New hair cut

It was that time again, that’s the only issue with short hair it needs to be cut with increased regularity. My “do” did well this time, I last had it cut on the 24th of January, that’s TEN whole weeks, but that is because I let my hair dresser cut it so short.

I have gone even shorter still this time and I am going to have to get to work with the styling wax as without it I look like Dick Emery’s “Bovver Boy” Character !!

Apologies – you need to be of a certain age to remember this comedian !

Ah well its only hair – it will grow soon enough.

Tuesday . . .

Sat here enjoying that portion of the day where I am the only one up and about, the sun is out (shocker !) even though it is freezing and I am savouring my first cup of tea whilst writing out my must do list for today.

. . . and that’s all she wrote

Daffodils and a misty sunrise on 22 March at Salhouse in Norfolk Credit: John Kerrison

Well Hello 2013

I don’t know about you guys but 2012 crept out and 2013 snuck in just as quietly around here. Don’t get me wrong we celebrated, but it was low key.

As a family we have spent the entire holidays germ ridden, ill or trying to get better, we haven’t really been anywhere or done anything the whole holiday (not counting the whistle stop trip to Mom and Dads)

Some would say that we had a quiet relaxing break, I feel that it was a tad lethargic and feel slightly disappointed by our lack of activity. No one really missed out on anything, we had lovely food and thoughtful gifts, the house was decorated and we spent time with family and friends, but i am left with a feeling of needing a”do over” I know that sounds selfish but I have this feeling that the time off was somehow wasted.

This is the last day of our Christmas break, after the weekend school is back on, routine kicks in, the day to day starts again, normally I am ready for the return to routine but I find myself digging my heels in and wishing for a few more days off.

I have decided to do Project Life again this year and I am looking forward to starting this again. My albums are still on order from the U.S but I am not going to let that stop me getting on with the project.

I am planning on sharing my pages on here hopefully once a week and if I get around to designing any cards/elements for the album I will share them too.

Well Hello . . .

OK – still here, still functioning – Just about anyway.

So deadlines met, work finished, school’s out, cards designed, printed and posted, presents bought but not wrapped, food shopping done – finally.

However we have had the week from hell with germs and sickness in our house and it has completely thrown the schedule into turmoil.

I am doing my Christmas Journal, but it has been gathering dust this week, hoping to get it photographed and will share on here soon.

Project Life is getting done too but apart from photos and minimal documentation it isn’t getting any other attention which I am a little sad about but needs must, Y-A-W-N so I won’t be sharing that on here.

Looking forward to starting PL 2013 even though I am waiting for my new WRMK albums to turn up, I won’t be letting that stop me.

on a light hearted note here is an alternate 12 days of Christmas.

Today looks like this . . .

I raked my garden in preparation for the weekly “emptying of the bins” routine all our bio-waste goes in one bin and because of its nature I don’t like to leave it sitting there, full, outside my kitchen window.

So yesterday I cleared up the lovely red, yellow, orange and maroon carpet of maple leaves covering the bottom half of my small garden. It looked prettier covered in leavers but another week of rain and they would have started to turn to mulch and that doesn’t smell so good !!

I mowed the grass for the very last time this year too.

Preparing for winter

Red cup love

My red cup love started about 5 years ago on a family trip to Center Parcs, where I discovered the dark cherry choc mocha. It was heaven and I had way to may that festive season and mourned its loss come January. I was however Mortified after a couple of years to find that due to its lack of popularity this flavour has been shelved – I abandoned red cups altogether one holiday season in a personal protest. Last year I tried another flavour – Praline I think but it didn’t match my previous love.

Yesterday I happened by a Starbucks on a very quick one shop shopping trip and decided to treat myself to my first red cup of 2012 I asked for the praline flavour but in the interests of experimentation I got persuaded by a charming barrista to try the mint chocolate “if you like after eights you will love this” was the sales pitch.

Oh my – MAJOR YUCK !!

The first few sips were quite appealing but after that it left a very chalky mint residual taste that was seriously unpleasant. Thanks but no Thanks.

I am going over to the dark side today – I am going to try Costa Coffee’s Black Forest Hot Chocolate see how it measures up to my much loved and sadly missed Dark Cherry Choc Mocha.

I don’t have an IPHONE . . .

and I won’t be getting one anytime soon, but oh gosh do I love the instagram effect on photos – I am not fussed about the whole instagram site etc but I do like those actions.

So I have been hijacking my sons Ipod touch whilst he has been at school (YES he has the app on this ! ) and I have been having a ball with it. OK so the photos aren’t amazing quality(I think it is only 0.7 mp) but once you use an effect on your photos and print them out they are great.

It has helped me fill lots of the empty pockets in my PL album recently, today I did my usual morning dog walk and took along the ipod and did a bit of a photo walk, something I wouldn’t do with my DSLR (too conspicuous )

When I got home I messed with the photos a little in iphoto (again not much scope here in the editing facilities) then printed them out 2×2 inches to use on a 6×12 spread – YAY I am so pleased with the results.

Here are a few examples – I still won’t be stumping up the huge some of money needed for that dammed IPHONE though.

seriously . . .

I’m surprised this blog hasn’t got up and walked away, if it could talk it would be whining at me “you ignore me, I feel neglected, we don’t spend anytime together anymore”

SO I am getting to grips with my new schedule/workload/routine with school starting up again next week it feels like new year, I suppose it is for those of us that operate on a school year( my kids and both my jobs utilise the school calendar )

Making plans and sorting out my time management issues, oh boy that’s a whole separate post !!

I have spent quite a bit of time getting my photos into my PL album lately and giving some thought to doing this all over again next year.

Its a no brainer

Ordered two more albums ready for 2013

I have documented so much and used so many of our photos completing PL this year (so far) definitely more productive for me than scrapping individual layouts.

I am going to aim to get a lot of stuff ready for next year in advance – I was late to the party this year and I want to be organised and ready to go in 2013, – I don’t buy any of the PL kits or albums – US shipping is too expensive.

I am using WRMK 12×12 Linen D Ring albums (two a year) and a selection of WRMK divided page protectors with a few random AC 6×12 and 8.5×11 thrown in for inserts.

The week in review cards and monthly title cards I am going to design and print off before hand too, I know I will be sharing it all here anyway.

So much inspiration out there for this project now – I am collecting a lot of stuff and saving it in my pinterest board so I am prepped

i hope alot of you will be coming along for the ride too.

passing me by . . .

. . . that’s how it feels at the moment

the minute we went past the half way point of the school holidays time seems to have rushed by at mach 2 with its hair on fire.

nothing earth shattering going on around here just normal life, amongst the work, dog walking, food shopping, washing, ironing, etc. I am fulfilling my design team obligations for ScrapaGoGo, making cards for Papercraft Inspirations, and trying to keep up with project life.

I have opted not to share my project life album recently as I have not been particularly creative with my entries, I have documented the happenings and added photos and that as they say is “all she wrote” I just wanted to get caught up

I have been trying to keep going forward with my blanket that I started too long ago, it is definitely an on-on-on-ongoing project but I do like the way it is coming together even if I have only done about an 1/8 of it.

Attempting to get better acquainted with my camera too, just a trial and error situation, practicing and hoping for better results.

Change . . .

just spent a week with family, away from home, routine, work, washing, meal planning etc . . .
had a wonderful time sightseeing, going to the beach BBQ-ing sitting around with a G&T in my hand enjoying the company and watching the Olympics.

One day my sister and I went out for coffee and cakes with our Mom, we were browsing through some boutique shops and art galleries when Mom spotted some jewellery she liked the look of, she was particularly taken with a silver and gold ring, after trying it on and getting it fitted to her pinkie finger, we all agreed it was a beautiful piece and she should definitely treat herself so she bought it.

BUT – whilst the jewellery case was open she asked the lady serving us to fit both me and my sister for the exact same ring, we were both a little stunned and excited and then really touched and happy as Mom bought them both for us too.

We are all wearing them on our right hand pinkie finger – truly a special gift xx

Back to normality now