Embellish your World

Happy Accountant's Day

Yes, I made that up! There is no such thing as Happy Accountant's day (least not that I know of!) but as a nerdy bean counter today, 31st March, is year end and always makes me smile!

This too makes me smile! The Scrapbook Inspirations Debut Quarterly book (replacing the previous monthly magazine) is out today (UK) and features yours truly on page 94!  Available in WHSmiths and Sainsbury’s and of course to order on-line, the book is also enroute to the USA and other destinations! 

 
I am now officially on leave until next Tuesday with plenty planned including a hunt first thing tomorrow morning for a new local Geocache released today, a haircut at 11am and a visit to see my nan.  The kids break up tomorrow afternoon and are looking forward to a chocolate filled easter weekend, then next weekend I am off to the April 2010 ATDML retreat!

i SimPLy CaNnOT WaiT!!!!

I love London town!

Had a great day up London with my lovely chums! Many miles walked, plenty photos taken and a whole heaps of smiles, just what the doctor ordered all round!!

What a week from hell!

I don't want to repeat this week for love nor money.

Funeral, vommitting children, redundancy for hubby, vommitting for mum and then leaking pipe in the house not covered on insurance causing water damage to newly decorated ceiling and walls!! This just a week after getting over kidney stones, I mean COME ON!! Play fair Mr Man-in-charge-of-it-all!

I am so glad I am off out tomorrow with a few good friends to the city of London for a photography treasure hunt.  "Shoot London Treasure Map" is a unique and fun way to explore the sites of London in your own time, on your own or with family and friends, the interactive treasure map will guide you around South Bank, Bankside and the City. Once solved, the clues will lead you to inspiring destinations and other interesting sites are mapped out along the way.  So my bag is packed, alarm set (taking into account the clocks coming forward) and I'm off to snooze now in anticpation of a sunny or at least dryish day for it!

Happy 70th to my Father-in-law

Lots of smiles for the camera with his grandchildren, jam tarts and "real" birthday cake and a handmade card or too. We think Grandad enjoyed his special day.

 
Apologies for the lack of blog posts.  I am just recovering from being unwell for most of the week and have had no energy to blog nor much to blog about either.  I now feel almost human again and hope the week ahead is far more pleasant to endure than the last!!

Happy Mother's Day

Homemade cards, breakfast in bed, a long lie-in, nice presents and tidy bedrooms! What more could a mother ask for? 

We visited my in-laws to drop off card and gift, a difficult visit just 1 week after losing Mat's Nan and so my mother-in-law's first mother's day without her mum. We then travelled to my parents where my dad saw his first mothers day without his mum, who passed away almost a year ago now. Notwithstanding this sadness both sets of parents were thrilled with the gift we gave - a dvd compilation to music of photographs of their grandchilren.  Not sure if it will share here but I will have a try in the next few days!

Lousy week, hoorah for the weekend

Possibly one of the l o n g e s t weeks ever this week, working way to many hours at work, getting way to stressed out and just when I thought things couldn't get worse, they did and my week ended in Sainsburys where I ask for cash back, pay for cash back, forget cash back, argH!!!!!!

On the plus side it is the weekend now, and despite (surprise, surprise) there being a tonne of housework and laundry to do I WILL be playing with paper and glue, if only to make my mum her Mothers Day card for tomorrow!  Saying that I may have purchased and taken delivery of a couple of the new Tim Holtz Alterations dies this week including the ticket strip, film strip and the Movers and Shapers ornamental base die (which looks perfect for minibooks) as well as winning a 12" sizzlit strip alphabet on ebay.

Also I want to have a play at using up some of my every growing scrapbook supplies which is why I signed up Shimelle's latest class. I need all the help I can get using up supplies, but it sure wont stop me buying new stuff (and nor is it designed to) but in true Shim style there are plenty of tips and tricks to be learnt.

Today is not my day

Today is not my day, neither was yesterday, and tomorrow doesn't look like it will be either :(

Fed up being a dogsbody, doing everyone elses bidding but my own, then being shot down in flames when my remit falls apart. I have the same number of minutes in my hour, and the same number of those in my day as anyone else. AAARGHHHHH! WORK!

May those who angered me today steer a steady boat tomorrow on my waters!!

Sunday, sunday, la la la la la

Lots of pretty things to share, finally having found some energy after the long hours I have been working to create a little. Most of these were done as part of the Spring Fling cybercrop on Lets Capture Our Memories.

After all the fun of the Snow White challenges in February we are back to our weekly sketch inspiration on the forum, this week with a fab sketch by our guest designer for the month Zoe.  As always my Muffin Man layout below is loosly interpreting the sketch! (I do always start with the sketch I promise, it just kinda evolves!). Layout features 3 mini chipboard pieces from the Maya Road What's Cooking set purchased from ATDML

  

And talking of the Snow White sketch challenges, I have a winner to announce!!  Having randomly drawn from all particpants in my sketch (the Snow white inspired 7 photograph double layout) LYNNE F was the winner who will be receiving a little rack comprising of roses and leaves as featured on my layout. Congrats Lynne and a huge thank to all of you who took part.  More prizes for the winners of each sketch, the word search and the bonus prize of a guest DT spot on the sketch team are being announced on the blog soon!

In the meantime, if you are surfing around on the web aimlessly killing time, pop over to the Created by ATDML blog and have a go at the word scramble I created! I was laughing so hard I nearly broke a rib when making this as the anagram generator I was using kept coming up with rude phrases!!  And I laughed just as much at the cinema last night when Eloise and I went to see Leap Year. Billed as a standard chick flick/romantic comedy I knew I would enjoy it, but oh my word was it funny! Predictable? Of course, but really funny! Definately one to buy on dvd when released.

Think that is my long update done, other than to say my weight loss journey is continuing in the right direction, no bread products for all of lent so far and very much reduce carbohydrates. 9lb lost so far and very much looking forwrad to hitting that first stone off mark, wish me luck!

 

 

Rising to an arty challenge!

I am so much more a scrapbooker than an artist. I love the quirky art journalling pieces I see people create, my friend Ally being particularly great at this, and yet whenever I have tried previously it always looks totally stupid! Like a child has been playing with glue and paint! This weekend just passed however there have been some fab tutorials on Lets Capture Our Memories as part of a Spring Fling Cybercrop, and several involved more arty creations. Gesso, paint, ink, glimmermist, book pages, tearing and texture were all required!

  

I created this 5x7 piece using some of techniques taught and am amazed I actually like it!

We also created a layout with a "homemade" background, again using paint, gesso torn paper etc. Messy? Oh yes, but great fun and again I love the outcome of the tutorial

I have also completed my February page for Project 12, shown below along with the sketch.

And before I depart to do battle with youngest re sleeping, I am proud to report a weight loss of 7lb, my first of many half stones to be shed. Long may it continue whilst I keep the carbs at bay!