Eleven Month Mabel

Time has just flown by and all my intentions of keeping a monthly baby record of my last baby seem to have been absorbed in the busy reality of life.  Hundreds of images safely stored on my  hard drive until such a day when I will finally  have  time to sort through precious reminders  of her first  year.

This blog has also fallen to the back seat of busy life: I was considering closing it when I looked back at my early posts and realised my series of 'Ruby months' began at the age her small sister is now. It seemed like a great opportunity to compare them as they grow.

Capturing eleven month Mabel was not easy, she is at that put everything into your mouth stage, in the end I decided to remember that.  Her sweet little chubby hands will grow so fast.

Still using this old pram, a perfectly safe place for her to safely survey the family mayhem.

A month of new adventures for this little lady; leaving Mummy as she returned to work, the cries as I leave her are finally subsiding which makes for a much happier me. Adventures on the back of a bicycle and swimming for the first time have all contributed to a busy month.

This sweet and happy soul seems to take it all in her stride.

She reminds me so much of her older sister at the same age in this picture.

How do you store precious images? 

Do yours get lost on a hard drive too?

Day at the Palace

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while will remember the exciting news we received last January;  my Grandma was nominated for a new years award for services to old and vulnerable people. Sadly she did not live to collect the award in person but her memory lived on last week as various members of the family made the trip to see the Queen and receive the honour posthumously.

As it turned out it was Prince Charles and not the Queen  who was the royal at the investiture ceremony,  although this  did not detract from the beauty of the occasion. The nominated family members received an official purple invite to Buckingham Palace along with a huge list of important procedures to follow. Day dress and a fascinator were the order of the day, which left us feeling very over dressed as we battled  the busy commuter  train.

A ride in an iconic  London taxi felt rather special as we entered the palace,  where after showing official identification we were admitted behind the iron gates. 

Missed the changing of the guards, but were amazed to see them inside the palace standing so still we thought they were statues.

Depositing bags, coats and cameras in the cloakroom we freshened up in the toilets. Not as grand as I would have expected but it was very reassuring to be surrounded by other beautiful ladies with gorgeous outfits and hair arrangements.

Walking into the beautiful ballroom, surrounded with magnificent  paintings and  listening to exquisite music  whilst sitting on a velvet bench felt incredibly grand: The perfect background for such a  special occasion.

The ceremony lasted for around an hour and a half, the musicians played from the balcony throughout as the enthralled audience watched their loved ones being called and then receiving their award. We saw someone being knighted and read of the many amazing reasons everyday people had been chosen to receive either an MBE, OBE or other prestigious awards. It was really moving to hear of the awards given in the face of death or see a sweet elderly couple enter hand in hand to  receive an award for services to fostering.

It was incredibly special to hear my Grandma's name and know all her hard work had been recognised.

It was also lots of fun to hold the award in the courtyard as we battled the freezing wind and posed for photographs.  

My beautiful mum and daughter.

The beefeaters were very obliging, even to middle girl who unbeknownst to me had  taken her plastic pig and cow to the palace, don't think they were on the official list!

Hearing the national anthem, joining in the ancient ceremonies of the investiture and  being caught up in the amazing emotion of the day,  left me feeling very proud to be British and part of something so glorious and long lasting.

Have you ever had a "proud to be British" moment?

So that was January

Actually meeting May Martin, of Great  British Sewing Bee fame, a new series is starting soon and I am already looking forward to it.

Finding bargain craft books on this website and enjoying spending christmas pennies.

Saving water because we have just been put on a meter, not looking forward to that bill!

Making sweet baby shoes just as my small girl starts standing.

Covering chairs in fabulous fabric.

Hosting a super fun party for a beautiful fifteen year old.

Walking the dog amidst this dismal wet weather.

Covering a broken mirror frame in sticky blackboard paper and having fun doodling special messages on it.

Taking a few moments away from the mayhem of life to enjoy a candlelit catch up with the man.

Starting work again.

Valuing precious time with my gorgeous little lady who at just ten months is causing delightful disruption.

Totally late but happy new year, 

may it be full of beautiful memories!

What has been special about your wettest January on record?

Christmas came early

I have been on the look out for one of these beauties for a while now and watched several go for silly money, even after discovering a nifty local app to save postage costs. The ebay fairies were finally smiling on me this week when I won my very own  Singer 99K,  even easier the pick up was on my husband's way home from work. 

The cover is in good condition and surprisingly the machine is not hernia inducingly heavy.

Even more exciting was finding the manual still inside, 

those  fifties illustrations are fabulous.

Look at the  matching apron and curtain!

The box of bits looks fun and appropriately festive.

This interesting website dates the machine as being made in 1956. I just need to clean and oil her and then she will be ready to play.

I am so looking forward to using her.

Have you used one of these beauties? 

Surely I cannot be alone in my love for them!

Rocking the Pixie look!

Three years and eight months today and I am feeling a sadness that I fell behind with my "Ruby Months" pictures.  Somewhere between teaching full time, having a house full of chaos with building upheaval and a newborn these monthly reminders of how my sweet girl is growing got lost.  Such a lovely chatty child, truly kind, sharing with her baby sister and so full of character.  A unique sense of style as demonstrated by her random choice of outfits for pre school, her fashion statement  however is not contained to what she wears.

Three years & seven months

Baby had been ill so I stayed home from church with the little  girls  and while the smallest slept I took a shower.  Even the unusual quietness did not prepare me for the surprise ahead.

If I hadn't been so tired I might have been more concerned at seeing this on the chair, however  the fog of exhaustion lifted abruptly when I saw my beautiful girl.

Even combing the remnant of her pretty curls across did not help.

She had well and truly hacked her hair!

The front was also victim to the innocent enough paper scissors.

It couldn't have looked worse so taking my small sewing scissors I began a rescue operation.

Actually it looks okay (ish)

Ruby the pixie!

Have you ever had a similar experience?

I am just so glad it wasn't before an important event and that she hadn't played hairdressers on a friend!

A Moment to Make

When the most creative thing you have done in weeks is balance the bank account or stretch a bag of lentils into several meals. When the baby has been teething, the children ill and  it is raining and miserable outside; such times as these deem it necessary to ignore never ending chores and take a moment to make.

Having spent the last few months (years) sorting the clutter and stuff of our lives,   changing the furniture around and trying to make this oldpolicehouse into a place that works well for our family, there seems to be a lovely space for me in our now redundant dining room.  We still have no idea what to call this room, which as of  last week is now no longer a dumping ground.  A crafty study homework room seems to be the latest  name.

I've had a crafty corner for a while  but it was in the midst of a lot of boxes, bags and general household junk, those pictures were hiding a huge mess.  Not at all relaxing or inspiring.

It is still not finished but after a furniture shuffle the radiator is clear and the room works so much better,  just to keep it real you can actually walk in it now!

No one seems to mind that I am gradually taking it over with pictures and things that make me happy.

Love these vintage sewing items, the packaging is fabulous.

These victorian bible verses are beautiful, both to look at and read.

My Mollie Makes calendar is reminding me to get busy, happily I have a pile of delicious fabric to cut and sew.

My moment of making is set to start and I must grab it before the babe awakes.

What happy thing do you do in those moments to yourself?

Lasts & Firsts

Such a season of change in the police house, lots of lasts inevitably leading to new firsts. New schools, colleges, courses and jobs, all reminding me of how quickly small people grow.

Oldest boy, as ever leads the way into new paths as he left school earlier in the summer.

First Prom and how how did we miss the hugeness of that event for so many years? Such a fun evening watching beautiful teenagers make their entrance up the school hill to celebrate the end of an era. My boy and his pals made a spectacular entrance as they bounced up the hill in their finery.

Exam results, finally reaching sixteen, working, going to music festivals and enrolling in college for A levels: huge life events for this not so little boy (more for his mother in reality).

Starting new exam courses, babysitting, socialising, getting new piercings, we have hardly seen our beautiful girl this summer.

About to start the new adventure of senior school, having shared the ear piercing experience with her older sister,  my girl has spent the summer making amazing creations using duct tape and crafting beautiful friendship bracelets. A font of quirky knowledge and keeping us all happy with her delicious cakes,  this fantastic girl even sewed in her own name labels for her new uniform. That's a first I welcome.

The chilled peacemaker of the family is next, about to move into his last class of primary school this boy has truly discovered football. When not playing, or illicitly retrieving a ball from a neighbouring garden, he will be reciting a random football fact. Beating his big brother in the fantasy football league was the highlight of his summer. Easily forgiving  his mummy for getting the wrong time and accepting disappointment at being too late to enter the football league at church camp, this boy is such a star.

Another August boy has firmly put little boy toys behind him. All trace of toddler ness has been firmly ejected from his bedroom and he is sharing the football and cricket passions with his big brothers. Six years old and loving reading the beano and playing Lego batman, he has grown up so much over the summer. Another super star.

This small girl who is no longer small is leaving toddler times behind and rapidly developing into a little (bossy) girl. Still battling with the eye patch,  she gave a spectacularly stubborn performance in front of the consultant, hands clamped over her eyes refusing to play any eye test games. Not her finest hour, just as well we love her!

This little girl continues to charm us all with her giggles and smiles.

As the late September sun shines I want to capture this time; life is good and I am feeling very thankful.

Tell me a thankful moment for you!