One more down...

One more to go. Can't show the whole thing yet cos it's for a class...I bet this is the worst scrapbooking blog in the whole world (votes on a postcard please)! I only show bits of layouts! I enjoyed creating this layout though because I love love love doodling ...I find it so relaxing.

I also saw this cartoon today which made me literally snort my drink at the computer.

On Tuesday evening Linz (the owner of Crafty Pastimes for those of you who don't know her) and her two girlies came to stay for the night, and then on Wednesday we headed to the beach with Debbie, her daughter and her daughter's friend, Molly. Well, Linz and I made the most amazing discovery. Linzy-Loo is from Swindon originally and as we were chatting on Tuesday evening I mentioned that I actually spent a very short period living in Swindon as a kid. "Where? What road? What part of Swindon?" were the questions put to me, to which I replied, "Iiiiiiii don't knooooooow!!! I was FIVE!" We lived at my cousin's house while our house was being built in Basingstoke...I do have very distinct memories of it, and some photos too, but the grown-up type details are understandably missing. So I rang my cousin Gwen to pick her brain. So, she told me we lived there for 6 months and the name of the street and the estate we lived on, and Linz looked at me grinning incredulously and said, "But that's just around the corner from where I lived...I lived on that same estate!" Well, as Linz and I are only a year apart in age, it then occurred to me that if we lived so close (how mad is THAT!) then we probably went to the same school. I do have vague memories of being at school with my cousin Jeff. And...get this folks...Linz and I were at the same infant school at the same time. Just one class age apart from each other. Cerrrrr-aaaaazy!! Funy how we should become friends through scrapbooking, although we now live in South Wales and Gloucestershire, miles apart from each other! Ooo, ooo...AND one of my main memories of living there is having chicken pox, lying on Gwen's sofa covered in calamine and feeling miserable and itchy. Well, Linz was only at that school for a couple of years (they moved to the other side of Swindon) and she said SHE had chicken pox whilst there too. It was probably the same chicken pox infection going round. Too funny eh?

Anyway, the kids had a wonderful, wonderful time together...Celyn got on like a house on fire with Alanna and Sabrina, and they all slept together in Celyn's bedroom that night - a real 'sleepover' - awwwwww! They were all kneeling on her bed at one point, in their PJs, seeing what stars they could find in the night sky...so so so sweet. I read them all 'Dogger' (by Shirley Hughes) and nearly came a cropper trying to straddle the camp bed to sit down (which Linz found highly amusing - bwaahaaahaaa!)

Our trip to the beach was fun because we just kept laughing at ourselves. It was blummin' FREEZING!!!!!!! It was grey, windy, cloudy and kept spitting with rain. How nuts are we? Well, the kids had a good time, and Molly and Hannah even braved the sea in their wet-suits. Debbie, Linz and I just stayed in our camp chairs, under BLANKETS and TOWELS to keep warm, drinking hot chocolate and eating chips! LOL!!! I actually honestly did have a red face and chest this morning...and I tell ya, it was WIND burn (or possibly frost bite)...not sun burn, that's for sure. I couldn't even use it as a good opportunity to get some arty photos because my camera battery died. Ho hum. Still, we had a total laugh and it was lovely to hang out with these fab ladies.

I would upload the photos Linz took but Blogger's being norty again - tsk! It let me do the first two but has now gone on strike. Ho hum.

There are, as I type this, 2.5 hours left of summer. September (to me) is an autumn month. While autumn is oookaaaay I get so sad that summer is gone (and gone early too...this weather is naff). I so look forward to summer all year, and it just seems to have flown by this year. I need my husband to earn lots and lots of money so we can afford to go off to sunnier climes in February for a few weeks, so I can get some happiness sunshine. Perhaps if we all wish really really hard, we can have an Indian summer at the beginning of September. Come on everybody...and WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISH!!!!!!

A, B, C...easy as 1, 2, 3...

{great Jacksons song by the way :D }

I saw this ABC list on Nicola's blog the other day, and then again on Carrie's ...so I thought I'd play too:

A is for Age: Old enough to know kids I remember being born going to university. Old enough to have achy back/knees/shoulders (take your pick). Too damn old...

B is for Bread of choice: French baguette still warm from the patisserie, bread with loads of seeds and stuff in that fills you completely up, fresh unsliced bloomer from my local bakery. Mmmm...breaaaaad {Homer Simpson voice}

C is for favorite Candy: At the moment...Kit Kat Peanut Chunky. And I'm anybody's for a wine gum

D is for fave Disney character: Ariel (mostly because she had the fabbiest singing voice of all)

E is for Essential items used everyday: My computer, my dishwasher (saves so much time)

F is for Favorite song at the moment: Frankly Mr Shankley (old Smiths song that I'm just playing over and over on the CD player in the car)

G is for favorite Game: If we're talking board games, then either Articulate or Absolute Balderdash

H is for hometown: Reading, Berkshire

I is for instruments you play: The recorder (lol...but I seriously can play it!) and I sing

J is for jam or jelly you like: Does marmalade count? That's my favourite

K is for kids: Celyn

L is for last kiss: Celyn when I tucked her in for bed

M is for your dad's and mum's jobs: My dad was a Salaries Dept Supervisor and my mum worked in Debenhams before she retired

N is for name of your first crush: Donny Osmond...ooo no, I take it back. Richard Burke, a boy in my class when I was 8. He had dark curly hair and beautiful bright blue eyes - he was looooovely!

O is for overnight hospital stays: 1996 for a laparoscopy, 2000 for an oophrectomy, 2002 for having a baby

P is for phobias: Flappy things - moths, butterflies, birds in enclosed spaces, bats near my head - bleeeeeugh! Also have vertigo...within 20 feet of a cliff edge is too close for me

Q is for quotes you like: Aaargh..too hard. Too many. I often say about scrapbookers who take it/themselves just a liiiiiitle too seriously..."It ain't the cure for cancer and it ain't world peace"

R is your relationship that lasted the longest: I'm presuming this means of a romantic nature, which would be Husband who I've been going out with/engaged to/married to for (ummm...fingers and toes...) 7 years 9 months!

S is for sugary or salty: I prefer the word savoury to salty, as I don't like salt in my food...certainly never add it to any cooking I do. But I prefer savoury foods...although I do like sweeties too!

T is for time you wake up: Around 7.30 to 8am, depending on how late I've been up, how sunny it is outside, what I've got going on that day etc. I'm terrible for getting up in the winter...too dark and miserable outside

U is for underwear: Yes, I wear that, thank you (big and comfy for me!)

V is for vegetables you love: Potatoes, parsnips, sweetcorn, artichoke, minted peas, cucumber, lovely sweet cherry tomatoes...mmm!

W is for worst habit: Leaving the bathroom door open when I pee...it drives Husband to distraction and I really do mean to close it to stop marital friction, but never never remember. I'm terrible aren't I?

X is for x-rays you've had: Lots of teeth ones but I can't remember any others

Y is for yummy food you make: Ooo, lots of things...I like cooking. The thing I make most often though is a damn fine gravy

Z is for favorite zoo animal: Big cats

Check this out...

Evie pointed me in the direction of this site yesterday. Nearly all the tribute spaces have gone now (including one taken by me) so if you would like to take part, then sign up soon. And then once you have a name to pay tribute to, take a look at Remember September 11 which has profiles of all the victims, so you can look up info about them should you wish to.

I'll blog more about it all on the day.

We saw a place to clean th'oven on t'internet...

You may remember Debbie found an oven cleaning company in my area and I rang them with glee and gay abandon to book a little man in (I do love getting a little man in). I've just uploaded the photos of my oven (it was a week ago now) and had to share. Am I the saddest, saddest woman in the whole world, that I take photos of my shiny, shiny oven? LOL I don't care. It was so fablissimoso to have my oven looking like brand new, it had to be done really. And there was no yukky smell during or after from the cleaning products. And the chappy that did it was cool too...I stood in the kitchen and had a really good conversation with him. I'd never make a Lady of the Manor would I...rif raffing with the hired help, for pity's sake.

So, if you want th'oven cleaning to a pristine condition and you live in the Swansea area, it was £25 (not £35 as I previously reported) and worth every blummin' penny, and you should phone Revitalise on 0800 458 6158 or email RevitaliseCleaning@hotmail.com.

I've been scrapping this morning. Oh yes I have. It's for a class (as usual) so I can't show you (as usual) but here's a bit (as usual). The class is for a Design for Design Seminar in 2 1/2 weeks...we've taught that seminar before in March, but are having to change nearly all the layouts as they have been taught elsewhere now or we can't get hold of the original paper any more. The same principles will be taught, just with different layouts making the point. I am liking those Angel Kiss flowers I have to say. Kiss? I could positively snog them they're so lush. The layout is of Celyn's ballet recital at the end of July.

One layout down (which also doubles for something else as well...so in effect, two layouts down) and two to go. So bye...I'm off to scrap again.

Who used to like playing with fuzzy felt...?

Just another teaser of one of our Gloucester 2 classes by the fabby Susie-Woo, who's been getting felt up - bwaahaaahaaa. Ain't it purdy?! Well, I can see the whole thing, and believe you me...it IS purdy!!

Am I a meanie teasing you all like this? I am genuinely very excited for this retreat to just BE HERE because you ladies who are attending are in for some lovely, lovely classes, and I really do mean that.


The challenges are beginning to get sorted too, and I would like to say a big thank you to Anna Bowkis who is The Angel Kisses Lady (these loooooovely flowers that I've fallen in love with over the last month or so...every time I see Linz with her shop (Crafty Pastimes) just lately I'm always there buying another packet...or two...in green, pink, peach...). Well, HANYWAY, Anna is going to be sponsoring an Angel Kisses challenge at the retreat. Yey! She's a star. Thanks Anna!!! Anyone else out there who fancies sponsoring a challenge, then please get in touch :D

The challenges are always such a lot of fun and the gorgeous work all over the walls by the end of the weekend looks beautiful. It's funny watching the hotel staff at every retreat...they seem to find some excuse to wander in just so they can look at the layouts up on display. Last year at Gloucester there was a wedding in one of the other function rooms. We'd seen the wedding party leaving for the church that morning and then we had the idea to create a layout of their day for them as a present (didn't know them...just thought it would be fun). Well Julia (who has a very posh camera...posher than mine!) and I asked the bride and groom if we could take their photo. The bride quite honestly thought we were utter nutters (and not in a ha ha ha sort of way!) but they both (reluctantly) agreed. Then Ruth (one of the delegates) printed the snaps on her photo printer. And then Rach, Amber and I started creating the layout. It was pretty funny... all of us bent over the 12x12 sheet, moving things, brainstorming...one of us would suddenly dart off and come back with a perfect colour of cardstock or an embellishment or something. I would post a pic of the finished layout but Blogger’s just started playing silly beggars and won’t let me. Anyway, we (me and Rach I think it was) took it through to the bride and groom who were now at the top table eating their reception meal. The look on the bride’s face was “Oh my word, what do they want NOW?” but when she saw the layout she was completely stunned and the groom kept saying, “Wow! That’s lovely! Wow! Look at that mum. Look…look at this” and the bride was really smiling and loved it. Awwww. No weddings there this year though (I happen to know).

Funnily enough, one of the lessons at church today was on being kind to others and how we need to think specifically of things we can do and say to specific people (and not only just being kind generally or only to people who are our close friends and family). It does make not only the giver but also the receiver feel so good. Well, there you go...a bit of chicken soup for the soul for this Sabbath day - lol!

Right...a bacon buttie is calling my name.

Would you go to a retreat with this woman??

Well...would you??? If you're coming to Gloucester 2, you'd better steel yourself - bwaaahaaahaaaaaa.

I was just looking through some past photos (I've got layouts to do today) and every photo of Fiona I came across I was laughing harder and harder. That's a sticky willy on her head, by the way.

It's a good job she's talented, that's all I can say...

Talking of talented...another Scrappers Unlimited team member, Rach Millington, has been and gone and got a layout on the Basic Grey Gallery clever old thing. Lovely lovely layout too...well deserved.

Right. I'm off to scrap. I've got four layouts to do for classes and one magazine thing (which are in themselves plenty of effort, but I also have a 3 year old to entertain and feed, and a pile of laundry stinking up the laundry basket screaming "clean us, clean us, clean us now!")

Pah.

Bopping about to Morrissey...

I have been listening to this song over and over on a loop for the last half an hour. I have to admit these days to Husband that I actually think that Morrissey is rather fantastic (I wasn't a Smiths/Morrissey fan when we got married..."we" being me and Husband that is, as I have never been married to Morrissey). So I thought I'd share my little Morrissey Moment... fab song eh?! I love his lyrics...they're hilarious and yet poignant all at the same time. And that the music is so upbeat and bouncy and yet it's about getting crushed by a ten ton truck...bwaahaaahaaa. If I was poncy I'd say something about the juxtaposition of the themes creating a novel, original piece of music...but I'll just say "Morrissey rocks" and be done with it.

So crank up your sound and have a Morrissey moment with me :D

I also had a funny moment in the shower this morning. For the last 3 or 4 showers I've noticed a spider up in the top right hand corner, up on the ceiling. Now, as I am not one of the 'Oh EEEEEEEK it's a SPIDER!!! *girly noise, girly noise*' brigade, I wasn't bothered by said arachnid, despite him being a fairly large, although somewhat spindly specimen. I just let him be. But this morning I found myself washing my hair, staring at him thinking, "Well there can't be too much fly traffic in this en-suite bathroom. I wonder if he's eating enough. Poor dab. But he's probably getting enough water. I wonder if I could shoo a couple of flies in here. But then he doesn't seem to have built a web...how would he catch them, poor dab."

And then laughed and laughed at my bizarreness. I think I must be deranged!

And THEN when I was uploading this post, Husband read it and said, "Well I had a similar thing at work the other day" and told me he'd seen a similar looking spider to mine lying on the floor in the corner, but he suddenly saw its legs move slightly so realised it was still alive. And then he went into this whole scenario in his head where he thought he'd take the spider and carefully nurse it back to health, bringing it flies to eat (cue Chrissie curled up laughing), and show his great ability to love and have compassion for even the vilest of God's creatures *smug feeling*... and then he said he thought to himself, "What in the heck am I thinking" and brushed it down the stairs. I laughed till I couldn't breathe.

Obviously this is a derangement that is catching. And as his episode occurred before mine, I'm blaming him!

I picked up this month's copy of Scrapbook Inspirations today, and just loved seeing TWO of the Scrappers Unlimited creative team in there, in the Gallery. Julia's Nan Rogers layout and Rach's layout about her grandparents...woo hoo!! (I would put the proper names of the layouts but I can't be tiddled to walk downstairs and find the mag!) And I know that Fiona (and Rach on a sort of joint venture with her) are in the next issue too. I really do think the Scrappers team are just a talented bunch of ladies and, more importantly, nice people with it! I love them! Thank you Scrapbook Inspirations!

My oven was cleaned yesterday. But it was so wonderous when it was finished, all shiny shiny, that I have to devote a whole post all to itself. I even took photos! And my Mum and I are a bit freaked to cook in it in case we make it dirty! Bwaahaaahaaa.

Deranged I tell you.

PHOTOS!!

While my roast potatoes are just finishing cooking (roast lamb dinner today - the great British Sunday dinner is surpassed by none...)

Here are the photos of our lovely Friday where the sun shone just for us.

So...(ahem)...first we have Molly and Tina on the cliffs at Bracelet Bay with Mumbles Lighthouse in the background.



And then we have Molly and Tina with happy tastebuds in Joe's Ice-Cream Parlour.

And finally, this is what happens when you let kids loose on Caswell Bay beach:


Wet t-shirts.
Wet knickers.
Wet hair.
Happiness.
Sand in my car (but I don't care, especially as I have leather seats...did I mention that? :D )


Mmmm...roast lamb is wafting up the stairs. Gotta go put on the Yorkshire puddings!

While I'm drying...

I like to sit with a towel on my head and a bathrobe on after a shower, looking at t'internet...just getting dry...just for 5 minutes. So while I'm drying today I thought I'd do a quick blog. As you do.

Tina and her lovely daughter came by to visit on their way home to the South-East of England from beautiful West Wales where they've been camping. I know Tina as she has attended a couple of the Scrappers Unlimited Design seminars in Reading this year, and it's always a pleasure to make new friends from teaching these events. She's a lovely lady...quite fab...and has a great sense of humour.

Anyway...Celyn and I took them to Swansea harbour where it became apparent Tina is a total yacht anorack (she sails, and knows the names of all those little boats with sails on ...I teased her but it's pretty impressive though!). Then we had the obligatory Joe's ice-cream and I delighted in her face when she took her first mouthful. It truly is the best ice-cream in the world! And then we spent a delightful hour or two on Caswell Beach ("my beach" Celyn always tells people) where our daughters, who are only about 2 years apart were told not to get too wet...and they were completely soaked to the skin within 15 minutes and covered in sand. LOL. Ah well...it's what childhood's all about.

And the sun shined gloriously all afternoon. Lovely.

And I got some lovely photos, but I won't post any piccies yet though, as I want to ask permission from Tina to publish her daughter first.

And today Husband is laying our new patio - woo hoo. It's horrid weather today...grey, cloudy, and raining heavily in showers. And he's soaked.

Ooops...my visitor (Katie-Jane) has just turned up half an hour early (inbetween that paragraph and this'n). And me drying, with a towel and bathrobe, blogging.

It's what Saturdays are all about.

WHAT...

...a lovely afternoon! Peace and quiet, my washing machine happily turning my smalls in the frothy water, and me with ink and paint and glue and crud ALL over my fingers (Vanessa would have been so proud of me!). Happiness. I felt so chilled and relaxed when Husband and Daughter came home. I've told him...I need an afternoon off a week, just to keep me sane!

So...I finished my class for Gloucester (woo hoo!) which I then showed to my team member, Rach Millington. I figure it's only fair that someone from the Scrappers Unlimited team gets to critique my work, because I certainly critique theirs before classes are ready to go - LOL. My critiques usually come in the form of "Oh WOW, that's so LOVELY" and sentences of that nature, because their scrapping is just fabulous. Anyway...she said, "Awesome!" (in her Antipodean manner). So phew! And yey!

So here's another piccie...to tease you all again.

Awww...eeek...awww...eeek...

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. I have four scrapping classes to get ready very very very soon for upcoming events. But I also have laundry to do (and it's raining...booooooo!), untidiness everywhere I look, a husband who's as busy as me (getting his new business going), a nearly 4 year old child home for the school holidays to be entertained at least SOME of the time, meals to prepare, etc. etc. The "I also have" always seems to get in the way of the scrapping.

So...awww...Husband said last night he would take Daughter out for some fun. He's just left with her and I have strict STRICT instructions that I am ONLY to scrapbook and I am NOT to tidy or clean or do laundry or sit on the computer (oops) or chat on the phone...and he wants to see TWO layouts done when he gets back. Flippin' heck...TWO!!!!? In 5 hours. I can sit in a crop hall all piggin' day and not even finish one layout. What is he thinking? LOL

So awww (isn't he sweet doing that) but eeek (I have peace and I could tidy my house but I'm not allowed)...so torn. Perhaps I'll just chuck some washing in before I get going...

But before I go...

Here's another little teaser of one of the classes at Gloucester 2. The other class I showed a few weeks ago was one of Rachel's by the way...and this one's one of Fi's (she's the lovely lady in the piccie). And that's all you're seeing. Mwwwaaaahaaahaaaa *evil cackle*

How funny is this?!

After Debbie saw my tag post, we got talking about oven cleaning companies (my friend Judith in Reading has hers cleaned regularly by a company called Cookerburra. And it is sparkling, I kid you not). So Debbie found a similar company through Yell.com in my area. I called them. The price...thirty-five smackers and I have a gleaming oven. OH...sooooo...worth it!!! He's coming next Tuesday.

*Happy dance, happy dance*

Tagged!

I've been tagged by Zu (yey!):

1. If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be?

I find this question really hard, but I think it would be (if it was a second home and not my main home) Salt Lake City (area). Perhaps. Or perhaps France...or perhaps here in the Swansea area but right on the coast. That question's too damn hard!

2. What's your favourite article of clothing?

At the moment my new top from M&S. But I don't enjoy clothes really...

3. Favourite physical feature of the opposite sex?

Bums. And broad square shoulders.

4. What's the last CD that you bought?

Best of Fat Boy Slim (although I didn't buy it...Husband bought it for me because he knew I wanted it and I hardly never ever buy CDs these days because I figure money needs to be spent on more important stuff first)

5. Where's your favourite place to be?

Anywhere beautiful...so that could be somewhere overlooking the ocean or in a gorgeous house or in the mountains. Or even in my own home when it's tidy and spotless!! I feel uplifted and good around beautiful things. And so (short answer) is places that make me feel uplifted and good! However, my favourite God-made place on earth is Lake Louise in Canada. My favourite man-made place on earth is Venice.

6. Where's your least favourite place to be?

In the middle of a large crowd (claustraphobie-rama) or up high (vertigo-a-rama) or near people who are smoking (I would quite like to be able to breathe and I don't want to get cancer or smell gross-a-rama)

7. What's your favourite place to be massaged?

Neck and shoulders

8. Strong in mind or strong in body?

Mind

9. What time do you wake up in the morning?

Around 7.30am. Although this may get a little earlier come September when Daughter has to be at school for 8.50 ...eek!

10. What is your favourite kitchen appliance?


My Global knives. LOVE them.

11. What makes you really angry?

I have a list! President Bush. People smoking near me. Rude shop assistants or waiters. People who queue-jump. Bad grammar or spelling on published writing (e.g. signs or in books etc.). People who imagine that they're more important than others around them. People swearing really badly around me in shops or on the street etc. I could probably think of more. And I start therapy next Tuesday ...bwaahaaahaaa!

12. If you could play any instrument what would it be?

Piano or singing voice (I can hold a tune, but I would love to be able to sing REEEEEEEALLY well)

13. Favourite colour?

Too hard. I like too many! The colour of a Jersey cow is definitely one.

14. Sports car or SUV?

SUV

15. Do you believe in an afterlife?

Absolutely

16. Favourite children's book?

This is also hard. Anne of Green Gables was my favourite when I actually WAS a child.

17. What's your favourite season?

Summer. Followed by Spring. Followed by Autumn. Winter is definitely last!

18. What is your least favourite household chore?

Cleaning the oven. I would pay someone to do it for me! Any takers?

19. If you could have one super-power, what would it be?

You mean I don't have one now?

20. If you have a tattoo what is it?

Nope. Don't like tattooes

21. Can you juggle?

Yes. For about 10 seconds.

22. The one person from your past that you wish you could go back and talk to?

My dad.

23. What's your favourite day?

Tuesday.

24. What's in the boot of your car?

Scrapping stuff (of COURSE!)

25. Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger?

Either. Depends what mood I'm in.

And I'm going to tag Debbie and Prisca and Gems

How Do You Solve a Problem Like the end of the show?

Blogger fiiiiiiiinally is allowing me to upload photos. Chuh. So below on my previous post are just a few of the lovely Rouge de Garance papers for your eye candy pleasure today.

So. Who saw 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?' last night? For people reading this from 'abroad', it's a reality talent show in which Andrew Lloyd Webber (sorry...Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber) and a panel of 3 judges/coaches are trying to find a new talent to play the lead role of Maria in a West End production of The Sound of Music. They've narrowed the auditions down to 10 'Marias' and now it's like X-Factor...they all perform on a live TV show once a week and the telly audience gets to phone and vote for their favourite and, by process of elimination, vote one off the show. Very popular...great viewing.

Now...I have to say...I do love musical dance theatre. LOOOOOOOVE it. I believe it is the highest art form. The people in this profession have to be able to sing fabulously, dance (in various forms) fabulously AND act fabulously. There's nothing like the thrill of watching someone who is one of the best performing on stage. So I am loving this show. And I also love The Sound of Music. But. The final part of the show last night had me, Husband, and Sister-in-Law completely Creased (with a capital 'cuh') laughing.

They had the last two Marias in the voting have a sing-off in front of Lord Webber himself (who is looking a bit Yodaesque, perched on a throne in front of them). He then picked one to stay and one to go. The host, Graham Norton (very funny man) had the losing girl join the other 9, and then explained that they would all have one final song together. Well...at this juncture I suddenly thought, "Oh no. No no no. They can't! Surely not" (this was all running through my head). And then the music started.

"So long. Farewell. Auf wiedersehen. Adieu..." They ACTUALLY sang this to the poor girl who'd just been booted off the show...along with plaintive waving "Goodbyyyyyyyyyyye" on the last notes of the song.

It. Was. HI-LAAAAAAAAAA-RIOUS.

I am completely stunned that the director/producers ever thought this would be a good idea. Or perhaps they were going for the humour factor. If so, they got it...because it was the funniest thing I've seen on TV in many a week. You all SO have to watch it next Saturday!!!

Sympa!

I just love these new papers by a French company - Rouge de Garance which appeared a few months ago. I think the colours they use are stunning and they are beautifully designed and unique, which is one of the main reasons I love them! They look SO FRENCH...and not American pretending to be French. It's great to have scrapbooking papers produced in other parts of the world don'cha fink, as they will have their own style about them? We have our own pretty Blonde Moments papers here of course. Who knows any other countries who are designing?

Well anyway...anyone who's coming to the Gloucester 2 Time Out, you can look forward to a class in these babies. Magnifique non?!! :D I have been emailing back and fore to France and oh my brain is being taxed, emailing in French...I've been sandpapering all the rust off my second language! And writing in French was never my forte as I learned to speak French by living there, and not so much in the classroom! Anyway...my point is, I have to say that Rouge de Garance are a pleasure to deal with too. Really really sympa! Their site is in French and English by the way...although you can see two extra ranges if you go in through the French side (I'm sure this will be updated soon though).

The dentist yesterday was great (now there's a phrase you don't hear every day! LOL). Celyn was actually quite excited when she got in the chair. I think she felt really important and she loved that chair! It was almost as good as a fairground ride...tipping back, gliding up! Her pearly whites are perfect (phew!) and mine are not so white but still perfect (woo hoo! I hate the dentist...or...as I have previously mentioned...pain. Pain is what I don't like). Husband *Chrissie begins to titter* has to go back in 2 weeks to have his rotting mouth drilled and filled - bwaaahaaahaaahaaa. We then headed off to Ikea and Celyn had a lovely time in the creche (although 45 minutes just wasn't long enough...we suggested they might want to keep her for, say, a week...but they didn't seem keen).

I shall post piccies of our day if my mobile phone photos EVER arrive in my email inbox (tum teeee tum *Chrissie drums her fingers in a bored manner on her desk*)

A toute a l'heure!

Well Faloola...you've done it again!

Just had a bit of ooomph yesterday and completed the second Ann(i)e Hafermann/Ali Edwards challenge. The charge was to create a layout with an angular approach, cutting a large photo on the wonk at the bottom. It did also say to use ribbon to define the edges and to stack triangles under the photo...and here I have gone off on my own tangent. I based my layout on a French movie poster I had spotted online and loved loved loved the design of...et voila! Faloola strikes again.

Piccies are obviously of the nutty people I have to share living space with. I tell Celyn all the time she's a nutter, and she just laughs at me..."No Mummy!! Daddy's a sausage and I'M a cheeky monkey!"

Anyway...off on our family outing to the dentist/Ikea today (if I put my ear to the ground I can hear a plate of Swedish meatballs calling my name!). Celyn's still not terribly happy about the whole dentist thing. No idea why, as she's never even been to one! First visit ever. What are the rules about taking 'First Ever Dentist Appointment' photos for scrapbooking? Bwaaahaaaahaaaa!

Ciao belle!!

Awwwwwwwww!

I'm feeling a bit better now, despite the fact that Debbie emailed me and said "Yeah, poor kid, I'm thinking of ringing social services in the morning about you" - bwaaahaaahaaa - ROFL.

And then *big squeezy cheek pinches...of the facial kind I hasten to add!* she sent me a layout she's done today of her girl and mine down the beach the other week. AWWWWWWWWWW!!!! Isn't it lovely!?!?! Look at all that sewing. Or perhaps it's clever use of a doodly pen. Either way, it's lush and I love it!

I feel all soppy and silly now.

And Husband and I have planned to take Celyn somewhere exciting on Thursday (THURSDAY Kim...I shall be in Cardiff THURSDAY too...not Wednesday) after the dentist. This evening, however, I did mention to Celyn that we were taking her to the dentist and she burst into tears. Somehow I don't think that's her idea of a good time.

*Insert noise of a dentist drill screeching*

Mother Guilt

"I'm bored Mum"

The perennial whine of the summer school holidays child.... Poor Celyn. Danny has been up to his eyes busy getting his new business ready to go (I'll blog about that later). I've been up to my eyes with helping him, and all the other stuff that goes with running your own business and being a housewife and SAHM all mixed together. Honestly it's manic. And today I had the builders turn up (planned) to start work on our soon-t0-be patio *happy dance, happy dance*. Then friends from church turned up (not planned). And then, blow me down, my Auntie & Uncle (who live in Pembroke) turned up (yet again not planned). And then the phone rang as well. 6 visitors in my house, my quiet morning turning into mayhem and I was mentally rolling my eyes thanking the powers that be that I'd had the presence of mind to tidy and hoover that very morn. One visitor went to the loo and I had no toilet paper left in there however. Ho hum. He had to make do with kitchen roll cos I couldn't be tiddled to go upstairs for one.

So...the upshot of this is Celyn's done a few things these summer holidays. But she's bored after several days of not much going on for her. So I rang a school friend's mum to arrange a play date. School friend's mum and her 2 daughters were busy making chocolate chip cookies (you could hear girly giggling in the background). And unfortunately Celyn's friend, her mum explained, wasn't really available till next Monday because tomorrow they're going to Folly Farm (hands-on farm in Pembrokeshire...very fun), Thursday they're going to the beach, and Friday they are out somewhere else (I forget where). Fine...no problem of course...play date arranged for Monday.

And then I sat here and the guilt washed over me in waves. I'm such a crap mother! No chocolate chip moments in this house. No trips planned anywhere...and no time to take her on one anyway. Poor, poor child.

Sigh.

Sigh again.

*Chrissie wanders off feeling pooey*

Well slap my thigh and call me Faloola!

I scrapped. AND I did it just for me, me, me. Not for a class. For ME.

In my bloggy wanderings I noticed that Ann(i)e Hafermann had proffered a challenge. And despite the fact that I have one, two, THREE classes to get ready pretty pronto for two different events, I decided I just needed to get back to enjoying the process...albeit for one layout. Oooo, now...I hear that expression all the time..."enjoying the process"...and I'm not one for over-used phrases (for example...I completely hate the terms "hun" or "honey") unless they're my own over-used phrases...in which case I like to think of them more of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" phrases.

I digress...in this particular case getting back to enjoying the process is true. I can get so caught up in scrapping because I have to, with kits, budgets, timescales and themes being at the forefront of my scribbly brain. And it just felt so good to scrap 'because'. It doesn't happen very often. And I probably didn't have time to do it really. And I did have to put on some washing, hang out another load of washing, tidy, clean the downstairs toilet, and vacuum before I started, and then whilst pondering the layout, pick at the bits of glue on my dining table (which of course is quasi-cleaning) - just to soothe my guilt.

Anyhoo, this is my offering for the challenge. I took the photo of the layout quite quickly and so it was wonky...apologies. Also, the challenge was to use one's scraps...but I don't 'do' scraps (if it's a scrap, it's gone...chucked or given away) but I do have little collections of papers in 12x12 bags, so that's what all of these came from. Old Basic Grey.

Thanks Ann(i)e. I may have to sneak in another sometime...

One of the things I love...

about my "hunky husband" as Anita M put it today *Chrissie waves* (...I know you're reading this luv - LOL) is his sense of the ridiculous. Take this poster we were both gazing at absent-mindedly in the Fun Factory today (the Fun Factory is a fab climbing frame, tube slide, ball pit type affair that they should do for adults but, in fact, only exists for children *sigh* We were there with Celyn). He suddenly launched into hypothetical scenarios...

*Waves arms wildly* "Waaaaah...kids, kids...gerroff! Gerroff!" *Acting out 5 children hanging from every part of man in Brewster Bear costume's body* "Don't pull my head off....waaaaaaah!!!"

*Acting out child kicking man in Brewster Bear outfit in the bits* *Kick* "You gave my sister a balloon! I want a balloon!!" *Punch*

Well...it made me laugh. To actually have gone to the trouble of producing a professionally drawn poster to be displayed in this and (presumably) all Fun Factories, they must have had a number of 'incidents' over the years. Hilarious. (I took the photo with my phone in case any of you are thinking, "What a total sadcake, taking her camera with her everywhere she goes").

One of the funniest 'sense of the ridiculous' Danny moments ever was about a year ago. We were driving home along our usual route from the supermarket, past where 5 or 6 houses had been going up for several months. These were now completed and had a showhome tour available, with balloons advertising the fact, attached to a fence next to the sign. As we drove past Danny noticed a policeman who had stopped his car and was stood next to the ballooned fence, talking on his two-way radio. Danny launches into hypothetical conversation...

"Well, yes Sarg. There's balloons Sarg. Dunno Sarg...but there's pink ones and red ones Sarg. Should I investigate Sarg? Right Sarg, right..."

I peed myself laughing.

I have been trying trying trying for at least a week to get some scrapping done. I get up bright and breezy in the morning thinking 'This is the day' and then life takes over. And when I finally sit down it's 9.30pm and my brain's in the sink along with the dirty dishes from dinner. Pah. Is this just me I am wondering because all the blogs I look at, people are scrapping left right and centre, and producing one or two things a week? Is it just my life that's so hectic? How do you peeps fit scrapbooking in???

Well, I've got the Swansea Crop on Friday (yey!) and there is a vicious rumour that when you go to a crop you should actually get some scrapping done. No...really! Truly! Honestly...you're not supposed to just sit in a hall for between 4-7 hours (or however long), get everything out, chat a lot, and then put it all away again. So I've heard...