Minding Your Ps & Qs...

I don't know about you, but I love receiving post…I also love sending post, maybe even a bit more than I love receiving it!

When I can I try to make my own cards, a hand-written card is already personal, but for me this extra handmade element just makes it a little more special especially when they are thank you cards.  Last week I pulled out the heat embossing tool I received at Christmas for the first time and set about making thank you cards for all the lovely ladies who came along to my Baby Shower.

After a bit of practice with the embossing, I was pretty pleased with how they turned out…

I used a silver sharpie pen to write the merci

In keeping with the theme of the shower I made the star stamp from a bit of left over lino I had

And just because I don't need any excuse to use this colour  (its the same colour as Laduree boxes!) I stamped all the envelopes to!

I hope the girls like them and know how much I love and appreciate each and everyone of them.

Look out for similar items on my Etsy shop soon…and if you are looking for an Easter card there are some lovely options from my Dad available in the shop!

Half and Half

This weekend was a weekend of two halves…my half great and lots of fun, poor Mr O’s not so much.

He spent most of Saturday making boxes to house Baby O’s expanding collection of stuff (more on those another time) and then yesterday spent to whole day unblocking the kitchen sink, mending the broken toilet and fixing a leaking bath.  All instead of going to the gym or getting out on his bike.  What a legend!  It’s his birthday today so I’ll be sure to spoil him more than normal to show my appreciation of all things DIY he does around the flat.

My weekend was less DIY filled and more friend filled.  On Saturday morning I popped to the opticians to pick up my new specs.  I obviously dragged Mr O with me for a second opinion…I’m pretty happy with my choices, although it always takes me a little while to get used to a new look.  From the opticians I headed off the Barnes to meet a friend for a walk.  On our way out we stopped for bacon and egg sandwiches at Barnes Farmers Market…delicious.  If you’re in the area on a Saturday you should check it out.  Its every Saturday from 10-2 in the car park of the Essex House surgery.  From there we headed on to Giuliana for coffees and hot chocolates to keep us going as we walked around Barnes common.  It was such a beautiful morning and lovely to be outside making the most of it.  On the way home I did the decent thing and stopped in to The Ginger Pig to pick Mr O up a bacon and chilli sausage roll!

Sunday followed a fairly similar pattern, I got up early to get my jobs done and then headed off up the M4 to catch up with another friend.  The chosen meeting place was The Crown at Bray, a lovely little pub with roaring fires, that whilst owned by Heston Blumenthal isn’t too weird!  We caught up over roast beef and horseradish sandwiches which we opted for to ensure there was room for dessert.  Sticky toffee pudding for me.

All in all a lovely weekend…

Apologies for the lack of photos, I need to remember to take more, but with the arrival of my shiny new camera I no longer have an excuse not to get snapping!

New Camera & Specs And A Bit Of Weekend Reading...

Big Weekend...

This weekend was super exciting for my family not only was it my little sisters birthday...my little brother got engaged!!!  A double celebration!  So as you can imagine the weekend was spent filled with lots of bubbles.

My brothers new fiancee doesn't like to sleep in her jewellery so I decided to make her something to keep her beautiful engagement ring safe inspired by this DIY on The Vault Files

I used a small white ceramic tray I had bought just waiting for an opportunity like this and gold leaf pen.  I drew on the detail with pencil and then very simply when over it with the gold leaf pen...easy peasy.  It includes a heart (obviously!), their initials and a crown as she will be becoming one of us Kings...so excited to be adding another sister to our family.