Two Shoes, New Shoes, Bright Shiny Pink Shoes!

My little helper finally has a pair of shoes that fit her dinky feet! She's been walking since Easter and only now have we managed to find a pair of shoes that fit - just. She was measured as a 1.5 and the lovely ladies in our little shoe shop went through all the size 2s (that's the smallest you can get) and eventually came up with these:

They're by a Spanish company, so slightly quirky, but I love them!! I couldn't have chosen a better pair myself! (Although, I have to say, I was so desperate for her to have something that fitted that I really wouldn't have minded what colour they were!!)

Here are a few more pictures of her enjoying them (and the sunshine)

New House

Well I now feel pleased enough with the lounge and dining room/snug to be able to show you a few before and after shots!!

To give you a bit of background...

...my husband and I have been renting for the last few years and moved to a bigger (still rented) house in our town last year - meaning to stay for a few years, or at least until my little helper is school age. However, my lovely in laws offered us the money to put a deposit on a house that would be big enough to get us a good mortgage.

So in March we started looking casually (not really wanting to move until the summer holidays) and by 28th May we had completed and moved in!!!!!

So a few weeks later, here are some before and after shots!

The Lounge...

The Dining Room...

Excuse the mess on the table in the dining room (we've just been putting up lights for the new kitchen!)


The Snug...

Oh, and my little helper's room...

I'll post later in the week about the new kitchen!! I'm SOOOOOOOOO excited about it - not just because we've been without a sink or cooker for 3 weeks, but because it's all mine and it's brand shiny new!!

Strawberries and 'Cream'

Last night we had a BBQ with my parents and my mother-in-law (having just moved and not yet unpacked we're trying to eat using as few pans etc as possible!!).

For pudding we had strawberries (and raspberries) and cream - boy oh boy was it good cream, so here is my secret recipe!!!

1 LARGE punnet strawberries

1 punnet raspberries (or blueberries etc etc)

1 tub of extra thick Jersey double cream

1 tub fromage frais (or creme fraiche, or marscapone)

icing sugar to taste

and the secret part...

vanilla paste

(not essence, flavouring or beans).

My mum makes this stuff last for ages, but it tends to last only a month or so in my cupboard. It goes in cakes, milkshakes, cream, custard etc. Great big dollops for me!!

Back to the cream ... if you add the paste to the cream, fromage frais and sugar you'll end up with something that looks and tastes like velvety ice cream (but not as cold).

Scrummy!

Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling

So... tomorrow is my mother-in-law's birthday and I thought I'd have a go at making something for her. Well back in February she went on holiday and managed to lose her jewellery roll, that we bought her a couple of years ago (she thinks she knocked it into the wastepaper bin), and it had all of her favourite things in it.

I had a search online and found this tutorial by Helen at Angharad Handmade. I adapted it a tiny bit by adding an extra pocket at the top (just to slip bangles etc in) and I couldn't find any poppers I liked, so it has a button and ribbon to hold the ring-holder down.

What do you think???

I'm soooooooo chuffed I managed to put in the zips (not something I've attempted before!!!)

My Little Helper

Just wanted to show off my beautiful little helper!!

Here she is occupying herself while I pack boxes (we move at the end of the week)

So engrossed she didn't see the camera!

The armchair doesn't usually live in the garden, but while the sun is out it's making room for even more boxes!! Cloth bum looks great in the sun too don't you think?

It has been a very long time!!!!

It's been over a month since I last wrote on here! Terrible of me really! I keep popping on and thinking about it and then not taking photos of the things I want to write about, so logging off again and promising to come back later!!

Well, in the last month we have exchanged contracts on our first house!!! So as soon as we complete I'll get some 'before' pictures up, and hopefully (fingers crossed) after the bank holiday weekend I'll be able to put a few 'after' pictures up too!!

I've finally finished all but two of the hats I had orders for - just need to crack on and finish them this weekend. I have a couple of aprons to make too before I pack my sewing machine.

Sorry for the lack of pictures or content, but I'm off to mark some SATs papers while my little helper is sleeping!

I promise I won't leave it a whole month before I'm next about!!

Here Comes the Sun

Finally two consecutive sunny (and warm) days!!! We've been outside playing in the garden, so I thought I'd pop on and show you all!
Also, poor Emma is stuck in her office, so I hope it might cheer her up (and any other people stuck at work)!!

Football team endorsed bucket and spade - Daddy will be proud!

It's a shame that stones are so much more interesting than toys! I spent a few minutes trying to persuade her that she really ought to spit out the one that she was trying to chew!

These are just a couple of pictures of my flowers - the daffodils, cowslips, hyacinths and anemones have taken over from the crocuses I posted about before.