Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens...

Chocolate, cheese, coffee and tea with marmite-on-toast...
Yellow and sunshine, green and trees, turquoise and the sea, red and warm sweaters...

You get the picture - favourite things!

Today Shimelle's challenge to us Bloggers was to compile a list in our blog, with some of our favourites.

Of course, it's not as simple as just typing in a few nice things that make us smile. She wants us to learn about blogging too. So we need to include links and/or pictures.

I've been making a good start on a nice little list of favourite blogs and websites in my sidebar, but I could see what can be done within my main blog post, couldn't I?

Favourite No.1 - Family

That's easy -

Me and my boys. (It was my fault that D's face got cut in half, but you can still see his lovely smile!)

There we are in our glory (most of us - my niece's husband was at work). That was last year. Since then another small person has been added to the muddle:

Four generations of girls together... Great-grandma, Grandma, Mother and Daughter (at one week old, last year).

Here is my Great-Niece last month - she is pretty special!  And now there's a little cousin on the way for her and my boy - due in February or March and I'll be a Great Auntie again!

So that's item 1.

Favourite No. 2 - Crafting

I love to make things. I have always loved to make things. The "things" have varied over time, but there has almost always been Paper involved! Also paint, ink, pencils... anything that allows me to add colour and interest to that paper.  I have always made cards for birthdays and Christmas, and some years I have made all my Christmas cards (around 60-70 one year!).

Currently I am learning some traditional and modern techniques for bookbinding, and have been making my own mini-albums to scrap, journals, notebooks and folders. They make lovely gifts and some friends have had these for their birthdays this year! 

Along with these two interests, I have become hooked on "scrapbooking".  I started out making mini memory albums, but soon progressed to large, single or double layouts on 12" papers. 

It was the mini-albums, scrap layouts and book-binding that made me decide to start a shop on the online shopping site, Etsy. It's been up and running for a little while now and I am beginning to make a few sales, which is encouraging.

Also I enjoy anything to do with fabric and embroidery. My current "fabric craze" is to make sock dolls, some of which are now in my shop!

This links to some of my scrap pages on Facebook - Some of my Scrap Stuff on Facebook

This link is to a selection of my book-binding projects - Bookworms Corner

So, that's my no.2 favourite.

No. 3?

Hmm... difficult to say. I suppose it could be something edible...

 or maybe it's just peace and quiet (that can be hard to come by round here!). Perhaps it's my home -after all that's a bit different to Family.

Favourite No. 3 - Home

We've added another bedroom this year, over an existing kitchen extension.  It was hassle and hard work for all of us (even the builder!), but it's almost finished now. The builder left in July and we moved in.

Today my new wardrobes were delivered, which we will put together some time soon. Then we might be able to clear some of the junk sitting on the landing waiting for a home. That would be good.

I took a series of photos as the project went along. This links to my Facebook album of that project - The Project 2009

The whole thing is a big, big project for us really.  The new bedroom means our old room is now free for J to move into. His old room is quite small, so he will welcome the extra space.  We spent several weekends painting, putting up shelves and laying a new floor (sounds simple but it took a lot of work). 

Now we are moving his furniture and belongings in stages. His new wardrobe was also delivered today, so the next project is to assemble that. Then we have to dismantle and re-assemble his bed. It's one of those half-height bunk bed things, with a bookcase, desk and drawers underneath. The bookcase and drawers have been moved to the new room, but the bed is BIG. I could do with Hermione Granger, to shrink it and re-size it again. Then we could just pick it up and move it next door but, in her absence,  it won't go through the door, so it will have to be taken apart. 

Progress reports will probably follow on my blog...

So, that is a list of sorts. Three items seems a bit short, but it covers loads of thoughts, ideas, feelings etc, etc... three big parts of my life!

And I did what Shimelle suggested - included links and pictures. I'm such a great student today!