The Day Out..that wasn't and some more crafting (thrown in for free)

So, yesterday, supposed to be the day I met Joanna and Penny and saw Tracey Emin's work for myself, in London, a grand day out, sun was shining.....only I didn't make it. Three hours sleep (couldn't get comfortable) and one swollen foot put a stop to my gallivanting. I could scream - literally.
I'd like to blame the "power walking" I did on Sunday...but I know it's a flare up. I've learnt to not plan outings.....friends phone up on the day and if I'm fit I go....less disappointment that way. :(
Penny has another outing in mind.....fingers crossed....I'm not even going to mention where to in the hope if that if I don't think about it, I'll get there. :)


Ah, yes, power walking...I didn't set out to do it..honest. 
DS Nick accompanied me to Waitrose so that I could not only do my shopping but also the vital "going back to Uni food parcel shopping". Bear in mind he's a good foot taller than me (and I only have little legs) and you'll understand why I had to power walk to keep up. Then it was time for me to walk Max (after the football of course) or should I say it was time for Max  to pull me round the estate in search of lovely smells and his doggy friends. Ouch!


Nick was supposed to go back to Bristol yesterday but is still here. Bonus, so is Vicky, his girlfriend. She was at the Wilderness Festival, somewhere in Oxfordshire, and it made sense for her to come here (she arrived at midnight Sunday). They'll travel back to Bristol together...either today or tomorrow...uncertain because A*****l are on TV tonight....and N. wants to see the match. I don't mind watching them either as it's preferable to most of the rubbish on TV at the moment (and it will keep me away from MTV, which will be a relief to the rest of the inmates).


Now for the crafting...
WeScrap are running a Deal or No Deal Challenge at the moment - great fun!
My week 1 suitcase had the challenge "use a tip or technique from the site (worth 3 points).
I chose to do "entwined flowers" as posted by Bev.
It's also for the Scrap Club August challenge, a scraplift:

I used Sassafrass Lass "Indie Girl" papers.


My week 2 challenge was to do "a photo collage using at least four photos" (worth 4 points). I'm also entering this for Sue's "Leave Your Legacy" challenge:

All materials Club Scrap "Scholastic".


And finally another "Joy Fold" card. Made last week but had to wait for it to be received before showing it:

Made using one of my favourite lines - Basic Grey "Ambrosia". 


I forgot to mention that I've treated myself to some new perfume. CKOne "Shock" for her. I did like the "for him" version but went with "her" as it's very summery - smells like burnt strawberries (don't ask).
And it didn't cost me a penny. I used my Advantage card points at Boots (instead of saving them up for Christmas shopping). I know how to live the high life!


Things not to do when half asleep (all learnt this past week):
- grab a can of shaving gel instead of deodorant - messy.
- switch the coffee maker on but not at the socket - you can't understand why, 10 mins, later there's  still no coffee.
- try to do Sudoku - esp. in The Times  - you'll just mess it up.


I shall leave you with another gem from Pinterest (and I'm sure I saw a man on there the other day!):

Carmen....are you there?

Just wanted to welcome Carmen back to the fold...and if she's not re-connected, some foot stamping and name calling (of phone and internet providers) will be occurring.
Carmen you have missed some wonderful posts and lots of interesting descriptions of me - your input has been sorely missed.
Hope the house move went well, your stu-stu-studio is up and running and you're ready to join the world of blogging again.

What's Rocking My World Friday

Friday..again ..and another week has passed in, seemingly, the blink of an eye.


So, onto the gratefuls.


First this week has to be the boy. For his hugs and his help. He's shopped for me, walked Max for me, collected my prescription for me   and keeps asking if there are any more jobs he can do.  He's also in charge of lunch for the two of us today - tuna melt paninis (yummy!!). It's been lovely having him home for two weeks (he goes back to Bristol on Monday) especially having someone to watch sport with (DH is purely  a motor racing fan). He's not happy with the way things are going @A*****l but is enjoying the cricket - aren't we all? 


Next up are the WeScrap girls. Yesterday I received a parcel of crafty goodness from Ally

Some cute Canadian stamps in there and....peanut butter cups....they didn't last long....very, very tasty. :) Thanks so much Ally - you certainly brightened my day.


Later on yesterday I logged into Pinterest to find that Sue (Sykes) had posted something especially for me:

I don't think any comment is needed apart from ...thanks Sue, you know me too well!

Next are my other online friends. I'm meeting Joanna and Penny, fellow crafters and bloggers, on Monday  (riots and trains permitting) to see the Tracey Emin exhibition "Love is What You Want".
Thanks go to Virginia, the Queen of the Rockettes, for her lovely comments on my posts, her tips re the "i" word, her descriptions of me and the title for my graduation LO - "Made It!"
Hopefully on Monday we'll have Carmen connected and back online amongst us - missing you girl!


Ah, yes, the "i" word. I managed to clear half of the mountain on Tuesday thanks to Sky  and "New Moon". I know I have the film on DVD but it's not quite the same as coming across it in the listings and watching it without planning. It did help that I missed the bits that made me cry (in the book and every other time I've watched the film) so I wasn't sobbing over shirts etc. This afternoon I'm hoping to clear the rest by using one of Virginia's tips (don't think I'll be using the same tip for the Christmas cards V.!!).


I've managed to do some more crafting since Scrap Club but can't show the results yet - a birthday card and a secret project.


I've also got my phone back! This was achieved by the simple expedient of buying the boy another (really cheap - £ 15) phone. Yes, he's had to change his network and number but he doesn't seem to mind. :)


Things to look forward to...
-  another weekend of sport -  cricket, football and Indy Car
-  my day out in London
-  not having to play hunt the laptop after Monday.


Things realised this week...
-  for the coffee maker to work it needs to be switched on at the socket (I'm useless without my coffee) - wish it had a timer.
-  36ins is a bit too long skirtwise, for me at least. I bought a beautiful flowery skirt (online in the sales) and can't see my feet when I'm wearing it. More hippy chick than "Little House on the Prairie" though so I'm keeping it even if only to wear at home. :)
-  a picture can float about your worktable for weeks but will disappear he evening you actually want to use it. :(
- using Sleep Easy bubble bath during the day is not a good idea unless you really do want to collapse onto the bed and have a nap.
-  books are more reliable than people. They don't promise things,get you interested and  then abandon you, well not usually. And if they do you can just stop reading.


Think that's it for this week. I know next week will be  depressing for a few days (when the boy leaves) but hopefully other things will come along and cheer me up.

A Tuesday Post (with free puns)

Following Virginia's lead, thought I'd be organised (for once) and share my scrapping and happenings rather than saving them all for Friday....I'm really trying to avoid the "i" word as the size of the mountain is unnerving, especially as I'm sure I cleared it last month. Note to self, stop washing everything that doesn't move...as per the mother's version of "If it moves, shoot it. If it doesn't, paint it"..."If it moves, feed it. If it doesn't, wash it".


Had an (almost) great Sunday of sport. We beat City in convincing fashion (WTG Nani!) and Dario Franchitti (he's from Edinburgh, as you can probably tell by the name) was second in the IRL race, thus extending his overall lead to 62. Only one blip...the Durham boys went out of the T20..well, Collingwood was injured.


Last night saw me at Scrap Club @ A Maze of Memories. 
Had a totally fun evening - lots of laughs, lots of scrapping,some stash buying and...cakes, kindly provided by Linda who has her b'day today.


First up is the LO I did for the July optional challenge (there really was nothing on TV Saturday evening):

 The boy's first visit to Silverstone (think it was the touring cars). 


Next is the LO from last night, which is technique heavy..masks and misting, stamping and perfect pearls, edge punching, ribbon....

The theme was a"Special Occasion" and I discovered how few recent photos I have of me ..so it was back to 19?? and my graduation photo. I still need a title for it - all suggestions gratefully received. And, there are "mistakes" as I managed to botch a couple of things. Can't decide whether I'm happy with it or not...


What about the stash shopping I hear you ask? Well (and I can't quite believe I did this)........I bought my supplies for this year's.....Christmas cards. In order to avoid a repeat of last year, when half the people on my list got e-cards (there were extenuating circumstances), I thought that if I start now I might get them all made in time for posting. Even worse though is what I bought - I'm doing "cute" this year....I can't resist rabbits, esp.  rabbits in snow scenes (although in my experience, domestic rabbits aren't that keen on snow - well, ours weren't).


Other exciting news.. Max has a new cousin. He's called Nigel, he's a chihuahua and he lives in Durham with my nephew's girlfriend. He looks so cute and very, very small (esp. compared to our 30k boy) in his photos on FB. :)


Hoping the riots in London get sorted as I'm due to meet Joanna and Penny there next Monday to visit the Tracey Emin exhibition.


The ongoing saga of how best to describe me continues. It has moved on since Friday, the latest being "flamboyantly eccentric" - I think that means I've got to an age where  "...frankly my dear,I don't give a damn" to quote (or misquote?) Rhett Butler.


And I'll leave you with an other find from Pinterest :

Quick question - is Pinterest  a totally "female thing"? I don't think I've ever seen anything posted by a man on there.

Rocking Your World Friday (with gratuitous eye candy)

Groans..not another week..and not another 2 a.m. posting..at least this time I have had some sleep, just not enough.
Eye candy first. 
Thought I'd follow Joanna's lead with her random pics of David Tennant...

Double chocolate mocha cupcakes. :)


Now for the gratefuls:
The dreaded s***r test is out of the way for another five years (unless it didn't work and has to be redone). The nurse and I had a good moan and decided that yes, it probably was a man who came up with the instrument of torture. At least it's not made of metal these days.


Our local Indian takeaway that delivers. I was going  to take the boy out last night as D. was supposed to be away (in Ipswich) but he came home. Totally disrupted my plans but at least we ate well...the fridge needs refilling (as expected). When do boys stop eating so much?


Amazon for delivering "The Watchtower" on time - won't spoil the story Gill but it's set in France this time. 


MTV for record of the week - Emeli Sande "Heaven" - very soulful voice. Sadly, not released until 14th, so can't download it to my Sync list.


Sky+ - I wanted to watch the Proms last night on BBC 4 but wasn't allowed control of the remote - at least I was able to record it.
I'm also working my way through the eight episodes of "Un Village Francais" that are on there - my usual lunchtime viewing has disrupted of late by various sporting events.


My blog followers for their lovely comments. I enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing the posts. I can be "me" on here, or at least the "me" I used to be before life etc. got in the way. I'm trying to reclaim this part of myself, in keeping with my word for the year - laughter. I know I'll never be the naive 17 year old who left home for Uni again (too much has happened, both good and bad) but her memory lives on, even if her thought processes could be (and have been) described as "irrational"*. 
Special thanks to Diane who sent me hugs (after Tuesday's post) in the form of a wonderful card. It made me smile. :)


Descriptions of me that have made me laugh (usually contained in the comments mentioned above ). It was Noel Coward and devilment this week - goodness knows what Carmen would have said if she'd been online. Missing you C.-  can't wait for you to be connected.


The anticipation of parcels.


Random thoughts: 


How do I get to watch all the sport that I want to see on Sunday since at least 25% of the household will object (Max just watches what I watch - another reason for him being "favourite boy")? I may have to commandeer the boy's room. Football, T20 cricket and IRL - bliss.


Is silk rope like the tiebacks used on curtains?


I chickened out of the Asian noodle and prawn recipe - I really didn't like the look of some of the ingredients.  Made Penne with Tuna and Prawns instead. I did discover that amaranth is red though.


Moving yet joyous moment of the week - Edwin van der Sar's testimonial match. Just hope it doesn't take Fergie as long to find a suitable replacement as it did when Schmeichel left.


I think I need to cut down on my caffeine intake. This morning's coffee was very, very strong - so much so that D. only had one cup, leaving me with three. I forgot that I was using Strength 5 and put the usual number of scoops in. I thought it was lovely at the time but I was bouncing of the walls by 11 a.m.


I think that's it for this week. And, as you've made it this far..some more eye candy for you:

 Ryan Reynolds.


* I am claiming this as my favourite description of me since the day my A Level English teacher said that I was the best producer of red herrings he'd ever known. :)

Aaaaaaagh!!

He's been home less than 24 hours (it was well after midnight when we picked him up from the station) and already we've played...hunt the laptop, hunt the landline phone, make the mobile disappear and use Mum's towels 'cos we haven't noticed the clean ones laid out in the bedroom. I love him to bits but it's like having a whirlwind in the house. He's out now, so I've retrieved my laptop from the black hole that is his room  - you think I'm joking? New DVDs have gone into that room and never been seen again..and goodness only knows what happened to my Beatles CD...I just know he borrowed it (thought I'd put him off by making him watch "A Hard Days Night"...but no) and it hasn't been seen since.


On top of the other one doing my head in by working from home so much ( I need  my own space) and what happened this morning..it's all too much.
I don't like needles, they make me feel faint (I know I've been taught to inject myself but have been back on tablets since last year when I was travelling to Dad's on the train so much)...so I don't enjoy my six weekly blood tests, especially when my veins don't co-operate...loads of prodding and blood taken from both arms saw me heading straight home instead of my planned trip into town. :(


Short break there to close doors and windows...the heavens have opened and we've lost our satellite signal.


I did manage some scrapping this afternoon - another challenge LO. I know the deadline was Sunday, but the site owner decided to do some upgrading and no-one's been able to log on since - moral.."if it ain't broke....."

A photo of my Mum from the 1940's. For Sarah's coulour palette challenge.


And now...I haven't done one of these for a while, so here goes..


Currently -

Listening to - news on Channel 5 (sooo not my choice) sudden change..DH has disappeared so it's back to the Download Chart on MTV - RESULT!! Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People. :)


Eating - nothing - still have dinner to prepare


Drinking - brandy and ginger (purely medicinal, to tamp down the nausea)


Wearing - a silk kaftan and my reading glasses (too hot to wear anything else - honestly)


Feeling - nauseous, frustrated but surprisingly happy


Weather - raining


Wanting - someone else to cook dinner


Needing - hugs


Thinking - how many weeks until "Breaking Dawn" is released? MTV news showed some clips..Jacob taking his shirt off  (Team Edward until Jacob takes his shirt off), the wedding, the pillow biting scene......apologies to those of you who are lost here (probably male) - only true Twilight fans will understand this.


Enjoying - having my boy home. Apparently he's here for a couple of weeks before he goes back to Bristol. Immediate doubling of the grocery bill but I do (like Baldrick) have a cunning plan - he can work off some of the money he's borrowed by helping me spring clean..a few months too late but I never said I was houseproud. :)


Question for you - am I a bad mother because I haven't been to Bristol since we took him for his first term? I didn't see the house he was living in last year and probably won't see the new one. Or, am I simply letting him live his own life (he is 22 after all)?
I wonder sometimes as I see other mothers fussing and making a point of visiting their offspring at Uni and said offspring coming home for weekends - I don't think that's normal, to me it's clingy. Benign neglect is my parenting style and I don't apologise for it. I look back to when I was at Uni and I never went home during term time and hardly ever phoned - well, we didn't have mobiles then. Showing my age - sorry!


Ooh! Just seen an advert for a new film with Harrison Ford ..sigh, my all time hero. Since Star Wars..I even have my own Ewok. :)


I hope this post has pleased my followers (apparently some of them rely on me??? fools!).


 I'm just happy that people keep reading and that Royal Mail have delivered my parcels..sooo.....


Joanna is reading erotic sci-fi on her cruise (apparently her teenage son suddenly showed an interest in reading when the book arrived and he started reading it out loud to her - she soon put a stop to that)


 Virginia is reading "Sleeping Beauty" and has avoided the "hot drink incidents" that befell Carmen and I ( tea, in bed, with her partner in Carmen's case and coffee, fortunately alone, in mine). Let's just say this is Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice and the action starts on page 2.


And Gill is reading "Passion" (fallen angels) in Scotland.


I shall leave you there, wondering what I'm going to read tonight - Amazon have sent off a book I really can't wait to read - it should arrive tomorrow, but what if it doesn't?

Today's quote. For masters everywhere. :)

Yesssss!!!!

Finally the crafting drought is over! Three LOs this afternoon plus a card last night.


Before I show you the card I just want to point out that it was made with the recipient (my step SIL) in mind. It is totally not my personal taste - I don't do cute.  

I love the technique though  - it's a Joy Fold Card.


On to today...I  had a wonderful day crafting and chatting...


All three LOs are for challenges on WeScrap - well, they would be if I could get onto the site - they need to be submitted before midnight - amazing what having a deadline can do!!

This is for Victoria's challenge "Quick and Coordinated". I used the July "Vanity Fair" kit and , yes, I did it within the 30 mins. allowed.

This one is for Jen's "Scrapping out of Season" challenge. Christmas in July. Photo is of Max's cousin Sam, the border collie, opening his presents.

And finally "Sketchy Saturdays" for 16th July. Photos of me and the clock I made last year. It actually keeps very good time..well, it would if I hadn't broken the mechanism whilst trying to change the battery a couple of weeks ago - on the lookout for a replacement.


My halo is slipping too. :(


Had some red wine last night and had chocolate this afternoon - I've been craving chocolate for days and was OK at home..but I knew there was a tin, in the fridge, at AMOM with delights such as Crunchie and Bounty and Toffee Crisp...which to choose? Crunchie of course. :) I was addicted to Toffee Crisp when pregnant with DS and haven't been able to face one since.


And talking of DS...he'll be home tomorrow..which means I'll be playing "Hunt the Laptop"...again! Even worse..he'll take over my mobile phone. I've tried to put him off..it has a pink case (which will apparently ruin his street cred) and a ringtone he really, really hates (JLo "On the Floor) but to no avail. Only plus side is the appearance of lots of males on my contact list...downside of this..I've watched them all grow up.
I can hear people asking why I let him get away with it. Basically, if he used the landline our bill would treble and I never use my full allowance of either texts or minutes. I renegotiated my monthly contract when I was looking after Dad (after only five days there I had the most horrendous bill for going over my limit) and haven't got round to changing it back. Let's face it, your phone contract is not the first thing you think about at a funeral.


I was going to wear a skirt (again!!) today, I was going to be "pretty in pink", then thought "sod it" and reverted to type...crop trousers and navy blue.. my favourite colour - :)


I've found some more great sayings for "My Thoughts" on Pinterest..here's today's:

I'm not saying who it's intended for..but if the cap fits...