Saturday 31 October 2015

Saturday 24 October 2015

october half term

So it's school half term already. And as luck would have it this year I remembered to book a little trip away. Me and my sis are taking all the kids to Centreparcs. The other half was a little huffy at first. Till I pointed out that he never usually has any time off in school holidays so it was hard lines sunshine. We are VERY excited. We leave for our hideaway in the woods on Monday.

Tuesday 20 October 2015

baby shower

I'm not normally one for baby showers. I think this is mainly because in my day (15 and 11 years ago) they did not exist. Not in this country anyway. So clearly it's not fair is it! I'm a bit like BabyShowerWhatIsThePointOfThat?! Like an old person.
Anyway I went to a lovely one on Saturday. It was my sister's husband's sister's son's girlfriend's baby shower (keep up). She's so lovely. And she always looks so lovely. And it was at my sister's husband's sister's house which is totally lovely. So all in all it was.....lovely!
She's having a girl. She's called Lana. Already. She's got a name and everything and she's not even born yet. My eldest didn't have a name till she was 5 days old!
Anyway I told her the story of the other half's friends who thought they were having a girl and they bought all girl stuff and called it a girl name. And it turned out to be a boy. I said not to worry though, if that happened she could just change the name to Larry and I'd alter the picture I made her a bit....

Monday 19 October 2015

this week on instagram...

Ah it had to happen sooner or later.... I used to blog then stick the pics on Instagram. As an extra. A bobby bonus. I like blogging. Instagram was just a side dish to the bloggy main course. 
Until this week. This week Instagram was the main event. The ONLY event.
I'm not moaning about being too busy cos I know there are loads of folks out there who aren't busy. I've been there myself and I AM really grateful. But honestly. There are only so many hours in a day. Not enough, it turns out, to be writing half baked tales on my blog. So this week I just went for the instant gratification of slapping a few quickie pictures on Instagram. Felt like I'd done something other than fulfill someone else's brief. Happy happy. Job done.




Thursday 8 October 2015

sainsbury's children's book awards

I zipped down to London earlier this week to attend the Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards with my publishers, Make Believe Ideas.
Our First Words book was shortlisted in the Baby and Toddler category.
I drew the pictures and coloured them in and the fabulous Jane Horne put it all together. 
It was the first book we did together so it was super exciting that it even got nominated, never mind shortlisted!
Anyway. 
It didn't win.
Baby's Very First Slide and See Animals by Fiona Watt for Usborne won in our category. 
Fiona Watt and Usborne won it last year too with That's Not My Piglet. So really it was our turn this year. But we accepted our defeat gracefully and went off to drink lots of prosecco.

Anyway....there were only 3 books in the entire universe shortlisted for our category. So we didn't do bad.
And the new books we've done since are even better-er so watch this space people! Next year......


Saturday 3 October 2015

colour run

Kirkwood Hospice have organised a colour run tomorrow at Oakwell Hall Country Park near me. You basically run 5k and get a load of paint chucked at you to raise mucho cash for this very worthy cause. My sis is doing it. And plenty of other people I know. But I don't do running. Ever. Not even for a bus. Not even for charity.
So the little one and I have signed up to be helpers instead. Volunteers. We get to wear a Kirkwood Hospice tshirt and man a paint station. We get to chuck paint at the runners. What could be better than that!

Friday 2 October 2015

golden couple

Today is my Mum and Dad's Golden Wedding Anniversary! That's 50 years! Totally amazing to people like me who never even made it to wedding anniversary number 4! 
Fifty years!! Wowee! Well done folks xx

september 2015

So...that was September...no time to even stop for a wee...