Happy Birthday Andrea!

It's my big sister's birthday today. The absolute best BEST thing about me moving to England almost four years ago is the fact that we've become such good friends! We went from living together in our parents' home where we fought like cat and dog daily, to her moving to the UK and just not really having that time to bond as older sisters. So now, even though we see each lots, we chat for hours on the phone a few times a week, our kids play together and we are friends!

Holly and I went shopping with her yesterday, took her to lunch, and had a fabulous girly day together. I took up her gifts, one was a pretty metal plant holder for her outside patio area with red and yellow primulas in, a sweet little metal heart, and this, an envelope book.

I bought a Martha Stewart magazine years ago (we're talking pre-1995) and it had a tutorial to make envelope books. What a clever concept - I made myself one as a budget book, it had all the cash payments I needed in a month, so I'd take out the cash, pop each one into it's envelope and never had to worry about spending money that was earmarked for something else! Of course, direct debit and stop orders means I no longer need it, but there are so many other uses for one.

My sister, who is self employed, has to do her taxes and keep track of her her expenditures through the year. So, I made her one with twelve envelopes, one for each month of the year (and it starts with April and runs through to March because of our tax year) so she can keep all her receipts in one organised place.

I covered it in a Cath Kidston tea towel, and using their website, designed the labels to look "Cath Kidston-y", and because my book-binding tape was red, I went for the blue and red combo for the envelopes and inside covers. I hope she likes it { ;-) } and has a very Happy Birthday!