One

Ana was one on the 6th. I know everybody talks about how quickly babies grow, but isn't it true! That day I kept on thinking about my delivery and how birthdays should be about the mum not the baby being born. It's not the time or the place to revive her delivery(not so bad, at least it was quick and she was out in 8 hours from waters breaking)and I should focus and what I've been making to celebrate her/my day.

As Hannah put enormous pressure on me (she is my role model in many, many areas)I felt I had to do some work on the cake front:

I mean it's not really an effort. It meant hiring some cake tin and deiding on waht type of cake to go for. It was carrot cake in the end. It's not very elaborate but ana loved it:

And yesterday we had a little party with some of our closest friends, so I had to improve on my efforts. This time I went for a our cream and blueberry little number, but I run out of blueberries for the toppig and I had to add some stawberries. It was yummy, though. Ana's favourite thing at the moment is blueberries, oh and toothpaste tubes:

So if you remember I made some invitations (my friends hated me for it, by the way, but you only have your first daughter's first birthday once in a lifetime)so I had to make some real bunting:

It's very short because I used some cheap but lovely skirt from Gap and I run out of material. I thought I could add some more every year, but that sounds good now. We'll see.

I also felt and wanted to make something for...

I know it's cheating (cutting out some nice material and stuffing it is hardly rocket science) but the animals are soft and cute and it's the second bag I've ever made so I'm chuffed. Now I need to start working on the dolly I should be making for her second birthday. Pressure (thanks Hannah, you are even my spell checker!)

Just Finished

Ana will be 1 soon and I've just finished making her party invitations. I'm now making a banner with the same materials and will be glad once I've finished it so I can concentrate on things like what food and cake I'm going to serve my friends.

Do you remember?

Do you remember Barbapapa and Barbamama? I used to love them as a child, so when I found this plate in Spain this summer I just had to buy it. Anybody knows where do they come from? I'd love to get hold of the videos! And what were the other characters called? Oh, memories!

Just finished

I've been working on these little friends for the last two nights (sorry Hannah, that's why I couldn't talk to you last night) and ...



I have just finished them. Some are for Ana but a few are a present for one of her little friends who will be 1 on Saturday. I also made a little linen bag to go with them.

Cute Cousins

As promised here are some photos from Martin and Mig's Summer party

Another birthday

Today is Alec's birthday. Now, he is very peculiar about birthdays and does not like presents, cards or anything that involves being an object or entity. Some years I have bought him something and I had to take it back to the shop. Others he got nothing and it was when he was happiest. This year I decided to make a meal including three of his favourites ingredients: duck, courgettes and chocolate cake. The result was OK but I tend to panic preparing a big 3 course meal and today was no exception. I'm glad it's all over now. Despite the food we've had a lovely evening as Caroline and Jonathan have stayed for dinner and as usual they are great company. No photos of the meal but this is one of my favourite pictures of the Summer:

Feliz 32

Today is my beautiful brother's birthday. Let me show you how gorgeous he is:


Not bad hey? And he is not bad with babies either!


Muchas felicidades de parte de tu hermana y sobrinita que te quieren un monton. Besitos (muchos)

I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been such a long time since I last blogged that I've spent the last half an hour trying to remember my password. Anyway, I've decided to come back to blogging as it is my top of the list new year resolution. Yes, I know it's not January, but for me the year starts tomorrow, with the new academic year. It's a teacher thing. So, yes I'm also back at work tomorrow. I wouldn't say I'm desperate to start but life carries on after having a baby (Ana is almost 11 months)and, well, I've decided to swap 1 baby for 20 sixthformers (at least for three days a week).

Lots of things have happened in all this time I've been away, and first I'd like to share with you some photos of the lovely weekend we had at Mig and Martin's back in July.

... but not until tomorrow. Blogger is having a tantrum and it's refusing to upload me. Never mind.

Who's that?

Who's that in my olive tree?



Oh! Look!



No Ana, she is mine. Give her to me!

Hannah, You bought me the most beautiful sewing book. Not only that, but it's also called Sew Easy and as the title implies it should be easy. And yet I've managed to make a mess of my little project. On page 143 there's the cutest Big Canvas Beach Bag. I thought, yeah, I can make that. I bought metres and metres of nice beachy canvas but then when I got home I thought... what am I doing? I've never made anything apart from a bib and a very simple bunny (all with your help) so I panicked and decided to do a small prototype version. So here it is... Oh! By the Way, I started it about two months ago.

Compare my rubbish version with the one in the book. Ans yes, I know mine has no handles but by that stage I had messed it up. Sorry Hannah, I'll try harder next time, but I know now I'm not born with the sewing gene. I love looking at the book over and over, though!

Frame for Camilla

I have now bought a frame for my lovely Camilla Engman. It should be hanging in Ana's room but I love to look at it so much that for the moment it is staying in the living room. Unfortunately, you can see me in the background which is totally unintended.



And tomorrow... something I've made, but don't get too excited.

Picnic with Cath Kidston

We are now the proud owners of the cutest Cath Kidston Sun tent. I think it's called something else but that's what i call it. It's so gorgeous I want to live in it. Today, to fulfil daddy's wishes, we had another picnic and I felt I had to improve on last week's spread:



So for father's day I bit more of an effort:



And for dessert...



Ana loves the tent!

At last!

Look what I got through the post. I've been waiting for days and at last it arrived yesterday.



I love it. It's such a beautiful thing. It got a big creased because we have a very grumpy postman and he likes to force big letters through the letterbox.







Thanks Camilla!

Heading north

We went up north for the weekend and I was so bored after hours driving I had to make this. Can you see what it is?


And now?


She loves the view

Clara's card

Mi friend Bego had a baby girl (Clara) 3 weeks ago and I went to see her today. It was a lovely day as I went to my other dear friend's house, Aurora, for lunch. She cooked a lovely lasagna and then we went for coffee and cake to Bego's. The house was full of noise, Spanish spoken by everybody: 3 children, 2 babies, 1 grandmother, 3 good friends. Perfecto!

Picnic

This was this year's first picnic. Not a really beautiful spread more like... quick grab anything and let's go out before the sun goes! So we did


What are you two looking at?


It's the Volvo Ocean Race!

Cupcake Vs. Muffin

Here it is, Cupcake 3. Now I think this is a more realistic one, for a start I used some chocolate/brown linen (which by the way was a nightmare to work with) rather than that orange scrap of felt I had lying around. Then I decided that I really fancied the real thing so I baked some blueberry muffins. Question: Do you prefer a muffin or a cupcake?

Cupcakes

Well... £72 later I got my camara back. I've really missed taken photos but kept myself busy with my new obsession: CUPCAKES! You see, next week I'm going to a friend's wedding and she has asked guests to bake a cupcake. In Spain we don't have anything like it so I've never baked or even eaten one before so I was a bit apprehensive about the task. Then I thought I could make one... with felt! Sounds good, but you must understand I've never made anything before. Well I half made a bunny and a basic bib under the close and much needed supervision and patience of Hannah (gentlytiptoe) so I'm not sure that counts. So after a bit of research and lots of trouble with cupcake 1 (don't even ask), here's cupcake 2. By the way, don't look too closely as my sewing skills are very poor:

30daychallenge (Day 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The end.

Well, what can I say? This 30 day project got to the end but no with loads of final trouble in the final stages. My camera is officially in the camera clinic having a few screws tweaked. Took me a while to decide if I should throw it or get a flash new one but couldn't depart with this old friend (it's 5 years old which in the live of a digital camera is quite old) and to be honest, haven't got the money to pay for what I want. So... with one more photo to post I had to cheat again and felt obliged to finish the way I started, with my beautiful Ana.

30daychallenge (Day 29)

Two hands

Unwanted photo 4