new garden that we have waited patiently to see what develops has done so with disappointment....they were Spanish bluebells and, beautiful though they may be, they are more vigorous than our native species and can crossbreed with the native to create a fertile hybrid so have had to go. Hence why I was so thrilled to see Laura's English ones.....thanks for sharing them with us Laura.

I have several pics to share with your this week......

Firstly, as I have spent many hours resting in my chair during the last week I'm sharing a pic of one of my little busy robins that have been feeding their babies with the dried meal worms I have been putting in my window feeder for them.  They have become so tame and almost tap on the window now when the feeding tray is empty. :-)

My next pic is of my sewing companion.  Since his sister had to be put to sleep Rocky spends all day following me around and finding somewhere close to lie....guess he misses his sister.  This was the first time he had decided to actually lie between my feet while sewing and he really made me smile.

On Friday we had a visit from our daughter Amy and her three and here are my big school girls dancing to make me smile.

Their mummy also sent me this pic of them both last night at their swimming lesson with their new goggles on....love them to bits :-)

My final pic for this week is this one.  Shell saw an idea on Pinterest to make a mug kitchen so she found herself an old palette, a saw and some nails/screws and made this for the twins.  She also made them a black board and ta da....I'm certain there will be many many hours spent making mug mud pies through the summer.  :-) :-)









There you go.....I've shown you mine, now please get snapping and show me your happy moments.
If you link them below I will be over asap to see what you've got to smile about and you will be helping to make the world a happier place to be.
Hugs,
Annie x

This week's smiles ...week 55

We had a good turn out last week with lots of fab posts being linked up here each sharing their smiles.  The weather here at the mo is so very wet and gloomy so it's really lovely to be cheered up by our blogging friends so thanks to each and every one of you who takes a little time out from their busy lives to brighten the days of others.  

I am featuring Elizabeth's post from last week because she went that extra mile to make me [and Jo] feel special.  You really are a gem Elizabeth and I know we have never met but the world really is a smaller place when someone as far away as you are can make me feel that way.  Thank you.

Trust me when I say I have had many moments of roller coaster lows recently but hopefully things are now on the up so I'm still smiling  :-)  I never have to look far for a smile of course and this week I have a few snaps to share with you....

Here is the local shop with the till being manned by Sam.  :-)

They play so well together and they really make us chuckle with what they come out with.  Sam kept shouting....'can you please come to the tills'...guess he's heard that while shopping with his mummy.  :-)

Here is Lexi waving as she passed her mummy while doing a bit of indoor cycling.  :-)

She insists on wearing her helmet...even indoors  :-)

Lexi is trying on dresses in readiness for being a flower girl in August when our son gets married.

Her mummy has been teaching her to pose and pull funny faces...and of course she is very happy to oblige.  :-)

She has her mummy's wicked sense of humour!!!

My last photo is of my little 'guardian angel' that always appears when I need a smile.  All day yesterday my little robin kept sitting on the guttering and just looking at me through the window where I sit to sew.  He was happy to pose so I could share him with you.  :-)

I really hope you have found something to smile about this week and will share your smiles with us too.  Please link them below and I will call in to pay you a visit as soon as I'm able.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Happy Wednesday to one and all.  These weeks are really whizzing by aren't they?  I'm having a catch up day today cos I had a 'Nanny Annie' day yesterday.  M popped out for the day with the twins so the sewing was firmly put on the 'to do' rail....it can always wait cos my little Grandies will be all grown up before I know it. 

So  folks whats on my desks today?

Here is my table covered with the gorgeous fabric kits Jo from Jozart bought for our new arrivals so I'm busy working on these in between other jobs....I know the babes will have to be rather older before they will play with them but I really am enjoying all the snipping, sewing and stuffing.

My kitchen is smelling wonderful cos these have just come out of the oven....Parmesan and sun dried tomato rolls today....please help yourselves to one for lunch.



My sewing desk is showing off two new Really Useful Boxes that now hold my cones of thread used for overlocking.....these should keep some of the dust out [that is if I ever put the tops on! ]




Here you can see two lovely pieces of fabric that I intend making a couple of little dresses for little Lexi.  Twiglet took a pattern off a little dress that fits Lexi well and has already made her 3 little dresses so running up a couple more will be easy.

My ironing board is covered with Christmas fabrics.  I have so many!  I plan to make my Christmas cards and stockings using these  :-)

Watch this space as they say  :-)

This is a pot full of Cuttlebugged flowers cut from some of the Christmas fabrics and a sheet of cross stitched little robins.....wonder what these will become?.....even I don't know yet  :-)

And finally for those that like to see how the twinnies are growing here is the latest photo.... awwwwww.  I snapped this quick for you yesterday while they were here with me for the day with their Mummy.
Their Mummy and Daddy are doing such a great job that they now weigh in at...

Sam 9lb 13oz
and
Lexi 7lb 14oz

So folks that's what's on my 'desks' today.  Clutter clutter everywhere and lots to do on my 'to do' rail too  :-)  Please leave me a little 'hello' comment before you move on to the 'Queen of snoop's' blog and join in the WOYWW fun [and of course to find out more if you are the one person in the world that hasn't heard what WOYWW is yet].

Christmas is coming :-).....

I have been busy making advent calendars and was asked to blog my photos. I am selling them for £35 -£40 each [plus postage] but only have 2 of each design in stock and they are selling fast :-) They are made from printed fabric, wadded and with little pockets for you to fill with sweets or little gifts.

Santa one is approx 20"x 27 1/2" with hanging loops. £35 plus postage.

Toy shop one is approx 20" x 21" with hanging loops and each pocket has a flap to keep it's contents hidden. £40 plus postage.

I have also felted a little robin for a lady and thought you might like to see it before it flies off :-)
I am happy to make more on request. These are £10 plus postage.

Can I say a huge thank you for dropping in on my blog and for all the lovely comments you leave me.