snow

we have snow. The place looks lovely but its a total nightmare trying to drive. I was supposed to go with friends to a fairly local pub for a meal - after I had slid around a few corners and had real trouble going up a hill we decided that we should go even local - somewhere from where we could walk home if necessary. Had a great night. Alan had put on the lights to welcome us home and it was so nice I had to take a picture - will be using it in my JYC somewhere!

JYC 8 and 12

Yes I finally caught up - or did I since its technically the 13th maybe not LOL

Page 12 documents that this year christmas is changing and we have new things happening. Boy and girl friends coming and a party for the hayton side. It will sure to be fun and maybe a new tradition!

On this page I used a cake frill to make the border. Great find for 19p






Page 8. I have trouble with memories of christmas past - I documented the loss of Harley-David etc last year and it helped. So this year I wrote of Beth's trip to the Kids Christmas Party at work and having a fun time. And how she is not a girly girl so party dress are out :O)

A photo will follow

Again with trying to do things differently you can see that this is not a oblong page :O) The white is cut from felt - another product used.

days 7, 9,10 and 11

I managed today to get done 4 of the missing 5 pages from my JYC!

This one - to do - documents rather than christmas things - wrapping etc what I had to to-do was attend the Rusty Pickle classes. And great fun was had by all. It was nice to spend time with my scrapping buddies too





This one is the one on traditions and while I had documented lots last year I still hadn't mentioned the School Nativity Play. As we have a wonderful daughter in law who manages to get us tickets each year we are able to keep up this traditon and attend our Granddaughters plays. Trying to keep with the different mediums the Angel is a wooden ornament that I picked up from Hobby craft on a recent visit.









Wrapping paper - this year of course a new design each. And extras too as both Doms and Sarah-Jaynes girl and boy friend will be joining us at some part during the festivities

This one will have to wait for its photo until i can get them printed. Todays prompt was the christmas tree and as I had documented our wonderful Disney tree last year so this i covered the US tradition we adopted. Each year we buy the children a new christmas ornamant. Sarah's goes on her own tree, Doms and Beth on ours until they are have their own when i will pass them onto them.

I love this and Alan and I have great fun trying to find the perfect one for them.




Yes I still have 8 to go back and do! but it will get caught up ...soon

behind!

OH Boy now I am two days behind on JYC. Most of yesterday was taken up with 2 Rusty Pickle scrapbook classes ran by Lance Anderson the owner of RP. This is the 2nd opportunity I have had to take classes and while they are expensive they are wonderful!! I loved both books and as usual learn't a few new techniques which will no doubt make their way into my books. Beacuse of course Rusty Pickle books are made to stroke not use!


TODAY Alan and I actually started wrapping pressie and one lucky child has all of their wrapped and ready to send to Santa. Course it means that we still have 100's to go but feel better that we started.

Tomorrow I have some time in the afternoon and hopefully I can get some pictures printed and some pages made. We will be taking Beth to the Christmas Party at work so most of the evening will be spent in the company of our wonderful Granddaughter

JYC and a flower wreath

Sundays JYC day. The prompt - memories good and bad. This year decided to write about Fenwicks window. A large department store in town who have a wonderful display each year. My parents used to take us as children to go look and then visit Santa and then Alan and I did it with ours.
I did take a picture this year but sadly it is very blurred and not useable so I had to make a window with paper. But keeping with the different mediums it is a shaker box.










Making a flower wreath








I was reading this ........... http://dollysdreamings.typepad.com/dollys_dreamings/
and was lead to this .....http://efemera-ink.blogspot.com/2009/11/back-to-basics.html

And what you see above is the result. Sadly I don't have a holly punch to add leaves but I love the flowers. I used up all the scraps of papers left from our adventures with the advent matchbox tree. So apart from a few buttons which were already in the stash it didn't cost anything to make - well just time!

PS I forgot to mention that I too bought the large fiscars oval punch from Home Bargains for 99p ! what a bargain as one scrap store I was in this week had the same punch on sale for £14.00.

days 4 and 5 JYC

Day 4 - the prompt what is perfect. I chose to write about the most perfect christmas film - Miracle on 34th street. Yup I believe in Santa and YES I cry every time but boy do I love that film














DAY 5 - all about advent and counting down. Yup you guessed it - I love advent calenders and we have them all over the place. This year I documented my love and also the new one the girls I crop with made. Because I can't print photos a copy of the one that will go in the circle is below. The Pooh advent calender is made from material and padded. Keeping with the theme of trying to use different mediums within this years album.



Not sure what happened to the light but at least you can almost see it. We planned on making this from January and spent the year collecting the large household matchboxes and of course bought paper in the sale. It took a full day but it was worth it in the end

Page 3 of Journal your christmas. The prompt was about cards. I only send shop bought cards, no hand made ones here, and then as we are very green at work and don't send them I only send a few generally to the states- each one that I do send includes a small handmade stocking - each year a different design. This is this years - the blue material that I used for the wedding favours from our vow renewal and a gingerbread man with disney buttons of course.

I am really trying to be more 'adventurous with my scrapping so am layering, using flowers, ribbons and patterned paper along with my ready made number tags - I am having great fun :O) I also wanted to make the album more ......... not sure what the word is but different sizes pages, and later different mediums. So the page is a hand made envelope which is only 7.5 inches long so shorter than the 12 inch of the other pages :O)

I do need to get rings so I can start stringing the pages together.

Here is page two :O) The prompt was weather and as I covered my love of snow last year and I searched and found this photo decided to document our love of december in Orlando. The journalling reads:

Oh the weather outside is... cold wet and miserable. Its a great time to recall our decembers in Orlando. What a combination shorts, t-shirts and christmas hats. We all love how disney decorate for christmas - themed trees, snow on main street. A favourite memory is driving from the airport with all the houses shining with light galore.

Journal Your Christmas

yes its that time of year again. I love this class much as I love christmas so I have declared that I will do it all again

So here is page 1. Not sure I can do a page a day but at will catch up on weekends

I know I know - how long since I last wrote ....

my excuse is that I wanted to be able to post pictures and without a working computer that was really hard. Well things have changed and hopefully that means an improvement.

First I have joined a blogging class (yup and I am already 5 days behind but I do intend to catch up) and secondly we have a notebook and a dongle (ie mobile broadband) so I can get on-line. Not 100% sure on the photos yet as I can't seem to find the software for the camera and with no disc drive its hard but I can only hope we can find a way to make it work.

Well anyway - yet again I am setting off with good intentions lets hope we can keep it up. After all its nearly time for Journal Your Christmas again which means a scrapbook page a day all through December. I am trying to clear the decks so that works and I am scurrying like mad to get the christmas sewing done in time.

We shall see :O)

May holiday

well first so much for writing regularly :O(

The weather here has been glorious for days! We went last weekend to Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire for a few days by the beach in a caravan. We love Mablethorpe it really is an unspoilt english seaside town. We spent hours playing and walking on the beath with Beth. My dad and she had such fun building sand scultures



















Alan made Beth Yeti footprint and she loved running along the beach jumping in them. As you can see I tried using the multi photo button on my camera - well something new learnt :O)

Mothering Sunday

Today is UK Mothering Sunday and Doms brought me a wonderful card from him and Sarah-Jayne (AKA Sassy) and he had made his Dad and I breakfast in bed. You know it was a wonderful gesture and I did appreciate it - BUT I looked at the time 9.00am and thought maybe I could have laid in. I then realised there was method in his madness - he had to be at football for 9.30 and Mum had to give him a lift. Kids you have to love them.





Later in the day I was talking to my Friend Carol in the States and we were discussing the Vow Renewal and I promised to dig out some wedding photos. As this was pre-digital all I have are snaps so I took a picture of the snap and sent it along.






Its not very good quality but I am sure you can get the jist. No photo of Doms as he was just a twinkle in his Daddy's eye as they say but you can see Sassy and their big brother Harley-David.

Alan and I were clearing out our wardrobe this week and you know I have the full outfit - dress, hat, flowers, shoes and all still in there. Not that I could get anywhere near getting in the dress but hat, shoes and rose - maybe I can find my something old quite easily. Surprisingly couldn't find the something blue - now where did that garter go ......

Ohh and PS I have Sarah's dress, umberella and Harley-David's bowtie and cumberbund too! Nope not a horder as Sassy would say - just sentimental

on the move Gently!

After a trip to the physio who was really pleased with the progress made with my back over the weekend he suggested that it maybe help me to feel better if I went out and got some fresh air. After nearly 2 weeks more or less confined to the house (and the sofa for the bulk of that) Alan and I didn't need telling twice. When ever I need to blow away cobwebs we head to the beach - sea air is so good for you :o)

We only stayed 30 mins (didn't want to do any damage or over do it) and then came home. It was so wonderful to be out in the fresh air even if it was cold. Course when I got back I had to lie down but it was worth it.

While I was taking photos of Alan on Sunderland Beach my friend Jud in the States was taking photos from his back door of NASA shuttles taking off - check out the fab photos at : http://iJud.blogspot.com

still

I boy I hate being still and not being able to do things!! My back is still not right and when I try to do anything even for the shortest time it results in me heading back to the sofa and taking another nap!! I want to be doing things I am not a person for sitting, or lying without at least 3 things on the go at once.

It was my Mum's birthday yesterday so my brother, his family and I headed over to spend some time with her and give her her pressie from all of us. I was sitting on her chair just chatting but after a couple of hours I had to come home.

I really don't want to be off work again the new procedure on sick leave gives very little margin before they take action and even with the extra time I have because of my disability I would be dangerously close if I have to take another week but if its not right its not right!

So this is a very moaning blog hopefully this will get it out of the system and I will feel better tomorrow and things will look brighter

best laid plans of 'Mouse' and Men

or alternatively - OUCH!!!

For some reason my back has decided to play up (WHY NOW!!) and I am on a constant drip of painkillers. Today I saw both the physio, who promised me I would curse him over the weekend and the doctor who topped up the painkiller drip and signed me off for the week.

Being home is good cos basically all I can do for 95% of the day is lie flat on the sofa and bed. I am so fustrated I have read a dozen books in 3 day! and I am bored! I try to check email at least once heck otherwise I would go completetly stir crazy otherwise but sitting is not a good option. Sassy even lent me her mobile phone so I could sign in lying flat on the sofa

Seriously the pain is awful and I can't get comfortable. Fingers crossed that by the time I have cursed David my physio all weekend and I see him Monday that things have improved!

Vow renewal Logo.............

Not sure if I mentioned this before but anyways Alan and I are trying desperately to organise a Vow Renewal in September on our 20th Wedding Anniversary in Orlando Florida. The Economy this year is definately trying to put a kiboosh on it. As firstly it means no bonus from work (in the region of £1,800) and also the dollar has sunk from $2 to the £1 (when we first thought it might be a good idea!) to $1.35 to the £1. As you can see a HUGE difference. So our plans to rent a room at Animal Kingdom Lodge went down the pan and we are trying to organise to hold it at Give Kids The World Village but being so far away it is difficult not like you can take a planning trip.

But in the meanwhile I am still trying to work on what to wear and to decide on a theme and favours for our guests. After tossing about all sorts of different things finally came up with the one here. Its easy to work with and reflects love marriage and disney!

The first picture is on the cover of my planning scrapbook/ideas book.

Now for the Guest favours. I had planned on all things wild animals even so far as getting my friend Carol in FL to pop to her local Joannes and buying up lots of papers in the animal theme while they were only 6 sheets for a $ but the change of venue means that they are to be stored for a later project. Working on the "do it beautifully but cheaply" theory I remembered that my DSIL had given me a roll of "Cinderella" blue fabric. So after finally getting the logo I started working on the gifts - so for a sneak teaser see below. No I am not saying what it will be just that I have finally started stitching. One down, and with only 6 months till I have to be done, loads to go :O)

Having a free weekend the girls and I got together to have a crop. For the 1st time I taught a proper class with kits I had put together. I have done techniques with them but this is the first time we worked on a set item. With it being February we did a valentine mini book with reds and pinks. We had great fun. Took them about 5 hours to complete - Beth's didn't quite get finished but we had a lovely time working together.

As we were free this weekend all the girls came over for a scrap class at my home. Although I have showed them things to do before it was the 1st time I had run a 'class' and put them full kits together. We had a great time making valentine mini-books.

Christmas hats

Ok so its late to be putting this up but my friend was kind enough to take a picture of the hats that I make to raise funds for Give Kids The World in Orlando Florida. A very special place that provides accomodation for children with life threatening illnesses from all over the world who have been granted a wish to see Mickey Mouse. Its a lovely picture and and I could think of no better place to pop it.

found vide facebook

Yesterday I had a message in my in-box a friend request from a Paul Hes. Since I have been getting a number of these as I make friends with the guys and gals from Themouseforless yahoo group some I have never really met I didn't give it much thought. So I went over to facebook to tick a box and boy the photo was a blast from the past! I had been 'found' by the god-father to my two eldest kids who moved to Australia many moons ago and we hadn't spoken to each other in just as long.

It has been fun catching up and seeing that neither he nor his wife Moya have changed very much at all - must be all that lovely sun.

So despite the fustrations of facebook and dial up it is definately worth perservering when things like that happen to brighten your day.

As I left the camera at my Mums yesterday no pictures.

I was supposed to be doing housework (and I am doing little bits) but the pull of scrapbooking was to much. So bang goes my NY resolution to do one project at a time! I have at least 3 on my table top. I am finishing off 14 copies of the same page for a Disney ABC swap for my group scrappiestdisneyswapping@yahoogroups.com, I am adding little bits the the journal I kept in Lanzarote and also started on my January page in my year book. Ohh well hopefully by this evening each will be done and the table tided.

Scrapping is fun!

Volcanoes

Lanzarote is a volcanic island and going here allowed us to actually see Lava and the natural elements that it can produce. It is difficult to describe unless you are actually there but the force of nature is a wonderful thing. I couldn't believe the different types of landscape which is produced from different volcanoes. We also got a chance at the national park to feel the heat close up. One volcano, although dormant still gives off a lot of heat! A restaurant at the top cooks the meat on an open grill, bit like a barbeque but the heat is totally natural.

ohh and yes Alan and I did ride a camel

White Tigers Swimming

On the last friday of our trip we took the free bus to the Rancho Texas Park. The park is building up slowly but John, Anne and Sarah all agreed that it was worth a visit so off we set. It is quite organised in that the shows run one after the other and it is quite easy to move from one to the other. There is also a break time built in so that you can check out the other animals.

The first show was Birds of Prey. The set up on this was great and the birds flew from both sides directly across the audiences head.

After that we went to see a lasso show ok so it was corny but enjoyable. Then we worked our way around the park to Alan's favourite part - the tigers not only that WHITE TIGERS. We managed to catch them a couple times and the second time one of them was swimming. Alan was enthralled - well we all were and I got some video footage and some great pictures.

We also saw a parrot show and a sealion show.

Harley-David McAndrew 4.7.1983-21.1.2004

Yesterday was all about remembering our eldest son who died on that date. It really was hard to believe that it 5 years now. The pain is as strong now as it was on that day. Losing a child is sooo hard and seems to be getting harder each year and not easier.
His daughter Beth is at the age now where she is realising she doesn't have her Daddy and before Christmas it was difficult for her and we had tears on a couple of occasions. He wrote before he died that he loved her but felt he couldn't be the Daddy she needed. I, on the otherhand, know he could have. He was so wonderful with his siblings when they were young and Beth could only have benefited from that. I can only be thankful that he chose such a brilliant Mum for Beth who is happy to share her with us.

Harley-David we all love you.

Happy Holiday

As I got a few moments on the internet time to post a blog. We have had a wonderful time and I can`t belive our time is nearly over. The wedding was fabulous and has made me very excited to start planning our renewal for later in the year. This island is such a great place to visit. I have been enthralled with all the volcanoes and the lava and all the natural things it produces. Once we get home and I can post pictures i know you are all going to want to say enough!

Monday will be the time to check back for the pictures and the reports

See you soon

Happy New Year

all the best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2009.

Now is the time to make those New Years Resolutions for me to keep up the blogging and maybe just maybe to try to be tidier (mm that one might just not last very long!)

Wendy