february

Our craft day was hugely successful... and as the camera still hasn't appeared, we are without photos. I have left my lovely husband to trawl through the user guide of the new Lumix!

I hope to take some photos of Freddie's and Harry's versions for you.

This is what we did :

• clay hearts (white, self-hardening clay which we cut out and dried in advance, cosidering the ages of the children). Me and Harry pressed lace and buttons into the hearts for texture and poked holes for threading.


• pre-cut paper dolls from Hobbycraft, and lots of fabric dresses and decorations cut from my scraps.


• sweetie rings - using pipecleaners and wrapped toffees and glue. Just a bit of twisting and you are there!


• biscuit hearts to decorate (made by Michelle) using this recipe http://www.skiptomylou.org/margarets-sugar-cookies/. Which is fab (I'd forgotten that they do puff up a bit).


• valentine's cards using beautiful origami hearts and scraps and posting stamp kit from my sister.

I really hope to post some photos of the boys' work soon.

But here's the gorgeous Gus.

St Valentine's Day Craft

I am sponsoring the craft at a special afternoon for the Harpenden and District National Childbirth Trust. I have all sorts of heart - themed goodies (don't want to give away the surprise!) There will be three active craft tables plus a homemade biscuit decorating table.

It will be held in the Lourdes Hall, Southdown Road, Harpenden. Monday 2.30-4.30.

With tea and coffee, and cupcakes for sale for the adults.

Plus afternoon tea for the children. And only £3 per family ticket. I would love to insert a sneak photo of the craft... if only the **** camera had turned up! Instead, a pair of hearts from a couple of years ago.

australia for christmas

xmas day in the swan river

xmas eve and a gecko

happy gus

a little sewing

just a little.

these are heart shaped wheatbags for a good friend. they are filled with wheat and lavender ready to be given out at birthday parties. a great idea... i sold a lot last year. i just need to order more lavender, pick up some more wheat, choose fabric etc.... for a new batch to sell.

to be honest, i am only just keeping on top of the house and the kids at the moment so it may be a bit of a pipe dream.

i did a tutorial on making animal wheatbags before last christmas if you fancy whipping up a few. great gifts!

october

well, the month has now been and gone. but here are a couple of things we got up to:

gus found his hand.

freddie was a very stately nelson for book week. and harry was a grumpy gruffalo (there are purple prickles all over his back).

and we went trick or treating.

Harry at school!

yes... there should have been photos. Here you go, lovelies! And I am impatient at the moment with the formatting so excuse the lack of flow.

Just look at what a big boy Harry is now! He is so excited about school, and has fitted in brilliantly. It really helps that he knows the teachers well already and feels quite at home.


And the other thing to share is this fantastic pudding feature in November Living etc . Already my favourite magazine delivery, it includes Donna Hay's recipes. Here are a few old standards including super simple chocolate self saucing pudding. You wouldn't believe that it actually works - make a batter, sprinkle over dry sugar and cocoa and cover with boiling water. It comes out of the oven a gooey, sticky revelation.

I had a great day on Saturday at Anna's Bumble Shopping Event. It was in a gorgeous town called Wing, near Leighton Buzzard. Anna invited her really lovely friends, opened her beautiful house and I sold a few bits. And ate cakes. Even having a really busy lead-upto the event, I feel quite at peace today having had so much positive feedback for my stall.

updating

We spent two weeks on the South Coast - the lovely Wittering, which is near Chichester. Not the hot summer we were hoping for but still plenty of chances to visit the super-close beach.

Here is baby Gus, a few weeks old while on holiday. I can't believe it has been (even more than) a month since my last post. I just can't seem to find the time for reading or writing anything at the mo. Or even updating the photos. I spend a lot of time on the sofa, feeding. Or taking Freddie and Harry up to school and back again. And up and back again.

Gus is 9 weeks old now. Amazing!

So life here has motored on.