Sunday, December 05, 2010

snow, soup and decorations

Well the weather continued to be a pain. More snow,ice and fog meant it was probably stupid to try driving all the way to Derby just for a crop. So I stayed in,cleared the desk and got on with making some more cards. Can't say they were terribly indpired because I was in a rush,but its a few more done. Then I got on with the Snowman soup and reindeer food I've been planning.
Finally we got the xmas decorations
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Saturday, December 04, 2010

3rd (ok its a bit late!)

Well another day with snow.really cold but I donned the layers and the ice gripper things for my shoes put A in her snowsuit and off we went in to town. Managed to get final bits of presents and ingredients for snowman soup. Then home for a nap,a chinese meal for one as DH was out for the evening. I even cracked open the Baileys:)
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Thursday, December 02, 2010

2nd

Oh yes this is a lifesaver having a mobile app,I can post from under my duvet!
Today I decided we had to get out of the house,so we layered ourselves up and walked to the bank and then had a look at the xmas decorations in B&Q. Couldn't find a tree topper I wanted so home again to warm up. Yet more snow as we came back. It looks pretty and I'm sure when A is older we'll have fun in it,but I do hate either being stuck indoors not doing anything or having to trek places whilst trying not to slip over.
I definitely don't miss being pregnant in this weather,last year was a nightmare!
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Wednesday, December 01, 2010

December

Posting from my phone in the vain attempt that I can do a post a day in December. So hopefully this will work,if not it may be some time before I get my arse into gear!

Today Alanna and I hibernated as the snow came down overnight and continued today. Hopeing to get out tomorrow for a walk even if its just to the bank and back!

Couple of pics from today if I can manage it- snow from first thing this morning and Alanna sneaking a rest on dragon.
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Finally!

No idea where the time has gone, but i've been meaning to post for ages. A quick catch up:

 - I finally got to drive myself over to the Elvaston crop for the first time in about 18 months. lovely to be there and see everyone.

 - Richard finally got a day to have Alanna all to himself:)

  - I have finally bought a car, and survived all the hoohar that goes with it (insurance, blah blah blah)

  - Alanna is now 20 weeks old, growing out of clothes fast and has just rolled over (she didn't look too impressed to be honest!)

I've been making some christmas cards, and did one for the Chicken Soup challenge number 16 here
only been using some free papers from Simply Cards and Papercraft mag, but i've done a few now, so feel quite virtuous! I've even made some tags from scraps (I know, it's a bit much isn't it LOL)

Off to Bounce and Rhyme at the Library this morning, so I had better get my bum in gear!

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Another sketch challenge

yep I am still going crazy for my sketch challenges, and as we're away this weekend, and I had all the bits ready for this, I went ahead and did it tonight.This is for the September sketch challenge over on the ATDML blog.

I fully admit I am jumping on the bunting bandwagon, but at least i'm honest:)

and yes, the colour is off in this photo, yet again i'm having to take pics at night with awful lighting!

Sunday, September 05, 2010

Souping

Well here's my take on the Chicken Soup challenge number 10. I was really uninspired to start with, i admit. Because to be honest I find it difficult to print photos myself small and different to traditional photo sizes. (and I find i can't be bothered a lot of the time!)

Anyhoo, then  I was looking through a magazine and saw a advert for some scrapbooking papers, and it made me think that i didn't have to use photos, i'll make something for Alanna's room.

So, here's my take on it. The light is rubbish, but if i don't do it now, i'll never get it posted ! I'm hoping to find a frame that i can put it in at some point, but for now, it's done:)

Friday, September 03, 2010

a few bits

Well i've managed to do a couple of bits and peices, and again, they were for challenges.

This card was for the Twisted  Card Sketch here, and has already been sent off to it's recipient:)




The second challenge was Chickensoup number 9 here

 now this is blinking annoying ( you an insert a ruder word here if you like, i'm certainly thinking of one!)  Blogger has suddenly decided to post photos rotated. I have tried saving, resaving, renaming, rotating, and renaming all kinds of things, but it just won't post them properly, and as i've got a baby about to wake up, i don't have time at the moment to properly investigate. So we'll all just have to cock our heads for the moment :)



Sunday, August 29, 2010

quick catch up

well, what's been happening here? no scrapbooking over the last couple of weeks, just haven't been able to find the time, but it's on my list of things to do this Bank Holiday weekend. I have managed to get an idea for the next one, and a photo ready, so I just need to decide which sketch i'm going to use.
I have actually bought a couple of card making and scrapping mags lately, which i shouldn't really be doing, what with limited funds now i'm only getting Statutory Maternity Pay. But if it gets me to use up some stash, then maybe it's worth it.. can i persuade DH with that argument.. no idea!

I have however buckled down this afternoon and got 3 anniversary cards made. It's mine and DH's next week, as well as my Mum and Dad's and then some friends the week after. I do really want to get a bit of a stock of cards again, but at the moment, it's as and when.
I've been having to break down tasks into little chunks, and that makes life a little easier with a 13 week old baby:) So, one afternoon i'll get the blank cards and some paper out, then i'll find a sketch i want to use, then i'll start on one bit of it, and then do the embellishment or whatever. So it might take me a couple of days to do each card, but we get there:)

I have also managed to finish the crochet jacket i've been making for Alanna. Thanks god I chose the 6-9 month size, she should at least fit in it! I just need to get a bit of brown velvet ribbon and some buttons for it. Then it will be completely finished, and of course i will take a photo:)

My next sewing task i think will be to start the Bucilla felt christmas house kit i've had for nearly a year. I shall have to be careful with sequins and beads and a baby, but hopefully i can get a little bit done here and there.
Which reminds me, I must have a look for a stocking for her.
I've still got one that Mum made for me when I was little.. it's Trichem on felt, not sequins and applique, but I love that it's so old. Hopefully we'll be able to start some traditions for her this year. I just can't decide what just yet:)

right, enough ramble, DH is settling Alanna for her bedtime, and I must go and check on the roast that's in the oven:)

Sunday, August 15, 2010

blimey!

Less than an hour on a Sunday night and i've done a layout and it's already filed in the album! how often does that happen??? But it was the Chicken Soup Blog to the rescue again.. this time with Recipe No.6.

This page was just inspired by the scalloped paper, and I knew I had some in a kit I've had for quite a while, earmarked for some other photos actually. But it all just seemed to come together, and I even used up some very old chipboard letters. I picked up the photo and just wrote about my first thoughts looking at it, and how amazed I am at how much my daughter Alanna has changed over the last 11 weeks. By sheer luck it also happens that this photo was taken at 11 days old:) I love that i've done a page, and I've journalled something that is actually meaningful too. This is what I love about Scrapbooking!!
Sheesh, maybe I should have had kids sooner :)

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Mojo returned!

Well, i've managed to find a few minutes here and there to do some scrapping. My mojo has been returning thanks to some challenge blogs and sketches.
The first is for the Twisted Sketches latest challenge here

The Second was for the A Trip Down Memory lane sketch challenge here. Hurrah for Mojo!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The weekend



So, what have I done other than actually manage to do something crafty?
Well, we trawled round shops looking for travel cots (exciting!); bought more whizzy bottles for Alanna in the hope of relieving her colic; ate things we shouldn't have; harvested more veggies from the garden (french beans yummy, carrots yummy, but not very big!); and i've baked 2 types of banana cakes this afternoon.

Now i'm going back to my shandy, and to watch Top Gear, and perhaps to get the crocheted jacket out that i've been making for Alanna, and sew it up somehow!

Just because I can, I will post another picture of the gorgeous Alanna:)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Welcome to the World


Well, i'm finally back, Alanna is now 8 weeks old, and i've scrapped for the first time in months!!

It's all because of the new(ish!) challenge blog Chicken Soup, and inparticular Mel's version of Challenge 3. For some reason i was inspired, so i've just spent the last hour or so digging out stash and putting together this layout.

I'm really rather pleased with it.. here's to scraplifting!!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Now we are three

well, at least i've got a good reason for the lack of updates this time.. Our daughter, Alanna Hope was born on 29th May, 2 days early:)

After a bit of a delay, she arrived in a rush, and needed a bit of attention, but she soon perked up and is generally a contented little thing:)

I'm still getting used to the whole idea of being a mum, and we're muddling through, but at least i can put the buggy up and down now:)

hopefully i'll be able to update with our exploits - i think i've just about remembered her birthday now for when everyone asks, and when the drs call her in, i do now recognise the name they're calling (yes i'm that much of a twit!)

I'll now go back to hanging on the telephone for the tax credits people to finally answer!!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

food obsessed - moi?

well ok, just a little bit at the moment. It's quite sad, but i'm hoping it'll all return to normal once baby arrives (which is not looking like any time soon - hopefully i can tempt fate with that i really don't mind!!)

I managed to make a couple of different batches of brownies for DH's birthday, and he took them to work. The ones from The Pioneer Woman cookbook turned out best, and were the best recieved. But then I guess the healthier Date and choc Brownies couldn't really compete (they are best served warm with a little icecream)
I'm loving the cookbook, which I got for my birthday such brilliant recipies and loads of photos to show step by step what to do. It's tricky as sometimes the items are American based, so it's difficult to get an exact match, but googling normally helps with that.

I've also just made a batch of standard Banana Muffins, uses up all those bananas that are going brown at the bottom of the fruit bowl, and I don't mind how much DH scoffs!

Food cravings continue on apace, this time it's olives - now, I've had olives in things like pasta before and I like them, but i've never really wanted to eat them on their own. Until now. So last week I had a mozzarella and tomato salad from Franky and Benny's which had olives and a few other things in - really yummy, and then we stopped in Lidl and I bought a whole jar of chilli and herb marinated green olives, and have been chucking them in salads and sandwiches all week:)

Today i've got a real hankering for new potatoes. Such a nice spring/early summer treat, and I can't wait to get to the shop and buy some:)

In other news, i've been playing with digital stamps for the first time - a few people have told me how good they are, and i've finally relented and bought some here. So along with a few new promarkers that I bought i've been happily colouring in (and seeing as i can't sit at the desk to craft anymore, colouring in on the sofa is fab!)
I've even prepared birthday cards for a few people so that i don't forget in the madness to come! Today I made up some really simple cards from some tags that were in a craft kit I bought a few years ago, so again I might at least have something prepared ready for the next couple of months.

right, enough waffle, off to read a bit of my new book (found the Blossom St series by Debbie Macomber, which is easy to read, fun stories, and knitting based, just what i need at the moment, nothing too taxing, but fun.) and then prepare dinner (yes more food!)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Licence to..

drive.
My spanking new full driving licence arrived yesterday. whoop whoop!
I finally passed my driving test 2 weeks ago.. yes i am insane - taking a test at 8 months pregnant, but it paid off:)
It all seems a little unreal still as i've only actually been out in the car twice since, one of those was with DH to Shrewsbury. Where we discovered the coils on the shocks had broken! and then a couple of days later to take the knackered car to Kwik Fit to have said coils replaced.

At the moment I still don't have that automatic - "hey i can go drive somewhere" thinking yet. A combination of being enormous, uncomfortable and tired, and DH using the car during the week to get to work means i still don't really feel like a driver. But hopefully once baby arrives and things settle down it will become normal, and very handy.

It's DH's birthday tomorrow, so I a) need to make a card, and b) need to get a couple of supplies in to make brownies and cakes for him to take to work. Then hopefully i can pop and get some grow bags to plant up my french bean plants. Exciting stuff huh? :)

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Crafty Stuff





yes, i actually managed to make a few cards recently, and even more suprisingly, i remembered to take some pics.
I'm particularly pleased with the Star ones, even better using up paper i've had for years!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Things i'm looking forward to

once this baby arrives... (and yes it is a totally shallow and self indulgent list, possibly involving a lot of food!)

  • fried eggs with runny egg
  • Soft whip ice cream
  • crusty french bread with a huge slab of pate
  • beer (i've no idea why, but right now alcohol free beer is yummy)
  • parmesan cheese with my salad
  • being able to get in and out of the bath easily, and possibly having water actually cover me again!
  • being able to get out of bed without needing a degree in engineering
  • being able to walk further than the end of the road without being out of breath
  • seeing my toes again
  • being able to balance a tray on my lap
  • not being itchy!
so now it's just a waiting game. Another scan today revealed that baby b is just playing games with all the midwives and masquerading as breech, when in fact she's happily head down towards the exit! (must admit if i'm honest the idea of a sooner rather than later resolution to my current situation was fairly appealing. even if the recovery from a c section isn't!)

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Well well well

it's been flippin' ages since i've been on here and the longer i leave it, the harder it gets to come back to posting on here. So much for last year's good intentions!!

I really wanted to start updating on here at the beginning of the year, to keep track of things that were going on.. you see, something big is coming in this household. I'm pregnant!

i know, big stuff see, so whilst i know i've had stuff to keep me away from blogging i really wish i'd just got on with it, so when my (already) addled brain fails me totally, i'll have somewhere to come back to, to see what actually happened!

So, baby is due in 4 weeks(eeek!) on 31st May, everything is fine at the moment (other than being hot, itchy, uncomfortable and unable to sleep for more than 2 hours at a time!) and i'm keeping my fingers crossed that i remember to come and update here a little more regularly than once a year LOL