It's coming..... really it is!!!

This is our Christmas card that is arriving with friends and family right now... I took the photos myself, but the template was one I got on Etsy. Two of the girls were really unwell and it took ages to get the right photos for the card. I like the outcome but will be heading back to Shutterfly next year as the company that printed them did a really awful job and I am in dispute with them over the quality and the service I got They told me today after I complained on Friday that I was to photograph the cards and send it to them, but as they are all gone in the post that his not possible, so we are in stalemate - I ordered from snapfish.ie, but it seems that they are printed in the uk and you have to wait the extra delivery time as the post from the UK in very slow... So just in case you think that ordering from an Irish site means local delivery, you like me would be wrong... Steer away from them, got better quality & Colour copies from my local chemist but they were much more expensive.

Had to make some cards this week for Christmas and a thank you too. Found it hard to get my head around them, but made a few more too, but can't show them as the people they are for read my blog (wink wink!)

Four years ago I gave personalised Christmas stockings to my friends for their kids... Life moves on and when my friend Audrey had baby Millie, I realised that she would need another one for her new baby, (she is just like me and would like a matching set!!). So I rummaged in the attic and found the bag of red velvet, bought some new white velvet and begged my mum to run me up some new stockings - just 4 this time and I set about personalising them. So Audrey has a full set for her 4 girls, and I now have a set for my girls too - so it's all good.

It's full steam ahead here for Christmas, our tree is up, I've made 7 dozen mince pies, boxes made for the baked goods, my photo card all done and posted and I've even started wrapping presents... My girls have all been sorted out for presents so I would say that I am about 85% of the way there.

I am having a big group for dinner 11 people and the baby - so have plans for second table, and some surprises for those coming. Have an idea for a little jar with small notes in it and everyone can pick a little slip and they will have an instruction, like tell us what was your best gift this year, or what you are most grateful for this year or even give someone at the table a compliment (like what a lovely dinner I cooked!!). So working on that list too. (Bet they can't wait to come here for dinner now)

The above card was one I liked, the Sizzix die is a lovely one and I migh be making a few more of this type of card and it like the balance and colours.

Nite all, had a hard time blogging, as blogger not playing nice. So going to iron the uniforms for tomorrow and get sorted for the morning.....

More to come soon. Ta Michelle

More flooding photos.....

Flooding

we travelled to Leitrim over the weekend to check out the house and make sure we were not flooded. This was some of the scenes that we saw over the weekend. Luckily our house was fine, but there was so many houses flooded and fields upon fields of flooding in the country that it's hard to comprehend.

Above those are tree tops in a field that is not a lake!

Benches nearly completely covered with water... and below a life buoy, which would normally be above the water level!

I've been busy - again!!

My life is a bit mad sometimes, with the two little ones who are just a handful, I have to literally bargain time away to do anything like food or Christmas shopping. I really had to stretch myself to get time to do these photoshoots, the above one is one of my friends, sisters new baby and her big sister... The baby was only a few days old, and wow she was just under 6lb in weight. Her sister arrived just as we were finishing and jumped into the last few shots. The mum is delighted and it's a great reminder of when there are so little.

The next ones are some of the photos that I took of baby Mille, (again I know!!) but she poses so well for me!! This was some taken on her Christening day, and I got some lovely ones of her big sisters (3 of them!) and the whole family, they are great to work with and are helping me learn my skills!

So two days and nearly 400 shots later, two happy families and one tired Michelle!!

Cyber crop - very photo heavy!!

I've been working away like a little beaver on the house below, I was really happy with the way it turned out - currenly it's being beaten into 2nd place in the competition, but I still loved making it and it's not the winning, it's the taking part!! (or so they say!)....

Here is the LO that I did for the same cyber crop, this one is winning (I think!), so delighted with that.....


This was a class - which I loved and really love the LO....

This was a class too - doodling, which I find hard as I'm too anal, and hate making mistakes, and doodling looks too untidy for me.

This was a challenge - Tin Man, using metal and a heart.....

This one was a class and at first I looked and decided too hard, and then came back for another look and liked it!

This is a class from Annette (Voodoo Vixen!) and her colours were all dark blues, but this is my take on it and it will be finished with the photos that I took of baby Mille on her Christening day.

This was a sketch challenge....
This was a challenge to use gingham ribbon....

so I was a busy bear and thanks to everyone who voted for me....

Nite all......

Oh the things you see at Halloween.... We had tea in pub in Malahide and this is what I spotted when I was paying the bill. I laughed and took out my camera and the guy who did it came over and asked me to buy him a pint for the photo! - now I did consider it, but at nearly €6.00 I quickly took the photo, laughed and left!

We live near the Botanic Gardens and took a trip there on Halloween to see their display and let the kids run around while the weather was dry for an hour. It was a quick drive home and into the costumes and I am such a bad mum - we kept putting off buying a pumpkin, as wanted to get one near the day, so I it would not turn to mush once carved and last a bit longer, and we were not able to find any, so kids were not impressed....
Our neighbours dog wearing the babies hat, dog happy to wear baby never kept it on!

A very quick card for my MIL, I just sat and looked and looked at this and could not get it to come together, where as I am best not making things under pressure, prefer to make them when the mojo strikes. Where as the one below was one for my mum and this one came together easy as I was prepared and had an idea what I was going to do. I even remembered from years ago how to make a ribbon rose and it sat nicely on the card.

The last one for tonight is one I made for my aunt, she likes to have a set of cards for Thank you, on hand and as she is really good at sending me magazines and stash from Florida, I like to keep on her good side and make up batches of cards for her and this is one of the set that I made, all on the same lines but different colour ways.

Night all - settling down to do a LO, (not done any for ages!) for the UKS Cybercrop, and have ordered the Mystery kit and will be planning for that too! So no cards, or mini books for me over the next few days, just LO's and boy am I happy to be doing it!

Only little things today....

Life has been so mad lately, so many appointments, hospital visits and after a VERY VERY stressful week and a day from hell. Two of the kids (older girl and DH were fine!) and I came down with a vomiting bug and boy were we sick! I did'nt sleep the whole night, the baby was so sick her feeding tube came out, the other had been ill just after going to bed and then again in the early morning and I woke an hour after going to bed and was ill all thru the night. So I stayed in bed most of yesterday (Dh took the day off to mind us all!), a treat if you are feeling well but horrible when you are sick. The worst thing was we were waiting months for an appointment with an ENT specialist for the following day and I had everything prepared to get the 3 girls ready and be out of the house for 8am, all the lunches done, clothes laid out, bags packed and all my clothes ready and waiting and then this happens - so I had to cancel it and will now have to wait ages again.

Anyhoo.... My older dd has just left primary school for secondary and my middle girl just started primary (very bad planning, wish they could have overlapped a year!) but there was a little girl called Abbey Byrne at her school and she was in a weelchair, the whole school knew Abbey, and my older dd had minded her class on her last year. Poor Abbey died about a month ago, and the school are having a bake sale tomorrow to raise funds for Temple Street Childrens Hospital and although we are all still not great, we baked some cupcakes and some brownies to take into school tomorrow....


My BIL and SIL are 25 years married and have invited us to dinner on Sat night so made them a card - sorry the photo is not the best, but it's late and the card was kind rushed, but hopefully they will be happy that I took the time to make one...


One other thing I made a while ago, my friend is going through a hard time an I put this little book together for her, it won't solve any problems, but hopefully might put a small smile on her face...
Night all - might get a good nights sleep, tossing and turning all the night and wake up with a sore back, if anyone has any tips, please share....

Michelle

Halloween fun....

My Dd started school in September and she loves it, just loves everything about it and can't wait to go every morning. I was shopping one night and found this large 1.2kg jar of sweets in the Christmas aisle of Tesco's and thougth it would make a great treat for her class for Halloween.


I tarted up the jar with some leftover papers from 2 years ago...(wow! what a horder!!!) and this made a great fun gift for the class and they all get a sweet a day from the teacher for each day till they break up for Halloween.... My DD is very popular in school now!!!!

If you have a moment have a look here - for a chance to win this lovely stash....

Life can sometimes be GOLD!

Me - First time at the new O2 arena....

Elaine beside the Audi sign - more of a hint for her DH!!

This post is for my lovely friend Debbie who won two tickets to see Spandau Ballet on their first concert after splitting 20 years ago. Poor Debbie got Swine Flu and just cannot get out of bed and she gave me the tickets and I was just so thankful (so very thankful!!) She won them on the radio and we were on the guest list. Spandau Ballet called the new tour Reformation, which I think is a great, strong name and the evening was great.... Photos below tell the story of the night, but we were just in front of the security men and he had full view of us, and allowed all the other people take photos with their small digital cameras, but they did not like my taking out my big Canon, and the irony is that they have great zoom lens and could probably see the label on their underwear - and my camera could not see that sort of detail. The small campacts could also record the whole concert where I could not... So I had to sit with it on my lap and could only take photos when the guy turned around or left his spot.

Even in the end of the night, when they were all dancing in the aisles and the security were mad busy they still gave out to me for taking photos...Arriving on stage with the Sheer curtain in front of them....