The multi-purpose gift for the girl who has everything...

And so another weekend has been and gone, but hey, what's this? I made something! A little make-up purse. Modeled on the one's that I made for the school Mother's Day stall, which I made up out of some of my scraps.

This is the new and improved version. Cotton fabric outer (I cut my precious piece of Denyse Schmidt fabric so I guess now it must be time for some more?), Cotton batting/wading inner, and oilcloth lining. I was originally going to use the pink gingham oilcloth with this fabric, but it was just all wrong. The pinks were just not in the same ballpark. My own fault. But then I noticed that some of the flower centres were almost red and bingo.

First time I have tried to sew with oilcloth and it wasn't so bad. Fine when you are sewing fabric to oilcloth. Oilcloth on oilcloth - ey,yi,yi! It just doesn't feed through. I have read some hints, which I followed up to a point. So next time I will try the masking tape trick. If things are really working well, I may invest in a teflon foot. Although, when all else fails, brute force works wonders when your fabric just won't move through your machine.

The other alteration I had to make was that the oilcloth just didn't want to fold over to make the little edge border on the front, so I resorted to edging with the ribbon. Tricky to start with, but when I worked it out, easy peasy.

Last time I made little ties out of fabric, but turning them back out the right way was driving me nuts. I made 27 purses and the most time consuming part was those ties. I have the stab wounds from the knitting needle to prove it. This time I used ribbon instead, which works just as well. I would really like some grosgrain, so am starting to look around and see what's out there. If anyone can suggest a good retailer/supplier either online or in Melbourne, I would really appreciate it. Spotlight and Lincraft just aren't cutting the mustard.

So there it was, my little make-up purse. I was almost falling in love with it, but alas, I had to give it away. It was a girlfriend's birthday and what girlfriend wouldn't want such a cute little purse? Off I went up the street to give it to her, she unwrapped it (very graciously) and then asked if it was a dishcloth? A dishcloth !!!! I must add that at this point it was facing wrong side up and when she turned it over, she did say "Oh, a little purse!", but I am still recovering. Perhaps if you took your make-up out and you had run out of Chux cloths, I could see that maybe you may think "I could wash my dishes with my make-up purse!".

If anyone knows of a therapy group for people whose sewing endeavours are mistaken for dishcloths, please let me know.

Oh, and my little balloon cards are winging their way to Israel to Julie. Funnily enough, being in Israel and all, she didn't have a big call for the Christmas one's. If anyone would like those, just let me know.

Up, up and away ...

Edit - I just couldn't live with the fact that I had posted such bad photos, so have taken these this morning. In the sunlight. What a brilliant idea!

It's late and I'm not too sure what has possessed me to be doing this now. Even though I can't find a place with enough light to take decent photos I am still doing it. I have had these little tags sitting around for ages and something today made me think, hey, maybe there is somebody out there who can put these to far better use than my drawer can. They are vintage late 60's/early 70's and are little gift tags. They are a thin card and measure just under 4 X 9 cm. Don't ask me to convert to inches, like I said, it's late. The orange balloon one is very sweet, I just can't really seem to find a use for them. But wait, that's not all ...

Christmas tags! Yes, you can never have too many vintage Christmas tags in May! I did use some of these last Christmas and I love those groovy bells, but my wrapping didn't do justice to the tags. I always leave Christmas wrapping to the last minute and I really needed some funky pink and orange paper for the bells.

So, all up I have 10 of the orange balloon tags and a mixture of 10 Christmas tags. They are all as new and come from a smoke free, pet free home. Oh wait, that's e-bay. I am really tired now.

Maybe some paper craft person who makes wonderful collages may like them, or someone who is into their gift wrapping far more than I will ever have the time to be. I have kept one or two just in case the spirit ever takes me.

If you think you can offer them a better home than I have, e-mail me. Whoever makes the most impassioned plea in the next 24 hours may have them.

Quilts - the story so far ...

I'm not sure why I started making quilts. When we were living in New Zealand, back pre-children, I remember being out shopping and unwittingly discovering something called fat quarters. What the ...? So then I started collecting fat quarters randomly from different places we traveled around. Now I look at a quilt and remember choosing particular pieces of fabric. Which is really quite funny because at the time I had no idea what I was going to do with them.

I am not a class person, which makes it sound like I have no class. Some may say this is true, but what I am really saying is that I am very impatient. If I want to make something, I will make it (or start it) now and learn by trial and error. The thought of sitting through a class makes me feel a little ill. I only go when friends gently persuade me, and only then because I know I will have a good laugh with them. Back around 2001, I decided that I really wanted to make a single bed quilt for Beth. I had no idea how to do this. I found a fat quarter mystery quilt pattern on the internet and found that the directions were really easy to follow. At the time, this was what was important for me. A pattern that I could easily follow. In hindsight, perhaps I wouldn't have chosen this pattern again today.

I decided it was going to be a red quilt. I became obsessed in the hunt for the "right red". In one shop that I was hunting in, I will always remember the person there telling me "It doesn't have to match, it just has to go", as she watched me taking bolt after bolt off the shelf, holding it to my existing fabrics, shaking my head and saying "no". Valuable lesson number one. I wish I had have found this lady earlier. The fabric I then chose made the quilt come alive.

I made this quilt without a cutting mat. You don't want to know how I made it. I had a rotary cutter though ..... I was unaware that precision was important and followed my cutting rule of thumb, near enough is good enough. Here is the end result.

I call this "freestyle". Which then means it is meant to look like that. Can you imagine my horror when I went to "stitch in the ditch" to quilt this? More like dog leg in the ditch. So I quilted it with hearts, fifty in total. I told Beth I did hearts to show her how much I loved her. Technically, this wasn't wrong. Valuable lesson number two. When you are impatient, yet seek perfection, don't choose the tricky triangle patterns. At the end of the day, I was quite happy with my first quilting result.

Moving right along to quilt number two. I had by now discovered the joys of fabric on-line and discovered Amy Butler. Where had she been all my life? I bought the fabric and fondled it for twelve months before I decided what I was going to do with it. I just couldn't cut it all up into little pieces. So big squares it was. I categorised all the fabric by pattern size and depth of colour and drew up a grid and mapped it all out. That way I would have a more even and interesting spread of fabric, with no clusters of colour or pattern. This time I was a little more careful with my cutting, but still managed to be out by millimetres on some squares (how does that happen?). Very happy with my end result and even happier with the machine quilting that I paid an arm and a leg to have done. After my first hand quilting experience, a queen size quilt just made me feel dizzy at the thought.

Still no binding though. Oh well, one day.

I enjoyed the big squares so much that my next two quilts I made were this pattern again in a cot size. One for a friend, the other for my niece. I then started on one for Alice, but now she is in a bed. That is the problem with quilting. As much and all as I love the end result, it just takes me so long. Alice's room is an apple green with purple/mauve trim, hence the colours in her quilt.

I wanted to use all floral patterns, especially violets. It became difficult to find a green fabric with a big pattern on it, so some of these fabrics are a bit "older" than I would have liked for her, but when you see this in her room, it goes really well. I will use it as a foot runner, doubled over at the end of her bed. Seeing all the log cabin squares about at the moment is tempting me to try my hand at a single bed quilt for her bed, but I really must finish this one first. Yes, they are safety pins you can see in it.

I am hand quilting this one. Just doing loopy waves, no pattern, who needs a pattern when you can stuff it up quite well on your own without a pattern interfering. I am going to use different shades of mauve and green embroidery thread.

There you have it. The story so far. I am seeing more and more fabric I love everyday and modern styles that I didn't know existed a couple of years ago when I started. Two things that are my golden quilting rules. 1. Only ever use cotton batting. Who wants to cuddle up to nylon? and 2. When choosing and placing fabric, does the fabric I am placing make the quilt "sing". I read that once and it has always stuck with me. You can place one piece and think it's OK, but then put another piece and step back and say "wow". If only that was so easy.

I'm a Winner !!!

Are you allowed to post about being a winner? I'm not sure if there is a bloging protocol for gloating, but indulge me for just a moment. Especially because the last art/craft thing that I won was in 1975 (yes, do the maths, that was 31 years ago, some of you weren't even born) when I won my prep grade colouring competition. It's been a long time between drinks.

I was one of the three winners in last weeks Whiplash challenge for the theme "Yarn". This challenge was one of the motivating factors for me to start blogging. It was like the last incentive that I needed. Previous to this challenge, I either didn't have the time or the creative urge just wasn't there. Last weekend there really wasn't too much happening and I really did just literally whip this up.

I have been knitting lots of flowers lately and because they are quick I thought they would make a good project. A flower is a flower though, so for me, the key was going to be in the presentation. My work is not intricate or especially unique, but I thought perhaps if my commentary was a little witty and my photo was OK, it may make a presentable entry. Far from my mind was it being a winning entry.

As a Mum at home trying to work out if the things she makes are half decent, my only feedback comes from a husband who says "yes" without lifting his head to look and two little girls who think anything their Mum does is great. Which is very beautiful, but not the subjective opinion I am after. To have an arena or forum like Whiplash for me, is great. And honestly, winning is just such a bonus.

I have found the commentary surrounding Whiplash a little interesting. Perhaps that comes from it being a competition with winners. (Says me - insert gloat again here). I entered as a way to showcase something that I had made to a larger audience and frankly, to see if I could generate a little more traffic my way. Just so as I don't feel like I am blogging to myself. Quite sad really. But that was all. I think some of the comments coming out are because there are some (can I say this) competitive people out there. Nature of the beast I guess.

Thank you to Kath for providing a forum for people to express their creativity. Now excuse me while I bask in the afterglow .....

The Cherry Dress ...

"The Cherry Dress" is a book that has become a favourite in our house for so many reasons.

It was one of those books that Beth would borrow and re-borrow again from the library. She always borrowed it as an audio book and we would bring it home and sit down and listen to it.

I love the book because it tells the story of a grandmother who sews her granddaughter a dress made out of fabric with cherry's on it. The dress is then posted to the granddaughter who loves it, grows out of it and passes it on to her sister. The dress is passed on again to friends, cousins, even a teddy until eventually it comes full circle. It is a beautiful story about sharing and about how when we are finished with things, someone else can have as much enjoyment out of them as we have.

This little story appeals to me on so many levels. Firstly, what self respecting girl wouldn't want to receive a parcel in the mail with a cherry dress in it? Could there be anything sweeter? Secondly, the grandmother sewed the dress with love. A nice lesson for children that all clothes don't come from the shops. And thirdly, I have made mention before about the fact that I love cherries. They are bright and red and summer and all things happy. Some may say they are just a fruit. Not me. Cherries make me feel good. So much so that when it came time to decorating Beth's bedroom, it became the cherry room. She even calls it the cherry room. Tragic, I know, but it could have been pineapples or bananas I guess.

The Cherry Dress in the Cherry Room.

We have our own cherry dress. I admit, I did buy it and pay far more for it than I could really justify, but it was a handmade bought one. And it was a cherry dress (with a few other happy assorted fruits thrown in for good measure) and I had to have it. When Beth saw it, she recognised straight away that it was a "cherry dress". It was a little too big for Alice last summer, but next summer it will be perfect. Hopefully after she wears it, we will be able to pass it on to another little girl. This summer just gone, I made Beth a cherry skirt, which is just the big girls version of the dress. I think one day, if the girls ever marry, I will have to sew a little cherry applique on the inside of their dress somewhere.

If you are looking for the book, it's not a new one, it was published in 1999. The author is Elizabeth Honey. It's just such a lovely story that we read time and time again. I think I will have to start the campaign for all little girls to have cherry dresses. Then again, maybe what I really want is to start the campaign for all big girls to have cherry dresses too. With red shoes, of course.

Golden Days ...

Today started out so promising. I was out hanging washing on the line before 9.00 am. It doesn't get much better than that. Then I looked up and this is what I saw. I had to run inside to get the camera and take this photo. There I was basking in the glorious Autumnal Colours, breathing it all in, feeling like an old hippy ....

It was not much longer after this that I had both children at the doctors in between refereeing their fights and having a man outside the chemist tell me, "Got your hands full there, love". My day had officially turned to custard.

Onwards and upwards. Let's go back to remembering how wonderful my children really are. Here are my Mother's Day treasures.

Beth made the card on the left in her Italian class and the flower and heart card with her class teacher.






She made this one at home. I love the colour combination.

This is what she wrote on the inside. At the moment, when she writes, I am never Mummy, I am always Jo with a back to front J.

This is a drawing that was used as wrapping. It's a picture of me at my sewing machine, which is the orange object next to the flower in the pot. Note the "To Jo" with the back to front J again.

Now, this one is from Alice. She drew the picture and Hamish asked her what she wanted to write. Precious.

The little dish was chosen by Alice at the school Mother's Day stall. When Hamish gave money to Beth, Alice wanted some too. I was helping out with the stall, so one of my friends took Alice to help her choose. Beth chose the earrings. Hard to see, but they are little glass balls and very nice. Beth made the gold sparkly "bling' box at school. Fantastic!

Speaking of bling boxes, this is what Hamish and the girls went out and chose for me. Meet "Big Jim". Some might think he is a tool box, but for a girl with no sewing room living out of badly organised green shopping bags, he is my saviour.

Aaahh. Still not finished sorting and emptying the bags yet, but I am loving it already. Now I understand why men love their tool boxes.

At the end of opening all of these little treasures I felt very spoilt indeed. After sitting here recounting them all, I have almost forgotten all about the disaster that today has been, love.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mummy's, Mommy's and Mama's. Whatever we are called, we all share the same love of our children the world over.

A special mention to all the almost Mum's too. I know that someone who I love dearly will be reading this and by now will be completely over Mother's Day. Some of us take becoming a mother for granted. For other's it is not so easy. I cannot believe this persons strength of character and soul for all that she has been through in trying to conceive. I know that one day she will become a mother and not only that, she will be the best too.

Now, that photo. Can I say that I love those little hands? Yes, it is the girls in their skirts. I finished them a good week or so ago, but just haven't been able to co-ordinate both skirts being clean at the same time. We went out this morning for morning tea with my Mum, Dad and one of my sister's and they wore them, so when we came home, out came the camera, before on went the mud. Note to self - Next year, stay home for Mother's Day. A booking at a cafe means nothing. And the bad service that follows means even less to the owners. And having worked in hotels, I am the queen of hating bad service.

Back to the skirts. They are incredibly easy to make. Even for me. They are just straight strips cut to measurements, no pattern involved. Can you believe a girlfriend and I went to a class to learn how to make them?

Along with the two of us were two other ladies. On the list of class requirements was a ruffler foot. When we went to buy one, turns out they cost almost $90. Now for these ladies, that was $90 well spent. Each week they would bring to class something that they had recently ruffled within an inch of it's life. If it moved, it was ruffled. Cushions were a specialty, finished off with a lethal dose of machine embroidery. For us though, $90, No way! Then it was suggested that a gathering foot could do an equally good job as the ruffler, and perhaps the generic $4 foot may fit our machines? Bingo and thank you very much. I now love my gathering foot almost as much as those ladies loved ruffling.

But not as much as I love my girls. Happy Mother's Day.

A Botanical Study of the Yarn Flower, or, Whiplash - Week 5 - Theme - Yarn

The Yarn Flower, or Yarnus Plena, is native to south east Australia. It is renowned for it's bountiful flowers, blooming in mid autumn through to late winter.

The flower develops as a small green head, opening to a large fragrant bloom, pink to mauve in colour. When the leaves of the Yarn Flower are rubbed, they leave a residue, not unlike lanolin, on the skin. Makes a stunning cut flower which will last inside for an eternity. Beware that children may complain that when felt against the skin, the yarn flower will make them itchy, leading to incessant complaints.

Enjoys a position of full sun. Prune after flowering.

This post is sponsored by Kleenex....

I had every plan this evening of sitting down and writing about something flippant like baking, making skirts or the controversy surrounding "whiplash", which I have been watching with interest. I had some clothes to fold (as you do) so thought I would do that first while watching some TV. Bad move.

Firstly, I watched "Missing Person's Unit". That in itself wasn't too bad. One story in particular about a man who has been searching for nine years for his sister was a bit emotional. In hindsight now, I know that this show was just used as the warm up for "Hello Goodbye". This is a "real life" show set in the international arrivals and departures of Sydney airport.

I was a blubbering mess! It doesn't actually take much for me to lose it. I often cry several times during the nightly news. I have vowed and declared that I will never watch this show again. I can't take the emotional strain! There was a mother waiting for her five year old son who she had left behind in Argentina. She hadn't seen him for eight months. Although I did think the show was very exploitive of people who were extremely vulnerable, the emotion here was just excruciatingly real.

Then there was the Sudanese family who had been forced to flee their country, leaving behind a two year old son. They had no idea if he was dead or alive but with the help of the Red Cross, had found him alive and well with his grandmother in Ethiopia. He was now 12 years old and the reunion was beautiful.

Every day I see people and consciously or subconsciously, I judge. It may be something as minor as an appearance (yes, I judge on appearances far more frequently than I care to admit) or something a little more harsh such as a person's parenting skills, or what I deem to be lack thereof. It is a very simple lesson, one that I have heard many a time, don't judge a book by it's cover. And this TV show, as tacky and all that it was, bought it all home.
Everyone of us has a story to tell. Some choose to wear that story like a badge, other's wear it more like, well, a singlet. You wear it to keep you warm, but you don't actually want anyone to know that you have it on. The pain that some people are forced to bear in life is enormous. Only this week I have learnt indirectly of two people who I know through various associations with my children (and have known for some time now), who have lost a child. One child was 18 months, the other 14 years old. Both in absolutely tragic circumstances and both happened before I knew these people. I now look at them in a very different light and am in awe of their strength. I think these stories have been weighing in on my mind too.

To tie this all together, I guess I just really wanted to say what a very good girlfriend of mine says, "walk a mile in my moccasins", and may I use this post as a little reminder to always be grateful for life as I know it in this moment.












Now back to normal broadcasting .....

A few of my favourite things ...

Life seems to be heading back on track to the steadier pace I like it at, not the rush that the past few days have been.

I had a lovely day yesterday with Beth's class at Healesville Sanctuary . The weather held out and the children were really well behaved. Just the usual school excursion dramas of native birds stealing sandwiches from right out of small children's hands and someone's drink leaking all over most of the lunches, which didn't do too much damage. I was astounded (call me a prude) to discover the leaking drink in question was Coke! Who gives their five year old child Coke to take to a school excursion to drink? In fact, who gives their child Coke? Or in the rush that has been the past few days did I miss the World Health Organisation's bulletin on Coke being good for kids? What an eye opener.

The children were quite weary towards the end of the day and five of them fell asleep on the bus on the way back. Beth was one of them and I felt quite content knowing that she was relaxed enough to fall asleep. I rarely fall asleep on a plane and would never fall asleep on a train because I am just not secure with things that might go on around me. Obviously Beth felt safe and secure and just drifted off. And if you can raise a child who feels like that, you are part way there I guess. Either that or she was just exhausted.

One of my favourite things are parcels, preferably brown ones tied up with string, but a flat rate envelope jam packed with fabric from the States will suffice. Beautifully efficient service and sweet packaging from Sew Mama Sew saw these little beauties wind up in my letterbox yesterday.

The gingham is oilcloth. I have never sewed with it before but am up for the challenge. Have even purchased new size 16 needles for the sewing machine! I am going to use it to line some more of the little make-up purses. The other fabric will be used on the outside. I have my first piece of Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy. More beautiful in real life. I could just look and feel all day. The gorgeous lime and bluey colour fabric is from the Girlfriends by Sis Boom range. I have a "thing" at the moment for peacocks on fabric and I had to have this one. The last piece is from the Moda Fruit Cocktail range. My long standing "thing" is for cherries. Can't resist them. They remind me of summer and being a child and making earings out of them.

Now to sewing that oilcloth ...

Yes Vs No ...

After the euphoric Lynley Dodd high, life is back to normal. It's just that our normal is becoming more and more abnormal. Largely due to the fact that I cannot say No. Or I can, it's just that there are too many things that I like to say Yes to.

Alice is one of those things. She is a fridge raider and for the sake of peace or to give me more time doing what it is that I am doing at the time, I quite often say yes, that she can have whatever it is that she is asking for. Nine times out of ten, it is a cheese slice. Harmless really. Or yoghurt. It's just that now I am starting to question the volume of what she is snacking on, because meal time in our house is a nightmare. She won't sit at the table, what she liked yesterday, she doesn't like today, she wants the yellow bowl, but that really means the orange bowl. Beth says she wants Weet-Bix, so Alice now wants Weet-Bix too, even though she has just asked for and has been given a bowl of cornflakes. Blah, blah, blah.... Yes, I know, she is two, but get me out of here! As much and all as I love her to bits. Today this has been coupled with crying (her's not mine, but it has come close) which usually tells me that she may be coming down with something . Fingers crossed that she's not.

The other thing I can't say No to is anything to do with Beth's school. I am on the committee of the Parent's Association, which so far, has been quite good. Unlike the kindergarten committee last year. Suffice to say I learnt my lesson there and will NOT be doing that again. The annual Trivia Night is on this Saturday night so I have been doing a bit with that and it will only get busier between now and Saturday. I volunteered to go on the junior school excursion to Healsville Sanctuary on Monday, I have just completed the school's classroom helper course, so will be helping out in the classroom once a fortnight. Let's see, what else is there? Oh, yes, the Mother's Day stall next Friday which I also said I would help out with. I am looking forward to that one. All those children choosing presents for their Mum's with their two dollars. The decisions will be deliberated at length and they will be so proud of the little gifts they have chosen for their beautiful Mum's, along with their handmade cards and wrapping. That is what Mother's Day is all about. Not about the 23 junk mail catalogues that I got out of the letterbox this morning.

Why do I say Yes to all of these school things? I have been thinking about this and I think it's because I just want to be involved as much as I can in Beth's school years. And I really do enjoy it. Even though it is go, go, go. The alternative to this though is pretty boring. Who wants to stay at home all day? Who wants a perfectly clean house? Well me, but I'd rather be out doing other things.

I couldn't say No to Beth wearing a dress or a skirt to the school's free dress day tomorrow. I reasoned that jeans were far more practical and that most of the other girls would be in jeans, but no. So then I decided that this was the motivation I needed to make another skirt. Which I am pleased to say I have just finished. Will post more about this later.

The other thing I finished earlier this week was Beth's scarf. Quite happy with this one too. Looks very sweet on her too. Recognise the buttons?

And while I type, Alice is into the fridge again, but this time it's the Easter eggs .....

"Out of the gate and off for a walk..."

Last week I was shopping at our local shopping centre and dropped into the ABC Shop and I saw a sign. Lynley Dodd, the author of the Hairy Maclary books, amongst others, would be in the shop today! OH MY GOODNESS. Apart from the fact that I have raised (and indeed am still raising) my girls on her stories, she holds a special place in my heart.

When I was pregnant with Beth, Hamish and I were living in New Zealand and at the time, there was an ad on TV for milk. In the ad, a variety of parents were reading "Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy" to their children before they went to bed, while having their evening glass of milk. Each parent and child were filmed reading a different line. It was beautiful at the best of times, but when you are pregnant with your first child ... I wanted our future to be like the Anchor Milk ad. I wanted to read Hairy Maclary to my child each night before bed, while having a glass of milk. I immediately went out and bought this book, the first ever book I bought for my children.

Today was "meant to be" because Beth's school had a curriculum day so she had no school. Lynley (we're on first name basis now) was due to appear at 3.30 pm, which would have been difficult with school pick-up etc, but no. We had no problems at all with being there.

The shop was also running a colouring competition. Beth LOVES colouring sheets that you pick up in shops. They are never competitions as such because they always just draw out a name, rather than judge. Which for me, is great, but for Beth, who loves nothing better than to win (comes from her father) it is a tragedy. Nonetheless, the girls completed their masterpieces.



This is Alices. Apparently she has drawn "Slinky Malinky". If you look carefully, you can see the likeness. Keep looking ...







This is Beth's. Beth's drawings always have flowers.







I especially like the birds!




So off we went, complete with our five books to have signed. We stood in the queue, met up with one of Beth's little school friends and his Mum, they all ran around, and I felt very nervous. Strange really. Would I have felt this nervous if Jamie Oliver was signing my cookbook? Possibly not. Although I do like Jamie and all his pukkaness, he is not a part of my life like Lynley. I wanted to blurt out to her all the stories about the milk ad, and that her book was the first book I ever bought for my children and how we love the stories and the girls can end every line. And then there is "The Apple Tree".

Ordinarily, I would have had a little pride and not started talking like a crazed stalking fan, but I just couldn't help myself. She was lovely, and I started talking and we actually had a great conversation. I told her about the milk ad, she said she remembered it well because people thought it was an ad for her books and not milk. She chatted with the girls about their favourite dogs and cats. And then we had "The Apple Tree" conversation.

The illustrations in this book are just beautiful. Which is one reason we love it, but the other is that the girl in the story's name is Beth. We have so many books with Alice's, but no Beth's. We would borrow it from the library and kinder, but I had never seen it to buy it. When I investigated, I found out it's because it is not being published separately anymore and has now been released as "The Apple Tree and other stories". And could I find it so as we could get it signed? No. So I have ordered it and Lynley was kind enough to sign to Beth on a sheet of paper which I will then stick into the book. Then she told Beth that the story was based on her children, Michael and Elizabeth, but that she changed Elizabeth's name to Beth for the story. Beth was enchanted. So with six signings and a lovely chat, we were off, but not before a photo.

How much do I love this photo? No photo has ever summed up my daughter's personalities more than this. Beth is showing just how seriously she takes something like this. And Alice, well, there is that photo smile again.


Beth said to me that she thinks we took the longest time of anyone there. I think she may have been right. We all walked away with big smiles on our faces. And between you and me, mine was the biggest.