A Grand Day Out For Geeks!

it is no secret that we are a family of gadget geeks! Some worse than others I might add, but overall it’s a label that applies to us all!!

So, it’s not surprising that we’ve had our tickets for the ‘2012 Gadget Show Live’ booked since before Christmas!! Last year was our first visit & we all enjoyed it so much.

We headed off to the NEC in Birmingham, to arrive just in time for the doors to open. We had tickets booked for the early live stage show, so after a quick check of the hall plans we took our seats in the arena!

This time the stage was central to the hall & our seats were just three rows back…behind the VIP contest winners…so we had a great view. The only downside is that the show is so fast moving it’s difficult to capture really good photo’s! But here’s the best of what I managed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These superimposed 3D talking heads were actually a bit creepy!

 

Nathan had fun taking part in the ‘Tweeting’ challenge…the best tweets were displayed on the circular screens above the stage & there were prizes given for the best three! Sadly, he didn’t win, but he had fun taking part!

Then it was off to explore the exhibition halls & try out all the new gadgetry on offer. The i-pod & i-pad seemed to dominate with loads of new apps & accessories available! There were some very cool household appliances & I’m now coveting a plumbed in ‘Bebo’ for instant boiling or chilled water on tap!

  Lee had recently upgraded his
  mobile phone to the new HTC 1S
  & was disappointed that there
  was nothing at the show to ‘add
  on’…one exhibitor told him it was
  just too new!!

  I managed to find a gadget for
  myself! Something I’ve wanted
  for a while, but decent ones have
  always been too expensive! But
  at the ‘veho’ stand I found just
  the thing & at a special show

price with 50% off!! So ‘what is it?’ I hear you ask!!  Well it’s a scanner that will enable me to upload all our celluloid negatives & store them as digital jpg’s to edit & print where needed!! Like most families we have tons of photographs going back decades, but we also have a boxful of negatives & I know that I don’t have all the corresponding photographs. So that will be an on-going project for quite a while methinks!! 

 
  Lee had fun showing off
  his golf swing in a golf
  simulator. He was pretty
  consistent with his scores
  but I don’t think we’ll be
  installing one of these at
  home anytime soon!!

 

…& then…guess what?!! My camera battery died!…& I didn’t have a spare with me! Short of buying a new spare from the Canon stand, which I was loathe to do, I had to put away my camera & just enjoy the day!

And we did! I highly recommend this day out, if you’ve not been before. We’ll definitely be booking our 2013 tickets as soon as they go on sale!

Thanks for stopping by & come back soon!

Don’t you just love it when…

….the postman brings mail that is actually interesting or even exciting?

I’ve had one of those deliveries this week!

The first package was from the lovely Julie Jeavons,  a RAK for taking part in her recent challenge over at Soul Scrappers It contained some gorgeous ribbon & a fabulous handmade tag. I’m looking forward to using it all!  Thank you Julie!!

The same day a second parcel hit the mat! I love getting an order from Cath Kidston! Even the packaging is a treat!

I have been waiting patiently for this package to arrive! It’s something I ordered in January, but they’ve been out of stock all this time! They didn’t even have one at the factory shop…I tried!!

But now it’s here & I‘m happy!!

I love my Kindle & although it has a protective neoprene skin, I hated just popping it into my bag as it was. I didn’t like all the practical yet boring cases available & was thrilled that CK  had spotted a niche in the market!! So now I can carry my Kindle safely & in style!! 

Another delivery that arrived a little while ago was the pack of items for the SSQ12 challenge over at Soul Scrappers.

 
The contents were…

3 x travel embellishments
3 x brads
1 x ribbon
1 x piece cork
1 x piece denim
1 x film strip diecut
1 x piece DSP
1 x quote ( Mark Twain)

 

The theme was ‘Travel’ & all the items had to be incorporated! So this is what I came up with…

I used a photo from our 2010 trip to Chicago, taken by Hilary. Karen & I making the most of a photo opportunity outside our hotel! Look at Karen’s skirt…Chicago living up to it’s name as ‘the windy city’! Eat your heart out Marilyn!!

So that’s all from me for today! It’s so cold & so wet today that I’m going to curl up on the sofa with the cat & my Kindle until it’s time to collect the boys from school!

I do hope you’re enjoying your ‘Spring’ weather, wherever you may be!!

Thanks for dropping by & come back soon!

Scrap 365 April Sketch Challenge…

I really enjoy my ‘Scrap 365’ magazine & look forward to it arriving through the letterbox each month! Can you believe we’re on issue 5 already? It only seems a blink of an eye since I heard the buzz that a new scrap magazine was on the way! I love that there are so many familiar names on the design team & that there is such a variety of style & technique on offer for inspiration.

I also love the fact that there is a monthly sketch challenge! Probably my favourite sort of challenge as it provides a concrete starting point! However, with the best will in the world I have never made the deadline for issues 1 – 4, so I decided that this had to change & at last I have completed a LO for entry a full three days ahead of the deadline!!

The sketch for April’s challenge appealed especially because I love working with circles! But I don’t often work with such small photo’s!

As it happened, when I had a rummage I found these two photo’s already printed off, exactly the right size & way overdue for scrapping! (Alex is fast approaching 16 years of age!).

I went with the colours in the photo’s, pulled out a new sheet of Bazzill Dotted Swiss & had another rummage through my scrap box, where amazingly, I found an almost complete sheet of MME Stella & Rose ‘Remember’ PP. Perfect!  Along with that, some scraps of BoBunny’s ‘Back To Basics’ & Websters polka dot PP’s.  I cracked open a new pack of Claudine Helmuth sticky-back canvas (great product BTW!).

Finally I dusted off some never before used clear stamps for the polka dots on the canvas, border & as a template for the blue adhesive gem circles! The white alpha’s are from Bella BLVD, ‘Sophisticates by Stephanie’ & are one of my all-time favourites! The number 1 is a chipboard Thicker, but I can’t remember which font!!

So that’s me for today! The boys are back to school tomorrow so my day will be making sure all uniforms & PE kits are where they should be & looking forward to having the house to myself for a few hours each day for the rest of the week!

Hope you’ve all survived the Easter break & are enjoying at least a little of the sunshine, however cold it may be, that we have here today!

Thanks for stopping by & do come back soon!

The Spice Of Life…

I have a regular date on my calendar for a ‘Girls Night Out’ on the last Friday of every month. It was decided that due to my surgery, March’s night out would not only be put back a week to allow me a bit more time to recuperate, but would actually be a ‘Girls Night In’!!

The lovely Kali volunteered to play host & decided to dedicate the evening to a Sri Lankan theme! The menu came attached to the invitation & my mouth was watering from first read…

…& all home cooked by Kali’s own fair hand!!

On arrival we were all given assistance to dress in a sari! If I had to wear one every day I’d never get out of the front door! How complicated, but how lovely does it feel to wear one!

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all felt very feminine in them, although when it came time to eat  got very annoyed with the bit that kept sliding off my shoulder!!

 

 

 

 

What a great night in! Not too exhausting for yours truly & a lovely opportunity to catch up with all the gossip. BTW Kali is the tall dark haired lovely in the blue Sari, left photo!  Thanks Kali!!

I’m a bit behind in sharing my beginning of the month creativity! Apologies!

I actually only managed to complete one LO & that was for Dawns Chinese Whispers. The LO that came from Jacky for my inspiration looked like this…

 

…& what I did with my lifted LO was this…

 

Nathan at Warwick Castle last September, getting to know the Dragon Slayer who was so impressed with Nathans enthusiasm that I think he’d have given him a job as his assistant there & then!!

Sadly I didn’t complete a LO for Aprils challenge over at ‘From Screen 2 Scrap’.

This months poster is from the movie ‘Ever After’, such a lovely poster & lots to interpret onto a LO.

So get on over there & check out the criteria to earn points as well as the fab prizes on offer!!

Another sad thing was that I just didn’t feel up to taking part in the Tim Holtz on-line class I signed up for, just before being given my ‘op’ date. I did miss out on the forum chat & posting in the gallery, but I am now starting to work through the class video’s & am actually enjoying getting messy (so unlike me!!) creating all the wonderful effects I always admire in Tim's handiwork! I’m only at lesson #3 & will share my completed collection of technique tags when they’re done!!

Finally, as its Easter Monday, I’d like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter. I hope the Easter Bunny brought goodies for you all & you got to spend some quality time with family & friends.

Of course the weather peaked far too soon & we haven’t ventured far in the rain, but that’s OK by me, my energy levels are still not back to 100%!!  We do have a great day out planned for Thursday, so I’ll be back to tell you all about that at the weekend!

Thanks for stopping by & come back soon! 

A Short & Sweet April Fool!

It’s ‘Storytelling Sunday’ over at ‘From High In The Sky’ & once again I’m at home recuperating, so I’m able to join in!! Do pop over & check out some of the others stories on offer too, I know you won’t be disappointed!!

My story is one you may recognise if you’ve been visiting my blog since the beginning, but it’s a story that both my boys refer to on a regular basis, so I think I’ll share it again!!

We have a number of ‘House Rules’ in our family, including the rule that when the boys have a pack of Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles, they save all of the black ones for Dad. It’s just one of those things that has always been & both boys have always, without question, dutifully put aside the sweets for Dad, for when he gets home!

We decided to play a joke on them one April 1st, & bought two of the blackcurrant only packs & exchanged the outer wrappers with those from standard multi-flavour packs!!

Considering that they were quite small at the time, the boys took it all in good spirits & could not work out how this could possibly happen…how could every sweet in both packs be black??!!! It was just so funny to see the disbelief on their faces & listen to them trying to rationalise it all!!

We didn’t let them suffer for long & owned up to being wicked parents…& as it was now past midday, the laugh was on us & they got to keep all the sweets anyway…well except for maybe just one or two!! 

As I said earlier, it’s a tale that’s reminisced every time one or other chooses a pack of Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles…”Hey Mum, do you remember when you & Dad….”

I do hope you came unscathed through April Fools Day morning! I’m still sleeping for England & didn’t get up until 10.45am, so that minimised the risk for me today!!

Thanks for stopping by & do come back soon!

Two Steps Forward…One Step Back…

…but I am getting there!!! Thank you so much for all your ‘Get Well’ wishes. To bring you up to speed…

My surgery went without a hitch! My Consultant even commented afterwards, that it was a very gratifying procedure for him, because it so badly needed to be done!

I arrived at the ‘Day Ward’ bright & early at 7.30am on the Tuesday, along with a bevvy of fellow day surgery patients & was immediately taken through to the female section of the ward, where, we women did what women do & found out all about each other & what we were in for!! We weren’t kept waiting for long & I was given second slot in theatre, so by 10.30am I was gowned up & in the Anaesthetic room.

This is my least favourite bit of the whole process, that feeling of letting go…not to mention all the needles it involves!!! I was firstly given a local anaesthetic in the left side of my neck, which involved an ultrasound scan, to make sure they didn’t hit any arteries or nerves (gulp!)…this felt so weird, I was numb from my scalp to my waist on my left side!! Once they were happy with this I was allowed to drift off & the surgeon worked his magic!!

Next thing I knew I was coming too…whinging & complaining about the oxygen mask that the male nurse replaced as fast as I kept removing it!! My shoulder was throbbing, in spite of the local anaesthetic, so I was given morphine & that shut me up! When I finally woke up properly, I was back on the day ward & it was almost 3pm!!

I was allowed home in the evening, once I’d eaten & drunk something & been to the loo!! Still numb on one side, arm in a sling & clutching ‘Big Guns’ pain relief, I felt I’d come through the day rather well!!

On Wednesday I slept ALL DAY! By the evening my left side was back to life with just a few remnants of numbness in my neck & jaw…although the puncture marks & bruising on my neck make me look like a cast member in a ‘Twilight’ movie! 

Thursday I slept till 2pm…got up to eat some porridge & wash, then I got back into bed again!! I have to say at this point just how blissful it is to be sleeping IN BED again & for such long stretches of time!! Friday I had to get up to have my dressings changed & quite enjoyed my walk to & from the GP’s in the sunshine…but yes…when I got back I crashed out on the sofa & slept till 6pm!!

Saturday, I slept till 10am but then got up & pottered about & although I watched two movies back-to-back in the afternoon, I stayed awake all day! Yay! Progress…I thought!!

As the weather has been so glorious, on Sunday Lee suggested a trip out to a local garden centre. Good idea, thought I….but even the car ride there was uncomfortable & once in the centre, I felt as if I could keel over at any moment…needless to say it was a very quick visit & I was exhausted!!

So that’s how it’s been…two steps forward, one step back! I had my sutures removed yesterday & two of the three wounds are healing nicely while the third is still a little ‘sticky’. My pain relief holds off the soreness of the wounds, & I have none of the awful pain I had before.  The only time I wince is during my daily exercises to keep my shoulder mobile…I’ve yet to start physio’ proper, but am determined not to allow it to set back immobile!!

One silver lining from the whole process is a total lack of appetite, so in two weeks I’ve lost 6.5lbs! My challenge now is to hang onto that loss once the anaesthetic is fully out of my system & my appetite comes back with a vengeance!!

I apologise for the poor showing of photo’s in this post…I’ve nothing creative to share either! I have a couple of projects to knuckle down to before April 1st (!) & I think I should be OK with those… if I can just stay awake….!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by & do come back soon!

The Power Of Positive Thought!…

Thank you so much to everyone who sent positive thoughts & vibes my way for Friday’s pre-op assessment!! It worked!! Not only did all the necessary boxes get checked but they offered me a surgery slot for next Tuesday!! Result!!

so, at 7.30am I will arrive on the Day Surgery Ward & then wait to be given my theatre time! I am so pleased that I will be getting a full ten weeks recovery before my holiday in Turkey…physio here I come!!

The one thing I’m so looking forward to is a full, unbroken nights sleep...in my bed, as opposed to the recliner sofa! That & being able to swim again!! Can you tell I’m a happy bunny…I’ll be even happier when the pain is gone…even with extra scars to show for the experience!!

Maybe I can trouble you to hold onto those positive thoughts for Tuesday too? Just in case!!!

I can’t believe I neglected to mention in my last post that one of the first things I did when we regained our internet connection, was to sign up for Tim Holtz’s first ever online class, called ‘Creative Chemistry 101’…

“In Creative Chemistry 101 Tim Holtz teaches the “science” behind it all. This class will give you the confidence to experiment with an abundance of techniques and give you ideas for ways to use all the creative mediums in your stash. This jam-packed online workshop is your front row seat to 100% technique know-how.”

…it looks right up my street as it’s all about techniques, rather than specific projects.  I’d rather learn ‘How to’ & put that knowledge into my own designs, than take a class where I end up with an album full of someone else’s designs!! It always feels a bit like painting by numbers!

I’m looking forward to cracking open some of the Ranger products in my stash that I’ve never got around to using, simply because I’m not sure what I can do with them, other than the obvious!!

So watch this space…although I’ll be in catch-up mode from the start with my surgery being on day 2 of class!! Ah well…needs must!!

I’m off to finish the laundry & take a batch of jam tarts out of the oven! I’m in overdrive trying to make sure everything is up to date, so I can afford to be ‘out of action’ for as long as I need to be post-op!!

Thanks for stopping by & do come back very soon {{HUGS}}

Enforced Silence!

What a week & a bit it’s been!

Hubby had a birthday & treated himself to a new laptop. All well & good you might think, but with it came a ‘light bulb’ moment!! What if he used his old laptop to replace the stack of my desktop, thereby speeding up my internet connection. That led to using my old stack to update Nathans desktop computer too!

Who was I to argue? Faster internet was certainly worth a day off-line while all the re-programming took place….wasn’t it?!!

All went well until about 4pm on the Saturday when a communal cry of “Nooooo!! I’ve lost internet connection” came from various rooms in the house! Hubby inspected the ‘Live Box’ & made a phone call to the help desk, but to no avail….& we were without internet for a whole week!!

It’s fixed now…phew! The boys were beginning to have withdrawal symptoms from X-Box Live deprivation!! I’m sorry to all of you who I’ve not been able to visit, email etc & I will endeavour to catch up asap!!

As mentioned, Lee had a birthday on 5th March & it was another time to play the cupcake game & restrict my pro-point intake!!!  It’s all worth it…I lost another 1 1/2lb this week!

Along with other gifts I gave him a guide book to Beijing & some Chinese currency in readiness for his trip in July!

We’ve been having fun with the ‘phrase book’ section of the guide!

I also received some Australian Happy Mail from the Lovely Shazza over at ‘Soul Scrappers’.

During the recent ‘Sense-ational Summer’ contest I had won a few prizes & they all came in one package!

When I opened it up I had all these wonderful scrappy goodies…

 

…I’d actually forgotten about them, which made the surprise even more enjoyable! Thanks Shazza! It’s just great fun to play along anyway!

On the subject of Scrappiness…I have one LO to share! The lovely Julie Jeavons left me a comment & asked with a ‘pretty please’ if I’d play along with her recipe challenge, also over at ‘Soul Scrappers’…how could I refuse?!! Here’s my LO…

You might recognise the photo from a previous post…Pikachu, making himself at home in the rubbish basket in my scrap room! he knows his place!!

I did have one fabulous surprise this week, which was perfectly timed by my sister, Rosemary.  The Accident Investigator had just left (here to record a ‘Statement of Truth’ in connection with the collision that took place in November…can you believe the old bat is still trying to claim Personal Injury for herself & her passenger after she drove into me while I was stationary?!!…but I digress!!) when the phone rang. 

It was Ro to tell me that she was going to book a holiday for us & it was her treat! I had not expected to get any time in the sun this year, so it was a wonderful surprise!! We are going to Turkey (again!) but not our usual haunt of Olu Deniz, but Icmeler, a bit further west!  So, we’re off for a week on June 1st & I am so looking forward to it…I just hope my surgery is done & dusted before then so I can get the full benefit!!

Which brings me to this Friday &   my trip to the hospital for a fresh ‘Pre-Op Assessment’…my GP is happy with my BP level now & I just hope that the pre-op unit finds nothing else to hold things up!

So…with faith in the power of positive thought, I ask you all kindly to send positive vibes my way this Friday & hopefully I’ll be given the OK & an early ‘Op’ date!! Many Thanks in anticipation!!!

Thanks for dropping by, I’ll get around to visit everyone soon! Meanwhile, have a great week & come back soon!

A ‘Woo-Hoo’ Kind of Wednesday!

Firstly, can I say a HUGE Thank You to all of you who take time to leave such lovely comments, they really are appreciated & help me keep things in perspective.

Secondly…WOO-HOO indeed!!  Yesterday was such a good day!!!

In the morning I went along for my first weigh-in at Weight Watchers & to my joy had lost 4lbs!! :)

Then off I went to the nurse for my BP check-up & all three of the tests showed by Diastolic number (the bottom one!) in the eighties…so I’m now officially safe
to have a General Anaesthetic!! :)))  I now have to wait to hear from Admissions as to when I can be fitted in for my surgery…even my shoulder seemed a little less painful yesterday..for a while anyway!!

As it’s the first of a shiny new month, I have some scrappiness to share. Firstly this months poster challenge over at ‘From Screen 2 Scrap’. The poster for your inspiration is ‘The Day After Tomorrow’.

The added criteria were…

1. to use only one photo
2. to keep it monochrome with a touch of blue
3. to use a white title


…& here’s what I did with it…

 
The photo is of Alex, taken when he & I had our walk around the village on that wonderful snowy Sunday at the beginning of last month.  What doesn’t really show up in this LO photo is that each snowflake & stamped sparkle is glittered! But hey, you get the idea!! 

I did find this poster more challenging than some…but what would you do with it? We’d love to have you play along with us this month…pop over to ‘From Screen To Scrap’ & join in!!!

 

It’s also time for another LO for the lovely Dawn’s ‘Chinese Whispers’ & this month Jacky’s LO for me to lift looked like this…>>>

 

 

& this is my ‘lift’…

Again, my muses! This time enjoying the giant inflatable slide at last years ‘Beds County Show’.  I had fun gluing down all that twine into swirly patterns…I made a template first to pencil onto the page & then glued as I went along…I’m pleased with how that turned out!

I do hope everyone gets to enjoy a bit of sunshine this weekend & I’ll leave you with something else that made me smile yesterday…

 

Thanks for stopping by & come back soon! :)