Birthday celebrations....

 ....My baby, Tammy, had her 31st birthday on Sunday and my darling Dad will be 79on Wednesday so I arranged  Sunday off work and the man and I drove three hours to get to Tadley, it usually take us one and half hours to do this drive – too much traffic on the M25!  I read somewhere that the M25 is the UK’s largest parking area - and that is what it felt like on Sunday, the agitation at the time it was taking to get to our destination was making me feel ill. We eventually collected my Parents and we met up with Tammy and her family, my son and his family and our dearest friends Belinda and Tony at a brand new Toby’s Carvery for lunch. 

 It was so incredible to have our children and grandchildren and my parents and special friends all round one table, chaotic, but wonderful.  I was aware of all the other poor patrons in the restaurant, but I don’t think we made too much noise, hope not.

It was so chaotic that I only managed a very few and not such good photos of this important event (I had Matthew in my arms most of lunch time and really did not want to give him up to take photos)

We were so excited to share Tammy’s birthday with her.  Tammy, our beautiful girl.

She is our beautiful daughter who is amazing.  She has grown into a woman of note and is an amazing Mother – we are so proud of her. She is such a gentle soul who is so happy with her partner Neil and her twin boys. That is all you want for your children is that they are happy.

My precious Mommy and Jenny holding Matthew - yes I let someone else hold him just for a little while

Belinda and Tony, have been our special loyal  friends for the last 28 years. It was wonderful to have them with us and they got to meet our new daughter-in law to be, Jenny and Tammy’s partner Neil and of course Matthew and Alex.

A lot of the fun of celebrating someone’s birthday is buying the gifts and wrapping them isn’t it? Tammy is collecting beads and charms for her Pandora bracelet so that is what she got from us and her sister sent her some too and I was charged with wrapping.

I always like to put a lot of effort and love into wrapping a gift, if someone is worth it, it is worth doing it with love.

 Tammy is crazy about dragonflies so I decided this year she would get a dragonfly card.

My heart is so full of love for all these special people in my life and the man and I are so, so blessed with our stunning family and friends.  We so wish our much missed Hayley, Em and Livi, who live in the USA, could have been with us.  On occasions like this I miss them even more than I do every single day.

Hugs

C

xxx

Ohhh look I am on a roll, another Journal

Yup, I made another Journal. 

This one was inspired by a note book made by Karen of My Desert Cottage and I think the Picture may have come from The Graphic Fairy, but I really can’t remember. 

I am continually saving pictures that I find from all over the place. 

 I sooo enjoyed creating this book.

 It is a hard covered note book, one of those brown paper ‘organic’ type note books, my favourite kind, all natural looking.  It has an insert  page inside that has pocket on both sides.

I suppose this kind of book could be used for recipes, notes, anything really. 

 I was thinking of  giving it away for a  Christmas present, but maybe I will just keep it for my self as a ‘Wish Book ‘ or a Gratitude Book. 

 Don’t you just love the lace, I found it in an Antique shop it was attached to soft netting.  It took me hours to cut out all the intricate little swirls to separate it from the net.

 

Maybe,  I  think, I may just  keep it as my very own 'Wish Book'
My Grandmother used to teach me to keep a wish book. 
I must have been all of 5 years old when we first started these wish books. 
We would gather magazines and scissors pens and crayons on  the dinning room table and she would make us a pot of ‘glue’ out of flour and water,
because this kind of glue didn’t make the paper crinkle as much as the pot of school glue. 

 There was always a very large hard bristles paintbrush in the pot, if I remember it had a  redish handle.  

 She encouraged me to cut out pictures of things that I really, really wanted, no matter what it was.  As a child I used to cut out dolls, toys, rings, crowns, delightful things.

We would even have a Christmas page in the back of the book to stick in our wish items.  

 As I grew she taught me to write about the treasures I had pasted. 

 I remember her wish book being very intricate with lots of writing and
pictures of seeds and plants. 
 I wish I still had her books, wonder what happened to them!

  I still keep a  wish book with pictures of my goals,  with affirmations and poems and anything that grabs me, I suppose a type of journal of what I would love to have and 
at the  back I write down everything I have to be grateful for every  day. 

Yes I think I will keep this book, after all,  my dreams and wishes deserve to be kept in something special.

Maybe you would like to keep a 'wish book' too.........
And I wish you a wonderful rest of the weekend!

My son is getting married next year and my DIL to be has asked me to make the wedding invitations – yay!  I made four sample invites yesterday and some wedding favour samples and got them off first class post yesterday.  Can’t wait for her to get the package today and then I have to wait some more for the final instructions!

 Sooo looking forward to getting stuck in and making the final articles.

While I had all my rulers, glue and mats out I finished a Journal I have been working on. 

This was a book I bought over a year ago at Ross on my last trip to the USA. 

I used a metal flower with a gem brad in the  middle of the clock

There is lots of glitter on this book
 I loved the elastic ‘tie’  

  The black and white polka dot cover on this book was lovely so I left some showing

 I think it turned out pretty well.

I have enjoyed visiting such pretty blogs the last three or so days  and have wanted to leave  comments, a very few have been saved and  gone through, but  with most of the comments I have tried to post I either get a ‘401 error message’ ,

or  ‘sorry we are unable to connect’ or an email returning my comment???? 

It is so frustrating and sooo annoying. 

 Is anyone else struggling?

Inspirational Crochet

I  was sent this very inspiring  article by a dear friend,  because I  suppose, I  always have some sort of crochet or knitting on the go and being South African, she knew that this would be  something I would love to share with you all. 

 Please visit MoxyCrochet and have a look at the work this wonderful lady, Laura Summs is doing in a devastatingly improvised area. 

 Take a look at the incredible blankets these crafters are crocheting.  

Such incredibly beautiful work that they are producing.  The colours are amazing.

Can you imagine owning one of these blankets or any article they make for that matter? 

Projects like this are so close to my heart, projects like this mean so, so much to the woman (and men) in Cape Towns, Khayeliesha, where some people are the poorest of the poor and live in really desperate conditions with not much hope of earning an income. 

It just takes someone like Laura Sums, with a vision, a passion and the skills to make a huge difference to these people.  It gives them some sort of much needed, income and makes them feel like what they are doing is of value and worth.  Well done Laura on a really good job, you are an inspiration. 

 Crocheting is such a lovely craft, crocheting is to me what tranquilizers are to others. 

If I pick up a crochet hook I am so happy and relaxed. 
 I don't crochet very advanced patterns, but what I love about crochet is that anything goes, any colour combination, which is what appeals to me so much.  As I am doing one row in one colour I am thinking about the next colour that can be added.

  I found a pattern here last week that I thought was very pretty and different. 

  I made one square with the idea of using up the purple wool I had left over from the flower cushion I made last month. 

 Now the bug has bitten, big time.  I altered the pattern a bit, because I love a larger fuller flower and I HAD to buy one or two a few extra balls of different colour wool....

now I have visions of making and owning a blanket of note!  Just gotta make loads of squares.

A perfectly wonderful winter project I think.

The Christmas Fabric I bought last week

 has been cut and sewed.

  5 inch squares were cut and sewed together in rows of 6 squares  each

 and that was enough to make two delightful Christmas stocking for the twins. 

 All my other Grandchildren already have one so Matthew and Alex needed their own.  

Quilted them in the ditch and did all the finishing touches, then the fun began.......

Each square was embroidered  with feather stitch in a different colour and embellished with charms.

  Lastly the boys name were put on each of their stocking. 

When I gave them to my daughter yesterday - her face when she saw what I had brought her and her delight at all the charms was really all I needed to see! 

What a satisfactory job that was. 

Have a stunning weekend!

Hugs

 Cheryl

xxx

Peace at last .....

Eugene is an absolute earth angel, yes, he is my husband, but he is the most incredible person I know. 

 He has taken the best care of a gentleman, who after suffering from a stroke five years ago has had the most incredibly difficult time. 

This gentleman has been unable to move, eat, drink or even speak easily;  lying in his bed for all these years just listening to music and Eugene has been his constant companion and carer.  

This weekend all this suffering came to an end, this brave man passed away and is now, at long last, at peace, no more suffering, no more pain. 

My deepest sympathy goes to his children and family for the loss of their Dad.

  My deepest respect goes to my husband who for  the last three and a half years,  has come to  know and care for this man and has shown him so much kindness and taken such good care of him.

 Really you are an amazing person with the best heart, my  Eugene!

Pavement sales are the best.....

A large house in the village has been sold and for the last month,  every now and again if you are early enough there will be some bits and bobs for sale on the pavement. 

This morning when driving past I saw this beautiful ‘letter box’, not quiet sure what to call it? 

I took it home dusted it off and admired it

  It is quiet large and has some beautiful hand painted flowers on and it in a really good condition. 

  I was thrilled and  the asking price was ridiculously low,  sooo,  I grabbed it and ran!   Love it.  Wonder what I will use it for?

 Letters and some pens and stationary or some pattern books and treasures????? 
The options are endless.
  Not sure where I am going to keep it, maybe in the loft for now, but I love it and am keeping it!