Organise

Here's my take on today's prompt

Perfect prompt for me, as I spent a few hours in my scrap room last night, sorting out the junk which I have been lazily allow to breed!
Good day today, spent two hours at the gym with Tim, worked up a right sweat. Feel very pleased with myself to have managed that. On the down side, I lost 3 ridge tiles off my roof overnight, so I have arranged for a roofer to come and sort that tomorrow. Oh well!

Blimey three posts in one day...

Thinking about how I have been feeling about negative things in my life, I decided to have a good ole think about positive influences in my life. Things I have planned, people I value, so many things to feel good about.
This song means a great deal to me. Today has been difficult, but still I have managed to fit in some good stuff too. One child said to me, in the middle of a numeracy lesson this morning, "I like you, your lessons are always really good fun but we learn lots too."
I'd forgotten what that child had said, choosing instead to focus on the negative things. So here I am, thinking over the day and remembering how one comment can bring a smile to my face so easily.

For Ellie

Can you help?
Ellie is one awesome little girl, I wish her, Kirsty and Mark all the luck in the world in getting this sorted.

Currency

Here's my take on today's prompt of currency. My beloved Radley purse, full of various bits of plastic, loyalty cards and, for once, some cash!
Lighting not great as once again I have been out all day.

Bit of a downer today, some very unkind things have been said to me, when realistically I have been in a fantastic frame of mind lately. Always take an opportunity to kick me in the teeth, why don't you... ah well... knackers to it!

Think

Here's today's shot, lighting not great but I've been at work all day so not much choice really. Sophie loves her Mrs Pepperpot book, and it is something she is starting to be able to read herself, which is fantastic. School reading books can be a bit dull at times, necessary I know, but I am glad Sophie is enjoying reading a wider range of texts already.



I know some of my blog readers have been wondering what on earth the isa experience is all about. If you stick that into google, after the official site comes links to forums slating it as a cult. I can reassure you that it is NOT a cult. Isa participants are not sleep deprived, food and water deprived or drugged. You are not brainwashed either. In a nutshell, the Isa experience is about working on yourself, aiming to improve things in your life which you are not happy with. Isa does not tell you to do anything, it helps you assess what you want to do in life and how to go about this. It helps you to see how you can learn from past mistakes, and not make them again.

For me, Isa has helped me take control of my feelings about Nigel, about his premature death, and about the life I want to lead with our beautiful girls. I know I have been guilty of spoiling them as I feel so sad that their daddy can't be there to see them grow up. I hope my approach to caring for them has become less about giving them everything they want, and ensuring they have what they need. I also need to ensure that I am happy, and that any future relationships I have are with someone who cares for me, will listen to what I have to say, and will love me for who I am and what I believe in.

Explanation over.
Blog candy winner coming up later!

Camera at the ready...

I have made an agreement after isa this weekend to take one photo in response to her space: my space every day. This is my take on Snooze. Lame, I know, but not much snoozing goes on in our house these days!
So one day of my agreement is done... got another 9 to do!

Blog candy results...

... will be posted tomorrow. I've been at isa all day and am feeling exhausted, so I will have a good look tomorrow. Thanks everyone for entering!

Feeling good

Been to the gym this morning, spent an hour with the personal trainer, and I am aiming to get much fitter than I am now! The beach is calling, two months til we go to the Caribbean.
I've been busy stamping, making a CJ and various cards. Will take some pics soon for sure.
This weekend is the isa experience and I am reviewing, and also helping with registration! A busy weekend ahead, but it will be good to review.

Some pictures at last!

Finally I have taken some photos of some cards I have made. The light is lousy, so forgive the quality of the images please!

First up, a card for my friend's daughter's 21st birthday, which is next week. I cut the numbers and letters using my Cricut, and all other supplies are from Craftwork Cards. The paper is their Enchanted range, and the ribbon is to match. Bling fixed using my new Kandi hot fix thingy.



Next up is a 17th birthday card along the same lines, I love those Enchanted papers!



Finally, one of the cards I have made for a swap on the Cricut message boards. On a love theme, I used Bazzil bling cardstock, embossed using a cuttlebug embossing folder, then I cut the word using my Cricut. A red heart button also ties this in with the Papertake weekly challenge, which was to use red on the card. American Crafts ribbon finishes it off. The picture is terrible as bling cardstock does not take kindly to being photographed!



Anyone done a card for the blog candy yet? I know Kazz has and has posted it to her blog, thanks Kazz!

Tired

For many reasons I am feeling very tired just now. Finally I have got Alex sleeping in her own bed, so I can sleep better on my own. And so, bingo! Wide awake as soon as my head hits the pillow. ARGH!
Tired too of making the effort with certain friends (none of which ever read this blog btw) and getting absolutely zero back. I wonder sometimes if they truly are friends, or people who will tolerate me if I'm around.
Tired too because we have been very busy lately. Never ending rollercoaster again.
Oh well, never mind. Tonight I am taking the girls to Little Legz, a brand new soft play gym not far from here. The girls can have a decent cooked tea and a good play, while I sit back and chat with some friends. Perfect.

Blog candy time!

So do you want to win yourself some lovely bits and pieces? Chipboard shapes, gorgeous papers, all sorts really...
All you have to do is make a card to celebrate a special birthday. I'm about to make one for a friend's daughter's 21st, so I'll share mine as soon as it's done.
Leave me a comment by Friday 25th January and I'll choose a winner then. Actually, Alex and Sophie can choose a winner... here's hoping more than one person decides to have a go!

Still here

And actually doing some crafting for once! I have been busy blitzing the bomb site which is my house, and I seem to be winning at the moment.
So proof that I have been crafting... two cards I have made. Apologies for the poor quality scans, but I never seem to be home when the light is even vaguely good enough to take photos!

This is for, well tbh I'm not sure! A little girl's birthday of course!
Whippersnapper stamp, DCWV Nana's kids pp, primas, stickled in the centre, Craftwork Cards sentiment and card blank from PDA.


This one has a purpose, it is the first for the birthday club at the Scrapagogo Clubhouse, made using a gogo greetings kit. Was it the October kit? Or November? Not sure lol! Penny black stamp, plus the cupcake greeting from a previous Gogo greetings kit.

Other than attacking the house, not much has been happening here. Oh, we went to see High School Musical on ice, which was amazing! The girls loved it, and I must admit that I quite enjoyed it too. Very well carried out by the skaters, I have a feeling there will be lots of little girls who want to learn to ice skate this year.

My dad is due to have a hip replacement sometime soon, which will mean we will be going up to see him every other weekend. At the moment, mum and dad come down most weekends, so that will be a change. I can't go up there every weekend, not with working and getting the girls to school too, so every other weekend will have to do. Still no date for the op which is a pain.

Enough for now. I'm planning a little giving away of blog candy... watch this space. All you have to do is check back tomorrow and I'll tell you what to do to have the chance to win some gorgeous bits and pieces from my stash! See you then...

In the post today...

...was a very big surprise. A Cricut Expression no less! I have wanted one of these for absolutely ages, but had managed not to buy one... So someone bought one for me as a very lovely surprise. Wowee, what a surprise that was to open the door to the postman this morning!
I love it, thank you soooooooooooo much Brian!

Scrapping resolutions.... made any?

I don't know about you, but I don't scrap anywhere near enough. More often than not I end up sat on my backside in front of the telly or the laptop. So I am going to resolve to do at least one layout per week. Hopefully more, but want to be realistic.

I am going to tag my UKScrappers team mates to respond to this... what resolutions have you made?

Another one to ponder over... best and worst buys for scrapping/craft items.
For me, the best buy has to be my bind it all. I have used it loads already, and have lots of plans to use it more in 2008.
Worst buy? Got to be a woodware trimmer. Rubbish. Never use it.
So what were your best and worst buys in 2007?

So what does 2008 hold for you?

Last year I wrote about how horrific 2006 had been for me. This time around I don't want to dwell on the last year.
There are lots of things to look forward to for me this coming year. Our holiday to the Caribbean with Avril in March will be fantastic.
In August we will return to Portugal for the first time since Nigel died. We need to go back; our happy times there far outweigh sad times. Yes, our lives changed completely that time, but we enjoyed many holidays in Portugal as a family. I need to arrange a car so any recommendations would be great.
Before all that, we're off to see High School Musical: The Ice Tour on 13th January!

Happy New Year!

Bit of a party last night... many drinks consumed... many games played on the wii... many songs sung on the karaoke...
Sore head lol.

Happy New Year everyone. Here's to a happy and healthy 2008!