Burning the candle at both ends.......

Well, the sun decided to put in an appearance on Sunday - typical, as it's the only day I go out to work!! Not to worry though, as I left the store my mobile beeped with a text from Lee "Fancy a beer?" Now I'm not a big one for alcohol, I do enjoy a cold beer when on holiday in hotter climes, but as a rule where other people say " I could murder a drink" I tend to opt for " Give me CHOCOLATE!!!" - but I digress! What Lee meant was, did I fancy popping to the pub so that HE could have a beer or two! Anyway, I drove home & we did indeed 'pop' to the pub where the boys ran themselves ragged in the play area & we sat enjoying the now cooling, but still sunny evening. Instead of my usual order of diet Coke, I had a Pimms - how very decadent! I love this tipple as it gives no hint of being alcoholic & only slowly robs you of the use of your legs!!

I was introduced to Pimms after leaving home for the bright lights of the big city!! To a country girl it seemed very sophisticated - I was very easily impressed back then - come to think of it, it doesn't take too much now!! Anyhow, I remember one time when Lee & I were back home in Hereford for a weekend visit, we went to a country pub & I asked for a Pimms. The barman hunted through his bottles & found a dusty bottle pushed to the back - he poured a measure over ice & topped it up with lemonade, the placed it in front of me. Now, me being a newly sophisticated city type, was horrified at the absence of any fruit or mint, or my particular favourite, cucumber! So I asked, ever so politely " Do you think I may have a slice of cucumber, please" whereupon the barman turned to his colleague & said in the best Herefordshire burr " 'ere Tom - 'er wants vegetables in it!!!" I did get a slice, nay, a chunk of cucumber, & a few strange looks too - well I was just ahead of my time!!

Well, it's Wednesday again & time for WOYWW - & here is how my work desk looks at the moment! On it is a work-in-progress for Shimelles 'Stop Press' class which started on Monday & on the easel a completed LO (shown in more detail below) for the Dixie Pieces SENSE-ational summer contest. As my title suggests I really have been burning the candle at both ends to fit in all this scrapping time!
But I'm glad to report that the housework is almost under control & no children are going hungry, so I'm relatively guilt free!! I even managed a trip to the hairdressers yesterday & had my ever increasing grey expertly disguised by Becky & shape restored by Elena - both of these girls deserve medals for the magic they weave!!

Anyway onto the aforementioned LO for Dixie Pieces The theme of the whole contest is Senses in relation to summer. So the first was SMELL! The main colour palette was set as orange, green & yellow & it had to include real stitching, either hand or machine.

The smell that always says 'Summer' to me is the scent of Night Scented Stocks in the garden.

My LO included hand stitching, I had intended to use the machine but I found some Dream Street PP that just begged to be hand stitched over!!

The journalling reads "My childhood summers were spent playing in a garden that my Mother had planted with beautiful fragrant flowers. Lavender, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-valley, Sweet Peas, Roses, Irises & Stocks to name but a few. I was allowed to pick small bunches for my bedside table & make my own 'scent' by mashing rose petals in water! Now, as a 'grown-up' I have planted many of these flowers in my own garden & whenever I catch a waft of scent, especially from the Night Scented Stocks, I know it's summer, and I'm 10 years old again!"

I had a great time pulling together all the bits
from my stash in the right colours!
The pricking out & hand stitching took forever but was very therapeutic! My favourite bit is the chipboard butterfly, which I painted & then edged his wings with 'Stickles' - those little comical bee embellies have been in my stash for simply ever & I though what better place for them than on a LO about summer flowers!!

Anyway I'm off now, to sort through the freshly washed laundry & another ironing session (not as mammoth as the last!) to justify some scrappy time later today! I have two days worth of Shimelle's class to catch up on & we're away for a few days from Saturday so I want to stay ahead of the game!!