Faces

The theme over at The Gallery this week is Faces.

The first picture albeit from a few years back, was taken at the Bristol International Kite Festival held at Ashton Court, a really fantastic family day out and highly recommended.  So many faces to see and wonder at up in the sky.  There are also plenty of beer tents which helps to oil adult relaxation.  You can eat there of course - the choice of eateries and the smells emanating from them is mouth watering, or like us you can take your own picnic.  

Simply relax and watch the amazing displays above you. 

The next two are of G10 in Majorca when she was about 4.  She was born in water and has been a water babe ever since.  Him Next Door (aka Grampy) has helped pass on this love of all things water related and you can see the pure joy of this in her little face.

Unadulterated Joy.

A personal thank you to the exhibitors at Maenclochog Craft Fayre

The room was made beautiful, thanks to all the exhibitor's displays. 

From healing massages to Aloe Vera products, jewellery and beads to personalised and special cards, weaving to cross stitch, toys to driftwood art, make-up to skin care, bags and aprons, handmade bunting, Christmas decorations, towels, cottons and ribbons, woollen items, door stops, jams, pickles, honey and wonderful cakes.  The list goes on.

Llysyfran church members doled out tea and coffee and at lunchtime delicious home grown and home made soup, ran a raffle, manned a 'nearly new stall' and provided a children's play room with activities.  The children had a whale of a time.

If nothing else the day proved that this area around Maenclochog is full of little treasures when it comes to artistic, creative and business skills. I really believe as a community it's so important to support our small and local businesses; use them or lose them!  They can't be matched for personal service, their carbon footprint is small and money spent with them stays in the local economy.  A win all round.

It was great for me to meet all the stall holders personally and I can't thank everyone enough for the effort that was put in to the day. 

Beautiful displays.   Inset: "Kathryn's Krèche"

It was quieter in the afternoon; I blame the rugby (we lost), the weather (it was a beautiful day) and apparently there was also a YFC Eisteddfod on too. 

Still we managed to raise over £600.00.  Not bad.  We hope to do a similar event next year.   We'll build on the feedback from our exhibitors and the things we've learned ourselves.  Taking everything into consideration it promises to be an even bigger and better Craft Fayre for the local community to enjoy in 2012.

Hellraising...

It's nearly here.  The big day.  The title got your attention huh?  Actually it's fundraising; but at times it's felt like hell.

I have been working tirelessly, well on and off, for it seems like months.  I started in August, it's now October... gosh it really has been months.

There are only a few of us who attend our little church, and although I am not particularly religious I do like the community it helps to bring together and the building itself is beautiful.  And whoever you conceive Him to be it is his house - you can feel that.

St Meilyr's Church; rather beautiful.

I outlined my thoughts of a fundraising day on the church website and the interest started rolling in.  So much so that we've had to hire an extra room at Maenclochog Community Hall.  All good but still I'm panicking a little about how to cram all the exhibitors inside.  Luckily Claire (from Cake Carousel) has been a star.  Having laid on similar such events before she's in the know and is cool, calm and collected.  I don't know where I'd be without her help.

Lists are everywhere... thank goodness for the computer as they are continuously being remodeled.

I'll still forget something though.

Him Next Door has been very busy producing flyers and posters to advertise the event.  They've gone up everywhere and been handed out to anything that moves.  We've advertised in the local Community News and on Radio Pembrokeshire.  Her Next Door and I have leafleted all the local villages and the myriad of houses in between.  Notably every single one of them seemed to have a long drive and a letterbox that eats fingers for fun.  Oh and the dogs.  It really wasn't worth risking life and limb for at one particular house - so I retreated gracefully, never turning my back on the whirling dervish.

My biggest worry is that nobody will turn up to browse or buy.  Bit like arranging a huge party and it ending up resembling the Marie Celeste.  I shall feel totally responsible to all the lovely exhibitors (they are my children now) and I will be on tenterhooks all day.  If they do badly I suspect they won't be coming back next year.  (Oh yes I'm thinking of making this an annual event).  The other (admittedly smaller) worry is that we become too busy and every one ends up squeezed in to the hall, like sardines.  Unable to see what's on offer, people in their droves simply turn their backs and leave.  Empty handed.  Stuff of nightmares. 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my time after Saturday; but I sure as hell will get a better night's sleep.

Strike? Not in this house.

Violin with Him Next Door.
Maths-Whizz with Her Next Door.
Cooking with Daddy (cooking with Mummy would be a non starter).
Spellings and reading (Welsh and English) with Mummy.
Cycling with Daddy.

G10 checking her spellings.

G10 will be glad when today's strike called by the teaching union Ucac, is over... she can go back to school for a rest tomorrow.