You Make me Laugh!

Another layout of my youngest who is always happy to pose for me unlike my teenager!

After a difficult entrance into this world involving being in the special care baby unit for a week after his birth, with the nurses running out of places to take blood samples, this little guy has always managed to make us smile and laugh with his outgoing nature.

This photo was taken when we had arrived on holiday a few years ago and I had bought the customary sticker and colouring in books to keep him occupied. Only to find out when I came down from unpacking that he had stuck all of the stickers to himself!

Laugh has been stitched onto a piece of plain paper and I will journal 

this story on the back.

I added some thread to the buttons, a huge paper clip and let this colourful paper speak for itself!

He still makes me chuckle most days and is now the tallest in Year 3. Obviously that tiny little baby in special care grew up!

Tracey xx

Scrapbooking and a Retreat.

I am going away to the March Scrapagogo Retreat with my friend Linzi and can't wait!  We had such fun last time we went and hopefully we will be able to keep up a bit better this time!


I decided to get some of my scrapbook pages out and finally put them in an album, it was lovely to look at the photos again and read the bits of journalling too. I think thats why a scrapbook, to tell more of the story than just the photograph and because I love paper!


Here is a page I did about bug boy, my youngest who loves the outdoors..

I used Kraft paper as the background because it seemed kind of earthy..

The butterflies were cut with my x-cut butterfly punch and a Martha Stewart butterfly punch and layered to add a bit of dimension.

I added some thread for some of the butterfly bodies and some bling for others.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Tracey xx

Love 24 Years On....

Happy Valentines Day to you all!

Hubby and I are away in one of the most romantic cities in the world with lots to celebrate this week. 

There is valentines day, my 40th birthday and most importantly 24 years together. Since my 16th birthday we have been a couple. I never thought when I said yes, we could go out all those years ago that I would still be with this guy when I am 40.. but I am glad that I am!

And where are we?  

Can you guess?

Truly one of the most stunning places in the world.

Home tomorrow, but can't wait to come back!

Have a wonderful valentines day.

Tracey xxx

A Breakfast Treat

We had some bananas that had seen better days in the fruit bowl and I couldn't see them going to waste.

I used this recipe here to make some quick banana muffins. 

I had some little chunks of fudge so I added them too.

Appart from the muffins, there is something else that has been 

making us smile at our table this week.....

This colourful cutlery set, a different pattern on every piece. 

You can't match them up, but we like that and they make us smile!

 They can be bought here.

Have a wonderful week!

Tracey xx

Soup for the Soul

I have not been making many cards at the moment, after Christmas I just decided to take a break, do more scrapbooking and photography and most of all concentrate on getting better at cooking!


I have never really loved cooking, I cook because I have to, but I am beginning to enjoy it and the more I make, the more confident I get to try something else.


With the cold weather I have been making soups, this is pea soup, simmering on the hob.

The recipe can be found here on BBC Good Food. 

I also made Tomato and Basil soup which my boys love.

I also made some really easy breadsticks which I saw on Lorraine Pascale's Baking Made Easy programme.

My husband is the master at making Risotto's and kindly showed me how to make this Butternut Squash Risotto which is delicious!

It's a small start but seems to be going down well with the family. 

Enjoy your week!

Tracey xxx

Eat Cake!

I have a special birthday coming up and my dear friend Jennifer came round to make me a cake. We used this delicious chocolate cake recipe from here but Jennifer added much more icing sugar to the ganache frosting which made it taste even better!

It was huge! So huge that I could not fit the dome over it on my cake stand!  

My youngest made me leave the room while he decorated the cake with glitter and chocolate sprinkles.

  Then it was time to taste the cake! 

It was soooooo yummy and moist and chocolatey and heavenly! 

It wasn't long before half of the cake had been consumed by us all. The other half is in the freezer to share with Jennifer next time we have a cuppa!  Thanks my lovely!

I hope you are all having a great week and staying warm!

Tracey xxxx