Starting to Explore again.

Back at the beginning of the holidays I signed up for Shimelles Explore Class.  I started well, making the "playbook" and completing the first two prompts. And then I was not so good as summer madness took over.

Anyway bearing in mind that Shimelles no stress mantra, I have dragged it back out and I'm determined to complete it, but am not going to worry about how long it takes me.

Prompt 3, involved maps and making establishments using circles.  Below is my page from my playbook;

Back before we had children, hubby and I did alot of walking and have accumulated many OS maps, which I photographed.  I enjoyed using the maps in my crafting and will definitely use this idea again.  On the back I journalled about my eldest daughters transition to secondary school and how I need to remember to take a step back and let her "find her own way"!

Whilst I'm here I like to thank you all for your lovely comments  - I'm so glad to be back in the swing of blogging again.  I have been trying to comment myself but at times blogger is not behaving and I can't work out why.  

Enjoy your Saturday what ever you are doing.

Happy Mail Day!

The other day a  post on SJ's - Little Musings led me to discover The Make and Create Shop and in particular the "Old Type" embellishment kit.  When I saw I fell in love and popped it in my basket.  Two days later it arrived, all beautifully packaged and with a lovely handwritten note.

Its even better close up and I can't wait to start creating - below is just a selection from the bag of goodies!

Also whilst browsing, these pink pretties also seem to fall into my basket!

Do take a look - you won't be disappointed.

New Beginnings

One of the reasons that my blogging took such a break was that September bought a complete change of routine in this house due to the "new beginnings" that happened in our house.

My eldest started Secondary school - a big step change for her and the rest of us.  Not only is she responsible for getting herself to and from school, getting 3 or 4 pieces of homework a night takes a lot of organising!  The good news is that she has coped beautifully and is really enjoying her new school.

So now it is just the youngest on the daily school run, something she has taken to adjust to as up to now, big sister has always been there.  She has also moved from infant school to junior school and although they are next door to each other, she has had to get used to new buildings, teachers and rules.

And finally after two years of unemployment, my husband went back to school as well!  He has totally changed career and has started work as a school bursar at a local primary school.  He is really enjoying being back in the world of work and the challenge of his new role.

Me - my job has been to guide us all through these new routines and find ways to make them work.  As half term approaches I think I can stop holding my breath, knowing that we have all made it through this period of change.

Carnival Days

Back in the day when brown wall paper was fashionable and "Sindy" was the only doll to have, my family became involved in the summer carnival in the town where I spent my childhood.  It started when our next door neighbour persuaded my Mum to let me enter the "Carnival Princess" competition.  This mainly involved wearing your best frock, smiling nicely and walking up and down in front of the judges in a straight line.  Although I wasn't picked to be the Princess, I did get to be crown bearer - that's me in the photo below carrying the cushion.  What the picture does not show is that the Princess had a whole entourage of attendants which all had to be dressed in pretty dresses and accompanied the Princess on her carnival float at the front of the procession.  And that's where our involvement started - Mum volunteered to help out getting all the little girls ready and so began our long association from the carnival.  For many years we helped decorate the float - a mammoth task that happened the evening before the parade and sometimes went late into the night.  Whilst I was little I made many appearances on the float, in many different costumes.  As time went on, Mum actually became part of the committee which organised the whole event and I even joined during my sixth form years.  As far as I know the carnival still happens and mum and I often talk about our "carnival days".

This memory was bought to you as part of Sian's "Story Telling Story".  You can find more great stories here.

Getting back on (the blog)

Most of us will probably remember from our childhood that the hardest thing about falling off your bike, is getting back on.  And so I have found with blogging.  At the end of July when I took break, I fully intended to return before now! However the summer holidays seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, leaving little time to fit anything crafty at all.  Whilst I love the holidays as they break the routine and there is less pressure, the lack of routine is not conducive to blogging.  September would have been a logically place to start again, but I have learnt that once you have lost "that blogging feeling" it is certainly hard to find again.  

However the first of October has arrived, and it seems an appropriate place to put fingers to keyboard.  So here I am, back with you all, if you still have me, looking forward to cultivating my blogging habits once again.  

Taking a break.....................

Off to Devon for  a week - see you when I get back!

Coming to the end!

Yesterday was the last day of term and marked a very significant end in this family.  The oldest reached her final day at Junior School and the youngest finished Infant school. September will mark  a whole new chapter in our lives as we all adjust to different routines. No longer will I walk both my girls to school.  Both of them will start a new era of independence - the oldest getting to and from school herself and although I will still walk the youngest to school she will no longer be collected from the classroom door.  I have been dreading this day since the half term holiday - but in the end it was not as sad as I thought it would be.  Indeed the sun shone which seemed to lift our spirits and allow us to enjoy our happy memories.  


I'll leave you with photos of the thank you gifts we gave to the teachers.  The oldest decorated cakes and the youngest draw a picture which I then printed onto fabric and used to decorate a bag.