Bring me sunshine.....and a couple of plasters!

What a great couple of days we have had, sun, sun and more sun. I would normally complain that it's too hot, but after all this rain my lips are sealed.

Today I made a big decision. I chose to walk to my friends house, rather than take the car. I thought to myself, the weather is glorious, the exercise will be good and it saves the pennies on petrol.

I packed the pram with goodies, flask of coffee for me, food for my little munchin, blanket for the park,china mugs for the coffee (no plastic cups here), it was laden down with things and a little heavy to push, but I wasn't complaining.

It was a very pleasant journey along the river lea......
                                                                                 
 That was until my feet started to hurt, under the heel of my foot. I was wearing what I thought was a sensible shoe,  a flat sandal. You can't go wrong with a flat sandal, Can you?

I tried to ignore the fact I was walking funny and carried on enjoying the views........

Picturesque barges floating on the glistening water.....

Beautiful flowers, inspiring me to create tiny pearls entwined with wire.........

Blackberries starting to blossom, waiting to be picked and turned into something scrumtious.....

More delicate flowers........

And all the while my feet killing me.

I finally arrived at my friends one hour and ten minutes later.

A cuppa and sit down soon remedied my feet and a lovely afternoon was had with our boys playing out in the sunshine, whilst we sat and chatted about our weekend.

A couple of hours later and it was time to go back home. Time to walk back on a pair of knackered, blistered feet! I wanted to cry and then I gave myself a mental slap and told myself to get it together.

I ignored the pain and actually really enjoyed the walk back.

It was all too much for one little fella.

Have I been put off...maybe a little, but the fact that I walked a total of 6 miles all round in hot, hot heat won't stop me. Next time I'll be better prepared.

On a lighter note....

Here we go...pics and sentances......

Some cupcakes I made for my mums birthday, They were a month late...luckily, she's very forgiving!

All boxed up and ready to go....

There is something about a pretty little cupcakes that makes me feel happy inside, small things please me...

and there is something about finding a certain little boy's toes peeking out of the bottom of my wardrobe whilst he is hiding from me, that makes me even happier...

What fun it is being little!

I hope your all enjoying the sunshine...long may it stay!

This is me....

Blimey, two posts in one week....am I feeling OK?

To be honest, I feel a little off of late, things are happening around me and I can't do anything about them. I like to have control in my life and if I don't, that leaves me feeling out of sorts....somewhat helpless.

People I care about are suffering and I can't do anything to help.I guess this is like a 'Dear diary' as well as my craft space.

I'm not one to show my feelings, I like to look like I am coping even if i'm not...it's what mum's do isn't it! It feels strange to know that anyone can read what I am writing because I prefer to bottle up my emotions than to share them. Nobody wants to seem weak!
I have been thinking for a little while now about whether to make this more than just about what I make and to let you get to know me better as a person, what makes me tick, what makes me mad, happy, sad. I have made the desicion to make this blog more personal, not just about what I make, but how I feel.

It isn't an easy desicion because, well it just isn't. I fear personal opinions due to confrontation, I never want to offend anyone or let people in. Not sure why, maybe along this road I will discover the reason. I am not the best of writers, I find it hard to put into words how I feel and maybe that is one of the reasons, imagery is easier, I post up a pic, write a sentance and I'm done.

I read other blogs and they are so lovely and personal and I feel like I know that person and yet only through reading their posts.

Since having Harrison and becoming a mum, I do feel that I have lost part of who I am. Sounds strange to read it out loud, to admit it. You become so busy thinking about someone else that you neglect yourself. Everything is about that little child that you care for and it's hard to make time for yourself. I used to care about how I left the house...now I quickly put a brush through my hair, tie it back with an elastic band, grab my faithful ol pair of jeans, stick on a top and connies and I'm done. Eventhough I am not one for looking high mantinance and never have, I wish I could make more of an effort. I tore an article from a mag after having Harrison and I have it up on the mirror at home.It says 'If you let yourself go it's your own fault'...it's very true, I have let myself go and it is my own fault. I wonder how many other mums feel/felt like this!

If I haven't made an effort, I feel less confident, but I don't have the time or energy to do anything about it. If your a mum you know what it's like. You get dressed, clean clothes and within five minutes their dirty, little hands wiping their fingers clean, dribble,food, drink and you wonder why you bothered. I used to accessorise...my accessory now is a nappy bag.

Don't get me wrong I wouldn't change my situation for the world, I love being a mum,watching Harrison grow into this little person who I couldn't be without. But I do miss a little bit of Sarah.

Maybe I should stop moaning, see this is the problem...I question whether or not to post this!. How will I come across, will I sound awful, selfish, ungrateful? Should I even post it? Maybe I'll just stick to  a pic and a sentance!

If having Harrison  means looking like a tramp from here on in, then so be it, but can't I have both?  How do you mums do it,...answers on a postcard!

I have  added a couple of pics...so it's not all blah, blah blah....

Have a great weekend...sounds like the summers finally coming!

Forgive me....

....For I am a terrible blogger! where have I been you may ask? (or you may not, as I have probably lost your interest from lack of blogging).

I am not sure where to start.....Last time we spoke was just after easter and now, well now it's mid July, shame on me. If you are still popping by,a big thank you!

O.K, first I'll begin with partly why I have been absent. Love Lily Dot is to blame...it is taking up a lot of my time and eventhough I love it, it's so time consuming that I neglect other things like 'A day with Doris'...poor Doris she has been slung to the way side, but today she comes alive again...alive to regain contact with all you bloggers who have stuck by her and any lovely bloggers that have recently joined.

So a couple of weekends ago I had my first summer fayre stall, selling' Love Lily Dot'. It was quite a mad rush, I had two and a halfweeks to make a stall full of stuff!

I have an issue when it comes to self belief...one day i feel capable, the next I'm questioning why I am bothering.So this was great because I didn't have to question, I just had to get on with it.
It was only the night before when I asked myself what the hell did I think I was doing. Why would anyone buy my things?
Anyway here's what it looked like.....

As you can see, the sun was shining, luckily as I had nothing to protect my things from the rain. The odd thing or ten blew off of the table, but nothing I couldn't send my ma running after! She was of course my side kick and moral support as ever.

As people go, I am a shy one. I am happy in my own space, doing my own thing. Stick me in a room full of people and I clamp up. Stick me on a stall selling my wares and hey, you have a recipe for disaster. Not total disaster, but it's going to take me a couple of these fairs to get my confidence.

 It may be a slow road with Love Lily Dot, but I am determined to stick by and make it work.

On the day of the fayre, I saw two girls across from my stand wearing my accessories that they had  purchased earlier that day and every minute of my hard work felt worth while, even if I had only made a couple of kids take home something they would love.

Infact I have booked myself another stand for the 12th August, so I am busy working on some new items and re making what was sold.

This is just the begining...more posting tomorrow...honest!

And for the bridesmaids....

This is one of my new projects.
'LoveLilyDot' is my company selling handmade felt head pieces. I wanted to make some pieces that sat well alongside my Bridal head pieces. As a young child my mama introduced me to the flower fairies and I thought they were magical. 30 or so years down the line they have inspired me to produce hair pretties for bridesmaids and at the same time produce some everyday pieces for the little girls out there who like to have a little sweetness in their hair!

For the bridesmaids...
Felt flowers in hues of pale pink and cream...ready to be attached to a headband....

In hues of purple and cream....

Pale blue and cream.....

Felt hydrangea ready to be attached to a headband...

Or attached to a piece of ribbon to be worn as a felt corsage...

And for everyday prettiness....

Felt hydrangea in hues of pink on an elastic headband. If you head on over to my LoveLilyDot Facebook page now and 'LIKE' the page you can be in with a chance to win the felt hydrangea headband!

A work in progress.....

It's been a while.....

In fact it's been so long that bloggerland has changed and it took me a few minutes to work out how to do a new post ( easier blogging,my ar**) maybe I'll get used to it!
Anywho...where do I start?
I have been a busy bee with so many projects on the go, I have no time for housework! I fit it in when I can :)......here's hoping the ol' man doesn't see that comment!
Easter came and went. My brother and sis in law came over from Sweden and where the time went I do not know! We had a merry time with food and chat and just being together was fantastic.

Then back to reality...which project do I give my time to, without taking my time away from Harrison...

Who amazes me every day with all of the new and wonderful things that he absorbs from this world.

It is so amazing watching a little one learn, their excitement at tasting a new flavour, or seeing something for the first time, it's just a pleasure to witness.

The other night when he was awake from 12 until 3am due to teething, I watched him chasing his own shadow around the room, from a torch I had shining behind him.I was so tired and annoyed thinking I should have been asleep in my bed and yet at the same time, I sat there happy to be up to see something so very funny.

Another pleasure is Harrison's nap time...that's when I get to do the other things that I love doing, baking...........

Little piglet was for a very sweet little girls first birthday.

Then there was a big boys birthday cake (my brother) .....

Then Rice krispie cakes.............

Enough for now, it's time to rest my head for the night.Soon I will fill you in on the rest of my shenanigans of daily life in our house!

I'll try not to leave it 4 weeks next time before I post!

This season.....

............I will mostly be eating and making cake! Can you ever have too much? Probably, but sometimes it turns a bad day good!

So my little fella is still all spotty with the Chickenpox, but I think he will soon be free of them.He has been so good considering he is teethiing too! We all say it's great being a kid, but we forget that they suffer in other ways growing up and it's ol so hard as a parent to watch. They may not have the stress and strains of life, but they have their own little worries and fears and bloody painful teeth!!

Once again this week I have been in the kitchen baking like crazy. At the moment I have been designing mother's day cakes. I really enjoy combining pretty colours for the handmade decorations to put on top.

I have also been working on a new design for my 'PrettyLittleHeads', Enchanted garden collection.
It's so hard to find the confidence to get out there with my designs and to know where to take them.
I need to brave the wedding shops, but I fear rejection and that is what stops me...silly really because I won't know until I try.Oh it would have been nice to have been blessed with a big ol dollop of confidence!

My head fills like it is overflowing with everything in it at the moment...I feel like it may explode at some point. I go to bed and my brain is whirling around and around, I wake up and I don't remember what I have just done because my mind is elsewhere. At times like this, I wish I was worzel Gummidge and I could just change my head for an empty vaccant one!

Anyway enough rambling on about nothingness. Here are some pics....

These ones were just a heart design, not for mummies day, but the ones below were the ones that I have chosen to make. Six chocolate cupcakes decorated with pale pink, white, pale green and lemon and and six vanilla cupcakes, decorated with vintage hues of pink, violet cream and green .