Done & Dusted.....

This week has found me sweating & breathless in the company of a young man half my age....at one point I was flat on the floor while he knelt between my knees & bent my legs at angles I would not have thought possible!...of course I am referring to Nick, my personal trainer at the gym.....& the leg bending?...that was advanced ham string stretching!!

I am sooo enjoying my thrice weekly trips into that temple to fitness....sadly my introductory sessions with Nick are now over & I can now only afford to book him for a half hour every other Friday (or dip into the Chicago fund...no...I think not!!) so am having to rely on my own motivation between times!! Yesterday I swam & sauna'd...absolute bliss...I am not a strong swimmer but achieved six lengths of the pool & plan to increase that by two each week.

Saturday was spent with like minded company at the Crafty Stash crop......the kit was for two LO's designed by Heidi Kelley. I only completed the first as the second was just too 'busy' for my taste.....but hey...you can't please all of the people all of the time!! I did make a start on a second LO using the leftover bits but it's not yet finished! Anyway here's my take on the first LO

At last I can share with you the results of my DIY efforts!! Although these took three times as long as planned to complete, I am very happy with my achievements! On Sunday I finally put everything from the hall back in it's place.......it feels good to have completed the job & here are a few 'before & after' photo's

I am pleased with the final colour on the walls & it was well worth all the extra effort or painting over my original too-yellow choice!

My 'Parasol' plant is happy to be back in it's usual place, but I'm amazed that even with a short stay in the lounge it's leaves have already 'turned' to a different position & there is now a gap where there wasn't one before!

Most of the artwork on our walls has been created by family & friends........while putting it all back up I thought about how I don't really 'see' it anymore! Do you do that?...become so familiar with things that you don't notice them? So, as I cleaned them all I tried to see them afresh & appreciate the work that went into them. This piece of calligraphy was from my Mum-in-Law shortly after I became a Mum for the first time...her way of telling me not to stress about the housework & miss out on enjoying Alex....how right she was!

On Tuesday evening I went with friends Karen, Hilary & Linda to see 'Bright Star'....Linda's son Ben had the lead role of John Keates, the poet. I love historical drama's, especially true stories, they always bring home just how tough things were in history & how much we take for granted today.

After the movie, we went to Prezzo's & spent a thoroughly enjoyable time putting the world to rights! I know I've said it before but how valuable is quality time spent with good friends?

Finally, just to share Alex's culinary creation with you...this time an apple strudel! Even though I haven't fallen from the 'Slimming World' wagon once. in over two weeks now, I did allow myself a weeny slice & it was delicious!! He really does have a talent...not sure where he gets that from though!!!

I'm off now to check out Picassa...I've had it from two sources that it's the place to go to get creative with my photo editing!!

Hope you are all having a good week ......Thanks for dropping by!

Blonde Moment?!!.....

Duh!!! I signed off my last post saying I'd be back on Sunday.....completely forgetting that I need to post my TAAFOMFT LO here to be able to link it to there!! It must be all the paint fumes I've been inhaling lately....or maybe not!!

Anyhow....the challenge this time was 'My Favourite Vacation' & while I have a few holiday destinations that I love & could be my personal favourite, usually involving a beach & as few buildings as possible, the one holiday that stands out as the most memorable was in fact our Honeymoon to Amsterdam, with not a beach in sight!!!
My Darling Hubby is so not a beach person, so the choice of a city break for our Honeymoon was a no-brainer! Neither of us had ever been to Amsterdam, so that's where we headed & it was an amazing week. Buoyed up by newly wedded bliss, we went everywhere & did everything on the tourist agenda.

Anne Franks house was poignant, the diamond factory dazzling, the flower markets intoxicating, the red light district fascinating & the shopping fantastic....De Bijenkorf became a favourite haunt! We ate at the most amazing restaurants & drank in the 'Brown Bars'.....we rode the trams as well as boats along the canals & needless to say we both came home with a pair of wooden clogs!! I just can't believe it was all 23 years ago!!!

So, with that done I will go back to restoring order to my house & I will indeed be back on Sunday!!!

Remember, Remember......

Today is Armistice day......a time to reflect & pay respects to those who have given their lives in combat. The first Armistice day was in 1919, on the first anniversary of the end of WW1..... it was decreed that the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month would mark the moment when two minutes of silence would be observed, to pay respectful rememberance to those who gave their lives to ensure that the remainder could retain their freedom.It always strikes me as quite ironic that 90 years later we are also remembering millions of others who have died in battle since the 'War To End All Wars' came to a close. The fact that we have lost so many brave souls to war in more recent months makes this year even more poignant. So I would like to say "Thank You" to all our Heroes who continue to fight to preserve our way of life......may God keep them safe.

Also this week we have had Bonfire Night....another time to remember! This time the failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament by a 17th century terrorist, Guy Fawkes. "Remember Remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason & Plot

I see no reason why Gunpowder treason should ever be forgot!"

Mr Fawkes & his fellow plotters were fired by religion & politics......some things never change!! This year we celebrated at Nathan's school, who hold an annual fireworks display on the Saturday closest to the 5th. This years offering was out of this world...absolutely stunning, but I can never watch without thinking of the amount of money that has just gone up in smoke!!

OK!....so what else has been happening in the Robinson household?.....Alex has had his Swine Flu vaccination & it gave him less bother than his normal winter flu jab two weeks ago......with cases of Swine Flu on the increase, I feel happier knowing he has had it.

This Sundays movie was 'A Christmas Carol'.....in 3D!! It's an amazing computer generated animation with Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman & Bob Hoskins, to name but a few, providing the voices.It is a true adaptation of the Dickens novel, without sugar coating, so not really one for the little'uns!! We enjoyed it though & I came out feeling well on the way to the festive season!!

The DIY is still ongoing, but the end is in sight! Today I have gloss painted a bookshelf & radiator cover & half done a second coat of the new emulsion downstairs!! It will feel sooo good to get everything back in it's proper place......planned for Friday!

I have had no scrapping time for two whole weeks! My scrap room is swathed in dust sheets & has been seconded as a painting area! It is also crammed with bits & bobs moved out of the way...........my desk, likewise, is a bit of a dumping ground.......hence this awful photo for WOYWW!! However, tomorrow, after my gym visit, I am planning some scrapping time to complete a LO for the current TAAFOMFT challenge 'My Favourite Vacation'. It may take a little time to clear the decks first, but it will feel really good!!

To round off the week it's the Crafty Stash monthly crop at Tempsford on Saturday.....Yay! I need to sort out my photo's for that too! So with my next Personal Trainer session booked for Friday morning, Shimelles prompts to catch up on & DIY still to complete I will be kept well out of mischief for the next few days at least!!

I hope to be back with pics of my completed DIY project & some creativity to share on Sunday! Thanks for dropping by & I wish you all the rest of a good week!

AWOL?!!!!!.....

Just thought I'd pop in to explain my absence since my last post a whole week ago! I have been living life as it was before PC!! Before I became addicted to logging on at least once every day! The first couple of days I had withdrawal symptoms but once I got past that I have had a very full & productive week!! It just proves how much time I 'lose' when I'm blog hopping & surfing!! So what have I been doing with all my 'reclaimed' time?.....

I seem to have spent most of it halfway up a ladder or ferrying between Homebase & home! After completing the wallpapering of the feature wall, I started to feel unsure about the colour of the paint already applied (in two coats) to every other wall in my hall & landing! It just looked too yellow!! I had put together a 'mood board' when deciding on colours, but it seemed different seeing it all on the walls, somehow!

Anyhow, after deciding a change was in order I called into Homebase on Tuesday morning, wallpaper sample in hand, to search out a new shade of paint. A young man (why do they all seem so young these days?!) called Andy, was very helpful & scanned the gold in my sample & mixed up a sample pot which looked good. Off home I went to paint a large square of this new shade next to the papered wall & it was PERFECT!!

So, before the school pick up I went back to Homebase to buy a 5 litre can of paint! Andy mixed it & showed me before putting on the lid. I commented that it looked different, but he reassured me that it was because it was a different base type (Endurance matt instead of standard matt) & would be OK on the wall when dry. Once again I shimmied up my ladder & painted a square next to the sample square & it was soooo not a match!! I left it to dry for 2 hours & still it looked wrong...sort of a greenish putty colour with no warmth at all! Once more I pootled off to Homebase, to find that the Andy had left for the day & no-one else had a clue why the paint wasn't the same colour!! Aaaargh!! So I took a refund & called it a day.

On Wednesday morning I called into our other branch of Homebase, again with my wallpaper sample, & another very nice young man (!!) called Nathan, tried to match my sample pot, scanning & mixing three lots before we agreed that one was almost a match. I went home &....yes you've guessed it...added another square to my patchwork wall & hey...while not a perfect match it was damn close, just a shade lighter but with the right amount of warmth! So, in a final call into Homebase, I picked up sufficient of this new mix to complete the job & this is what I seem to have been doing in every spare moment, ever since!!

Apart from that....wait for it.....I have rejoined the GYM!!!!! I felt that I needed some desperate action to kick start my goal to shed this blubber. So Hubby offered a years membership as my Christmas present, to start now...& I have had two sessions this week with a personal trainer! Again a very nice young man (!!!) called Nick, who has set up a programme to ease me back into the world of normal fitness levels with the minimum of required co-ordination!! So, reaching that 10% weight loss before Christmas once again looks achievable!!!

Anyhow....apologies for the absence of pictures today...I'm off to catch up with my backlog of 186 emails & check through Shimelles prompts to date! I hope to have more to share with you before the weekend!!!

Another Haircut, Pumpkins & This is it......

Well, Half Term is almost over! Alex returned to school today & Nathan is back tomorrow. The last few days I have been focusing on DIY...although I have to admit to running over schedule on the wallpapering!! I will unveil the end result before the weekend, all things being equal!!

But what else has transpired since my last post?!!...Well, haircuts seem to be the order of the day in the Robinson household!! Following last Mondays shearing of Nathans tresses, I myself, set off for the salon on Friday afternoon....intending the usual assistance with maintaining my once natural blondeness & a trim....but succumbing to the capable scissor skills of Elena!!I came away with a 'swingy' bob at just below chin length!! I must admit that this feels a little bit like 'coming home' for me, as this was how I always wore my hair up until about 5 years ago, when in the grip of 40-something crisis I decided it was now or never if I wanted to experience long hair before it became non-viable! So, been there, done that, and was getting bored of always tying it back or having to use the straighteners, so....anyone need a drawer full of scrunchies & hair clips?!!!

Saturday dawned bright, if a little damp & I wondered if Halloween may prove a wash-out, but happily it remained dry enough for us to deck our porch with all of the usual paraphernalia required to advertise our house as 'Trick or Treat' friendly!

Alex had decided that this year he might be a little too big to go out with Nathan (who was joining his friend Josh & Josh's Dad) and to stay at home, in costume to hand out the treats instead. However, by the time Nathan & Josh came back to knock on our door, he abandoned his duties to us & set off for the remainder of the route with some catching up to do!!


We had some wonderful callers, little mites as Pumpkin Fairies, Bats & Witches & even a three year old Grim Reaper!!! I love it when they spot my hubby, who works as a Teaching Assistant in the village school, & we get a chorus of 'Hello Mr Robinson' in that slow chanting way five year olds have!!



Anyhow, both boys finally made it home....Treat bags bursting with more candy & chocolate than you could shake a stick at, fully intending a record breaking attempt at consuming as much as possible in one sitting! I have to own up to being a spoilsport & rationing the haul....while dipping in for a few bits for Lee & I to indulge in while settling down to watch X-Factor!!

All in all, a very good Halloween....& in between all that I managed to carry on with the emulsioning in the hall, gloss paint the radiator covers & a bookcase, as well as spraying the radiator cover grilles with metallic paint!!

After work on Sunday, Amanda & I had our weekly cinema visit.....this time we managed to see the Michael Jackson movie 'This is It'. I had anticipated, that as we had not pre-booked tickets, we would have difficulty getting to see it. But I was so surprised to find that when we settled into our seats that there were no more that two dozen people in the audience!! Maybe it was the 6.30pm start time that wasn't popular? But I had truly expected it to be a sell out.I enjoyed watching MJ performing with all the old magic, but I felt close to tears the whole time. It is so hard to accept that he is no longer with us. In the film, he looks so relaxed & happy......there is no sign of the torment of drugs or pain. I know it will have been sensitively edited, but he was so obviously enjoying himself, doing what only he could. His voice sounded wonderful & the dancing was just amazing.... the show, had it gone on, would have truly been spectacular.....such a sad, sad loss.

Anyhow, today saw the start of Shimelles 'Blogging For Scrapbookers' on-line course. I have been busy with the wallpaper so have not yet had a chance to check out todays prompt, but have popped in on my good friend Karens blog & BOY!!! Has she made some changes!! Pop over & check it out for yourself!

Thanks for dropping by xx

An Award!.....

I have received an award from the lovely Jocelyn, so big Thanks to Jocelyn!......why not pop over to her blog & read her list too?!!

I need to pass this on to 5 other people who's blogs I visit & enjoy.....and answer this long list of questions with single word answers!! So here goes.....

1. Where is your cell phone?..... Dresser
2. Your hair?..... Untidy!
3. Your Mother?.....Missed
4. Your Father?.....Distant
5. Your favourite food?.....Mexican
6. Your dream last night?.....Forgotten
7. Your favourite drink?.....Coffee
8. Your dream/goal?.....Contentment
9. What room are you in?.....Scraproom
10. Your hobby?.....Scrapbooking
11. Your fear?.....Infirmity
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?.....Here!
13. Where were you last night?.....Restaurant
14. Something you aren't?.....Slim!!!
15. Muffins?.....Please!!
16. Wish list item?.....longevity
17. Where did you grow up?.....Hereford
18. Last thing you did?.....Painting
19. What are you wearing?.....Bathrobe
20. Your TV?.....Emmerdale
21. Your pets?.....Piggies
22. Friends?.....Loyal
23. Your Life?.....Good
24. Your Mood?.....Easy
25. Missing Someone?.....Always
26. Vehicle?.....Vauxhall
27. Something you are not wearing?.....Jewellery
28. Your favourite Store?.....'M&S'
29. Your favourite colour?.....Blue
30. When was the last time you laughed?.....Today
31. When was the last time you cried?.....Saturday
32. Your best friend?.....Lee
33. One place that I go to over & over?.....'Tesco'!!
34. Facebook?.....Sporadically
35. Favourite place to eat?.....'Break for the Border'

That was not easy...the questions aren't difficult but keeping the answers to one word was!!!!

I would like to pass this on to

Karen
Anna
Lisa
Donna
Julie

I look forward to checking out your lists too!!!

He is a boy!!.....

Well....after weeks of deliberation...prompted by schoolyard taunts of "Hey Ginger" & "Girlie!" .....along with the trauma of his recent 'occupation'!!! Nathan is no longer a contender for the role of Jimmy Osmonds 'Long haired Liverpudlian'!! His decision entirely, but one I was happy to comply with!!

On Monday, I took up my scissors & the boy re-emerged!! The first step was to scrape all those lovely strawberry blonde locks into a pony tail, which I then severed in one fell swoop! What resulted was a perfect graduated bob that would have made Victoria Beckham proud!!!

I then set about snipping & shaping......& this may sound strange, but just like Samson, who's strength was lost to him when Delilah cut his hair, I swear that Nathan's 'Attitude' also fell to the kitchen floor along with his shorn tresses!! He seems like a different boy & it's so good to see those 'baby blues' out in the open instead of hidden under a curtain of hair!! No more constantly pushing hair back from his face & he hasn't even uttered one "yeah...whatever" in 48 hours....Result!!


Yesterday we took a trip to Milton Keynes....we called in to Ikea & amazingly came away with only serviettes, squeegies & a couple of hand puppets!! I should have known why Lee insisted on us going in his car...it's too small to take any impulse buys from 'Bargain Corner'...my weakness!! I got to pop into Hobbycraft, where again I was very restrained, selecting only a sheet of Alpha rub-ons & a Versa Magic inkpad...not like me at all!!


Then it was 'boy time' & we hit the 'Centre MK' & it's various Game stores....the boys have discovered trading & it's lovely to see them both confidently handing over unwanted games for credit & then choosing new ones within their budgets.....they are learning just how much things cost, the benefit of recycling & also love the Independence! For Alex especially, it's good to see him gaining confidence in interacting with people outside of his usual circle, & his obvious sense of achievement when he's done.


We had a wonderful lunch at Nando's...it's informality suits us perfectly...& then I managed a little solo browsing in M&S & NEXT...& yes I did pick up some new undies..needs must!!! Finally we spent some time in Xscape, watching the skiing & snowboarding on the indoor slope, children reaching amazing heights on the climbing wall & perusing the outdoor clothing shops, where Nathan invested in a hat!! I think he's anticipating how cold his ears will be this winter, now that all that hair is gone!!


On Monday, I made a proper start on painting the walls in the hall/stairs/landing....this is my goal for the half term break, to complete the decoration!! We have bought the wallpaper for the feature wall & that will be the last thing to be done...a real challenge for me as I've not hung wallpaper for such a long time....I'm hoping it's like riding a bike & will all come flooding back....I hope so, have you seen the price of wallpaper these days?!!!



And so, at last to a little bit of creativity!!! I had a list of challenges I wanted to take part in...all due by the end of this month, but what with my cold & general life taking over, I have had to prioritise!!!

I have managed to complete the 'Season' challenge for TAAFOMFT I had so many ideas on how I wanted this to look, but it hasn't ended up like any of them....do you find that happens, where a LO sort of has a mind of it's own?!!! Anyhow, I guess it say's what it's meant to...that Spring is my favourite season...I love the promise that Spring brings...new life & fresh beginnings. It always makes me smile to see snowdrops & crocuses in my garden... & of course the noble daffodil, lining the hedgerows in vast numbers under trees of Catkins & Pussy Willow.... not to mention Spring lambs in the fields...sorry, am I rambling?! LOL!

Finally...& on time this week...WOYWW....here is how my desk looks this morning, after working until after midnight last night it's still a muddle, which I will tidy away very soon!!

So that's me...I'm off to get back up that stepladder...I'm on the tricky bit over the stairs at the moment...good job I have a reasonable head for heights!! In between laundry & preparing meals I'm hoping to at least complete my first coat everywhere today!! Tonight we have a sitter booked & Lee & I are having one of our very rare evenings out!! We've not decided where yet, but just to be able sit & talk without having to break off to referee some squabble or other, will be good!!

Wishing you all a Happy Wednesday! x

An Invitation, A Gold Rush & uninvited guests!.....

Well.....I am pleased to announce that I am almost fully recovered from my cold! I did spend almost a full 48 hours in a comatose state last weekend, which unfortunately meant I missed work on Sunday....so I'll have some catching up to do...sales target-wise!

By Tuesday I was without a voice....much to the amusement of my menfolk...but had stopped streaming & even ventured out to my Slimming World group! Nothing to report there...I had maintained yet again!! Still, if I didn't go, heaven only knows what size I'd be!!!

Anyway, in a more interesting vein, I received an e-mail from my good friend Karen, telling me that she & Hilary (another scrapping buddy) are planning a trip to Chicago next year & would I like to go to?!!! WOULD I EVER?!!!! I have always listened to Karens accounts of her regular visits to the windy city with her hubby & how she spends her time in 'Archivers' & 'Michaels' while he is in business meetings, drooling with envy...as I have coveted her purchases, brought back & pulled out at crops!! So look out Chicago...the three Amigo's are heading your way!!!I have broached the subject to Lee & while he didn't say "Why yes, of course you should go!" he also did not say "No!!" I have to bear in mind that whenever we go, he will be left in charge of the boys & all that entails, so he isn't going to be over enthusiastic!!! I haven't yet told him that I will also be wanting my week in the sun at some point too!!LOL!!!

So....having prepared the way for being allowed to skip my wifely/motherly duties for a week to jet off to the windy city, I now have to turn my attentions to the funding!!

I have always been a bit on the independent side & while I know Lee would not begrudge me a return flight, in view of the change to our household income over the last couple of years (Lee is currently training as a teacher after redundancy) I will not ask!!

The trip is not set to take place till about May next year, so I have set myself the challenge of raising all the necessary funds myself! I am not a regular saver, so am starting from scratch & I have vowed not to involve a credit card either!!! So...wish me luck!!

With this in mind, I set off to a friends house on Wednesday evening.....she was hosting a 'Gold' party! Lately there are advertisements everywhere to sell unwanted gold for cash & I had resisted, thinking them a bit of a rip off! But I felt a little more secure sitting face to face with the dealer across a friends table!!

I gathered together bits & bobs that I have had in the bottom of my jewellery box for over 20 years,(NOT pictured!!!LOL!!) that had no real sentimental value & neither of the boys would want!! There were even a couple of earring backs & a broken chain!! But they weighed in at 30g...all 9ct gold....so, along with some unexpected overtime in this months paycheck, I already have 20% of my 'Chicago' fund accounted for!!

After all that excitement I will share with you with a tale which will start me itching as I write!!!!

You will be familiar with my younger son Nathan & may remember a post a little while back about how long his hair is getting......that hair is due to be cut quite short, at his request, during the half term break.

But....last Monday evening, Nathan was having a bath & called me to help rinse out the conditioner. I did this & glancing down, thought "I don't remember him having so many moles on his back"........can you guess where this is leading?!! Yes....Head Lice!!!

He had THOUSANDS of the little blighters...a whole colony that had taken up residence, un-noticed since his last shampoo!! Now look how much hair he has...it's been two years since I've had to deal with an outbreak & then his hair was short! It took me two whole hours of combing & rinsing, drying, treating, re-rinsing & re combing before I was satisfied that I had cleared his head. Then I had to check myself & Lee & Alex!!!! No evidence was found, thank goodness, but I have been itching psychosomaticaly ever since!!

So, while you are all going "Ugh!" & scratching too, I will leave you with my WOYWW photo.....once again a little late, but here is how my desk looked on Wednesday..
The work in progress is my 'Favourite Season' LO for the latest TAAFOMFT challenge, due in by 29 October, so I will hopefully get it done over the weekend!

I'm off to enjoy the start of half term, no alarm call for a whole week...my plan is to complete the decorating of hall/stairs/landing, & to get listing some items for sale on ebay too!! Got to keep that fundraising on the up!!!!!

A code in by dose.....

I have been battling with a head cold since last Sunday......dosing myself up with Beechams Lemsips & hugging my old faithful hot water bottle!I have to admit to fighting a losing battle & today my eyes are watery, my sinuses blocked, my nose is streaming & my throat feels like barbed wire! But hey....... at least it's Friday...I get to sleep in tomorrow if I need to!

The Postie made my day today...he delivered my Prize Kit from Dixie Pieces! The poor man nearly jumped out of his skin, so quickly did I open the front door in response to the doorbell!! I have lovingly stroked each & every item & all that scrappy yumminess is now laid out on my scrapdesk, all ready to play with! Happy Sigh!!

It is definitely becoming a habit, but I am once again late with WOYWW...this time by two whole days!!....here is how my desk looked on wednesday....

As you can see, I did manage to finish the one LO I started at the Crafty Stash crop on Saturday, from the class kit designed by MJM.

I used a photo of my Sister Rosemary & I, taken back in 1993 BC (Before Children!!) We used to have regular weekend trips to Paris & in this photo we were at a musical evening in a Bistro......Rosemary decided to have a go with an accordion & much hilarity ensued!!!
The journalling reads "With Rosemary at a musical evening during a winter weekend visit to Paris. Rosemary had never played an accordion before!! I won't say it was the most tuneful of performances ...but what we lacked in musicality we more than made up for in enthusiasm! Fun Times!"

The reason I only worked on one LO at the crop was because we had a tutorial on making paper roses using various sized heart shapes & a brad, which was fabulous, but I was so engrossed I completely forgot the time!! I'm sure the more I do, the quicker I will become....and I will be making more...when I think what I pay for Prima blooms & these are just as effective....I may try using old book pages next,,,& then crepe paper...Oh the possibilities!!

I was so pleased to catch up with my good friend Donna this week, she sent me a very pointed email, addressed to 'My long lost friend'....I have to plead guilty...we live so close to one another, but I have been very remiss in not popping round to see her! It was good to catch up & hear what's been going on in her life! I know she pops in here, so {{hugs}} Donna, thanks for the prod & lets get together again soon!

We went to the cinema to see 'Couples Retreat' - a great cast, lots of laughs & a fabulous location...I want to go there! Not for the counselling...just the beach!!

So .....I'm off for another Lemsip...then I may refill my hot-water-bottle (or better still get someone to do it for me!!) & veg out on the sofa in front of the TV!! Have a great weekend all!

Favourite time of day & other ramblings!....

I had a fabulous time at the crop on Saturday....there were three projects in the class kit, but I have to admit to not even fully completing the first one!! Part of it was a tutorial on making 'shabby chic' paper roses...I made three & love how they look, but for me, as a notoriously slow scrapper, they took most of the morning!! I still have to add a title & some journalling to that LO, but I will share it as soon as I do!!

Here we are again!....tomorrow is the deadline for the 'A Few of My Favourite Things' challenge! (In by the skin of my teeth yet again!!) This time it was my favourite time of day....I had to think about this!.......was it early morning & the stillness before the days hubbub begins?....or our evening coffee time, once the boys are in bed? I finally decided on Bath-time....which is truly ME time!! The journalling reads: "Whatever the day may throw at me, a soak in a hot tub will usually dissolve all my stresses away! Sometimes by candlelight, sometimes with soothing music, sometimes with a good book...........but always with bubbles!!"

I have to tell you that my darling husband raised his eyebrow quizzically when I asked him to take a photo of me in the bath!!....& must admit it's not something I ever thought I'd be doing a LO about!! It was very gratifying to use those blue dome stickers & that little yellow duck, both of which have been in my stash for literally years!!

In my last post I mentioned another blessing I had to share, well it was a wonderful 'Honest Scrap' award, passed on to me by Jocelyn.I am a keen follower of Jocelyns blog, she is the master of positivity & posts a weekly 'Happy List' which is such a pleasure to read. She has been going through some challenging times recently & yet she is always so 'up' & ready to share a kind thought or word.

Now, how this award works is I say a big THANK YOU to Jocelyn (why not pop over to her blog & check it out for yourselves?) & then I have to list 10 honest things about me & pass it on to friends who's blogs I follow & enjoy. So.....and this has taken some soul searching....here is my 'Honest List'!!!

1. I am a procrastinator!! Big time!! I will always delay the things I dislike...like the ironing & this is so silly, because when I've done it I feel so good!!
2. If willpower were a tangible substance, mine would not fill a thimble!!
3. I need a lot of sleep! Without it I become a short tempered grouch!
4. I am not ambitious...I just want to be happy!!
5. I cry at the movies, TV shows, News items...so many things tug at my heart!
6. I have spent the last 10 years trying to achieve my goal weight!....one day!
7. I can be a very lazy 'LEO'.....but I do have regular bouts of highly motivated activity!!
8. If it has chocolate on it I am a fallen woman!
9. I worry about the state of the world & how it will be for my boys in the years to come.
10. I own far too many pairs of shoes!!

So, with that done, I pass this award on to

Karen
Donna
Lisa
Anna
Julie

Remember to copy & paste the award picture for your blog, link back here & pass on to your favourite bloggers......I look forward to reading all your 'Honest Lists' too!!

Now, it's time for what is becoming a weekly movie review!! This Sunday we saw 'Love Happens' starring Jennifer Aniston & Aaron Eckhart....fabulous!! I went into this one expecting your usual sugar coated chic flick!! How wrong I was....it was poignant & moving, I cried in more than one place as well as laughing out loud in others...Aaron Eckhart is just too gorgeous & his smile ought to carry a 'swoon' warning.....Great film....Highly Recommended!!

On Friday, as we arrived home from the school run, our house & those of our neighbours looked like a scene out of Alfred Hitchcocks 'The Birds'....there were thousands of starlings, both on the roofs & flying about in tumbling swirls. The noise was alarmingly loud!!



Now I know we always have food for the birds in our garden, but quite why they chose this area as a meeting point I do not know! They were obviously preparing to set off for warmer climes for the winter...so now I look forward to seeing the Robins & other winter birds visiting our bird feeders.

To round off this very lengthy post....(and thank you if you've made it this far!!) I would like to share last nights sunset with you...I went to pull down Alex's bedroom blind & it quite took my breath away, it was just too beautiful & has fulfilled it's promise of a lovely sunny day today too...cold!...but sunny!!

So many blessings.....

So where to begin?!!! I suppose at the beginning!!

Monday morning on the school run & we can really see the leaves changing colour as Autumn takes hold...The road between our village & the next is like a tunnel of green, gold & red...just beautiful!
On Tuesday I travelled up to London for a days training at head office. Christmas, as you can imagine, is the busiest time of year in retail, especially within the beauty industry, so the focus was on all things seasonal! We were given our Christmas gifts from the company to take home with us.....A gorgeous 'Juicy Couture' fragrance gift set,,,how cool is that!!Having left home at just after 7am, and arriving home just before 7pm, I was exhausted! I logged on to check emails etc, to find that I had been lucky enough to win the September Challenge Prize on Dixie Pieces!!! Suddenly I didn't feel quite so exhausted any more!! The prize was my choice of a past Dixie Pieces kit & I chose this one....'Spring Nonsense'I shall be watching for Postie with a keen eye from here on in!! It was a tough decision as there are so many gorgeous past Dixie Pieces kits to choose from!!

One more unexpected blessing came when I went along to a Bingo session, yesterday evening, with two friends...we had each received vouchers for a free nights Bingo, without knowing that the others had! When it came to light, we made an impromptu decision to go along.... & guess what?.......We won!...not one, but two prizes!! It was so exciting!!

There is one more blessing I have recieved this week, but I'll share that with you next time....it requires some thought on my part!!

I am, yet again, a day behind on WOYWW!! This is how my desk looked yesterday, just a few bits & bobs I'm preparing for a journal!!

Finally, my good friend Karen is dipping her toe into the world of blogging! She isn't finding it easy so far!! She is a gifted scrapbooker & such a fun person to spend time with, I just know that when she's up & running her blog will be as entertaining & inspirational as she is!! So why not pop over & say 'Hi' & leave her a few words of encouragement!!

He did it again!...

Friday was a total break from routine as Alex's school was closed for teacher training, so I had him home with me all day, much to his brothers annoyance!! He announced that he didn't want to sleep in, but get up as usual to maximise his 'free' time!! I think he had plans to spend the entire day in front of the X-Box!! Well, on that we differed, and it could have been a potential flash point, but there is more than one way to skin a cat!!! Had I gone in all guns blazing, forbidding a full day of gaming, we would have come to verbal blows!!!

So, as he had enjoyed his DT project so much last week, I suggested we did some baking together. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly he agreed & how much enthusiasm he had! I have to say this took me waaay back to when he was a tot & had to stand on a chair to reach the counter top to help stir the mix for cupcakes!! Now he's almost as tall as me & just got on with it by himself!! I had to resist the urge to clean up around him...that was sooo hard!!!!....but in spite of him being covered in flour & our feet sticking to the floor, the end result was wonderful!!
While it was cooling I sent him off to change & I finally cleaned up the kitchen!! After he'd glazed & drizzled it we stood back to admire his handiwork......we resisted the urge to taste until after Dad & Nathan got home...& it was D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!!! You will be pleased to hear that I limited myself to just the one piece!!

As usual, after work on Sunday, I met Amanda for our cinema night...this week we saw 'The Invention Of Lying'...which was released on Friday. I love Ricky Gervais, he is so clever in the way he takes the every day & makes it hilarious. The concept of a world where everyone tells the truth all the time just has so many opportunities for comedy & he exploits them all! Amanda & I were laughing so hard at one particular line, we missed the following 10 minutes of the film!!!

When we came out of the cinema we were greeted by an amazing sky! I tried to capture it with my little 'point & press' camera, but I really didn't do it justice! The sky was black & clear except for one wide strip of 'speckled' cloud, through which the moon was peeking....it was all gold & bronze & unlike any sky I've seen before. I'm sure there's some explanation for it, but nature never fails to amaze me!

Not much in the way of creativity to share this time, but I did 'do' the cover of the album that I bought to store my 'Favourite Things' LO's.I have been working on Shimelles LSNED project, but have nothing completed to show just yet! This coming Saturday is the monthly Crafty Stash crop that I attend...this one promises to be fabulous...I'll share the results next week!

For anyone at a loose end for some inspiration in October, may I suggest you pop on over to Dixie Pieces. Tammy is running a 'Summers wave goodbye' class. It's FREE & registration is open now...... it starts on 19th October & runs for a week with a lesson each day. Tammy 's work is an inspiration & this class will include making your own embellishments, amongst other things!!

Spooky!.....

I have known my Darling Husband for 32 years....and we have been married for 23 of those! To say he knows me well is an understatement! He has the uncanny knack of being able to read my mind!

I remember one particular instance when we were living in Milton Keynes & we had a falling out over something very trivial.....I flounced out of the flat (as you do!!), jumped into my car & drove off to the lake, where I stomped around the lakeside in temper!! Now, from the flat, Lee could not have seen in which direction I had driven off, and there were any one of a dozen places I could have made for, but when I returned to my car, there he was, waiting patiently to give me a hug!! How did he know?!

Over the years there have been many times when I've thought of something I've needed from Tesco's & he's arrived home from work having stopped off to pick up that item!! Or there's been something I forgot to ask him & the phone has rung...& yes you've guessed, it it was him!!

Well, last night I stayed up past my bedtime as I became engrossed in a movie that Lee was watching on TV, and it was almost midnight before we got into bed. Now I should explain that in our household, we have a tradition of shouting 'White Rabbits' on the first of the month - don't ask me why - we just do!!! I had glanced at the clock & wondered if, as it was nearly midnight, whether I should shout 'White Rabbits' or wait till the morning...when Lee said, out of the blue "you know, they were talking about white Rabbits on TV earlier tonight"....spooky or what?!! Sometimes I feel as if I live in the twilight zone!!

As you know, I have a habit of counting my blessings on a daily basis & today we were presented with a lovely one!! Alex came home from school proudly carrying his latest DT project...a loaf of raisin bread! He struggles with DT as he panics about sharp objects & hot ovens, so to be told that from weighing out ingredients, mixing, kneading, shaping, glazing & putting in & getting out of the oven, he had done it all by himself...well, I was almost bursting with pride!! It was absolutely delicious too & we enjoyed it, still warm & buttered with a cup of tea!! Diet? What Diet?!!!!!!

Which brings me to this weeks weigh in!!! I have to report, in some dismay, that the scales showed a 1lb gain this week!! Aaaargh!! That night at the Thai must have been even more calorie laden than I had supposed!! Ah well - it is a new week & so far so good....I may have to try a few 'Red' days to give me a boost before next weeks weigh in!!!

Once again I am a day late with my WOYWW photo this week - but I did take the picture yesterday & here was how it looked!!

As it was the end of the month I have no challenges in progress, but I was pulling together all the bits & bobs needed to work on Shimelles 'LSNED' project. This has been running all through September & I have been keeping notes daily, but have yet to start constructing anything!! That's the good thing about Shimelles classes - they are always stress free & you can go at your own pace!

Finally, those eagle eyed among you may have noticed the change in the layout of my blog! I have often wondered how to go about setting up a 3 column template & lo & behold, on the TAAFOMFT blog, Julie had placed a link to another amazing blog, Three Column Blogger , which gives stunningly simple instructions on how to do just that!!.....so I did!!! Hope you like how it looks!