We had a lazy start to the day today, we had a long lay in and then sorted out who was having what for christmas from the long list of gifts we have accumulated since boxing day! We needed to sort out a few birthday bits out to, what a surprise we have too much!!!
It was a bit different to how the day was actually mapped out, with Mattew going gardening all day, I was going to fill the cakes I made yesterday then have a morning catching up on my forums and maybe do some crafting.
Lillie went to Harry's birthday party and Hollie and I went to see if there was anything left in the Next sale, there was very little there, but I did manage to get Lillie and Tia a dress each for next summer, there wasn't anything in Hollie's size to look at. We them dashed accross town to get to Tesco before they shut (little did we know they were open until 5pm) I got myself 2 pairs of trousers which I was really pleased about as I can't keep wearing my cropped trousers now the weather is turning miserable, even though saying that I do wear them with my long boots sometimes, but it's nice to have a change.
Lillie had a really nice time and we arrived home at the same time as Matthew who had collected the roof tiles he bought from a friend. More bits for the long awaited extension, worked out they are going to sit there another year and a half before we can sort out the mortgage to get the money together to do it. Did have the idea of asking mum and dad if they will loan us the money so we can do it next year as I really really don't want the yard looking like a scrap yard for that long! So we need to do lots of creeping!!!!

Was woken up by the postie ringing the door bell this morning, but when I opened the parcel he had given me I didn't mind at all, for it was a box full of dies for me to borrow sent from the very kind and lovely Frances (aka craftymumof3) from the CM&PC forum. I've cut some christmasy bits so far and am going to make some mini cards using these as the embellishments. I've yet to play with the others!!
I've made a christmas tent topper card, not sure if I like it, I don't think the backing paper on the bottom half of the card looks right, I will post a pic in a future entry.
I called Kay to come round as I needed to run a couple of card ideas by her, she phoned in a panic, she was shopping and couldn't find modelling balloons, so I came to the rescue (as per usual LOL) and pointed her in the right direction. She liked the ideas I had for Jack's birthday cards, so that's good it means I can put these together over the next few days. She said the girls are welcome to go trick or treating with them at the end of the month, and also invited us to their halloween party uuggghh.. They go to town and dress up and have parties, play tricks etc, we don't really bother, I told her they didn't do fancy dress outfits in out sizes!!!
I made my cakes x 11 this afternoon after Kay had left, which was actually later than I had hoped to get started. I was still baking when mum and dad brought Lillie home from her much loved sleepover, she loves them as she gets spoiled!! I had invited mum and dad to stay for chinese as we were having one anyway, I think they enjoyed it.
At least now I don't have to rush about getting cakes done in the morning, just need to make the icing and fill them ready for Matthew to deliver. I am taking Lillie to her friend Harry's birthday party tomorrow afternoon, I may pop to the Next sale see if there is anything exciting left, I have just been online and got the girls a dress each and a t-shirt each for Jordan and Ethan, either as little extra christmas pressies or even Easter pressies (yes for next year!!)!!

Another delightful rainy day. Nearly forgot to make Auntie Angie's coffee cake this morning, ooppss, still got it made before mum and dad arrived to take us shopping, then for lunch!
Amazingly enough I DIDN'T buy any card making goodies! Saying that I did buy a storage box to house my cards in! Also got Hollie a pair of trainers with hearts on the sides that light up as you walk and myself a very pointed pair of boots, sadly no flashing lights!
We went to Pizza Hut for their buffet lunch, it was very nice.
Lillie had her hair cut yesterday it looks so much neater now and looks thicker to, she must have had at least 4 inches off the back. Bless her she is so good, she loves being pampered and loved her new do! I now think I will have Hollie's cut the same, she will need about 5 inches off the back to level hers up, I love it long but Lillie's looks so much tidier now I think I'll get it done fairly soon.
I showed Auntie Wendy my latest cards yesterday and have I think decided which cards I am going to do and get the ladies to do (if they want to) at the Farmers wives demo in a couple of weeks time, OMG so soon aaarrrgghh...!!! Best start thinking about getting the packs made up!
I sent a picture of my 1st bookatrix card in to Sarah on the CM&PC forum she was asking for pictures of christmas cards for someone special. I received an email today saying it was going to be in the next issue out 11th Oct as I had sent it in a few weeks ago and they loved it and just had to put it in the letters page!! That'll mean I've been in the magazine 2 months running, it gives you a bit of a buzz to know they have chosen you!!
Well that's all for me tonight, better get Hollie to bed as she's fallen asleep, Lillie is having a sleep over at nannie and grandad's tonight, she'll be back some time tomorrow.

Wow has it really been a week since my last entry? I did type out an entry on Sunday with pictures but for some unknown reason there was no connection and it wouldn't publish it?
Well catch up time, we really enjoyed Joseph on Friday night, Craig from the tv show was Joseph and one of the other runner ups Chris was playing the part of Benjamin. I never really liked either of them on the show but they did a good job, it makes you laugh how excited some people get at seeing someone from the tele!!! The thing that crazes us is when everyone claps after every blooming song, why? It's a musical they are there to sing!?!
Sunday night we went to see Alan Carr, he was pretty good, but we both agreed that we though Ed Bryn was funnier. It was funny because he spotted a chap in the front row who looked like his tele side kick Justin Lee Collins so through out the show kept referring to him as Justin. He also kept picking bits out of our local newspaper to talk about which was quite amuzing, guess he does that at each venue as part of his act.
Let me see what else, we went to see my friend Mandy yesterday we haven't had a catch up for a month or so so that was nice, also for Hollie to play with Luke. We had to dash off as I was having my hair cut, just a trim, it's Lillie's turn this afternoon.
Been making a few cards I really wish I could sit a make loads but my juices don't seem to be flowing, just dribbling!!!
Anyway here's a few of the most recent ones I've made,
The 3 pictures below are made using the cheap (24 for 24p) christmas cards I bought the other day, cut dow and used as toppers. This one I have made as an A5 card (A4 folded) as I think people may want larger cards? Also using 1 of my cheap cards as a topper.
These 2 are larger in size again, I haven't added greetings incase personalization is required. The following 2 cards are my 1st attempts at the 'tent topper' style format, I think I'll be making a few more in this style I quite like it. They are made so they can still fit into a C6 envelope.This is the card I made for a birthday on the CM&PC forum, the toppper I made the size of an atc so if they didn't want to keep the card they would still have an atc to keep!That's it for now.

Spent more money today, yep I decided I needed to add to my ribbon stash, you can never have too much! Nipped in the building society to pay a cheque in, and was served by Kay, who asked if I'd recovered from yesterdays shopping trip, she said her day got worse with Ben having a sicking session. Aparantly he covered Thomas's friend and her and the hall floor on which Thomas slipped on it. Sounds like fun.

Made a few more christmas cards, I quite like them they are using the small christmas cards which I bought for 24p per box of 24 as toppers. As usual not taken the pictures yet so will show them another time.

Here are a few of the ones I have taken pictures of that I've made over the last few days,

Well that's it for now, may not get a post on tomorrow evening as we're off to see Joseph and his technicolour Dreamcoat, starring Craig from the tv show. I've loved the the songs from the show for years ever since we used to do yearly song festivals at school so we're talking 20+ years ago!! Matthew and I went a couple of years ago to see it at the Theatre Royal in Norwich, so when I knew it was coming closer to home decided we had to go see it again.

Been shopping with Kay today and I am exhausted! With Matthew off work ill I thought fab he can look after Hollie that's 1 less child to cope with. But alas Kay phones up Jack has been crazing to go out with Hollie since 6.30am, so I ended up taking her or he would be a nightmare. Hollie was really well behaved, but he had to touch everything and want everything, then there's Ben who's nearly 1 crying every time the buggy sat still.
Still I managed to get Hollie a pair of shoes and boots, boots and pj's for Lillie and a pair of shoes and some craft goodies for myself, so not so bad.
I think Kay was pleased with her day out, she got all of the bits for Jack's party bags, too much I think but you can't tell her, and also the party game prizes, she also managed to sneak off a couple of times to get him some presents.
So that's it for today really bath and bed in a while, time to recharge the batteries!!!

Not a bad day for card making, I got 5 made! Just had my friend on the phone with another order to.
Had a crap start to the day, Lillie just would not get herself moving so annoyed me straight off, then Hollie kept on whinging aarrgg.... I don't think having Matthew home ill helped much. /the phone rang early and woke me up it was Matthews boss asking how is was and if her could talk to him, umm... he wasn't in bed and his boss was asking for him so assumed he was downstairs on the settee! Yep he was, still Hollie has been able to stay home with him whilst I trot back and forth to the school.
Postie brought me an ebay parcel this morning, some lovely large paper flowers and beaded baby embelishments, have used a flower on a card below.
Finally caught up with taking and transferring photos, here they are:

Wedding invite as we received it

and after as a recycled wedding card, I just loved those pictures!A card for my cousins little boy who is Brum mad! It is 3d.
This one is for my friend, her husband left her a few months back so hope this 3d saucy hunk cheers her up!
Final card for tonight is the one with my new flower on it, the main picture is 3d'd, I really do like this one.
Will put the others I made today on tomorrows post. Doubt I'll get any made tomorrow as I'm off to help Kay spend her money!!! No doubt I'll have a good go at spending my own to!!!

Quick entry tonight.
I set out today wanting to make lots of cards and atc's, but my enthusiasm has got up and gone. I looked on some saved sites even ebay for some ideas and inspiration and although I've seen some lovely work just can't get going? I did manage to make 1 card (not photographed yet) but am not really all that happy with it.
Lillie went off to school today fine, I had explained to her that she was going to be there longer as it was her first full day, and she came out saying she'd had a good day, so that's good. Thought she would be tired but no she's still watching tv, taking them to be in a min. maybe school and ballet will knacker her out?
Hollie is getting better, she's eaten and drank more today and has kept it down ok. She's at a bit of a loose end without Lillie being here, guess she'll get used to it, Easter will be here before we can blink and then I'l be on my own.
Hells Kitchen final in a while so I'm off.

Hi, I've had a naughty day today bidding on and buying several bits on ebay. I managed to get a bottle of 300 'got flowers' like 'prima' and also 25 large fabric flowers for my cards and scrap pages. Also found out that Lillie's nintendo ds takes gameboy advance games so have got her a few of those to. We will give her one of them for being a good girl starting school with relatively little fuss (and that's only getting ready in the mornings), the rest we will hold back for christmas or her birthday.
Hollie was a poor little thing again today she tried to eat some breakfast but only managed a bite off the end of a sausage and half a piece of bread and butter, she then went into the room and slept all morning! She did eat a creme brulee pretty quickly later on and thankfully (touching wood) it stayed down, she also managed a bit of jacket potato at tea time, and has brightened up a bit to. Spoke to mum a while ago and she says my nephew has it and has spent all day in bed, can't blame Hollie as they've not seen one another since Yarmouth, wow that long!?
The wedding we went to yesterday was quite nice and no we knew no-one apart from the groom and other work collegue of Matthews, still they were a lovely couple, older than us but very much on the same wave length. We chatted all afternoon, so much so that we missed the food, it wasn't a sit down do just a buffet in the village hall, but you also used the pub literally accross the road for the bar and no one came to tell us the food was served. It was only when we thought we had better go and see what was happening in the hall that we passed someone with a plate of gateaux!! There wasn't much left and Matthew and Andy were starving so we waited for the first dance and speaches then made our excuses and left, for the pub!!! Where we had a lovely meal and good conversation. I may have also sort of lined up a stall at the garden centre christmas fair where Rona works, we were talking about my cards and they mentioned it, so I'll get Matthew to persue it, could be a good place to start!
Made a couple of quick cards today as I realised it is my cousins little boys birthday tomorrow and my friends the following day (ooppss... they're going to be late!).

Have been adding loads of pictures onto the Just Bex forum for the challenges, boy are there some fabby cards and l/o's on there! I even made a scrapbook page and entered it in the 'pink' competition, doesn't have to be pink but must have the work pink on it somewhere, mine is titled Pretty in Pink!
Hollie's poor little face looks terrible bless her, the redness has gone from her cheek last night the whole side of her face was scarlet, now shw has a really red sore grace right down the side of her nose and accross her cheek and under her eye. She was a very lucky little girl not to have damaged her eye. She's got a cold to, she has coughed all day and her nose doesn't stop running, she didn't touch her tea and even struggled to eat an ice lolly which is most unlike her. The first thing Matthew said when her got home was she doesn't look at all well, and just as we were getting ready to go grocery shopping she sicked and sicked, bless her heart so me and her stayed home and had a bath, while Lillie helped Daddy with the shopping.
Me and Matthew are off to his work mates wedding tomorrow, no new outfit for me, I'll be wearing the same dress I wore for my mates wedding this time last year!! Not been worn since so it's sort of new!!

No entry yesterday as I ran out of time!
We had a brief meeting today at the school, just to let us know how the children are getting on and what they are doing. They had their work for us to look at, and said they were all doing really well considering they had only been there a few mornings.
Kay and the boys came round this morning, she's already worrying about Jacks birthday party it's not for a month! She's asked for a couple of cards, I like that because she gives me specifics, even though she didn't know what she wanted for Ben as it's his first, so I took some photos of him on the lawn and said I'd do a scrapbook style card for him, which she liked the sound of.
Mum and dad came round this afternoon, they'd been out to lunch, the girls were really excited to see them, when they were leaving the girls were on the swings (not properly on their tummies, then Hollie decided to do a running leap onto the swing, but it launched her into the garden straight onto her face, think she landed on the log edging after hitting the bush. Bless her heart the whole right side of her face is scarlet and grazed she looks terrible.
I've actually entered my first challenge on the Just Bex forum (tear it) I entered a scrap page I had made yesterday, so now I know how to add the pictures there'll e no stopping me now!!

A bit sad at them moment as we have just buried Toffie, one of our 1st two guinnea pigs, he passed away earlier today. I went to see him this morning and he seemed a little livlier, I gave him a drink but he wasn't eating his food which isn't right for a pig. Bless him, we've buried him beside his baby which sadly died after it's birth.

Toffie as a youngster.

Had a nightmare of a time with Lillie today, she just won't do as she is told, it started this morning as for the first time since starting school I had to wake her up. She wouldn't eat breakfast, get dressed, have her hair done aarrgghh! Leaving her at school was soooooo.... much easier today and not just because I was angry with her, she happily lined up and off she went, we even forgot a kiss!!! Then she started again when it was time to get ready for ballet, she put her parts on for about half an hour, finally got dressed and we got her to the lesson on time, but we forgot to take a bear! They are practising for a show in January, aparantly at their age 4/5 it takes 20 minutes to learn a 2 minute dance! She came out of the lesson and had had a great time, the show is Hanzel and Gretal and they are the naughty birds that eat the crumbs!!

I've done a bit of crafting today. I couldn't believe it when I opened a letter the postman brought and it was my Lili of the Valley die cuts, I only ordered them yesterday!! I ordered the fairies and the christmas fairies so made these 3 cards using them

I also made these two, the poppy one is a belated birthday card for a friend of the family, I haven't put greetings on them as I didn't feel they needed them.

It doesn't show too well, but the poppy is decoupaged and the 'pink fairies' is a pyramid. Well it's hells kitchen time again, so I'm off.

Well it's Monday evening, and it's been an ok day.
Had an ok weekend, took Lillie to her friends birthday party on Saturday but we left early as she drove me mad, she wouldn't leave my side, wouldn't join in any games other than pass the parcel, should've just left her there. Sunday, while I baked 10 sponge cakes, 3 jam & cream, 3 chocolate and 4 coffee Matthew made a garden shed (possibly for my mum and dads neighbour whose shed is on their part of the garden since they divided it up). The children had fun playing in the garden in the play house and on their bikes. Nothing else really happen over the weekend apart from that!
This morning I had tears in my eyes when leaving Lillie at school, they had to line up and file in without us today bless them! Her face started to drop as she stood in the line and I kept telling her she was alright all her friends were lining up to, luckily they didn't keep them hanging around for too long. She kept looking back for reasurance, and we kept on smiling telling her she was going to be alright. My eyes were starting to gloss over so we left quite swiftly after they had fone in, as I looked back I noticed a couple of the other mums wiping away there tears, we had a laugh about it when we went back to pick the children up!!
I remember my first day at school I just did not want to go, I made such a fuss, I cried and cried, I didn't want to let go of my mum, in the end my teacher Miss Bailey took me off of my mum and if I remember correctly gave me a smack on the bum and led me away to class (that wouldn't be allowed now!). I was ok after that, she was a lovely lady.
I received my Quick cards made easy magazine this morning and had a quick flick nothing too exciting in it again this month, then I thought I would have a quick look at the names of the people who sent n letters on the 'letters page' and there was mine!!! It was a letter I had written in response to an article asking if anyone took their craft goodies on holiday with them and brought home craft stash instead of souveniers in issue 38, should have been a £10 prize but who knows if I'll receive anything as it's on the letters page?? We'll have to wait and see.
We went to mum and dads for the afternoon and stayed for a lovely lamb roast. Lillie was very happy because nannie had bought her a nintendo ds lite and game, she had promised her one when she bought one for my nephew, it's pink and she loves it. It's now on charge overnight, guess I'll have a little play on it whilst she's at school tomorrow !! Now watching a load of games for it on ebay along with some cutting dies for the old cuttlebug.
Well off to catch the rest of Hells Kitchen, so more later.

Not too much to report today. Lillie came out of school with a GOLD star today, she says it was because she had been good all of the time and had made a necklace for her teacher (with cord and coloured cotton real thingys). Next week they have to line up without parents (we can stand close by) and then go into class and find their pegs, put their water bottles in the correct box, put book bags in their trays and find their names on the self register pictures, by themselves!! It's all to start to make them independant!
I've had a bit of a craft session today, making 3 cards for an order for my friend and a couple atc's as part of the alphabet swap on the CM&PC forum. Not taken pictures yet but will show them when I have.
I think poor old Toffie (one of our 2 original guinnea pigs) is poorly, he's stayed outside in the run beside the bed all day, most of the time buried in the hay but this evening he was uncovered. He went inside for his tea and is eating, but when I got him out yesterday he seemed really thin, he had always been quite a stocky little fella. I hope he pulls through bless him.
More tomorrow.

These early mornings for school are starting to catch up with me now, I've yawned most of the afternoon, must be getting old!!
Well Lillie's second day/morning at school again went well, she came home with another silver star apparantly for being clever and finding her own drinks bottle. They were all given a new school drinks bottle which has to be taken in every day, so they can have drinks at break-time, and they are all the same so there will be no arguements because someone has something better.
I took Hollie to visit my Auntie after we had taken Lillie to school, I showed her my latest batch of cards. She was very impressed with the bookatrix and toe tapper shoes, also my scrapbook pages, she says 'I'm a clever clever girl!' We then went to see my mum and dad for a little while before having to return to pick Lillie up again. They came round with sausage/fish and chips for lunch (naughty, naughty!!) before heading off to get their hairs done, alright for some!
Matthew's going to be late home from work again tonight (so what's new?) it drives me mad sometimes, he works so hard and they don't appreciate it.
I received my Crafts Beautiful magazine but I can't see anything too exciting in it, I'll have a better look at bed time if I can stay awake to look at it that is! With Big Brother finishing I thought I was going to be lost for things to watch on the tv, but am getting into Hells Kitchen, Marco is one scary man! If it were my James (Martin) doing it I'd have to try to get a table! I can't wait until November, going to see him for the 4th time, he's demonstrating at a christmas fair, I've had my tickets for about a month!! Matthew says if I book a night away he'll take me to Winchester to his deli/shop for my birthday in October, he has filmed a few series there and I'd love just to go there for a look, buy something to get a bag!!! How wonderful it would be for the man himself to be there on the day, a slim dream, he's far too busy to be there too often.
Just got around to watching Save the last Dance 2 had it for about a month now, was looking through the bargain bin and came accross it, didn't even know there was one! It was ok, but no where near as good as the first one. Matthew and I went to Norwich to see that at the cinema, one of our first dates 6 years ago!

Well my dear little Lillie had her first day in reception class at 'big' school today, bless her she was ever so good. She got up and out of bed without any fuss at all, had her breakfast and couldn't wait to get her uniform on, all new from head to toe, she looked so sweet and so very grown up. My little girl is no longer so little!
She was a little clingy at first but soon met up with some old friends from nursery and was happy to play and let us leave. Not a tear in sight! When we picked her up she was full of beans, she had had a really good morning and is excited about going back tomorrow, they are apparantly having visitors but she can't remember who, I'm intrigued!
I took the girls to Macdonalds for a special treat as they are being good at going to bed and also for Lillie for haveing a good first day.
I took photo's of Lillie in her uniform before school, and of course some of Hollie, and yep I had made a scrapbook page titled '1st Day' by 2pm!
Had a catch up on the CM&PC forum and am pleased to have done another atc swap x2 with Craftnance whose atc's I love.

Hi, it's been a week since my last post, due to having a short break and not really having the time!
Still I'm back now, we had a nice break in Gt Yarmouth and was lucky with the weather. My friends mum's caravan was really lovely we felt quite spoilt! It was on the Wild Duck site just outside of Yarmouth, we stayed there a couple of years ago and it's really nice. We had Matthews daughter for the week so she came to, they enjoyed meeting all of the characters, Bradley Bear, Anxious Elephant, Greedy Monkey and the boy and girl whose name I can't remember! They managed to meet them all and collect a sticker for their sticker album they got given, and when you've got them all they keep a section and in time they should get sent a pin badge with all of the characters on, which I thought was a nice idea.
We were lucky enough to see the last circus show of the season in the club on Tuesday evening, there were about 9 of them from all over the world, and it was very good.
We met up with my mum, dad, sister and 2 nephews on Wednesday as they were there for the day. The children liked spending time together and enjoyed several rides both on the pier and at the Joyland fair. They went home after tea, but we stayed and was lucky enough to see a really good fireworks display on the beachfront, even though we had to hang around until 10pm to see it!!! They have them every week through the holiday season, but this was a double display as they had to cancel the previous weeks due to strong winds.
Thursday we went to Pleasurewood Hills as Matthew had never been and wanted to see what it was like. We won't be going back in a hurry, everything is too spread out, we really enjoyed Gullivers so whilst the children are young enough to enjoy it we'll be going back there. We did watch a good circus show in the castle!
Friday was pack up and clean up time. We went to Thrigby Wildlife park for the afternoon, it's a lovely little place and you can get quite colse to the animals. The monkeys were the favourite attractions again this visit, especially as there was a baby, oh it was so sweet, it coule sit in the palm of your hand, I could've watched it all afternoon! We left there and popped in the Range at Norwich so I could have a look at the craft section, and believe it or not only came away with a couple of bits!!!
I had a quick couple of cards to make for my friend, but have been spending any spare time I have making scrapbook pages, yep another addiction!!
Here's one I did of a couple of holiday pics, on various days they had character storytime, they girls got to see Anxious and Bradley!

Well it's Lillie's 1st day at 'big' school tomorrow, everything is ready, just hope I don't have to drag her out of bed in the morning because she'll be a right grumpy guts if I do! We don't really like mornings!!