A word in your ear, if I may.

mmmmm. I've been thinking.

A lot has been going on over the last few weeks. I'm in a bit of a pickle, I'm chasing my tail, my knickers twisted. You see I am trying to start a new journey, create a new career, and it is taking up more time than life allows me.

I have to get my priorities right.

And so I have decided to take a wee break. A blogging break. This may last a day. Tomorrow I may have an urge to post. It may last a week. I don't know. I know it won't last forever. But just getting this off my chest has relieved a pressure.

I sincerely hope you will stick with me whilst I get my self sorted. I'll be back soon. I promise.  

Silences make the real conversations between friends.....

Project 365: My week in pictures

February 14th

For Mr Scruff on Valentines x

February 15th

Chloes for Fashion week (not fair!)

February 16th

lazar cutout to frame

February 17th

stealing kisses

February 18th

breakfast meeting

 February 19th

on the tub

February 20th

making paper daffodils

Thats my boy!

The Boy is 6 months old. Here's a bit about him....

When my dad sits at the head of the table with his back against the window, the sun streams in and illuminates his ears. My boy has inherited these ears - big, soft, lobey!

He is happiest sitting on your lap with his head flopped against your chest.

His thumb is permanently wedged in his mouth.

He idolises his sister. Even when she is taking away his toys and claiming them as her own, he looks on at her goggle eyed.

Nappy free time is his favourite time.

He'd eat your hand if you offered it to him.

He rarely wears matching socks. He rarely wears socks.

He can do backstroke from one end of the bath to the other.

He is the double of his dad.

thats my boy xx

It started with a text....

Text received:

"Scruffy boy from Peterborough meets posh London lady. Apparently it's not cool to contact you so soon, but hi xx"

Text sent:

"Dear Mr Scruff. It is cool. Lady V xx"

And so it began.......

Happy Valentines Day Mr Scruff,  (and no you still can't call me Lady V!)

Project 365: my week in pictures

February 7th

sleeping fairy

February 8th

flowers at a fragrance launch

February 9th

licking the bowl clean

 February 10th

secret jam stash

February 11th

The grand ole duke of york

February 12th

fringe trim

February 13th

tummy bug (and yes I was that green)

Hey Mum, something is missing

Lets cut to the chase. I'm knackered. Shattered. Pooped. Like a week old balloon. Deflated.

I was told by those in the know that having two kids so close together would be tough. Pah! You're telling me.

I don't need to harp on about how much I love the two monkeys, but there are times when I can't work out if my shoulders are up by ears or down by my knees. It all just gets a bit too much. The screams ring through my head, the tiredness and lack of sleep leave my body feeling like a dead weight, my brain is like a scribble.

Take today. The sun came out. A walk in the park. How lovely. As I tried to put the Boys coat on, Little P started screaming. When I didn't dance her tune she stamped her feet and whacked the Boy. He was screaming, she was screaming, my head was screaming. Fast forward half an hour, a lot of jigging of children, swapping of prams, throwing of toys, we are standing outside locking the front door. Thing is, I have no shoes on.

Think I need a break.

Kiss It Better and Great Ormond Street

Today I went to Great Ormond Street Hospital where Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman launched this years Kiss It Better appeal, which raises money to fund research into the causes and treatment of childhood cancers.

Carmel Allen is a fellow beauty editor. When her little girl JoJo was 9 months old she was having trouble breathing. The doctors put it down to a chest infection. After further investigation, tests and heart ache, JoJo was diagnosed with Neouroblastoma cancer.

Carmel and JoJo spent months at Great Ormond Street and it was during this tough time that Carmel came up with the Kiss it Better appeal - a way of raising awareness and helping children with cancer.

Using her beauty contacts she found a partner in Clinique.

After road accidents, cancer is the biggest killer of children. The Kiss It Better campaign aims to cut the death rates of childhood cancer and reduce the side effects of treatment. This years appeal (its been running for four years), will go towards the training and employment of clinical research nurses who will enlist children onto clinical trials. Its been proven that children enlisted on these trials do significantly better.

Clinique has created a Limited Edition Smoothie Kisses Lip Gloss Set which will be sold in House of Fraser and on the Clinique website. £4 of the price will go to the appeal. Also ANY Clinique lipstick or lipgloss sold in House of Fraser during February, £2 will go to the appeal. Now, Clinique make-up is blooming marvellous so to me, treating yourself to one (or two) is a no brainer.

But there's more! Funky illustrator Daisy De Villeneuve has created a limited edition illustration for the campaign (it's pictured above). The Kiss It Better triptych of prints costs £100 and all the money goes to the appeal. (buy here). I got one and have hung it in Little P's room. She absolutely loves it. Tonight at bedtime she whacked her eye with her book and through her tears I showed her the Kiss It Better picture, and then I kissed her better.

For more information go to www.gosh.org/kissitbetter or www.clinique.co.uk

Oh to dress like a 2 year old

"She always looks like she is going to a party"

This comment by Little P's music teacher was a fine tune to my ears.  I adore dressing and shopping for Little P and am making the most of it while I can. Before long she will be making her own decisions and I am not one to stand in the way of someones style choices.


My own fashion sense leans towards dresses - I'm not in any way fussy, in fact it is the very simplicity of a single garment - the dress - that holds the appeal. But I also love detailing - a lace collar, a bow, and embroidered cuff.

Problem is I am a little style shy, a bit afraid to wear what I really like for fear of standing out. I mean where do I really go, other than the park and the odd playgroup. Plus breastfeeding has ruled out anything other than separates.

But when it comes to Little P, anything goes. I have wardrobe envy. Big time.

She has the prettiest pinafore dresses

The frilliest of white blouses

 The funkiest tights

A fine collection of Kitty clips

AND she gets to wear wings.

Project 365: Silent Sunday

5th February

The latest members of the Scruff household

6th February

Chasing birds

A can of coke becomes a picture on the wall. But how?

Mr Scruff has found a brilliant little idea I thought I would share with you.

Very carefully remove the ring pull from a can of drink.

Use a small screw and attach to the back of the picture frame, bending the ring pull slightly forward so it can hang on the hook on the wall.

Thats it. Simple but genius!

Yes I know the picture is upside down, but you get the idea!

Chane of plan

When you start new projects it takes a while for things to find their feet.

Project 365 is proving to be great fun and good motivation for me to document my ever changing kids and life. BUT, I am quite aware how it must be clogging up your reader! I would set up a Posterous account but I can't be arsed. Instead, I am going to still take pictures everyday but post them up all together as a weekly post.

So there you go, Sunday seems a good a day as any. Later I'll pop up yesturdays and todays picture. Catch up with our week in pictures next sunday

Project 365: 3rd February

Weeeeeeeeee! I can fly

Project 365: 3rd February

London at its best

Project 365: 2nd February

Prepared for a bumpy landing

The Good Life - its all about the knitwear.

Instead of going for our usual nice walk in the park, Mr Scruff suggested we tackle our overgrown garden. Brilliant idea I thought as I imagined us all clearing and weeding and being all outdoorsy.

I gathered the kids and got us togged up. Little P wore her Maman Jo Jo fleece trousers, wellies, oversized fleece jumper, bobble hat and scarf. The Boy had his Mini Boden Snow Suit. And me, I pulled on my grey woolly tights, floral skirt, big knitted jumper and Hunter wellies. Show me the shovel.

Five minutes after being outside, Little P made her way back up the stairs complaining that she was 'too chilly'. The Boy starting crying because he needed a nap. And no matter where I stood I kept getting smoke in my eye from the burning bin.

We headed back indoors and left Mr Scruff to it.

Maybe this Barbara Good lark is just a fashion statement? It will be better come Summer, afterall self sufficiency chic is in!

Project 365: 1st February

Forever blowing bubbles