Monday, Monday

Well, we had a fabby weekend. So much fun and most importantly, lots of photo opportunities, lol!! We went to Jumping Jacks (which is a soft play place that Ethan loves) and yesterday, despite the weather, we went for a picnic. We had soooo much fun at the park, down on the beach, exploring the old castle. E was a star and I even managed go get him to eat a roll with 'magic' butter and pickle. The magic butter was dairylee. He wont eat cheese, so i have been trying for ages to sneak different foods into him and this seemed to work well.

Today my April kit arrived from Cleo, it is a canvas kit. I am really looking forward to doing it, as I have 3 blank canvas' that i want to do something with, so hopefully this will be a good starting point.

It was so nice yesterday to have an hour extra daylight (despite the hour less in bed!!) and it felt like spring is finally here, hopefully we will have lots of lovely long days, so we can have much more exploring and fun in the sunshine.

Here are some pictures from Sunday, am just trying to decide which ones to scrap first!! I said we could do some baking laeter, so I need to go and prepare for the chaos in the kitchen.....

Fun, fun, fun

Well it is now officially the Easter holidays ... so I am busy thinking up fun things to occupy Ethan!!

Jay has just arrived, as she is spending the weekend with us... so before we get down to finger painting and baking, here is the Lo i was working on last night and finished this afternoon. I love these pictures, it was Ethan's first attempt at helping Daddy clean the car ... think more of the water ended up in his wellies than on the car, lol!!

Lady-boy ...

Hee hee - just had great fun playing with pink stash this afternoon, which is something i pretty much never do!! There is a competition to use up your boy stuff to scrap your girls or your girls stuff to scrap your boys... so i decided to dig out my gathering dust pink stash...

Here is a sneak peek as I am not sure if I can show the full LO as it is a competition??!! This was great fun, and I really enjoyed working with pink ... must buy more pink stash, lol!!

Something you should NEVER do ....

Is look in a magnified mirror .... ohh what a shock ... it was a horrid sight ... oh do I look that old??

I don't really wear make up, so hardly ever peer at my face closely, but i needed to do some eyebrow maintenance (there is Greek blood in my family to dark hair is a by product, lol!) and what a fright I got.

After a little 'oh i am so old, look at Ethan's lovely youthful skin' thoughts to myself, on went the superbalm concentrate, moisturiser and eye serum and then quickly drank my third of this mornings glasses of water. What else can I do?? Face lift, botox?? Maybe just not look in a magnified mirror, lol!!

But it has made determined to stick to this detox/'best life' thingy ... still no alcohol (I am not going to drink until i got out for my Cousin's birthday meal on 11th April), still no more than 2 cups of coffee, still been having at least 6 8oz glasses of water a day ... But the eating breakfast thing, I keep forgetting to do that (well since i ran out of Greek yogurt).

I think I need some sun, that will help!!! Hee hee!

Play date .....

I have just had a play date ... rather odd for a 32 year old woman!

But my play date was with Cody, the yummy new paper from the Love Elsie range. I had some photos of E playing with his new football and the papers worked so well. I love her paper range and obviously since there is one called Emma coming soon, I will just have to buy that too!!

Ive been watching the most cheesy film on Diva, but need to get some beauty sleep now.
Night all
em xx

Still Snowing!

It has been snowing on and off all weekend (but it is more like someone is sieving icing sugar from my roof!!), but despite that E had a great time with his Daddy, here are a few of the funny photos of their time ... (here you go Jay!)

Easter wildlife!

Ohh eat your heart out David Attenborough, I have managed to capture a photo of the illusive Easter Bunny ....! As I promised Ethan I would try and get a photo of him, I sat for hours in my hide with the binoculars and just when i was about to give up, i snapped this shot .. You can just see his tail .... hee hee heee. The things a mother will do!

Creativity flows ....

Despite being up since 6.15am, one excitable little monkey wanted to watch his new Cinderella DVD (he is really into people getting married and kissing and princesses at the moment, lol!!), I am feeling very perky!!

Ethan is off to his dads until Monday (I've told him the Easter bunny will be leaving his eggs for us to hunt on Monday. He wants me to try and take a photo of the Easter bunny ... i said i would try, but he is magic and very fast, lol!).. So I have peace to scrap and chill out for a bit.

I have been focusing on my entries for the guest DT on Creativity Life, but since I have now sumbitted them, i can do some of the other LOs that have I have been meaning to! So with the excitement of Geoff and Debbie's baby news, i used Cleo's first kit to make a wee book of love for them. I really, really enjoyed working on this, and some of the techniques I will defo use again on other wee books. I also really liked working with the papers, I hardly ever scrap in red, or pinks, so I am certainly going to branch out with those colours again.

Here are the picks

cats, motorbikes and pot plants ...

have ruined my afternoon of peace ...

There I was sitting down to finish my LO (i wanted to get it done this afternoon as my aunty Marion and cousin Jody are coming round for tea so I won't get a chance tonight) when there was a loud bang outside form a motorbike backfiring ... it really made me jump. But not as much as it made Lola jump. She had been dozing on the windowsill in the sunshine, so she jumped about 3 foot into the air and came down on top of the tv. The problem is I have just watered the plants, and i had put one on top of the tv to keep out of Ethan's way until the water had absorbed (small child + muddy plant water = hand prints on walls!) . So obviously the plant falls down the back of the tv, I am scratched up my arm from trying to grab Lola and the plant back up and now my TV won't work (i tried to turn it on holding a wooden spoon so i didn't kill myself, lol!) ... oh yes and there is muddy stains allover my brand new carpet!

I have now calmed down (and phone Jay to rant), the insurance people are arranging for an engineer to come round and fix it, so I am just waiting for them to call. But given that it is Easter it will probably be next week before I get an appointment!!!! I am also not sure if i will have to pay the excess for it being repaired!!??

GGGggggggRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrr!!!

Ive been tagged ...

Jay tagged me the other day, so I have to think of 7 random things about me (will have to come back to that bit later, as need to think).

I also got Cleo's latest kit last week, and it is looking yummy .. need to get playing with it ...

We are going to my cousin Jody's dance show tonight, she is quite nervous, as it has been a wee while since she was last in a show (she broke her leg recently, and also turned 15, so boys taking up dance practice time, lol!!), so I need to go and buy her some flowers. Ethan is excited, as he loves watching her dance, think I might have to book him into dance lessons at some point, lol!!

Ethan also ran himself a bath this morning (seriously, he started running it and also pointed out which Molton Brown bubble bath he wanted, black pepper is his current favourite, lol!!)

Anyway, just checking in, but I will write again later.

em xx

Sandy beaches ...

Wished i had watched Echo beach, looks like it has been a great programme. I grew up in Bristol so spent many holidays down in Cornwall and Devon ..... would love to live by the beach one day (in fact Ethan and I were nearly moving there a year ago, but that is different story!!)... but can someone tell me what is up with Martine McCutcheon's accent, it sounds all wrong???!!!

ooohhh errrr ummmm yummmmm

new basic grey ... make it go away .... too tempting ... ooohhh look ... ohh please ... ohhh why not???!
Got to step away from the computer ... am backing away slowly!!!

Diva TV ...

I have discovered a new channel, Diva TV...

It is great and I can finally get to watch The Bold and The Beautiful (a cheesy US soap I have been watching since 1996, but normally have to download episodes. Although the ones on Diva are about 4 years old, so it is vintage cheesy!!) and it also shows Oprah. Oh I love a bit of Oprah, was watching yesterday and it was all about 'living your best life (ie dieting). I decided that as of today i am going to up my water in take, not drink alcohol for a month, cut down on caffeine (because cutting it out completely would be insane!!) and try to be good and eat breakfast .....

Here I go, watch me, I am living my best life, lol!!

I could just eat him up

On learning that Aunty Debbie is having a baby, Ethan has been carrying round his dolly all afternoon, telling me he has just had a baby. He just asked me if i was excited about his new baby and said that he also has a girl baby in his tummy, but she won't be coming for 6 weeks!!

He then said 'you are a good knitter mummy, you could make me a teddy for the baby, yellow and blue' ...

That is me sorted then!!

Woo hooo .. I have just had the best news, EVER!!!

I am going to be an Aunty!!! My brother Geoff and his wife Debbie have just been round, on their was back from their 12 week scan!! The baby is due on 25th September, so we will have a Christmas baby!! This is such great news, as they have been trying since they got married last summer...
ohh i will have to start buying more baby themed stash, lol!!

The things kids say ...

Ethan is sooo funny - he cracks me up. I have my hair in pigtails today - and he asked me to take them out - he said he likes my hair down and that I looked like a girl, i said 'but i am a girl' and he said 'no, you are a Mummy'!!!

Then he was a bit too quiet in his bedroom, drawing on his easil, well i thought it was his easil .. it was actually his face... thank goodness it was just chalk, lol!

He is such a monkey!!

I am a bit anxious right now though, as I have to take him to the Dr after nursery for his Pre School Booster (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, whooping cough, Hib and MMR), it is not so much about the injection, as if he is good I said I would get him a Power Ranger (this craze came out of nowhere ... he has never had any before, so don't know how he even knows about them!!). It is more because last time he had his MMR (ok he was much younger) he got really ill and had a Temp of 41!! So I will be glad when this afternoon is over, but I am armed with the mighty Calpol, so fingers crossed he will be fine!!

x

Grrrrrrr

Don't you hate it when you can't find the photos you want ... i am sure I got them from Photobox, I really am sure ... but them maybe I am just imagining it ... has been known ... grrrrr

Oh Dear

I think my Delia rant caused a bit of a barney in the Browning household last night... sorry!!! Was I being too much of a kitchen Nazi??

On a lighter note... I have just uploaded some of the pictures form yesterday and found one which is particularly funny... It is of Ethan pretending to be Jay (if he ever grows up to smoke Mrs I will have to kill you!!!!)

STOP NOW ... I can't watch anymore

Now this is a first. I for the record LOVE Delia Smith, it was through her books and watching my family, that i learnt to cook. I love to cook, really love to cook, i just love spending time in the kitchen, pottering about, mixing and stirring. In another life, I am sure i was a witch, bending over my cauldron...

So with anticipation, i turned on the tv tonight to watch the new Delia. But OMG, I couldn't stop shouting at the tv,. So i had to tun off and shake my head in disgust ...... I am all for getting people back into the kitchen cooking........ but mince in a tin, frozen mashed potato ... my eyes, my poor eyes .. I can't take any more....... (having lovingly prepared mince and potatoes with dumplings for dinner tonight) I have to disagree with Delia, sometimes there is a need to boil a potato.....

I think Ethan's cookery lessons will start promplty tomorrow!

It might be freezing outside, but we can still have a picnic!!

A carpet picnic that is!

Ethan and I had another of our carpet picnics today, they seem to work well at getting him to eat more. He was a star and even managed to avoid the crispy cakes that we made yesterday, until he had eaten all his sandwiches and fruit, good boy!! While we were eating he told me all about his favourite game to play at nursery ..'it is called Tag Mummy, you hide behind a tree and count, 1, 2, 3, and then you find me' ... bless his heart!

My boy ...

He just keeps growing up.... he went off all by himself this morning and picked his own outfit and came through to show me, it was bad enough when he was replacing the clothes I had picked out for him ..... at least he seems to have mastered co-ordination! (Although he did want to wear a belt with a pair of drawstring trousers!!)

I have just finished a LO of my boy on the seesaw, while we were at the park last year with Jay. He is so full of energy and on the go constantly. I took home his PLP (Personal Learning Plan)from nursery yesterday and read all about what he gets up to. There were lots of photos and observations, if i say so myself, he sounded like a bright, smart little cookie!! He is in for lunch today, so I get 3 1/2 hours of peace, rather than my normal 2 1/2. He is just going through a bit of a fussy phase with regard to food and I though that eating with all the other children (especially his best friend Riley) might help.

My kit from Cleo came today, it really is beautiful. I had a dummy run with a piece of paper, just to make sure I did all the folding and cutting right, lol!! So I am going to work on that for a bit, I might use some of Geoff and Debbie's wedding photo's and give it to them?? Her second kits comes out tomorrow, it is a mini book and a LO this time, so I am really looking forward to getting that to play with!!

Anyway, here it the LO of E at the park, I used the October Afternoon papers, that I discovered on Artbase, they are the County Fair range and are really yummy!

HAVE REMOVED IMAGES FOR PUBLICATION

We are doing some baking this afternoon, if he doesn't fall asleep on the sofa again, which he has done the past two afternoons, lol!

ta ta for now

em xx

I am in love with felt

I just can't get enough of felt right now, or anything else I can use to hand make embellies for that matter. I love hand cutting and sewing, even though I am half blind trying to thread a needle... while are the holes SO small, lol!

I was sorting through some old photographs (ohh that sounds like a song .....) at the weekend and I found some of my Nanny and me in her garden when I was about Ethan's age. (I knew I had some of her an Ethan in a similar pose, so a LO sprang to mind!). My nanny's house up in Strathpeffer and especially her garden, is a very special place for me (for all my family). It has been the one 'constant' in my life and I just love spending time up there. It has been there my whole life and I have many happy memories of my time there, especially time with those no longer with us. As my mum died 12 years ago, she obviously never got to meet Ethan, so it has always been important to me that he know and love his (great) nanny. She is 86 in May and every year we tell her we need 10 more years out of her!! She is fairly healthy and active, but i know that one day she won't be here any more, so i try to scrap all the memories. For me and most importantly, for Ethan.

Love you Nanny
xxx

Scrappy cat

Have been working on a new LO while Ethan was at nursery, but Lola decided she wanted to help out. She was particularly taken with my new Basic Grey rub on tool!! She has always like to sit me while I scrap, bless her. Think she likes the peace and quiet, although I have been told that I talk to myself when I am scrapping!! She is such a sweet cat, nothing like her brother who is very persistent, especially when he wants attention, or his breakfast in the morning, lol!

Get the sunnies on!!

Afternoon everyone

This is just a quick post before I have to run up the road and collect my monkey from nursery! What a lovely day, although the sun is showing up how badly my windows are in need of a good clean ... where is my squeegee...?!

I had a lovely weekend, Jay came to stay and as I had Sunday off work we had lots of fun chatting and scrapping.

Here is the Lo I finished over the weekend. The photos ore of EJ and hid daddy having fun, playing hide and seek with the gnomes from a friends garden!!

I also got some lovely Mother's Day pressies, bless them, Jay and Angia gave me a Silent Setter (no more swearing coz my crop o dial won't reach, lol!!) and some mugs I had been coveting!!


When Ethan came home on Sunday from the weekend at his Dad's he was armed with a lovely handmade card, some choc and this beautiful plant, he picked it himself, as blue is HIS favourite colour, lol!! We had to share the chocolate last night!

I have had a productive afternoon sorting through my patterned paper, quite therapeutic and inspiring. I found lots of paper I had forgotten about! Oh dear, is that I sign I have too much, no, surely!?

better run!!

x