a rambling about books

Since having Alanna, in fact since moving to Stafford i've re-aquainted myself with the library. I've enjoyed ordering books and devouring them regularly:) 

Whilst my consumption of books has slowed in the last 9 months, my love of reading and books hasn't disappeared, and in fact i've probably got my 'fix' through borrowing books for Alanna. The library was a major feature of our new-mum social life. Bounce and Rhyme on a wednesday morning was just a part of it. I love finding new books for us to share, and for Daddy to enjoy reading to her.

 Whilst looking at all the new books it's been great fun to see all the books that i remember reading when i was little, are still popular too. It's brought back some fabulous memories. I'm lucky that in our family books were always about. They were fun, they were treasured.

 My sister and I shared them, we probably fought over them sometimes. I have vivid memories of books i read, library trips we made etc. Of course this was all before the internet was even possible.  Wendy ran her own little library, complete with tickets and cards, and when we moved house and couldn't take all the books we had with us, i remember being quite upset that they would be given to two boys who probably wouldn't look after them in the same way. 

The complete geek that I am, i can even remember where i was when i realised i could read to myself. without speaking out loud. LOL oh dear.. 

At christmas i asked my sister if she could remember a book we'd had.. i couldn't remember the title or the author, just that it was about a little girl and her teddy ans the publisher something to do with Golden. Being that much older she remembered more about it, and within seconds of googling on her iphone, there it was.. 'My Teddy Bear' by Little Golden Books. I read that book countless times and spent hours looking at the pictures (my favourite is the one with the little girl in the bath, for some reason the shape of the soap particularly pleased me!).

I hadn't realised until now, why I was so upset that the Booktrust funding had been cancelled. After all, i know that Alanna will always have books available to her.  But if i have such warm, happy memories of a very simple book from 30 years before, (not to mention all the books and associated hours spent reading and re-reading later on) then i'm sure that there must be other little boys and girls who would feel the same when they get their books from this scheme, and the thought of someone missing out on that is really rather sad. 

The {Joy of Love} Day 6

(ok, i know i'm likely to be going in the incorrect order, or missing a few days, but that's life!)

Who They Love

well currently, Alanna is loving the Zebra in particular from the FisherPrice set that Nanna & Pops bought her for Christmas. why the Zebra? Probably because it's black and white. She does seem to have a thing for Zebras:) she had a zebra on a baby gym that used to make her laugh constantly. ah the old days when i could plonk her under a baby gym:)

Flowers

I was lucky enough to be a winner in an instant win on the Fru website a week or so ago, and on Monday I received a fabulous bunch of roses from PurelyRoses.co.uk. This meant I still got some lovely flowers on Valentine's day, but that dh didn't have to splash any cash. 

Even better, was that the prize was for a bouquet for me, and a bouquet for a friend. So another one winged it's way to a friend of the family who is currently battling a rather nasty illness.
So, here's a couple of pics of the said flowers, and me playing with the macro setting!

Joy of Love: 3

bit late, but better late than never:)

here is a pic of Alanna when she was born, and from a couple of days ago. Even managed to get quite a close up:)

bwahahahah

well so much for a daily blog post in december.. i lasted all of 5 days!

ho hum!

but i'm back and trying again to meet a challenge "Show and Tell: The {joy of love}" basically a photo a day challenge, and hopefully i'll learn something about taking better pictures.
for today's challenge it was about taking a picture of what your subject 'does'. well Alanna plays, and grins a lot at the moment, so here she is:

snow, soup and decorations

Well the weather continued to be a pain. More snow,ice and fog meant it was probably stupid to try driving all the way to Derby just for a crop. So I stayed in,cleared the desk and got on with making some more cards. Can't say they were terribly indpired because I was in a rush,but its a few more done. Then I got on with the Snowman soup and reindeer food I've been planning.
Finally we got the xmas decorations

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3rd (ok its a bit late!)

Well another day with snow.really cold but I donned the layers and the ice gripper things for my shoes put A in her snowsuit and off we went in to town. Managed to get final bits of presents and ingredients for snowman soup. Then home for a nap,a chinese meal for one as DH was out for the evening. I even cracked open the Baileys:)

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2nd

Oh yes this is a lifesaver having a mobile app,I can post from under my duvet!
Today I decided we had to get out of the house,so we layered ourselves up and walked to the bank and then had a look at the xmas decorations in B&Q. Couldn't find a tree topper I wanted so home again to warm up. Yet more snow as we came back. It looks pretty and I'm sure when A is older we'll have fun in it,but I do hate either being stuck indoors not doing anything or having to trek places whilst trying not to slip over.
I definitely don't miss being pregnant in this weather,last year was a nightmare!

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December

Posting from my phone in the vain attempt that I can do a post a day in December. So hopefully this will work,if not it may be some time before I get my arse into gear!

Today Alanna and I hibernated as the snow came down overnight and continued today. Hopeing to get out tomorrow for a walk even if its just to the bank and back!

Couple of pics from today if I can manage it- snow from first thing this morning and Alanna sneaking a rest on dragon.

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Finally!

No idea where the time has gone, but i've been meaning to post for ages. A quick catch up:

 - I finally got to drive myself over to the Elvaston crop for the first time in about 18 months. lovely to be there and see everyone.

 - Richard finally got a day to have Alanna all to himself:)

  - I have finally bought a car, and survived all the hoohar that goes with it (insurance, blah blah blah)

  - Alanna is now 20 weeks old, growing out of clothes fast and has just rolled over (she didn't look too impressed to be honest!)

I've been making some christmas cards, and did one for the Chicken Soup challenge number 16 here

only been using some free papers from Simply Cards and Papercraft mag, but i've done a few now, so feel quite virtuous! I've even made some tags from scraps (I know, it's a bit much isn't it LOL)

Off to Bounce and Rhyme at the Library this morning, so I had better get my bum in gear!

Another sketch challenge

yep I am still going crazy for my sketch challenges, and as we're away this weekend, and I had all the bits ready for this, I went ahead and did it tonight.This is for the September sketch challenge over on the ATDML blog.

I fully admit I am jumping on the bunting bandwagon, but at least i'm honest:)

and yes, the colour is off in this photo, yet again i'm having to take pics at night with awful lighting!

Souping

Well here's my take on the Chicken Soup challenge number 10. I was really uninspired to start with, i admit. Because to be honest I find it difficult to print photos myself small and different to traditional photo sizes. (and I find i can't be bothered a lot of the time!)

Anyhoo, then  I was looking through a magazine and saw a advert for some scrapbooking papers, and it made me think that i didn't have to use photos, i'll make something for Alanna's room.

So, here's my take on it. The light is rubbish, but if i don't do it now, i'll never get it posted ! I'm hoping to find a frame that i can put it in at some point, but for now, it's done:)

a few bits

Well i've managed to do a couple of bits and peices, and again, they were for challenges.

This card was for the Twisted  Card Sketch here, and has already been sent off to it's recipient:)

The second challenge was Chickensoup number 9 here

 now this is blinking annoying ( you an insert a ruder word here if you like, i'm certainly thinking of one!)  Blogger has suddenly decided to post photos rotated. I have tried saving, resaving, renaming, rotating, and renaming all kinds of things, but it just won't post them properly, and as i've got a baby about to wake up, i don't have time at the moment to properly investigate. So we'll all just have to cock our heads for the moment :)

quick catch up

well, what's been happening here? no scrapbooking over the last couple of weeks, just haven't been able to find the time, but it's on my list of things to do this Bank Holiday weekend. I have managed to get an idea for the next one, and a photo ready, so I just need to decide which sketch i'm going to use.
I have actually bought a couple of card making and scrapping mags lately, which i shouldn't really be doing, what with limited funds now i'm only getting Statutory Maternity Pay. But if it gets me to use up some stash, then maybe it's worth it.. can i persuade DH with that argument.. no idea!

I have however buckled down this afternoon and got 3 anniversary cards made. It's mine and DH's next week, as well as my Mum and Dad's and then some friends the week after. I do really want to get a bit of a stock of cards again, but at the moment, it's as and when.
I've been having to break down tasks into little chunks, and that makes life a little easier with a 13 week old baby:) So, one afternoon i'll get the blank cards and some paper out, then i'll find a sketch i want to use, then i'll start on one bit of it, and then do the embellishment or whatever. So it might take me a couple of days to do each card, but we get there:)

I have also managed to finish the crochet jacket i've been making for Alanna. Thanks god I chose the 6-9 month size, she should at least fit in it! I just need to get a bit of brown velvet ribbon and some buttons for it. Then it will be completely finished, and of course i will take a photo:)

My next sewing task i think will be to start the Bucilla felt christmas house kit i've had for nearly a year. I shall have to be careful with sequins and beads and a baby, but hopefully i can get a little bit done here and there.
Which reminds me, I must have a look for a stocking for her.
I've still got one that Mum made for me when I was little.. it's Trichem on felt, not sequins and applique, but I love that it's so old. Hopefully we'll be able to start some traditions for her this year. I just can't decide what just yet:)

right, enough ramble, DH is settling Alanna for her bedtime, and I must go and check on the roast that's in the oven:)

blimey!

Less than an hour on a Sunday night and i've done a layout and it's already filed in the album! how often does that happen??? But it was the Chicken Soup Blog to the rescue again.. this time with Recipe No.6.

This page was just inspired by the scalloped paper, and I knew I had some in a kit I've had for quite a while, earmarked for some other photos actually. But it all just seemed to come together, and I even used up some very old chipboard letters. I picked up the photo and just wrote about my first thoughts looking at it, and how amazed I am at how much my daughter Alanna has changed over the last 11 weeks. By sheer luck it also happens that this photo was taken at 11 days old:) I love that i've done a page, and I've journalled something that is actually meaningful too. This is what I love about Scrapbooking!!
Sheesh, maybe I should have had kids sooner :)

Mojo returned!

Well, i've managed to find a few minutes here and there to do some scrapping. My mojo has been returning thanks to some challenge blogs and sketches.
The first is for the Twisted Sketches latest challenge here

The Second was for the A Trip Down Memory lane sketch challenge here. Hurrah for Mojo!

The weekend

So, what have I done other than actually manage to do something crafty?
Well, we trawled round shops looking for travel cots (exciting!); bought more whizzy bottles for Alanna in the hope of relieving her colic; ate things we shouldn't have; harvested more veggies from the garden (french beans yummy, carrots yummy, but not very big!); and i've baked 2 types of banana cakes this afternoon.

Now i'm going back to my shandy, and to watch Top Gear, and perhaps to get the crocheted jacket out that i've been making for Alanna, and sew it up somehow!

Just because I can, I will post another picture of the gorgeous Alanna:)

Welcome to the World

Well, i'm finally back, Alanna is now 8 weeks old, and i've scrapped for the first time in months!!

It's all because of the new(ish!) challenge blog Chicken Soup, and inparticular Mel's version of Challenge 3. For some reason i was inspired, so i've just spent the last hour or so digging out stash and putting together this layout.

I'm really rather pleased with it.. here's to scraplifting!!

Now we are three

well, at least i've got a good reason for the lack of updates this time.. Our daughter, Alanna Hope was born on 29th May, 2 days early:)

After a bit of a delay, she arrived in a rush, and needed a bit of attention, but she soon perked up and is generally a contented little thing:)

I'm still getting used to the whole idea of being a mum, and we're muddling through, but at least i can put the buggy up and down now:)

hopefully i'll be able to update with our exploits - i think i've just about remembered her birthday now for when everyone asks, and when the drs call her in, i do now recognise the name they're calling (yes i'm that much of a twit!)

I'll now go back to hanging on the telephone for the tax credits people to finally answer!!

food obsessed - moi?

well ok, just a little bit at the moment. It's quite sad, but i'm hoping it'll all return to normal once baby arrives (which is not looking like any time soon - hopefully i can tempt fate with that i really don't mind!!)

I managed to make a couple of different batches of brownies for DH's birthday, and he took them to work. The ones from The Pioneer Woman cookbook turned out best, and were the best recieved. But then I guess the healthier Date and choc Brownies couldn't really compete (they are best served warm with a little icecream)
I'm loving the cookbook, which I got for my birthday such brilliant recipies and loads of photos to show step by step what to do. It's tricky as sometimes the items are American based, so it's difficult to get an exact match, but googling normally helps with that.

I've also just made a batch of standard Banana Muffins, uses up all those bananas that are going brown at the bottom of the fruit bowl, and I don't mind how much DH scoffs!

Food cravings continue on apace, this time it's olives - now, I've had olives in things like pasta before and I like them, but i've never really wanted to eat them on their own. Until now. So last week I had a mozzarella and tomato salad from Franky and Benny's which had olives and a few other things in - really yummy, and then we stopped in Lidl and I bought a whole jar of chilli and herb marinated green olives, and have been chucking them in salads and sandwiches all week:)

Today i've got a real hankering for new potatoes. Such a nice spring/early summer treat, and I can't wait to get to the shop and buy some:)

In other news, i've been playing with digital stamps for the first time - a few people have told me how good they are, and i've finally relented and bought some here. So along with a few new promarkers that I bought i've been happily colouring in (and seeing as i can't sit at the desk to craft anymore, colouring in on the sofa is fab!)
I've even prepared birthday cards for a few people so that i don't forget in the madness to come! Today I made up some really simple cards from some tags that were in a craft kit I bought a few years ago, so again I might at least have something prepared ready for the next couple of months.

right, enough waffle, off to read a bit of my new book (found the Blossom St series by Debbie Macomber, which is easy to read, fun stories, and knitting based, just what i need at the moment, nothing too taxing, but fun.) and then prepare dinner (yes more food!)