Thursday, July 31, 2008

birthdays, birdies, bargains and babies...

Vin's birthday was great. He's a proper family kid and was happy to spend his day here with us, though he's off to a gig this weekend, and a sleepover at his mate's with the gang later. Jazz and Erks flew in late Sunday, and Monday we all went shopping and lunching after Vin had opened all his pressies. Fortunately, the main gift - a docking station for his ipod - was not broken, though I was sweating it as the stupid delivery man had thrown it over our back gate, which is more than 6ft tall!! I'd phoned them up and blown them up about it, but thankfully the packaging must have protected it... but I mean, honest to God... how bloody stupid can one man be...?

I have neighbours - did he not think to ask one of those to take it in instead??? GAH!

So, Monday night we had the Brown's round and the little Brownies too, and some friends and their kids, making quite a herd, and Carlo had the brainwave of getting a bouncy castle to keep them entertained, and it was just so fab to see them all playing and having a great time outside. We don't get enough nice days in the Summer anymore do we? Anyway, the castle is a keeper, so fingers crossed it'll get some more use before it goes away for the winter.






But of course... as the evening wore one...and the drink flowed...the big boys couldn't help themselves...





We had a great night. Only family stuff, but it's what we do. We party... and erm... we're quite good at it :-)

Visiting Asda for supplies for the party, we spotted a fantastic bargain at the front of the store... A 4 piece wooden 'conversation set', which comprised 2 chairs, a bench and a coffee table, that almost exactly matches the garden furniture we already have. The price displayed on a big red card was £20 - reduced from £90. BARGAIN! and as we were entertaining I thought why not? I have to admit, it did seem too good to be true, so I carted the box over to customer services, showed the lady the ticket and asked her to check the price for me.. . and yep, £20 she said, adding that she'd be getting one herself later! We went through the checkout no probs, got it home... and found it was just one chair! I was pretty annoyed, as I couldn't really afford it, and only bought it as it was SUCH a bargain, you know? Anyway, then we spotted a notice saying 'part of a set - NOT to be sold individually.....' So i'm back on the phone complaining... after all, I had checked the price with customer services... and the man on the checkout had not questioned it either.... and BINGO! The manager of the Home and Leisure dept agreed they were wrong and gave me the rest buckshee!! Yay! So we got the whole set for £20.... Bargain indeed!

Talking of the garden, I made a cute little altered wooden birdhouse/feeder yesterday for It's A Creative World, and photographed it hanging in my apple tree. It was incredibly quick and easy to do, and as I only used scraps, and the house itself only cost £1.00 at Poundland, cheap too.






The only piece of bad news I have today is that baby Jenna hurt her foot, and now has a cast on her little leg, which will probably put a dampener on their holiday in Northern Cyprus. No swimming pool, no paddling and no sea for the baby... poor little mite :-( I haven't seen any pics yet, but they'll be here for a few days before they fly home to lanza, so I'll probably see it then, though the doctor said it may be able to come off before they leave to return to the UK. I thought it might have slowed her down being injured, but Jazz reports she's still on the go... she just drags it along behind her now.... Awww... Bless.

more later
jk x

Saturday, July 26, 2008

16 years ago today....

...I was well overdue with my last and final baby. I'd begun to wonder if I'd ever go into labour and had given up trying all the remedies and old wives advice on how to get things going. The only thing I did carry on with was the raspberry leaf tea - not that I liked it - yuck! But I was hoping for an easy labour... well, what mum doesn't ? Lol ;-)

In the event, I only had a few more days to go, coz Vin was eventually born at home, on the 28th of July, with only me present. Yep, just me and him on the bedroom floor...which was ok, coz I coped.

So, Monday sees Vin's 16th birthday. This boy here :-)



Hard to believe he's so grown up :-) Almost an adult, and hopefully starting his A's in September... but he'll always be my babe... and I love him to bits



Shame this pic is a bit blurry, coz I love it... guess I'll just have to use it as it is and not worry. How can you trash a pic you adore coz it's not perfect? That'd just be mad and i'm not that much of a perfectionist anymore.

Jazz and Erk are coming over for his birthday, and they'll be here with the kids tomorrow night. Monday we'll all be out having a mad spend up, coz Vin's been paid, and he'll almost certainly have some birthday money too, then Monday night, a family night here and Donz and Jon will come with the little brownies, so we'll have a proper houseful... just like the old days.


This here is my mojo LO for this week:

Can't you tell I'm pining for my holiday.....?

All I need is a lottery win.... not much to ask is it?

More later

jk x

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

long night... day... night

Well, I dunno where Sunday went, but it took Monday with it... and I feel a bit cheated today because I worked all day, then went shopping, came home and cooked a meal, then came up here to draft my works newsletter - something I've been doing ALL evening....

...so not a lot of fun in any of that for me, I think you'd agree....

Anyhow, heaven knows what time I started scrapping. Must have been half 10, coz Vin wanted me to watch the mighty boosh or whatever it's called.. but I resisted and flung a page together in petulance instead. I hate feeling put upon.

I've been home over a week, and haven't even so much as put a picture up so far... but it ain't going to happen tonight, because actually - it's already tomorrow.

I will put up my layout tho before I collapse, and here it is for what it's worth:



Not very me... but i'm ok with it. At least the sentiment is true.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

The darndest thing....


Well, I saw the darndest thing yesterday - made me laugh out loud and shake my head in wonderment. So, I just have to share coz it's not something I ever experienced before.....

Popping out for a couple of bottles of vino late yesterday afternoon Im driving along, and Carl says "Hey - look at this little fella!" and there's this baby grasshopper on the dashboard... just turning this way and that.... not a care in the world :-)

I tell ya, couldn't get to the shop quick enough, so I could rush home, grab my camera and take a pic of my cheeky lil hitchhiker, but he was going nowhere fast, and seemed content to just crawl around waiting for the paparazzi to notice him.....

Unfortunately, I had no batts in my big zoom fuji s5500 so I just had to snap with my lil pocket digi, which though good, wasn't really the best camera for the job even with the macro on, him being so tiny and all... but yeah, I got a shot - and yeah, of course i will scrap him at some time!






Ain't he just soooo cute???

(Insect lovers out there, be assured the star of my photo shoot was ever so gently rescued afterwards and placed in the long grass at the end of the garden.... no doubt he's enthralling his buddies and prospective girlfriends with tales of the day he got papped, even as I write!)

Last night mojoholder went live with challenge #73 where we lifted a page by Christine Middlecamp. I was still struggling with the old mojo, or lack of it, but decided to have a go using papers which came in my Scraproom kit, and yeah, I know I said I'm not buying stash, but this is my only indulgence - one kit a month...I don't even buys mags anymore.

So here's my take this week:


More later!

jk x

Friday, July 18, 2008

Forgotten.... but not gone.

Blimey - I attempted to sign in this morning, and even blogger didn't remember me. Ok, I know it's been awhile... but honestly, life's been hectic. I've been really really busy (in the real world), scrapping's taken a total backseat, and also, we've been away on hols for a fortnight, so there's just been no time.

Apart from that I've had no mojo, and I really do mean none. Thank goodness I had to make something for It's A Creative World this week, or I think I'd have just packed up my scrap room and locked the door. It's that bad. It's not only that I've had no inspiration - it's that i've had no interest... No interest at all. Zero. Nada. Nothing.

I don't know if I even want to carry on scrapbooking... i'm starting to question the money i've spent over the years...I'm not sure I can see the point - I'm hardly a heritage scrapper am I, so I can't justify it by saying I'm recording family history... I dunno. I'm not really good at it anymore (if I ever was) and I feel I'm in a slump. How do you get out of that?

Anyway - I did manage to make a little mini book (but I struggled, even with that- and a two year old could have done it...). But, as my fam want to see some holiday pics, i'll put it up. And then I'll try and do tonight's LO for Mojoholder... please wish me luck! Lol!

This mini book cost nothing to make btw. I'd had the kids tag booklet for ages... it came from a £1 shop years ago. I used only ancient papers, and old rub ons which I think came in a kit, heaven knows when. I'm going to be using up old stash from now on... the money being spent on this hobby is mad - and i'm stepping back from that. If I can't create with what I have, then I won't be creating at all. Simple as that.

Tag Booklet

Front Cover

Content





More later

jake x
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