Lunching with the Ladies

One a month or there abouts a group of us, all widows, get together and have Sunday Lunch. We seem to be growing in number too 16 of us today the most we have ever had. We tried a different venue The Cold Harbour, meal was good and company of course, the only difficulty I found was it was noisy and with my hearing not being all that good made it hard for me to join in with conversations.

My picture for today is Mittens, she has taken to lying flat out which does look strange



I have a page to share too this one I did today and it came together quite well after shuffling papers for a while. We had a lot of postcards come into the sale and looking through found two of Bournemouth and as I had just been on a day trip with the church to Bournemouth I knew I had to use them on a page



Today I am grateful for The Ladies' Club and for having a meal cooked for me and no washing up to be done afterwards

It all started with a Mouse

This morning I was at our local crop, I had a page all planned out and had photos ready for two more. I thought I would be able to get at least two pages done but no, only the one. Too busy talking and seeing what everyone else was doing. Did have a good time though



I hadn't been home long and was just eating my lunch when I had a phone call from my blind friend, did I fancy going for a walk. Weather being so nice, much too nice to stay indoors we took an amble through the back lanes, got lost found our way again got lost again, was hoping to end up as ASDA so that we could call in at Starbucks but ended up practically home again we had been round in an enormous loop, still it was very enjoyable. I didn't unfortunately manage to take any photos, saw plenty of butterflies but they wouldn't settle for long enough for me to take their picture. So here's a cheat one that I took yesterday. The tiniest moth/butterfly I've ever seen about 10mm in length



I was rather tired by the time I did get back home so had a snooze in my lovely chair.

So today I am grateful for impromptu outing
and a pleasant stroll with a friend to talk to.

Scavenger hunt - another crossed off

I went into town today, I didn't catch my usual bus because I decided that the exercise of walking up the hill was needed. The bus stops in town at a different place to my usual one and as I walked through the tunnel coming out at Wharf Green they were getting ready to play volley ball so perfect for one of my missing scavenger hunt pictures.



and of course my As Seen had to be a wider view of the play



I also finished a page this morning again my Florida Holiday is featured, and best of all 'The Mouse'



today has been summer for which I am grateful

As Seen - Blue Boots

It's Thursday, it's the sale at the church. Early start, very early start as I emerged from my bedroom I was 'greeted' with a dead bird a young blackbird I think. My two horrors are very good at hunting and bagging their prey.
One nice thing about working at the sale is finding treasures and today was no exception. These lovely blue boots came in and although they are a 5 and I usually take a 4 they had to be tried on and low and behold they fitted and were so comfortable I've brought them home.



I haven't done much else today, I feel so exhausted I really do need to loose some weight and then perhaps I have more energy

Today I am grateful for my nice find.

As Seen - What a Yawn & August CFK page 1

My friend asked me if I could let her granddaughter sleep at my place as there really wasn't any room left at hers, so my task for today was to tackle the mess and muddle in the spare room. Like all spare rooms it has become a dumping ground but I think I have managed to make it habitable enough for an airbed to be put down. Unfortunately that meant stripping the covers of the conservatory type chairs because they were covered in cat hairs (this room being the cats room) and also washing the cover to Muffins radiator bed, she was a bit miffed at me for dismantling her own special place but it had to be done.

This evening taking my camera outside to see what I could capture , I was followed by, not one, not two but all three cats.


I was going to use that one as my 'As Seen' for today but decided that this one was a better option



I've also done another page for my holiday album, the first of my August CFK



today I am grateful for getting a room sorted. Also for feeling much better this afternoon than I did this morning.

As seen - Red head

Today was my day to have my hair done, coloured and cut. I love the pampering of having my hair done, but was a bit apprehensive as I was to have a new girl do it this time, my regular one is on Maternity leave. I needn't have worried she was excellent and I am really pleased with the result

I've also done another layout, this one was a colour combo challenge. White Grey Pink & Green



I want to thank Rinda for the lovely stamps she sent me I especially like the kitten in the moonlight one and have used it on this LO Thank you so much Rinda, they arrived the other day.

Today I am grateful for my hairdresser and the pampering I receive there.

btw Mel in answer to your question, Yes I did enter my previous LO in the stitching contest thank you.

Home made tiny alphas

Hi fellow scrappers, someone asked me about my home made tiny alphas and how did I make them. It is really quite simple, I print out, on thin card, a page of alphas using something like Baby Block font which is a negative font on coloured background, this makes it easy to see where to cut. I then cover the back of the card in a wide double sided tape. You can then score through the card if you like but I don't usually bother just cut as and when I want.


I'll be back later with today's as seen and my diary for today.

As Seen - Pretty Pink Poppy

We have had quite a bit of rain today but no matter this poppy doesn't seem to mind

I've been scrapping today, the weekly challenge on UKScrappers, criteria was to use the sketch provided, at least 4 scraps of patterned paper and something recycled

I used an old zip, stripped the material off the teeth and curled it up in a spiral this made the centre of my flowers. I even managed to do some machine stitching on my page, something I have been wanting to do for a while.



and another one for my Florida holiday album. I really struggled with this but got there in the end even if it isn't one of my best




Today I am grateful for feeling more positive.

Counterfeit Kit - Butterfly Kisses

Yah Hoo, I've managed to gather a kit together this month.
The one that has been chosen to copy is a digi one from Scrap Orchard, Summer Lovin

I've pulled out 15 papers, some of them new and some of them very old



all barring 3 have a reverse side



to go with those I have hunted through and chosen borders,


stickers,


rub ons'


cut outs & cut aparts,


lots of ribbons buttons and odds and ends


no summer kit should be complete without butterflies now should it?


and then when I went to put it all in a box ready to use I found some more bits that I had pulled out so they had to go in as well, including my homemade tiny alpha


Apart from my tiny alphas I haven't added any large ones nor have I put any card stock there I will pick and choose as I do the pages

Now that is a big kit and I wonder how much of it I'll use? We will see.

btw I'm calling mine Butterfly Kisses, because our summer here in the UK has been just like butterflies, lovely while here but fleeting moments

If you would like to play along why not pop across to the Counterfeit Kit challenge blog and see what is involved and also see what the Design team have chosen

As Seen - Picnic in style

Today we were to have a church picnic at Lydiard Park, but as usual in an English summer the skies had opened earlier and the ground would have been very wet under foot bums so the decision was made to stay in the church most of us either gathered around a table or on chairs with our lunch on our laps. One family, however, decided to picnic in style. Picnic blankets down on the floor and a good spread of eats to enjoy.



I've not done much else today except try and finish a layout that has been bugging me for 5 days now. I have eventually completed it, it's not marvellous but it will have to do because I really can't fiddle any longer with it. I can't take a photo tonight it is far too dark but will have another look at it in the morning and take the photo then.

Today I am grateful for my church family

Story Telling Sunday

Today is the first Sunday in the month, and that means it is Time to Tell a Tale. Lots of us so appreciate Sian for hosting this and there will be lots of exciting stories told today.

Once upon a time there was a Knight in shining armour, he had come to rescue the maiden who was so sad. This maiden was sad not because of a dragon, but because of a older man who had wooed her and captured her and then rejected her and left her out in the cold.

Now the Knight had heard what had happened to the maiden, he didn't like to see her cry, he had a very tender heart and so he thought I'll go and speak to her and invite her out, perhaps that will make her feel better.

He took her on a bus (he didn't have a charger of his own) and they went to the zoo. It was a lovely day and the maiden began to feel secure again. Next time he took her for a walk on the common, and showed her so much kindness and tenderness, he even kissed the palm of her hand, something that gave her such a thrill.

They went to the cinema and saw Donovan's Reef, I'm not sure how much of the film the Knight saw as he had something special on his mind and when they came out of the cinema he asked the maiden to marry him. He had known almost from the start that he had found the girl of his dreams and had told a friend that she was the one for him.

This story was triggered by Sian's own story so thank you Sian.
why not climb up to her place High in the Sky and find more stories to read

As seen - Muffin

Saturday 4th August
It's Saturday, it should be a good day, but I wasted it. I did manage to walk down the back lane, but saw nothing worth photographing, in fact the hollyhock that I had been watching was gone someone must have cut it down such a shame. I did get my food shopping but then forgot to go into Homebase to see if they had any hammocks. After that I sat and vegged in front of the box. What a waste of a day.
But I did manage to get a photo of someone with a ball




One of my mischievous girls playing with a ball made of stuffed tights, this was originally wound round with lots of wool but that has long ago been pulled off. I used to find trails of it all over the floor

Today I am grateful that I can just veg if I want to.
and I'm also grateful for my cats who don't mind if I do as long as I feed them and they have a lap to sit on

Summer Scavenger Hunt

Hi Blog Friends, I've been collecting photos for Rinda's summer scavenger hunt, I'm still missing a few but here are the ones I have
1) A pier - our church outing this year was to Bournemouth and I took this photo from the cliff lift
2) A clothes line - I came home one day to find this cuddly cat sitting in my pantie girdle, my friend found it and knew I'd love it.
3) A border - One of the places we visited in Florida was Celebration and the flower borders had speaker in them playing soft gentle mood music
4) A roadside stand selling something - Our own sale at the church
5) A Train -Hogwarts Express in Universal world Florida
6) A historical landmark - Statue of Liberty made out of Lego in Legoland Florida
7) A person playing a musical instrument - My young friend with her beloved cello
8) A statue of an angel - This is one of the straw ones in the gardens in Bournemouth


 9) A fountain - It just had to be the strange sculpture in the centre of my home town Swindon
10) A horse - this one made out of horseshoes part of the strange displays in Ripley's Believe it or Not
11) A Shadow - Not very inspiring just the shadow of the trees in Old Town Florida
12) A Maze Labyrinth or trail - still to be found
13) A library - Central Library Swindon
14) A person playing ball - Still to be found
15) Someone dancing -  Minny, Goofy, Donald and the dancers in Disney World
16) A Bride - still to be found   


17) A church - This one is so sad, disuse, dilapidated but probably can't be pulled down because it is listed.
18) A Movie Poster - I read this at first as a moving poster but still it fits the bill this is one of the many moving advertising posters around Swindon and it is advertising a movie
19) An Outdoor stairway - More a ladder going up the outside of this factory cylindrical container
20) A Swing or hammock hanging from a tree -still to be found (I'm miffed with myself because there was one at our holiday villa but I didn't take a photo of it)



21) A picture of myself standing with something that symbolizes my nation - outside a shop with a display in the window depicting the union flag made up of lots of things that are very British

As seen - Night Visitor

A quiet day, I wanted to do some scrapping but my Mojo has gone walkabouts again. I did do some more towards the Christmas banner that is part of a swap for one of my teams on UKScrappers. We will exchange them at our retreat in October. Just a little sneak peek without giving too much of the game away

I was beginning to think I wouldn't get a photo for today, I did have a go on a swing but there was no one to take my photo. I did help a young daughter of a friend of mine to walk on stilts but again no one to take the photo. Then when I let the cats out this evening I heard a familiar noise and knew that the young fox was around. He is pretty tame and doesn't run off as soon as he hears people, unlike his parents so I grabbed my camera quickly and managed to get, with the aid of the flash, a reasonable photo

today I am grateful for a quiet restful day and for a wild life photo

As Seen - curbside vendor

Today being Thursday is sale at the church day. With the treat of rain we didn't put the books outside but we needn't have worried as the rain stayed away all morning and only just before we packed up did it arrive.

One of the items on the scavenger hunt list is a roadside stand selling something. What could be more appropriate for me than the larger items we display on the grass verge at the edge of the curb outside the church.



Today I was thankful that the rain kept off until after the sale.

and there is one more page that I haven't as yet shared. Proof that I really did go on the rope climbing frame and succeeded in still looking good

As Seen - Street Vendor

I went into town today fully intending to go to Hobby Craft, but as I arrived at the bus station to catch my second bus, the one going out to Cricklade was boarding and about to depart. I have been promising myself a visit to the craft shop there and having checked that they were still in existence that is where I ended up.
I did manage to get a few bits that I wanted and enjoyed a good three quarters of a hour just browsing until the bus back to town was due.

I walked through town looking for photos to fill in the scavenger hunt that Rinda has organised and I did managed to get a few more. I'll post all I have got later in the week.

meanwhile just a few more of the layouts done towards my holiday album









Today I am thankful for free bus pass that enables me to explore further afield

Time to get back to blogging

I have been absent from blogging for nearly 2 months, that is apart from the odd entry or two and they were mainly to put in my pages that I wanted to show my daughter.

Tomorrow is the 1st day of August so tomorrow I'll get back into posting a picture for the day and also my daily blessings boy have I missed them. Seeking them out and typing them on my blog makes me examine my day and realise that there are blessing and delights even through the hardest of times.

So without any more delay here are just a few of the pages I've completed this month

these two are for Danny, photos taken on his 5th birthday





and of course I have to treat the brothers alike so here are two of Ben





While on Holiday of course Rufus feature quite a bit in our photos





I do have other pages to share but I think 6 at a time if probably enough.

My blessing for this morning (as the day is not finished):-
feeling much more alert and able to cope with the day after going back to bed for an hour.

Scrapping Frenzy

Hi blog friends, so sorry I have been awol for so long. I am finding it difficult to get back to blogging and also to get back into any sort of routine after being away for practically a whole month.
One thing I have managed to get back into though is scrapping, with so many photos to scrap I have been on a scrapping frenzy

At the beginning of the month, well the first Sunday to be precise, Story Telling Sunday that is, thanks to Sian, I wrote the story of Freddy Bear and Jemma said I ought to do a page of that story so Jemma here it is.


I've also cracked on with more of my Holiday album





and the page I did today to go with the other page on the climbing rope



We have had such a rotten summer so far in the UK that one of the challenges was to scrap a different season so, as I still had plenty of photos of my daughters two boys playing up on the rec with a sledge, I decided winter was the best season to choose for the challenge



that is me up to date and I do hope to get back into blogging before too much longer.