Day 3. Hands #febphotoaday

Hands, beautiful hands.... My little Isabella likes to call the attention of myself or her Daddy and make a heart with her hands. She is a loving little bean. And aren't the hands of little people just perfect!

As for my hubby's hands, they are perfect too, and I just love to hold them!

Well, it is Friday now and I couldn't be happier to have two whole days with my precious little family.

Have a lovely weekend whoevers out there!

Tomorrow's photo is 'stranger'.... not sure how to tackle that one yet!

H.x

Day 2. Words #febphotoaday

So here is my photo for day two... words!

I still remember finding these precious words hidden in a drawer in my mum's room when I was a very curious little girl.

I remember thinking how beautiful the locket was and then seeing the card in the box with my name printed at the top, to my delight I realised that the treasure I had uncovered was in fact for me! I used to sneak in to my mum's bedroom at every opportunity to get a glimpse of this precious heirloom.

Eventually at the age of 18 the little package was mine.

I am told that the necklace was given to my Nana by my Papa as a 16th birthday present. My Papa sadly died the year that I was born and my Nana gave the locket to me as a Christening present.

I wore the necklace on my wedding day and one day will pass it on to my beautiful little Isabella.

I will always remember these special words, they are perfect and bring a smile to my face each time I read them.

H.x

Day 1. Your view today #febphotoaday

I proudly publish my first photo as part of Fat Mum Slim's February Photo A Day Challenge!

This is the view from my sixth floor office window, out over the town to the gorgeous South East coast. It has been a very sunny, clear and crisp winters day today which I was very pleased to see as the past couple of days have been extremely cloudy!

I must confess.. I did cheat a little.

I initially photgraphed my view when I arrived at work this morning and could see the sun rising beautifully through the clouds that lined the coast. I then proceeded to rashly publish this attempt (on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) excited at my first participation in such a social photo sharing opportunity. Unfortunately, this mornings beauty didnt transfer fantastically to photo.

I'm not sure that second attempts are allowed on photo a day challenges, but as it is my first time and this afternoons photo was far better I will allow myself this little indiscretion.

Tomorrows challenge: words...

H.x

A new challenge

This February I am setting myself a challenge. Inspired by all the photo a day challenges I have seen since joining the blogging world I have finally plucked up the courage to participate!

I have filled in my Molly Makes calendar and noted each days challenge in my diary so there are no excuses!! I'm a little excited about this challenge from the Fat Mum Slim blog. I am looking forward to having something to share on Twitter and Pinterest (My new obsession!) and to having a peek into other peoples lives as they too share their photos! At the end of each week I will post my photos on here and blog about my week.

So as I sit and write this post there is one day left of January, one day before I launch myself into the February Photo A Day Challenge... can't wait!

H.x

Farewell to 2011....

A long long time has passed since I last posted. I have celebrated a birthday, left a job, started a new one, celebrated the birth of my first nephew (!!) and enjoyed a beautifully festive Christmas filled with family, delicious Christmassy treats all topped off with a cheery new year and an engagement!!

Three days in to the New year I am back to work and missing my family!

Christmas and New year has been spent surrounded by family, playing charades & pictionary (a family tradition), a few rounds of Just Dance with my brothers and sisters and my favourite Christmas film 'Santa Claus the movie' a love for which I have successfully passed onto my daughter!

We visited my family a few weeks before Christmas and much to my liking my Pops had saved the putting up of the real Christmas for my arrival!

My sister and I enjoyed a pot of tea in cup and saucer whilst Bella played with the train and track that encircled the tree as we decorated!

We were quite pleased with our work!

The last months and moments of 2011 have been the best. November saw the birth of mine & my hubbies beautiful nephew, Freddie. Perfect in every way!

And on New Years eve came the announcement of my brother and his girlfriends engagement! So very happy, congratulations Jesse and Emma!

I have revelled and reminisced in the joys of 2011 and the end of the year bought with it some exciting makes...

A table den for my goddaughter Olivia and a tee pee for my own little Bella to hide out in!

I have been desperate to share these photos but have had to wait until they had been eagerly unwrapped on Christmas morning!

Bye for now!

H.x

Do all little girls love tutus?

I am a sucker for anything cute and girly so when I saw the tutorial for this beautiful tutu on the Design Mom blog I couldn't resist!! 

I have made this one as a present for a lovely little girl that is turning 3 tomorrow and I just hope that she loves it just as much as I do!





Super girlie and all pink....





...or with added sparkle? I just can't decide...what do you think?

H.x

If at first you don't succeed...

I have taught myself to knit!!!

For the same reason that I started to blog I decided that this Winter I would try my hand once again at knitting and this time I have succeeded!!

I was inspired to give it another go by a lovely lady that I met one day at work, who is also the owner of the blog L is for Love a regular read of mine!

I taught myself with the help of a fantastic book called Start to knit by Alison Dupernex, got myself some chunky yarn and chunky needles and set to work! And this was the result...

So I have now set myself the challenge of knitting my Nannie a snood for her birthday...

It is well on its way but still along way to go so I will post another picture when I have finished.

I have this week also made a skirt for a customer who saw Bella's birthday dress and liked it so much they asked me to make a gift for a friend of theirs. This is all a bit of trial and error for me as I have always wanted to be able to sell some of the things that I make but am nervous about the 'selling' part! But as this was a request... I thought I would share what I have made with you.

This is an ongoing project of mine but eventually I hope to have an online shop of handmade prettiness but for now my efforts must go into knitting... My mind is already reeling at the possibilities of handmade knitted presents for friends and family!

H.x

A castle made of sweet things

It has taken a couple of days but we have just about recovered from Isabella's 4th birthday party!!

All of her new toys and beautiful clothes have been stowed away in her bedroom and the house is back to its pre party state!

It was a wonderful weekend filled with beautiful family and friends and tons of sweetie castle cake...

I am quite proud of myself for this birthday's cakey creation... Bella loves all things princess and so there came the idea of the castle cake, a few nights of research on how to create my little princesses very own castle with a difference and I set to work!

The main cake is made up of 3 layers of victoria sponge, a square for the base and then two circle cakes which I covered with ready to roll icing. The towers are made from swiss rolls which I have wrapped in icing and topped with merangues that I swirled into peaks. Then I set to work decorating the castle with lots of sugary treats!

H. x

The Party Dress

This is the party dress that I made for my little Isabella and if I am completely honest, I am really proud of it!

I have somewhat of a love for dresses and if you know me it is plain to see. I haven't always loved them, and there are plenty of photos from my younger years in which I look as if I am sharing a wardrobe with my brother... Perhaps that is why I can't get enough of them now!

Anyway, back to the dress at hand. I have now passed this love of dresses on to my daughter and so I hope that she will love this little number and where it with pride to celebrate her birthday!

Sleep to be had now, there is a castle to be made tomorrow..

H. x

Inspired to blog

This summer I have been lucky enough to spend time nattering with so many lovely creative minds that are juggling their careers, with being parents & still finding time to blog about the things they love it has inspired to do the same.. And so here I am!

Most evenings this week i have been working away at my sewing machine or laptop planning and creating for my daughters 4th birthday this Sunday!

It is set to be a colourful affair with a homemade princess castle cake adorned with colourful sweets and lollypops! Fingers crossed the rain stays away and the sun shines on us for her October birthday garden party complete with bouncy castle...

Have a lovely Friday evening.

H. x

My adventure into the land of blogs

Hello to anyone out there that may one day decide to read my blog.. I hope that you will come to enjoy my adventures as i learn to blog about this and about that and all that falls inbetween...

H. x