Sweet days with Elle and Mia

flower fairy

2012-02-25T21:06:00.000Z

I am just so in love with this girl. My little fairy, my first born! She is the funniest thing in the world and has the biggest heart. And i know i am biased, but i am sure she should be a model!
x

11 months

2012-02-24T21:06:00.000Z

11 months! That is one whole month until she is one year old.

Dear Mia,

This time last year, i was so excited to meet you! i dreamed every night about what you would look like and how you would be. And now you are nearly one and you are just becoming more and more wonderful every day.
You have such perfect rosebud lips. Beautiful blue eyes and when you eat, you scrunch your little nose up.
You can say so many words already. Just today, you learnt to say no. I had to say it to you as you tried to eat the cat food for the hundreth time and you looked at me and kept saying "no no no" and then giggled at yourself as i got excited!
When you have a bath, you scoot on your knees right up to the end of the bath tub, pull yourself up at the end on your knees and slide down the slope on your tummy. You think this is the funniest thing. you also like putting your face in the water and giggle so hard.
You love shouting! You have definitely found your voice.
You are very much a mummys girl which is good as your sister is a daddys girl. You sit on the floor with your arms in the air when ever you see me and are happiest being held.

Mia, i cannot wait to see what sort of person you are going to blossom into. You are such a sweet, senstive little soul and me, your daddy and your sister love you so very much!

x

The swan fairy

2012-02-19T19:49:00.000Z

"The swan fairy". This is a new photostory taken for an assignment for the eyecandy photography workshop. My lovely friend, Melody, is so beautiful and fitted the story perfectly.

p.s Would you care to vote for my little blog?

Babiekins VIII

2012-02-15T19:25:00.000Z

I have posted a number of times about Babiekins magazine. Issue 8 is now out and free to view online. I always love the little photo stories in the magazine. I have never dissapointed and i also love the little fashion pages which show wonderful little items for your children. Go and have a little read and i hope you fall in love with the magazine as much as i have.

Love day cupcakes

2012-02-14T19:26:00.000Z

Happy love day to you all. Elle, Mia and i made some little cupcakes for their lovely daddy. Elle just loves baking and decorating. She picked out all her own decorations and put them in a bowl and sat for over half an hour just to decorate the two cupcakes she scooped into the cases.

I hope you all had a lovely day. Gilles was (and still is) working all day. I spent it with my two beautiful fairies, baking and painting.

Her sweet face

2012-02-12T19:02:00.000Z

I just wanted to share these pictures of took of little Elle for no other reason than she has such a sweet little face.

Also, Top baby blogs have reset their votes and Sweet days would love a little vote if you like reading. Please just click the link and then the left owl and that is all. Thank you in advance. x

Lately

2012-02-10T22:29:00.000Z

My life lately from my instagram.

Paperboat mobile

2012-02-08T14:29:00.002Z

Today, i made a little paperboat mobile for Elle's bedroom to hang from her lightshade. It isnt technially done. Its just twigs and string and paper.

I used an old nursery rhyme book i found at a charity shop for the paper. There were some lovely little rhymes that i picked out for the boats. I used this tutorial on youtube to make the boats. I used a needle to thread string through the top of the boat and then tied the two ends together so it would just hang over the twig. I tied two twigs together in a cross and made up 4 little boats. i hung the boats over the ends of the twigs and hung the mobile up on the lampshade.

It's such a simple and easy thing to do and looks wonderful in her room now. I hoping to make one for Mia's room too and maybe some garland for above our head. A house can never have too many paper boats x

On my heart: Sleep

2012-02-02T19:27:00.001Z

I was so very lucky with Elle. She slept through from 8 weeks. She would go 8pm-8am, have a little milk and sleep again until around 11am, sometimes even noon! i always felt so refreshed. Ready to face the day and have the energy to take her swimming, for walks everyday, to spend every second on the floor playing with her and not need to sit down or just "rest my head for a second on the sofa cushions".

The first night we bought Mia home, we put her down with us in her basket and all fell asleep at 10pm. I woke up with a jolt at 8am the next morning as she hadnt woken me and was still fast asleep in her basket next to me. I could see her tiny chest going up and down and her little fingers twitching. I then made the huge mistake of counting myself lucky that we have another good sleeper.

Apart from actually getting her to sleep, she was pretty good until she was 7 months old. She would wake around 5am to be nursed and go straight back to sleep again. She then started to wake up a few hours after we put her down in the evening. Then a few hours in the night. And then she would want to stay up and play. It then got to the point where she would be up most of the evening with us and also for a few hours in the night too, just wanting to play or be cuddled.

And here we are now. I get on average three hours of sleep a night. Mia just doesnt seem to need sleep. My body is just not functioning right. I feel like im sinking into the floor and my brain is so cotton woolish! i have been making such silly mistakes and forgetting simple things. For instance, last week, i went to the supermarket to get the ingredients to make up a lasagne. I picked up the sauce and the vegetables. I looked in my basket and thought yes, thats all i need! i got home, went to cook the dinner and reaslised i hadnt any mince, garlic bread or pasta! The next day, i went to the supermarket to get things to make a stir fry and picked up noodles and veg. I got home, went to cook dinner and realised i forgot the meat. Its scary how your mind can just not function correctly. I am starting to have to write things down in my diary just so i will remember them!

When Mia was younger and sleeping alot better, the days were alot more fun. We went out everyday. We had adventures, we made teepees. There was always something planned that we were going to do and i had so much energy. I had all the patience in the world and just felt completely happy.
Now, most of our days are spent at home. I cannot muster up the energy to do alot. I feel guilty because i havent done half the things with Mia that i did with Elle as a baby. I havent taken her swimming or to the indoor play centre alot. I don't take her on daily walks or spend hours with her lying on the floor in fits of giggles over a cuddly toy making a funny noise when you squeeze its tummy.

It is actually getting to the point that i dread going to bed. I dont see the point in going to sleep as i know i will be awake only a few hours later.

Oh, i wouldnt change Mia for the world but how do people cope? To other mummies who have a non sleeper, how do you find the energy to do things? How do you cope when you hit that 3pm slot and your eyes wont even stay open yet there is no way you can just fall asleep as you have a energetic baby to entertain?

I am certainly not complaining, i just need a little advice. A few wise words from others who have gone through this or are going through this. I just need a little pick me up before my heart aches even further with this guilt of not being able to give the girls the days and attention they deserve without losing patience or having to sit down before i fall down!

Photo sets.

2012-02-01T22:48:00.000Z

I have lowered the prices on all my sets in my etsy store. Instead of £10 for the three pictures, i am now selling them at £3 or around $5! I am only offering this price until friday evening. I have alot more photo sets in my etsy store, so maybe have a little look around and see if there is something you like :)

A book about me.

2012-01-31T14:23:00.000Z

A few years ago, a lovely girl contacted me to say that she was studying in Paris and for part of her work, she had to write a book. She chose to write a book on me! She included alot of my photographs and some of my writing that she took from my blog at the time.
It feels quite surreal to know that there is a book somewhere in the world all about you! She kindly sent me these pictures she took of the finished book. I havent included all the pages as there are quite alot more.

I had completely forgotten about this until i was going through some photograph files on my computer and came across them. I love they way the book is put together and i feel honoured to be the subject :)

Through her eyes

2012-01-30T22:27:00.000Z

This was our day, through Elle's eyes! (She carried her camera everywhere with her today!)

I love the last two pictures!! Our actual day consisted of food shopping, followed by a trip to toys r us, mothercare and next. It wasnt the most exciting, but we certainly had a lovely day!

Acheiving my dreams

2012-01-27T21:45:00.000Z

Photography has always been one of my biggest dreams. After i had Elle, i would go out with her in the buggy and just do little shoots. I loved it. It felt so amazing to be able to create something. I spent hours writing down ideas and dreaming up images that i wanted to create. Stories that i wanted to tell.

I then became pregnant with Mia and i just lost all passion and drive. I have talked about this numerous times on this blog and how i lack confidence in my work.
I do get told alot that my work is good and people buy my prints but that lack of self confidence is something i just cant get over.

I then had a lovely email from a wonderful person offering to pay for a online photography course for me. I am completely self taught but i still dont understand photography. Most of my shoots are whims. I panic when it comes to settings on the camera and working out how to get certain shots. It is frustrating and it knocks me down even further.
I will be doing the Kirsty Wiseman photography e-course which i am excited about. I finally will be taught about the settings and learn the basics that i never managed to understand myself.

I have always admired a photographer called Sheye Rosemeyer (not just for her photography, but her as a person too). I have wanted to take one of her online workshops for ages and never thought i would get the chance as we just couldnt afford for me to take it. I aspire to take pictures as good as hers.
I just put it in the back of my head as one of those things that i would love to do eventually. Well today, i received a message from Sheye herself. My heart was pounding as i opened it. She said that i had won a place on the photography workshop that i have always wanted to do! oh my goodness!

I just feel so lucky to be able to take these two classes and each class covers different aspects. I am taking that step now to acheiving my dreams. I am going to take everything out of these as i can so when i come out the other side, i wont be afraid anymore. I need to be brave and i need to gain this confidence and stop being silly. My confidence has really held me back in my life and i just want to fight forward now and be what i want to be... a photographer.

10 MONTHS

2012-01-26T22:43:00.002Z

Dear Mia

You turned 10 whole months two days ago. Thank you for making the last ten months the most amazing months in the world.
You are such a contented, happy little girl. You are not interested in all these silly milestones. You really couldnt care less about trying to pull yourself up or trying to walk. You have only just started putting weight on your feet, but that isnt all the time.
You perfer to just laugh at your sister or smile at who ever is with you. You have such an infectious smile.
BUT, you are SO clever. You can say words. You can say mum, daddy, cat, bye, bye bye, hello, hi and hiya and last week my friend asked you what your sister was doing and as clear as day you said "ballet". We were in disbelief so asked you again and you just looked at him and said ballet! And she was, she was doing her ballet dancing in her Belle dress around the front room.
We are just so proud of you. When we ask you for kisses, you make a kissing sound and then giggle. When i hold you and say awwww, you put your head on my chest and say awwww back.

You are still such a milk baby. You cannot get enough! As soon as bedtime hits, you are shouting at us for milk and fall alseep within seconds when you start drinking.

You are sleeping a tiny bit better! You are still wanting milk at some point in the night and i know that if i dont dream feed you before we go to bed, you will be awake in the early hours crying for your milk. You like to also wake to come in with us and then snuggle yourself down and fall back to sleep. Its so amazing waking up and seeing your tiny face. You are cheeky though and take your dummy out in the middle of the night, hold it above your head and drop it down the back of the bed so mummy has to crawl under the bed with her phone as a torch in search of your dummy! I really should get a dummer holder to attach it to you so i dont end up doing this five or six times a night!

Your favourite things, the fireplace and the catflap!! I have even caught you getting in with the cats and eating their food!!!! i cannot turn my back for even a second with the speed you commando crawl around.

Mia, we all love to so so much! your sister said that i was allowed to marry you today (as, of course, she is marrying daddy when she is older and i have to marry you!). She gets upset when she doesnt know where you are and always looks a little lost when you are napping. She tells everyone when we are out that you are her sister and she gets so excited when you do something new. "look mummy, Mia is doing it!!!!" in her high squealed excited voice. She even lets you play teaparties with her, so she must love you!

Love always, your mummy, daddy and big sister, Elle x

Learning to be patient

2012-01-22T19:06:00.000Z

Today i made jam filled cupcakes. Oh yummy yum! It is very simple to do. I just made up my basic vanilla cupcakes and when they were cool enough from the oven, i made a tiny hole in the top of the cupcake and piped in the jam. They do taste wonderful along with the vanilla flavouring.

I have been inspired so much lately by two wonderful blogs. Dottie Angel and Posy. Such wonderful ladies. I just feel the need to go to a craft shop and buy anything and everything possible to start crocheting and embroidary and making cushions and garlands for every corner of the house.

I have been thinking alot lately about the path i am taking in life. I would my most happiest, i think, just pottering at home making things and gardening and baking and just making our home - pretty! It is so hard finding time though as Mia is not a very good night sleeper and by the time i have got the girls to bed, i am completely exhausted. Right now, i just wish i had the energy to hem a few more dresses and make up some bunting. I am just going to have to be very patient and know that i have years and years of crafting ahead of me. Eventually, i will be able to just sew up a cushion in an hour or crochet a blanket or string some bunting together without having to do it along side youtube videos and tutorials. I just need to learn to be patient.

Mollie Makes Ten

2012-01-20T18:56:00.000Z

You must all know of my love by now for this wonderful magazine. I was counting day the days for the next issue to come and yesterday it did! I do believe it is one of my most favourite issues yet.
I feel so inspired to crochet and knit and sew my little heart out. Mollie Makes never ever fails to make me smile and yesterday i was feeling quite poorly and i was completely cheered up with my purchase.

This evening i am making some garlands and searching ebay for some pretty floral vintage wallpaper for my closet.

Glitter bowties.

2012-01-18T20:43:00.000Z

Here is a little glimpse into my world lately according to my little mobile phone. It consists mainly of turning hair bows into bowties, hemming vintage nightdresses into my own little dresses and collecting pretty things from charity shops. I have been buying wonderful blossom type flowers and floral bedcovers. I have also been making lists and lists of all the pretty things i would love to do around the house now i am at home the whole time. I have been inspired completely by Dottie Angel and i am very excited about the new Molly Makes magazine tomorrow.
I am also looking forward to craft evenings with my very lovely friend, Laura, where we will be making our own peterpan collars for our cardigans.

Oh, and i would also like to start my own collection of tiny deer ornaments and put them in a little house shaped shelf on my bedroom wall!

Lily pegs

2012-01-17T18:37:00.000Z

Elle's new favourite game. Lily pegs (instead of lily pads!).

Her imagination is quite amazing. I just love watching her play. Today, her and Mia were sailing across the ocean on a "lily peg" but the fish were jumping out and trying to eat their toes.
Mia then managed to pull herself over a cushion and little Elle piped up
"Mia, i am so so proud of you. You did it all yourself you clever little thing! Mummy, did you see how clever little Mia was just then? i am so so proud of her mummy"

I love those girls. And i love that Elle calls lily pads, lily pegs. And i love that i have everyday with these two and i am so excited for all those hours that we will get lost in Elle's imaginary world.

I wonder what tomorrows adventure will be?

CHANGES

2012-01-16T15:23:00.000Z

Now that i am a stay at home mummy and house wife, i have been thinking about ways to help me not loose myself. I have been thinking about what direction i have wanted to take my blog in for a while now and i have decided that my little blog is going to be my main creative outlet. I love to sew, i love to write, i love to bake and i would love somewhere to share all of this. Not just posts on our family life.

I am excited about this blog of course, i shall always been sharing our family days aswell but i would love to just have a little place where i can share my writings and recipes and sewing projects and little alone adventures that i am going to make sure i do over the warmer months such as reading in meadows and little photo adventures to the woods.

I hope you will all enjoy what i shall be sharing also. Once again, thank you for all of your lovely words and support. A few little apperanace changes are happening right now on here, so please excuse all the tinkering and moving of things until i get things just perfect. x

SAHM

2012-01-12T19:11:00.002Z

Today, i officially became a stay at home mummy. I went back to work at the beginning of december and we had to put Mia into nursery where Elle already goes. It wasnt until i had completed a months work that we realised we had completely miscalculated our finances and that it was actually going to cost us more in nursery fees than i would be coming out with in my pay packet.

My work have been amazing and i am really going to miss it. I have one of my very best friends working there!

It is quite exciting though to think that i now have every day with the girls and that Mia doesnt even need to go to nursery anymore. We are keeping Elle there for one day as she is entitled to her free sessions and she just loves going and seeing her friends.

I am now concentrating on my photography. I have accepted a few shoots and a wedding and i am looking to upgrade my equipment and start up my own personal shoots again. I am excited to see what this year holds.

INKY FINGERS

2012-01-06T21:14:00.001Z

Thank you for the sweet sweet comments on my last post where i shared a little of my writing. I wanted to dedicate one more post to a few more little pieces i have written.
I have just found a journal my aunty made me that i am handwriting all these in for the girls to have when they are older. I hope they like them.

they flew in diamonds, lanterns on their beaks
keep up tiny robins for the crows will come
huddle with the biggies
eagles and vultures are eating barley sugars on the hilltops
baby seagulls singing to their ma's
but their ma's haven't any blossom to feed them and their little tummies are growling like lions.

The elephant gracefully kisses the linnets beak
good night little bird
There are droplets on your hair, but i still think you are beautiful
Tomorrow i shall bring you some gingerbread and a little jam for your toast
The linnet kissed the elephant on his tusk
good night dear friend
Tomorrow will become a new year and we shall jig around the nettle beds
Now we must sleep, tip toe away sir
Tomorrow is a new year

If you go down to the woods today
you shall see little squirrel is
holding a tea-party for the fauns
and blackbirds
lemon milk on tables and blackberry pies on stools
they sing such lovely melodies and
dance such lovely steps
but shhhhhh
the trees are now sleeping
tip toe tip toe ...away.

She met albert in the orchard
with a pale of water and
two dozen apples (and three dozen plums)
make me a pie she cried
with your needle and hay
a pie for the children down the lane
socks pulled up to their knee bones and mittens on strings in their coats

The unicorn king had two curls in his hair and an itchy itchy moustache on his face
his skin smelt of foxgloves and he ate toast for supper
he slept in winter socks and mittens and dreamt sometimes of gold finches and sometimes of bears with fingers and toes instead of paws.
he thought that maybe they might sleep in mittens too!
Ring your bell mr wolf and lets catch icicles on our noses
the sunbeams are hibernating for the winter,
wrapped up in lemon coloured blankes (milk on the stove)
keep your baby teeth warm though, in tiny ribbons in your jumper drawer.

Little olive
asleep with the sunbeams next to the bathtub
lace on her shoes and string around her fingers
dreams of leopard cubs and frosted leaves and cones.

Dreams

2012-01-05T19:50:00.000Z

I tend to be a daydreamer. I think i always have been. I am writing constantly in my notebooks and making up stories in my head as i walk along. Photography seems to be such a huge outlet for me to get these stories from my head into an image. I have been thinking recently on how i can express these dreams in my head in a better way. I want to create images that share stories of being loved and being lost and being innocent. I want to take as many of my own memories as a child and create as many pictures as i can to capture how i felt at that time.

I spent hours yesterday just typing out words/sentances/song lyrics/short stories and quotes from books to use as inspiration and, essentially, started my first project. This year, i will be creating photostories based around my short stories that i write and my very own dreams and memories.

I used to share my writings alot through an old blog on livejournal but i havent ever shared anything here. It is just silly sentances really that just pour out more and more as i write. Normally words about pirates and sailors and hot milk.

Today was all about breathing, listening to every breath to make sure that suddenly you don't stop. To feel all the melodies around your bones and to sail across oceans in tin cans with seaweed stained cheeks and a stomach full of berries. I have been wishing that my blood would be lemon milk.

Your tears remind me of dewdrops on thunder mornings and i wanted to tell you that you still look beautiful even though your brittle heart is black and i wish to bring you flowers flowers flowers.

You know that feeling you get after you have stared into the sun for too long and your eyelashes turn into beads of glitter glue and dewdrops and tiny gold horse hairs? then you can see dust trails dancing around within the rays. i like to think they are fairy dust or babies tears.

I want to capture everything. I want to create as much as i can and write and write until everything i feel and dream, is written down.

HER HOUSE

2012-01-02T19:54:00.001Z

Elle still has her changing unit in her bedroom which we will be taking down this week. We wanted to create a reading corner for her with lots of lovely floral fabrics and a hideaway fort that she can sit in and read. She just loves her books. I havent found the perfect fabric yet and still scouring charity shops to find some. We saw this lovely colour your self play house and got it for her for christmas.

She just loves it! A colour yours elf playhouse!! She is in heaven as she just loves colouring. Of course, mummy and daddy helped alot (we just couldnt help ourselves!) and she now has this little house of her own to go in the corner when we take down the unit until i manage to find the fabrics for her fort.

RESOLUTIONS

2012-01-01T21:22:00.001Z

I dont normally make resolutions. If i do, they normally are something about getting fit, losing weight etc. This year, i have so many lovely plans. Things i really would love to achieve.

1. Get my vintage shop "Ginger and Lillys Closet" up and running.
2. Plan and go on lots of lovely dates with my husband. We hardly have time to ourselves.
3. Upgrade my digital SLR
4. Take lots of photographs. I used to be always out on shoots with just myself and a tripod with little Elle in the buggy. Now i can just have Mia in the buggy and Elle has chief helper!
5. Bake!!! I want to make everything and anything i can find.
6. Make lots of home movies of the girls. My wonderful husband bought me a video camera for our wedding anniversary present and i havent filmed as much as i would like. I dont want to miss anything!
7. Sew!!! Again, i want to sew as much as i can. I want to make the girls whole new wardrobes.
8. Make as many fabric bows as possible to make my own little range of bow tie brooches.
9. Make sure the girls get lots of playdates. I have so wonderful friends with children, but i always seem to get myself too wrapped up in tidying and doing things with the girls.
10. Read every single book by Francesca Lia Block. I re-read my favourite of hers, Ruby, on thursday and forgotten how much i am just in love with her writing.
Happy New year to you all from The Pink family (and yes, Pink is our last name if you didnt know!!) x

WE HAVE THE POX

2011-12-29T19:21:00.000Z

This is going on in the Pink household right now! The pox!!! Elle woke boxing day and this was what we were greeted by. We have had to postpone our family christmas plans in favour for lots of cuddles under blankets and camoline lotion.
Mia just has the one spot on her forehead but i have a feeling this time next week, she will be covered in spots too!

9 MONTHS

2011-12-27T15:25:00.000Z

Happy 9 months little Mia. I am a few days late but boy have we been busy!!

You are amazing. I just cant get enough of you. I just love everything about you.

You are now commando crawling. You are pretty speedy and i am glad you have started to move around as doctors sure know how to scare mummys when they say you are "delayed".
You stomach strength has come on leaps and you are sitting up properly. You are saying mummy, daddy and cat. You can copy sounds though and on christmas day, you said "oh dear"

We are still co-sleeping. You are just such a sensitive little soul and i know you feel the safest inbetween mummy and daddy, and we dont mind. We love having you there. Your sister was always so independant as a baby and loved her own space and own room but we will do anything to make you happy, and we know you are the happiest when we co-sleep. You are still waking for milk in the night (and cuddles!).

You have the goofiest smile. Its adorable! You also suck on your lip when you are in a mischevious mood.

Yout favourite person is still your sister! You two have such a beautiful bond and i cannot wait to see that blossom in the next few years.

Mummy has started thinking about your birthday. A little fairy is only 1 once so we will be celebrating!!!

Thank you for these last wonderful 9 months. You have made our family complete and we are al utterly in love with you.

CHRISTMAS EVE

2011-12-26T20:04:00.000Z

I know christmas eve was a few days ago but i just wanted to share our little advent activity. Day 24, lets make cakes for father christmas!

We made up some chocolate, orange and spice cupcakes with squeeze orange juice buttercream icing. Elle decorated her own and left three of them out for father christmas. We then went out the front of the house and sprinkled reindeer food mixed with glitter on the path so father christmas and ruldoph could find our house. We were joined by our lovely neighbours and it was really magical. Something we will be doing each year!

I will be blogging about our christmas but right now, we have had to cut our family celebrations short as both girls have come out in chicken poxs!! Mia also turned 9 months on christmas eve, so i shall be sharing her 9 month post this week also.

P.S. I am offering 50% off all photo sets in my Etsy store with the code GLITTERDEERS. I would love if you could have a little look at my shop.

Audrey Grace

2011-12-21T18:51:00.000Z

Over the weekend, the wonderful Audrey Grace Boutique opened in Jackson, MS. I was asked by the wonderful Jaclyn wether some of my photographs could be displayed for sale in the gallery. I am so honoured to have my work on the walls here with some amazing photographers!

The shop has been inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. It sells a mixture of vintage and designer clothes, photography, accessories and jewellery.

(i have three prints near the bottom in the middle here. The three girls in fox masks, the angel and then the mermaid girl with the lace dresses)

(the girl with the dolls house is my print)

a secret little corner

2011-12-17T19:49:00.000Z

I wanted to share some images from my instagram. I am just in love with it. Being a mummy, you can loose sight of what you love and having things that are just for you. I use this blog to document my life as a mummy with the girls but having instagram allows me to share me. I can upload pictures of teacups and bows and lace and little treasures i have collected over the years. I find it is a secret corner of the world just for me and my imagination.

If you are on instagram, i would love for you to follow me :gingerlillytea

Our not so perfect gingerbread house.

2011-12-17T15:06:00.001Z

Day 16. Lets make a gingerbread house.

This was the first time i have ever ever made gingerbread let alone a gingerbread house. In hindsight, i wish i had made up the gingerbread the night before as i ended up having a huge panic in the kitchen when i ran out of ginger and a frantic call to my husband who calmed me down and told me to make the second batch up the same but without adding ginger. He is a darling and i should really have thought that myself but when i get myself in a state, i just go blank and panic!

I made up the shapes and Elle had her little bag of sweets she picked out that she wanted to use to decorate her house. We even had white sugar mice to live inside.

So here is our house. It is slightly burnt in parts, part of the roof is cracked, the back of the house is cracked but it is our house and we love it all the same. This is completely going to be a tradition now and maybe next year, our house will be alot better but i am quite proud of this one and Elle just loves it! It is sitting proudly in the middle of our dining room table.

A Hidden Cupcakes Christmas

2011-12-15T19:17:00.001Z

Today, i have a lovely guest poster!! Tracey from Hidden Cupcakes is sharing a wonderful post with us about her stocking traditions. She makes the most beautiful stockings and is selling some over at her etsy shop here. She also has a facebook page over here.

p.s Use Coupon code: HIDDEN40 for 40% off purchase at her etsy shop!! :)

Life is busy.

Life is good.

Life is getting ready for Christmas...

Thanksgiving is over.

Time to decorate for Christmas.

An event..that lasts about a week.

I take my time and enjoy each moment...because it ends all too quickly.

First on my list this year, "Thing 4's" Christmas Stocking.

I decided to make our Christmas stockings...never being satisfied with what I found at the stores.

{Sometimes I am a little picky}

The stockings were basically free.

I used old blankets, shirts, pillows, ribbons, buttons.

I love how each turned out.

If I had to pick a have it would be the striped one...Thing 3's...I used his baby blanket.

{I enjoy having sentiments involved everywhere possible}

The only stocking I didn't make was my own.

The cupcake and coffee stocking. {Can you say, PERFECT!}

I bought it a few years back on Etsy at The Lowelly Worm...the stockings are adorable.

Being away last Christmas I decided to wait on making "Thing 4's" Stocking.

I thought it would be nice to use something from his "baby-hood" like I was able to do with "Thing 3".

I'm so glad I waited.

It is going to be just perfect.

Snowflakes

2011-12-14T18:52:00.000Z

I am just trying to catch up with our advent activies due to my laptop being out of action for a few days.

Day 11, lets make some pretty snowflakes.

Elle has a paper book full of her drawings and scribbles so we picked out a few pages and used them to make her snowflakes. I left her to her cut her own shapes and she did amazingly well! We strung them up as a garland, put a little doilie in the middle and tied them up with lace. Elle also made a snowflake tree hanging decoration for our next door neighbours.

Here is the strung garland on the mirror above our fireplace.

Let's decorate a lonely tree

2011-12-13T22:10:00.000Z

I havent managed to post in a few days as i had a nasty virus on my laptop. It is now all ok so i will be catching up with the last few days of adventures.

Today was day 13. Let's find a lonely tree and dress it up like a christmas tree!!

We went down to the river with a basket full of tinsel and baubles. Elle picked out a tree she wanted to decorate and we got to work.

And that is how we left it. So if you are near my town and take a walk along the river, you might see a lonely tree all glammed up as a christmas tree!!

Raspberry and Almond

2011-12-09T21:00:00.001Z

Day 9. Today we are going to bake some cakes.

Raspberry and Almond cakes

115g (4oz) butter

85g (3oz) caster sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 free range eggs

85g (3oz) self-raising flour

55g (2oz) ground almonds

85g (3oz) fresh raspberries, cut in half

2 tbsp flaked almonds

1. Preheat the over to 180 (gas mark 4).

2. Place the butter, caster sugar and almond extract in a large bowl . Beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs.

3. Sift in the flour and mix

4. Fold in the ground almonds and raspberries

5. Spoon into the cupcake cases and then scatter the flaked almonds on top.

6. Bake for around 25 minutes.

I am glad i managed to do some baking with Elle today. I just havent felt right this week. I started back at work on wednesday and did two full days. Its been such a shock to the system. I just havent felt right. I feel immense guilt. I dont want to leave the girls. I dont want them to go to nursery. I want to be there for them all the time. I know it is good to have your own space and your own time and life away from the children but i just dont want that and the fact that i am now having those two days at work is making me feel awful. More than anything, i just wish we were in a position where i could stay at home. Work is lovely and i like the people i work with but its not where i should be and i am struggling with this guilt. Guilt is the worst feeling. I just feel so happy being with the girls and being a homemaker.

When will this feeling ever go away?

p.s I am over at our footprints on the world today talking about my christmas.

A DONDALEES CHRISTMAS

2011-12-07T18:55:00.000Z

Gosh, i cannot believe that we have ended our first week in december already! Christmas is coming so fast and i am so excited. Today, i have a lovely guest poster, Dondi, sharing her favourite christmas. Pop over to her blog and maybe stay a little while. It is pretty wonderful over there!

Hi, friends! Dondi here from "DondaLee's". Sweet Keri-Anne asked me to share my "favorite Christmas" with y'all! So here goes:

{source}

While it's hard to pick one favorite Christmas, some of my favorite Christmas memories, are...

{source} ♥Gazing at Christmas lights♥ Eating too many sweetsSinging Christmas carols with church friends Icing cookies all day in my sweats

{source} ♥Eating mini candy canes♥ Playing with cats and wrapping paperLaying under the tree and looking up at the lightsSmelling sugar cookies bake in the oven

{source} ♥Eating cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning♥ Going to Christmas playsDancing around the house to holiday music Laughing uncontrollably with my sister

♥Getting warm by the fire♥

Getting all bundled up to only stay outside for a few minutes

Opening unexpected gifts

Playing with ice sickles because we rarely had snow

{source} ♥Decorating the tree♥ Putting out the milk and cookies on Christmas eveShopping for gifts and the thrill that came with finding the perfect oneTaking Christmas cookies to friends

{source} ♥Drinking hot coco♥ Admiring ornaments from years pastWatching favorite Christmas moviesDecorating my own little mini tree

{source} ♥Wrapping gifts♥ Setting up our nativity sceneGiving to those less furtunateCelebrating God's gift to the word--His Son But my favorite Christmas is always the Christmas yet to come... The memories to be madeThe laughter that will fill the houseThe embrace of a loved oneThe shedding of happy tears The planning and anticipation And most of all, the making of sweet memories that I'll cherish all year long. ♥What's your favorite Christmas memory?♥

SEEING THE MAGIC

2011-12-06T19:56:00.000Z

Day 6 in Elle's calendar today said "Today, you will see some magic happen"

When i was younger, i used to love playing with this three dimensional edwardian dolls house. It was at my grandmas house and i would forever be playing with it. I was always so amazed at how it started out as a book and then turned into a dolls house! To me, i thought it was pure magic.
I had this book in my bedroom and a few days ago, i came upon it again and i just knew that Elle would love it as much as i did!

She read her love letter and then we came upstairs to find the book. I handed her the book and said it would magically change into a dolls house. When i opened it up she was completely in awe! She carried it into her room and there she stayed all morning, playing.

And yes, she is still in her pjs with odd socks on! We had no plans to go out so why get dressed? I must admit, as i was taking these pictures, i was completely sporting a mismatch on pj bottoms, odd socks and my husbands t-shirt!

I have also a new facebook page for this little blog. I am changing the name to just "Sweet Days". If you would like to "like" my page and keep up with all the posts, giveaways and features, then please visit the page here

ELLE AND MUMMY AFTERNOON

2011-12-05T19:30:00.000Z

I go back to work this wednesday, so Mia had her final settling in session today at nursery. She was there for two whole hours so i had two hours free with just my biggest girl.

Elle came down this morning to a little love note in her number 5 stocking on her advent calendar which told her she would be having some time with just mummy this afternoon and that we were off to a cafe for her first hot chocolate and some cake.

We took Mia to nursery and then walked to the cafe. She was so excited walking there and kept saying that she loved mummy and elle time. The cafe is the sweetest little place. I just love it there. If i was allowed, this is how i would decorate my whole house! Full of shabby chic and vintage decor and mismatched wooden distressed tables with floral cusions on all the chairs. Elle loved it too.

It was so nice to have that time with her. We havent had any alone time out together since Mia has been born and i really would like to try and make this a regular thing.

I snapped a few iphone pictures of the day.

A LETTER.

2011-12-04T19:44:00.000Z

Today on Elle's advent calendar, her little love letter in number 4 said that we were writing her letter to father christmas! She was so excited. I asked her to think very carefully about what she wanted and her requests this year are a pocohontas dolls, a dolls house and a baby rocking crib.

She drew a picture on one side and her written letter on the other. It is now waxed sealed and we will be posting it to "Father christmas, the north pole! tomorrow. I wonder where it will actually end up!!

I have ordered Elle a special letter from father christmas which also comes with a certificate to say that she is on his good list! I cannot wait for it to arrive and see her face.

I am also looking forward to what tomorrows little love letter will reveal. A post will be up tomorrow evening about that one.

A NUTCRACKER PARTY

2011-12-02T21:12:00.000Z

(All image from Icing Designs)

One of my favourite christmas stories is the Nutcracker. It is my very favourite ballet and i would watch the video of it all the time when i was younger with my grandma. I wanted to share this wonderful party that i came across when i was searching for nutcracket wrapping paper. I would love to throw the girls a party JUST LIKE THIS!

I will be sharing a few more festive parties/decorations and designs leading up to christmas and i am also making my own nutcracker cupcakes that i will be sharing also.

vintage thrifting

2011-11-30T20:40:00.000Z

In my town, there is an amazing vintage shop. It is full to the brim of vintage clothes, china, handmade stalls, old bicycles, furniture and other wonderful retro items! I met my friend Kelly today to have a little look around. Kelly runs her own vintage crockery hire business so we were tring to find some lovely teacups and sets for her. I was looking for a vintage dolls crib for Elle's christmas present. I didnt find one though so the hunt continues but this shop is a very firm favourite of mine!

I ended up only buying one item - some reindeer food for christmas eve!

CHRISTMAS TREE FARM.

2011-11-29T20:15:00.000Z

Today, we went to our frist ever christmas farm!

It was so so windy! When we parked up and opened the doors, we all quickly shut them again. After bracing outselves, we stepped out and it was lovely. A little farm down a little lane. There was also a petting stables for Elle to visit. She loved the donkeys and all the stalls had tinsel around them so the animals looked particularly festive! We visited the christmas shop and Elle picked out some decorations for her own little tree she has in her room now. We found some pine cones which i have strung up across the mirror above the fireplace. I shall be doing a post during the week showing you all our finished decorations.

This is completely a new family tradition now and something we will be doing every year with the girls. I already cannot wait for next year as Mia will be old enough to see the animals and help pick the tree!

(You can see how windy it was!!)

(Yes, that is Gilles and Elle having a high five moment!)

BACK TO WORK I GO.

2011-11-28T22:40:00.000Z

How oh how am i going to manage two full days every week away from BOTH of these faces!!!

Next week, my maternity leave ends and i have to return to work two days a week. Elle already goes to nursery on those two days. She started when i returned to work after having her and when i left to have Mia, we thought it best to keep her in as she loves going so much and has some lovely friends.

So from next week, Mia will be going aswell. I honestly do not know how i will deal with this!! I love the people i work with and i am looking forward to seeing them all but leaving both my girls and Mia is soooo little still?

This mummy guilt doesnt get any easier. I so wish we were lucky enough for me to be able to stay at home and be with them all day every day but we need me to work those hours or otherwise we will not be able to survive on just Gilles's wage.

This makes me even more determined to get my vintage shop up and running. I have a few items for the shop but i cannot really spend out on anymore until christmas is over and we have sorted out our finances. I can then start searching again and planning the launch.

I am thankful though that i have five full days with my two fairies and i am going to make them as special and loving as i can!

A LITTLE IMAGAINATION.

2011-11-27T20:22:00.000Z

i love creating. I have such a vivid imagination and i love creating little movies that i can just channel my inner childlike dreams/thoughts and wishes.

I wanted to share a few. I love watching these back. They just remind me of a particular time in my life and the emotions and feelings i had at that point. I hope that i can make more of these now. I really need to make it a goal to make a few more in the new year.

They are not perfect nor are they edited correctly but to me, they are like looking back at past dreams and being able to play them over and over again.

Mollie Makes 8

2011-11-26T15:45:00.000Z

I am completely in love with the new issue of Mollie Makes. It is by far one of my favourite magazines and this issue is so christmassy and has made my heart warm and fuzzy. I am all excited for the big day!

My favourite part of the magazine is the calendar, photographed by Jeanette Lunde (byfryd). Yesterday, i had a sweet comment on my instagram by Jeanette!!

This calendar is completely going up on the wall next to my bed!

ADVENT.

2011-11-25T20:53:00.000Z

One month today until christmas. I am far too excited!

I really wanted to make Elle and Mia a handmade advent calendar this year but with my miminal sewing skills and the fact i am completely exhausted once the girls are asleep, i opted to buy this one. It wasnt expensive and it means i now have a whole year to make their one for next year!

The plan is to put little scrolls in with an activity for that day. Oh boy, the month of december is just going to be one whole long month of fun! I will make a video of her each day reading her scroll and during the day and then also make a book, taking a polaroid each day of her.
My maternity leave ends in two weeks though so every wednesday and thursday, i shall be working and the girls will be at nursery but i shall make sure the evenings are funfilled. I cannot believe i am due back to work! i dont want to leave Mia at nursery atall! I have hardly ever left her and i am so anxious about it but that is for a completely different post!

Geeze, im sick! There are coughs and colds going around right now and i seem to have caught both and when i get a cold, my body does not get one lightly! Que, MAN FLU! Last christmas, i was pregnant with Mia and i caught the swine flu! I sure hope this cold goes away soon as having two little ones to look after, i can not afford to be ill!

I couldnt fall asleep until 3:15am this morning as i just couldnt breath and get comfy and then i was then awake at 5 with Mia. I then had to get both girls ready and out the house for Mia's 8 month medical for 8:50am!! I think i nearly passed out in the street!!

So i am not cozy and all wrapped up in extra layers in bed and hopefully ill be well enough to go to Elle's ballet class in the morning.

full of love.

2011-11-24T14:47:00.004Z

We don't celebrate thanks giving over here in England, but today i was woken at midday by my wonderful husband and tiniest fairy. I am sick with a cough and cold and i was really thankful for the little extra sleep.

I am always thankful and greatful and i wanted to share my little list.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband and two children. I couldnt imagine being without them by my side. I am thankful for the support and strength my husband gives and for the smiles i have on my face daily because of the girls. I am truly blessed to have such a loving family and for a husband who understands my weird and crazy self!

I am thankful for my family. My sister is my best friend. This lady is pretty wonderful too! My mum, my brothers, my little sister, my dad and his wife. I am extra thankful to my dad. He took me on as his own child when i was only a year old and has never treated me any different. He chose to be my dad and it makes me love him just that little bit more.

I am thankful for my grandma. I lived with her for a few years as a teenager and we are so alike. We used to visit the end of her garden when i was younger and say hello to the fairies (and we still do now!!). We have our birthdays one day apart and we always have a special celebration every year. We share a love of Beatrix Potter, Enid Blyton and ballets. She is one of my best friends.

I am thankful to all my blog readers. I started this blog when Mia was a month old. I started it with the best intentions but got caught up a little in the blogging world and started doubting my blog and i started comparing but i have taken a step back to re-evaluate. I dont need hundreds of followers or thousands of blog hits. I am thankful to the people who take their time out to read and comment on my little corner of the web and i cannot wait for the girls to be bigger to read back on all the adventures we got up to.

Today, i am thankful for cough medicine and cold capsules (with extra caffeine)! Right now, Elle is at nursery and little Mia is napping so i am all warm under the duvet with extra woolly socks and cardigans listening to Hannah Fury and willing this cold to go away.

I am also thankful for wonderful memories in my life. I am such a daydreamer and can spend hours visiting memories in my head and just have a feeling of peace and love in my heart.

Thank you to everyone who i love and cherish and for all those who have made my world just that little bit better.

To say thank you to everyone, i am offering 10% off in my shop until the end of december if you use the code INDIE

8 months

2011-11-23T21:28:00.001Z

(7 months, 6 months, 5 months, 4 months, 3 months, 2 months)

This little fairy is turning 8 months in just a few hours. Oh, please! Where has the time gone?

Dear Mia,

8 months..!!! 8 months............!!
Its hard to remember what life was like before you arrived.

You are sitting up. I cannot leave you sitting right now though as those little tummy muscles are not strong enough to hold yourself up for too long, but you love sitting and looking around at everyone.
You are trying to crawl. You get yourself up on all fours and rock. Sometimes you try to bring a knee forward, but you just fall down on your button nose. But don't give up, you are so close.
We have a fourth tooth coming and boy, those little pearlies are so adorable. You love flashing them at every moment possible.
You one hundred percent do NOT like sleeping. You used to sleep right through when you were next to me in your basket, but we had to put you in your own room and now you just hate it. You end up next to me in our bed every single night. 2am is your new favourite playtime. I have had to start putting socks over your little hands so when you do sleep in with us, you dont pull mummies hair! You seem to love that aswell as shaking your head as fast as you can so you end up nutting me. I love you so much, but being constantly nutted at 5am is not really what i enjoy.
You have such a funny little dance. You can pop your chest and shake your head AND wiggle your hips all at the same time. Your daddy and i think its the funniest thing we ever saw. You always end up giggling along with us. You just love having an audience and making everyone around you laugh their heads off.
You can say hi and sometimes hiya. You watch us so closely when we talk to you and try and mimick our sounds. This morning you were trying to say dummy.
Your favourite food is yoghurt and blended bananas. You love your water and you still love your milk.
I am just in love with your porcelain skin. When you sleep, you look so fragile and like you might just break in two. You are just perfect and your sister, your daddy and i love love love you so much.
Thank you for making the last 8 months just so amazing.

x

His birthday.

2011-11-19T23:28:00.000Z

Yesterday, my darling husband had his birthday. His request? A ukuele.

On the morning of his birthday, he went to pick up our neighbours from the airport for 6am so it gave me time to set up his treasure hunt for his birthday present and the homemade photobooth i had really wanted to do.

After a morning of taking silly family pictures at our homemade booth, we went out for pizza followed by bowling. It was the first time Elle had bowled and it is somewhere we shall completely be taking her again! She loved it!

In the evening, all of our friends met us at a pub and we had a lovely evening. I had to return home early incase the girls woke but Gilles stayed out until very early (or shall we say late early) in the morning the next day!

I had a great time planning is birthday and he is in love with his ukuele.

Happy 27th darling!

(my little drawing on his present)

A miracle

2011-11-17T15:29:00.000Z

Today, something wonderful happened. A miracle. We have our own guardian angel watching over us.

Back in may whilst my husband worked a night shift, i was home alone with the girls. Mia was sleeping next to me in her basket and Elle was in her room. I got woken at 3am by a panicked husband. He had finished work, come home and all the kitchen cupboards were open, all the draws, our backdoor, the cellar door. We quickly realized we had been burgled. I found my baby changing back in the back garden with the contents thrown around and my purse (along with quite abit of money) had been taken. We didnt see anything else stolen and after phoning the police, we were just reliefed that nothing else had been taken.

Thats when Gilles realised his wedding ring was missing. The evening before, he took of the ring and put it on the kitchen side so he could bleach the floors. I knew the ring was there and i remember before going to bed seeing the ring. I didnt think about moving it as i just didnt evern think we would get burgled and i knew Gilles would just put it back on in the morning. We were both devasted and out of anything that could have been taken, that was the most precious.

Today, i decided to look through all my little baskets on my dressing table and got out an old box full of my hair bows that i hadnt looked in for atleast a year. I took them out and hiding right at the bottom on the basket was Gilles wedding ring!!!

I am shell shocked. I have no idea atall how it got in the basket and i 100% know it was in the kitchen when i came to bed that evening. It is Gilles birthday tomorrow so i just know that this is going to make his day even more special.

Unicorns i have known

2011-11-16T21:04:00.000Z

Yesterday, Elle was looking through our bookcase and ask to look at this book. I had completely forgotten that i had this book and of course, i bought it out and we snuggled together to read.
Unicorns i have know by Robert Vavra. It is a picture book of unicorns and she absoutly loved it. She has it in her room now to look at at bedtime.

I remember when i was younger, being fascinated by the egyptian book my father had and looking at all the pictures. I hope Elle (and eventually Mia) grow up loving this book as much as i love it.

It is daddy pinks birthday on friday and boy, do we have a lovely day of surprises for him. I am so excited to share the day with you all and even more excited just to see his face when he sees everything.

Facts.

2011-11-11T19:26:00.000Z

1. I am 25 and i live in a town in the middle of England.

2. I am the eldest of 6

3. I am my most happiest when i am surrounded by family

4. I got married a week before my 21st birthday and spent my 21st in Mauritius on our honeymoon

5. I moved in with my husband one day after we started dating. I guess you know when it is meant to be!

6. I hate violence. If there is any violence in a film or on the tv, i get really upset and have to leave the room.

7. I am really sensitive. I have had to stop reading the newspapers now as my heart breaks everyday reading sad stories

8. My favourite films are: The children of green knowe, A fairytale: A true story and a walk to remember.

9. I am recite the whole of labyrinth to you!

10. My sister is my best friend

11. I lived with my grandma for four years when i was a teenager.

12. I am such a country girl. I dream of living in the country and owning chickens and ducks

13. I cant help but buy any type of baking magazine and country life magazines

14. I dont drink achohol

15. I am very naieve. I believe almost eveything people tell me.

16. I let people control me. If someone said to me to jump, i would say how high.

17. I constantly daydream about the past. Happy days and places and memories.

18. I have 4 memory boxes just crammed full of everything and anything that has a connection to my past.

19. i love watching childrens films that remind me of being a little girl. Brambly hedge, the tales of beatrix potter and watch with mother

20. I hate housework but when my house is messy, it makes me severely depressed and sometimes angry. I feel like i am constantly cleaning or tidying.

21. I am a little obbessed with the pink floyd album "division bell"

22. I lack self confidence and even though i work in a call centre, i cannot order a takeaway or book a taxi over the phone.

23. I will take the blame for most things even if it wasnt my fault, just so i dont have to argue with someone

24. I am a bit of a doormat and i dont know how to change it

25. i love keeping journals and have books with my writings all over the house.

my little creative place

2011-11-09T20:08:00.000Z

Instagram has become my newest addiction. Just having a little place where i can upload pictures of things i love! I wanted to share a few of my favourite pictures that i have uploaded recently. Add me? gingerlillytea

Elle's been digging

2011-11-07T22:09:00.000Z

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon at our allotment digging. We are getting the ground ready to sow and of course Elle had to help. She came prepared with her bucket, spade and wheelbarrow and "helped" by making mud castles and piling as much mud as she could on top of the mud pile.

I love my little green fingered fairy.

A peek

2011-11-03T19:44:00.000Z

Here is a little peek into what will be available when i launch my vintage clothing shop.
It is very exciting. I have a few baby dresses now and have my eye on a few more things. I will also be selling handmade bunting and selling a few of the vintage nighties that i will be customising into dresses for anyone who might like them!

I will be selling through etsy but i have a page on facebook, so if you would love updates or would like to support a mummy who is taking on a new adventure, then please click here.

Free prints

2011-11-02T20:21:00.001Z

I have been neglecting my photography and passion for a long time now. I seem to have just lost the fire and having two little fairies is taking up all my time.

After a lovely conversation with a dear friend today, i realised that it is something i love and always have loved and that i really want to start doing shoots again and i hope to do a e-course at the beginning of next year that i have wanted to do for a years now by one of my favourite photographers!

Tomorrow, i am going to be going out to do a shoot. I havent gone out with just myself and my tripod (and a baby in a buggy!) since before having Mia and i am excited to get out and start shooting all these ideas i have!

I havent really talked that much about my photography here and i would love to talk maybe a little bit AND offer a lovely offer to you all.

Photography is something i would love love love to take further. My equipment isnt the best now and i really do need a new lens as i just have the kit lens and a portrait prime lens so i dont have the best set up but i hope to save hard and buy the one i will need. And maybe in 50 years time, i might be able to afford to upgrade my camera too!

I have never taken a single lesson and i am completely self taught. I am so excited about finally taking a course soon and learning all the things i need to learn and gain all the skills i am going to need to evolve my work.

I sell my work through etsy and i would love to offer everyone a buy one print and get 5 smaller prints free. Thats right!!! So if you order any small, large or set of prints in my shop, you can then choose any 5 of the prints in my shop to have as free 6x4 prints. All you have to do, is at the checkout, write in the "notes to seller" with your choice of prints.

Here is my shop. I am nearly at 100 sales in my shop!!

Halloween cupcakes

2011-10-31T22:02:00.000Z

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you have all had a lovely day. I spent it baking and pumpkin carving with the girls followed by a family dinner here and a little party. Elle was a ladybug!

We didnt have a single trick or treater though! Elle was so upset. She had all the sweets in a bowl at the front door waiting and kept looking out of the window saying "mummy, where are the people coming to get the sweets?" But she was soon distracted by her cousin coming and they just ran around all evening.

A kind heart

2011-10-28T21:11:00.001+01:00

Today, a true kind heart sent my girls this wonderful book. The darling Viola from Miss flying V emailed me to say she had this book and could she send it to me as a gift for Elle and Mia. I am beyond grateful to her and its little deeds like this that make you realise there are some genuinely lovely people in this world.

Thank you so much sweetheart for the heartfelt gift. Me and the girls love it and i just know it is going to be a new bedtime favourite!

fabric recipe book

2011-10-26T19:43:00.001+01:00

A few years ago, i made this fabric recipe book. I really do need to add more to it. Today, i gave it to Elle to keep. She was so fascinated by it and asked me to make her one. I cannot wait to add more pages to it with her help. A mother and daughter project!

p.s. Will you vote?

pumpkin carving

2011-10-25T19:55:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, we did our first pumpkin carving. I dont ever remember carving a pumpkin, so it was lovely to share this with Elle and it will be something we will be doing every year now.

I am really looking forward to halloween this year. I will be baking cupcakes and biscuits and putting on dinner and hoping we get some little trick or treaters. Elle has her costume all ready and the sweeties for the trick or treaters so lets hope we have a lot to our door!

7 months

2011-10-24T19:24:00.000+01:00

(2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months)

oh my!! 7 months!

Mia,
You are the most amazing little thing. I couldnt love you anymore than i do now. You are so contented, laid back and you really take some bashings from your sister! You never bat an eyelid when you get climbed on or dragged along the floor or have your face squeezed because your sister is so excited to see you! You just smile your goofy little smile at her and i can see the love you share pouring out of you both.

You have started on solids this week. Its taken a while. We have been trying you on little bits for the last two months but you have been refusing. I have never known a baby to clamp their mouth shut and refuse to take food, but you did and you had your mummy so worried. You lost alot of weight so quickly and i felt like i was failing you. I constantly heard your tummy rumble and knew you were hungry but we just didnt get anywhere with this weaning malarky. But you just suddenly started eating! and i am so happy about that. You love sandwhiches and bananas and rice cakes the best. You have completely skipped the puree phase and you want proper food. You had tuna and pasta this evening!

You are not sleeping as well now though. You are waking in the middle of the night so upset and i just cant help but scoop you up and bring you in with us. You seem to sleep so soundly next to me and i love having you there.

Oh boy, you have discovered the backwards crawl! You lift yourself up with your arms straight and then scoop yourself backwards. You are nearly on your knees. You are trying so hard and i love watching your little face trying to figure all this out.

So its 4 months until you are a whole year old! Please can you stay at 7 months for a few more years? i am not ready for you to grow up just yet.

My heart is bursting with love for you darling and i want to say thank you for making the last 7 months so perfect.

I love you Mia Isobel.

Mummy x

(p.s would you vote?)

Our little allotment

2011-10-23T15:05:00.000+01:00

Today, we visited our very own allotment for the first time. We have wanted to get an allotment for a long time and finally a plot came up. It is alot bigger than we thought and we are so excited to get started. We have so many plans on things to plant and grow and i am very excited by the thought of a little shed on our plot which i can put up bunting inside!

The thought of the girls growing up knowing where food comes from and us always using our own produce for our meals is exciting. Elle is already planning what she wants and is demanding that we bring her wheelbarrow and spade next time so she can help.

We have a lot of work to do initially to get the plot ready to plant and we are reading up on what we can plant right now. I cannot wait to see how our little allotment will be next summer! Full of rhubarb and raspberries and strawberries!

Elle spent the morning helping our friend on her allotment and i came home with 3 kilos of cooking apples!

Thats sew lovely v.3

2011-10-20T21:08:00.000+01:00

I have a little obbession (one of many!) for baby knickers. My lovely aunty came over yesterday to help me make some up. I had some old vintage curtains that i found at a charity shop and i really want to use them for some clothes for the girls. With the rest over, ill be making Elle a skirt or dress.

Now i have made one pair, i am sure i will be whipping these up constantly. A baby can never have too many knickers!

Hello Autumn

2011-10-17T19:15:00.000+01:00

What better way to bring in autumn, then with a family walk in the woods. I just cannot believe how warm and lovely october has been. Normally, we are all wrapped up in scarves and hats by now but hello sunshine and hello no coats! I guess the minus degree weather is on its way though! So, happy autumn everyone.

And here is Elle two autumns ago at just one year old!

Table tent and a winner

2011-10-16T15:53:00.000+01:00

Our plan today was to go for a little picnic down along the river but just before lunchtime, the sky got ever so cloudy so i decided to set up a table tent in our dining room for us to have lunch in. Elle completely loved it (and so did their daddy!) and she has spent the whole afternoon playing in there.

Thank you to everyone who entered my photography giveaway. Are you a winner? Elle picked somone out.

Congratulations and please email me at gingerlillytea@yahoo.co.uk

Little Ballerina

2011-10-15T19:33:00.001+01:00

Elle has her first dance class today. She woke up this morning the most excited i have ever seen her! She had her ballet outfit all set out at the end of her bed and if she had it her way, we would have been at the dance school by 7am!

We got there and took her into the studio and she ran staight into the middle to start dancing. She did ballet, modern and then tap. She did so so well and looked really dissapointed when it finished.

She takes after her mummy. The lady who owns the dance school was my dance teacher. I did ballet, modern, tap, jazz, lyrical, drama, gymnastics and singing for years and years and seeing her dancing away made my heart swoon! All my insecurities and anxieties just slipped away and i couldnt help smiling all the way through. So now, every saturday, my little ballerina will be dancing her little heart out!

p.s I have added another day onto the giveaway, so today is the last day to enter!!!!! Click here.

a heart felt thankyou

2011-10-14T19:07:00.001+01:00

I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the sweet and caring messages i received on my last post. I was in tears reading them and i am so appreciative for those that took time out to leave me such kind words. I had the most wonderful things written about me.

All your words of encouragement and wisdom have left me never wanting to change this blog. I was silly to compare myself. I didnt start this blog to have the most followers, or the most visits. I started it to document the girls lives, to write about our adventures, memories and to use as a creative outlet for myself for all the things i love to do. I want to share with who ever might like to read and i appreciate everyone who does read and follows me and i have a few readers that have followed me from blog to blog for years. Thank you to those people. You know who you are and i am so grateful that you are here after all this time, and that you like what i have to say. My blogs have changed over time, but i am still the same girl who loves the same things.

I had a dream the other night that i had a successful vintage shop. My husband and i actually talked a year ago about setting our own shop up where we source out vintage clothes and fabrics. My collection is slowly growing and now might be the best time to start planning this shop with the intention of opening in the new year. Its all exciting and something that i love to do. Thrifting and photographing fairytale vintage stories with the clothes. This is something that i think i can do and also get the girls involved. Helping me shop, modelling clothes!

So i shall be working hard now to launch this new venture and hope and pray that it all goes ok.

P.S Maybe you might like to enter the giveaway of my photography shop? Click here.

On my heart

2011-10-12T20:07:00.000+01:00

Today, i want to share my honesty. I have never really written about myself and who i am here. I tend to hide behind the girls, but most of the time, that is just how i like it.
This post is going to share what is on my heart. Inspired by a few of my favourite bloggers who have been brave enough to put themselves out there to be judged. So here i am, writing from my heart, hoping not to be judged.

I believe that i am a very complicated person. I don't have alot of self esteem. I think i can be very hard to read and i am the best at covering up how i really feel.
I dont remember much from my childhood. I blocked alot of those years out. Things just crumbled and fell apart for me from a very young age. I craved love as i never really belonged or felt like i belonged anywhere. I had the cruelest things happen and i didnt deal with them well. I spent years self harming and have had some sort of eating disorder since the age of 11. It's a battle i will always fight and its something that is completely frightening. I will constantly worry about the girls falling into the world but i will always try my hardest to keep them safe and protected and loved.

I have a passion for anything creative but i am such a perfectionist that sometimes i am scared to start a project knowing that it wont be to the standard that i want it to be. I am a jealous person and very obbessive over things. I hate most pictures of myself and wish i didnt. I constantly take pictures of me and my love and my girls but end up deleating at least 99% of them. I read other peoples blogs and wish i had their lives, or looked like them or was as talented as them. I am very hard on my self and defiantly believe in the phrase "the grass is greener on the otherside".

I had a miscarriage when i was 18 and i constantly dream about what that little child would be like. My heart hurts so much when i think about him or her but i never talk about it. I feel extreme guilt as i remember crying when i found out that my husband and i were pregnant. I didnt want to be pregnant and didnt know what to do. After a few weeks, the excitement began to grow and i felt so much love for that little baby but then it went and i feel so much guilt that i didnt want the baby to begin with. I feel like i killed it! Like the baby felt unwanted so just left.

I put too much pressure on myself. I want to be the best person i possibly can and i hate that i feel like i have to be perfect at everything. I want to be the mum who makes the best cakes, i want to be the mum who makes all her childrens clothes, i want to be the mum who photographs her children constantly, i want to be the mum who has a spotless house and always has pies or soups cooking in the kitchen and i want to have the most love anyone could ever have for their husband and children. I hold myself up on a pedestal and scrutinise every single detail about my life and there is always conflict in my head about if i am good enough or not.

I am very paranoid. I constantly think people hate me and worry all the time about what i have done wrong. I worry people think i am strange or weird because of how i am and how i have chosen to bring my children up. I pick over every single word someone says to me to try and work out how they feel about me. I take things to heart so quickly and easily and often torture myself with words or sentances from others that i take completely out of context.

I am the least confrontational person in the world. I have never had an argument with my husband because i can never get out how i feel. i just collaspe into tears. I panic over talking to strangers. It will take me atleat half an hour to pluck up the couage to call up the doctors for an appointment and you will never get me to call for a takeaway! i would be a stumbling mess!

I am in love with anything that reminds me of being a child. Beatrix Potter, Enid Blyton, Brambly Hedge.

My favourite films are the Children of green knowe and A fairytale: A true story

My favourite music is Pink Floyd, Hannah Fury, The Honeytrees and Kate Bush

So, this is a huge step for me. I havent shared alot about my childhood on purpose. I love my family and i dont want to share details and upset anyone. Its in the past and something that has made me stronger. Maybe one day i will share some of the things that others did to me but at my moment, its a little frightening to think about completely stripping myself away but i hope i will be strong enough to share one day.

i havent proof checked this as i dont want to re-read it. I just wrote what i felt at this particular moment and shared what i felt i wanted to. I am opening myself up here but please be kind.

if you do like my blog, would you be kind enough to vote?

Bedtime stories

2011-10-11T20:59:00.000+01:00

A little while ago, i posted about Essie Jain here and how much her music meant to little Mia and i. I am truly honoured as Essie Jain asked to publish my story on her site.

If you have a child, you must must listen to her music. My very favourite is "i'm not afriad of the dark".

bookworm

2011-10-10T19:00:00.000+01:00

We spent most of this morning in the library. I certainly have a little bookworm. In our library, there is a castle in the middle of the childrens section. After her initial excitment about the rugs and having to roly poly about 50 times on each one, she sat herself in the little door way seat and picked out all the books she wanted and read her way through them.

I think this is a place we will be visiting all the time. She is working towards her first bookworm certificate so she is very excited to go back. Maybe tomorrow!!

Oh and dont forget the GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY: gingerlillytea

2011-10-07T21:41:00.000+01:00

Not only am i am mama and wife, but i take pictures.

I would love love to giveaway a print to one of my readers! I have an etsy shop where i sell my photography and one lucky winner will get to pick any picture or set of their choice from my shop!

I have now been blogging here at Sweet Days for 5 months, so i absoutly think its time to celebrate and give back.

TO ENTER:

1. Leave a comment to tell me you would like to win. Its simple. Any one can enter, so if you dont have a blog of your own, write your comment and select anonymous/name url but please make sure to leave an email address where i can contact you if you win!

EXTRAS:

1. Visit my etsy shop and tell me what your favourite print it.

2. Blog/tweet/facebook this giveaway.

3. Follow me (leave a comment if you already follow me for one extra entry!)

The giveaway is open to everyone worldwide and will run for one week ending on the 14th. A winner will then be picked by my little Elle in another video and be posted on the 15th. (So for those that love my accent, you should enter as i might talk again!!)

guest posting

2011-10-07T17:14:00.000+01:00

Today, i am over at That Mama Gretchen's blog talking about my honeymoon. There is also a video of the honeymoon up, so go and have a look!!

Also, top baby blogs have reset their vote counts. If you do like to read Sweet Days, i would love love a little vote? I have met some lovely readers through topbabyblogs and i would love to be back up in the top 50. Thank you thank you x

We wore hair bows

2011-10-06T19:45:00.000+01:00

This evening, we wore our hair in hair bows. I am linking through to the wonderful guest post by Katie from Skunkboy Creatures that is over at a beautiful mess.

Elle's hair isnt quite long enough and as her hair is a mass of curls, i had to try the best i could to get her hair into a bow but she was so pleased and has asked for it again tomorrow!

And today, i gave Mia lots of mummy loving as Elle was at nursery.

Teaching her to bake

2011-10-04T22:26:00.000+01:00

I asked Elle what she wanted to do this afternoon, and i was secretly really happy when she said she wanted to bake! We had a little talk about what she might like to make and scones where on the list! In particular, flower and heart scones! She carefully selected her cutters and got her sleeves rolled up.

I would love her to grow up wanting to bake, wanting to photography. If i could teach her these things and her love doing them, i'd be the happiest mummy.

She made these herself, with a little direction from me. She cut out the flowers and hearts and placed them on the tray. And her reaction when the timer went off? "mummmmmmy mummmmmmy, the scones are readyyyyy, quick quick, lets run to the kitchen together!" And we did. And we might have had a little jumping around dance too :)

My little baker.

Their bedrooms

2011-10-03T20:06:00.000+01:00

I am working hard getting the girls rooms sorted. Mia is now in her own room and today, we managed to clear out some of the things we had hoarding in there. I got to put her a few bits i wanted to and tidy it up abit.

We are also doing up Elle's room. We added some floral wallpaper next to her bed and i am adding little touches throughout the room for her. Today, i made a pinwheel bunting from the pinwheels i made for her birthday party and in a few weeks, we are taking out her changing unit and adding a reading fort corner.

Hollie-in-bloom

2011-10-02T19:56:00.000+01:00

You may have seen pictures of my little Elle in the most darling of dresses. Most of these dresses have been made by the talented Helen Farden from Hollie-in-bloom. Her buisness was named after her beautiful little girl, Hollie. Helen makes dresses from newborn to 5 years and has also started making little pj's for boys (so those mummies with little princes can get themselves a Hollie-in-bloom piece too!)

I am so proud that Elle is one of the models for the buisness. Every time i see a new design by Helen, i just get so excited. Her dresses are DIVINE!! She has just bought out a new teaparty style dress featuring bunting and kites! Can a dress get anymore wonderful?

You might remember my "don't sit under the apple tree" photoshoot post here where i photographed the floral designs. Helen also designed and made Elle's birthday party dress which you can see here

Website

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Choux buns

2011-10-01T22:33:00.000+01:00

I am branching out my baking skills and my wonderful husband requested that i bake him some choux buns so off i went into the kitchen to bake my little heart out. I wanted to share with you the recipe.

115g/4oz butter (plus extra from greasing)

140g/5oz of sifted plain flour

4 large eggs

200g/7oz of melted and cooled chocolate (i use milk chocolate)

300ml double cream, whipped to stiff peaks

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees/400 F/gas mark 6. Grease and line 2 baking trays.

2. Put the butter and 250ml of water in a saucepan and heat until the butter melts. Bring to the boil and then remove off the hit. Quickly add the flour, return to the heat and beat the micture until it forms a ball of dough and leaves the side of the saucepan clean. Remove from the heat and then add the eggs, beating after each addition. Once all 4 eggs have been added and beaten in, the mixture should now be a smooth, soft paste.

3. Place 15 tablespoons of the mixture in balls on the baking tray, about 5cm in diameter.

4. Bake for 20-25 mins until the pastry is golden brown. Remove them from the over and make a small slit at each end of the buns with a knife to allow steam to escape. Place the trays back in the over for a further 5 mins.

5. Remove the buns from the over and spread the melted chocolate on the top of the buns and leave to set. Once the chocolate has set and you are ready to serve, spoon the cream into a piping bag and pipe the cream into the holes at the end of the bun.

I am finding myself love baking more and more and i have so many recipes i want to try out!! Of course, ill be adding my favourites here once i have baked them.

Enjoy!