An Update.....I think so

Lol....how long has it been? Things, as i am sure for everyone, are crazy crazy crazy at the moment. My list of things to do does not seem to be going down any faster and for some reason i am just so tired lately.

I have beeing loads of work on my grans 80th album this past week and i am almost half way through. My Gosh, that is such a scary thought.Time just seems to be flying by. Christmas cards to make and send off, christmas pressies to buy, circle journals to complete and send on...like i said, the list does not seem to be ending any time soon.

Here are a few sneak peaks at my grans album. I know i should you a few pages earlier on in the year so here are a few more i have been working on.

This is my actual album tin.......for those of you non-scrappers out there you'll understand when i post the full picture...lol

and the following are sneak peaks of some of the pages...

and this....

and this.....

and this.........

and finally this......

Now this is my cat. For those of you who dont know we actually have 5! I know, i know....how on earth did we end up with so many. Im just not too sure to be honest. But, everyone of them is so very different from the other and they all have such great personalities. This one however, he is my baby. I love him to bites. When he sleeps he has to always rest his chin on the floor or chair or whatever he may be laying on. By doing this he ends up with his butt high in the sky...it really is so funny.

Last friday was my moms birthday. After work, my dad took her out for a meal and once they had done that they poped over to us to come for some good old cake and tea. It was so nice being able to spend the evening with them. Out of all the photos that i took these two are my favourite. My mom looks lovely in this photo......

And this photo - i just love how i managed to catch the light from the candles in the photo. Very very proud of myself for this one....lol

Anyways, looking forward to another weekend. Hope you all have a great few days and thanks for reading my extra long post today....lol

Scrap-therapy

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it will last forever."

I never knew how therapeutic this scrapping hobby of ours could be. I have heard of people saying how therapeutic it has been for them...but me - i have never felt this way....until last night that was.

Effer Dare # 47 is Pain. Not something that you would normally see on a layout but I am so glad that i took this challenge on. It's amazing how some layouts just come together, what seems like, all on their own. I sat listening to one of my favourite songs at the moment, Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, and i just started to think about the things that i have been through in my life so far. I got a pen and a piece of paper and i just wrote....whatever was on my heart and running through my head went onto that piece of paper. I did no amendments and didn't even go back and read through it again as you normally would do.
Then i sat down and put my layout together. It took me just under 90 minutes. This for some may seem like ages but i am normally a very slow scrapper. So for me to do this layout from initial idea right through to a completed item is pretty darn good.
I was in too minds about putting this on here for all to see, especially as it makes me so open and vulnerable, but in the end i decided that this is part of who i am now so why should i keep it hidden.

The quote at the top of my blog is the quote that is sitting on my Fragile Handle with care label on the layout. The journaling reads:
Pain is....
losing your baby
that deep dark place in your soul where you wonder if you will ever make your way out.
realising that you love someone more than what they love you.
that feeling of complete loneliness even though you are in a room of people.
realising that that truly happy feeling of knowing you are living your dream is gone and your not sure you will ever get that feeling again.
knowing that you gave up too much of yourself and what you wanted for someone else.
regrets
knowing that there is not one person in your love who "gets" you.

Remember....Pain is real and often knocks us further than we ever thought possible - but it wont last forever!

I know that this has been a little heavy today........but the one thing that is really important to me at the moment is being real. Life is not all roses and things don't always go the way you would like them to go but life is also filled with so many happy moments that we need to remember to not dwell too long on the painful moments.

Have a happy hump day everyone!

Not again.....

I think my ear infection is coming back, AGAIN! I have never had any problems with my ears before now but for the past two months or so i keep getting swollen ear drumbs, blocked ears and very very painful ears. I will be going off to Boots at lunch time to see if i can find my own cure for my ears as the doctors have tried me on 3 different things and obviously none of them are doing the job.

I managed to get some scrapping done this weekend all be it a lot less than i was hoping to get done. I managed two layouts, began another altered item for christmas and also another page for my mini album. The layout that i did below is called Never Forget - and yes that photo is of a younger me......lol. How cute am I!
I combined three challenges into one layout so was pretty impressed with myself. There was a lot of journaling on this layout so i have included it at the bottom of the layout.


Dearest little me,
Here you are, only three or four years old and I have so much that I want to tell
you. Growing up is scary and has also been rather difficult at times, but I am hoping
to remind you of a few things and to give you something to look at whenever you are in
need of a little encouragement, a little wisdom or a little tender loving care.
First off let me start by saying that you have such a wonderful future ahead of
you. You are going to see things that no one else your age has seen. You are going to
grow in leaps and bounds and you are going to have a great time doing it. You have
always been a dreamer. Make sure you never lose sight of that dream that you hold so
close to your heart. When people say that what you want will never happen, that it is
too "out of reach", just remember that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you and who
is capable of making everyone of your dreams come true. Don’t let go of them and
don't give them up for anyone!
You have always been a little hard on yourself. You expect the best from yourself
and also from those around you. Even though this part of who you are helps you to
achieve so much and is such a big part of who you are, sometimes, when things get
tough, just remember to be a little less harsh on yourself than you normally are.
Remember that you don’t always have to be perfect.
Now, this one is such a huge one for you. People Pleasing! It's integrated into
your personality and has been confirmed by how you have been raised. As tough as it
might be, and this is one thing that I am still working on, you don’t always have to do
what everyone expects you to do, you don’t always have to live up to what everyone
thinks you should be. Find out what it is in life that YOU want and go for it! Start
learning now how to stand up for yourself, to not be a doormat for everyone and anyone
to walk all over. I know you can do it! You are special and deserve to be treated with
respect and consideration.
Love....during your teen years you are going to feel so awkward in your skin.
Your going to wonder if anyone is every going to love you and you are going to wonder
if you will ever get married and have children. Let me just tell you. One day you
will meet this young man who sweeps you off your feet. He will be charming and funny
but demanding and totally opposite to you. He is not your first love but he is many of
your firsts in other areas. Stand on your own two feet, look out for yourself but
remember to take care of him.
There is so much more to say, so much more I would like to tell you but I think I
have probably overloaded you with too much already. If you take nothing away from you
in this letter just remember the following....1. Your family are most important, never
forget that.....2. Never give up on your dreams, no matter what comes your way.....3.Dont
forget to make some time for yourself when you get older, you matter and you need to
put yourself first everyone once in a while.....4. God has a wonderful plan for you and
right now as I am writing this letter I know that that plan is still now finished...
..5.NEVER forget that you are special, special to yourself, to your family and most of
all special to your Heavenly Father and finally 6. Enjoy your life, no matter what comes
your way make sure that you enjoy the little things that show up in our every day
lives....there is so much beauty and joy to be found in those simple things.
All my love,
Your older and wiser self.

The first challenge was this weeks UKS challenge. Use 5 different colours - check, use something sparkly - check, hide something - check, do something royal - missed this one and tear some paper - check!
Second challenge was Journalers Junction challenge 10. Write a letter to someone, anyone. Put your emotions in writting.
And finally the third challenge was for the Colour Blog challenge 8. Scrap with a colour that makes you VERY uncomfortable. Well that orange definately did it for me, along with the bright pink ribbon and the completely floral patterend paper....lol.
I love the end result though.

Ok, so i know it is a little late in the season to be saying this but i finally managed to take my first real autumn photo. This was taken out of my bedroom window looking down towards the trees in the cul-de-sac. I loved the contrast of the colours of the leaves with the fresh blue sky.


I have loads more photos to show you and a ton more scraping pictures but i need to get ready for work. Another week having to work with this horrible woman.....argh!

Anyway, have a great day everyone!

YAY for the weekend!!

Is anyone else as excited as i am that the weekend is finally here? I don't have anything particularly exciting planned but i am looking forward to having a lay in and to finally have some time where i can do some scrapping.

These past few weeks have been so hectic and stressful for me that i just haven't found the time or energy to sit down and do what i love to do! To be honest, i have really missed it and i find myself really longing to get back into it....does that sound really sad or what?.......lol. But really, i love what i do and i find it has become such a big part of who i am.

I sat down this afternoon for 5 minutes to have a quick read through Ali Edwards newsletter that i get every Tuesday....Yup, that's right , got it on Tuesday and only reading it today! Well, her newsletter this week is on our style. Not just in the sense of scrapbooking but also in the sense of ever day life and even down to things like how we decorate our houses. This got me thinking to some thing that has really been buggin me lately. While i have said above that i have not done much scrapping, i did make a start on one layout which was for the Pencillines challenge. I saw the layout that Annie did and i love it. I thought i would scraplift her layout and do my layout for my dad's birthday using her layout but you know what....It just wasn't working for me. It lay on my desk for about 4 days and when ever i walked into the room to pick something up i looked at it and it just didn't feel right. I couldn't put my finger on it but something just didn't gel well. So last night i decided i was going to just start again....and you know what....i love what i have done so far! No, its still not finished but i feel so much happier with how it is looking. I just have to put the final touches on it now and it will be done. Thanks Ali for reminding me that even though my style may be different from everyone Else's, that it is still MY style and that i should embrace it and love it!

So, I'm leaving you this Friday afternoon with a very festive picture to look at and enjoy..


Have a happy weekend everyone!

Would you believe

Well, I have now been in the UK for just over 5 years. Thankfully my grandparents are British which has allowed me to come over, live and work on an ancestral visa. BUT......yup, the dreaded but.......last year the government went and changed its laws regarding the ancestral visa and i now to to apply for an extension on my visa for 12 months before i can apply for my passport. Now, I'm not one to speak about politics and even though this has caused me to have to wait another 12 months before i can go abroad to Europe and also cost me 350 quid i normally wouldn't moan.

However, last night i arrive home to see my envelope back from the Immigration people. I tear it open, excited and nervous all at one time and pull out the letter attached. In big bold letters
"Your application has been denied" WHAT???? I went into over time panic at this point and dear Stu pulled the letter away and began to read it. It turns out that the reason for the denial is because the application has been made on the incorrect application form.....the form that THEY sent out to me to apply on!! Arrrgggghhhh! Talk about frustrating! So, while i was out with work for a special due Stu sat at home and filled in the new form for me (which between you and me) has exactly the same questions on it - the only difference being the number on the form! It has now been popped back in the post and fingers crossed it has a better time this time! Oh yeah, i was so stressed out about it that after Stu filled out the entire form for me i went and posted it at my local post office without signing the forms!!! DOH! Luckily, i know the lady behind the counter and she searched for me envelope, carefully opened it and then let me sign it. She even resealed it for me and off it went! This is turning into a bit of a nightmare you might say.

On other news front, the new lady at work has turned out to be a right royal pain in the ass! She doesn't get on with anyone in the office and has caused 3 loud arguments in the two and a half weeks she has been with us. Today we are supposed to be sitting down to have a departmental meeting about our differences to see if we can resolve this now! I HATE confrontation and this has had me in butterflies all evening! I will let you know how it goes.

Did you know...

I went blog surfing again this morning...as i do every morning and i happened to read Karla's blog in which she tagged herself.....lol, you have to go take a look if you want the full story (link is to the right) So here are my answers to her tag...

My Loves:
** I Love circles at the moment!
** Rub-ons - I just love, love, love.
** Bright, colourful, beautiful papers.
** Jounraling - telling the story is so important to me.
** Blossoms - i sometimes forget that i have other embelishments...lol.
** Acrylic paint. It can be used for so many things in so many ways. Love it!
** Word stickers.
** All of 7 Gypsies products at the moment.
** The feeling of a completed project.

My not so Loves:
** When i have stuck something down and no matter how much i measured it still looks skew on the paper.
** When i go into my scrapping room and see that the cats have not only been on my table, but have manage to get a little muddy cat paw print somewhere on my layout....i want to cry!
** Tags - Im just never sure what to do with them.
** When my eyelet setter doesnt want to work properly, i have to take it apart and then put it back together again before i can use it...SO FRUSTRATING!!!
**Fibers - I have a load sitting in my room and i can never get inspired enough to use them.
** Spelling mistakes. I am famous for my spelling mistakes. This has always been a tough one for me - especially in school. My mom always thought i would grow out of it...lol. I guess im still growing cos im definately not out of it yet!!
** Only having one sheet of bazzil and needing two.

Things I Tend to Repeat:
** I have blossoms on EVERY page. Big or smal you can always count on them being on there.
** Using my own handwritting. I am not a big fan of my own writing - especially when i am trying to write and i end up going skew- but i feel it is important for my layouts to have that touch of personalization from me. My mom always says that i have a great way with words, and although my spelling is really bad, i do enjoy writing. I have always kept a diary and when things get tough i find it helps me to write it down.
** Acrylic paint always makes it way onto a layout.
** Single page LO's. I love them!
** The color pink. I never used to be a pink girl but at the moment that is my fav scrapbooking colour....that and brown!

What I Want to Try:
** Embossing - I have heard loads about it but never actually tried it.
** Using a piece of fabric somewhere on my page.
** Doing a layout story over two or three canvas's.
** Bleaching
**I would love to try a layout in which i am a little freeer in my style. I tend to be very neat and structured. One day i just want to slap some paint on a page stick a rub-on in the middle of it and ta-da. Its a wonderful, artistic page! lol
** More projects. I have a list a mile long of things i want to try and make, its just finding the time at the moment.
** Doing a weekend Crop or Retreat. I think that would be so much fun!

Products I Would be Mighty Cranky Without:
** My Paper trimmer.
** My computer.
** My double sided tape.
** My scrap paper and pencil.
** My blossoms.
** My black journaling pens.
** My patterned paper.
** Alphabet rub-ons.

Wierd Things I Do When I Scrapbook:
** I stand.
** I dance along to whatever music is playing.
** I first have to play with about 100 different sheets of patterned paper before i finally make a decision.
** I clean up only when my table is sooo messy i cant fit my 12 x 12 on it anymore....and i have a huge, long table that goes across one wall!
** I talk to myself constantly, or atleast inbetween singing to myself.
** I get distracted by other projects VERY easily!

There it is. This is my list for now, at this moment in time. If i were to do this again in a months time i bet you that so much of it would change, but hey thats for another day i guess.

Christmas is in the air

Well, its official. The Christmas season has begun for me. I spent Saturday night with my other halfs aunty, making Christmas cards. I had such a good time making them and she even gave me some of her stuff to take home to make some more with. How kind was that!

So here are my christmas cards so far for this year....



I am so chuffed with how they have turned out!

Friday afternoon i came across this quote on Rhonda's blog archives and it really spoke to me.

There is a sense of exhilaration that comes from facing head-on the hard truths and saying, "We will never give up. We will never capitulate. It might take a long time, but we will find a way to prevail.

-- Jim Collins, from his book, Good to Great

I havent read his book but this quote really did make me stop and think. My weight is a big issue for me and along with that is my self image. Neither of them is what they should be at the moment but reading this quote made me realise that this is something that i can never give up on. I can never just sit here and hope that it will simply go away on its own. I need to face the truth - the truth that the only person who can change this is me and that it will be something that will take a lot of effort on my part, a lot of patience and a lot of falling down and getting back up. I have never been very good with waiting for things that i want....if i want something badly, i tend to want it now! lol. This is not going to be one of those things. So tonight, while i sit here infront of my pc i have made a promise to myself that i wont give up on me! I wont let this battle beat me and in future i wont be so hard on myself. I am going to put all my energy into this! One meal at a time, one day at a time.

Lip licking good

Now, Im not saying that we starve our cats or anything but has anyone ever seen a sight like this before???

Hmmm, lets think about it.....a nice fresh bowl of cat chunks in gravy or a cold 90% eaten cob which used to hold corn. I know which one i would rather go for!
Each day i think these cats are becomming more and more human.

Happy Birthday Dad

Yesterday was my dads birthday. The old man turned 52! Its so weird to think of your dad as a normal human being. Dad's are super heros, who can sort everything out, who you go to when you have a problem or when you need a little extra love.

Dad, I love you so much, Happy Birthday for yesterday and hope that you had a fantastic day.

This is my dad's cake, I iced it and decorated it all on my own......

The happy couple

The birthday boy with his special badge

This photo is just perfect of my dad, it is very seldom that you dont see him on the phone to someboday. We always joke that we think he must have been born with a phone to his ear!

Dad opening his pressie. We got him some of his favourite aftershave - Old Spice original.

And finally he is blowing out his candles!

Last night was a great evening and i am looking forward to gettting these photos scrapped soon!

There is so much more to tell you and so much more that is going on with me at the moment but that will have to wait for another day.

Take care everyone.

A new me

This weekend was a strange one for me. Firstly it consisted of a much needed 3 days instead of 2, secondly i had tooth ache almost every day of it and thirdly i ended up the weekend looking very different to how i had started it.

Wanna see........................?????????????










I had my eyebrows waxed, my eyelashes tinted, my hair coloured red (a very big first for me) and i had a makeover at Boots! Wow, what a difference.

Here are some pictures from our Guy Fox evening. It was our first attempt at taking fireworks photos and i am so pleased with how they came out.

Hitting the top

Just a quick post from me today. While reading SJ's blog she blog Dared us to do a top 5 list and then to come back to it in a months time to see how it has changed. I thought this was a really good idea so here is my list in no particular order...

1. Chipboard Alpha's - i am just loving these at the moment
2. My Camera - Learning some new on it every day
3. My daily evening cup of nescafe Cupacinno
4. Acrylic paint - i love how it looks and its versatility
5. Mini books - of all shapes, sizes and matters

Well, thats it from me today. I should be going out with my friend Katya tonight so hoping to remember to take my camera. We're only going for coffee but im really looking forward to it.