Saturday 25 September 2010

Venturing out to pastures new…

When I first started scrapbooking I was totally unaware of just what a HUGE global community it would open up! I stumbled across the craft from card making, loving the fact that I got to keep my creations & preserve our family’s memories, but little did I know how it would also become such a big part of my life!

Then, about 5 years ago I discovered that a girl I worked with, Karen, was also a scrapper & we have since become firm friends. She introduced me to ScrapScene & from there it all just escalated! I now take part in several on-line forums, contests & on-line classes. Blogging, of course, is just a natural extension of Scrapbooking & now I regularly visit many blogs!

My one frustration was that as I work on Sundays, so many crops were off-limits to me, but Karen again stepped in by introducing me to a Saturday crop she had found, albeit quite a way from home, even chauffeuring me there & back when my shoulder was at it’s worst! More recently we have been attending a monthly Saturday crop just two villages away, but after it was cancelled for two months on the trot, we put our feelers out for alternatives.

Sadly, Saturday crops still seem thin on the ground, but two evening crops came into the frame. I tried one earlier this month. The ’3 Jolly Scrappers’ at Huntingdon, just a half hour drive for me, was delightful….a nice venue, friendly people & a shop full of lovely scrappy goodies! This will definitely be on my monthly agenda!

September24 2010 011 This week, Hilary recommended another evening crop…’Crafting time’ in Shepreth. This is a bit further for me, but convenient as I have to drive past Karen’s house, so could pick her up & repay the chauffeuring favours from times past!!  We had a wonderful time…great venue above the permanent shop…Nina the owner is just lovely & a great time spent scrapping & getting to know new friends! This is a fortnightly crop & again, methinks we will become regulars!  Hilary had brought along a little gift for me…a length of sheer ribbon, printed with the words ‘Joy Happiness Blessings’ how perfect is that?!! Thanks again Hilary!

There is one anecdote from the evening I have to share…
 
September24 2010 007 Karen is an avid photographer & loves to take candid photo’s, snapping away while we work or chat.  As the evening drew to a close, I pulled out my camera & joking, said to Karenlook engrossed”…to which she replied “I know it’s my fringe”…??!!??!!  She thought I’d said “looking gross”!!!!!!  As if I would, or more to the point, as if she ever could!!!!

So what did I do at the crop, besides chat & laugh! Well I got on with a LO for the week one challenge over at Dixie Pieces ‘Glee Club’…a ‘Classic Rock’ challenge,to use a Beatles song title as a LO title & keep the LO in the theme of the 1960’s. I chose ‘Good Day Sunshine’ which fitted in well with a photo taken in Covent Garden last month. Then I dug deep into my stash for anything vaguely psychedelic!! This is what I ended up with…

GoodDaySunshine
…I printed the song lyrics onto that ‘Dream Street’ PP as part of the background & felt the ‘Pink Paisley’ stripes were just right too! As having ‘secret items’ included in your LO can earn extra points, I tried to get as many different things on there as I could!! Without making it too cluttered of course!!! Just have to wait till Monday now to see if I’ve chosen well!!!

Have a LovelyDay An extra challenge was thrown in too…to make a card or tag, to include at least one word from your song title in the sentiment. I used up the scraps from my LO & put together this card, which I will use for my   M-I-Laws upcoming birthday! 

So, that brings my scrapping week to a close! I still have some catching up to do on LSNED, but today is free listing on eBay, so I’ll be getting as much listed as I can…gotta start thinking about Christmas shopping & all the added expense that brings!! Not to mention how good it feels to see the loft becoming much more organised!! I’m also sorting those not-so-perfect items in preparation for a car boot sale, so hopefully the coffers will soon be brimming!!!

So, I’m off now to get out my camera & weighing scales…I’ll probably be online for the whole of the day!! Nathan is off for a sleepover later & Lee is out with ‘Mensa’ all afternoon, so I’ve only myself & Alex to think about…Yay!

Thanks for dropping by & have a great weekend!!  I hope that all of you who are off to ‘Ally Pally’ get some great bargains!! : )

Wednesday 22 September 2010

Two More Lessons…

Continuing with the LSNED theme…I have managed another two days pages!

Sept 10 Firstly September 10th…

Do you remember my lesson for September 1st? How the neighbours cat has adopted us as his extended family…well, said cat can be very demanding when he wants attention. This particular day, I was scrapping away when he came & sat by my side on my desk. He batted a few brads about & teased a length of ribbon, before deciding that I really wasn’t paying him enough attention & lay down across the LO I was working on!

Once he was bored with me, he moved on to Alex, who he obviously felt wasn’t quite so distracted!


Sept 11

 

On September 11th I learned, almost painfully, that the chilli mash we bought at the recent Chilli Festival, is VERY HOT!!!

I had added a teaspoon full to a meat sauce (the jar said 1-2 tsp) using a recipe for 4 people & it nearly blew our heads off!!

But, once we were over the initial shock, it was very enjoyable!! I think, though, that I may be using a little less in future recipes, as I had no feeling in my lips for a good hour after the meal!! 

 

I’m off now to prep my kit for tomorrow evenings crop…I hope to have more creativity to share with you on Friday!!

Thanks for stopping by! : )

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Playing Catch-Up As Usual…..

I will never learn! There I was feeling all smug about keeping up with my LSNED pages…right up to day 7…then I fell behind & now it’s the 21st & I’m only just catching up!  What I have been doing though is keeping my notebook handy to jot down my ‘lessons learned’ & for the most part, capturing those all important photo’s for illustration! (I say ‘for the most part’ because I completely forgot to snap anything at the crop on Saturday, so I’m hoping that my good friend Karen will let me plagiarise her photo’s for my Sept 18th page?!!)

LSNED 8

So, let me take you back in time to September 8th!

What did I learn on that day? Well, amazing myself, I learned that it takes me 45 minutes to swim 50 lengths of the Gym pool! I am not the strongest swimmer & when I first joined the gym back in November 2009, I could manage about 6 lengths before giving in & heading for the sauna. Then I would do ‘blocks’ of ten lengths with a sauna break between each & now I just get in & swim 50 without stopping!

To learn that I am taking less than a minute per length was a great feeling!


LSNED 9 And what did I learn on September 9th?

I shared with you on September 4th some photo’s of a bouquet of pink rosebuds that Lee had bought for me. I thought they were beautiful then, but they became more & more beautiful every day as they opened & revealed more & more perfect petals!

The last one held it’s beauty right up to September 15th.

I do love to have flowers in the house, but it also makes me sad when they go over, so I tend to favour pot plants & just keep cut flowers in one room!

I’m off now to continue playing catch-up with my LSNED pages…I also have two other LO’s to think about..one for TAAFOMFT’s latest challenge ‘My Favourite Poem’ & one for the first ‘Glee Club’ challenge over at Dixie Pieces, which entails using a Beatle song as the title! So, after a near scrap famine in August, it looks as if I’m going to be ‘feasting’ through September & October!

I’m looking forward to spending some quality scrapping (chatting!) time with friends on Thursday evening as we try out a new (to us) crop in the Cambridge area, so I’m hoping to get at least one LO completed there! I just need to get my planning head on & put together a kit for myself!  Watch this space!!!

Thanks for dropping by & I hope everyone is enjoying these last few days of sunshine as we move on into Autumn!  Come back soon : )

Monday 20 September 2010

A bit of a makeover…

After eighteen months of blogging, I decided it was time for a bit of a change!

It has only taken me a week of getting to grips with digital layering to create the header, but try as I might I cannot re-jig this template into three columns!!

So I’ve had a ruthless clearout & cut back on a lot of bits & bobs & made do with just two! I’m quite pleased with the end result, although while attempting to change the colours of my international counter, I lost the widget altogether!!! But at least I’ve still got my original visitor counter intact…the colours will just have to stay as they are!!

I’ve a couple of LO’s to share…the Crafty Stash crop resumed yesterday, & although very cold in the venue it was lovely to see everyone…I was just glad I had on my Ugg boots & had grabbed a scarf on my way out ‘just in case’!!!

The kit was for two LO’s, designed by Stephanie Garbutt using Websters PP’s & involved a LOT of fussy cutting! I will admit to omitting a lot of that for the first LO, which turned out like this…

MrWonderful 
I mounted it onto the green CS when I got home…I get annoyed at how shaped LO’s don’t sit right in the album!!!….& I’m afraid the second kit LO was just TOO fussy for me, so I rebelled completely & did my own thing!  Apart from the bunting & lanterns, mine looks nothing like the original!!

Turning Teen 
Thanks so much for stopping by…For me, it’s time for bed now, after a cold & blustery day! I hope you’ve had a good weekend & come back soon! : )

Friday 17 September 2010

Pass the Book Inspiration & next adoptee…

 P1030822-2 

 

 

 
OK…it’s Friday &, as promised, time to announce the next adoptee of this wonderful book…

P1040076

I had 14 names to put into the hat…

1   ScrappingMomOf3 (aka Heather!)
2   Debs14
3   Jennifer
4   humel (aka Mel)
5   mel askew
6   scrappyjacky
7   helena
8   JO SOWERBY
9   Amanda
10 SarahLP
11 Deb
12 scrapchick
13 Rhona
14 laurie b

But before I announce the winning number, pulled from the hat by my able (if not very glamorous) assistant, Alex. I’d like to share a little of the inspiration I found in this book.

Each & every woman featured in this book has their own style & it was reflected in their work environment. While I may not have a huge dedicated studio, I do have a space I can call my own, in which to create. I like to think it does reflect something of my taste & personality, if only that I am incredibly anal about things being kept neat & tidy!!

What I gleaned from this book, was a whole raft of ideas for stylish storage, along with even more ideas for displaying my creations…the end result, hopefully, being a creative space that not only looks good, but gets the old mojo fired up & makes it easier to access ALL of my stash, instead of my forgetting what I actually have!

On a more literal level, I love the cover of this book…the picture just draws me in & the colours are so calm & soft! So I used those colours as a starting point to put together a LO which sums up how I will be putting my inspiration from this book to good use!!

September17 2010 005
I think I will make this my official mantra!! “There should be a place for everything & everything in its place” …says it all really!  As an aside, I had actually planned to zig-zag stitch the patchwork pieces together, but my Singer wouldn’t play ball..so I ended up just straight stitching around the edge of each piece!

So…who will be the next to enjoy this wondrous tome?  Roll on the drums please…& the winning number is…Oooh! unlucky for some…it’s number 13

So that’s lucky for..

Rhona!!

The rest of you will have to keep an eye on Rhona’s blog for when she’s ready to ‘Pass the Book’ on again!!

Rhona, please email me with your postal address & I’ll get this off to you asap!

Thanks to all for taking part, do drop by again soon! : )

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Little Blessings…..

I’ve been feeling a little ‘down’ for the last couple of days…

So, I’ve been taking note of all those small incidental things that raise a smile during the course of a day....

While shopping at Tesco this morning I saw something that made me smile…appealing to my definite OCD tendencies…

Mushrooms

I’d love to know who packed these! Did I buy them? Of course I did…& they will be going into a Chicken & Mushroom casserole tomorrow!!

I think my fellow early morning shoppers thought, as I chuckled out loud, that I was on day release from the asylum!!

RosesFullBloom


The roses that Lee bought me for our anniversary are almost ‘over’, but one is still hanging in there, it was the last bud to open up & is now at it’s prime…

 


LSNED NAn email from my sister raised a chuckle too….entitled ‘What is a bucket seat?’

Nine on a motorbike?!!!…& that baby looks totally nonplussed at his mode of transport!!! I’m not sure which is worse..the bucket or the back-pack!!

…& I get panicky if the boys cycle without helmets!!!

Something that gave me reason to have a good long belly laugh on Sunday, was seeing this movie…

going_the_distance

 
A lovely feel good film, with one particular scene that made me cry with laughter for so long that I quite missed the next ten minutes of dialogue!

Drew Barrymore is definitely improving with age (whatever she appears in, I still see the little girl in the closet with ET!!) & Justin Long is just such a lovely ‘boy next door’ type.

Another one I’d recommend you see, but just watch out for that scene, it’ll have you doubled up!!

 

So, while the weather is still gloomy, I’m hoping my mood is lifting!

I’m having some quality time at my scrap desk today & that normally puts things to rights!

Thanks for dropping by…Don’t forget to leave a comment if you’d like to be in the draw for ‘Pass the Book’ on Friday & keep counting your blessings! :)

Saturday 11 September 2010

Remembering….

Today is the ninth anniversary of ‘Nine-Eleven’…one of those moments in history that will always be with us. They say that for occasions like this you will always remember where you were & what you were doing when you heard the news, & it is so true.

I was travelling back from a dental appointment for Alex, at the Eastman Dental Hospital in London. He was five at the time & Nathan was three & in a buggy. We had just boarded the train at Kings Cross when my mobile rang…it was Lee saying that there had been an attack on the Trade Centre in New York. I thought he was winding me up as a friend & I had only just booked a five day visit to New York, two days before!

I arrived back at the house & turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit, it made my blood run cold & I hardly moved from the TV for the rest of the day. Alex asked why I was watching ‘That Movie’ & I thought that that was exactly what it was like, but this was real, people were dying, horribly!

Our visit to New York, two months later, was an experience I will never forget. To see all of those ‘Missing Person’ posters & to see the still smoking ‘Ground Zero’ with part of the towers structure still standing & the huge trucks carrying away the debris was so moving. But we were made very welcome by everyone we met & the stoicism & determination of native New Yorkers was an inspiration.

So many people, all around the world, were touched by the events of that day, so I’d like to send love & hugs to anyone reading this who was..those who were lost will never be forgotten.

On a lighter note, I have some scrappiness to share with you! Firstly a LO for the latest challenge over at ‘These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things’…this time ‘My Favourite Scrapbook Manufacturer’. This was a real toughie! I use products from so many different manufacturers & enjoy them all!! I mean…where would I be without American Craft Thickers? Or Bazzill Cardstock?!!! But when I sat & thought about it, there is one manufacturer that I am always drawn to, whatever Craft shop I’m in & that’s…

Fave Scrap Manf'
…K&Company….so I’ve used everything K&Co, mainly from the Blue Awning range, but the background PP & those yellow flowers are from other collections…& I have added a few Cosmo Cricket Tiny letters!!

Finally an update on LSNED…What did I learn on September 6th???

Sept 6Well, after 24 years of marriage (& 33 years since we first met!) I learned that Lee still makes me laugh…

He has the most warped sense of humour of anyone I know & I think it’s one of the strengths of our relationship that we both find the same things amusing & are quite able to laugh at ourselves too!

Life is too short to take yourself too seriously…no-one is that important!!

The ‘Try Something New’ prompt drawn today, was ‘Incorporate ribbon into your design today’ so I used a length to attach the journaling strips & form a tab at the top, & added a bow to the photo for good measure!!

And what about September 7th? Well, Lee’s Mum & her gentleman friend, Ivor, came to visit & took us out to dinner as a belated anniversary celebration. My lesson for the day was that it is perfectly possible to say ‘No Thank You’ when offered the dessert menu!!

Sept 7But not before taking a photograph of it first of course!!  Can you read what some of those puds are? Rich chocolate mousse served with raspberries! Eton Mess! Glazed lemon tart with creme fraiche & raspberry coulis!!!

Anyone who knows me, knows what an achievement this was!

It was weigh in the next morning at Weight Watchers, so that was the best motivation. Ironically, after all my careful selection & iron willpower, I gained a lb this week, so no justice there then!!!!

 

Thanks for dropping by & I hope you’re all enjoying the weekend! : )

Friday 10 September 2010

Pass The Book…Book One…Part Two!!!

4859760327_415a427524_m

P1040076 Well, I have had the pleasure of this gorgeous book for a whole month! i have gleaned loads of inspiration, scribbled copious notes & even scanned pictures for future reference!

Now it’s time to pass it on to the next adoptee…will that be you?!!!

If you would like to be included in the draw to be the next recipient, please just leave a comment & I will do a random drawing next Friday!

Don’t forget to pop over to Sian at ‘From High In The Sky’ & check out the fabulous Book that she has chosen for ‘Pass the Book :The Second’!! This time a novel & a very desirable book it is too!

Huge thanks to Sian for getting this whole scheme up & running!…& don’t forget to leave your comment to be in the draw… I just know that whoever gets to be the next adoptee of this particular book will thoroughly enjoy it!

Thanks for stopping by! : )

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Call me Boring….

…but I do like a bit of routine!!! I’m not against spontaneity at all, but I do like the feeling of control a routine gives me!

My Mum used to do laundry on a Monday, Iron on a Tuesday & strip beds every Friday! Wednesday was market day & there’d be a trip into town for fresh produce from the farmers market, Thursday was bake day! The house was vacuumed, dusted & polished daily & there were always fresh flowers (from the garden) in lounge & hallway! Add to that her daily visit to the local Co-op for that evenings meat (we didn’t have a fridge or freezer till after I’d left school! We had a marble slab in an old style pantry!) & her job as a school dinner lady & her week was pretty much spoken for!

Weekends were a little more flexible, apart from the hours spent preparing the Sunday roast, which was always on the table at 1pm sharp!!

As a child this routine made me feel secure & safe, as I grew older it frustrated me sometimes! Now I appreciate fully where she was coming from!! I find myself feeling very unsettled if I’m not ‘on top’ of household chores & the school summer holidays always result in everything falling behind!

So, now the boys are back at school & I’ve had chance to restore order, I’m feeling much more in control!  I’m back in my safe zone!!  Gym/Swim Monday/Weds/Fri…Weight Watchers Wednesday morning…Work/Cinema Sunday….Scrap/on-line time after the school pick up!!! Funny? I don’t see many household chores in that list!!  But believe me, it’s all under control!!!

Back to Sunday…my cinema buddy Amanda has returned from her summer travels & we resumed our weekly film going with a Rom-Com…

LSNED T

 

This film is fantastic…a great cast & the little boy who plays Jennifer Aniston's son is just too sweet!

Funny, moving with bittersweet ‘cringe’ moments & situations you have to be a parent to fully appreciate!

I heartily recommend you go see it!

I will definitely be investing in this one on DVD!!!

 


 

And what else have I been catching up on?……‘Learn Something New Every Day’ of course!

LSNED B 

LSNED 5


September 4th taught me that my Hubby is a ‘Closet’ Feeder!!!!

Picture the scene, he had popped out to Tesco to fill the car with fuel. On returning he came up to my scrap room & placed on the desk a tin of Roses, a pack of 5 Curly-Wurly’s & a bag of sherbet lemons!!!!!!
All for me!!!!

He is fully aware that I am working hard to lose weight & improve my fitness…so what am I supposed to think?!!!!


For this page I picked out the ‘Try Something New’ prompt ‘Use Stripes: stripy PP, stripes to create lines for writing or stripes in a photo’

I am pleased to report that Lee & the boys are making headway into the tin of Roses & I am able to ‘point’ the Curly-Wurly’s & sherbet lemons & incorporate them into my eating plan as treats!!!!
 
LSNED 6
For September 5th I went with the movie I mentioned earlier!

My ‘pick’ out of the basket this time was ‘Incorporate stars in your design today’ This was quite appropriate as I ha two movie stars lined up already! But then I remembered the star lace cardstock I bought at Ally Pally last year & started with that!

No prizes for guessing what theme my page for September 6th has taken!!

But I’m not going to share that with you until tomorrow!!


Thanks for dropping by & can you believe we’re half way through this week already?!!!

Monday 6 September 2010

Craving your indulgence!…..

Today is our 24th wedding Anniversary….24 years ago, at this time I was in the car with my Dad on the way to church! My face was already aching…I had been grinning like a Cheshire cat since waking up…& our chauffeur was taking the scenic route because he believed all grooms should be kept waiting at least five minutes!!! I’m not sure that Lee or the vicar would have agreed, but I did arrive just a few minutes late in spite of having left the house in plenty of time!!!

Inspired by one of Shimelle’s recent posts, reminiscing on her wedding preparations, I have dug out some photo’s taken on the eve of our wedding, of my dress & my bridesmaids dresses & all the accessories & paraphernalia that went with them! The photo’s are a bit grainy, but this was 1986 & very probably, a very basic, Kodak Disc camera used!!wed2

wed1

 

 

 

 

 




I had made all of the dresses, petticoats & bridesmaids headbands over six months & the only thing I bought was my veil! I am so not a ‘frills’ person, but the pattern I chose from the ‘Vogue’ book couldn’t have been frillier!!! Well, it was only for one day!!

Looking at these photo’s, taken in my old room at home, I can’t help noticing that orange carpet & faux fur rug!!…& the spider plant that used to grace the top of my wardrobe…all SO 80’s!!!

If you will allow me, I’d like to share some photo’s of the day itself! It’s been a while since the wedding album actually came out, so I’m enjoying reliving the moment!!!

wed5


My bridesmaids & I…that’s my niece Lindsey (then aged 12) & Best Friend Valerie (who cried ALL day!!)

This was in my parents lounge & just look haw dark it looks outside for lunchtime!! There was a storm threatening, but luckily it never came…we just had howling winds!!!

 

wed6




The groom (doesn’t he look YOUNG…& just check out those glasses!!!) waiting patiently at the church!!!

wedding

 

 

 

Our rings…I designed these & a jeweller friend made them up. They are three rows of linked blocks, so that the ring is ‘floppy’…we had great fun getting these on during our vows!!!

wedding2

 
The new Mr & Mrs Robinson!!

wedding4

 

 

 


This is my favourite full length photo…purely for vanity…as my waist looks so small!!!! Those were the days!!! But we were gazing lovingly at each other too!!!

wed3

So thanks for indulging me in my trip down memory lane! I cannot believe it’s been 24 years! Next year will be our Silver Anniversary & we’ll have to plan something special to celebrate!

I do feel very smug about having made it this far…my eldest sister was horrified that I was making my own wedding dress, she is very superstitious & believes that it brings bad luck! She also commented that my Mum chose to wear green…another wedding no-no apparently!  But, here we are, still together & still happy, in spite of my flying in the face of Fate!! 

I’ll be back with a LSNED update as soon as I have managed to play catch-up from yesterday…what with work & the cinema, I got nothing done yesterday at all!!

Thanks for stopping by!..& thanks to all who left anniversary greetings…Happy Monday!!

Saturday 4 September 2010

Happy Friday….

LSNED2 
As I mentioned yesterday, I scribbled many things in my notebook through the day that I could use as ‘something learned’, but overall, I decided that the biggest lesson of the day was just how many things there are that make me smile!!

The sunshine, my boys all smart & ready for a new term, having the house to myself for a good part of the day, a trip to the hairdressers, an unexpected parcel in the post, a telephone call from my sister, spending the last hour before sunset in the village pub garden with Lee & sipping virtuously on diet Coke!

I am always big on counting blessings, I tend to be a glass-half-full kind of person, & yesterday I probably didn’t smile any more than usual, but because I was more ‘self aware’ it showed me just how good the day-to-day actually is!  

Among other things, this class gives you a reason to step back & take stock of what happens each day, instead of just working on auto-pilot. I’m sure before the month is through there’ll be the possibility of a down day to document, no-one ever knows what is around the corner, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it!!

So, here’s my page for what I learned on September 3rd…

Sept03The photo was one that Lee took while we were sitting in the pub garden & I decided to print it off in sepia as I knew I wanted to use this polka-dot paper & didn’t want too many colours on the page.

Out of the ‘Try Something New’  basket came ‘Create a background with three bold stripes of colour or pattern’, so that was where I started!!

I felt it needed the larger photo & apart from a couple of rub-ons & a few adhesive pearls, absolute minimum embellies!!

…& finally, something happened today that had me beaming too….Lee came home from a morning business call with a bouquet of roses for me!  Just look at these stunners…

2010Sept04 0102010Sept04 009
 

 

 

 

It’s our wedding anniversary on Monday & he just said “why wait till then?”  But will this be my inspiration for ‘what I learned on September 4th’?…or will I cheat (don’t worry, we have Shimelles permission!!) & save it for another day?

Well, you’ll have to wait to see tomorrow!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend! : )

Thoughts from Thursday!…


LSNED2
So…what did I learn yesterday?

After complaining about the briefness of our Summer here in the UK, lamenting the passing of warm days & the onset of almost Monsoon conditions (without the humidity obviously!!) I pulled up the blinds yesterday morning to brilliant, gorgeous, fabulous, energy giving sunshine!

2010Sept03 002So my wonderful lesson learned was that maybe, just maybe, Summer isn’t over just yet!!

The sky was blue with fluffy white clouds, my rambling rose producing new, tiny pink buds & the temperature was warm enough to warrant slipping on a sundress!

And I got so much done!!! I washed down paintwork, weeded the borders, hung out numerous loads of washing, each one dry by the time the next was hung out!  What is it about sunny weather that just supercharges my energy levels?!!

I sat a while, just soaking up the sunshine & snapped a few shots of my (still) nice & tidy garden…I’m so pleased that I’ve managed to keep on top of it all this year!!

2010Sept03 018 On the theme of being out in the sunshine, take a look at how my Chinese Lanterns are coming along!

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again…Thanks Anna, for sending me the roots in the post back in Spring!


2010Sept03 020Seeing these delicate lanterns developing takes me right back to my childhood, when my Mum grew these in the garden & used them in her flower arrangements.

Someone told me recently that they are actually a weed, but I love them! I must admit that I planted them in a container though, because like Mint & Bindweed, planted in the ground they’d take over, & I have enough to contend with, with the Brambles from the fields next door!!!

Finally…today the boys went back to school!! (Did I say Yay!!) I guess you could say that I learned to appreciate how quiet the house CAN be!!!

2010Sept03 003 They are both now together at the same school, which will simplify the school run somewhat, but I was so proud of them when I dropped them off this morning, they just looked so smart…

Nathan was sporting his new ‘Justin Beiber’ haircut, which I had to help blow-dry this morning!! He is such a poser!!! But I think it’s quite nice that he cares about his appearance!

2010Sept03 010

 

Of course, for Alex, he was returning for his second year & to his new timetable of selected exam subjects, so he was quite nervous. But both boys cam home smiling, having enjoyed their days.

Nathan had earned his first ‘Personal Achievement’ point (what were called ‘House Points’ in my day),  so he was pleased with himself!!

But what will I be documenting as my lesson learned for today? There are a few to choose from, so I’ll share that with you tomorrow, when I’ve had a chance to decide & scrap!!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend…just hope the sun keeps shining!!!! :)

Thursday 2 September 2010

Living & Learning...Day One…


LSNED2

Now, I know that I told you the ‘Learn Something New Every Day’ kicked off on September 1st…& so it did! But I was perhaps a little premature in sharing my album cover with you on August 31st, because what I had forgotten is that we actually work one day in arrears for this class!  As Shimelle succinctly puts it, you have to live the day before deciding what you’ve learned!

So, what did I learn on September 1st?  Well, it was something rather pleasing actually, & to explain why, I will start the story at the beginning!

Up until Alex was 3 years old we had three feline members in our family. We are cat lovers & had always felt that a home should have at least one cat. Our three moggies adjusted well to the arrival of the boys & we have plenty of photographic evidence to prove it. Then, Lee’s job took us overseas for a few months & the trio were given a temporary home with relatives in Cambridge. As it turned out, on return to the UK Alex was diagnosed with Asthma, his major trigger being cat dander! So the house was meticulously cleaned, nay almost sterilised, & our furry pals were permanently adopted by said relatives.

I have always missed having a cat in the house, but Alex’s health comes first. Over the years we haven’t been able to stay with family because everyone has cats & just being in a cat occupied home for more than half an hour had Alex wheezing & feeling nauseous…on three occasions he had overnight stays in hospital on nebulisers, the effects of his allergy were that bad.  Of course, his also being an insulin dependant diabetic meant that we also had to cope with the knock-on effects on his blood sugar control.

So, where is all this leading? Well earlier this year new neighbours moved in next door, bringing with them no less than FOUR cats!  PIKACHU The only male, Pikachu, took an immediate shine to Alex & I was pleased to see that, out-of-doors, Alex showed no ill effects from the close proximity.  Over the past weeks, Pikachu has ventured inside when windows & doors have been open in warm weather & although concerned for Alex, I must admit to enjoying his visits!  He has taken to tapping on the French windows at night, asking to be let in & curling up on my lap while I’m watching TV!!

Yesterday, while we were eating our evening meal, he came in through the open kitchen door, sauntered across the room with a little trill of a meaow, then promptly trotted down the hall, up the stairs & into our bedroom, where he jumped up onto our bed & settled down for all the world like it was his rightful place to be!!  If that doesn’t scream “Hi Honey I’m home” I don’t know what does!!

….& the best news?…Alex hasn’t wheezed once!!

Sept 1 So it looks as if our house is now an extension of his territory & the upside is that we get to enjoy his company without any of the vets bills!! (BTW… Our neighbours are fully aware & quite happy about his wanderings!!)

So here is how I documented this discovery!   After consulting the ‘Print & Cut Challenges’ set by Shimelle I picked the ‘Find a Stamp you Haven’t Used Enough & Put It To Use Today’ option…those paw prints are a stamp I have owned for literally years & it had NEVER been used, so that was an obvious choice!!  The rest of the slips are in a basket, so from here on it it will be a daily lucky dip…a nice added challenge, thanks Shimelle!!

And what did I learn today?…do I hear you ask? Well you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out!!

Thanks for dropping by : )