Wordless Wednesday - a little colour

Wordless Wednesday - Mushroom Fest

Michelle x

Giveaway winner - is it you?.....

Hi everyone, I was so amazed by the giveaway response. Thank you everyone for entering. I wish I could give you all a prize :). But, the kiddiwinks chose a winner from the hat and the winner is Grannysmither. Congratulations, this is so exciting. If you can email me your address at michelle1973cooper at btinternetdotcom. I will package up your prizes and post them off to you (I will include a list of which Folksy shops they came from). Hope you like them.

Thank you again everyone for joining in.

Michelle xx

P.S. So excited to announce the winner but didn't have time to upload the pics. Will add them later x

Giveaway reminder

Hello everyone. This is just a quick reminder that my giveaway ends tonight at 8pm. If you've not already entered you can do so here. Don't forget to spread the word. Good Luck everyone. I'll announce the winner tomorrow. You've got to be in it to win it :)

Michelle xx

Saturday Night - not so pampering

Well this Saturday night couldn't be anymore different than last week. If you may remember I had a pamper night. This Saturday there will be no wine!!!! A crime I know. I may manage some chocolate though. But all in a good course because Emily is having a sleepover with her best buddy. So I will have two very very very excited 4 year old girls and a not so excited 7 year old boy (who will be praying they leave him alone!). So here's fingers crossed there will be no tears before bedtime, especially mine he he. Enjoy your Saturday night everyone.

Michelle x

T52MMMC - week 15

Well this weeks amazing (he he) make of mine is as pictured above. How did I make this fantabulous piece of jewellery I hear you ask. Firstly I purchased a pendant I liked from ebay. It's picasso jasper and is gorgeous. Much nicer than my pictures will show. Next I added a long length of waxed cord from The Little Bead Box (Liz has loads of brilliant jewellery making goodies, you'll not leave empty handed!) and voila a beautiful simple pendant. Now if I can make it anyone can :)

Michelle xx

Body Beautiful...........

Many of you may not know that I gave up smoking on the 29th January this year (yes I am boasting). Which in turn has freed up loads of extra cash which I have been ploughing into some new purchases (ask some of those Folksy sellers lol) and a summer holiday!! However, it is true that sometimes when you give up smoking the weight creeps up. Unfortunately, this is true for me :(. So, I have gone and invested some of my extra funds into joining a gym. For which I am determined to use and change shape. So I will probably bore most of you when I do a little blog every now and then on my progression. But I am thinking it will be like a little health diary for me and it may help! The picture above is my goal. However, I may be deluding myself 2 c-sections later!!

Since I joined on Friday I have been 3 times (cannot go weekends as this is my time with the kiddiwinks). Which I don't think is bad, so a big public pat on the back for me he he :).

Promise I won't post about my gym adventures everyday. Take care everyone.

Michelle xx

P.S. If anyone has a fully loaded music player to help me along my journey it would be appreciated ha ha xx

Wordless Wednesday adoption.....outside my window

Good morning everyone. Well I've seen this used on various blogs I read and I thought I would adopt the idea. From now on Wednesdays will be wordless.................... Michelle x

Ding Dong the witch is dead............

Hello everyone. Hope you are all well.

Just had to show off one of my latest purchases because I think they are fab. Everytime I look at them or think about them they make me smile. Maybe its because when I was at school our play was the Wizard of Oz. I sang Ding Dong the witch is dead as a duet. So I think they evoke fond memories.

Pictures are courtesy of the artist herself, thank you Ali. You can find her fab clay models at Mud Meddling

Do you have a purchase that brings a smile to your face?

Michelle xx

The week gone and T52MMMC

This week has gone so fast. But then again I feel like this every week!

My youngest Emily has settled in school nicely and everyday talk is either about school or her upcoming birthday (28 October). Thankfully, she is very well behaved at school (not so much at home) and loves to regail tales of naughtiness by some of her classmates.

I'm all sorted on the birthday front. Party organised, invites sent and purchased the last of her presents this week. I'm pleased to say that nearly all the presents are handmade this year. Mainly purchased from my favourite place Folksy. Hope she likes them. Will let you know!

Also managed to make something new for T52MMMC. This time I made a button heart. Which is being saved to be included in a gift basket I am putting together for a friends 30th birthday. Again my pictures are never great (see at the top of page) but I am pleased with the result.

I'm also rather pleased with another of my recent purchases. A special mug just for me to use while the kiddiwinks are at school. Its a beautiful Cath Kidston mug. It is such a pleasure to use and it came in its very own little tin. Think I'll use the tin for a special stash of biccies just for me :)

I was also very lucky to be Lonely Hearts 50th sale on Folksy. For which she generously gave me a £5 discount in her shop. There was no hesitation here I knew exactly what I wanted. This bag which is just lush. Buying anymore bags was a big no no for me as I have bought loads (and I mean loads) this year. So with a discount how could I hold back. Well, clearly I couldn't :)

An arduous task this week has been me trying to update my CV. Very unsuccessfully! So, this will be a task carried forward to this week, bleurgh!

When I think about this weeks happenings I could type on here forever about the ups and downs but I don't want to bore everyone. So I will end on a note that I'm grateful for a happy and healthy week gone for the 3 of us. Looking forward to next weeks challenges.

Hope everyone else is happy and healthy.

Michelle xx

My very own giveaway - Woohoo x

Well I thought I would do a giveaway. As mentioned in previous posts I have been one lucky lady and I thought I would share the love so to speak. This giveaway will be a surprise parcel of some of the lovely goodies I have purchased from Folksy (with a value of over £50) and I may include some goodies I have made myself. So this is a pictureless as far as the giveaway goodies go. So, if you fancy a surprise just leave a comment below to enter and if you would be so kind as to spread the word :).

This is very exciting even though I cannot possibly win this time. The deadline for the giveaway is Sunday 17th October at 8.00pm. Then I'll get my kiddiwinks to choose a winner which I will announce on the Monday.

Good luck everyone.

Michelle xx

Saturday night yay ........

Tonight I am going to be pampering myself. Not by spending money but by giving myself a facial, manicure and pedicure. I was scheduled in for a Dermalogica facial on Monday but I cancelled in a bid to save the pennies. So I thought well I have some yummy beauty products at home, a bottle of wine in the fridge (and some Green & Blacks dark chocolate) so what could be nicer (apart from a salon facial he he). Nope there won't be any ghastly pictures of me in a face mask!! But I did find some pictures on the t'old tinternet that made me smile and hopefully they do the same for you.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Michelle x

Part 4 giveaway - funky diva designs

Wow I've managed to blog everyday in October so far. I'm so very proud of myself and I've even managed to change the look of my blog, just a little. The changes are very pleasing to me if no one else. I've also managed to learn a few technical things, some courtesy of fellow bloggers, that make this blogging malarky a little easier. Anyhow, this is not why I am blogging today its to give you the final instalment of my giveaway wins to date.

So thanks to Anna Ryan at funky diva designs on Etsy I won a fantabulous make-up brush wrap in the most delicious fabric, which I receieved yesterday. Again I've used Anna's pics as you can all do it so much better than me. I'm just one lucky lucky girl. Please take a browse round Anna's beautiful shop by clicking my link (there are some fab goodies using beautiful fabric).

So a big big thank you to Anna xx

I would like to say although I have included 4 giveaway wins I have also been lucky enough to have contact with some fantastic sellers mainly through Folksy who have been so so generous when I have made purchases from them. There are too many to list here but why not click on the link and buy handmade :)

Michelle x

Fab Birds Book Club

Well we had our second meeting a week ago to discuss the book we had all read. Which was The Rapture by Liz Jensen. I must admit I was a little nervous building up to the meeting because I had been so disappointed in the book. Thankfully (if that makes sense), we all pretty much agreed!! However, this may be the first and last time we do. It is such a shame because the book started off so well but then I felt the author lost her way.

Next read is The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. Now this is a weighty book page wise and I've got 4 weeks left to read it. So I better get a move on! It has good reviews but so did the last book so we shall have to wait and see. Fingers crossed its good.

Bye for now.

Michelle x

My kiddiwinks - excited for school

Capturing a moment in time where they are excited for school

Michelle x

Part 3 giveaway - Trinket Box

Hello everyone well I'm back again and this time its to tell you about the beautiful personalised pendant that I won on Sophie Franck's giveaway. You can find her beautiful jewellery on Folksy by clicking the link to her shop Trinket Box. Sophie completely consulted with me on the design for this (she is fabulous and so patient). I decided on a heart with my children's initials and a green gem. It is so so beautiful and I treasure it. I just couldn't captured the beauty of it in any of my photo's so I have used one of Sophie's own (with her kind permission).










Don't you just love it. I do.


Thank you Sophie you make wonderful jewellery :)















Michelle xx

Instalment part 2 for giveaways - Dottie Designs

Part 2 is to showcase my beautiful keepsake box that I won as part of Dottie Designs blog giveaway. As you can see this is gorgeous and I went on to buy another from Dottie as a gift. However, I don't think it will be leaving my house he he. All of the keepsake boxes and Dottie's other goodies can be personalised. So why don't you pop on over to this shop by clicking my link and buy some fabulous goodies.

Thank you Dottie xx

Part 3 will be Trinket Box, yep thats right win no 3 :)

Michelle x

My giveaway wins 1st instalment

Hello again .... As the title intimated this will be the 1st instalment of my giveaway wins, as yes really I have won a few. Very lucky I know. First I would like to apologise to everyone included in these giveaway blogs for it taking me so long to make a public thank you for all the fab goodies I have received. (I have thanked each person privately because really I'm not that rude).

So in no particular order. First is The Whimsical Wren who sent me some fab goodies for being her 100th customer as well as refunded the cost of my purchase. Wow I know I was so lucky. Well not really lucky because as soon as I read about her generous offer I whizzed over to her shop as fast as lightening to make sure I was number 100 he he. Here's a few pics showing off my goodies (apologies for the quality Jennie). Don't forget to click on the link to be taken to her fabulous shop. You will not regret it :).

As I say my pictures really don't do justice to the yummy goods that I received from Jennie and yes the eclairs have all gone. Jennie has already passed sale number 200(yes I am that late in blogging about it) and she'll be at sale number 300 before we know it!!

Next up will be Dottie Designs but you will just have to wait and see the pics of the beautiful gift I received.

Thank you everyone for reading and I'll be back ha ha

Michelle xx

Wow am I really...........

............blogging 2 days running. Cannot believe it!!! he he. Woke up feeling more positive today and it was lovely to read comments on my last post and have put into practice one of the tips. So thank you :).

I am believe it or not still taking part in T52MMMC!! But I just haven't blogged about the makes (surprise surprise) and didn't take pics of everything. Soooo I'm going to use this post as a round up of some of my makes and start afresh with some proper posts next week.

Lots of these makes were kiddy orientated as it

was the summer hols :)

Next job is to catch up on some thank you's for giveaways and prizes I have won. Very lucky I know.

Take care everyone and thank you for reading.

Michelle xx

Got to get my head round this blogging!!!!

I know I know I haven't been keeping up but I so want to! I love reading all the blogs I follow and don't understand myself sometimes. Why can't I find just a few spare moments to at least type something. I thing the real problem is that I read lots of beautiful blogs and feel just a tad intimidated. Shouldn't do really, but I do. From today I'm making a promise to myself to at least say something once a week.

First I want to change the look of my blog. Its very boring. I want to prettify it. Any help here would be appreciated. Think it will be a rolling change as I get to grasp of how to make the changes and what to change.

So, today at least I've said something. No pictures but some words have been typed.

Bye for now and I promise I will be back again this week. As I said any suggestions would be considered and I love to read any comments :) xx Take care xx

I'm just a bad bad blogger

Hello everyone.

Well I'm not very good at this blogging. Only just started and I fell off the wagon. Its been a whole month since I last posted anything!! So I thought I better just type something, a catch up if you like, even if it ends up being garbled rubbish he he.

My excuse first of all is the summer holidays. Having the kids to entertain leaves very little time for blogging. Just getting my head around twitter so have been spending time on there too. As well as my usual Folksy spending.

We have 6 more sleeps till our holiday too. Which we are all excited about. Maybe, in the future, I'll blog about what a personal milestone this holiday really is. Just maybe, when I get to know you all a little better.

I haven't forgotten about T52MMMC either. I have done a few crafty bits. Today included! Very proud to say I made some earrings and a bracelet. When The kiddiwinks return to school I'll do a big T52MMMC blog with pics :).

So a further round up in words of the summer holidays so far is:

Cooker broken, new cooker, illness for us all, kids at grandparents for 1 whole week, 1 week of freedom for mummy, new haircut, lots of Folksy buying, birthday party, trips to seaside, book club set up, curry night, dinner party arrangements, cheesecake recipe sourcing, lots of book reading, uniform and shoe buying (so expensive), clothes buying, visiting parents, parents announced new move, penpal searching (today) and all the other usual summer chaos of days out/in with a 7 and 4 year old.

Also will do blog posts about the fantastic goodies I received from WhimsicalWren (100th sale) and Trinket Box (giveaway winner). - apologies to these 2 lovely ladies for not doing one yet.

Next post will be after my hols unless I sneak another one in. Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your holidays everyone. Bye for now.

Michelle xx

Day 4 Doodle Schmoodle - The Gallery

My oh my is this an unbelieveable 4 days running. Yes it is. I'm just too blinking good lol. Well onto day 4 of the Doodle Schmoodle Challenge - My Gallery. Because this doodle is really pictures of my beloved kiddiwinks I felt it deserved a blog post all of its own. They make me so very proud :)

Doodle Schmoodle - Day 3 and journal cover

Hello I'm back again. Gosh 3 days running I am doing well. Must be the thought that after today I might not get chance to be on the computer much. Wow the summer holidays, I do hope the weather is kind :). So here's my day 3 doodle and to show you my journal cover. Although the theme hobbytastic did make me a little sad. Realised I had very few hobbies beyond my kids. Is that the norm? Or am I just being lazy? I'm not sure really probably a bit of both!!

Bye for now. Who knows when the little terrors will let me back on x

30 day Doodle Schmoodle Challenge

Yep another challenge I have taken on!! I must be a glutton for punishment! Art has never been a strong point of mine (I'm a number person), however, when I saw the 30 Day Doodle Schmoodle Challenge at Betty's Place I thought I'd give it a go. So what if they are not masterpieces, who cares, this is just for fun. Each day we are given the theme and off we go so to speak. So here's are my Day 1 and 2 - yes as I said not masterpiece's lol but I enjoyed them so thats what matters :)

Week 3 - T52MMMC

Well I made it to week 3!! Surprised myself. This one was a bit of an easy one but believe it or not I had never made them before. What you may ask. Gift tags - personalised ones with pics of my son and daughter on to use on their end of year/leaving presents to teachers. Conor is moving to year 3 and leaving his teacher (who I admire and have a lot to be thankful to for) and teaching assistant of the past 2 years. Emily is leaving all her pre-school teachers (8 of them) and her childminder. Yes she is moving to big school (primary) sniff. So although I didn't make the gifts, they were all purchased from Folksy and I recycled the gift bags from my purchases. Thankfully I had managed to take a few pictures before my camera went kerput. More shopping me thinks! Not sure what to try for next week so any suggestions would be gratefully received. Have a great week everyone x

Week 2 of T52MMMC - Phew I made it

Well I blogged before about my keyring disaster and despite your lovely comments I decided not to gift it to my friend. Two further disasters later, which I will not be showing pictures of as they are worse than the 1st attempt, I have a keyring I am happy to pass on. So creative try no 4 is shown in my pictures. I know I know the pics aren't very good but I am smiling here as I am chuffed with my efforts. Hope my friend is too!!

Thank you all for the support and I'm off now to try and put a picture on flickr lol.

Michelle x

Failure and Success

Well I did make a keyring yesterday for week 2 of T52MMMC but I'm really not happy with it. As my old textile teacher would have said "you must try harder". Started off so well, used some old offcuts of jeans (very green I know), one of my new buttons from Mushy Makes, ribbon from Patch and even recycled the keyring itself. Had a vision in my head of the finished product (note to self to live in reality more). However, when you have not used a sewing machine (yes I bought a new one of those and its lush) for such a long time I think more practice is required. So I will not be handing over the said keyring to my friend as I would be too embarrassed. So back to the drawing board!! I have included a pic of the keyring to give you proper crafters a giggle.

Not all was lost yesterday though. Attended my son's school summer fair which was fab. My daughter, plus her friend, son and of course me all enjoyed ourselves. Even managed to buy some crafty stuff for me to try out. Will keep you posted if any of the makes are semi-successful.

Twitter, yes I joined. Not sure I get it though. Think I need to keep at it and I may start to enjoy it. Any twittering/tweeting tips would be appreciated. As would some followers as I'm looking decidedly unloved on there he he.

The banana cake I made earlier in the week got me motivated to do more baking. Made a ginger cake (I know not appropriate for this time of year but hey ho) on Thursday and it is yum even if I do say so myself. Will be bigging up anything successful after the keyring disaster! Even had it for breakfast this morning. Bad example I know but it is the weekend.

I can see I'm rambling again! In one of those moods. But must get on. Have a fabulous weekend everyone. Just off to check Folksy before I log off lol.

Bye

Michelle x

Moody Cow Designs Giveaway

Just had to show you all the lovely gifts I received from Moody Cow Designs over at Folksy in the fab giveaway that I won. Thank you so much Trish all my goodies were gorgeous.

Michelle x

1st of The 52 Marvelous Makes Madness Challenge

Well this wasn't my planned week one of the marvelous makes challenge!! However, shopping day tomorrow and I have quite a few banana's that are beyond their best. So I decided to use them in a Banana Cake.

I can honestly say this is delicious and Conor agrees with me as he is eating a piece as we speak (Unfortunately Emily doesn't eat any type of cake so she cannot vouch for me).

Really quite pleased with myself. Hope to get on and make something more crafty for next weeks challenge!

Bye for now

Michelle x