Miss Molly and lots of brollies!

Hello! Thought I'd post today since it's the last day of March and I've actually got my April pages for the 365 challenge ready to go! Here's the March set, as of a couple of days ago...

I read it all back the other night - March was BUSY!! Really pleased how it turned out - especially since I was ready to rip it out of the book and do it over when I first started - thanks Paul for persuading me not to!

And here is April...

Here's how I made the brollies...

...punched along the edge of the paper with a scalloped square punch

...used a large circle punch to create the top

...1 down, 29 to go!

...drew around the shape with a black pen

...writing 'april showers' on a few

...added handles, doodly bits and a few raindrops too.

Today though it's snow boots and a shovel we need rather than a brolley - the snow is back!! It's SO cold outside with a biting wind so it's not even as if the kids can go out and play...Such a difference from the weekend when we spent all Saturday in the garden - planning, playing and planting.

We haven't done much to the garden since we moved here a couple of years ago. We laid turf, created a play area for the kids, got a deck built last year and the front is planted with some trees and flowers but this summer we are determined to get it all looking lovely. Now have a plan that we're happy with so it's a case of getting the work done. Bought some apple trees for a mini orchard in the far corner, getting a quote for a second deck to put the summer house (or vintage caravan!) on, Paul has drawn a plan for the sheds (toy, tool and potting) up the side of the house and the kids are going to have their own vegetable beds at the other side. A wormery's also on the wish list after James and Harry found lots of worms in the garden on Saturday and wanted them to have a home...

Molly had a great time helping them and James was a really good big brother, keeping an eye on her and helping her out...

She came in briefly for a chocolatey treat but wanted right back out again...

She was filthy by the end of the day but very happy. At one point James said "I really think you should put Molly in the bath now, Mummy" She must have been dirty! Here she is scrubbed clean a while later giving Daddy a kiss...

I'm onto the 2nd week on Art Journalling 101, an online journalling class with Dina Wakley. Have had a few teething problems - like finding the links for the classes which was a pretty major one! Also the book I had planned to use wasn't suitable, the paper was too thin, the Gesso I had wasn't thick enough and my biggest brush was way too small! After a quick trip to Hobbycraft I am now playing catch up! Will post some pics next time when there's something to show other than sheets of paper with white paint drying!!

When I was getting to grips with it all on Sunday evening, Molly amused herself playing with the colours I had chosen (before I realised my materials weren't up to the job and there was no chance of getting to the next stage!) How much fun can a baby have with a few Paint Dabbers?!? She would have had even more had she figured out that the lids came off...!

That's all for now - Paul's going offshore tomorrow morning until Tuesday so we're off to roll some eggs down the stairs then stuff ourselves with chocolate in front of a movie!! Happy Easter to everyone, have a lovely weekend. xx

Where to Start...?!?

This is what happens when I leave over 2 weeks between posts...I don't know where to start! Am going to have to rely on the photos I've taken to jog my memory and you might want to grab yourself a cuppa - you could be in for a long read!

Better start with Harry's birthday. Our little boy is now 4 which seems very grown up all of a sudden. Got his Nursery letter through today confirming he'll be starting at Ellie and James's school in August - scary!! He's a force of nature our Harry - strong willed, funny and with nothing to learn. My Mum reckons he's been here before and my Dad always says "There's only one Harry..." Thank goodness for that!! He didn't talk until he was around 20 months - he had ongoing hearing problems from birth so we used sign language to ease the frustration he felt trying to communicate. Now, he won't stop talking and since he got his hearing aids a few months back his speech has improved so much.

His birthday was during the week so at Playgroup, he brought in little chocolate cakes for his friends to share. We went out for dinner that evening but as we were about to start I got a phonecall from my Mum saying that my Granny had been taken into hospital with a problem with her heart...this started days of worrying, travelling up to Elgin to visit her, trying to get her to take it a bit easier and all realising that (despite what she might think) Granny Ruby is not invincible. She never stops despite being 79, she is a lovely Granny and we all adore her. She makes me laugh, is always on hand for cooking/sewing advice and makes the best pancakes ever. She is home now thankfully and says she's resting but I highly doubt it...!

This was all mixed in with getting ready for Harry's party, a bag pack at M&S on the Saturday for Playgroup, a study group which was supposed to be at our house but with all that was going on was held at Ellie's friend's house (thanks Catriona!), my friend's Mum's funeral in Edinburgh which we sadly couldn't attend and the usual mini dramas that family life brings!! Anyway, here's the preparations underway for the Race Car party...

Went to bed exhausted but in the morning it was Mother's Day and I was woken up with a lovely surprise...

...breakfast in bed!

Got some special cards too...

...and some lovely presents.

Got a bit of a lie in with my book but once I got up, I hit the ground running - party time! We set up 4 race tracks and the kids were split into 4 teams and all had team t-shirts to wear. Four Dads, including Paul were the Race Marshalls and took their team around the tracks making notes on how they were driving, best crash, fastest lap time and who improved the most. They had a great time, especially the girls! Everyone got their photo taken on the 'podium' and there were prizes for each team. Here are some piccies from the afternoon...

After everyone had gone, Harry opened his presents...there seemed to be a bit of a theme going on with some of them!

Can't wait till Toy Story 3 comes out!

Got the March pages of the 365 Challenge completed - yay! Determined to be more organised with April's!

Wrote 'march' over and over again to create the ribbon for the bunting...

...and stuck down the top edge of each triangle.

Not been much more creating going on but did do a mini art journal in a fit of frustration the other day. It certainly helped me work a few things out and start to ease some the negative stuff that I was trying to deal with. It's not something to be shared in detail but it should be included in this post as it's been an important part of my week.

It's a very small notebook that happened to fall off a shelf in my study at just the right time. I grabbed a handful of pens and wrote down an emotion or a feeling that I wanted to work through on each page. Didn't use any images, just doodled and journalled.

In hindsight, I should have glued a few pages together as they are quite thin but I'll go back and cover them, maybe with an image. Have signed up for Dina Wakley's Art Jounalling 101 which started yesterday. Would have loved to have made it to her class at AFTH but am looking forward to learning some of her techniques. Will post the results of the first lesson soon!

Ellie and I did a bit more work on her 7 Gypsies printers tray last week...

...nothing's stuck down yet so it can be tweaked till she's happy with it.

We made a little CK shop by cutting down a postcard I picked up in the Windsor branch and adding a punched canopy.

This section lifts up so secret notes can be left or the odd sweetie hidden!

Having so much fun doing this with her and seeing it all develop and change. I think we'll be sad when it's finally done - if that ever happens!

A few other things to share...almost done, honest!

One of Harry's favourite birthday presents - a Buzz Lightyear Hot Wheels track - hours of fun!

Race Marshall Molly shouting Ready, Steady, Go! in her own unique style...

Pretty flowers from Kirsti

Posted this jewellery hanger a while back - it's now loaded!

Paul spent the weekend in Dublin with some mates and went to see the Scotland v Ireland Rugby match - Scotland won!!!

He brought me back some Red Roses bath oil - love it. Reminds me of the 'perfume' I would try to make with roses from my Granny's garden when I was little - only better!

Saw this on Home Shopping Spy a few weeks back and have been dreaming about it ever since...I want one!

We were going to build a wooden summer house this summer but now we are on the lookout for an old caravan to restore!

Ooh - hot off the press! The postie's just been to deliver this - the prize I won off the Bo Bunny blog back in January!

Finally, the lovely Lesley has been blogging for almost a year and to celebrate she's having a giveaway! Hop on over to see her and leave a nice comment...you'll make her day and might win some gorgeous things! Also Elaine is celebrating her first year as a Stampin' Up demonstrator and it's her actual birthday soon too so she is giving away a fabby selection of products. Good luck!

Off to wipe more noses and dose more Calpol - Harry and Molly have horrible colds...poor babies. Have a lovely week - almost the holidays!! xx