Bikini can wait

A hectic weekend celebrating family birthdays has taken it's toll. Mr C&B is away "working" at Glastonbury (lucky git) while I hold the fort. As I have been home alone I took the opportunity to lose a few pounds by doing a juicing detox. Was feeling really quite slim on Friday but now realise that detoxes and birthdays do not go well together. Hoping I haven't undone all my hard work.

To make matters worse, am now surrounded by this..

.... while I put together party bags for Sam's upcoming birthday party.

Not sure I can hold out much longer....

.... once I start I just can't stop. SHIT.

Those skinny jeans, bikini, in fact anything figure hugging is just gunna have to wait.

Do you feel my pain?

xxx

Twice as nice

Last night I was playing around with ideas and I decided to add another version of my ID bracelet. Perfect for those who prefer something a little chunkier or have too many words/names to go on a single bar. I'm really pleased with how the double ID turned out. Both items are being sent off for photography this weekend and hopefully the finished shots will do them far more justice than my shoddy camera work does.

And, most importantly of course, 10% of the sales of this version will also go to SOS children's villages.

xxx

Sending out an SOS

A few weeks ago Katie ordered three necklaces from me - one for each of her children (what a lovely idea). I noticed at the bottom of her email that she was involved in a charity so I followed the link to the website. The night before I had watched a documentary about the orphaned children in Burma and after seeing the SOS website I decided I would like to try and do a little something to help.

I have decided to launch a cute little ID bracelet (available late summer) with 10% of the sales going to SOS. I am delighted to support SOS Children's Villages - the world’s largest orphan charity.

SOS Children's Villages provides a family home for life for children who have lost their parents through conflict, famine, disease and poverty. Over 70,000 orphaned or abandoned children are cared for by SOS mums in family homes in more than 470 unique children's villages, in 123 countries around the world. A quarter of a million at risk children in the community benefit from SOS Children's outreach support which includes education, vocational training, medical care and development programmes. SOS Children also provides emergency relief in situations of crisis and disaster, and continues to support families in earthquake and tsunami-affected countries.

If you would like to find out more about the charity or would like to sponsor a child please click on the link below.

Make a difference today, sponser a child here to give them a family for life.

I LOVE Lulu

Clare (of Lulu Carter lovelyness) and I arranged a swop a couple of weeks ago. She wanted one of my necklaces and I just couldn't choose what to have as everything she makes is so adorable. I asked for a surprise, and boy, did she surprise me. It was so exciting opening the parcel, my treats were packaged so beautifully.

My goodness, I wasn't expecting all this.

The lovely pirate bunny is going to be mine, all mine. He is now sitting on the shelf in my bedroom.

The amazing dream catcher hangs in Molly's room. She can't take her eyes off it.

And, in my opinion, the piece de resistance, the gorgeous Lulu doll. She is going to sit in my cupboard until Molly will appreciate her just a little bit more. Her second birthday is in December so Lulu will come out of hiding then.
I completely LOVE her.

Thanks Clare, you are super talented and all the little details make your products so much more special. These will be treasured by all the family.
xxx

I'm pregnant

Ah (sharp intake of breath)! Chilax, I'm not pregnant, much better news, I am in this summer's edition of I'm Pregnant magazine (out next week). I have never been much of a reader of baby magazines but this relatively new glossy looks great.
The orders are currently flying in thanks to the mention in Angels and Urchins so I am hoping this Chambers & Beau Molly necklace on the maternity fashion pages will have a similar effect. Yay, bring it on x

Slipper heaven

The day didn't begin awfully well. Maybe I just got out of bed on the wrong side or maybe the pile of Father's Day orders (everyone seems to be loving the shirt collar stiffeners) is stressing me out a little. An email from Clare of Lulu Carter fame didn't help my mood. I sent her a necklace and stamped her sons name as Harry. He is in fact called Henry! I was so cross with myself.

But then the post arrived and suddenly everything was ok again. The parcel with matching his and hers slippers inside was just what i needed. LLBean must have been looking down on me.

They are truly the most comfortable things I have ever had on my feet and I will never buy slippers from anywhere else again. Ok, so they don't look so hot with the footless tights but Matt is the only one who gets to see that ensemble (in the flesh) - what a lucky, lucky man! They made me feel so much better I even managed a little mumsy jig to Basement Jaxx.

Pump up the volume

LOOK

Not a camel's hoof in sight. Am no good at 'working it' for the camera but thought I would show that perhaps I haven't gone completely mad choosing to wear these. So comfy I am not sure I will ever take them off.

So impressed with myself that I resisted the very strong temptation to add someone else's head and stretch myself out Kate Winslet stylie!

Happy, happy weekend xxx

This week....

I have spent some time............

1... waiting for the Mulberry bag to arrive.

2... in fact, way too much time, checking out my sister's new blog, sixtyone A. Check out her lovely boats, cards and handmade loveliness there, or here at Folksy. Wonders will never cease. She has finally 'gotten down with the kids' and gone techno crazy with folksy, a blog, even facebook god damn it!

3.... buying and trying on leggings. Can't work out whether they look quite cool or a bit 'mutton dressed as lamb'. Please note that I am not planning on wearing them with a crop top and stilettos!

4.... looking for our cat, Woody, who has disappeared. Been gone for over a week now so I don't really hold out much hope.

5.... lazing around hippo stylie (maybe the leggings are not such a good idea after all) in the lovely sunshine in the back garden/yard.
Btw, I do not let my daughter drink lager, she just happened upon a can (full, unopened) and it kept her amused for a while......

The view if you look up (lying on the hammock/sunbed, glass of wine in hand) is stunning.

6... making lots of necklaces for it has been a busy week. Have started selling at Babes with Babies online boutique. Also in the process of designing an exclusive line especially for them. Quite exciting as it is such a beautiful store with the most stylish collection of mother and baby gifts.

7... worrying. I have spent too much time doing all these other things that now on the eve of Matt's birthday I am worried that I have not done enough for his birthday celebrations. Not sure that the potato peeler and oven mitt are gunna cut it somehow.

Angels & Urchins

The summer edition plopped onto my doormat this morning. Very exciting that they have featured Chambers & Beau on their pregnancy news pages.

The magazine is a London based glossy parents guide. If you don't however live in the big smoke you can always visit them here.