I've been on Holiday  . . . . yayyyy!!! and it was HOT, HOT, HOT!! and we did  . . . nothing!!!  which I'm really mad at!!! My son and I flew out on the Tuesday as planned but due to a work 'drama!!' OH did not come out until the Friday night . . and as we'd already got a head start on the sunshine and the sun tan he overdid it on the very first day!! Cloud cover + no sun tan lotion = not a well person so consequently the only distance we travelled was to the shop that was situated under the hotel!!! So, No! we didn't go to the beach. No! We didn't see any dolphins or whales and a big fat definate NO!! we didn't go to the water park!! What we did however was eat, drink, eat and eat some more even Alex said he got me cake in the afternoon just so's I would eat it!!!
Ho hum here's some sunshiney photos - good job hotel and pool were fantastic.

and I read 9 - yes 9!!!! books!
Bored - much!!!!
Going to book an activity holiday next time so can at least do something in the mornings for a couple of ours - then do the pool etc for the rest of the day.
So that's why I'm p'd off and fed up and need to do something about it.

So, planning a holiday with the women for next May (ish) and going away with a different set of girls in September (I think) - well I've paid for it so I'm going somewhere ha ha ha Just need to get something organised with my Crafty Girls then all will be well.
Busy getting the child ready for high school in September he's got his graduation days this week - I am definately more shakey about it than he is. He can't wait.

Saturday Crafting

So I've given myself (another) talking to and to follow are the items I made during my most recent crop day with the girls. Oh, such sweet sorrow that the day can't contine until I run out of steam or fall asleep...

 and this last photo?

I wondered why it takes my son sooooooooooo long when he has a bath and, most worryingly how quiet he is!!!!! This, is the reason . . . . . . . . . .

TTFN xx

Too much of this...and certainly not enough of the other

Hello.

It's been months and if you asked me what on earth have I been doing I'm not sure I could answer you!!
Suffice it to say there's been far too much of this . . .

 and certainly not enough of this

..

 but, on occasions I have stopped to smell the flowers..

and to catch up with my many wonderful friends.

and, it is due to one of these, that I am making this post today.

Ive done some reading and been to a couple of craft exhibitions where at Aintree there was a showing of Quilts, I can't remember what the theme and all were stunning but one of them particulalrly stood out to me.  I can't credit the person who brought it to my attention but here's the poem that the project was built around.

It's written by Ruth Milligan from Lancaster and was first published in 'The Lady' magazine.

Dust If You Must

But wouldn't it be better

To paint a picture, or write a letter

To bake a cake, or plant a seed

To ponder the difference between want and need.

Dust if you must

But there is not much time

With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb

Music to hear, books to read

Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must.

But the world's out there

With the sun in your eyes,

The wind in your hair,

A flutter of snow, a shower or rain

This day will not come round again

Dust if you must

But, bear in mind,

Old age will come and it's not kind

And when you go, and go you must

You, Yourself, will make more dust





And on that note . . . . I'm off to sort out my reading list for my upcoming holiday and to ponder and sort the many (still) craft projects I want to do.

TTFN

A xx



Camping, cupcakes and crafting

The view from the massive big wheel . . .

Great Dorset Steam Rally . . . .with ....cranes

and tanks and boys who love tanks . . .

Fire Engines doing 'wheelies' ???

Our tent is somewhere in there if you look right at the back . . . . . .




Crafting . . .

These are memo gift pegs for my cousin who has gone to Uni in Leicester to study towar
Side view and upright view

Wall plaque for another cousins birthday.

Practising making cup cakes

and think that's got you allllll up to date apart from jaunts to cinemas and other exciting things. All in all a lovely summer spent with my child doing the things we love.

And how's the 'To Do List' doing I hear you cry well I'm still working through it - got 57 items left on it but I'm going to continue with it and make more use of my time. Now I'm back working it means I'll have to plan for my crafting time so much better.

TTFN

LOL xxxxxx

OMG!!! It's November the 1st

...and we've had school summer holidays, camping, crafting (only a little) and lots of other adventures and just over a month ago I returned to work!

So I'll just do a quick gallery of piccies to bring you up to date and apologise for my tardiness oh and no internet and oh no hard drive on my pc!! Excuses, excuses I know . .

Above are . . . hmmm possibly Halloween and Alex's birthday - we had a party picnic in the park

Sorted!

With a tent - yahoo!! So have now booked for going to the Rally at the end on the month. Thanks to friend of OH whom I left yesterday after demoing putting up the tent in his garden (wrongly at first) cleaning, mopping, and waterproofing - there also happens to be a couple of mould blots which he assures me he'll scrub of. So, I've been and got a couple of camp beds for myself and my son and I think we,ll just make an adventure of everything else that we may or maynot need. Something to look forward to.
Craft day tomorrow - as my OH has an overnighter so I can get all my stuff emptied out and get some lovely things done. Child still away till Friday having an excellent time up in the Lakes.
Enjoy. TTFN x

2 and a half hours I could have spent doing something else

more interesting and definately more enjoyable - Crafting?
Instead I have spent an hour trying to put a 4 man tent up on my own - madness I know, but I need to know if I can do it so I can book a week camping at the Great Dorset Steam Rally, cos I really want to go and to go we need to camp to afford to go, but if I can't put it up on my own (albeit with a youngster) I won't be going - urgh!!! Just not strong enough. The only other option is to try again later with my OH taking the part of the child. Or he could just come with us?

For the rest of the time I have been trying to convert some old vinyl 12" records from my mis spent youth onto mp3 format for the ipod I bought OH and have loaded with all my faves on. Well, that went well NOT!!!! I'm not one to give up with technology, I tend to persevere until I succeed but I just couldn't justify spending any more life time on it. I'm off to itunes now to download instead - probably should have just done that but sometimes you just want to.

Coffee and choccie biscuit reward well and truly deserved.

And another one crossed nay, scrubbed from my TDL.

Oh dear...the dreaded strikes again!!!

'Do you remember 'Scrapfairies'?
Reciept is from . . . roll of drums . . .2007 - arrrgghhhhh shoot me now. I purchased various 'blooms' n 'bits' in order to complete a Birthday Box Project from a Scrapbook Inspirations Magazine dated...I need not mention cos you all know. And then, worse was to come . . .

another project all bagged up and ready to do. Ho hum going to try and get them done next week, then I can put them into the 'possibly Christmas Gifts' box.!

These are the last though then, seriously, I'm on to 2008 subs boxes. Might just split them and keep the best but . . . . feel guilty.

I'm feeling all deflated now off to do some (more) cross stitching oh and have started the James Patterson/Alex Cross Series of Novels, got to read them in order of course and have also managed to get a hold of the most recent release of the Womens Murder Club, 10th Anniversary...hmmm can feel my making inclination wavering.

Enjoy the sunshine

xxxxx

Was too scared to add words to last post

as it wasn't looking too special. Some of my photos are the wrong way round and I just don't know how to fix or how it happened!
Anyways, to continue with my self inflicted assignment to add photo's to all my photoless layouts - I think it's safe to say - It's going quite well. My DS goes off on holiday this weekend so I'm hoping to get the opportunity to finish the remainder.
Slipped in there is another Tilda Stamp/Frame which was the gift for DS's Teacher - we put some lovely Thorntons Choccies with it too.
All LO's are again, either Sarahs Cards or quite possibly a Scrapagogo one might be in there.
Once I'm up to date it'll be soooooooooo much easier for me to report on papers/inks tedious links etc
Oh...it's not all good I'm afraid. See next post

Wheeeeeee heeeeee - Part 3

Production line . . . Part 2

More Layouts from either Sarah's Retreat or from the Crop which we used to attend in Warrington
I love this one here, the colours compliment the photo really well - you can't tell so much from the photo

The words on this one read 'Is it Twit Twoo Early to start my Christmas list?'
and the final LO for the moment (I've added photos to others just need to embellish them and add titles

Apologies for the vagueness on the papers, I really should take more notice.

Going to update my 'To Do List' next and I've been thinking I'll do a Scrap Book from this Blog to keep a record of my achievements through the 12mths - and (oops) have started a new list for next time. I think it's kept me focused. And the 2007 stuff? I think it's all gone - have to double check but if it has then it's on to 2008!!!!

Luv ya's

xxxxx

Production Line.

So, when my OH went camping last weekend I managed to do quite a lot . . . .
This LO is from Sarahs Cards Ltd - from the March 2011 Retreat (I think) as my friends and followers know I tend to complete layouts and then add photos after the fact - which is fine in principal but then suddenly I have 30+ photoless layouts which is tooooooooooo many.
Another LO from Sarah's Retreat - I love the colours in this and they go great with B & W Photos - no idea what the paper range is - sorry - have chucked my left overs (And NO!! I didn't make a card with them!!)

I also managed to complete this Cross Stitch Project which is one of a series of 6 from DMC...3 of which (for some reason known only to me) I have started Doh!!!

As my son decided to stay at home we decided to have a go at teaching him how to knit - you can see by his face he's enjoying himself so far.

Although we started with 10 stitches and now we've got 18 (at one point we had 22!!) but it's all part of the learning curve and I love that we can spend time together too.

Really quick update

Cos my OH has just cleared of to go camping - I've got to meet child in a couple of hours so this is a mega quick update to show my latest craft offering (and another item of the 'To Do List'). This was to finally use (had a while) my promarkers and my Tilda Stamps - have no idea what she's called or from which collection - suffice it to say I've had them a while too. And, the flowers gratefully accepted from one of my lovely friends to start me off. This was a gift for my SIL and judging from the text I got today, her Birthday, she likes it. Phew!! I'd put some Sanctuary Travel Size goodies with it too.

This is a photo of the new gate for the dog run - Lucy is examing it, or rather plotting how she cam get through it more like - another off the list.

So, I'm now going to shift all my craft stuff downstairs and concentrate on finishing some half done Scrap Book Layouts, some sorting and some painting. Post again soon with the results and hopefully more items will be crossed of my list.

Have a good un

xxxx

We went all the way to London just so . . . . .

. . . . . my Dad could play the piano, albeit it was the one next to 'The Monument' (to the Great Fire of London)
so we could stare at many piles of abandoned flip flops (:-() so sad, where do they go from here, what future do they have?No chance to run on a sandy beach...left with no hope for fun in their short and effective lives)

To watch many hundreds of 'crazy' people swim in the Victoria Docks . . .@ 17'C

including my wonderful Brother who once again completed a one mile open water swim.

Perfect weather, fab weekend supporting him and a first time visit to our Capital for my son who, when asked what had been the best bit of the weekend replied . . .'coming home'!
Hmmmm. Not the visit to Hamlys Toy Shop then? Or the exploring of HMS Belfast? Or the Hot Chocolate in Leicester Square or Having a nap in Bloomsbury Park? Or the stay over? OR seeing the O2 Arena, Tower Bridge or the Tower of London, or, or, or . . . Nope. That'd be the journey home then.

Well, I enjoyed it and it crossed of another item on the 'To Do List' too.

So I say 'Yay'!

:-)