Sunday 24 April 2011

Happy Easter

I hope you are all enjoying this sunny Sunday and not stuffing your faces with too much chocolate...? I have none, through choice as I am trying to be good and eat well in anticipation for our holiday ... 7 weeks today we will be on plane to Florida!! So I bought our suncream, some more holiday clothes this week, most importantly I bought our PARK TICKETS!!! Mega excited, is beyond words. Spent a good part of yesterday researching the parks, the rides... just sort of working out some kind of plan ... as I am all about plans! I have a new guide book, and subscribed to the website, which also gives you an iphone app with crowd size etc ... how fab is that!!? Deb, Joshy, Ethan and I are off to Edinburgh tomorrow to have a mooch around and do some more holiday shopping .... yay!


So it has been a lovely week, the pressure of work was lifted as I completed 4 big orders, just have a cushion, and a couple of Tee's to do, so was able to get stuck into my SC kit. I am so back in love with scrapping, I think that because I have so much (good stuff) going on, scrapping is my way to relax and do something just for me... and I am loving it, I am especially loving Studio Calico. The kits are awesome, such a great mix of papers and embellies... really inspiring!

We are back off up to Nanny's on Thursday after school, as E has Friday and Monday off school. My Nanny is also a lover of the Royal Family, so decided to spend it up there, we will watch, admire, clap and hopefully have a tea party in the garden! Also plan to do the last of my holiday shopping when I am there as the shops in Inverness are fab (Nanny doesn't live in Inverness, a small village near there!).

So that is my week ahead; I will leave you with a selection of pics from my week. I am loving Instagram for this, as without really meaning to, it compiles a great wee snapshot! Perfect for Document 2011!!

Okay my lovelies
speak soon
em xx

Sunday 17 April 2011

Spring fever ...

Another glorious day ... yesterday was lovely too, although had a nip in the air. Today I have no tights on and my pasty wee legs are loving it... I am trying to be v good, food wise .. as it suddenly dawned me that in 8 weeks we will be flying to Florida and that means in 8 weeks I will be sitting around the pool at our villa, in a BIKINI!! So need to 'try' and be good .... but for every good step I take ... a cupcake accidentally falls into my mouth!! I have been doing so much research on park tickets... was my only job as Debbie has already organised and booked out BA tickets to London, airport hotel, Virgin (obvs) flights to Florida, our Villa, 2 car hire (we need to cars with 11 of us, a people carrier and a run-around!) and our flights home to Scotland....now not that I want to spend my entire 14 days at the parks, I would like a couple of days at Disney, a water park, universal and islands of adventure (and HP world!!) ... the most cost effective way was to get 14 day unlimited passes... this is only going to be about £150 more than passes for a couple of days at each, bought in the US and it gives me (.... and Ethan) the option to go more. But the park tickets are prob the single most expensive element of the holiday, costing £560 for me and Ethan .but it will be worth it!! The good thing about going in a big group, and one that includes my brother, sister in law, Joshua and Debbie's mum and dad.. is that there will always be someone wanting to go/do different things, so even if I don't go everyday... Ethan can have his full!! So I am buying the Park tickets this week. Ethan's new passport came through this week, super quick service... think it only 5 days to process! I have also been buying holiday clothes and toiletries and also thanks to a special discount code at Cath Kidston I am waiting on delivery of a pretty new travel document holder, passport cover and luggage tag! Getting into the holiday spirit now .... just need to stop eating lol... Also been working on lots of orders, my poor sewing machine doesn't know whats hit it .... but she is holding up well! Right it is a lovely sunny day... all the windows are open and the sun is streaming in, so I am going to play with April's Studio Calico kit that arrived on Friday... finally! Enjoy your sunny Sunday peeps. em xx

Monday 11 April 2011

Home Sweet Home

Well we are home from a lovely week up at Nanny's, was amazing as always. That is my special place, it is the one constant I have had in my life. I am so close to my nanny and she has lived there for over 40 years, so it has always been my safe place. Not having a mum or dad in my life, Nanny is all of that for me and spending time with her always makes me happy. I am so glad that Ethan now has a strong connection to the place and memories that will last his lifetime. There is so much history in her house, such a connection to 'family' walls lined with photos, china that was used in my mums childhood, memorabilia from my Nanny's childhood in Africa, being there makes me feel centered, at peace, loved! But it always makes me reflect on the future... at nearly 89, I always look around as i am preparing to go and wonder if this will be the last time...so I always cry. The tears spring from my eyes and I went to hug my Nanny, 'oh you are still a little girl' she said and swept me into her arms....... Love you Nanny!















The tears dried, and we made it home.... a glorious journey at the best of times through the scenic Scottish highlands, but on a wonderful sunny day the views were amazing... sadly ScotRail were unprepared for the sunshine and so had the heating on full blast, with no trolley service. So we were a bit tired and wilted at the end .... but we are HOME! Ethan is off to his Daddy's for a few days as his Grandmother G is up from London, so I have a couple of days of peace to chill and scrap before the new term starts, and we start the countdown to Florida!!!!


Here are a selection of photos from my lovely trip;


the finished invites, which were collected last Sunday ... marking the start of my 8 days off!!


a highlight of having a well travelled SIL is that I get lots of gorgeous goodies from the US, this is another from Anthropologie to add to my growing collection, as well as two more yummy Yankee's... a gift from 'Joshua' for having him while they were in Vegas (baby!)..


This is actually the inside of my Mothers Day card... brings a tear to my eye.. Love you bubba xx


Ethan was entertained on the journey with a new DSi game from D&G ... Star Wars III, he is hooked!


Until he fell asleep, at the exact spot he falls asleep, EVERY time we take that trip ... so cute!


Super sunny, bought new sandals and had a mani-pedi!


Gorg vintage mug I found while out thrifting, also got a nice tea set, some scarves, crystal butter dish and retro lemonade bottle!


These pictures make me chuckle ... my Nanny's house is filled with photos of all our family, but in these two I think me and my brother look just like Ethan and Joshua!!



I also (stupidly) washed Monkey while we were there, which made Ethan VERY sad (BAD mummy) ... here are the stages; Sadness and anxiety


excitement that the wash is nearly done!


Joy at having Monkey back! (Sorry Ethan, I wont do it again for another few years, lol!)


Having a lie in and getting brought a coffee in bed ... bliss!


Eating ..... everyone loves cake ....! BUT diet for Florida time now!!!


So that was our trip ....

Hope you have all been enjoying the school holidays?!

More soon

em xx

Saturday 2 April 2011

Lie-in FAIL!!!

Morning... So this morning I was minus 2 little boys and you would think I would enjoy a lie-in, but no, my stupid body-clock decided to wake me at 7.30!! Hey ho, on with the day... We had Joshua all last week, and i know I say this all the time, but he is a wee cracker... so funny, with the funniest hysterical laugh.. esp when you tickle his knees, lol.. He is a right little chatter box, and it is great to be able to have proper two-way conversations with him. The way he pronounces some words makes me chuckle.. love it.. esp Clock, which he pronounces without the L!! So it is now the school holidays up here. Ethan is away with Daddy until Sunday and then we are off to Nanny's on Monday for a much needed week off.. not that it will be very restful, but it will be great fun, we love going to spend time with Nanny. Plus there are great shops up there so I will get Ethan's Spring wardrobe sorted. It is Mothers Day this Sunday, Ethan made a card at school... which is beautiful. He gave it to me yesterday, as I wont be with him on Mothers Day morning, and he said he will give me my present when he gets home ... cutie. He wrote the loveliest message inside the card, made me cry. LOVE my boy so much xx: "you give me hugs when i feel sad, you make me laugh when i feel sad, you tuck me in when bedtime comes, I'm really glad that you are my mum" Right... better get on, have a commission of 150 invites for a 40th Birthday to finish!! Enjoy your weekend. em xx