My Birthday

I had a wonderful day today with my Vikki, Ami and Charlie and they made it very special for me (just by being with me as far as I am concerned). :D Love those three mieces to pieces!
This is Boofle - isn't he just a little darling?

GO TO PRESS - My Teddy 8x8

I call it my teddy but it really is a Jellycat Dog - called Le Dog! He is just so soft and he makes me very happy just to look at him. Sorry for the rotten photo - bit off-kilter/out of focus (blame it on the poor winter light). :D

GO TO PRESS - My Bag 8x8

I'm still doing my 8x8 LOs for the Go To Press course I signed up for back in the summer. I'm not even sure if your bag was one of the prompts - I haven't looked at the prompt list since and am doing things that mean a lot to me at the moment. I have one of my teddies and my Christmas Fairy lined up to do next - fun!

This is my Animal bag that I bought last summer in Padstow. I adore it and use it everyday and have not contemplated buying a new one since. I am just so happy with it - especially adore the shape as I can get my long purse and cheque book in there no problem and I also love the canvas strap - no slippage there! The pattern of the bag is called Clematis and luckily I kept the original tag and found the receipt to add to the LO.

 

Christmas Time

My little tree and my fairy that makes me smile. :D I put the tree up on Saturday as I knew Charlie would love it. He was coming over for me to babysit and I'm really glad I did. Ami had taken him to a church fair that day and he had met Father Christmas so he was all set for the atmosphere. I also bought some chocolate coins and Father Christmas chocolates so some of those were enjoyed before bedtime (along with two ice-cream cornets with strawberry sauce on)! In the morning, I put the tree lights on and Charlie guzzled his breakfast Coco Pops (this was 5 o'clock)! So by 8 o'clock he was ready for crumpets, Angel Cakes and more chocolate coins - lol what sort of diet can they get away with at Nana's house, eh? :D

Such a little cutie!

I could weep but I won't (what's the point). I've just spent two hours on the computer attempting to do some more collages. I'd completely forgotten how I did it from photos on disc from the other day and tried every which way but loose so I've ended up uploading just one precious photo (once again, taken in June 2007). But I shall not be defeated and will try again tomorrow. *smiles*

Oh and I've just ended up really laughing out loud looking at that rug! It's just so clean. I'd only been in the flat a few months and if you could see that carpet now - well, let's just say it's been well and truly "grandson-christened" in more ways than one lol! :D Notice the poufee in front of the TV? A barrier to prevent little fingers playing with the DVD and video players! It's so funny the things you forget - that's the beauty of photos - brings all those memories flooding back. I love the way Charlie is standing - that left foot!

Not the most flattering shot of Miss Hooley though, is it?

Picassa Collage

Click on the collage to enlarge. June 2007!!! Where has that time gone? Look at how tiny Charlie is - he was only 16 months. LOL at the pink dummy!! It was the only one Ami could find in the shops at the time and Charlie had to have his dummy. Especially uploaded for you Ami (when you have the time to linger and look lol). Will get some more done for you, I promise. There are just so many photos of that period - taken every Monday and Thursday over the space of 2 years, I think. That boy must have thought his Nana had a camera stuck to her face! *snicker* :D

 

Stacking Cups LO - 8.5 x 11

Another set of photos from when Charlie was 26 months old. He played with these cups everytime he came to me. They gave him hours of fun and it was wonderful to watch his development, over the months, as he gradually got more proficient at stacking them. It didn't take him long once he worked out the colour sequence rather than judging the size. But, by far his favourite game, of which he never tired (but boy, did I!) was letting me build them up and then he would take great delight is knocking them down. Only for me to have to do it again and again and again and again and ......................! Arrrrggghhhh!!

Nee Naw - 8.5 x 11

Charlie was only 26 months old when I took these photos - I can't believe how much he has developed since that time. This was an ELC police helmet I bought for him and when you press the blue flashing light at the top of the helmet it went "nee naw" in a very loud, strident fashion! Luckily, he doesn't play with it so much now.

GO TO PRESS - HOME 8 x 8

A very old photo. I will have to ask Vikki how old she thinks she is. This is the old home and we only had Poppy at the time so I guess sometime in the early-90s.

Oh, and that is not THE home by the way - that's the outhouse in the front garden! Just in case you think we used to live in a potting shed lol.

Night Sky

I leant out of my bedroom window tonight to capture this shot. The front of my flat faces almost due West so every night I get the most wonderful of sunsets. So I took the trouble (lol) to fish out my instruction book and find the setting for Sunsets for my Panasonic Lumix. I'm rather pleased with how it turned out as this was the most fiery sky I had seen this year.

GO TO PRESS - INDULGE 8 x 8

Snap, Crackle & Roar

I looked after Charlie at his house today and he got me face painting him as a tiger and making rice krispie cakes. Took a couple of photos and although disappointed with the quality of them (heaven only knows what buttons I pressed lol!) the look of sheer joy on his face made them successful anyhow.

New Printer

My poor printer (kindly bought for me by my Pad friends 2.5 years ago) developed a serious problem and as is typical with everything these days, it would have cost more to have it serviced/repaired than to buy a new one. What a wicked waste it seems to me. I was unable to run to a similar one that would use the same inks but did get another HP model which means I can use my huge supply of 6x4 printer paper. It took me all afternoon to install the blasted contraption lol! It cost the princely sum of £36.95 (strange price!) and comes with a year's guarantee and full ink cartridges. I know it does because I asked - fully expecting them to be just the tester quantity. But as I bought it in John Lewis, I know the guy will be telling the truth lol. So I am all set to go - it's an all-in-one so I can scan the 6x12 landscape LOs I am working on at the moment. I am making an album of the weekend we had at Hengar Manor back at the beginning of May and am really enjoying working on this size.

Then it's continuing with my Shimelle classes - one I have started (Go To Press) and the other (Learn Something New Everyday) which I've yet to begin - I'm lagging right behind everyone else but have decided not to stress with it as it's meant to be fun!

Then I have to start getting everything ready for my Creative Embroidery class which should be starting next week - they think they have enough people to run the class so fingers crossed. I'm not sure how I will cope going out for an evening class as it's something I've not done for years - I must be brave though.

GO TO PRESS - FUN 8 x 8

GO TO PRESS - COFFEE 8 x 8 BOOKS 8 x 8 MUSIC 8 x 8

Whooppee, I'm over the moon, I finally achieved three LOs today. We are on Prompt 17 on Shimelle's class so I really shouldn't crow but for me this is a mammoth milestone. :D They are 8x8 and a very good size to work with. Onwards and upwards as they say. :D
COFFEE, BOOKS, MUSIC

Barry Trotter!

Look at this photo Charlie and I found on a Google search - aka Barry Potter!




Oh, Charlie, you make Nana laugh so much. You love to dress up and I knew you would just adore this Harry Potter magician's hat and glasses that I won in an auction. You said your magic spell that Mummy taught you and waved your pretend wand. I hope the lenses in those glasses have not done untold damage lol - perhaps we had best prise them out.

Not finding time ......

to even blog for a few days. I'm also aware that we are on Prompt 4 of the Shimelle Class I am signed up for and I have not read the prompts for the past two days. I need to find the time to do it but can't seem to at the moment.
But I will post a couple of photos from the weekend .. they make me smile and maybe they will make you smile too ... smiles are a very good thing, don't you think? :D
The first set of photos are of Charlie with the balloon we bought to give to Mummy and Auntie Vikki to wish them Good Luck in the new house. Charlie chose it himself - what a beautiful colourful balloon it is and such a lovely shape. We were waiting for the bus and Charlie was so worried when I gave him the balloon to hold - he was worried it would blow away. I wanted to take some photos of him and in the end asked him to smile - you can spot the difference? LOL I love that little boy so much.
This second set of four photos is Charlie wearing Auntie Vikki's Wellingtons - he is HAGRID, don't you know? These were taken on the decking of the new home. Beautiful, isn't it? That is where I spent most of the weekend - I thought I was in seventh heaven being back in a beautiful garden again!
Oh, and remind me to tell you about the mobile later!! Mwhahahaha! Not to mention McDonalds! *snort*

Some Things To Talk About ........

but not today. Today has been a very busy day and I'm too tired. But lots more photos and happy stories to share tomorrow - just want you all to know that my girls, Charlie and I are all very happy and will sleep well in our beds tonight. *big smiles*
This is Rudy the dinosaur from Ice Age 3 that Charlie got in his McDonalds Happy Meal - the one toy that he did not lose from his grasp all night. The girls had taken him to see the film recently. They had to wear the special 3D glasses and he had been as good as gold thoughout the whole film. It was only his second time at the cinema. Ami had first taken him to see Bolt when it first came out. At the time he had no comprehension that one behaves diffently in a cinema as to when watching a film at home. She had taken him out early because he hadn't understood about keeping quiet so other people could listen to the film. She had quietly and patiently explained on the way back home and he had taken it all in. So this time he knew what to do and he did it very well - what a star he is.

Science of Happiness

Please take part - what have you got to lose?

CLICK HERE TO ANSWER A SHORT QUESTIONNAIRE

http://www.scienceofhappiness.co.uk/

Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ3

Hey Sue - you looking at this? lol

Well after wanting, umming and ahhhhing for a year, I finally bite the bullet and press a button - I got the camera I've wanted. Second-hand but nevertheless it's what I want.

Looking forward to its arrival, reading instruction booklet and getting going. I love the fact it has a large 3.5" LCD viewer (the main reason I wanted it to be honest - old eyes you see ;)). I also love the fact that a friend of mine has the self-same camera so if I get stuck I shall be able to say "Suuuuuuuue". :D

Me Pud!

Vikki treated me to a slice of chocolate pecan pie this afternoon. But the weather was too close and had made it very warm, thus the chocolate tasted far too rich so I asked the lady to wrap it up for me to take home. Vikki suggested I had some ice cream with it after it was nice and cold and firm from the 'fridge. I also had some lovely fresh strawberries. Yummers, it was delicious.

 

Troll Beads & Bracelet/Dolly Beads/luccicare(etsy)

I am on a purge on my computer sorting through photos and things and found my lovely beads - and thought I'd display them on my blog. Must check to see if I have any new ones that I didn't get photos for. The Dolly Beads are Jaq's (will ask Jaq if I should add a link) to her website - Jaq's beads are the ones with names on and the photos are her property - will ask about wording that - just thinking aloud right now)and my very first bead was the Valentine one (Bed of Roses) which I bought when Charlie was born - our very own Valentine's Baby. Well you can see from COMMENTS, Jaq is very happy for me to display the beads she made and continues to make.