Weekend away.

As part of my birthday present, Andrew and the kids had booked a surprise weekend away to Dorset. We stayed in a holiday park, my idea of hell before I had kids but the prefect place now that we have three busy little people to entertain. The three day weekend was full packed with activities and discoveries. There was skiing, doughnutting, basket ball playing, fossil searching, ice cream licking, boat fantasying, the unmissable amusement spending, fish eating, go kart speeding, barbecuing, sleeping, live show watching, bingo playing, hmm, have I missed anything.. oh yes, beach strolling, sand castle making, hill walking, and lots of moaning, swimming, cooing, and stuck in the traffic I spying!!
But here are some pictures to prove it..

And if you wonder what the giraffe,( Greg is his little name) is doing on every single picture, you will have to ask Harry how he thought that bringing the school teddy with us was going to enhance our holiday break!! You don't know how stressful this is, trying not the lose the .... teddy. It is worse than loosing a kid, it is the school teddy, what a responsibility!!

Anyway, we had a great time and I fell in love with Dorset and I want to retire there but I am sure another ten million people do too so we will only ever be able to afford one of these static caravans!!

This week is our gorgeous baby girl 19th week. Looking chubbier everyday but still the cutest baby in our eyes.

and because I know my mum wants some more pictures...

I hope you have enjoyed half term too.

Anne

What a weekend!!

It all started on Friday night, with my birthday party. 28 girl friends came to celebrate my birthday at a Robbie William tribute in a hotel near us. Now, I am not the biggest fan, well, he is kind of nice but I wouldn't necessarily pay to see the real guy, but this chap was really good fun, cheeky and talented. We all had a fantastic night. Well I hope people did, I know, I had a great time and it was so lovely to have all my friends around. All the men babysat, which was also a nice change!

I stayed the night and had breakfast with some friends and when I got home Andrew and the kids had lots of surprises for me and gorgeous food ready on the BBQ. I felt a bit worse for wear on Saturday but I blame it on Mariska's snoring.
On Saturday night, the Eurovision was on and as sad as it sounds, we love watching it and Grahame Norton's comments always make me laugh.
And Finally on Sunday, I did a 5 hours cookery course and in farm near us. It was great, especially since a friend of mine was also there. I ate in enough in a weekend to last me for a month. I dare try the skinny jeans I wore on Friday night, they would probably burst!!

And now for the cutey Violette 18 week picture...

 Still the easiest baby in the world! But I am sure I will eat my words one day!

Have a great week.
Anne

Happy birthday...

baby girl, 4 months today, that is 17 weeks.

 

And because it was difficult to choose, here are the other pictures taken today.

 

 

Have a great week everybody, I know mine will be eventful!

 

AnneXXX

 

 

Another day late!!

but we were away for the weekend so here is the 16 week old picture.

 

I know, the body is dirty, but I thought I would leave it this way to remind myself that it was the week she started eating. Well, tasting more than eating, judging by how much goes on her clothes more than in her mouth!

 

And just because I love this picture...

 

Have a nice week everyone.

Anne

 

So much to tell !!

Well for once I have something else than Violette to show this week! But since I know a lot of friends and family just check the blog for the pictures of Violette, here is the 15 week update, and because I didn't know which one to pick, this week you get two pictures!

She is smiling in the second one, promise, this isn't a cry!

But now for the scrpabooking. I was lucky enough to spend the day at our local crop on Saturday and I had a really productive day! First we made a page with the lovely Lisa at Artfull Scrapbooking. I always love what Lisa does but it takes me a while to like what I do when I follow her instructions. But this time, I loved it straight away. The page didn't take half an hour to finish which is super quick for me. It is bright, funky, messy, I love it.

 

The second page I made, didn't quite turn out how I wanted it to be. But still I like it. Clean, simple and girlie.

 

Now, the third page I made, took a lot longer to finish. I wanted to follow a sketch I found at   Creative Scrapper



I knew I wanted to paint my circle and found the perfect colour thanks to my lovely friend Rosemary but then, I don't know, it just didn't work. I had painted in on a white cardstock, that another friend had kindly given me, but I wasn't happy with it. I continue my page on Sunday, well, in fact started all over, with the kids around painting too. It got really messy and we had to use kitchen roll to clean everything and that's when I got another idea, and somehow, I just looovve this page, Grungy, very yellow and definitely messy!

This page also links to the Scrap friends challenge that encourage you to use this colour palette:

So what do you think, three very different pages but which one is your favourite?! have a good week.

Anne

 

14 weeks

and definitely into chewing everything in sight, so it was quite hard to get a picture with her hands out of her mouth so unfortunately, not a great a picture!

See you next week.
Anne

I should really be working...

but the weather is nice... I spent the morning at a friend drinking tea... I am tired because Violette didn't sleep well... I have to think about what to cook for the party I am going to tomorrow...I could think about ten millions other excuses but really I should get going and do some preps, so  let's make this post short.
Here is another page I made this week, I am on a roll, no stopping me now!!

 

 

 

This page was fun to do. I first had to make a stencil and use Gesso, then cut lots of triangles. I then added lots of bits and pieces on the theme of parcels. And here we go, messy start for quite a clean page in the end. And because the Studio Challenges is encouraging you to use masks this week, I thought I would enter their competition.

Right, back to work it is then.

Anne

At last..

Some time and inspiration to scrap. I really, really enjoyed making this page. I had bought some magazines when I was in France but hadn't had a chance to look at them until last week. They are full of good ideas and I couldn't wait to try a few. So here is my first page in ages !

 

I love this picture of the girls, they both look so happy together. Amelie loves to give Violette attention and Violette seems very pleased that someone comes to her every time she shows any signs of boredom.I wonder how much Violette is going to miss her now that she has gone back to school. I know I will! She and Harry are great little helpers.

 

 

And now a picture for my lovely sister who keeps sending me parcels full of goodies...

 

 

 

 

I wasn't sure at first but this cardigan is growing on me and it looks really cute on. So thank you!

 

And now for the 13 week picture...

 

 

and because time goes by so quickly, here is the difference 13 weeks make...

 

 

 

from skinny to chubby!!

 

Speak to you soon.

Anne

 

 

 

 

12 weeks...

Not quite three months but not very far at all...

 

We now get massive smiles, well Harry gets the biggest if it was to be a contest

and we even get the odd chuckles, this is just such a great age. We have been going swimming during this holiday and although it takes a lot of organising and bag carrying when you are taking three kids, it has been lovely to have fun all together.

We went pottery painting last week and here is what we have made. Not sure it will ever get first prize in any exhibit, but we like it! And yes, I am very proud of my little hearts inside the cup!

Enjoy the rest of your holidays.
Anne

Nearly three months...

11 weeks.... time flies and it is only when we meet up with younger babies that we realised how far we have come already. We went to Brittany at the weekend and met my brother and his wife and new baby Louise. She is sooo small or may be Violette is sooo big!!

and if you can't see her cheeks from far, here are a few closer shots!!

 

 

I will have some pottery to show you next time. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying your Easter break.

 

See you soon.

 

Anne

 

A day late

but we were busy yesterday so here is the ten week picture...

 

Definitely filling out and officially sleeping through from 18.30 to 07.30 with a bottle at 22.00. Life is good!!

 

I had time to work on my mini book last week. I managed to make the front cover and add a page about sleep.

 

I like the front cover as I have used different little things that were given to us, including the ribbon we had on flowers, a giraffe on a card, the fabric of the curtains in her room. And the actual card board was from a gift box. It feels more special that way.

Anyway, I wish you all a lovely Easter break.
Speak to you soon.

Anne

 

She did it !!

I am not going to bore you with it but last night Violette slept for 7 hours!! Houray!! the fact that I didn't sleep because I was convinced there was something wrong with her is another matter, but we are slowly getting there.
And here she is, 9 weeks and looking chubbier by the minute!

 

Should have time for some scrapbooking this afternoon, so might have something to show you other than a cute baby next week!!

Take care

 

Anne

 

quick update..

This week Violette is two months and is proud to announce the birth of her little cousin Louise, born on Sunday.The photo shoot was fun this morning and I couldn't possibly choose just the one picture so today I give you three !!

 

Have a great week.

Anne

7 weeks

Times flies and baby grows...She went to the creche for the first time this morning while I went to Yoga. It is nice to be back but very hard to leave Violette with strangers. Well, I know the ladies well as Harry and Amelie both went to this creche, but she is only diddy and I spent most of the practise worrying about her. It will get better, I know!

I had time to make a very simple Thank you card the other day. It is for a cousin of my mum who sent a beautiful wrap for Violette.

Back to cleaning and tidying !

Have a lovely week.

Anne.

Thank you Lesley

This picture is for you Lesley, thank you for the cute little shirt!

 

Anne XXX

A picture for Jana !!

This picture is for you Jana, Thank you ! XXX

Anne XXX

6 weeks.

I have been looking forward to this week as I remember Amelie and Harry giving us their first smile and life getting somehow a little easier. Well, we haven't really had proper smiles yet and life doesn't seem any easier !! I am busy with French this week and the sleepless nights are starting to get to me. But I am not here to complain, Violette is a star during the day and she really is an easy baby, she just likes to sleep with me!! 

 and here she is a 6 weeks...

 

 and since she never wants to look at the camera when I take the weekly picture, here is her little face.

Not much on the crafting side of things. I am going to a big show near me on Friday though, called Make It. I don't really like the show, and I never really find anything interesting there, oh, yes, I bought some masking tapes last year, but I still like to go in the hope that one year, there will be something I really love. And I could do with some basic items like double sided sticky tapes and stuff. And talking about craft, my sister and my very good friend, both made me gorgeous blankets for Violette. I had hoped to take great artistic pictures of them, but the weather isn't helping so they will just have to be normal pictures !!But still both blankets are truly beautiful.I use the one my sister knitted me in the cot and the one Claire crocheted in the pram.

 

I hope you all have a good week.

 

          Anne.

5 weeks

I haven't forgotten! just busy with the kids at half term.

Here is Violette at 5 weeks.

 

These little thighs are getting chubbier and she can stay awake for much longer now. We are still waiting for real smiles, although she has lots of practise ones as she falls asleep. And no.. still not sleeping through the night! So just stop asking !!


Have a lovely week.
Anne

Lovely weekend

It started on Friday night and I went to see Les Miserables with a friend. I cried the whole way through, singing along the famous songs I had heard so many times before at the musical in London. (It was my favourite show when I was young and working as an Au pair.). I thought the actors were amazing and all deserved an Oscar but I was the most touched by Fantine's solo. Truly fantastic.
Then on Saturday I went for a day scrapping with some lovely ladies. I must admit, I did struggle leaving Violette behind for a day, well, from 10.00 till 15.00 but I still had a great time and as usual I ate far too many cakes and chocolates, hence I am starting my diet today ! ( hmm, how long is this one going to last !! ).
The gorgeous Lisa taught us through a class in the morning. Again, I was taken away from my comfort zone with some serious misting and scrunching and general mess but I like my page and it will be a lovely souvenir. Firstly because of the hidden journaling but also because I will remember this page as my first day away from my baby and I must confess, Andrew and the kids did manage well without me. ( sadly !! ) ( It is hard admit that your baby can be happy without you ! ). But anyway, here is the page...

I also got time to add a few pages to my mini book. I am really enjoying this and hopefully Violette can look back and see what a gorgeous baby she was. ( Am I been biased here !! ).

 

 

 

Talking about Violette. ( This is all I seem to be doing these days, when I am not finding myself talking about poo !! ) , she is 4 weeks today, horray, and growing nicely. She can now hold her head and focus. She enjoys her baby gym and can stay awake for up to two hours. She is still not sleeping through before you ask, but it won't be long before she only needs feeding twice between 19.00 and 07.00, so I can't complain. Well, ok, I will because last night was not such a good night and I feel and look like ... today !But here she is..

 

 

 

 

Have a good week everyone. It is still snowing out there so hopefully it will settle and we can have a quiet week off school !!

 

Anne