Autumn busyness

 This past few weeks we have been keeping busy...

 visiting friends while M helped them plant up their flower beds.

Picking the last apples off our trees...not a good year for apples...apparently!

Creating a number of personalised baby pictures.

Leading a crafting workshop for a group of teenage girls...more pics to follow I hope.

Celebrating my 39th birthday with my little English nieces. 

Getting out and about over half term. This was taken at the Ulster American Folk Park.

The weather has turned cold but dry, Calvin has had a bad breakout of Hand, foot and mouth and the kids have completed their first half term at school...Autumn is well underway!

A fire engine quilt for Joshua

This cot sized quilt is off to Moldova to a new baby called Joshua. 

Don't forget to lock the door.

Now that MJ is at High School, his evening activities don't end until after my bed time. So I left him a note for when he got home from youth club. It obviously wasn't big enough as he totally missed it! Will have to go for A1 paper next time.

Transport Museum, Belfast, N.Ireland

We had a great Saturday afternoon at the Transport Museum, Belfast. It feels like it has been awhile since we had this sort of outing and all four kids had a ball. It is amazing how MJ at 12 can enjoy a museum as much as Calvin at age 2. It has the cutest café too...an old railway station kiosk...I wish I had taken a photo. I suspect we will be visiting again soon and next time we will have more tasty cakes and I'll get a photo.

Chef Lilyjean!

M and his garden

I often complain about the amount of time M spends working in his garden at weekends...but then when I go outside to pick some flowers to bring inside I'm stunned at the colour and variety, even at this time of year...perhaps I need to praise his talent rather than moan!

Great Nanny Iris

Great Nany Iris flew in from Birmingham for the weekend. She is a joy to spend time with and an inspiration. Her energy and cheerful outlook on life never ceases to amaze me...and her head for numbers too!

Celebrating a 50th Wedding Anniversary

This house holds many dear memories for my Mum's family. In fact my Mum was born at home here so it was a treat to create and give it to my Aunt and Uncle as a 50th Wedding Anniversary gift.

Architectural Sketching- Carriage Rooms, Montalto

This set of sketches was for my brother and sister in law as a memory of their wedding which was held at the beautiful Carriage Rooms, Montalto.

Charlie and Anna

Celebrating two little cousins born a few days apart. 

Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens

Bank holiday Monday and possibly the hottest weekend of the summer so we decided to avoid the crowds and sunburn on the north coast beaches and go to the Ulster Museum and Botanic gardens.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised how much the kids enjoyed and engaged with the museum. Lj announced that when she is older she is going to come to the museum on her own so she can read everything and do some sketching! M and I always love a museum and gallery visit.

MJ is 12!

MJ is 12...the photo says it all...one more year and we will officially have a teenager in the house...but I'm feeling the vibes already!

Last days of Summer

The weather was good to us for the last few days of the school holidays so we made use of the hot tub, which has now become an almost daily activity for myself, Ezra and Calvin (sometimes the older two join us but never at the same time!). When it is hot tub time Calvin appears with his shorts and Ezra declares 'let's go in the hot tub!'.

In other news, M took the three younger kids to the zoo in Belfast while I took MJ on his annual birthday trip to the Warhammer shop. This time we had phoned ahead and were organised for him to paint his figures and meet some other young Warhammer fans. Sadly, I didn't get a photo of him...all I got when I returned after 40mins to check that he was ok on his own was a 'do you mind, we are talking'...so I took myself off again for some child free shopping and lunch. M thinks I missed him and the younger three as I phoned to check he was ok, but it was more to give myself permission to chill and enjoy my own company (which I did).

Campbell College Cottage

Recently, we had a day out with my parents to Tollymore Forest Park. When M is at work I need adult help to visit Tollymore as the children love to walk the river there and I can't safely handle a 3yr old and a 2 yr old in the river by myself. My Dad had other ideas about how we would spend our morning and produced a rather old OS map with the notion of finding a little shelter where he used to hike to with friends in his school days. With the prize of a snack for anyone who made it to the destination we huffed and puffed our way there. The building is still standing 40 + yrs on, just, but looks like it is no longer used. Now we are dreaming of purchasing it, renovating it and using it as a beautiful off grid retreat!

Architectural Sketching

I have a few Architectural sketches commissions on the go...wedding venues and houses to be sent as wedding gifts and wedding anniversary gifts. I'm loving my ipadpro more and more as I get used to drawing on it although I still have a love/hate relationship with my temperamental printer.

Tomato soup!

At first we were in control of our ripening tomatoes and were able to eat them or give them away as quick as they were ripening but a couple of days ago we officially lost control! I'm now googling all sorts of things in order to use them or store them. Yesterday, we used 2lb, approximately 1 days gathering to make tomato soup but have half of it left. There will be another 2lb on the vines currently waiting todays harvesting. I'm thinking a good passata recipe might be useful.

Wedding of Adam and Diane

 My little brother got married last week to the friendly, kind, thoughtful and fun Diane. We are delighted to welcome her into the family.
The reception was held at the Carriage Rooms, Montalto. It is a perfect wedding location. We had a great day.