Wishing you all a happy 2008

Happy

New
Year Everybody x See you all in 2008 x

Hugs & x

Catherine x

A wonderful Christmas day

Say hello to little Ava, as she enjoys her very first Christmas. Well done Sam and Paul she is just gorgeous.


Well Christmas day as now been and gone and I'm already thinking about what to do next year lol Anyone else doing the same?

We set off on Christmas Eve after dropping the cats off at the cattery, sorry pussy's but your be safe and warm there. And can have your presents when we get home, yummy treats and new bowls. The traffic was good up to Cheltenham and with only one stop we made good time and arrived about 2ish. The girls were very excited to see their Grandma and bounced around her flat stopping only to give her a big hug hehe!

I'm sorry if I bore with this post, there are just lots of photos. I had such a lovely time with my new family that I got a little camera happy hehe!

The girls couldn't wait to see Grandmas tree and just loved it with all the big lights off and just the trees left on. Why are Christmas trees so hard to photo? argh!

After a long day of traveling Molly and Daisy were tucked up in bed ready for tomorrows busy day, we all sit, chat and watch telly in the pretty glow of the tree. With a baileys or two ;)
Up at 8am on Christmas morning waiting to open up some presents Santa left under and around Grandmas tree but they had to wait just a little longer until we'd all had breakfast, mean I know but it's the most important meal of the day and all that present opening takes a lot out of you hehe! The look on Daisy's face just says it all "what I have to wait?"

Jade was very pleased with her money card, but you couldn't tell lol And she's been off in the sales already. Mummies little helpers with their own dotty aprons.
We got Molly and Daisy straight to work when they opened up this present. Well they had to earn their keep and they are never to young to learn lol


Daisy wasn't so sure lol




Jade treated both her sisters to a baby doll each and is here helping Daisy open hers. And she's ready with the milk for her babies first feed.



Molly is below cooking up a storm and I have to say a big THANK YOU to Sarah @ Paper-and-String for the gorgeous doughnuts, Vanessa @ Just Original for the girls cute dotty aprons (Daisy won't put hers on just yet hehe! little madam) and Sophie @ Sophie Stansfield Designs for the yummy cookies, gingerbread men and mince pies. The girls just love them all and have been playing with it all for days now and we've been pretending to eat them too. Yum yum!

You are all so very clever and I just love all your items, you have made two little girls very happy with their pretend food. Thank you x x x lovely ladies.

My Mum and Dad always like to send something that the girls can open up as well as money, Thank you Nana and Grandad. The wooden breakfast set works very well with the other play food. But it took Mummy half an hour to put the tray together lol as the screw holes didn't line up. Argh!
After all that unwrapping and play we where all getting ready for a yummy Christmas dinner, so off to the kitchen I went to help Ben with the veggies, pigs in blankets and sauces. Sam Ben's sister was bringing the Turkey over and we all sat down to eat about 2.

Thanks to Sam for cooking the turkey it was yummy and the whole came together nicely. And Ben your roast potatos and honey glazed parsnips rocked. I love that you can cook. x

I think Molly enjoyed the Christmas pudding the best lol and Daisy just had a bit of everything. Jade was the first to finish, she just loved it all. Especially the champagne with a sugar cube in it, for extra sweetness yum!
Crackers pulled and plates cleared. Viv Ben's mum got out the party poppers but poor Daisy got scared by the bangs, so they had to go away. lol
Out came more presents and cheers of delight from all. After thanking everyone for what we'd been given we all just chilled out on the sofa and chairs and enjoyed being in each others company.
All in all a lovely Christmas day. No Christmas afternoon walk for us though before we knew it it was dark out side and Paul our brother-in-law had to go off to work. He's a policeman and got the Christmas shifts this year :( poor sweetie. But there is next year to look forward to and his little angel Ava will be one and right into it all.
Everybody slept well on Christmas night and on boxing day we all just rested, no sales or shops for us. Just time together as a family.
I do hope all of you spent Christmas and Boxing day with loved ones. It's that what makes it a special time.
Ben and I got a couple of hours on Boxing day night to have a cold walk through Cheltenham promenade and he took this lovely photo of the lights.
We left Cheltenham on the 27th and picked up the cats that afternoon and they where very pleased to see us. But I think it was the new bowls and treats they where happy about lol

I just want to end this blog with a very big thank you to each and everyone of you that I've met on here and those of you I've been lucky enough to met outside blog land. You've all touched me in your very own special way. By inspiring me to move forward with my little business and do it the handmade way.

And I look forward to hearing and seeing all the new and exciting things planed for 2008.

Have a wonderful new years eve and day.

Big hugs and wishes to all x

Catherine x

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Having a break for a while and will be back in a few days, with photos and stories of our Christmas fun in Cheltenham. I want to wish all of you a very magical and happy Christmas. Spend it with loved ones, family and friends.


We didn't get a tree this year due to our flaming car breaking down, illness and no trees left when we did get out to bring one home :(
But the girls are only young and don't seem that bothered, they are just so happy to be going to Grandmas for Christmas and seeing her one. Bless them!
Ben did how ever put up Christmas lights everywhere in the living room and it now feels like Santa's grotto lol

I hung some tinsel and put out some of our favourite decorations, hope you like them too. Not the best photos the light isn't very good this time of year.

Well I'll leave you all now with big hugs and lots of thanks to everyone that left comments, emails and sent gifts to us. You are all very kind and have a special place in my heart.

And I'm looking forward to next year and hearing all your new tales of festive fun. Now I'm off to have some of this yummy pudding, anyone care to join me?

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas everyone and a happy new year. x

Hugs.

Catherine x

Christmas fete a naughty cake and the grinch!

Thank you to all you lovely ladies that sent me birthday wishes and get wells to the girls and Ben. They are now better and full of Christmas cheer. Although Daisy does still have a cough but that doesn't stop her bouncing around lol
Here's my stall, not the best photo but there was lots of other people taking photos so I hope to get my hands on a better one. It was a great day and lovely to be next to the fablious Claire from www.madeinpixieland.co.uk thanks honey for the fun and laughs, coffee and cakes. I'm so glad we met and that you live just up the road. Have a good Christmas. x And I'm looking forward to the next fair in the summer.


I can only say sorry for not blogging earlier about the Christmas fair but life has been a little stressed to say the least, sick children, one partner and 390 pegs to paint don't mix hehe! but I did it and can now put my feet up until the new year yeay!
And treat myself the girls and Ben to yummy naughties like these Santa cookies. From the best bakery in Rochcester http://www.tonylorenzo.co.uk/ well worth a visit if you're every near here. ;)

As you can see they didn't last very long lol
Last weekend I took Molly off on two buses over to Tonbridge to see Jade in her school play the Grinch. It was great fun and we both joined in with the singing and booing hehe! and Molly was delighted to be given a candy cane by one of the hooha's. And danced on the stage when it was all over and we where waiting for Jade to come out. Following in her big sister's footsteps I think.

Well done Jade we are very proud of you and you really looked the part. Can't wait to see you in the stars in your eyes next year. (not the telly one!).

Right I guess now all the stock is painted, wrapped and posted I really should start on Christmas at home. We have got the food and presents, it's just the trimmings left to put up.

Back soon with some more news and photos. Merry Christmas everyone and thank you again for all the lovely birthday wishes x

Hugs.

Catherine x

It's my Birthday!

Put the bunting up and grab a cupcake or two, today I'm 32.
And I've gone from this chubby cheeked bubba to this smiley mummy of 3 beautiful girls. I couldn't be prouder. And wouldn't be the person I m today if it wasn't for my loving partner Ben. Who lets me grow with every year and is behind me in everything I do. Thank you, you beautiful man. I love you x
(If you're wondering why Daisy's face looks so funny in this photo, it's full of white chocolate buttons. hehe! aren't Grannies great?)
Enjoy a couple of cupcakes with me and snowball or two lol well it is nearly Christmas, so it rude not too hehe! Thank you everyone who's wished me a happy birthday today.
Sadly poor Daisy and Ben have both been ill over the weekend and I've been looking after them today, so no cake or cards for me. I have been giving them lots of TLC, so they should be better soon.
I was a very lucky girl and they got me this gorgeous Nigella enamel utensils set. I just love them they match the spoon I picked up at the CL show in London. Thank you Short family, you know me so well lol
I'll be rustling up some yummy things using these very soon. x
My lovely Mum, Dad and Granny sent me money, so I'll treat myself to something. Jade got me Pirates of the Caribbean Worlds end, lots of yummy Johnny Depp. And Ben's Mum and Sister sent me Cath Kidston vouchers, yeay! I can't wait to use them. So a big thank you to all my family for thinking of me, I'll be sending little notes out soon. xxx

A little part of me was hoping for one of these cute fluffy things, as I do miss my Ronnie so very much. Not that I want to replace him, I could never do that. Just a small ball of fluff to play with. And a new little friend for Tom and Megan to love. Maybe next year after we've been to Ireland. We can get another kitten. Thank you again to all of you that sent me birthday wishes. And the lovely phone call I got from Kat in a flap. Great to hear your voice honey, thinking of you. x

Back soon with next of the fair and some photos.

Merry Christmas x

Hugs Catherine x

Over welmed by your kindness x

I have to start this post by saying the biggest THANK YOU to all you lovely kind people that left me messages of support and understanding.
I have just been so overwhelmed by each and everyone of you. Sitting reading them all made me feel a lot better about the thing.

So I wanted to share with you all the very last ever photo of him. He's sitting on the boxes under my work desk, right by my feet. I used to tiggle his ears and under his chin with my toes lol He used to love that and would purr.

This is what my darling Ben got done for me, my Ronnie can now go with me where ever we go, until we buy a home of our own and we'll plant a blossom tree above him. But for now he has pride and place on the fireplace. Wherever he is now he'll be laughing because he always tried to get up there but was just to fat and clumpy to make it lol

I just want to share two last funny thing I'll miss about Ronnie, the way he used to get under the sofa on his back, feet in the air claws stuck into it and slide around underneath it like he was on monkey bars. He'd race out with dust and fuzz all over his back and tail.

And how he'd clean the windows with his paws outside all because he wanted to come back in. I really should of made him some sponge mittens to wear, I could of hired him out and made a mint hehe! Miss you big old bear but I know I'll see you again someday. x

Thank you again everyone, I hope I can return words of kindness if anyone ever needs it.

Back on Monday with great and happy news of the wonderful Christmas fair I did on Saturday next to Clarie from Made in Pixieland.

Oh and my birthday. I'm going to be 23 again lol

Merry Christmas and lots of hugs x

Catherine x

On memory of Ronnie/Dougal 1996-2007

This is the saddest blog I've had to type, but on returning from a lovely weekend with family and friends. I found my beautiful boy had passed away down the side of the house and was no longer with me anymore.
So I thought I'd put some of my favourite photos of him on here in his memory.

He'd had this Mr mouse for years and it was his fav toy and he'd always beat it around the room and end up snuggled up with it somewhere. Sadly it got lost on our last move into this house, but he didn't seem to mind. As long has he had me, he was happy.
He'd sit in the funniest of positions but always kept his pride and dignity covered lol
And the other love of his life was Megan, I remember the first time we introduced them. I was so scared he'd just a attack her and the fur would fly. But no they just hissed at one another and then became the best of friends. And would snuggle up together in the oddest of places. This is them in the rabbit hutch. Soppy things.
One of the funniest things Megan used to do to him was beat him round the head (no claws out) and then just put her paw on his head so he couldn't move. All this took place ever meal time, it was her way of telling him no not your turn until i say so hehe! I never thought he'd put up with it, but he did and it was the funniest thing to see. This huge tabby being bossed around by the smallest little female. He did love her and she's missing him already.

I'll miss your purr, love and soft fur, the way you used to hang on to the back door, climb up my leg if I was cutting up meat for dinner, the way you used to know if a packet of pork scratchings was being opened anywhere in the house, your meaow, that sounded like "hello", how you could never make it over the child safety gate in one go, how you'd run out of the room if one or both of the girls screamed, how you'd come and sit with me when I was feeling ill or low and how you found me again when you got lost for 3 months and jumped into my arms and cuddled in to my neck and purred with happiness, full of ticks and fleas from all the farm fields the vet said, but you came home and found me and stayed with me for 12 years. Coming with me even when I left to start a new life. You have brought me so much happiness and have given so much love. I will miss you dearly.

Rest in peace old friend, see you someday.

Catherine x

A cold won't stop me.

Even with a nasty head cold I still got up and set off to the CL fair with my oldest daugther Jade and we had a lovely day.
I picked up one of these gorgeous duck egg blue enamel spoons and now I'd like to get some others to match it or in a baby pink, so I'm asking anyone and everyone for your help, if you know where I can get them please do tell. I'd be very grateful x
I have a thing for pretty floral tea-towels and found this lovely one for only £1.50 wow what a bargain, I'd looked at some others on another stall and they where £5 each and that was in there sale basket, their starting price was £8. I thought that was mad for one tea-towel, no matter how lovely it was lol so we walked away form that one. And I found this just waiting for me to buy it, so home it came.:)
I was very happy to see a few of my items left on a friends stall, she said out of about 160 items I'd sent her, there was only 6 left. So she was very happy also and placed another order with me there and then. You can imagine the smile on my face, from ear to ear it was. A very happy bunny I was. It's lovely to know people like your stock so much and it nearly all sells out. Maybe one day I'll be able to do the show myself, but that will take a lot of work and I don't want my little ones to suffer. When they start school, I'll look into it. What do you think?

After the good news and walking around the top half of the show, Jade and I made our way into the food court. This part of the show is great, because you can try before you buy. And really you don't even have to buy lol. So Jade and I tested all sorts of yummy things, Xmas pudding, mince pies, cheese, sausages, biscuits with chutney, sweets, fruits juices, coffee and I just couldn't not stop at the Sloe stand. Where I had a sloe whisky, hmmm that did my cold some good, (well it was medicinal and not a treat really) hehe!

After we'd eaten our way though nearly every stall lol we went down stairs for the last part of the show. Jade got her self a cute pair of fleece mittens and a couple of Christmas presents. I treated her to a pretty bath bomb with glitter and I got given a free cupcake soap, so that was a nice surprise. We got there in the light and by the time we'd finished it was dark outside. Ben called to make sure we were ok, he was getting dinner on for him and the girls. So Jade and I had a naughty MacDonald's before we set off home.

Molly's giving her fun day with Daddy the thumbs up and Daisy singing yeay for Daddy lol

Happy and sleepy we got in about 8.30 ish to find the girls all warm and fast asleep in bed and Ben resting on the sofa. They had been very good for their Daddy and had a fun day of play, treats and DVD's.
We all settled down with a cuppa and watched Casualty. A nice end to a great day.

Thanks to Jade for being a wonderful daugther and shopping partner. Lots of love Mum x

Back soon with more.

Hugs.

Catherine x