Forever

I've made this today, simple though it looks its taken me 3.5 hrs ( I am such a slow deliberate scrapper, but I really do enjoy the process!)

I really wanted to hand stitch a border with the silver thread but it was so thick that I had to actually stitch it on with some light grey thread. Robo Resolution was achieved with the large scalloped border piece (it took some time to glue on all those gems too!) and the word 'forever'

It was also hard to fasten that ribbon down, with it being see through, I ended up dabbing teeny bits of glue top the back of the white polka dots so it wouldn't show through. Sometimes when I am scrapping I do wonder how sane I am!!!

And something that I think is amazing is that the PP is actually what came free with The Scrapbook Magazine this month, amazing a page I like made with papers from them - unheard of!

One wear whites

Evening all!

I've had the usual busy hectic social weekend, we were in the pub today to watch Englands dismal defeat at the hands of Germany. During half-time a friend got the news that his dad had passed away, its amazing the sense of perspective that gave a few people.

Nicky, Alan and I downloaded Vuvuzleas (or whatever you call them) apps to our phones and were generally annoying people by buzzing in their ears!



This LO I started probably over a month ago, but I didn't like how it was going, so I put it in a box and totally forgot about it, whilst hunting through some stash on friday I found it and was guilted in to finishing it. It documents the fact that I bought Jessica some gorgeous white trousers and she look beautiful in them, thank god I only paid 3 squid for then because she totally trashed them on their first outing!! I used paint for this lo and lots of black pen. Robo Resolution is acheived in the word 'white' and in the 2 birds.

Now I am off to bed with a book, Jason has just gone to the pub on his own which he rarely does and I am going to at last catch up with some reading, will be lovely chilling with the fan going.

Hope you have all had lovely relaxing weekends too!

Arrrghhhh if I ever meet bloody Robert I am gonna bash his brains in!

Robert doesn't live here

Robert can't have lived here for at least 10 years

Robert has used this number to apply for a loan

Roberts details have been passed on to a gazillion loan companies

Every day I get at least (and possibly up to 4) calls for Robert

I have asked so many companies to take my number off their system.

How many more companies can there possibly be!

Robert doesn't seem to have a surname

Stand Tall

I started this one yesterday, I found it very therapeutic scrapping yesterday! Thank god for paper, scissors and sticky tape!

I've used the Bella Boulevard 'All Inclusive' range which I LOVE! They are so my colours, I love scrapping in orange, blue and lime green! Robo Resolution is acheived with this one, the blue paper that the word 'tall' stands on was cut on the Robo. I'm finding that making sure I have my laptop in the room and plugged in is half the battle with using the Robo more.

Its going to be and has been a hot few days, my kitchen is like a furnace late afternoon/all evening, so I have to get my crafting and all my evening cooking prep done before 3pm or its just unbearable at the moment!

Major chaos this morning, Joe and Jess were arguing about who was sitting where on the sofa (jesus christ!) and generally bashing each other with the cushions, so of course I tell them to knock it off. Jess decides to shake her fist at Joe, Joe takes offense, grabs her fist and shoves it back at her.... right into her nose! Massive shriek (I nearly dropped my tea!) and then.... the blood, of course my first reaction was "shit, I don't have another school blouse clean, she cannot get blood on it" Poor love though, it really did bleed. Joe of course was just saying "it wasn't my fault" over and over, which helped the situation no end.

And on a final note, my complimentary copy of The Scrapbook Magazine just landed on my doorstep, I am in it on page 44 - I've not put this Layout on my blog yet as I have lost my photo and TSM still have the layout. I also have a Layout in Scrapbook Inspirations Ideas Book 2 and was hoping that I would get a comp copy of that (as seems to be the norm) but nothing yet, which is a shame cos its expensive and I will now have to buy it as I really do rate SI. So now I am off to read through it and then I think more scrapping before it gets too hot!

Have a good one every body!

Iguana Wana

Just one I made of my hen night (well day really, we were still compos mentis at this moment, which didn't last too much longer!!)







I used the lily Bee Hello Sunshine papers for this, I wanted it to have a festival feel to it.


Today I completed Week 4 on my running program. You're not supposed to run 2 days in a row as you're supposed to give your muscles time to recover, but I have a busy week and it was the only time I could fit it in. The run was FANTASTIC, I am still on a buzz from it even now! One of the run intervals was tough but on the final 5 minute run, we decided to head home and run on the roads, it was ACE, its slightly downhill and I was going so fast I felt like I was flying, I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to - not sure I was totally in control! So I start Week 5 on Friday morning and I think that includes an 8 minute run *gulp* Its also given me sooo much energy, I had our evening meal prepped and in the fridge by 9.15am!!


Tonight I have the launch party for the new WI (next generation) in Keynsham, its a bit nerve wracking and we are hoping we get a good show, we have 3 speakers coming, a kickboxing demonstation, a laughter workshop and an image consultant. Its in our local winebar, so if its a washout we can at least drown our sorrows!


Ooo and yesterday I cut off all of Jessicas hair, its just below chin length now - photos to follow.

Happy Blog Aversary to ME!

So despite knowing it was coming up and wanting to do a 'I have been blogging for a year' post, I missed it, it was yesterday! Pah. I remembered at 12.03 this morning!


So I have seen others doing a giveaway on such occasions and I have one too, but its for ALL of you, not just one lucky reader.


It the gift of THE CURE OF HICCUPS I kid you not.


Last night I was in the pub and it was last orders and I could not stop hiccuping, comedy Emma again providing the amusements, Jason went to get me a glass of water and the landlord Bob said he knew the cure for hiccups (every one reckons they do don't they?) So with no real hope or enthusiasm I trotted up to the bar. Here is the cure:


1. With your right hand grip the hiccupers right hand, ring finger firmly with your thumb and index finger. Hold for 60 secs approx - you should have a firm but not tight grip, with a very slight pull on the finger.


2. Hiccups GONE!

It was amazing actually, I could not believe that it worked but it did. Try it yourself next time you have a hiccuper and see if it works (I know it could have been a coincendence)


Also I wanted to show you this pic from the wedding, I was moaning last week about not having a photo that I loved and then my sister sent me this one and I LOVE it

For you

Another weekend, another sleepover for Jessica, this one is tonight, and this morning I realised that I needed to make a card. Thought I would try this one, its actually a Craft Robo file (minus the button and the lettering) Lovely though it is its taken forever, just because of all the colour changes etc - still I think its very effective.



Today I did my Week 4 first run, its really picking up the pace now, and this is the first time I was worried it would be too much for me. However I am beyond chuffed that I managed it! two 3 minute runs and two 5 min runs. I am getting FIT!

I've been hounded all week by a company asking for someone else on the phone, first few times I just said sorry wrong number, last 2 times I asked for my number to be removed from the database, cue call today, when yet again I said please take me off your database and then I added an second emphatic please. I was then told off for shouting ???? Shouting???? I just said it emphatically, pleading almost, frustrated yes but shouting no, in no way did I raise my voice or even sound stroppy (and I do a good stroppy when its needed) So I ended up in a row with the bloke who was amazingly rude, it ended with me saying " hang on a minute, you phoned me, i've done nothing wrong" and then I admit I swore at him and hung up. Luckily when I had calmed down I did 1471 and hurrah I had their number. I phoned them back and long story short, my number is now off the database and the manager was v concerned about my run in and is going to trace the call and talk to the person in question ( I am all for fair play and admitted that I swore at him before hanging up)

I know I rant a bit on this blog, you've no need to read them, it just gets it off my chest and stops me paying it forward!!!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend.

Ten things at ten

I had an idea of what I wanted to do today, safe to say this LO wasn't it! Still its a bit different and thats what matters. I've done a lot of blog surfing today and seen some amazing pieces of work, so inspiring.



Really I should have saved this 'look' for a Joe LO, but hey, I am all for living in the moment.

Robo Resolution: Broken today I'm afraid, this was all within my stash!

New Resolution: Get using your patterend paper girl! I can't believe that this is 2 LO's in a row now without one scrap of gorgeous pretty paper!

Robo Resolve - Day 2

Today I have managed a LO without ANY patterened paper (not so good when you have so much) but I have used my Robo loads, all the sea critters, the palm tree and the bubbles were cut out on the Robo - it is time consuming though and took a while to find the files I needed, the right card to cut them on etc. I've been working on this for about 4 hours or so. It almost looks digital to me, but its deffo a paper lo, even if I had a lot of techno help to make it!



I finished Week 3 on my running program today, and so on Friday I go on to Week 4, its quite a big hike in running when I start that and I will have to run for 3 mins, walk, 5 mins, walk, 3 mins, walk, 5 mins, walk. So far my longest runs are 3 mins with 90 second runs for the other ones, so this will be a mega challenge for me! Still bring it on!

The good news is that today I haven't eaten everything in sight, I have stuck to my low fat, low starchy carb diet and I feel SOOOOO much better for it, I would rather take mild occasional (true) hunger over crashing sugar lows and uncomfortable bloating and raging (false) hunger anyday, so why oh why do I keep falling off the rails, I know it makes me feel like crap yet sugar and fat tastes soooo good!

Tonight I am off to our final organisational meeting in the wine bar for nexts weeks WI Next Generation Launch. Its a new kind of WI for 30-40 something women, we will be doing traditional things (speakers on all manner of subjects) but with a trendier, younger outlook. If you live anywhere near Keynsham (and you can be younger or older than the ages I specified) then please feel free to pop along and have a nosey! Or email me for more info! I am looking forward to a glass of vino or two and a good natter tonight.

Cards

*insert usual card making moan here*

So this is one that I made for Jason, he has had a few pointed moans about how he never gets acknowledged on Fathers Day - so this year I made him this, and he had better bloody like it cos it took FOREVER. The letters were cut on the Robo and then outlined by hand (no mean feat when the letters are that small) and then 3d foamed onto the card (again a fiddly job!) and then glossy accented. The sun and the clouds are cut by hand and the grass border is cut again on the Robo.

I have resolved to use my Robo more, I subscribed to a monthly Silhouette download thingy where I can download $50 worth of cutting files each month for $19.99, they have some VERY cute files and I spent my $50 straight off and now I have to wait for next month for some more. Bargain though the sub is it still means that in the next year I will be spending approx 150 squid (can you tell I have lost my pound sign, I know its alt and some numbers but I can't remember which) and if I don't use the robo more then thats A LOT of money on nothing!

And then I made this for my dad, this was quite a quick and easy one, I was gonna hand stitch that border but my dad would so not appreciate that (he wouldn't even notice it bless him!), and so whats the point? Whenever I make cards for the men in my family (with the exception of Jason) I do wonder why I bother, cos really they do not 'get' card making. Still you have to make the effort!



Where is this warm weather I was promised this week? I nearly froze picking up Jess from school, wish I had had my cardi!

I was going to put in some observations on the builders that are working on a house across the road here, but I think I will save that for another day as I really must get of this laptop!

Getting messy with paints and mists

My new Scrapagogo Kit arrived today, which was fab cos I almost forgot it was due, it only seems yesterday that last months arrived! I sat down this afternoon armed with all my new photos from yesterdays day at the beach.

I seemed to be creating a bit of a boring LO, there was defiantley something missing, so I decided to mess all the clean lines up with some paint (Dark Grey) and the gold smooch ink that came in the kit. I wasn't sure that I liked it at first, but I think its growing on me, I think I am unused to being messy in my scrapbooking. So I will try and embrace the grungyness of it and try not to focus on the fact that I sprayed gold all over one of the photos (oops)

In other news, I completed Week 3 Day 2 of the running program today, to make up for actually using some energy I have shoved anything that hasn't moved into my mouth today, even the dogs future in the house was looking dodgy at one point during his extended nap on the sofa this morning!

4 hours at the seaside

Mega tired children last night after a we had a sleepover on Friday night and out World Cup Party on Saturday night (I forgot about them, went up to put them to bed just before 11pm to find Joe sitting on Jessica's bed playing xbox with Jessica curled up in a ball fast asleep)

We decided this morning we would go to the sea side as it seemed like such a nice day, even though the forcast was doubtful. We let the kiddos sleep in (9.45am they got up!!!) and then we headed out at a leisurely pace.


The Weston Wheel



Me and the twiglets by the weston wheel



Jason and the twiglets by the weston wheel

Joe and Jess in our capsule (it cost 12 squid for a family ticket, bargain as it went round 5 times)

me!

A beach view from the wheel

Joe and me, Joe was a bit nervous at the start, but he soon settled into it!

Jessica standing on tall post

Cool throwing sand photo

Selena Gomez's biggest fan!

Donkey rides!

Joe and Jess and another little girl were a bit older and so were allowed to canter back

Monkeying about

Ice-creams!

Amusements!

Howdy folks

At the aquarium (we went there twice, once when we got there and once on the way back to the car!)

That was a HUMONGUS post!!!!

Super Saturday

I am still currently in the grips of Jessicas Birthday Sleepover, 2 little girls have left and 2 little girls have yet to leave. Sleepover was a success, and I personally slept like a baby. I'm a bit scary I think so when I bellow "shut up" they shut up!! Actually i'm not that bad and neither are the girls, in fact for the first 2-3 hours they were all so quiet that I thought they were up to no good!

I'm sat here trying to loose a bit of time, I have shedloads of housework to do, but can't really get started until our guests have all gone.

This evening we are having a World Cup Party, so I have lots to prepare for, I am cooking a massive chilli and we will have nachos, jacket potatoes and french stick and dips - yum yum. Really looking forward to it!

This LO I made a couple of months ago, and it got accepted into Scrapbook Inspirations Ideas Book 3, unfortunatley though I hear that SI will be ceasing after Issue 2 so I thought I might as well share it here now!



Hope you all have fantastic weekends!

Love is in the air

A busy kind of day for me today, first up running at 6.30am, where I moved on to week 3, except I wasn't concentrating and actually started to do week 4 instead, that was interesting lol. Switched my podcasts around and I was soon on my way, it was challenging but I did it, no stops and a nice steady pace, pleased with that.

Then onto the bank to change my name, I "popped" into do that last Friday but was told I needed an appointment, so along I trotted this morning "hello" says nice lady "your here to upgrade your account" "no" says I "I'm here to change the name on my account". Nice lady then asks me if I am pushed for time as she has me booked in for an HOUR, "an hour? to change my name" no thanks!!! Apparently I was booked in for the hard sell, I explained that I had no interest in any other service, and no interest in hearing about any other service, nice lady was nice and said fair enough, lets get the name changed and "you could have just popped in to do that" AAAArrghhhhhh!!!!!

I've done this LO today, the obligatory confetti shot from the wedding. I am not very pleased with any of the shots of the wedding, there is no nice one of me at all, all those months spent dieting and I still look fat, I didn't feel fat on the actual day, but I have photographed appallingly! Ah well.

Tonight I have a WI committee meeting, I am so not up for it, I have a headache over one eye and just want to stay in, in my PJ's and watch the telly and then go to bed, I've taken a paracetamol so hopefully the headache will go and then I can enjoy a nice glass of wine whilst we get down to business

A bit of this a bit of that

Today started at 6.15am with my alarm and me in a general foul temper. I started my running regime again this morning since the wedding. I DID not want to go out this morning, but I knew I had to. I could not get my contact lenses in, they just kept popping out, there are better things to be doing that early in the morning then being down on your hands and knees looking for something that you couldn't see anyway!

The run was actually good, I was repeating week 2 after my break, but I found it much easier then the first time round, so I am moving on the week 3 tomorrow after all - I think this means running for 3 mins at a time - doesn't sound hard does it? Believe me it will be!


Its Jessicas 10th Birthday today, so we got home to Jess waiting to go in the living room and get her presents. We got her a lot of Zhu Zhu pet stuff (its really quite cute) she got lots of bits and pieces and a fair bit of money from various people as well.


Jess was a bit hot and headachey this morning so I let her stay at home, it was a good decision as she has been headachey off and on all day, and although she is generally all right, I think it would have been horrible for her feeling under the weather at school on her birthday. Here she is with 10 on her fingers (love this that I have seen on a lot of Scrapbook Pages recently - something I have been wanting to try)



And finally even though running made me go on a major go slow this morning, this afternoon I made this - my first ever wedding page, that features my new husband and the story of his suit!

The mother of all sundaes

We took Joe and Jess and a friend each for a meal out on Wednesday night, for pud we got them "the mother of all sundaes" to share for their pudding! Typically Jessica had the most and control of the bowl for most of the time!

I enjoyed sitting down to create today, its nice and cool in our kitchen in the mornings, but hotter than the sun after about 3pm, its so hard to cook for the family when you feel like you are cooking yourself!

More decorating planned for this afternoon, painting (the joy!) but now I must think about getting the kids some lunch as its after 1pm

A little card

Its been nice to get a teeny bit of crafting in this morning, just a little card for my mate Nickys birthday next week. I used a sketch from Twisted Sketches to get me going.

Also this is my DT Layout for Butterfly Crafts this week (Butterfly Crafts is closing for a bit after this month, to give the owner a bit of a break).

Here is the Advert we had to get inspiration from

And heres my take on it:

Feel free to play along and maybe win a prize! go here: http://butterfly-crafts.blogspot.com/

We are currently trying to decorate our bedroom, its in that messy prep stage, we've moved things out of the room (the joys of having a landing full of crap!) and sanded down the walls, next is anti mould treatment (we have a bit of a damp problem along the outside wall of our house) and then finally paint proper. We got ALOT of argos vouchers for our wedding, so we are spending it on bedroom furniture, it will be so nice to have a proper bedroom and not just a mouldy old junkroom which is kinda what we have now - can't wait! I'm thinking the room will be predominately white with light sagey greens and pretty pinks, think tiny rosebud accessories and green furnishings - LUSH!

I don't really do decorating, it makes me exceedingly grumpy and I tend to dissapear off after half an hour and leave Jason to it, I don't think he minds - I don't mind a bit of painting though.

My Wedding Report

FRIDAY

We had a lovely day, and at 5pm met up with friends to decorate our evening venue, we had loads of balloons to pump up and it was taking forever and then one very clever friend bought in a electric pump and then we stormed through them. Quite a lot of the balloons were a bit weak and we had several that just blew up in our faces. I was convinced we were going to walk in on Saturday night and they were all going to be popped!

We had a drink or two in the pub and then all the girls came back to mine, where we had pizza and wine and played on the Wii. It was extremely loud! Of course everyone got drunk and then couldn't control their miis but of course it was the Wii's fault and not theirs - it really was such a laugh!

I went to bed at 11.30pm, and I only had about half a bottle of wine so I felt fine. Unfortunately I had an awful night, chronic indigestion and tummy problems meant I only had 3 hours sleep.

THE WEDDING DAY

I was up at 5.30am and I really did feel very poorly, I struggled through though and had my hair cut at 9am, back to mine for bacon sandwiches (I managed barely half of mine). At 11.30am I did my make up and put on my dress, I decided to try a glass of bucks fizz and with that and the growing excitement I started to buck up a little and feel better.

My parents had a very hard time with traffic on the motorway and subsequently only just made it to mine on time to pick up the kids, and then we really did have to leave in a rush. I got in my car (Alans lovely Mercedes that was all ribboned up) and off we went.

We got to Bristol a bit on the early side, so we parked up for a bit to let Jason get to the registry office before me, as it was as we drew up I saw him outside, so had to duck down and we drove round the block.

So we did all the the interviewy bits seperately before the cermoney, there was one very officious usher type man there, who managed to get the backs up of quite a lot of my guests, but I was determined not to get cross with him, so I kept beaming at him, he was not impressed with that I don't think (must have been having a bad day, poor love!)

Then it was time to walk in with my dad - very scary and I was a bit shakey, the room was much bigger and grander than I was expecting. Jason was obviously very nervous, but we both managed to say our vows calmly and clearly. Then we were married - yay!!! Jason then asks me if I recognise his suit, apparently at 10.15 am he was moving his shirt about and noticed that his suit had holes all down one arm - he had to go out and buy a new suit that very morning, Jason is a short arse too, so its not always and easy task! He had had a very frantic morning

We got back in the car where Nicky had provided fizz for us, so we had some sparkly stuff to drink on the way to the pub. At this point it was absolutely SHEETING it down (we were not lucky with the weather!) we got to The Ship and there was no way I could have got from the car to the door without serious wettage of dress. Fortunalty we had been seen and someone came out with a huge golfing umbrella and escorted us in.

The reception was lovely and informal, great food (not that I ate much) I really enjoyed just mingling about. The landlord Bob came out at one point and played he guitar for us, lots of different stuff but at one point we were all singing along to "I've got a brand new combine harvester" which I thought was ace!!

We moved on to the evening do, where to my relief the balloons were mostly still intact. We met our DJ bloke who did us proud all evening, we gave him a basic brief and I loved pretty much all of what he played. Took a while for people to arrive in the evening, but eventually we were packed out and the dance floor was full, and thats the main thing. I sang a duet with the DJ (he is mad in to Karokee and if I hadn't of volunteered I would have been forced) That was ok I suppose!

We left the venue at midnight for the 2 min walk across the road to the hotel, where we had a cup of tea and opened our cards. NEVER open your cards drunk, there were way more than I expected and it took us forever to work out who gave us what the next day!!!!!

I absolutely LOVED my wedding, it was us down to a T, informal, relaxed and so much fun!

I don't have a lot of photos at the mo unfortuntatley, only what people took on my camera as we are waiting for other guests to send us theirs!