Hey, I am still here!!

And I have been busy. Not necessarily with craft activities, but busy anyway ! Life is good. Kids are enjoying their Easter break and I can finally spend time creating in the evening. No classes preparation, just the small matter of entertaining three children, keeping the house and the ever growing garden tidy, planing the imminent extension and trying to find time to keep fit. So far, so good.

So, here is what I have been doing since I last wrote on the blog.

This page is about our February half term holidays when my Dutch friend Mariska and I decided to spend a week in a caravan in the UK with 5 kids, including a baby!!. It did rain all week, we did have moaning kids and fall outs and stroppy teenagers to deal with, but we had a great time and I would definitely do it again, may be not in February though!!

The next lay out is also about Mariska ! This page is to remember our holidays in La Clusaz, French Alpes. But it is mostly to remind me when I am old, how much fun this amazing lady is.

The third lay out, ( I told you I have been busy!! ) is about Amelie and Violette. My two beautiful daughters. They don't actually get on that well. They tend to annoy each other but when they do, they are very funny to watch and it is a rare opportunity to take a great picture.

And finally, and it is a shame the picture is rubbish, (I will take another one ), the fourth lay out is about Mad March Hair Day, this special day at school when children can have their hair as mad as they dare. It is a really amusing thing to do and children love it, well, actually, Harry isn't that keen, but then again he is a bit funny about his hair! The pictures on that day always come out great and colorful and I have enjoyed making a page every year. 

And that's it. 

Funnily enough, we have spent some time this afternoon with Amelie looking at old scrapbooks. I forget how much I like looking at them. My style as changed so much over the years. But what I have realised is that as time has become more precious, I might have spend less time making sure that the page is perfect and more time writing the story behind the picture. It is the journalling that keeps the memories and I feel so emotional reading how my life has changed and remembering what the kids have done and said. For all of you reading this, do keep a diary of your life, because it will be such a wonderful present for your children or whoever cares about you. I wish my parents had, may be I would feel I know them and understand them a little better if they had.

On this note, have a wonderful Easter, may the "Giant Bunny" or the "flying Bells" bring you lots of nice treats!!

Joyeuses Paques.

Anne

My baby is one...

but since this is meant to be a crafty blog, I will start with a page I made on new year's eve! ( yes, I know, I am sad but this is what I really wanted to do! )

 

 

I enjoyed making the snow flakes with Gesso and glitter glue raided in the kids craft box. I love this picture and making this lay out made me realise how much I miss scrapbooking but I seem to have so little time at the moment. I wonder why that is!. I imagined Violette playing around with my stuff as I was scrapping on the table but the reality is if I am sitting at the table, she wants to be sitting there too, so it doesn't really work. Never mind, I have plenty of pictures in store for our next crop. (Claire this is a not so subtle hint!! )

Anyway, talking about Violette, she was ONE on Monday and after saying that I wouldn't have a birthday party for a one year old, here I was making paper pompoms and indulging my crafty cravings, printing tags and decorating the rooms in coordinated banners and balloons!
In fact, it all started with a cake... A good friend of mine said she knew someone who made amazing cakes and I could order anything I wanted and she would do it. Not being such a cake expert ( but fussy none the less! ) I thought we could may be have a pretty little girl, a book and a dog. ( Violette loves books and dogs. ) (I understand books, I love them too, but dogs... ). Anyway, the cake arrived and... well....it looked good with the caravan!! It wasn't quite what I had had in mind, but I couldn't politely refuse it, ( Yes, and I am French, since when do I bother being polite and mindful of people's feelings!) so I just said... oh, it is awfully nice! And there it was, I had to make up for the lack of taste of the cake with colourful and sophisticated decorations!!. Now, in case the lovely lady who made this cake reads this blog, I appreciate the work that went into making the cake, and it did taste divine, I am just a little fussy!! ( some people would even say very fussy!! )

I think Violette had a wonderful time and I think the other kids had a great time too, although, looking at this picture, I am not so sure!!

She especially enjoyed her cake...

 

and her balloons...

 

So to everybody who visited that day and made her birthday so special, thank you. Thank you for all the wonderful gifts, cards and best wishes.

 

Take care.

 

PS. weather is too awful to do anything in the caravan at the moment but hopefully we will get some time and dry weather soon.

 

 

Anne

 

Vendredi 13!!

Friday the 13 th and today my baby is 11 months!

This month has been quite hard with 3 teeth coming through, a trip to hospital with fever, lots of vomiting and a few horrible nights. But I am sure she is now on the mend and she will be her cheerful happy self very soon. This month has been the month of clapping, standing alone, singing, cuddling her baby doll, reading her own books, turning pages and lifting flaps, whizzing up the stairs and trying to climb up everything, pretend coughing and resting her little head on our chest. It sounds like a lot, and it feels like it too, constantly on the move!!

But here she is , cheeky as ever.

And her picture at 11 months. Getting ever so hard to take as she tries to jump off the armchair, I might just have to think about another idea for the next 12 months!

Now, I didn't get much time to do anything about the caravan this month. But the curtains are going up slowly: 5 made, 7 to go. Sounds like an awful lot left! The floor has gone up so we can fix it and put lino over it and although it looks horrible and cold, it was quite therapeutic to get rid of the old carpet!

We are thinking about putting a knocker on the door and finding a name for our new addition but we are yet to come up with anything clever or witty so if you have any suggestion, please write to me.

Well, millions of things to do. Just before I go and in case I don't have time to come back before Christmas, I wish you all a wonderful festive period.

Anne XXX

New hobby!!

Well, I did warn you that I was the queen of new hobbies, that hunt me in the night and keep me awake until dawn!! This time, it is a .... Caravan!! We have bought, well, it is a long story it was actually free but Andrew being the generous kind ended up paying for it ( not very much mind you!! ) but still, anyway, the result is, we have a new, no, let me rephrase this, we have a very old caravan now sitting on our drive. Looking very gypsy like, but this is just a phase! Bear with us and it will be looking gorgeous!! So, here is what it looks like at the moment!!

 

 

And after some sewing, and a few throws, it is already looking much better!!

I have actually made quite a few more cushions today but the light is low and until I get fairy lights, the pictures will have to wait! I already have a mood board, the doors and the floor are going to get a make over, it will look really fabulous...., one day...., if I ever finish!!

The other news is my baby turned 10 months this week. It is getting harder to take pictures of her sitting on her armchair as she is well and truly on the move and doesn't quite understand that it is picture time. So, before I even had time to take a good picture, this is what happened!

 

Jean Marie and Nathalie will be glad to know that the money box is safe and I eventually got one decent picture.

 

And I even got a picture of her new shiny tooth!!

Have a good week everyone, do stop and have a cup of tea in my caravan when you drive by!!

Anne X

 

Something to show...

I have had a little bit of time to make a little present for Amelie to remember her last birthday at primary school. I managed to finish it by working on it whenever I had 5 minutes ( believe me that doesn't happen very often in this house.). It is a mini book where she can write things that happened and who she invited and other stuff she might want to remember. Amelie likes it, but isn't half as enthusiastic as I am ( I wonder why, has she seen too many of these books in her short life time!! ), so I might end up filling it in!!. Here it is anyway!

Off to carve the pumpkin. Now, I am the one not that enthusiastic! I know I will be left with the dirty job!

Happy Halloween everyone...

Happy Halloween!!

Lovely windy day today. Had a great time in the garden with the kids. Making kites with Amelie and Harry while raking the leaves ! ( why you ask when we are expecting the mother of all storms?!! ) because it makes lovely pictures!!

 

 

Happy Halloween and have a great half term.

Anne

9 months today!!

Well, the birthday weekend never stops.

Amelie had a great time at her party. The girls made bird boxes, frames and canvases. They all look amazing, glitter, glitter and more glitter seemed to be the trend. But they also did really well at the decopatch and painting. I had to bite my tong a few times and let them get on with their ideas and use their own creativity. I am impressed. Now, I wouldn't put anything that they have done in my house!! But I like them!!

And after cleaning all the glitter, ( well, we did our best, I think that Violette's knees will be glittery for a long time!! )and eating lots, ( I mean lots!!) of cakes, we had a nice evening watching Strictly. Perfect!

And today, our baby girl is 9 months. Still adorable ( she is in my good books today, she has been sleeping well for the last couple of nights! ). Definitely on the move and getting extraordinary quick at it! Into everything that she shouldn't be touching and compulsively attracted to any wire or electronic devises she shouldn't be close to, let alone put in her mouth!

 

 I hope that you have had a nice weekend too.

 

Anne

Happy Birthday to my gorgeous girl...

Today is Amelie's birthday. She is just the happiest, most smiley, silliest daughter ever and I love her to bits

Happy Birthday gorgeous girl.

 

And what could be better than doughnuts for breakfast on your birthday!!

I hope you have a wonderful birthday weekend.

Mum XXX

What to do..

while you wait for the Sky man to turn up ? Play with your new water colour pens of course !. And for once, I love the result. This was so much fun. I will definitely do this again. And I am thinking it will be perfect for the paragliding pictures as I can choose any colours to match the sail. But better do a little ironing, just to say I have done something other than play today!

 

Anne X

Come fly with me...

I said I would finish a page this week. I still don't really like it, although I have kept adding stuff on. But at least, it is finished. I have decided that the reason I probably don't really like it is because the black and white pictures don't do it justice. I think I will make more pages of the day in bright colours.

 

I bought a few things yesterday at TK Maxx, including water colour pens and a few bits and pieces from Studio Calico. Hopefully I will get a chance to use them over the weekend. Please make it rain so I don't have to go outside and do some gardening!

Have a nice weekend everyone.

 

Anne X

8 Months...

Yesterday, Friday 13th, was Violette's eight months birthday. Our little baby is growing fast. She is very nearly on the move. Poor Amelie and Harry fear for your most precious and delicate stuff, Violette is coming. Out go all our ornaments for now, here come plug covers and cupboard locks!
But still looking oh so cute!

 

I have actually done a scrapbook page during the week but it is missing the "Je ne sais quoi " so I will have another look at it this week and see how I can improve it.

Next week is back to work for me. Violette will stay with a very lovely friend and I know she will be really happy so I am strangely looking forward to it. Slightly nervous that I won't remember how to teach, but excitedly feeling butterflies in my stomach at the though of standing in front of eager little eyes. We will see how it goes.

Rainy weekend here so sorting out all clothes. It is sad to put all the summer stuff away but comforting to bring old jumpers and thick socks out of the loft. Long lost friends!

Have a lovely week.

Anne

Back to normal.

Well, we have just come back from holiday in France and already the children are back at school. I miss them and they have only been at school for one day! I think that Violette misses them too, she must be thinking but where has my live entertainment gone!
We had a lovely time in the Alpes if we forget about the kids moaning every times we suggested another walk up a mountain. We actually decided in the end that it was better just walking down, so ended up taking cable cars up and walking downhill. Which I find harder than walking up, but never mind, at least that seemed to stop the constant whingeing!
We were lucky to all have a go at Paragliding, which was simply amazing and I would recommend to everyone. It is so peaceful ( until I get up there really and doesn't stop talking!! ). We also hired a motor boat on Lac D'Annecy which felt very posh if only for half an hour. Violette strangely didn't really take to it! But here are the pictures to show you all what we did!

 

And last but not least!

 

 

Best buy in the shop!!

 

And I forgot to show you the pictures of Violette at 7 months. She is actually eight months next week, so I am just a little late!

 

Still chubby, still happy, still super cute and very close to moving now!

 

I should be able to scrap soon, well, may be next week. Quite a lot of work to do this week.

 

I hope you all had a great summer break.

 

Anne XXX

 

No stopping me now...

We are back from holiday in Brittany with hundreds of pictures to scrap, two new magazines and a few bits and pieces from the art shop, I feel inspired!!
So, here is a page I actually made before I went on holiday, when my friend came over with a sketch to follow. Well, I did follow it to start with but then.. not sure what happened. Still, I like it and these pictures are just lovely on their own anyway.

and then, here is what I have been doing since I came back. A few late nights..


First page is about Harry. Harry loves being on the beach looking for crabs. That is basically all he does, all day, everyday when we are in Brittany. He is old enough to walk to the beach by himself now, so he goes and gets his net and his bucket and off he goes, often meeting and making friends on the way.This year, he found a crab that he could actually eat for the first time. I can't say that it would be served in a restaurant but still, he really enjoyed it and was very proud when my mum served it on his plate!

Next page is a page about Violette. She is still so cute and everybody in Brittany fell in love with her and her chubby little legs. you just want to kiss her all the time. Amelie took this picture, calling Violette. I love it. Violette is never happier than when her big sister and brother give her attention, so when Amelie called her, she was looking straight at the camera.

Next page is about Violette first swim in the sea. I don't really like swimming. Funny since I love being by the water but Amelie and my mum love it. My mum pretty much goes everyday until October when it really starts getting too cold but other wise nothing stops her, rain or shine. So she was very proud to be taking her baby granddaughter for her first swim. Violette loved it. She was wriggling her little legs, ate most of the sand on the beach and giggled away the whole time.

I really like this page because I have used colours I hardly ever use and I have used the sewing machine. I should use it more often, I really like this look.

And last but not least, my big girl has gone to camp this week. She will be away for a whole week. More than she ever has and I really miss her. We could send them a card so I thought I would surprise her and made her a little magic pocket card. I hope she likes it.

I have put glitter and butterflies inside which I know she likes and they can all move about when you shake the card.

I leave you with a few pictures from our holidays...

Anne