And so it begins!!

The clearing and the sorting, that is!
Yesterday me and the girls started to go through their rooms in an attempt to wittle down the piles of 'stuff' around everywhere! We did well, Em condensed four boxes down to one and Holly managed to part with a few things too! She has also finally decided to put her Bob The Builder toys away too :(. She has loved those toys since she was tiny!( I know she is growing up...but I'm not finding it easy! )They will be lovingly packed up and put in the loft! But hopefully it will give us a bit more space to rearrange her shelves etc.
Seems like ages since I've scrapped.....! I've ordered some yummy new paper today though and am hoping that will inspire me! I also need to make a start on sorting through my stash and down-sizing somewhat!
The weather here is pretty dire today - wet and windy ! So we are staying in and watching tv - Muppet Treasure Island at present !
So , are you making any resolutions for the New Year? I always end up breaking them but there are a few things I HAVE to do this year! Yep, the weight thing is the main one but also to get myself more organised, do things when I say I will and generally be more efficient! There are other things but I can't quite find the right way of putting them into writing but they are there in my head!
And on that note I am off to sort out my Robox!!
I'll leave you a pic taken during the pressie opening on Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas!!

Just a quick Merry Christmas post!!
Hope you all have a wonderful time and enjoy yourselves!
I can almost rest easy, Geoff is busy preparing all the veg for tomorrow - I count myself as very lucky, I don't have to lift a finger food wise on Christmas Day! Girls are in bed excitedly waiting for the arrival of Santa !
This evening we went to a beautiful Christingle service. The church was big but packed out! And it was fab -a real pony (they couldn't get a donkey!) and real baby too!It was just lovely when all the lights were dimmed and the place was just lit by all the children's candles. I am now really in the mood for tomorrow!
Okay, I'm off! I leave you with a photo taken about an hour ago of my little santa's!Have a good one!

Ouch!

Just a quickie update for now! Just been decorating bags for teacher presents for tomorrow and manged to slash the top of my thumb with a craft knife!! Yikes!! And typical, all we have left are Bob The Builder plasters!!
Here's my Pencil Lines layout for this week!
Kelly,the squares on last weeks are KI Memories Clearly Cool Ice Cubes stuck over normal buttons.The squares are from a couple of seasons ago though, I'm trying to use up some older stash! I went a bit KI mad when I started scrapping and have a backlog to work through!
Gotta dash, bleeding thumbs and all that!!

Week 10!

Week 10 Pencil Lines sketch is now up so I can share mine with you! It amazes me how we all manage to do the same sketch so differently!It has felt good to scrap again and this evening I have been working on a Cj to be handed over (hopefully!)tomorrow.My lack of organisation is seriously starting to annoy me though, I can nevr find what I want to use!I think the New Year will call for a huge clearout and tidy up.....
Just a quickie tonight as I don't have much else to share after yesterday's mega post!
We currently have a bare Christmas tree here as the lights that I normally wrap around the middle of the tree are kaput! And at 5.30pm on a Sunday afternoon there was not a lot I could do about it! Doesn't seem worth replacing the 25 blown bulbs so I think I'll be investing in some new ones! Until then , our tree will remain nude!
Both girls enjoyed their parties today and Em survived the party she went to at Roller City without any broken bones!
Okay, I'm signing off to head for my bed!

It's a miracle....

..(well two if you count the fact that I'm bloggng !!)I actually scrapped yesterday! Can't share it as it's my Pencil Lines sketch for this week! I went over to visit Anna yesterday to deliver birthday and Christmas pressies and rifle through her stash! It was so nice just to sit at a table (I generally scrap on my lap!),chat and scrap!I was even very cheeky and sneaked a peek inside her birthday bag (that is one cool 'A'!!) from Ann(i)e! I am very jealous of the tiny bit I could see! So, my layout is mainly made up of stash nicked from Anna! The one thing of mine that I wanted to use has completely vanished off the face of this earth! I guess it doesn't help that I have stash in three diferent cupboards, all crammed in precariously and likely to fall out at the slightest touch! See, now if I had Anna's lovely room,I'd be soooo organised and tidy......mwahahahaha!

So, why haven't I been here for so long?! Well, nothing earth shattering really, just life getting in the way! Last week saw Holly's birthday (can't believe my 'baby' is 6 :( ), working etc etc.This week I've had a day off work as Holly was sick and it was lovely just to catch up on stuff around the house. We escaped to the park for a litle while in the afternoon,just to get some fresh air and let Holly wear her new hat!
This afternoon Holly had a party (one of the many !!) so Em and I stopped off by the corner shop to buy marshmallows and squirty cream.Once home I dug out my huge Friends mugs and we treated ourselves to hot chocolate with all the trimmings!Tomorrow there are two parties to attend (one each) and Em has a dance exam in the afternoon - phew!
This week also sees the school Christmas play performances so I'm expecting two tired children come Thursday! I sat up til gone midnight on Thursday making Em's costume. I had tried to get one on ebay but with no joy.So I sat and made a white apron , complete with broderie anglaise trim, , bib and straps plus a mop hat trimmed with broderie anglaise.Amazing what you can with an old sheet, your mum's pinking shears and some elastic (also nicked from my mum!) Couple this with a black frilly blouse from a charity shop and a full length black skirt, two Ikea buckets and you have one milk maid from 'Oliver'!!(From the 'Who will Buy' song scene!)
Right , well I seem to have from one extreme to the other and rambled on for ages so I will leave you with a picture from this afternoon (I'm sure I never took photos of stuff like this till I scrapped!)

Bleurgh...

...woke up this morning feeling the roughest I have felt in a long time! Started to get the beginnings of a cold last night and hardly slept (or that's how it felt anyway!)When I woke up my face just hurt, which I have never had with a cold before ! It's got better as the day's gone on though and now I'm just snotty!
Holly is going back to school tomorrow .She is now looking forward to it after declaring last week that she wasn't going to go back again!Both girls have been allocated parts in the school show.Em is a milk maid in a scene from Oliver and Holly is the 'lady with the alligator purse' from said nursery rhyme - which I confess to never having heard of!I cannot believe it is nearly time for Christmas shows already.
Tomorrow Geoff and are I going to make more progress with the Christmas and Holly's birthday shopping.It's not even December yet but I'm feeling totally disorganised already!
I'll leave you with my Pencil Lines Lo this week.I was lucky to get this done, I managed to mislay the sketch and then had to use whatever 7 x5 photo I already printed due to an almost inkless printer!

Happy high...

is what I am on at the moment!
Went away on our own this weekend and had a fab time! The hotel was gorgeous with an excellent restaurant - posh but not intimidatingly so.The room was really spacious and comfy too, I would love to go back! Pic is of the canal , about 100ft from our room.We woke up on Sunday morning to a view of frosty fields and mist drifting along the Thames.Imagine how gutted I was 15 mins later when I went to take pics , only for the sun have risen higher and all the mist had disappeared!We had beautiful weather both days and it brought home to me just how much I love this time of year.
On Saturday we went into Oxford, kind of forgetting the fact that it's four weeks til Xmas and the shops would be heaving!It was manic and my feet were killing me by the time we got on the bus back to the Park & Ride!We had a lovely meal in the hotels restaurant that evening and I felt thoroughly spoilt!
The icing on the cake was coming home to find a message on the answerphone asking if I'd like to do some hours at a certain former work place , in the run up to Christmas!Okay, so it's just temporary but it will feel good to be earning money again!
Holly is a bit poorly at the moment, she's managed to pick up hand, foot & mouth from someone somewhere (NOT to be confused with foot & mouth that cows get!).She has has a mouthful of ulcers which have been making her miserable the last couple of nights. And I am so unused to broken nights that after just two I am shattered!
And as they went live on Sunday I can now share the full version of my Pencil Lines sketch this week!

Rain, rain ...and a bit more rain...

...is what we've had today!It has just thrown it down and been grey and miserable all day!
Here's a sneaky peek of my LO for Pencil Lines this week.Yep, I am all organised this week and am actually finished already!
Tomorrow Geoff and I are off to Abingdon and coming back Sunday. The kids are staying with my mum & dad, and are off to the zoo tomorrow.Lucky things!
Today the girls had non-uniform day in aid of Childern In Need.Holly took in a teddy bear , whilst Em took part in after school aerobics with Pudsey Bear!
Check out Anna's blog as she is doing some fab fundraising at the moment in aid of MS.
Lots of love goes to Annie too after her horrible accident yesterday xx
Right, I am off to finish packing and I will be back in a couple of days!

Week 6 is live!

Go check out www.pencillines.com for this weeks new sketch!
I have been pretty rubbish at posting my PL lo's so I'm uploading two this week!This weeks and the one from last week! Isn't it funny how a layout starts out as one thing...and ends up as something totally different? Take my layout of Holly for last weeks sketch, this was the third photo I tried to work with and about the fourth lot of paper! But I love the end result so I'm guessing the other attempts were seriously 'wrong' somewhere along the line. I kind of a get a 'feeling' when I'm done with a layout, does that sound daft?! It used to take me about three weeks to do a LO,I'd put them away and keep going back to them until it they complete.Now I'm working a bit quicker, but I still have to have that feeling before I feel done!
Y'know I have still haven't started any Christmas shopping, and it's starting to slightly freak me out at how busy the shops are already! I know, I could do it all on-line ..but it's just not as much fun as the 'real' thing is it? Trouble is, even the real shopping isn't as much as fun as it used to be! Gosh, I'm beginning to sound a right old Scrooge! No doubt Santa will be delivering an library's worth of books for Em and as yet Holly is undecided.Still we've got her birthday to get through first! Just a small do for her this year, she is happy just to have her two best friends round for tea .

See, now you know....

...why it took me so long to get a blog...because I knew I would be rubbish at updating it!!
Yes, I do sit there during quiet moments of the day composing thoughtful and witty (??!!) blog entries...but I never get round to actually typing them in a a key board!!
Okay...so my excuse for lack of blogging this time round? Decorating...and life in general! We've spent the last week re-decorating and rearranging the living room and I have to say...it's looking good! I dread this kind of thing cos having such totally different views on most things, it takes an absolute age for Geoff and I to agree on paint colours , new furniture etc.But it's all done and the room is now a lovely shade of Antique White instead of the grubby, greying white it was previously!
I attempted to make some cards this week to use up some of my humungous pile of card making stuff..and you know what, I hated it !! Probably because all my stuff is all over the place, I can never find what I'm looking for ...and I just prefer scrapping now! So, anyone want to buy some card blanks??!
Tomorrow we're off to a little party for my mum's birthday and straight after Holly is off to another party (oh to have the social life of a 5 yr old...!!) at the local sports park. Sunday she is off to my niece's party with Em and my mum & dad...any bets on how grumpy and tired she 'll be come bedtime tomorrow night?!
Hmm...well I guess you won't be happy if I finish without a picture so let me just go find something ....here you go, yummy leaf photo taken last week!
Oh, and PS..if no-one leaves me any comments...I assume nobody reads this and I'm not missed when I don't update!!

The witching hour....

So did you all have a good Halloween?! It was so quiet round here (thankfully!!) Just three lots of visitors and I think we knew all of them! Holly was so hyped up all day, though I'm not sure why! Em was at a dance class so didn't come out with us, just wore some flashing horns!!
I had a last minute attempt at a fancy pumpkin using a template from the internet! It should also have some bats but they were a little fiddly for my kitchen knife and got the chop (literally!!)Next year I will be more prepared and start earlier than 5pm!
Today (well tomorrow bearing in mind what I've munched my way through today!) I am back on the weight loss campaign.Managed a decent loss this week which I'm hoping will kick start my motivation again! That or the fact that I have one solitary pair of trousers that fit properly!!
Check out the Pencil Lines blog for fab sketches by Queen Geek this week! I am scrapping way out of my comfort zone with these sketches but that has to be a good thing right?!

It's Saturday....

..and I'm making the effort to blog!
Not much happening here though! Today I went for a walk down to the town with the girls and my mum & dad.Took my camera to get some more 'leafy' pics but I pretty much missed most of the leaf throwing! Bought Holly some rather cool new boots today, which she has proudly been wearing ever since , complete with black ballet leotard & skirt, velevt cloak and witches hat!! She has spent the afternoon at a table, writing out alphabets at 'Witch's School' - bless! No matter what else she has, she is always happiest with a pad of paper and a pot of pens!
I spent the afternoon trying to find photos for my Pencil Lines LO this week ! They are making me work hard when I have to use more than one photo! Anyway, LO is now complete - woohoo!
Tomorrow I will take photos of Holly's boots before they get totally wrecked and probably one of her complete with witch's hat as she has already laid it out at the end of her bed for the morning!
I leave you with a photo of Holly listening to'A Squash and a Squeeze' in Mahers bookshop this morning!

I'm back.....

...not that I've been away!! Just been blogging lazy and ill!Also had visitors last weekend but I guess I can't really use that excuse for all the other days I haven't posted!
It's half term here and I'm always amazed at just how rubbish the weather turns as soon as school breaks up for a bit ! We've had one dry day so far , when we grabbed the chance to go off in search of fresh air and conkers!
So I attempted to get some Autumny photos whilst there, as you can see from todays picture. Kirsty, did you Anaita chuck leaves in your face?! Cos Holly managed to whack me in the cheek with a stick!! I have fiddled a bit with it in Picture It (no fancy editing programmes here I'm afraid!) as it was a bit dark under the trees.So now we have another two bags of conkers sitting here ready to go mouldy!
Anna has decided to close the Bumblebeecrafts shop, but she will be continuing with her kits and Angel Kisses under the name of Scrapping Angels. This will be such a good move for her and free up some essential chillin' time! Crops will continue though - hallelujah (I do so value my one day 'escape' each month!)
Well, I promise to try and be back soon! Though I'm guessing no-one checks back here now I've not posted in so long!!

Beautiful Birthday Girl

Yep, today was my baby's birthday...well, I say my baby, she was 10!!
And here's a pic of her gorgeousness, taken this afternoon when she got in from school. For a girl who used to make out she had no friends, it was a joy to see all her friends (including the boys)wishing her happy birthday in the playground this morning.On Saturday we have four of her friends here for pizza.I'm tempted to arrange something crafty for them to do, but I have a feeling they'll be more interested in watching the X Factor! As for presents, Em was chuffed to bits with the few bits we gave her this morning (books that she was 'desperate' for,DVD, bracelet) and declared it the best birthday ever *gulp*.But she was overjoyed when we gave her a little extra something this afternoon.This being a little digital camera that she can also record on with sound.Holly was placated with a Charlie & Lola book about wobbly teeth!
Tomorrow morning we have the Harvest Festival assembly at school.Em actually has a speaking part (no mean feat in a full school assembly!) and Holly's class will be singing Conkers and a fab song about the giant Turnip! I will be there armed with the video camera as Geoff will be working.
I think the rest of the day will be spent tidying before Saturdays visitors and doing my Pencil Lines Lo for this week.I have a serious urge to stash shop...but I must resist! Instead I will start writing myself a little list of what I 'need' when I have the funds!

We're live!!

I am very proud and excited to be part of a new challenge blog set up by Anna!Pic is of my Lo for the sketch this week. I always said I didn't really 'do' sketches...and then I tried one!! The other designers (gosh, is that what I am?!) are all fab too and we're all very different which should make it more intersting!
I'm trying to add a link to the site , but bear with me, I'm too scared to fiddle with my blog for fear of losing it completely!!
Today we all went for a walk down to the local lakes /park. Everything was fine until the girls got panicky over all the dogs being walked there :( All were on leads , perfectly behaved but they just don't like them...one bit.
Tomorrow we have to be up early (well normal time for Holly!) as we are off for medicals relating to the car accident back in August.
Then it's off to Ikea! I can hear the Danish pastries calling me for breakfast!!
Eek, the LO looks really wishy washy in the pic, it's much brighter in real life!

I made something!

Well, two things but I forgot to take a pic of the other! I made this card for my friends birthday along with a little 'envelope' album as taught by Ann(i)e at the Scrapping Angels retreat.
Quiet weekend here, though after the last few days the weather has been lovely.Sunshine and blue skies with enough breeze to dry the washing out!
I even got an hour to myself this afternoon to actually scrap in daylight! I find it much harder to scrap once the dark evenings draw in so I grabbed the chance to enjoy the sunlight! Can't share my creation yet...but yikes, I'm nervous!!
On Monday we are going to Ikea , to measure up and see what sheving etc will eventually (not planning on doing it just yet!)fit in our living room! Hmm, wonder if a couple of storage jars will fall into my basket too while I'm there?!

Where did that week go?!

And almost a whole week passes and no updating - sorry!
Today we went for our annual family conker collecting outing (also known as 'conking'!!).We should have gone yesterday but the rain fell down all afternoon so off we went today instead. We seem to go a week earlier each year and each year the conker harvest seems smaller and smaller :(.There were quite a few on the ground , nowhere near as many as when I used to take Em before I had Holly but there were practically none left on the trees.Still the girls had a good time even if most of my photos were pretty rubbish!
I haven't scrapped since the SA retreat...I think I need a kick up the bum....
Tomorrow I have the joyous task of putting ringlets in Em's hair before school as she is dressing up for a Victorian day in school! She assures me she doesn't need any 'head wear' so I'll take her word for it!
I haven't been near the PC much the last few days and hopefully this is the future for me! I spend too much time on here so don't worry , I'm around but trying to be more 'productive'!

Heaven is....

...matching flowers and paper!!
Get a load of these beauties!
Finally got myself some Twirl crate paper (couldn't resist after seeing Soo's at the weekend!) and discovered that my new Angel Kiss blooms co-ordinate perfectly...how cool is that?!
Not much news to share I'm afraid.Today has been spent doing the joyous tasks of hoovering , cleaning , washing, ironing...you get the picture ?!
Holly now has two more wobbly teeth, including a top one...I forsee some toothless christmas and birthday photos ahead....
Em has been coping with disappointment today, bless her.She stood for the 'buddy' elelctions at school last week and they have kept them waiting since Friday for the results.Sadly, she didn't get enough votes and she wasn't chosen.I am so proud of her just for wanting to do it in the first place.But it breaks my heart seeing her so upset :(
I am off over to Anna's tomorrow ,armed with buckets and lunch! I think she might just get me counting flowers all morning.....!

Fab weekend....

I know, I'm rubbish, I haven't blogged for ages again!
But here I am to post about the weekend spent in the company of some fab people!
I spent yesterday and today at the first Scrapping Angels retreat in Bury St Edmunds.Before anyone wonders, I'm not posing as a teacher ,I was just class room assistant - general helper outer! But I got to wear a fabbo t-shirt and a funky little apron!The girls have their eye on it already...!
It was fab to meet Ann(i)e, Soo, Annette for the first time and Ali, Louise and Kerry that I already know fom crops.Emily's classes were fab and she is soo lovely!
I didn't really go prepared to scrap (yeah, I know, it was a scrapping retreat) as I was expecting to be 'assisting' but I got some fab inspiration and I WILL finish what I started!! Thanks to Ali for being a lightweight like like me and going to bed early (ish)!! We were tucked up with tea and hot choc by 11.30pm!
Loads of love and thanks go to Anna, who despite having a rough time at the mo made the whole thing happen - love you!
Right, I have safely stashed away my new Angel Kisses so I am away to bed as I'm tired!

Another year older....

...and hopefully much wiser too....
Yesterday was my birthday and we had a nice quiet day.Some confusion over my cake so I ended up geting myself one from the corner shop! And today was our 13th wedding anniversary!
I know I have been a rubbish blogger recently - sorry! I have been cutting down my PC time and am likely to just be on in the evenings for a while.
Finished off this little Lo last night. I love it...
Off to the Scrapping Angels retreat at the weekend...am I organised?Errr....no! As I am 'helping out' rather than scrapping I've not sorted out anything at all yet - yikes!
I have some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket at the moment...and I am being tempted by sooo much - new Crate papers, Ki Memories Halloween and Fall, new Sassafrass Lass.....sigh.....!!Really I should just concentrate on using the stash I've got and investing in a 8.5 x 11 album plus some page protectors!

Not once but twice!!

I have scrapped - wooohoooo!!
I have finally finished the layout of Lily, Izzy, Em and Holly together ! And fllowing a challenge by Anna using a Becky Fleck sketch did another. I managed to bodge the journalling on the First Day one though (I wrote the wrong date!) so I chopped a flower in half to cover it up, something I can never bring myself to do normally!I have a couple of other bits that have to be finished (you guessed, a CJ!) and then I can start on the gorgeous pic that Jo has sent me.I'm so glad to be feeling a bit motivated again.
After lots of deliberating and mind changing I am now going to the Scrapping Angels retreat in two weeks , yipee! Only trouble is I need a decent pic of me - yikes!
The weather here has been just beautiful today and the kids have been out enjoying the sunshine in the garden, making tents and pretend campfires!I even sat out on the sun lounger with my trusty AMM Tote next to me and scrapped!
I love this time of year, approaching Autumn (yeah, I know it's not quite here yet!).Love the colours, the smells...just everything.
Back in school for the kids tomorrow so I will start my joyous task of sorting through the house, room by room, dusty corner by dusty corner! I will have a little reprieve on Tuesday though as I am meeting Caz for coffee in the morning. Y'know , I love that I have friends with the same hobby!

Just for Shirl....

...a pic of some more ribbon! And it's mine all mine!!
Thank you to all those who have missed me! I am touched, I'm convinced no-one reads this and don't dare add a counter incase I am proved right!!
So, am onto my second day of being home alone...joy! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and having them home but you can't beat an empty house, windows flung open and no Cbeebies/CBBC on the telly ! I have just done a huge pile of ironing whilst watching that fab 80's film 'Some Kind Of Wondeful'.Sigh...they just don't make them like that anymore!I have loads of sorting out to do in the kitchen so I could probably work my way through my entire chick flick collection while I'm at it!
Hmm, not much else to report today I'm afraid! Then again , it's mid afternoon and not late at night as it normally is when I blog! So who knows, I may be back later with something exciting to tell you...then again, maybe not!
Oh and Fiona...ramblings???! I'll have you know this is a carefully composed journal of my day to day life...nah, actually I think you're right - ramblings it is!!

So....

....did you miss me?! Nope, thought not!
Stuff has been going in the last week or so but not the sort of stuff to share so I've been keeping quiet!
Today I went back to the Dr's to get a sick note as I've been off for a week.And he has signed me off for another 10 days...which basically means I won't be going back into work before I leave. I feel sad about this and keep playing it over in my head...was it really that bad? Should I stay etc....but I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go....
The girls went back to school today.Luckily they were both looking forward to it!We had a photo session this morning , only I managed to move the setting on the camera so they're not great!
Tomorrow I have the house to myself for the first time in six weeks....yeeha!!
So who knows, I may start blogging again on a regular basis now I've returned , don't hold your breath though! If I am very good and get lots of tidyng done over the next two days I may even let myself scrap on Friday - what a treat!

Ribbon therapy....

Well, not much happening here to report I'm afraid! Hence no blogging yesterday.
My scrapping seems to be going nowhere just now. I either can't find a pic I want to scrap or none of my stash 'grabs' me....
So in an attempt to do 'something' last night I decorated the spine of a CJ I need to do for The Lounge. I just love ribbon (I think I blame Kirsty for this!) I absolutely loved doing this last night.But I also started to panic slightly incase I ran out of ribbon (not much chance really, but you know how it is...!) So I am already planning what I need to buy to replenish my ribbon jar with!
On a more serious note , I had a call from Anna tonight to let me know she was at the hospital as her dad has been taken ill again.Thinking of you and your dad hun and hoping everything is okay.
Just a short post today then - sorry! We should hopefully have the new car by Wednesday so we have a trip to the pictures planned as well as shopping for a new car seat for Holly and back to school odds & ends.

Best laid plans and all that.....

Well due to being car-less all our plans for the weekend had to change.
Originally Geoff was taking the girls up to Liverpool this afternoon and returning on Tuesday afternoon. Anna was going to whizz over here late Saturday for a girly evening of wearing pyjamas and watching chick flicks before whizzing back home again Sunday morning. Leaving me almost two whole days to get the house ship shape.I planned on going through all the cupboards, the girls rooms and doing some essential 'sorting' in our room!. But we're all still here and the house is still a mess!Ah well....
Went back to the hospital today as my side's feeeling worse rather than better. Turns out I have bruised ribs and a bruised chest wall. I just wish I could sneeze!! So I am dosing up on painkillers and taking it easy.
Photo today is of Holly wearing her new bodywarmer complete with furry hood - so cute!
I've just started to do the cover for a new CJ I'm in, on the Lounge.How organised am I?!
Went out to have a look for a replacement car today and found a good one which we should pick up on Wednesday.Geoff fell in love with a BMW people carrier thing on the web last night - shame he'd misread the price as being £2,000 and not £22,000......!!
Anyway, I'm off to bed, night all!

C*** happens....

...but life goes on.
As some of you probably know (I'm saying that like lots of people read this!!) we were involved in a car crash yesterday.We are all fine now after a slightly scarey time, just bruises and a few aches and pains.
I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has been thinking of us and replied on the forums.
The kids are happy now that they have re-united with their shopping!
Anyway, don't have a new photo today....just wanted to share this one of the people who mean the most to me xx
PS If anyone could photshop out the scarey man in the background, I'll be eternally grateful!

Following the leader.....

Yes, we actually had a day out today! We went to Willows Farm and had a great day. It was so quiet compared to normal that that the kids were able to do everything without queuing for ages! Don't know if it was quiet because of the weather forecast (rain) but the clouds held off all day and once we got home it chucked it down.Photos are of the kids and Geoff in the Maize maze (also have a fab pic of the tops of the girls flags over the top of the maize!) and Holly on the whizzy thing - sorry, I cannot remember the proper name of it for the life of me! Next to the maze is a huge field where they are growing 10,000 pumpkins...guess where we're going in October!Talking of October, can you believe it, I actually stocked up on black and orange ribbon from Little Silver Hat today in prep for halloween!! Along with lots of red for back to school LO's! If only I were so organised with school uniform....

Gym baby....

So Holly had her gymnastics lesson today...and I think it's safe to say she enjoyed it! Once she spotted me watching (I had to go up and watch from a viewing balcony) she turned round to give me thumbs up every time she did something!She made new friend (yep, she is the only person I know who goes to the toilet and comes back with a new friend!) and they nearly gave me heart attack when they were 'helping' each other to do forward rolls! Hopefully I will try and get her registered for some more lessons in term time.Photo is of her looking all pink and rosy after the class. I did geta couple of her on the bars but I forgot I'd turned the flash off and by the time I'd turned it back on some other kids had decided to join her so I couldn't take any more pics.
And for her treat Em got to go and see Pirates Of The Carribean 2 with Geoff. I think they both enjoyed themselves! She loves to have one of us to herself sometimes!
Tomorrow,weather permitting, we might be going to a farm park - yipee!
Scrapping wise...hmmmmm...I keep starting stuff and then not knowing what to do with it!! I neeeed to finish something!
Haven't forgotten my tag Beth - honest! *makes mental note to self to remember to do it*

It's done....

Handed in my notice today...gulp! I nearly bottled it but from what I've heard lots of rubbish stuff has happened there since I was in on Thursday so I know that really it is for the best.
Went shopping for bits of school uniforn today and picked up a few (more) nice charms in Asda! I do like that shop!
Tomorrow Holly has a two hour gymnastics class at the local gym! I'm hoping I can stay and watch, though I'm sure she'll be showing me her new found 'talent' when she gets home!
I may be having a visitor at the weekend as I will be home alone - yipee!
Random pic today! Took this of Em through the kitchen window without her realising. She is a real little bookworm and I love this photo.
Right, I have just polished off a bottle of wine by myself so maybe I'd better go to bed!

Who nicked it?!

My mojo that is! I really wanted to 'do' something this evening but just couldn't settle on anything....
Got most of a LO done last night but have convinced myself that it needs a big Angel Kiss bloom so it'll go on the waiting pile with the others! I have another Cj to do so I could start that too as I have a couple of journals already.
Quiet day here, went out with the girls on their bikes and then had a roast dinner all together for tea.
Tomorrow I am off to the job agency and to hand my notice in - yikes! Or I may hand my notice in on Tuesday after I've spoken to the agency....either way I am on my hols for two weeks now anyway - woohoo!
Hmm, photo for today...off to find one!Took this one today of Holly's favourite books, for a book she has to do about herself for her summer holiday 'homework'!

Funny faces and funky letters...

Okay Anna, please eat your words about Holly being the perfect model! This is the face I got today when I was trying to get 'normal' photos!! Love her!
Nowt much happening here today really.This afternoon Holly wanted to some painting while Em was doing homework so I grabbed the chance to join her.I bought these paper mache letters from Scrap Canvas back in April and have been meaning to decorate them for the girls rooms since! So this afternnon I've painted them both with Blonde Moments paints.Eventually I will get round to adding flowers , ribbons, gems etc.I will upload pics of the finished articles soon!
Oooh, and I have been tagged by Beth.Haven't forgotten but haven't had chance to think of my answers yet!

Four girls and a wall.....

...and what a fab bunch they are!
Had a fab day today with Anna and the girls. The photo session didn't go quite as planned but we got a couple of cute ones ! All four girls got on so well we didn't even know they were here most of the time!
And yes, Anna managed a bit of scrapping whilst I got the lunch ready!
We also sneaked in a quick trip to Asda where there were bargains to be had! Anna treated me to a fabby folder to keep my 8.5 x 11 LO's in.Also picked up some bargain enamelled charms - 30p for 2!! I have told Geoff I need a return trip next week!
Anna brought with her replenishment stocks of the gorgeous Sassafrass Lass Orange -a peel papers - yum!And I nicked two of her sample BIG Angel Kiss Daisy's - you neeeed these!
The postie brought me some yummy stuff today too! I got some more BG Gypsy papers plus the matching bazzill (cos I am rubbish at choosing it myself!).I also got a gorgeous year book from Kathryn as my cyber crop 'swap' as well as some glittery Lil' Davis chipboard - heaven. Thank you so much! And the lovely Suzanne (sorry, I still cannot suss out links!!) sent Holly a lovely Minnie Mouse PE bag.Don't you just love nice post?!
Photos are of the girls out in the garden this afternoon .
PS .Can anyone help me with why my photos always look so rubbish on here? Any help graefully received! At the moment I am resizing them and hosting on Photobucket.

Spick and span?

..I should be so lucky !! Spent a fair bit of time tidying up today in preparation for our visitors tomorrow so I don't really have anything exciting to say! Have just finished rustling up a little swap surprise for someone on a forum.I will take photos and upload tomorrow. I'm quite pleased with it!
Pic today is of my girls , taken when we went to visit Bekonscot Model Village.
Well, this short & sweet! Back tomorrow hopefully!

Thank you...

...to all the lovely padders who've toot tooted me! I am really touched!
Feeling better about things today, bit more positive, though the job still has to go.
I didn't expect them to beg me stay or anything like that but I did think two years of working my butt off might have meant something to them. So I guess I will be writing my letter over the weekend and handing it in on Monday once I've signed up to a couple of job agencies.I'm pooping myself.....
Holly is at my mum & dad's tonight. I know she's always in bed at this time anyway, but the house always feels a bit emptier when one of them isn't here!Em had a good time last night and today they went out for a pub lunch with my mum & dad .Sigh...I'm jealous - a pub lunch would be lovely right now!
Strated a Lo tonight but I need one of those HUGE Angel Kiss flowers which aren't out yet to complete it....hint hint Anna ;)!!

Good day....Bad Day....

Don't you just hate it when what starts as a good day turns rapidly into a rubbish day?
Went into WHsmiths this morning and finally got a copy of August Creative Scrapbooking mag and - tada!- I have first my published LO!The excitement on the kids faces when they saw it was well worth the wait!
But in the two minutes it took me to walk across from Smiths and into work and into the office I was quickly brought down to earth with a bump. Basically as a result of various changes being made in work I have told them that as from now I am looking for a new job and will handing my notice in as soon as I do. I really can't hack being treated the way I am any more.I do not live to work and I certainly don't enjoy the job enough to put up with the current rubbish going on.
Fingers crossed something turns up quick :(
Two photos today....look at this little chap, isn't he cute?! Photo take by Em at the hedgehog hospital that my mum & dad took her and Holly to today.
And the second...this is what happens when the kids get hold of a digital camera!

Lucky escape....

...to me anyway! I went back to Slimming World tonight having missed last weeks weigh-in. I was expecting a huge weight gain as I have completely lost the plot and eaten for England (and Scotland...and Wales...!!) the last week.So imagine my surprise (and relief!) at a 1lb gain!! I am back on the wagon now, having been back to the gym today too! The staff there generally walk round chatting to you whilst you're exercising, however I'm just not fit enough to talk whilst on a cross trainer as they found out today when they tried to be friendly!!
Pic today is of the girls out on their bikes yesterday. I feel quite sad when I go there...there was once a huge open air pool there where I spent most of my summers when I was younger.Going back down there and seeing it all so empty always makes me a bit sad.There's also a huge mound there where we used to sledging...it's still there but these days we never get enough snow!
Back to work tomorow so I probably won't be around much til the weekend! Sadly my job isn't interesting enough to tell you about!
Tomorrow night Em is having a sleepover at my Mum & Dad's and then on Wednesday it's Holly's turn!She'll be forgetting what her own bed looks like soon!

I used some...

..yep, I actually used some of my new BG papers the day I got them! I'm quite shocked! It's not that I don't like BG, but I buy it and then never know how to use it! But this one is so yum I think I may even need some more! My pic for today is the other LO I managed to do for a cyber crop this weekend. It's based on class by Debbie70/Daisy (using the BG papers!) Thanks to all those who 'taught' classes this weekend, I'm hoping to get more done at some point.And congratulations to all those who won prizes ;)
We haven't done much today, the weather has been a bit erratic! Bright sunshine one minute, chucking it down with rain the next. Did manage to take the girls round the block and to the park on their bikes though.It was Holly's first outing on her bike outside the garden since teaching herself how to ride it! Tomorrow we are off swimming then I have my 'exit' appointment at the gym in the afternoon (my final assessment thingy)...so I'll be knackered tomorrow!
I think Holly has just about caught up on her sleep now too!
I need to start tidying up as well as Anna is visiting on Friday with Izzy and Lilly! Fingers crossed for decent weather on Friday please!

Whoops...

..I really am rubbish at this blogging business aren't I?!!
So what's been happening...

Last night Holly had her first sleepover at a friends house !! I so wish I'd been a fly on the wall and heard some of their conversations! They finally fell asleep about 10pm (pretty much Holly's limit!) and Holly was awakre again at 5.45am!
This weekend I'm taking part in a cybercrop.Managed to get one LO done last night and will eventually do some more! No ink in the big printer though....perfect timing -not! This is a pic of last night sLO based on a class by Karen Miller.



Got some of the new BG Gypsy papers this morning - yum!! I just bought the few sheets I like as I can't justify buying the collection pack - there's always something I won't use! Can't wait to start using them!

Sleepless night...

...yet again ! So I thought I'd update while I'm on the PC!
Have been awake til the early hours for about the last four nights and it's driving me nuts (as well as knackering me).Lots of stuff going round in my head too which isn't helping.
On Friday we went to Bekonscot Model Village with the girls.There is something I love about the place.It isn't huge but it must be one of the only places that I visited as a child that hasn't changed.
Did two LO's last week for the last round of the Pad comp.So I had to chance to scrap a photo I've been planning to do for a while...and it looks like the printer is dying on us :(.Pooh.
Got some nice post today, two setes of Lil Davis Crillion (sp?) chipboard which looks totally edible and the new Angel Kisses - yum! Sadly I'm now in work for three days so unless I start sleeping better there'll be no scrapping from me!

Just for a change...

...I thought I'd use a photo which isn't of one of my girls! Quite pleased with this photo, taken of a peacock butterfly on my neighbours lilac/buddlhia (??!!) tree thingy! (Can't you tell I'm a rubbish gardener?!) Em pointed out that the way to get the best pic would be to look out of her bedroom window...but I was a bit worried that they might wonder what I was up to!
I ordered some more Angel Kisses today from Anna at Bumblebeecrafts - she has fab new colours in - check them out! The chocolate ones look divine! Just as well I love these flowers - it gives me a chance to use up my other indulgence - brads - can a girl ever have too many?!
Fingers crossed for decent weather tomorrow as we're hoping to go out once we've been shopping for school shoes ! The weather has a habit of being great til we all have a day off together and plan an outing!