To us

I received this this morning in my email from on of my friends and thought it was very fitting for a Wednesday....

A Toast to us woman!

For the men who have us,
The losers who had us,
The Goofs that wished they had us,
And the lucky people who will meet us!!

Now for an update on last night. First let me start off by saying "Yay to me!". I did not chicken out, i did not change my mind and i said every word that i had been practising for the last few days. (yes, i did say practising - that's what i do when i have an important topic to discuss...lol). So after all the stressing, our conversation lasted only about half an hour. There was no disagreeing, no arguing, no blame shifting - it was a very adult conversation *Another pat on the back*We will see what comes of it but i must admit i was pleasantly surprised!

Do you remember a little while back i did my "I must confess" album for Shimelles class, well one of my pages was that i must confess that i do not have a green thumb! On any normal day that statement could not be any closer to the truth. But just lately, that may be starting to change. The first one is the plant below. I bought it from Asda beginning of January. I was hoping that it would flower and then be a nice plant to have in our lounge. When i got it home, i watered it and stuck it in the windowsill. Every Saturday morning the first thing i do before i make a cup of tea in the morning is put 250ml water onto it. On Sunday i decided to take it out of the kitchen and put it in the windowsill in the lounge. This morning i opened my curtains to this.....

I know it sounds a little dramatic but this beautiful little thing took my breath away! I am hoping that in a few weeks it will begin to flower - boy will I be shouting from the rooftops then...lol!

Now this is my other pride and joy at the moment. My mom and dad got me these two bulbs for Christmas. You put them in these little vases with water, stick them in a dark cool corner and 8 weeks later they are supposed to flower. It has now been about 6 weeks. This one is growing so well but the second bulb, i managed to kill. As it was not growing roots as quickly as its friend, i decided i should splash it with a little water to help it on its way. Well, not only did that not work but i also managed to help it grow mold all over itself. I tried to scrap all the mold off to give it a fighting chance to keep living but i think it is well and truly dead.

Just last night i noticed that it is starting to open and beginning to flower. I will keep you all updated on my little plants progress.
After our big conversation last night i managed to get some scrapping done. I have half completed my layout but hope to get it finished and photographed tonight.

Tough Times ahead

Today is one of those days. The alarm went off this morning at 6 am and i simply switched it off and went back to sleep. Ten to seven i wake up and rush out of bed - i have to leave for work in 15 minutes! I get up, get dressed, grab some food and head out the door. No cup of tea and one headache later i arrive just in the nick of time at work. *Note to self - this is not a good way to start the day*

With this bad start to the day it is no wonder that my diet has gone out the window, that's today's excuse at least. No time to make lunch or sort out breakfast so i will have to nip over to the cob shop at lunch and get something fatty and delicious for lunch - oh and don't forget the little chocolate that is needed to accompany this sort of a meal.

If you have been reading my blog, you would have noticed that things with me and my life have been a little up and down lately. I have had some big decisions to make and this, for me, is not an easy thing. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and i don't like making mistakes so for me to make a big decision is a very long, arduous task that includes changing my mind several times. Well, finally, i think i have made my decision. I wanted to talk last night and get it sorted but it just was not possible. So, i am going to have to try tonight.

I am never very good with things like this, i get nervous, chicken out, forget what i want to say. Its not a pretty sight girls.

So basically, I'm just asking for any extra good vibes that anyone has spare - if you could send them my way tonight i would greatly appreciate it.

Weekend refreshing

What a refreshing weekend i have had. My car needed to have some welding done to it so i took the day off of work on Friday and my little car went in to the car doctors. I spent Friday morning in my dressing gown and pj's. I did some reading, some letter writing, some TV watching and some time just listening to some of my music. Then in the afternoon we borrowed Stu's moms car and went to go do some grocery shopping at Asda.

Saturday was much the same - some sleeping, some eating, some reading and importantly some scrapping. I am going to be entering into a design team competition and so have been working on a altered project to send in for that. I managed to get it finished by Saturday night and a few things changed on Sunday. I took it round to my mom and dad and they love it! I love it too to be honest and I'm not trying to hoot my own horn or anything but this one is my most favourite one so far. Here is a few sneak peaks.....

and then there is also this one...

All the products used on this is from my very first scrapologie monthly kit. This kit is so beautiful and the service was so quick i would definitely recommend them to anyone.

My ahead looks busy once again but i am determined to make sure that i keep some time aside everyday for relaxing. I don't want to lose this feeling that i have at the moment.

Have a good Monday!

I love this place!

I LOVE this place - and i LOVE it even more when its inside a huge book store!

I am and the dreaded weigh in.

So last night i finally got some time to sit down and do this weeks card challenge. I am.... was this weeks prompt and boy did a lot of things go through my head regarding this sentence! I am one of a kind. I am learning to love myself. I am a go getter. I am loved by many. I am a photographer. I am creative. Even down to some silly things like I am 5'9. But in the end i decided to go with " I am learning to hear from God".

This has always been a bit of a foreign concept to me. I have grown up hearing from people who have heard from God - a still small voice, a nudge in the right direction, even down to simply having a feeling. I can not say that i have ever really 100% definitely heard directly from God. I have tried to make the right decisions. I have moved forward hoping that God will close the wrong doors and open the right ones. So anyways, I am purposefully trying to hear from God.

Here is the front of my card.
And this is the back of my card.
Last night i had my second weigh in at weight watchers and it was not as good as last week. I put 2 pounds on this week but I'm not too disappointed with it as my other half had just cooked dinner when i got home so i had one very full tummy before weigh in! So it is the start of a new week and this week will be much much better!

I must confess.....

So my stamps finally arrived today! Woohoo! That meant that i could finally finish my journal. It took me an hour and a half and i had so much fun doing it. Here is my album....

"This is my hair brush! No matter who you are in this life you are NEVEr allowed to use it. Not even my mom. Weird, I know."

"For as far back as i can remeber i have been creative. Drawing, painting, pottery, dancing - anything to simply creat."

"Green thumbs seem to run in my family, well for everyone except me that is. No matter how hard i try, they always seem to die."

"No matter how you look at it I am a romantic at heart! Flowers, dinners, a walk in the park, feeding the ducks. Romance."

"For as long as i can remember, i have always wanted to live by the sea. The crashing waves, the full moon, it's all magical."

"i'll just come right out and say it! No matter how hard i try, no matter how much i wish, i will never ever be able to sing in public!"

For some reason yet again my photos dont seem to want to open into a bigger picture. Will have to figure this outTonight i hope to start and finish my Week 3 card for Emily's challenge so dont forget to check this space!

Tagged

By Rhonda so here goes!

A - Available or Taken: Taken for 5 years so far
B - Best Friend: Jenny, Zenya and Rayola
C -Cake or Pie: Most definitely cake. Love chocolate cake.
D - Drink of Choice: Pineapple Juice
E - Essential item you use everyday: My hairbrush.
F - Favorite Color: Baby pink and brown - I know you only wanted one but those two just go together.
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: Worms - sour worms!
H - Hometown: Leicester, UK
I - Indulgence: A tub of Ben and Jerry's Pish food ice-cream
J - January or February: February. Its a shorter month so my salary comes round quicker!
K - Kids & Names: Two Children - Rebecca and Cole
L - Life is incomplete without?: Family and Friends
M - Marriage Date: Not married yet but have been engaged for what feels like forever!
N - Number of Siblings: 1 younger brother
O - Oranges or Apples: oranges - but someone has to peel them for me first
P - Phobias or Fears: Dentists
Q - Fave Quote:
"Everything you need for this journey through life has been promised to you by your Heavenly Father."Not sure who the author is
R - Reason to Smile: Opening flowers
S - Season: Fall
T - Tag 3 or 4 People: Rhonda P, Jessica and Amy.
U - Unknown fact about me: No matter who you are in life i will NEVER share my hair brush with you. If ANYONE other than me uses it i can not use it until i have soaked it in disinfectant. (lol nothing personal its just how i am - even my mom cant use my hair brush)
V - Vegetable you don't like: Brussels Sprouts.
W - Worst Habit: Being too hard on myself
X - X-rays: Stomach, chest and wrist
Y - Your favourite Food: Lasagna followed by chocolate mouse
Z - Zodiac Sign: Virgo

I have half completed my Shimelle album. All my pages are put together, my photos have been chosen and are stuck to my pages. I am just waiting for some stamps that i have ordered to arrive. They are journaling stamps and i can not wait to use them. I am hoping that they arrive today and then i can get it finished tonight and post it on here tomorrow for you all.

Have a good day everyone

Pain is Powerful

Week two for the 52 card challenge is "What is powerful to you?". I spent a little time looking through some peoples cards and i really enjoyed seeing what other people found powerful. Many of them i too found powerful and it was a good way to remind myself just how powerful some of these things are.

However, the first thing that came to my mind when i read her prompt was pain. Now i know that that is a little morbid and sad but it is a part of my life at the moment and also apart of a few of my friends lives. We all go through periods of pain and confusion, disappointment and heartbreak so i thought that it was only right to include this in my week 2's challenge.

This card is a two sided card. I love how the black and white go so nicely together. The front of the card is very simple and to the point. Pain is Powerful. I used making memory rubons for the words and then some paint and stamps for the corners.

The back of the card i decided to put some journaling down. The journaling reads: " Pain can make you doubt yourself, it can make you feel helpless and alone. Pain can make you question everything that you believe. Pain can change your life."

Well, that's all from me today folks. I have 5 loads of washing waiting for me to iron downstairs and i also want to make a start on Shimelles free class today.

Take care and speak soon.

Wohoo to me!

If you have not yet seen Emily Falconbridge's 52 Card art journal then take a quick jump over to her site to have a look.......don't forget to come back though! Here is a link 52 Card art .

I came across this on Monday and from the moment i saw it i loved it! I have never worked on cards before so thought this would be a great way to do something quick and different. On Monday i was two weeks behind but now i am only one. Yup, here is my first card complete. Unfortunately, i am in a little bit of a hurry and don't have time to take yet another photo of my card. So this photo is a little blurry - sorry ladies.

The first weeks card is something that you are proud of. This week, last night in fact, i was VERY proud of myself. *One tick on my resolutions layout from yesterday - This year i will give myself more credit*. Last night was my first weigh-in for my first week at weight watchers. Tadaa --- I have lost 5 1/2 pounds this week. Yup, i couldn't believe it either but there you go. I am on way to a healthier, skinner me! The fuzzy green journaling reads "I am so proud, I lost five and a half pounds".

Now i just have to do week two's card and then i will be up to date. So hope you all have a great day.

Be safe!

I finally got some scrapping done!

Sometimes life can be so complicated!! Today has been one of those days. I don't really feel like i can go into all of it just yet - i need time to digest it all. I need time to think.....

So it has been a while since i have had some time and mojo to sit down and do a layout. I had originally started the night with a different project in mind but the minute i pulled out this paper i knew exactly what photo would go with it and what i would do with the entire layout. I was toying with the idea of doing a Resolutions layout for a while now but finally last night i knew the time had come to do one. I love this layout! I used three new techniques/ideas, well new to me at least and so finished this off feeling very very proud of myself. So lets see what i did.....First off i used my lovely new little sewing machines that a very kind lady RAK'ed me from UKS. My first time sewing on a layout and if i am being honest its probably one of the very few times i have even used a sewing machine - all be it a little one. Then, another first for me was clear gloss embossing liquid. I used it on my letters and finally the little chipboard circle is all my own! The colours from the photo are not true colours, the entire photo should be a little darker but i still love it.

The resolutions read:

1. To love myself more.
2. To find and do what makes me truly happy.
3. This year i will give myself more credit.
4. Fill my life with laughter.
5. I will have fun.
6. Grow into a more beautiful and interesting young woman.

Just while i think about it........if anyone knows why my pictures are not opening up into a different screen when you click on them please let me know. I thought it might be something with the settings but alas i can not find anything of the sort.

Family

Can someone please tell me why it is that whenever you decide to leave your camera at home because you don't think you will really need it, you end up REALLY needing it??

Sunday morning i went round to my mom and dads to go meet my cousin. He is 4years younger than me and i have not seen him in about 13 years!! Yup, weused to live on opposite sides of the country in south Africa so itwas not very often that our families got together. He is now 21 and livingin London. He has been here for about six months and finally came up to seeus all. At first it was a little weird but within no time we were allchatting away nicely. I had to end up using my dad's little camera to take these so they are not up to my normal standard....

First photo is of Trevor and his girlfriend...

Then we have my dad and trevor

My mom is not in any photos due to her being in the kitchen and i am of course on the other side of the camera. Families are a great thing! Don't ever take them for granted!

Sunday Blog Prompt by SJ

So, i thought that today i would take part in SJ's Sunday Blog prompt. I was actually going to use these photos in a layout this weekend but things have been hectic - more about that in another post - and i have decided to use them for this instead.

What you had to do was go round your house and take photos of things that make you happy - So here are a few of mine......

Books have always made me happy. I love reading books. I love the things your learn, the stories you read, the places you visit and the people you meet.
Friends - No matter my mood or how i am feeling - these guys always seem to make me laugh. I know every line and every joke and yet somehow they still do it for me!

My scrapbooking stash. I love all this stuff. The creativity that it produces, the opportunity for individuality. I love the challenges and the experiences. It relaxes me.

American Sports - I love them all. Football, Baseball, Ice Hockey and even Nascar Racing. They all bring a smile to my face.

I finally found her

I want everyone to say hello to the new me.........

Yup, that's right, i have found the person i always feel I should be. Lets find out a little about her then shall we?

*She can work a full ten hour day and still come home to cook a fabulous, healthy, interesting dinner.

*She can keep the house tidy, and spotless for those unscheduled drop by's from friends and family.

*She can find time to do all the above and then still scrap some amazing works of art.

*She is patient and understanding with her other half.

*She never loses contact with her old friends.

*She always knows what to say, both to her friends and to herself.

*She knows what the right thing is to do, regardless of how she feels.

*She never gets down and always finds the brighter side of things to focus on.

*She always has enough money for bills, surprises, holidays and any spur of the moment stuff.

SHE is superwoman..........................I am not!

Friday, at long last

An update on how I am today.
Work: So at this moment in time work officially sucks! After six and a half months temping at this company they have finally offered me a permanent position which has been back dated to the 02.01.2007. The salary is great, the most i have ever earned out here in the UK, but as always there is a catch. The new woman, who has actually been here now since November, is a total cow! I could think of other things to call her but I'm being nice today. Anyways, no one gets along with her in the office but she is making my work life just horrible. Its a long story as these things normally are but today i am going to try to not let her get to me.
Weight: Well, i went to my first weight in at weightwatchers on Wednesday night and boy was i shocked at what the scales said...lol. Anyway, i have so far had a total of 30+ hours of sticking 100% to the core plan. I know, i know.....30 hours is not an awfully long time but it is the start, so Yahoo to me. *currently patting myself on the back*
Mood: My mood today is OK. I am trying to be more positive and not let things get me down. Money is tight yet again this week but I'm keeping my chin up and a smile on my face.
Scrapping: Last night i managed to have about an hour and a half to myself to get some scrapping done. I had hoped to get more than just one page done but i guess it just wasn't meant to be. I know I'm a little late but i finally got around to scraping my word of the year. I used my Cherry Arts Kit that i got back in November or December and i really enjoyed doing this layout. Its not exactly what i had in mind so i might see about adding some more things to it but for now this is how it is finished.

The quote says "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Rhonda sent me this quote in an email and i hope that she doesn't mind that i have used it on my layout. There is so much more that i feel i could say about this but for now, this is how i have left it. One good quote to keep you thinking.

Have a great weekend everyone - i know i will be doing some cleaning and relaxing!

A little bit of cooking.

Last night i got home after work and i was really having trouble deciding what to make for dinner. I knew that i felt like a home cooked meal and i knew that i needed something that was different. So out came my recipe books and the hunt began. After ten minutes of searching i decided i would attempt Chili Con Carne. I have never eaten it before let alone cook it, but i am very please to say that it came out deliciously. There was enough of it for two meals so half has been stuck away in the freezer for one night next week!


It seems like the cooking and baking bug really hit me yesterday. After dinner was done i decided that i would now have to make some Chocolate Chip cookies. As i am joining weightwatchers on Wednesday night i decided i had better only do half a batch. So eight large chocolate chip cookies later i was watching "What woman want" happily munching away on one of the cookies. They too turned out delicious! Yay, for me.
Sunday night Stuart decided that it was time for a change. He was playing with the idea to either shave off all his hair and leave his beard, or just shave off his beard or just shave it all. Well, were we in stitches! He started off with just the side and middle of his beard leaving the funny bits down either side of his mouth. Once we had stopped laughing and i had taken a few photos he then went on to shave everything off! Yup - he is now a skinhead. Thank goodness it grows back quickly because boy does he look weird....lol

These are some of the photos that i took while we were goofing around and these two are my favourite. What do ya think?

Well, i hope that everyone has a great tuesday. God Bless and see you back here tomorrow!

My word for the year

If you haven't already signed up for Alis newsletter then i suggest that you do. I love seeing it there in my inbox and i love the inspiration that she gives me through them. This weeks newsletter, she suggested that we choice a word that sums up what we want for ourselves for this coming year. It can be anything you like.....what ever has meaning to you!

I thought about this for a while and two words came to mind. Choices and Free. Both of these words work well together and also relate to each other but i had to pick one.

So my word for 2007 is going to be Choices.

This year i am reminding myself that no matter what, everything in my life is a choice. What i am going to eat is a choice, what mood i am going to be in is a choice, what i am going to spend my time doing is a choice. Even when those situations arise through the year that leaves me feeling like there is nothing that i can do and even if at the end of it all i do nothing - that is a choice!

I Won!

Ok, so i guess you want to know what i won right? Well this morning the post man popped through a medium sized box that rattled. I thought, hmmm, a little strange , i havent ordered anything.....at least that i can remember ordering,lol. So i made myself a cup of tea, sat down with my parcel and ripped the packaging to shreds!! Look what was inside.......The writing says " Congratulations on winning a Scrapbook Magazine issue 20 giveaway!" Yup you read that right, i won a giveaway. That NEVER happens to me! Thank you Scrapbook Magazine for making my Saturday Morning so cool!