Happy Sunday :)

Do you have this gorgeous sun where you are? I tell ya, i'm luvin it so much I feel like I could conquor the world! I know, I know thats very optimistic but my lil world is the only real domain I have and I know i'm making a difference...well, maybe a few decibels louder cos with the music being on I want to sing! For anyone that knows me will be shaking their heads about now cos they know I cannot sing for toffee, jaffa cakes or tea in China! But...I live in hope!! Lol
Church was lovely again today, everyone is so happy and hyped up on the sunshine. I got a lot of inspiration which i'm to ponder and pray about...a great way to find the truth about things...well non-manmade things anyway!
Jay is just putting the pool up for Charley now, the boy is so excited I've had to tell him three times to put his shorts on, he thinks its a bath!! Lol Bless him! His Bob toys are strewn over the front garden, Kirsten is laying on a blanket hoping for a tan and I'm working on getting dinner served sooner rather than later...good ole laptops eh?!! The poor dog is on a very long leash so he can roam the lower level of the manor and the front garden, but as he's still young I dont want him running off again...its far too hot to run the streets! He gives me the saddest eyes ever and I feel awful then for tying him up! Doh
The first blog prompt is up on my scrap blog tomorrow, I have chosen to do mine as a layout. It's all ready and waiting to be uploaded with the theme prompt. It's going to be a fun time for anyone that chooses to take part, cos i've used some of the ideas not only from my classes but from the Emotional Intelligence course I done last year...sound intense? It isn't, I have literally just adapted some of the phrases to suit everyday living. There's also inspiration from the Design Course I done too...the unfinished one cos my tutor suddenly died. I'm still waiting to find out when I can submit the other 7 assignments I've done, I really want this qualification and this course to be over without me having to go to regular college. I dont fancy the idea of childcare unless Charley is in regular nursery so i'm trying to get this course belted and sealed! Waffle? Oh yeah :) I can cos its my blog!! Hehe
Jay and I spent most of the day in the garden yesterday, clearing up all the debris from trees, sorting toys and jet washing down the paved area, he has finally got the lawn mower working so made a start on the neglected top part of the garden. I was stood up there, saw a frog hopping right by my feet and pegged it in the house! It was the shock more than the frog, but Jay stood and p'd himself laughing...I dread to think what the neighbours would have thought if they'd seen me!! Lol So I armoured up in wellies, 3/4 trousers and long, pink marigolds!! I hid the camera though...me's not that stupid!! Lol
Today we are eating dinner outside. I bought a new parasol which is so neat. It tilts and swivels and well just looks good! The sunshine makes living a whole lot happier dontcha think?
We are doing Family Home Evening tonight, cos tomorrow i'm out for a bit. Jay is joining us and has even prepared the lesson on Challenges. Very appropriate given a challenge I have right now!! Lol But it's all good learning stuff and I know it will empower us to make the right choices and understand why bad things happen to good people. There's a book by that title, have you read it? I recommend it, it's a great read for anyone that is interested in understanding life and the world we live in. I read it a while back and found a lot of simple theories that make sense of things that I hadn't given thought to previously.
Ok, time to serve dinner up and enjoy the glorious sunshine :)
Have a great day :)

Debsx

The Domestic Goddess...

along with Garden Fairy, Decorator Pro and Chez Debbie! Yep, i'm into all sorts at the moment. The living is on the verge of being finished, I just have the cutting in to do then its all ready to go back together again...more boxes have been unpacked, sorted, dumped, given away and for sale. The upper level of the manor is sparkling so much I feel like Cindarella, I just need a ball to go to, the birds to come in and make me a pretty dress and the prince charming...Oh I have the prince charming already!! Hehe

Seriously, I'm knackered! My bones are not as young as they used to be, I ache in places I thought didn't having anything but wobble there, my muscles are tight and i'm desperately hoping I have burnt off a fair few pounds with it all!!

Its all looking good though, tomorrow I shall be attacking the remaining boxes in the shed, before I start more painting. It's seriously mad stuff here, but I like it, I survive on it, its who I am! :)

I dropped my router two days ago, dropped all 3' to the floor, landed smack on the arial. No internet. Shock Horror, Gasp, a few choice words and a deep sigh. Jay spent hours trying to reconfigure it, I spent almost an hour on the phone to Tiscali's support guy (who was really good and patient) then another half hour on the phone to Netgear. No-one could figure out what the problem was so I prepared myself to go buy another one. As I was turning off my laptop it suddenly, magically came on!! Was that another endurance test? I am continuously hearing the word patient in my life, I HATE that word! Some things I want NOW!!! :D But i'm back, and once i've put the router on the wall its not moving again, ever! :)

I have been offered to teach scrapbooking in three more communities, the plans I did have (which I haven't and wont be blogging about for a while yet) will go on hold for now, too much good stuf

Little Chef, Little Books, Big Results

For the most part, the word of the week in our house is 'little', however even little can be big sometimes...according to what it is! This is how this week started out:
Charley asked Jay to do him some toast, so after a chunt and a chant cos I threw the minging toaster out he got up and done it the old fashioned way, under the grill. But Charley being Charley had a million other things for Jay to do and being the dutiful older brother, Jay wasn't too quick to say no. This is how a little meal happens with big style.....

A round of applause to Jaymie!! He will never live this one down!! :) On seeing the literal burnt offerings Charley and Kirsten decided to do some baking, only they wanted to do cupcakes but I didn't have the right cups. After much debate and my voice still going unheard I decided to let them prove me right instead of me proving them wrong...that the shape will not be like the one in the picture I printed off! But, give em their credit, they had fun, done a good job and even sort of tidied up after themselves! :)

This time it was I that almost done a Jaymie! A bemused Kirsten and a chuckling Charley, this is what the oven done! :) Kirsten made the pitiful joke something to the tune of 'pity you cant edit your cooking mum like you can a picture!' Does she REALLY want that PSP for her birthday?!!! Lol :)


Blow me down, if the dog didn't go get a look in too! The plate of cooling (failed) cupcakes was in his reach thanks to the lil guy...and one disappeared with a flash...so much so by the time I leapt the 10 steps to him this is what was left...


Too much going on, too much sun and too much laughing...my lil dude just couldn't keep up and cuddled up on the sofa...with the dogs smelly blanket!! :)

This evening, after a lovely day at Sonia's (**waves**) crop in Gloucester, I was so inspired by all the lovely projects and stuff the ladies had made that I sat at my desk, ignored the phone, email pings and the calls for mum and came up with this....it is to be a book for my mum to tell her all the things I want her to know that I wouldn't usually say to her. Just because she's the bestestest!! :)


This tiny book actually folds out to a 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock, counting both sides it has 22 folded squares that I am going to use to tell 22 facts of what I love about one of my kids...its for someone in particular and I aint saying who!! Hehe I wanted something that when it was read it was totally, 100% from me to that person, things only a mother would say or know.

It's really easy to make and ideal for something so personal. The ribbon is woven with 'A Mothers Love' repeated throughout in muted colours, so suits the theme perfectly. When i've added the journaling I will show ya and i'll include the instructions too incase you wanna have a go.

I'd like to say that's all the excitement in our house but it isnt! I have the Bosnia theme going on in our house. While Jay has been gutting, cleaning, chopping, strimming, digging and hosing the gardens I have been wading through box after box after box to sort stuff out that needs new homes. I took a lot of stuff to Sonia's crop today, a lot of which went rather speedily which pleased me to bits. Thanks Sonia for allowing me to do that and to have a great day with you all! :) The girls that go there are just the sweetest! :)

For the first time ever I ran out of double sided sticky tape, can you believe it? I mean, how can you run short, much less run out! Doh So off I went shopping, which I wasn't going to do till Monday but needs must! Tesco didn't have any (double sided tape, keep up!!) so Charley and I jetted over to Asda, they too hadn't got any. This was getting serious so on the verge of being prepared to pay in gold for one used roll of double sided sticky tape I text Sonia...I think she's so fed up of me today!! :) The gal saved the day! So I jetted over the other side of Gloucester, again (only the 4th time today!), had a bit of a chat n giggle then came home, oh that was after an insult here n there!! :D Gotta luv her! :) Thanks hun, your so cool :)

What I want to know is why do I have a rather large corner desk, much less stuff on it yet have the tiniest bit of workspace? I admit to being the messiest worker EVER no matter how hard I try, but bit by bit I can feel my space getting less, even to the point of my 12 x 12 sheet getting stuck or overlapping something or other. I admit however that once in a while I will get so frustrated that i'll lean forward and do the breast stroke, pushing everything out the way onto the floor! Kirsten looks at me, rolls her eyes and says 'and you say my room is disgusting?'. Oh the shame! NOT!!

I had 12 gorgeous red roses yesterday! :D How lucky am I? The card was simple, but deep, just my style! :D I want to photo them properly to remember them, I might even share too! :D I love flowers, all flowers are just the surest way to get me smiling and pondering. Ok, I've had too much fresh air, bite me!! :)

Today, I'm glad to say is the Sabbath, and I fully intend to steer clear of boxes and their contents, well apart from those that I trip over, and I intend to steer clear of anything that remotely reminds me of Sizzix, bread trays and wheels!! Ok I have to use the car to go to church but THATS IT!! I have declared to all kids that today is going to be a family day, even if it means we sit around all day (which i'm really, really hoping to do!!) cos this last week quality time went right out the window far, far away! :)

Ok, enough from me. I hope to be joining in HS:MS again next week, cos goodness knows, I dont have a clue what happened to this week!! :)

Have a great Sunday!

Debsx

Never look back....

...but I am going to make the exception to that rule and post my catch up to HS:MS in a while cos I think they are good ones, and besides, I already have some of the four photos required! Cheat? Oh yeah!! :D

In the meantime I am going to chill here for a few minutes and talk about my day...nothing shocking has really happened, nor anything particularly exciting but I can actually say that I can show something for the hours today! Wowser!! :) I went off to Cheltenham this morning to pick up my car (another story for another time!), £117 later I am happily driving my mini merc in the direction of The Range to pick up some cardstock for something thats rattling in my head (especially thanks to Vanessa C!!) so, there I am, jigging and driving away to Leona Lewis, window down, shades on and feeling pretty good about life then it happened...a total mood stopper...I had forgotten that i'd arranged to meet up with my friend Chrissy yesterday and I didn't show up! So saftely parked on The Range carpark i'm anxiously texting away to her begging her forgiveness, hoping she didn't wait in the rain too long when soon after I hit send she called. I wondered if she was going to be mad with me, instead (before I could speak) she was profusely apologising to me for not turning up!! :) I roared with laughter, my stomach was in knots and I felt nauseus. Mid sentence she asked what was up, so I toyed with the idea of not telling her that I forgot too...but it was too funny not to! (She has the same sense of humour as I do so she'd have 'got it' if i'd have played too much on it!) The relief for both of us was phenominal, I can tell ya!! So, friendship intact, my heart slowed to its healthy rate and my stomach returned to normal. Lucky, that's all I can say!

In The Range I was looking for this particular cardstock I knew they had but came across some stuff that I knew Charley would like, so in the basket it goes, as does the carstock then I saw an old work colleague, Jackie. We chatted, giggled about the poor replacements in my former PA job and generally had a good ole catch up. No sooner had we parted company did I see ANOTHER former work colleague from the same company!! Now this is spooky, so I stood chatting to Paul and his daughter for a few minutes before going off on my browse again. Blow me if I didn't see the girl who hired me for the said job!! Conspiracy now, cos this person decided to ask me if I'd be interested in going back! Erm, after the way they treated me? Not on your nelly misses! :)

I picked up a pack of bright coloured fabric felt, a big sheet of mountboard and the cardstock that's all I bought, I was really good (ok so I got a couple of things for Charley, i'm trying to condense it here!!) I was very good and rather pleased with my buys, especially as I resent their prices cos I know what they pay for the craft stuff in there, I have the same darned suppliers and its a rip off! Anyway, on from that, this is what I came up with after some playing around with the good ole fashioned Sizzix machine and dies:


I'm only 3 pages behind with this subject, so I ought to get a move on while I have the opportunity really!

While I was playing, so was Charley....he soon mastered the old machine...but struggled with the Big Shot! Bless! :)

"First" he said " You do this"

"Ooofff" he said

"Aaarrghh!"

"I did it!" he said "look mum!"

Thats my boy! If only Princess Kirsten was into paper crafts like charley is then i'd be soo happy! He later went on to colour them, out came my gel pens, his paints, some glitter and some felt scraps...so now they have a variety of textures, colours and designs along with the pull carts he cut out too! :) I feel a Designer coming on!! :)

It's still nice outside, Kirsten is at her dad's and Jay is doing something to the tree that I dont wanna ask...him and power tools!!! Lol Charley is getting tired so i'm going to put him down for his nap and perhaps take one meself, I think I earned it today!! :D

I'm about to embark on the biggest clear out i've ever had in my life, I am so fed up of boxes and stuff cluttering the house that I have finally decided that enough is enough! So in due course I will be looking to shift a range of stuff, oodles and oodles of craft stuff, kids clothes, books, dvds and a whole lot more...so if you want a good bargain keep an eye out! I will label them though under the...drum roll please....For Sale....tag!! :D Ok so i'm not funny, I never told you I was!! :P :D

Firstly, I am looking to sell my Sizzix machine and over 120 dies, a Sizzix pully tote bag on wheels and some spare cutting pads. In all there is over £1400 of stuff there. many of the dies haven't been used and all are in very good condition. Naturally i'm not going ask for that much for them so if anyone is interested drop me an email. debbie.willson@yahoo.co.uk and we'll discuss it. Ideally this is going to be better off collected because it is so heavy but I am prepared to negotiate some mutual meet up point for anyone that is further afield than Gloucester.

Debsx

Eh?

What happens to time? I get on to do something, get side tracked with something else, someone talks to me, the phone rings, I get a text message and before you know it i'm trying to remember if I had a shower and looking at the clock and planning my bedtime! All I can say is zooomm!! My personal life is very busy right now, the kids have various things going on and I am left staring at a spinning clock. I even sat down to write one of my famous lists, only this time it wasn't a list of what I had to do it was a list of what I didn't do...(go figure!) and I was slightly stunned as to how I had managed to miss so much stuff.
So, here I am, almost midnight and i'm just reading through some old church history recognising that I am so lucky to have such a strong testimony of God and Jesus Christ that somehow I know I will manage to achieve what I NEED to achieve at the right time. With that relief I am now going to relax, unwind and waffle about some of the side tracks this last couple of days! :)
Charley has found a way to climb the tree that has no limbs (no digs for Jay who cut them off by mistake!!!), I love this picture because he wouldn't let anyone help him up, it was a warm day so out come the shorts...and wellies!! :)

Just before he got where he wanted to go the phone rang...darn it...and I missed the next shot!! :) But I know he achieved what he'd been working on for the previous HALF HOUR!! Thats ma boy! :)

That night we decided we would have a chinese meal, and because I had all my papers, boxes, buttons, photos etc over my desk AND the dining table we had to eat from our laps...which the kids thought was great...Charley, however, decided that to be a dog was a pretty good way to enjoy his dinner! Just for the purpose of the camera I allowed him two shots...then he had to sit back on his tushy to eat it properly! Yep, meanie mummy! :)


Ordinarily I would not post a picture of me that wasn't somewhere near presentable...however as this one was taken whilst Prince Charley was on his own photography adventure I am making an exception...as comfortable as I was I was only sleeping, total of about 4o minutes and Jay was actually on another chair...so there's no need to go reaching for the phone to call child services!! LOL Why does your hair get in such a mess when you stay still, yet it lasts quite well all day when you're moving around? Go figure!! :)



This next shot is my favourite! My daughter is growing up so fast that I admit to forgetting to treat her as the young woman she is becoming. Tonight she attended the Young Women's introduction evening called New Beginnings which was themed on Hollywood glitz and glamour. She is totally against skirts and dresses so I reluctantly ok'd this outfit. After highlighting her hair and straightening it for almost an hour, another hour for make-up and a lot of fussing over shoes or boots, this is what she looked like. Naturally she looked better in person than on the photo! :)

So now I'm sat here, still wondering what I did today, yesterday and the day before because for the life of me I cannot put enough together that covers the whole 72 hours!

One of the things I do remember doing though was going to Gloucester Police Station to produce my documents for my car. It appears that someone has attempted to insure my car that is not me or anyone I know! I spent almost an hour in there with a PC that was very nice, very helpful and very competant at his job. My papers checked out, he believed me as did his Super Intendant so after he spent an enormous amount of time on the phone to my insurance company it was finally revealed that it was actually the insurance company who made a mistake! The apparent new owner of my car is a real live person from Shrewsbury but the policy number is one that was cancelled back in 2004...even though that policy was taken out on 24 March 2008! Confused? Yeah me too! I have been released without charge or caution!! Lmao No I wasn't arrested or even given a producer, lmao, I just was suspect when I tried to call my insurance company about something and they couldn't identify me to the car nor my policy number, which if you remember back a month or two ago, the car was being repaired in the garage and my insurance company enlightened me that my excess was a staggering £200! So I KNEW they had me on their system for this car!!

Bl**dy insurance companies!!

So, that drama over, I am now planning a busy weekend. I'm not totally sure what with specifically but as I have achieved my planned weekend quota by way of fairy chores, it's going to be a time of work, scrapbooking, invoices and then Sunday with my kids! Bring it on!! :)

Oh yeah, thank you for the emails regarding the wedding cake and the cupcakes! Though I haven't come up with a conclusion yet I do appreciate the suggestions and the ideas that I have received...most of which are in my thinking thoughts to try out! :)

I am having a ride to a relatively local craft shop tomorrow, I want to get a specific selection of cardstock and brads for a project that has been requested...now normally I will play around with projects that i've been asked for but I admit to not having much confidence in my own stuff...however, this one project has been in my head for a little while but only when I read the lady's ideas that I made sense of it, and she put it so much better than I could have!! :) Initially the project is for a group I teach who suffer from depression and the professionals are using funding to find a selection of ways to help these ladies (and 2 gentlemen) to start finding a focus and not let the fact that their lifetime need of meds over ride their self worth. So far I hear some fantastic stories, their memories are so warming and funny, sad and tragic but each one that shares something is starting to come alive again, to remember where they come from and realise that they are a part of this plan. It is truly a magic job I have, just one memory shared is such a blessing to me and that person. If you get the opportunity to share your scrapbooking for a deeper meaning than your family, I say go do it, its so important to reach out to other in any way we can, and our photos hold so much more than any newspaper, magazine or night out.

When Jay's around I will have to get him to retell me the conversation between him and Charley the other day while they were washing up...he became Doctor Charley and Captain Charley all in ten minutes! I became Doctor Mummy later on (probably after I told him how wonderful he is!!) and the dog became Doctor Jake! Those are the moments that I wish I could record with more than words...so now my camcorder is on charge and a spare battery pack is sat in the ready waiting for the next time I hear him and his brilliant imagination!!

My HS:MS is two days behind, pretty slack eh? But i'll catch up tomorrow...hopefully! :)

Ok enough waffle...its time for me to go get Jd's headache back!! :D Oh how mean I is!! :D

Debsx

HS:MS

Sad:

Feeling or showing sorrow. Show us sad in your space today.

I couldn't decide what was the saddest today so I decided to get the kids to do some acting!! This is what they come up with....and you can tell who the drama queen is eh? :)

For the life of him, Charley just can't do the sad face, he's so busy in his own little world that he is only sad when I say the word 'nap' but he laughed when I said that...cos he knew he had to eat first!! Doh

Princess Kirsten makes me laugh! This is not a real sad face but by 'eck its a guddun!! :)

This is truly sad... the offending well over grown tree that Jay cut down for me in March...laying lifeless and abused in the back garden! Still gotta find its way to the tip yet...but I guess dead stuff dont move eh? :)

My darlin' #1 son is going to help me (and some guys from church) do the garden next week, and my boy works like a trojan when he gets his hands on a power tool!! We plan to secure all the garden so the dog cant jump into adjoining ones and that rottweiller cant come back into ours! I have loads of plants to do and Charley is eager to do more of his little garden patch but only Jay can do it he said!! :) While Jay is here we are planning on some time out with the kids, he wants to take Charley swimming and to the Dick Whittington Zoo so that'll be a good starting point. Plus he has said he will finish the painting in my living room for me! :) Bless him :)

Kirsten is back at school on Tuesday but she is already stressing out over it. She woke up this morning with a mean attitude that just didnt quite fit, yet I hadn't a clue what could have caused it. Eventually, after many tears and strops she blurted out her fears of going back to Barnwood. She has just 3 months left of Yr 7 so I asked if she could see it through till then, but she was back on her inhaler with sheer stress, I have never seen anyone her age get so worked up to the point of hyperventilating/asthma (which she has been diagnosed as having). So, new school it is, nothing is worth the emotional and mental trauma of my kids (or anyones really) so if moving works for her then who am I to argue too much? She is now on the front with two of her friends and the dog...laughing as though she doen't have a care in the world, just as it should be at 11 years old.

The wind is picking up again here, I wish it would hurry up and pass through, it does nothing for my hair I tell ya! :) I dont think the dog has ever walked so fast as he does when he's outdoors, Charley refuses to go out in it in case he 'turns into a kite' (his words!) yet Kirsten just doesnt care! Is it just me with strange kids?

Back to the fairy chores now...I really have to focus on some offending boxes that are stacked in my hallway...I am convinced they multiply in the twilight hours cos I was sure i'd finished unpacking!! :) Ho hum! The upside though is when i'm caught up with myself I am going to spend some time doing some scrapping! I have finally finished the lo's without pictures too...instead of trekking into town yesterday my lil Selphy friend decided to work and obliged very nicely at printing off many photos for me so now i'm a happy chick and ready to get some crafty time in, thats what I call cool! :) I've added below some of the ones i've finished...just two of them need their titles finishing then i'll share them too :)

Have a good day :)

Debsx

Back from the past :)

Conspiracy theory:
1. Firefox infects my computer
2. Microsoft Outlook refuses to send emails but will accept them
3. Some eejit hacks into my other yahoo email account and causes havoc
4. The dog runs away (ok nothing to do with this but i'm looking for the violin treatment!!)
5. I've gained 3lbs cos I stopped eating Jaffa Cakes (go figure!!)
6. My internet went down cos the company needed to do work but stuffed it up (went without for about 4 days!)
7. I bought me two pairs of gorgeous suede (or is it suade?) boots, 1 cream and 1 grey and neither of them fit...but they wont exchange cos I lost the receipt!
8. I hurt my back when I moved my dresser from the dining room to the hallway
9. Both of my printers refused to acknowledge my laptop even though i've used them on here before.

I know if I think about it there's more but that little lot is enough for anyone right? So, mix it all up and that's why I haven't been around for a wee while. Pretty frustrating I tell ya. On the up side though, I decided to buy a spare camera, its only a lil Fuji FinePix A510 but till my other one is sorted it'll do fine. I'm having fun again now, to the point where Charley asks me to sit with him 'on my own'!! Hehe

I have managed to do 6.5 layouts too! :) Big whoopee for me! However, cos I prefer to scrap with 6 x 4 I done the layouts without the pictures, which isnt that difficult to do unless ur going to get all fancy with them...which I dont. Now I just have to put the photos on when they are printed courtesy of Boots tomorrow and I shall load them on here! :) Feeling pretty chuffed with meself! I also decided, quite randomly one morning at 6.50 that i'm going to paint my living room...Seychelle Blue. Gorgeous colour. I am one of those suckers that bought the magic roller for the paint to go inside, only it took almost an hour for it to seep through....cos dipstick me didnt soak it in water first!! Doh So by this time I was bored, but I endured to the end of one wall...which I think looks really nice. Just add some chocolate candles, gold coloured, glass trim photo frames and bingo! The only thing is I run out of time, energy and inclination for the other three walls....BUT I have my #1 boy coming on Saturday and guess how he'll be singing for his supper? :) :) Yep, i'm a meanie mummy!! Lol In between the rain its been nice, so we, correction, I have been out the front strimming, digging and well thats it....Charley and I planed some sunflowers in his pots, we done cress that I managed to drown and some pots of other seeds for some pretty multi coloured flowers! Sounds a whole lot better than it is....the grass out front is only 1/4 done and the digging is only 2/16 done!!! :) (not that I know fractions but it sounds better than 4'!!!)

We went off to the Country Cattle Working Farm yesterday, not as good as I thought it would be, especially for what it cost to get in, but with camera in hand I took solace in the fact that I could once again take a few pictures and have something to do while Charley rides the tractor and Kirsten pets the donkeys...WRONG! Cos dipstick me, forgot to pick up the memory card, the camcorder wasn't charged (my ultimate back up!!) and it was 2o miles or so from home. So I got 9 pictures which the camera holds itself and that was it! We missed the chicken that chased charley, the goat that tried to headbutt Kirsten and the cow that run away from me! I tell ya, nothing like being popular is there?!!! :)

Kirsten has started making friends with some of the kids in our street, which isn't a bad thing at all, she comes in with a sparkle in her eyes, laughing and just eager to get up and do stuff. I took her computer apart ready for it to go on the desk which is now in the dining room so I could keep eye on things when she's on MSN, that was a week ago, she's not once asked for it or mentioned it. Instead she's out there, with Jake on his lead, laughing and playing. I haven't heard her laugh like that for a long, long time and I tell you, its worth more than anything else I could have in the world. She's having a sleep over tomorrow night, so i'm preparing for a long, loud and late night....all plans for Friday are cancelled so I can recover!! :D Tonight she's off to Bristol Chapel to a concert for the Young Women, that'll be a really good opportunity for her to meet others in her age group at different wards and branches plus the concert 'Where am I going now?' is reported to be brilliant! Last night she made some chicken nuggets, cut the chicken in nice, even sizes, basted them, covered them in batter....then went out leaving me to finish them off! Charley and I didn't mind though...they were gorgeous with jacket potatoes and prawn mayo!! :D

Lots of things have happened this last week, though they escape me right now...I guess i'm still consumed with self pity of all the little things that have gone wrong!!! I hope that violin is going!!! :) On the upside though, my laptop is my bestest buddy again (so long as I dont open firefox!) and the kids aren't threatening to have me adopted!! :D

I must remember to change the font/colour on here too....cant be sat here moaning when someone cant read it can I? That's the whole purpose of moaning!!! :D

Right.....now off to do dinner....then I have to continue to work through £100+ emails and catch up with my team mates...who will most likely think i've done a runner again!! Doh Oh, i'll be adding some photos later....or tomorrow...whenever I get to raise my head from the keyboard!! :)

Hope you is all ok...and got the sunshine :)
Debsx

Ellie Wiseman's Box Book Project Reminder

ELLIE'S PROJECT IS NOW AVAILABLE ON MY SITE!
If you wanna get it you can go HERE or you can click this

Just in case you dont know, or have forgotten, each download is only £6.00 and EVERY penny goes to Ellie's fund. For every payment that clears I will make a list on Ellie's link page on my site of all the people that have signed up just so you can see what is what and where is where. I must confess that I am very excited about this project, it has most definitely challenged me yet has been a great sauce of oooh's and aaah's by Princess Kirsten and by the end of the project...me too! Wonder what i'm on about? Well buy the class and see for yourself!! Hehe

PLEASE FORWARD THIS POST TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN COS EVEN THOUGH ELLIE HAS REACHED HER TARGET IT ALL HELPS TO ENSURE SHE CAN BE PREPARED FOR ANY FURTHER TRIPS THAT SHE MIGHT NEED. HAVE A HEART, FORWARD THIS ON! :)

I will keep this at the top of the blog for a while so if you are one of my 'followers' (wow I feel like I should be teaching something semi intelligent here!! doh) then my post will be underneath

Debsx

Now for my REAL waffle! :)

Just as you thought i'd shut up!! :D Oh how i'm giggling to myself here! Ok so I need a life...BITE ME!! :D
I've wondered round quite aimlessly today, the kids have had a couple of moments of total hysteria, madness and calm, it's been great having them here and only once have I looked into any new law changes on murder! Not bad eh?!! (Incidentally, no, the law has not changed, you still cannot commit murder in the UK!!). I have chocolate mousse's in the fridge and everytime they want one they do a job for me first...lmao...now this started a few days ago when I asked them to move their plates from the table then they could help themselves, since then its become a habit!! It tickles me but when I have been released from hoovering, polishing, emptying the bin, washing up etc, I am not going to speak up too fast am I? LMAO Gotta luv my nephews!!!
Ty comes downstairs just to ask me if i'm ok! He is my dude. Ever since he was small he and I have had some kind of connection, though I am close with all of them there's something else going on with Ty. He looks at me like i'm the most important person in the world and it makes my heart melt, he lubs his auntie debs!!
I'm feeling guilty now that I dont talk about my family on here!!! I wouldn't mind but they are a really good lot... ok so they're not as smart, funny, intelligent, gorgeous etc as me but hey....:D LMAO Just kidding! I AM!!! :D
So, back to today, I haven't really achieved much other than a sheer blitz of fairy chores, which I actually enjoyed doing. I'm wading through washloads after being a total lazy bugg*r the last few days in the vain hope the radiators will dry it sooner rather than later! Logic? Nope, should there be?!!
I've seen some ATC's on another blog that I really, really like. That is a first for me cos 1. I dont like small and 2. I have never been interested till I saw these. I'll link the blog up.....here ya go! I cant remember the ladies name who it belongs to but I know she is very talented!! Have a browse through her stuff, its just totally gorgeous!!
Its drizzled with rain here all day, even the dog wont go outside! Stupid mutt will soon go rushing in the shower with us though!!! :D Dogs are like men aren't they? A little on the misunderstood side!! :D :D :D Oh I thought that was funny!!! Hehehe
Ok, time to take a break, the cyber waves are getting me!! :D
In fact, i'm off to fiddle with some lettering for this Tag Book, I want to get it finished and written up tonight so I can put it on my site tomorrow and have the book ready to hand over to my lil man when he comes home tomorrow afternoon! Oooh I cant wait to see him!!!! :D
OH I have seen a blog...hosted by blogspot...that has proper smilies on it AND colour in the side panel letters...HOW DO I DO THAT? PLEASE have mercy on me and tell me. TELL ME!! :D
Ok, i'm calm!

Debsx

What day is it?

This week has sped by so quickly I'm spinning. Late nights, early mornings and none stop in between has been the typical shape of things. I am so busy with work, putting projects together for my site and on personal project for myself and with my kids that I've had to make a list of what we are doing so when I go somewhere I can keep my eyes open for inspiration and ideas!! Its not funny, I answered the phone the other day and forgot what to say!! :)

Well, I have finally got the theme for Ellie Wiseman!!! Woohoo!! Sorry Kirsty...I know you are busy but...but...but...:P!!! Luv ya really :) So that is also in the making and will be loaded to my website as soon as I can offer it! :)

Yesterday Kirsten, Lucy, Charley and I went to the chapel so we could go through the Baptism procedure with Kirsten. We chose a pretty white dress (and anyone that knows Kirsten will know she is NOT a dress or skirt girl by any stretch of the imagination!!) that she is happy to wear! We have all the provisional plans in place so we just need to invite the relevant people to do the talks, offer prayers etc. I'm looking forward to it so much...and thankfully so is she!! :)

I took the kids into Gloucester, I ran out of black card that I was in desperate need for cos I have been assigned to make 70 oscar night invitations. Thanks to Sonia (**waves**) I have a super template and it even works when I fold it up!! :) She's a clever gal ;) I should have handed them in this morning but my printer ran out of ink after about 12 of them...which I am really annoyed about because the info box shows a full cartridge and as its only a few days old and i've only printed 4 things I know it has plenty!! So I have to work that out later. We had dinner in Macky D's, ooh'd over a set of triplets laying so peacefully in their pram ( I know the mummy) and devoured donuts! Charley was very forward in choosing a Diego helicopter but as Kirsten had her monthly allowance it was ok, so he was a happy boy!! :) For the rest of the day it was run, run, run none stop, come 9pm all I wanted to do was get into bed, but I still had these invitations to go...there had been so many changes and challenges about them that it really was the last minute before I could do anything with them, hense the rush. In the end, come 2am I just had to sack it, nothing is worth being that tired for and I couldnt chance making a mistake on them so I left them, I shall have them out tomorrow afternoon instead.

Today we are off to church (in a few mins) so i'm procrastinating for a few minutes cos we are all ready and waiting for the clock to tick :) Love being organised! I feel totally shattered, but happy. We are taking a drive down to my mums later in Taunton, she doesn't know yet and i've threatened Scott not to tell her! :) He is looking forward to seeing Kirsten be baptised, though it will be his first time in church for a few years! Now I just have to get my other boy here and i'll have all my kids together again!! Now that would be awesome!!

Ok, i'm not making much sense of anything on here right now cos I know i'm so tired and so much is trying to make sense in my head. I refuse to work on a Sunday though, so I am hoping to clear my head soon. Sundays are my days with the kids...ONLY the kids and if they are napping I dont mind coming on here and browsing but definitely NOT working!! :) Such a life eh?!! I did skive last night though (ok I had a couple of hours through the week too!!) where I had a play on Facebook, its a real whizz for some light hearted fun but it can (and did) get out of hand if someone takes it too serious. I did have one person bombard me then mail me to see why I hadn't sent him the kissy kissy things!! My profile states that I am in a relationship...maybe its not the place to go when a relationship is in your real life? What do you think? I've never agreed to this sorta thing before, I believe that if we put ourselves in a particular situation we are subjecting ourselves to a potential issue that we do not need...so I guess i've answered my own question there! For now it's harmless, but if I have to cancel my account I will...so till then i'll just play careful :) I do like passing the Winnie the Pooh or flowers or something I think is funny to share, most people send it back or something similar, the odd one or two dont but thats ok, everyone see's facebook differently :)

I thought i'd stick a couple of widgets on here just for the fun of it. I am amazed at how far this blog goes when I check in with my stats! Even though I see the counter go up I still find it hard to believe that anyone actually sits there long enough to read my drivel!! :) But thank you for doing it anyway, it is nice that someone does actually though I wish you would comment so I can come read your blog!! :)
EDITED: Do the widgets work? I just had an email alert that someone from the States has visited my blog...but it isn't showing...bet I have a faulty one!!! :)

Ok i've had enough, i'm bored here now!! :) :P I'm going to get the kids bundled into the car...not like that...i'll do it gently!!! :)

Have a fabtasticolishous Sunday :)

Debsxx

Is that a ray of life?

The sun got me up early today, blazing into my bedroom just smiling down on me like I had got something right and was about to be rewarded! I lay there for a few minutes watching the birds on the phone line outside, I wondered if they actually have conversations, I didnt wanna know what they were saying about 'her at no 1 with those pink and purple check pjs'!!
So, I rolled out of bed, stripped it off, remade it with crisp blue n beige check bedding and re set my teddies in their homely place at the foot. I looked at the clock, it was 7am. What the heck was I doing? I knew I was tired, it was gone 2.30 when i'd last looked at the clock. I was lay in bed working on the newsletter that needs to go out soon, the class requests i've had and the projects i've got on the go...for the first time I was feeling rather overwhelmed with the whole list of stuff that needs to be done. Without notice, I dozed off to sleep.
Charley Boy woke up and gave me the biggest hug! He said his prayer which consisted of waffle waffle waffle waffle, Father waffle waffle waffle mummy waffle waffle waffle waffle Jesus waffle waffle waffle waffle AMEN said with such conviction that I had a lump in my throat! My boy is so easy and comfortable offering a prayer, even though I dont understand all his words I know Heavenly Father does, and that's good enough for me.
He went off to watch Diego while I coaxed Kirsten to wake up. She came home from her dads yesterday with a back so sore that she could barely get up the stairs, sit or move. I was mad as heck that they didn't think to take her to the call in medical centre which is less than 1/2 a mile from them, much less tell me she was in pain. She doesn't know what she's done but I know she is in pain. This morning she struggled to walk across her bedroom so I decided to get her to the hospital. Past experience tells me that a GP will only refer her for an x ray anyway so off we trotted. Thankfully they didn't make us wait for very long, and the results showed that her spine has some inflamation. They want her to go back in two weeks time for another x ray and have put her on medication. I'm unsure on what they want her to do in the meantime though, one doctor said to just take it easy and another said total rest. When I questioned the nurse in charge she said 'just do what the doctor said'. I asked 'which doctor though' and she said 'both'!! I wonder what the average grade is to pass the nursing exam! Lol I take that back, maybe she's just having a bad day. I decided to call my own GP surgery, the nurse there went through it all with me. Thankfully.
I'm probably going to kick myself for saying this but I think I may just have had a glimpse of a life today! Ok so its thanks to Sonia (**waves**) for looking me up and for being such a sweetheart when she took me to Hobbycraft today...for what should have been a simple purchase and ended up costing me almost 3 figures!! There goes this months and next months stash allowance!! Hehehe But I did manage to get some goodies for the kids to make some Easter stuff and a couple of lil Easter gifts to put in their basket. I don't do Easter eggs or chocolate, instead I prefer something that will last, and be more memorable so I like to put together a basket or box, decorated in bunnies n flowers and filled with lil novelty stuff that they will enjoy playing with. Then we have the true meaning of Easter, that is usually a story board where we renew the story of Jesus' death and resurrection and make comparisons to our own lives and make little plans for personal and family improvement. It's great watching the kids learn and teach with so much enthusiasm, they are exceptionally keen for knowledge of almost all kinds.
Hmm, I have gone off the track there about three times eh? :) No matter, not the worst thing I coulda done is it?!! So, I went to Hobbycraft...I was on the phone with Sonia (**waves**) and i'd said that I need to get some mountboard, double sided tape and I wanted some Scenic Route, Loveland cardstock. Bless her, she's so sweet, she was going to go for me and then bring it over...but I was suddenly wanting to go with her...so she picked me up and off we went!! I'm sure I made her late home for a caller she was expecting! Not like that, take yer mind out the gutter!! Tut Tut!! :D
I was almost in heaven, as you are in any place that sells stash, but in the back of my mind it was killing me cos they are so very over priced, but Gloucester isn't that up on craft shops so they kinda got you by the curlies. They didn't have the papers I wanted, nor the Scenic Route, Lynden I like so I'm hoping Fiona at Paperarts or Linz and Crafty Pasttimes will have some! I got to have them...I have projects waiting to be done! :)
Talking of projects, i've now been commissioned to do a baby tin, a boy and a girl along with a book to go with it with lots of places for journalling and photos so i'm thinking paper bag books, they are ideal for packing in lots of extras. I have about 5 projects on the go at the moment and I dont know if i'm coming or going. I am seriously thinking of looking to put together a design team a whole lot sooner than I planned to keep the inspiration going on my site...that will leave me able to continue to research, plan and work on the projects. If you are interested, drop me a line. It wont be anything big or grand like some craft stores, for the next few months it is only a means of keeping scrapbooking going and sharing ideas and inspiration.
I bought Jaymie and Scott a new 12x12 album today as well, the album they have isnt really suitable for 19 and 17 yr old young men! I chose a nice soft black and neutral fabric album with a frontal insert...so I dont get confused what my boys look like!! :D Yeah, sons....come see mummy more...I miss yas!!! :D Mwah!!
I looked into kickboxing today, there are four groups here in Gloucester, two are for advanced, one is full and the other falls on a wednesday night...the only night I cant do cos Kirsten has Faith in God night each month and its also the night the Missionaries come over which i'm not looking to change. So i've put my name down for the class thats full, in case someone drops out. I also got Charley on the list for swimming lessons, I wanted him to do them when he was a few months old but a certain person in my past didnt want to spend the £100 with Aquatots! Charley loves the water, he doesn't have much of a confidence problem in there and thinks its great when he is splashing us or us splashing him! So nothing lost really.
I have located a brand new cricut expressions with TWO extra cartridges for less than £200 including postage! The baby is on its way to its new home as I type! I am sooo excited!! Just thinking of all the new, fun and exciting things I will be able to do is enough for me to run up stairs to my room and do the happy dance!!
Well i'm talked out for now. I think i'm gonna try for an early night!!
Toodlepipxx

It's all about Ellie :)

Is there a word that sums up an evening of creativity? Lucky, fun, relaxed, rare...??? Nope, that dont quite do it for me...however, last night I had the great pleasure of a whole evening of working on the box part of Ellie's book whilst chatting to a couple of cool peeps on msn...I was almost wishing I had a cigarette to hand but glad I didnt because last night I would definitely have smoked it. Instead I searched, tried out, played and teased a variety of items to add to the pretty box that I found with Ellie in mind! After Kirsty saying that she likes the touchy feely approach I felt rather challenged, i've never had this take on a book so far, but not being one to give up I enlisted Princess Kirsten, we adjusted our magpie eyes and set about searching for a variety of interesting things that we could potentially use in this box book somehow. Looking at the box of stuff we've come up with its more like a junk treasure trove than anything else! Lol But we've had fun doing it, we've chatted a lot about the little I know of Ellie, we've covered a range of spiritual things as to 'why does Ellie have to go through this' kind of question and I think my daughter is a better person for having this little experience in her life. Ellie is touching people's lives in ways she doesn't even know about...bless her!! Kirsten looks out every day on Kirsty's blog to see if there's anymore about Ellie and the impending trip to Nevada, I think she's been moved by it in her heart so I say a big thank you to Ellie for being such a brave, inspirational young lady...though she probably doesn't even realise she's so exceptional!!
Right, I cant share the picture of the box book yet because The Lil Lady had first rights on it! If she likes it so far then I will do a sly shot of it...but it really is a box book to raise some money to cover any and all Ellie's costs to get to and whilst in Nevada, so please dig deep and get anyone you know signing up for the box book class...is only £6 and EVERY penny will go direct to Ellie's fund. I cant give an exact date when the class will be available as Ellie is the one that is guiding what the project is all about...:) But I will have it up as soon as I get enough info from her.
Please sign up to my newsletter to keep updated on Ellie's fundraising and how she's getting on, though I'm sure Kirsty will have all that's to know over on her blog HERE.
I'll probably be back later to blog some good ole waffle...right now i'm still cleaning up after a baking session and some sly cardmaking (which i'm rubbish at but it was essential!!)
So....S.M.I.L.E!!

Debsxx

A Blog to visit

I have to share this blog, not only cos its my daughter in laws but cos I truly believe she has a natural talent. Go check out Leanne's Talent. Leave her a comment, it makes her day when someone stops by to say a little something about her work!