The perfect gift…

 The sweet little girl in my care has just turned six months old and was christened this past Sunday…

I have grown so fond of baby Mia and the two of us have a special bond…  I love the big smile she gives me in the morning when I arrive, and how she laughs when we play peek-a-boo.

Or how excited she is when I hold her wee hands and let her stand for a bit on her wobbly legs.

Thus, it was a true honour to be invited to attend her christening service.

I had actually never been to a baby’s Christening before – as babies we were dedicated, and as we grew older we made our own decision to be baptised.

After talking with my mom, I realised it would be proper to take a gift.  I knew I didn’t want to buy anything, but had no idea what I could make that would be special enough…

Thankfully my mom again came to the rescue and suggested I make Mia her own Miss Lettice Rabbit for the occasion.

I set to work straight away…

It was lovely making something with a specific person in mind, especially this little girl whom I have become so attached to...

 

 I embroidered Mia’s name on the rabbit’s ear…

I am so pleased with how this Miss Lettice Rabbit turned out and loved being able to give a handmade gift.

When I first started looking after Mia as a three month old, I had no idea what a blessing this au pair job would be...

True, it has been extremely challenging and tiring at times, but it has also been a great joy playing a role in Mia’s life, and I am making the most of the time I have left with her!

~

Happy first week of December, dear friends!

Summer has most certainly arrived in our corner of the world and we are enjoying the warmer days and the delights they bring!

I spent this weekend in my happy place preserving the lovely fresh blueberries and apricots that arrived!  

What have you been up to lately, sweet readers?

Blessings,
Kelly-Anne

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January Musings...

 I have just returned from a good refreshing walk...

During the summer months I find walking anywhere exhausting and we have been experiencing so much humidity lately which makes walking virtually impossible. 

However, today is much cooler, so Beth and I put Caleb in his pram and took him and the dogs to a nearby park for half an hour or so.

 

I cherish these quieter days at home...

 

My dad will be arriving on Sunday for a month long visit!  Oh, how excited we are...  Words cannot express how eager we are to be reunited!  Thus...I will purpose to be at home more while he is here so that we can enjoy some precious family time during his holiday. 

 

January has been a busy month for us thus far...it began with my 21st birthday which we celebrated by going out to supper as a family.  Three of my dear friends joined us which made the occasion extra special!  It was such a memorable birthday... 

 

A week later Beth and I left on camp...  I was privileged to be a counsellor at youth camp again this year, and this time Beth came along as a camper.  We had a wonderful few days learning more about our Saviour - what a blessing to be able to play a small part in the lives of girls younger than myself...

 

After camp I thought it would quieten down somewhat, but it just seemed to just get busier!   

Thus, I can't say I have managed to keep up with sewing lately...in fact, I can feel the withdrawal symptoms setting in... {{winks}}

 

Here are a couple items I made for a client sometime ago...they are a little more modern than I am used to making, but oh my, they were fun!

 

Snuggle Bunnies...

 

Bunny Rattles...

 

A few more Snuggle Bunnies...

 

 I have done very little leisure sewing over the past few months, so I am hoping to set aside time for that in the next little while.  Back in September I participated in a teacup exchange...  Well, my sweet partner in Australia sent out my teacup at around the same time as everyone else, but for some reason it got delayed along the way...  I was so excited to receive it two weeks ago - I think Peta was beginning to wonder if it would ever reach me! 

 

Oh my...what a sweet package she put together for me!  I was so touched by her kindness...  Not only did she choose the most beautiful teacup to bless me with, but she included delicious lemongrass, lime and ginger tea, a pretty handmade pin booklet as well as a selection of Tilda quilting fabric...  I simply cannot wait to put them to good use!  {{Smiles}} 

 

My teacup package went to a sweet young lady in New Zealand.  This is what I sent her... 

 

 

I believe putting together packages for sweet friends to be one of the most enjoyable things a person could do! 

 

~ 

And now for a few photographs of the family taken on the day of my birthday...

Just look at how this precious boy has grown!  Caleb is now 21 months and continues to fill our lives with joy and laughter...

 

Caleb and Sofia (6) have recently become the best of buddies.  They love playing together which is so sweet to see!

 Caleb is talking ever so beautifully...he is fascinated by anything that has an engine and particularly obsessed with trains.  It is incredible how innate his boyish nature is despite having six older sisters!  {{smiles}}

 

Rebekah and Sofia...

 

Beth and Gabrielle... 

 

What a special picture...Mom with her eldest and youngest child...

 We finally had a photograph taken of us all together!  We are just missing Dad in this picture so I think we need to schedule a photoshoot for while he is home...  {{Smiles}}

 

And now for a few pictures to make you smile...



 

 Aren't these so precious?

 

~

Thank you for visiting today, sweet friends...it is always such a delight to have you!

I hope to stop by again soon with pictures of the beautiful tea cups my mom and dad gifted me with for my birthday...

Love and blessings in Christ,
Kelly-Anne

A Pretty Gift Idea...

 A few weeks ago we needed a special gift for a friend's daughter who recently got married...

Whilst looking around a couple home stores for a lovely gift, we came across a plain heart chalkboard and thought, "Ah!  We can spruce it up with some ribbon, lace and a little something or other!", which is precisely what we did...

I used some beautiful pink ribbon to hang the heart chalkboard up by and narrow pink lace to attach the chalk and chalkboard cloth to the actual board...

I whipped up a simple fabric flower and attached a pearl pin to the centre, securing the flower to the board with double-sided tape.  I used broad pink lace beneath the flower on the right-hand side of the board...

A simple, pretty gift ~ perfect as a small wedding or house-warming present...{{Smiles}}

 ~

I hope yours has been a truly happy week, dear friends...

With love,

Kelly-Anne

Owl Always Love You...

Hello lovely friends!

I hope your are enjoying a wonderful Wednesday morning...

Say a friendly hello to the sweet owls I just finished adding to my Etsy shoppe...

These cheery owls make such delightful gifts indeed...

For a friend, young or old, celebrating a special birthday...

As house-warming gift...

Or even as a gift for a new baby...

~ Red Baby Owl on a Twig ~

  ~ Green Baby Owl on a Twig~

 ~ Orange Ozzie Owl on a Twig ~

~ Purple Mom and Baby Owl on a Twig Set ~

These owls are created by my creative mother and sister...  

My mom does the knitting of the owl bodies whilst Nancy decorates the wire with pretty coordinating beads and buttons...

She then assembles the owls, sewing on fabric tummies, breaks and crocheted "sleepy" or "awake" eyes before putting them on their wires...

A length of pretty ribbon is tied at the top to hang the owls up by...

These owls are very popular at the market as they are cheery, colourful and quite quirky!  {{smiles}}

People young and old are greeted by the many owls hanging from our stall each week!

Do stop by by Etsy shoppe to view the sweet owls I have available... 

Stay "posted" for more lovely handmade items which I will be listing soon...

Many blessings,

Kelly-Anne

A Friendship Giveaway♥

 
 *Well, today is in fact Sunday...but I put this together a couple days ago...♥

 I am sipping a cup of tea whilst enjoying a blissfully cooler morning and we have even had a light shower of rain, most welcome during this hot, dry summer we are experiencing...

In a few moments I will continue my sewing of whale and elephant softies for Saturday's craft market...

Today has been a delightful day thus far...I am purposing to cherish each moment and not rush through my household tasks, not so simple for this goal-orientated girl! 

This week I had the joy of creating charming little pin cushions from floral prints and gorgeous ribbons and lace...I shared about them in this post.

While I work on a little tutorial for these elegant pin cushions, I have something sweet to share with you today...here is the surprise you've been waiting for, dear friends!

I have yet to host a giveaway on The Diary of a Country Girl and thus, seeing as this will be my (almost) 60th post on this little blog, I thought it would be a lovely way to express my gratitude for all your kind words and visits, my dear friends!

  

“The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let me show you what I have for one sweet reader to win...

 A gift of love from me to....♥

Three large handmade cards featuring beautiful floral papers...

 
 A charming floral tin, perfect for storing bitty things in such as earrings, clips or even buttons...

A rose scented fragrance sachet, so delightfully pretty and very useful indeed...

And a specially made floral pin cushion, featuring lovely ribbons and a sweet satin rose...just right for those ladies who love sewing and if you don't sew yourself, then bless somebody else in need of a pin cushion in their sewing corner...

~

 To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post, telling me what your first ever creative project was, it is as easy as that...and if for some reason you aren't able to leave a comment, you can also email me.

For extra entries...

Become a follower of The Diary of A Country Girl {via email, Google Friend Connect, etc}

Follow me {Girlhood Dreams} on Pinterest

Share this giveaway using your choice of social media

Follow me {Kelly-Anne} on Etsy

Favourite Heart♥made shoppe on Etsy

Please be sure to either leave another comment telling me what you did to gain more entries or include this information in your first comment.

This giveaway is open to ALL COUNTRIES and will end on the 6th of February...

One of my younger sisters will draw a name and the winner will be announced on February 7th...

~

Happy commenting, sweet friends...

I hope you know how thankful I am for each of you - you bring such cheer into my life through your kindness and friendship!  

Blessings and joy to you on this glorious day!

*Please note that I will not be responding to comments on this post ♥

Charming Little Pincushions...♥

Hello dear readers...♥
I hope you have had a most beautiful and creative week thus far?
I have been sewing and sewing whilst listening to Celtic Woman's new album, Voices of Angels... 

Each Christmas our family draws a name and either buys or makes one gift for that person.

This can be quite difficult for the younger girls, so we give them a hand here and there...{{smiles}}

Last Christmas Miss Rebekah picked Mom's name and so I helped her go about creating something special for Mom.

 

  
"Any day spent sewing, is a good day."  ~Author Unknown

Mom loves sewing and has taught many of us the art of needlework already...

We noticed that she didn't have a pretty pincushion and that her pins were bent and quite blunt.

Thus, Rebekah and I decided to sew her a little pin cushion that was both pretty and practical!

"Sewing fills my days, not to mention the living room, bedroom, and closets."  ~Author Unknown

I spent ever so much time perusing Pinterest, eager to find just the right idea...

In the end I came up with something of my own which looks altogether elegant with lace, ribbon and charming floral fabric. ♥

Mom was so delighted with her pincushion that I thought I should make a few more...

One for myself and a couple others for gifts and my little Etsy shoppe.

It is always wonderful creating something sweet and out of the ordinary, don't you think?

Visit my Etsy shoppe to see the pin cushions now available for purchase...and I am offering FREE SHIPPING worldwide for a short period only!

~

Do come by later this week for a delightful little surprise!  {{smiles}}

I would also like to welcome my lovely new readers...it always makes my day to meet a new friend and I hope each lovely visitor will leave feeling warm and blessed!

With love and joy,

Kelly-Anne
 ♥

Birthdays...

This week was a special one in our family as both Nancy and Sofia celebrating their birthdays...

Wednesday saw Sofia turning five years old and yesterday was Nancy's 17th birthday.

  Nancy actually had a few early birthday presents...{{smiles}}  A couple weeks ago I took her to see the new faith-based film, Ben-Hur, in the theatres, taking Dad along with us...  We all enjoyed it, especially as we so seldom go to the cinema...maybe once a year! 

Ben Hur (2016)

I also decided to surprise her with the sheet music for Just the Way You Are by The Piano Guys.  In case you have never heard this enchanting version of the song, enjoy by clicking here...

Nancy is the violinist and pianist in the family and has been playing in the Carpe Musicam orchestra for a year now.  They have a concert this Sunday afternoon which I hope to go to...  It is wonderful to see how she has grown as a musician and as an individual since performing with the orchestra.

^ Gabrielle and Nancy sharing a smile...

She still crochets here and there, her loveliest products (in my opinion, anyway) being her crocheted vintage earrings which have lately been added to the Etsy Shoppe...

^ Nancy and Beth on Nancy's 16th birthday last year...

Although we are sisters and there are just under three years between the two of us, we could not be more different...she is a true dreamer and creative soul...we love each other, though and get on pretty well...especially as we share a love for music, creativity and femininity.

 ^ Nancy and baby brother, Caleb Courage...

~

Sofia is our littlest sister and a darling one too... 

  

Sofia reminds me of myself at that age...stubborn, talkative and absolutely too adorable for words, if I do say so myself {{winks}}.

And just like me when I was small, she has an undying passion for horses...I decided to give her a voucher for a ride on a miniature horse in the next few weeks...do stay tuned for pictures!

 

As the two have birthdays so close together, we decided to do a joint celebration yesterday...
While Nancy and Mom enjoyed a coffee date and shopping trip on Friday afternoon, Sofia helped me bake chocolate brownies which we had with vanilla ice cream after supper....recipe coming soon!  {{smiles}}
And as goes our birthday tradition, we made gourmet pizzas for supper and whilst watching Josh Groban's Stages...it was a simply wonderful way to spend a special evening...

^ Sofia and her Daddy...

^ Kisses for Baby Caleb...

How blessed we are to have both Sofia and Nancy is our lives...both are unique and special in their own way and life is the sweeter with them around...  Sure, we have our sisterly troubles from time to time, but we are thankful to share a close bond with one another which can only grow greater as the years go by...

Do join me in wishing these lovely ladies for their birthdays...

Which of my readers celebrate their birthdays in the delightful month of October?