Firsts of the year!

The warm weather has brought out two monumental pastimes today....

The roof went down on my convertible car... Hooray - Summer is finally here xx




Random photos on the way home from work!




And then what better way to top off a glorious evening than with a Bar-b-que... not forgetting the Rose!



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Nearly finished...

We are lucky enough to be going on another cruise this Summer and Nina, who has just turned 13 doesn't want to have to wear short dresses on formal nights, when the rest of us do...

There is definitely a missing market... everything we've seen is too much like a bridesmaids dress. I'm not saying we haven't found anything suitable on the Internet, but when you look into the small print, you can't return the items as they have been made to order!

So Plan B had to be actioned... which involved me getting out my sewing machine. Each pattern Nina picked was an adult size and Nina still fits into child's size 10 so I was faced with adapting a pattern as best as I could. And only having the girls every other weekend meant that I had to plan in the sewing when Nina was around. Yesterday was deemed the day!





Apart from needing a zip and the obvious hemming (which my Mum is sorting) the dress was finished.





Nina said she "felt like a princess"

Bless xxx




It's all worthwhile for a face like this! Especially as I have already committed to a similar red version of the above!

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I love this game...

And it's not Draw Something, although I am totally hooked on this and will no doubt be blogging about this addictive game soon!

It's Chinese Whispers that Rebekah Day is running over on the ScrapaGoGo CH.

I am so enjoying it, and was so glad that this time around I got a space! I received from the lovely Ally and forward to another equally lovely Ally (no excuses for getting names wrong!)

Here's my take on this months layout, using a few bits from the delicious ScrapaGoGo April kit, along with loads of my purchases from the GoGoGetaway.

I've been saving the Prima gates for a while now and finally relented to committing them to a layout - makes way for more shopping!

I'm very into using dressmaking patterns on layouts at the moment - they featured on my layouts on my last post too!

How gorgeous is the envelope Prima trinket, bought from the GoGoGetaway shop - they all flew into everyones shopping baskets and then someone must have changed their mind... I was in the right place at the right time and so they hopped into my basket!

It's been a while since I blogged a layout!

I suddenly realised it's been a while since I blogged any layouts, so I decided what better way to spend a few minutes before settling down in front of the fire to watch Friday night TV was to post...

I created both of these layouts whilst away on a girlie scrapbooking weekend back in February!

They both incorporate my love of dressmaking patterns - I love the aged instructions you get with vintage patterns and the patterns themselves, whether new or old!

Handmade by Olivia is simply that - for part of her A-Level course she had to make a garment and created this almost fairy like outfit for her sister Olivia. I dug out some older stash and used it with some recent Kaisercraft papers.

The second layout features a simple cardstock background, made textural by using my lastest fad - gesso! By brushing on paint with a dry brush leaves a fine layer of paint with a vintage feel. I found some postcards at IKEA which are cheap as chips and ideal for either distressing or simply using in layouts. I used everyone's favourite - a KI Memories swirly title...

How many of us still adore these?

What a cake for a teenage!!!

Today Nina is 13!

Can't Adam and Eve it!

Currently having a late lunch with the Birthday girl, Harvey and my parents at a lovely pub in Etwall... Before we left Nina was presented with her birthday cake, based on a pinterest image I'd found!

As my Mum asked us to bring the camera I knew she was pleased with the result!








Nina was thrilled xxx

She's taking bookings LOL

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They say the best things are worth waiting for...

"Going For A Song" April Kit

Follow your heart and sing a happy song as you join us in being surrounded by charming delights and pretty jars of twinkling lights.

The ScrapaGoGo April kit has definitely been worth the wait... it's STUNNING, so without further drooling, I'm off to play!

Fun in Southampton and remembering the Titanic

How time flies when you're having fun!

Just left Southampton bound for Shropshire, via Burton-on-Trent so about three hours drive ahead for us...






Poor Caitlin has revision to do but we're all feeling a tad sleepy... all except the driver, I hope!

After a lazy morning, we walked into Southampton centre to visit a fabric shop that Petrina, my sister-in-law recommended as being a cheaper alternative to the one I purchased dress fabric from in Shrewsbury... it was cheaper... much cheaper!

I have agreed to make Nina a couple of full length evening dresses for the formal nights on our cruise as we have searched and searched for some and found nothing! We bought some teal fabric in Shrewsbury and then today bought some fabric to make a red dress for a third of the price... bless, little lady in red xxx

Today marks the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and as it sailed from Southampton a large number of adults, children and babies who sadly perished were from there, so we stopped at a monument dedicated to the crew who died to pay our respects






Some had left very personal messages, and a mark of respect I didn't take any photos but one message really struck a chord...
"Dear Great, Great Grandad, you were very, very brave, Lots of Love, Ella"
He was an officer on the ship and went down with it.
God rest his soul...

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