Happy Days....

Today has turned out to be a happy day. Although at first it was a day I was building myself up to with fret and worry. It was the day of Master Poppins' check up heart scan to see all was well after his cardiac ballooning when he was three months old and, as he was a very premature baby, a little over 7lbs in weight. I was so proud of how good he was during the scan....

 And happily all is well. Although his cardiologist would have like to have discharged him, there is a little leakage which is common with the procedure he had when he was a baby, so he shall be keeping his eye on him until he is 18. So, we shall be back again in 3 years for his next check up, but I have been assured he is as fit as any 5 year old, can do competitive sports, has a lovely, healthy colour to his skin, and I know I need not fret or worry. But hey us parents, it is par for the course I guess. I am just so very grateful that clever cardiologist man, whose arm you can see there fixed my son and I can never ever thank him enough.

So as we were all in happy spirits we trundled off to Manchester...We were all going to go on The Wheel though two of us backed out ;)

So we mooched around the Christmas Markets The Poppins children loved this sparkly little stall....( and I did ;)

 I had to have a little spend of my pocket money here....

Of course I am sure you would just be bored silly with my sharing what I bought....;)

Hope you all had happy days too....

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Getting Nervous....

In 2006 Master Poppins, who you may know was born prematurely was having a routine heart scan due to a PDA  He was three months old. The PDA which can be quite common in premature babies, looked like it was closing on its own and we were all thinking this would just be a quick scan, all is well, special tea to celebrate. Even though he was three months old he weighed less than a newborn, was so very little and of course I crossed my fingers all would be well. The expert cardiologist began his ultra sound of his heart and I did my very best to work out what I could see on the screen. It was pitch black in the room, although there were lovely twinkling lights above Master Poppins who was very well behaved. It was quiet, the cardiologist  was concentrating. Then I noticed him frown, the mood changed, he called one or two other specialists in, with me not knowing what was going on. Luckliy I had both my husband and my mum with me. The specialists talked, confirming with each other what were seeing on the screen and then looked to me. They had found a completely incidental, and unrelated to his prematurity, heart defect in my son....

I have to be honest and the rest of the day was bit of a blur....we were ushered into a room where a BHF nurse chatted to us, explained what the heart condition was, handed us leaflets and explained that it was imperative my son was treated if not that day, then very very soon. They had found a severe case of Pulmonary Stenosis and we were told it could be treated by a relatively simple procedure explained here So no open heart surgery. We were given a date to come back, was the same week, and he would be admitted onto the cardiac ward at the children's hospital, I could of course stay with him.

So here he is, at three and a half months, not looking very happy at all in his hospital gown about to go down to theatre. Daddy was doing his very best to calm his crying....

He soon calmed a little.... I was actually quite calm, considering, and just like most parents would feel I imagine when their own children go into theatre, you can't wait for the time they wake up, safe, well, and you are told everything went to plan. We were allowed to carry him into the room where the lovely anesthetist met us, and by then Master Poppins had fallen asleep anyway so we just left him sleeping naturally and before they put the mask on....alright one or two tears were shed from both of us as we made our way back upto his room to watch rubbish daytime television to almost take our mind off what was going on downstairs. About 2 hours later were were told he was alright, bit groggy but all had indeed gone well, big relief all round.

Since that day he has had 2 further follow up scans, and so far so good. He is as fit as the next four year old, though of course deep down I am always aware. We were since told it was a severe case, and although is something I don't dwell on, I know that if my son hadn't been born so very early, with that PDA, that required a check up scan, his heart defect wouldn't have been found so very soon, and he may well not be with us now. All those who love and cherish him, his wonderful big sister, realise, although he is possibly one of the most cheekiest monkeys, he is a very special one. So the time has come in a few months and shall be 3 years without a scan, for him to have one, and I am getting nervous. I can feel it already. We have been told he may require another procedure in the future, but we shan't know more until this next scan. I am happy in the fact we have had no symptoms at all, and he really can run as well, if not faster than many of his little friends on the playing fields, but is natural to worry about ones children isn't it. So I can just be positive and pray everything is fine.

If like me you have been in the position of taking your child into theatre for an operation or procedure, that nervous wait during, the hopefully big relief afterwards when you are told all has gone well, then may I offer you a hug. Is quite an emotional experience.

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I Have Been Pretty Crafty....

Hello lovelies. So lovely to see so many of you entering my little giveaway I am an old fashioned girl at heart so like to write you all down on little pieces of paper, I have kept many of you from my last giveaway in the special little tin, and Miss. Poppins looks forward to writing some more names down and choosing a winner on Valentine's Day, good luck :0)

Well I have been a busy little crafting bee, yes wonders never cease do they. Though these crafting mojo's I keep finding, always appear in the depths of night, I seem to work best and chunder away on my little chine, way into the night. Always have been a night owl. So, what have I been making, well....

For a little while now, on my daughters bed is this pretty little cushion, it was bought from a very well known department store, pre my love of crafting days. There was something extra special about this cushion ;0) and I had to buy it. 

So I was looking at it yesterday and you know how it is crafters, we are always ones for having a go, thinking we could do that etc etc. So I looked at it longingly, and thought I would like to gain some inspiration from it and make a cushion for Miss. Poppins, for a little Valentine's Day gift, after all she is most definately a very special love in my life. Of course, what would make it special is that I would hand make it with love, bucketfuls, give it my own pretty twist, and maybe, maybe find a use for the pretty daisy button that I had been saving up for a special crafting project.

So here is my take on the cushion, I hope you like it. The felt flowers are pretty in the original cushion but I wanted to do something a little different, so used a little baby pink felt for the bottom half along with some CK at the top sewn onto a pretty pink polka dot background. Right down my pretty street. 

Backed with pretty candy stripe and of course a little pink Vintage Daisy label.

So go on lovely friends, which one do you prefer, I can take it, I really can. I am not at all a sensitive olde thing who takes criticism really well, hmmmmm if only ;0)

I have also being prettying up a little vest for a special lady who had seen the one I prettied up here and I gladly offered to do one for her too as a little treat. Once I received her vest I got to play with some pretty fabrics and buttons for the fabric necklace as I call it, I hope my special friend likes the ones I choose for her vest, I find it quite difficult making for someone else who has given you free rein on what fabrics colours to use, not everyone loves pink do they ;0)

Anyway a sneaky glimpse as item has not yet been received, I like it, I only hope my friend does too.   

Talking of prettying up clothes, My gorgeous and special nieces are due to visit the U.K. soon. My lovely Sister lives with her family in Cyprus and I wanted to make a little something to give her cute little girls when they get here. So  take three reasonably pretty baby pink tee shirts.

And now we have one for Big Sister....

One for Little Sister....

And one for Baby Sister....

A little prettier now don't you think. I have also made a very special cowboy cushion as a gift for a lovely old school friend to welcome her new baby boy into the world.

More pretty Raggy Hearts.

I think these little hearts look lovely hanging sweetly on the corner of something pretty.

I came up with an idea that Raggy Initials may work too, I hope Miss. Poppins' friend likes it.

And whilst I was feeling motivated, thought I would crack on and do something with Master Poppins' beautiful baby blanket. It is adorable and is a Anne Claire Petit blanket, and was a wonderful and special gift from my ever so lovely Sister in Law when Master Popps was born. Her own third son happened to have been born on exactly the same day, think Master Poppins is older by a couple of hours or so and she full term and I a mere 29 weeks. To have twin cousins in the family is lovely.

It is lambswool and Master P loves it, though of course, as he has grown, unfortunately it has not. It has been washed many times, and before it's shape went I wanted to bring some new life into it. I am a hoarder, yes, I am a sentimental fool, yes, but on this one, I really felt I didn't want to have it sitting in the drawer. It is too nice for that, and I wanted it to be made into something new. Hope you and my lovely Sister in Law aren't cross with me, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, though I can't say that first cut was easy. Hope you like what I have done.

I really wanted to have a heart incorporated as Master P has a very special one and I thought if I could sprinkle as much love onto it too, then it would be the perfect cushion in my eyes. Do you like it, I really hope so, you were all with me in spirit when I made it. I have a little left over to make a couple more pretties, and the back is in the same soft delicious fabric too.

Now all we have to decide is who gets to keep it, for now it look like it is  Master P ;0)

So there you have it, some of my little makes.

Talking of makes a new reader to my blog did a thought provoking to me, post about selling to friends and the exchange of monies. Most of the sales of my pretties are done to friends through school, word of mouth etc, and I always look to the ground when it comes to asking, or talking about money. I have to say there is always a special feeling when I make pretties that are to be given as gifts, don't get me wrong, it is there too when something is being made to sell, but maybe the pressure is there also, I don't know, maybe to make it spot on, I am a little of a perfectionist. Do you sell to friends, how do you find it, is it ever a little awkward dare I say it. I am also feeling a little lack lustre in the olde inspiration department, I seem to be failing at finding new ideas and crafts to make, where do you gain your inspiration. I have to say I was a little inspired by the Shabby Chic for children's bedrooms feature with Danielle Proud on This Morning, and really want to have a go at covering the polysterene letters.

I walked past a beautiful shop near me, very shabby chic, and something caught my eye, a pretty Raggy Heart. Well I never, not whose been eating my porridge but whose been reading my blog ;0) He He, I know Raggy hearts have been around forever, but one of these days, I really, really want to make something that has never, ever been seen or heard of before....

Happy Crafting

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Home Is Where The Heart Is....

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments regarding my return to Acting, I am lucky enough to have a really good Amateur Dramatic Society here so am looking forward to maybe treading those boards :)



I am so excited to have been invited by Little Gems World to share the hearts I have around my Home. Now many of you shall know that we are having our Home Sweet Home refurbished and it is taking longer than we thought so many of my pretty hearts are not hanging from pretty hooks or shelves but are tucked away in the depths of tissue and bubble wrap waiting to be unleashed on my home.



Reason I love my hearts so much. When Master Poppins was only a few months old and was having a routine examination, they discovered he had a Heart Condition, Pulmonary Stenosis and he had a cardiac catheterization. He is very well and happy and we give much thanks to his cardiologist who treated him and he is so happy with Master Poppins he doesn't need to see him for three years. So my love of hearts has great meaning for me as my son has a very special one :)



So it was with great joy that I began my search of my pretty Hearts, I am sure there shall be some you recognise too.







Gorgeous SC Cafe Swap, handmade hearts from Little Gems World.







A gorgeous handmade Angel Heart and sparkly heart from MelMel.







SC Cafe Swap, beautiful Keep Calm And Carry On Heart from Second Wind.







Hearts I have purchased very reasonably from fellow Bloggers, the pretty handmade button one is from Raspberry Grace. and the gorgeous Crochet one is from Serendipity Loves NewYork











A pretty cream rack for my Hearts.







Hearts in my home.



















Two very special ones.







More Hearts.



















Big Sister and Little Man have a love of Hearts too. Pretty Hearts with true words, click on the photograph if you want to see what they say, shinny Heart mirrors for Big Sister and Ikea lights for Little Man.























I love pretty postcards, special thoughts and words, special handmade cards and little trinkets to have on my lovely cream Wire Heart.











So thank you for accompanying me on my Heart journey, I so look forward to having them all in their special places, and I cordially invite you to share any of your great loves.



Thank you so much too to all of you who have handmade some gorgeous Hearts for me for Swaps etc, they mean the world to me, as when I look them I am reminded how very lucky and grateful we are to have such a special little man in our lives and it brings a smile to my face.



Talking of Hearts I need to be cracking on with my CK Esque swap for Lace Hearts :)



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