MORE SUMMER FUN

Two great weeks of festivities at our Carnival and Regatta 

An amazing achievement for Mabel, she learnt to ride a bike.  As she  has a left side weakness, which causes her problems with balance it was an extra proud moment!

and there was no stopping her. Here on the boardwalk on Torquay seafront. 

We are normally away on holiday when the British Firework Championships take place on the Hoe in Plymouth, but this year we were lucky enough to be able to attend.

New lined tote bags available on the website in September 

and still making more and more Christmas decorations 

PREPARATIONS & CELEBRATIONS

Carrying on with the preparations for Christmas, I managed to get a few days in London visiting friends, drinking and eating too much and fitting in a little bit of Christmas shopping.

Met my friend Jaz at Liberty's, and spent a lovely day catching up and wandering the beautifully lit streets of London.

Love Liberty's at Christmas

Back home and after two more Christmas fairs, Christmas carol concerts, rehearsals for plays, and christmas shopping, I set about decorating the house.

Saturday I took Mabel and some friends to see The REAL Santa in the prehistoric caves Kents Cavern in Torquay, truly magical. It made me a little sad wondering whether this may be the last year of really believing for Mabel. A pizza at Amicis and a sleepover followed!

Falling right in the middle of the preparations is Mabel's birthday. This cheeky little baby has now turned into............

this cheeky little girl. Aged 8

With less than two weeks to go before the big day, there's a fair amount of wrapping to be done and there's also 20-25% Off everything over on the website. 

THE END OF ANOTHER YEAR.

After promising myself to keep up with the blog on a regular basis, I'm way behind (but hey it is Christmas and it has been reeeeeeeallly busy here.)  As it came into Christmas Fair season I realised I'd probably booked too many, some of which the were amazing and some which were not so.

I sometimes felt like a "headless chicken" juggling everything, but it's ok 

"I'm a woman I can do that"!!!

At the beginning of the month we managed a brief trip to Brighton to see much loved friends, and have lots of drinks and  lots of fun! ...Then there was school book day (Bella requesting I make her something for it) Mabel celebrated her 4th Birthday, Christmas tree buying and putting up the decorations, birthday parties to be attended and presents to be bought, school discos, school nativity plays, house to be cleaned, in laws to pick up from Gatwick, Christmas Panto to attend and a little bit of media frenzy for Mabel.

Bella's school Book Day - Cat In The Hat, once I'd made the hat the rest was simple.

First piece of Christmas to arrive is our advent calendar.  This year there was no eating chocolates in advance either!

Mabel choosing the Christmas tree

 Girls decorating the tree.

 Christmas decorations up

Deer John getting into the festive spirit.

Little Mabel turns 4 and what a lucky family we are to be sharing it with her this year.

 Mabel at her friend Lara's 4th birthday party

Bella off to Christmas school disco.

Mabel an angel in the Christmas Nativity.

 Due to Mabel's stroke aged 3 back in May, I was approached by the Devon Air Ambulance who played a huge part in her outcome to do a small piece for our local paper The Herald Express.  

Unbeknown to me we made it onto the front page, and the first I knew was when a national newspaper photographer arrived at the door and said he would like to take some photos as there had been national media interest. 

In the days proceeding we appeared in The Daily Star, The Mail On Line, Western Morning News, Exeter Express & Echo and several on line publications - It bought back to us how very lucky we have been.  and it was indeed a feel good Christmas Story.

Not content with the her national media coverage, Mabel was asked to come up on stage (as they were looking for a four year old girl) which she agreed to enthusiastically to sing old McDonald and then Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as a solo at the Christmas Panto Chinderella at The Princess Theatre in Torquay. It was very cute and very emotional.

A MONTH PASSES

Can't believe it's been almost a month since I wrote a post, time does fly by and with a website, Etsy, Folksy, fairs and a hospital appointment in Bristol for Mabel, something has to give.  I thought about stopping it but I felt guilty for the girls (which is one of the main reasons I do it) as it's more of a small journal really of their lives growing up.  I could imagine them whining at me in later years asking why I'd stopped doing it, and what an example I'd be if I said "I just couldn't be bothered"!  so I'm going to try and post every week and then it won't seem such a task!

Apart from the days drawing in I do quite like being able to walk down to the beach after school and tire out the girls before going back for tea.  The beach is empty apart from the dog walkers  and die hard surfers and there's a great sense of space.

 Our new family photo.

 I've added a few new bags and dresses and my Mum's been knitting more booties to add to the collection but I've also been working on a few cheaper bits to go on table for forthcoming fairs (listed above)

 Christmas Garlands

Tree decorations

 and fab new boots made by my Mum.

Managed a quick visit to the zoo in Shaldon. Had to include this photo as it makes me smile, the girls looking a little bit petrified but still trying to pose with a lemur!

 The weekend 13th/14th Oct. saw me heading for London for two events.  Always happy to go back to London, the fast hectic pace of life and even the traffic jams are all refreshing, and I look back with fondness on the years aged 19 - 32 spent there.  Would I go back?  No, because the only parts I would live in I could only afford with a serious win on the Euro millions!

The Junior Vintage Fair at York Hall, London

Sunday 14th The Duckpond & Artisan Market - Richmond

Arrived back from London with a stinking head cold. Mabel (who hadn't been to London) had a fungal ear infection and a virus with the lovely name of Hand, Foot & Mouth which is small blisters on the tongue, feet and hands, and no it's nothing to do with cows and living in the country!


The girls have been doing a bit of modelling for My Sister Mabel. Mabel is getting a real professional and is getting to grips with all the poses!

Bella just take it in her stride in half the time!

My Sister Mabel also has a new website  www.mysistermabel.bigcartel.com
which is also now linked to my Facebook Page My Sister Mabel