Life Is Scrap

Nutter in Fforestfach Tescos, Swansea...

2008-09-06T23:25:00.005+01:00

Funny little incident that made me look like the local nutter walking round Tescos this afternoon...

I was sauntering up the rice and pasta aisle, and a family were wandering down in the opposite direction. Dad was at the front, towing a 3 year old girl along, and mum was pushing the trolley about 5 or so feet behind them, gazing at the shelves. As I passed them, the man said back to his wife, enthusiastically, "Oh, d'ya know...the BOXING is on telly tonight!!!" I glanced at the wife as he said this, and her face said it all:

WOOP DEEE DOOOO!

But of course her beloved couldn't see this, and she actually replied, trying to sound keen (but I knew better...!) "Oh right. What side?"

(Wasn't she nice!)

I laughed all the way up that aisle, and all the way back down the next one.

Mamma mia! Here I go again...

2008-08-27T08:32:00.005+01:00

Chick flick, chick flick, chiiiiiiick fliiiiiiick...and so if you're a guy and reading this, the chances are you won't agree with my chicky opinion. What-EV-A.

Mamma Mia has definitely been my film of Summer 2008. The first excursion to see it was with Michelle, my 2nd counsellor in the Primary presidency. Our fatal flaw? We didn't book. When we got to the cinema on Port Talbot seafront (yes, it DOES have a seafront...beware of the foam in the sea though...) it was completely and utterly sold out, with lots of middle-aged women out on the razz, milling around the foyer. Pff! So we dashed over to Bridgend, and it was sold out there too. We ended up dejectedly sitting on a bench, eating our munchies (the cinema ones are just TOO expensive to buy donchafink?), yapping and gazing at the ocean and the sunset over Swansea Bay and Mumbles lighthouse.

The tide was almost in to the tippy top of the beach when we suddenly became aware of a man who had walked down the steps onto the sand and was paddling out to sea. Were we witnessing a suicidal cry for help (for anyone who actually touches the sea in Port Talbot certainly has a death wish in my opinion)? No no.

He then...straddled.

"Gah! That's disGUSting!" snorts Michelle. We couldn't physically SEE the wee, but we knew it was there (putting ALL gospel analogies firmly to the side on that one). Then, can you believe it, literally 3 minutes later another bloke descends the steps and starts to paddle out to sea as well. Seriously...do men just see the sea and think "Ooo, a great big toilet!"?? As he came up the steps and past our bench, I remarked, "Did you flush?" He laughed.

So, instead of watching Mamma Mia, we got to watch men pee in the sea instead. Lucky, lucky us.

I've spent the last two-and-a-half weeks back in Reading, housesitting for my friends, the Pines, (who were on holiday in Nevada/Utah/NY)and also working, because I can actually get work there. More about that in a sec. Because I was around, I spent time with some friends I rarely get to see, and Mamma Mia featured heavily on the list of things to do. Trip number 2 to see the movie was with my mate Christina who desperately wanted to go "cos Andy will NEVER go with me to see THAT!" Well, what a HOOT. We both just LOVED this movie and it was all we could do to sit still in our seats during 'Dancing Queen'...major furtive singing going on in row E I'm telling you. We later found out that the following week they were having a 'Mamma Mia Singalong' showing, where we could have indulged our bridled passions...but Christina was going on holiday that weekend.

However, the following week another friend returned from holiday and so we trotted off to the singalong performance last Saturday night. I was a tad concerned that it would be us and then maybe two other women in the whole theatre, singing at the tops of our lungs, making right prannies of ourselves, but it turned out well in the end. I can honestly say I've never sung and danced (yes, danced) in a cinema theatre before...until now...!

I returned to Wales a couple of days ago and got talking about the film with my friend Ann who hadn't seen it. Spontaneously later, we were in the Swansea Vue with her sister too, singing away. There was plenty of dancing going on at the end again too...the ushers always look mighty amused! LOL

So...viewing number 3 and I think I can say I am now officially a FAN.

The things I love about this film? Well, the music of course. I loved ABBA then and I love them now. What great songs! Dancing Queen has to be the highlight fun song of the whole movie, but the song Donna (Meryl Streep) sings about her daughter growing up is sooooooo moving, and then 'The Winner Takes it All' just has me in proper proper tears (it's a bit close to home...). Her acting is outstanding in that scene. I also looooooove the scenery. Just makes me want to leap on a plane and go to Greece again. Gorgeous. And I particularly love the stag night scene, when all of Sky's friends are in snorkel masks and flippers on the jetty...I guffaw with laughter every time.

Anyway...

I got to work for a week at a property and construction consultants in Theale, which was a handy location cos it takes less than 15 minutes to get there from Burghfield Common. It's a shame I only completely mastered the backroads route on my last day...! LOL It was a lovely company...very friendly...and I actually got to use my brain a little bit. In fact, I put in place a new system for completing one of the main tasks because I worked out it could be done more quickly and efficiently than the current process. A couple of the surveyors remarked on how organised I was and I was chuffed to mintballs on the last day when the girl at my agency told me that the company were really "impressed" with my work there and "please please please let us know if you're back in Reading again, and need some work!" The irony of it is that the two secretarial jobs I've applied for in Swansea have both told me I don't have enough experience to do the job. What a pile of bigoted poo. I don't have the right accent to do the job more like. Pah.

So now my dilemma is...shall I move back to Reading? Comments welcome.

Ginger's Nuts

2008-07-14T12:26:00.005+01:00

I'm going to castrate my cat. And that's not a metaphor.

Our cat, Gingernut...so named by darling daughter, despite the fact that he's not ginger (although he does have a nut...or two. But not for much longer...)...where was I...our cat, Gingernut is a big bag of heaving testosterone. He is, I am sure, quite the stud muffin on our estate. Long legs, markings to die for, and a good line in chat-up purrs. Grrrrowwwl. However, either (a) other toms in the neighbourhood are green with jealousy or (b) the female felines are having none of 'it'. Whichever it is, he keeps getting into set-tos with them and coming home with various problems.

The first, back in the spring, was a weepy eye full of conjunctivitis. This had me trotting to the animal hospital with him and discovering that our local vet is THE most stunning 6' something Italian with beautiful green eyes and an accent that made me go weak at the knees. And really really lovely too...not smarmy "bella, bella". Truly gorgeous. All the powers of writing I can muster cannot begin to describe the things that man did to me. Mighty mighty fine. I think I booked 3 return appointments (JUST to make sure the eye was definitely alright of course). I nearly developed a serious case of Munchausen's Syndrome by Feline Proxy, trying to work out what on earth I could do to get the cat back to the vet on a regular basis. However, forty odd quid later... and I was cured.

Then Sir Gingernut Catchmouse (if you want his full title) came home with a great big scar above his left ear, which I bathed and kept clean and hoped would heal of its own accord, cos even the Italian couldn't sway me to spend another forty quid that I haven't got. It did go, and the bald patch is now growing fur again, thankfully.

But then he came home with a limpy foot. He'd cut the pad on one of his hind feet and was moving around mostly on three legs. *sigh* This one couldn't be ignored I thought...he could have broken it for all I knew. But we were looking at that £40 again, absolute minimum, so this time I contacted the PDSA who are a veterinary charity that will treat pets for next to nothing, if you're on council tax benefit, which I am.

So, off we went this morning. Well...what an experience.

As I arrived in the car park, there were two women parking and stepping out of their car, both smoking, with a little girl in the car with them. 2 years old...possibly 3. AND one of the women was heavily pregnant as well.

Then as I queued at reception, a dog behind us went for Gingernut's cat-basket, and when I looked round to see what had just pushed me, the man who owned the dog glaaaaaared at me like it was my fault. Eh?!

Then I had to deal with Attila the Hun *read ' receptionist'* who was speaking to everyone like they'd just peed on her children or something.

Then I had the joy of sitting next to a couple whose dog kept farting the stinkiest farts you've ever encountered. They smelt exactly like dog poo...well, they would wouldn't they?

Then that couple went into a consulting room, and another family sat down, and the mum was moaning at the dad quite loudly because the dad wanted to hit their son (a grown up son, but hey...).

And then, to top off this cornucopia of delights (and I would just like to remind everyone that I am a redhead)...the door on the furthest side of this jam-packed waiting room opened, and the vet calls out "Mrs Willicombe - Gingernut?!" And as I stood and walked across the room, there was audible giggling.

Marvellous.

And just to add a little more to the ordeal, I had to deal with Attila again, who actually, physically dismissed me with a wave of her hand. And I'd just put a donation in their blummin' box 'n' all!!!!

So all of these scrapes he keeps getting into because of his hormones are stopping right now! They're coming off boy, they're coming off.

Holy bin bags Robin! Let's get to the Batmobile and find a hazlenut hot chocolate...and fast!! Kapow!

2008-06-21T22:01:00.008+01:00

A couple of times a year the people in charge of the stake primary children (a 'stake' is a group of 'wards' in the church...a ward is a congregation, usually one or possibly two wards to a town...well, in Britain anyway. More like 200 wards per town in Utah! LOL)... where was I? Oh yes...the people in charge of the primary children in a stake organise an activity day and today was the day when Merthyr Stake did theirs, and in Swansea, happily enough (read *I didn't have to travel far*). The remit was for the children to arrive in their favourite super-hero costume.

Now. As I am (a) not exactly flush with wealth at the moment and (b) completely useless at all things sewing, unless you count cross-stitch, and let's face it, no one does...I was a bit panicky about the whole superhero outfit thing. Especially as Celyn wanted to be Bat Girl and that was that. But then my mate Debbie said the immortal words "bin bags" to me. Holy bin juice Robin! That's a fantastic suggestion! So, I gathered all the relevant materials, got Celyn's 'good at such things' daddy in on the act (see...I'm an organiser...this is my forte!) and hey presto, one Bat Girl dress, belt, cape and mask. Cost? Next to nothing. Ha!

Parents milled around yapping and helping out a bit until lunchtime, when we were told, basically, to naff off (the children had a 'secret mission' to complete). So I suggested to the Wigglesworths and Michelle who I'd been chatting to that we all nip off to Starbucks up the road for a lovely hot chocolate. I am, of course, a genius.

Can I just say that I had a ball! We sat around on comfy chairs, drank hazlenut hot chocolate with whipped cream, consumed a cream-cheese frosted cinnamon roll (or two), talked about grown-up stuff and chilled out. Bliss. I have known Matt Wigglesworth for about 12 years and I love him to bits (we used to hang out all the time as students and of course I know his cousins and aunt and uncle from living in Reading). And I'm just getting to know his wife Sara but have to say, he picked a good'un! She's lovely! And am also just getting to know Michelle but like her immensely too.

We chatted so long we were 10 or 15 minutes late back picking up our kids. Ha ha ha ha ha ha...bad parents, bad parents.

Thank you for a lovely day guys xxx

So, here's something that's been rumbling around in my thoughts...

2008-06-19T12:30:00.004+01:00

Who recognises the photo I've attached? No, it wasn't taken on my last holiday to Lanzarote, you silly fools...it's from a film. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (and if you didn't know the answer to that, you actually ARE an alien...seriously, where have you been?) Classic Spielberg.

Well, it was on telly last weekend. I happened to catch it as it started and that was that...I thought, "Ooo, good film. Haven't watched this for aaaaaages" and planted myself in a rooted position on the sofa. Proper potato of the couch variety.

And it IS a good film, there's no denying it. The scenes at the end when the big mother spaceship arrives are fantastic (I don't think I have to put a 'spoilers' warning on this post...I mean, the film was made in 1977 for pity's sake). But something that happens in the last scene just tickled me.

Ok. Richard Dreyfuss...he's obsessed by the aliens. He's seen the little flying saucers. He keeps building mountains. He loses the plot. His wife and kids go to her sisters to escape his lunacy. He drives to Oregon. Or was it Washington? Anyway...he drives to find the mountain. Blah blah blah. So also does the woman whose son was taken by them in an earlier scene (can you imagine if that was your child????!!!!!). At the end the aliens arrive in STYLE, return a bunch of people they've taken over the last 30 something years, and then are offered other humans to take with them. Dreyfuss puts himself forward.

See, here he is. He's being taken by the aliens aboard the spaceship. They seem a friendly bunch. No hair or clothes,but hey ho...pretty much like half the people sunbathing on beaches in the Med.

And off he goes. Into the unknown. Cue credits and very well known theme music.

And I start MUTTERING! Blummin' typical MAN! "Ooo, I feel like abandoning earth and going off with aliens because, coo, that'd be an adventure wouldn't it? And I wanna, I wanna!" Nooooo thought at ALL about his wife, his four (yes, 1, 2, 3, 4) children, not to mention any other family we may not have seen in the film. He wanted to do it, so off he blummin' well went. Absolutely blummin' typical! Selfish to the core! I am telling you, there is not a woman on this earth that would have abandoned her children to get on some spaceship with aliens just for the adventure. It's true, isn't it?

And if there was, we'd all despise her.

Well...it's still a great film...and the music's fab *doo dee doo daa daaaaaaa*...but I think Close Encounters II needs to be made when he comes back and sorts out his family life! Ha!

And therein concludes my brain rumblings.

Man on a White Charger...Come Rescue Me!

2008-06-17T21:33:00.004+01:00

Well, I have finished marking. 300 papers later and it seems odd every evening NOT to be sitting down to a pile of children's writing. Some great spelling errors in my last batch too...the 'rowman' catholic church, or 'in gou ball' (enjoyable!) or "parrenjrs" (power rangers!) or "it's like doing cat willes" (cartwheels!!!) ...see what I mean about having that seer stone? Anyway...life's never completely free from things to do (hardly!) but I thought I would blog now that I have some time.

I was very disappointed with the company who gave me the marking though. They had said I would "definitely" get another batch to mark (read *I will earn more money* which I certainly could use right now...oh I so so could). And on Monday when I'd sent my final papers in a day early, I rang to ask when the next lot would arrive and they said that I hadn't been allocated any after all. Big sloppy steaming poo on a big fat stick.

I also applied for another 5 jobs last week (Friday was, as they say, 'mental' trying to get 2 job applications in that hadn't even been started that morning...mental I tell thee). Earlier in the week I'd had to nip over to a school about 15 minutes' drive from my house to pick up 2 application forms for infant and junior teaching positions going begging (for a newly qualified 'cheap' teacher who's male and plays the piano, no doubt...). It took me another whole 15 minutes just to find the school (AA Routefinder sucks) and then their car park consisisted of a narrow piece of land adjacent to their fence, with lots of gravel and then their school field. When I parked down there, I realised that actually it was closer to the school office to park on the road round the other side. So I started up the car and began to back out of my space. The back wheels of the car reversed onto the field a bit, but hey ho, no biggie.

Or so I thought.

What I did not realise was that the first foot or so of the field, where it met the car park, was actually a little ridge...a ridge of exactly the height of the undercarriage of my car. Think see-saw. Think balancing. Think wheels spinning round and the car not moving, neither forwards nor backwards.

I began to wonder what I might do, deary deary me, what a predicament, goodness gracious.

Just as I was about to call Green Flag, a gorgeous man on a white steed came galloping around the corner. Oh...alright then...a man who worked for the council and had a white pickup truck came back to his van for a piece of equipment. "Er...help!" I said. He rolled his eyes and said, "I'll come back with my mates...hang on" (probably thinking, "silly mare" as he walked off). The peripatetic French teacher then turned up (just finished her classes for the day in that school and was getting into her car) and admitted that she'd done the self-same thing the week before so that made me feel better...and I got to yap to her in French which was super chouette (she was actually French...we weren't both being pretentious I have to point out...).

And then 3 tanned, muscly, good looking men all turned up to shove me off the ridge, so who's a silly mare NOW then!? Heh! "Helloooo chaps!" is what I was thinking, let me tell you. "Oh dear, I seem to have dropped my hanky as well boys" did also cross my mind. Well, when I walked into the school office I was just giggling all the way. Being rescued had sent me into a girly-girly state of giddy delight! I did mention my dilemma to the school secretaries because I just knew not one person from the school was watching me keeping calm under pressure. Surely that alone was worth an interview? Eh? Eh?

Anyway...those five job applications last week consisted of numbers 33 to 37 in my list of jobs applied for. My friend Mary has bet me a fiver that I will have a job by the middle of September. My response to that was "A FIVER!!!!? A FIVER!!!? That is such a SKANK bet! Come on Mary...make it worth my time!" But no...a fiver is all that's on the table. Ah well...I can spend it on some new ink to print out more applications. Oh wait...A FIVER ISN'T REMOTELY ENOUGH!!! *rolls eyes*

More amusement from children...

2008-06-05T10:23:00.001+01:00

I am currently marking children's English tests...which is why I haven't blogged very much for ages, as every spare second I'm reading their papers. It's not always very easy. Unlike maths or science where the answers are mostly just right or wrong (but not always, before anyone starts moaning at me) you have to look at their writing and draw out all kinds of information to level their work. You need a very sound knowledge of grammar just for starters, and also a seer stone wouldn't come amiss sometimes--my mind boggles on occasion just trying to decipher their writing or dodgy spelling, bless 'em. But sometimes the sentences they write make me chuckle or raise my eyebrows in amusement or sometimes just make me guffaw out loud. You can also tell when the teacher's been giving them a lecture about, for example, using better adjectives...when they actually include the lecture as part of their "fun, exciting, interesting and nice" writing! Ha!

Anyway, my favourite things said so far...writing about a game of 'Ponies' as a playground game: "...and you tell them to candter - means run slow, tort - means jog, and gaoopla - means sprint" Gaoopla???! LOL!!! And I thought a tort was a pie...just shows you. Or there was a kid who said that most ponies are girls. Uh huh. If you say so. They must all fight something terrible over lone pony-boy.

And then there have been some funnies written about doing a treasure hunt too, like the kid who said the treasure should be a whoopie cushion (parp! Hands up who thinks this child is a boy?) or someone who said that for their treausre hunt they would invite the Queen and let the Head Teacher go free (Ach, you're sure now? Very kind) and make sure Security are with the Head all the time (can you just see the two big burly, skinhead, sunglass-wearing guards following the Head round the school?). In fact, this child said he would "make sure" the queen would come and (this was my favourite bit) "make a posh people area." Can I be in the posh people area?! I'll throw my teddy out of the pram if I'm not in there! Bet the Queeeeeeen gets to go in there (I heard she was being made to come you know) *sulk*

Of course, not all children are so generous. One kid said that whoever found the treasure then had to give the treasure back to the person who the stuff belonged to. What a crap treasure hunt! Of course, if the Queeeeen was there and I was in that posh area, I might still be swayed to attend....

Another child made sure that people understood that during this treasure hunt "...if a child runs away they will not do it." Absolutely. No running away! Of course, we could always pen them in the posh area.... And one child was very concerned about those security guards not doing their job properly as they said that we should bring a knife in case a big giant bug might attack and we shouldn't be silly either because we might wake up the werewolves. However, they also said that if you believe in magic it will come true. Perhaps they could magic the bugs and werewolves away then, instead of resorting to violence?

And then there are some fabulous spelling mistakes--"plarm trees" and drinking "coonut" milk. Nummy. Coonuts! My favourite. I wonder if the Queen likes coonuts?

But my absolute, 100%, Number 1 favourite made-me-pee-my-pants answer was a kid who was asked: How can you make a treasure hunt more interesting for the treasure-hunters?

And their reply?

"Sell it on e-bay"

I laughed SO hard for a whole minute!! I wanted to give the child a mark just for making me howl!

I still have a few more tests to go before I'm done marking, so this post may very well have a Round 2. Meanwhile, I'm off for a gaoopla down to the kitchen for some coonut milk.

Have you ever felt Mother Guilt?

2008-06-02T21:37:00.006+01:00

Oh I had the most wonderful thing happen to me today. I was just loading these photos and whilst waiting for them to do their thing, I thought about it all over again and my heart just filled with love for that child of mine. So...this is what happened.

I had spent all this morning in my office filling out a job application that needed to be in today. It takes forever to hand-write those blessed forms, and then another age to type a good application letter, each one being tailored to suit the requirements of the job in question. I was nearly there...neatly filled out pages on the desk next to me (along with a pile of English tests I'm marking) ...just jiggling with the last paragraph of the letter on the computer. When suddenly I become aware of my 5 year old, Celyn at my elbow. At the same moment as I turned to see her, I also became aware of a cup of juice spilling...spilling...spilling. All over the marking. All over the application forms. All over the floor. So...what's my very very first reaction?

Hands up all you mummy's out there. Come on, hands up. What's my first reaction? Yes, yes...you. You at the back...what's the answer?

Thaaaaaaaat's riiiiiight.

I yelled.

"CELYN!!!!!"

At which point there are two or three heartwrenching sobs and she puts down the paper plate she'd been carrying (and unfortunately balancing a cup on...no wonder it had spilled) and runs bawling from the room.

It is at this point I realise that the plate had on it a sandwich. A cheese sandwich. She had, without any help whatsoever and no prompt whatsoever except her good natured and loving heart...Made. Me. Lunch.

Okay. All you mummy's out there. How would YOU feel in that situation? Just to recap...your sweet little 5 year old has independently made you lunch and you've reacted by yelling at her. Yes, yes...you on the far left...what do you think?

Thaaaaaat's riiiiiight.

I felt CRAP.

For the first time EVER in her life, she had had the ability (perhaps not the first time ever of having the inclination, but the ability) to get the step stool, reach all the right ingredients and do something lovely for her mummy without being asked or helped in any way. And I had been talking to her last week or the week before about how I feel a bit sad sometimes because I'm the responsible adult in the house...running around after her and my mum all the time...and no one does stuff for me. And she had obviously remembered that.

Oh I was so mortified. I had YELLED at her!!!! Bad bad bad bad BAD mother!

I quickly rescued the marking (good grief, that WAS a panic...that's official work!!! However, it was slightly damp on the bottom edge...nothing too bad) and my application (only the back page had to be redone...no biggie) and ran after her downstairs. Poor lamb, she was crying fit to break. Oh I hugged her and hugged her and told her how very much that lovely act of kindness had meant to me, and I apologised and said I was in the wrong, and told her how wonderful she was. And when she stopped crying she said,

"I couldn't cut slices of the cheese, so I had to use lumps." On checking in the kitchen, she'd even used one of her Ikea plastic knives, cos she knows she shouldn't play with metal ones.

I love her soooooo much. It was the most delicious cheese sandwich I ever ate...even if it was lumpy. And I had to get my own juice.

Children just amuse me!

2008-05-18T14:53:00.004+01:00

I teach in Primary at church. If you've never set foot across the threshold of an LDS chapel (and for pity's sake, why not!? LOL), Primary is our children's organisation...we have Sunday School type classes, and activities (Sunday and otherwise) for children aged 18 months to 12 years (when they go into the youth programme). So, my current roles at church are to lead the music (which I love) and to teach the Sunbeams--the 3 year olds. I have three regular children. They're just starting to get to know me and do more than stare at me with big wide eyes during the lessons. Always a bonus.

Well, today this is how it went. The lesson was 'I Am Grateful for Animals.' We talked about the creation, and I had brought in a lovely book all about animals (praise be all things Dorling Kindersley) which we spent ages looking at and talking about (yes, that animal would probably bite you Luke. Yes, and that one. Yes, and that one. Yes, and that one. My, you're obsessed with animals biting you eh? Yes, and that one...). And we decided what noises each of the animals made ("RRRRRRAAAAAAAGGHHH"--my word boys, that lion roar was very loud wasn't it?) And then I taught them about all the things that animals give us. Wool for example...and we sang Baa Baa Black Sheep. Or feathers for our pillows (and no, Jake, feathers don't come off a fish...no Jake, don't stick that there...feathers don't come off a fish). Or we get eggs from chickens (yum yum) or we get milk and hence yogurt and cheese from cows (no Luke, that big brown animal there, that's a cow...that's not a sheep. No Luke, honestly, that's a cow). So I bought in some yogurt to taste (they had two tastes actually cos it was popular). And I bought in some cheese to eat too. And then Jake said (with the accent and everything)--

"More cheese Grommit!"

And I wet my pants. Honestly, I think actual wee did come out.

Peeve...

2008-05-15T21:13:00.006+01:00

Had a brief shopping trip to the delight that is Tescos supermarket earlier this evening. And I would just like to say, 'fajita' is not pronounced fa-JEE-ta. It is pronounced fa-hee-ta!! HEEEEEEEEEE people, HEEEEEEEEEEE. And, while I'm at it, tortilla is not tor-TILL-uh. It is tor-tee-uh.

And that is all I have to say about that.

Why do these things always happen to me...?

2008-05-12T10:57:00.005+01:00

Back from a weekend that entailed mostly a trip to London Temple (down in Lingfield, Surrey if you don't know it). It is SUCH the trek from this part of the country (4+ hours...which is of course a short journey compared to some people, I know, I know, I know...but when you've grown up in Reading where it's a case of just over an hour and you're being smiled at by temple workers in white, it is a BIG DEAL!).

So, Celyn and I stayed at Rob and Kate's on Friday night (which is already 1 hour closer for me), Kate, Celyn and I headed over to Cardiff to pick up Gil and Eleanor on Saturday morning, and then 1 1/2 hours later we dropped Celyn off with the Pine family in Reading so she could play with Zoe all day (which she loved of course) and grabbed some breakfast munchables in Sainsbury's. Then 1 1/2 hours later (because of car-park traffic on the M25 at one point) we arrived at the temple. Which was, by the way, heaving busy that day.

So. So far so good. Par for the course. And the weather was lush.

As we walk up the corridor upon arriving, some men appeared around a corner heading towards us, and among their number was Bob Turney, an old and dear friend from Reading. I always love to see people down there that I know, so in my usual gregarious manner, I said, "Heeellooooo!!!", held my arms out wide, and we gave each other a big hug. As I was unclasping him, I said, "Oh, is Sue here as well!?" (his lovely wife), and then... and only then... I looked into his face up close for the first time.

This was not Bob at all.

This was a man that looked like Bob. But indeed, was not Bob.

The man who looked like Bob replied "Er, no..." to my request after his wife Sue (who is probably not...let's face it...Sue) and scarpered up the corridor as fast as his legs could carry him.

I, on the other hand, scurried off into the women's changing area after Kate and (completely forgetting myself because I was sooooo utterly mortified) practically YELLED across the room, "Kate!" to get her attention (because in the temple one should be speaking in reverent and calm whispers). Oh noooo, not me. I yelled. After accosting a total stranger.

So. If you happen to know a man who looks a bit like this man (who definitely is the real Bob), who is a Latter-day Saint and who is now regailing you with stories about a nutter redhead woman who obviously embraces people willy-nilly (and who probably needs glasses), then please apologise on my behalf. I really was horribly embarrassed and had already decided if I saw him anywhere else that day I was going to dive off into the nearest room. And if you were in the changing room and heard me yelling, I again would like to offer my heartfelt sorries *sigh*.

As my friend Debbie said when I told her yesterday, "If someone had told me that story without saying who it was that it had happened to, and then asked me who they thought had done this ridiculous thing, I would absolutely have guessed you." *sigh*

Funny thing happened on the way home though. Eleanor (who is 20) is getting married in July, so (as you do) we were chatting with her about all the plans, and we were asking about her dress. She said the bridal shop had been great, but "one dress they made me try on...eeeuuw! It made me look...well, it made me look 25 or 26!!!" "25!!!?" Gil and I said simultaneously. "Oh my goodness...25!!!? Where is this dress and can I have one??!!!!" Love her.

The temple was...difficult. It's where Danny proposed (kneeling on the bridge over the pond). It's where we were married on a beautiful summer's evening. It's where we went when we were agonising over being able to have a child (after 2 miscarriages) and received a good deal of inspiration on the matter. It's a place that's all about eternal families. So perhaps you can understand when I admit I did have a weep when I was there and the visit has actually left me feeling quite blue. I enjoyed the journey with friends, I loved seeing the Pines and Samara in Reading on Saturday, albeit fairly briefly, and I enjoyed staying at the Gilmours. But although I know I should go to the temple, it has such strong and emotional memories for me, I don't know how to overcome those feelings I now get of inadequacy and failure, which are multiplied a hundredfold by being there. And then I feel guilty for feeling like that. Any thoughts anyone?

Blogging and Scrapbooking

2008-05-07T10:27:00.005+01:00

I read a website called Mormon Mommy Wars. It's good. And often very funny. They discuss the every-day nonsense that is motherhood. Well... being-a-woman-hood actually. With an LDS twist to the mix.

Today's post was really interesting to me and will be to a lot of you out there too, as it was entitled 'Blogging vs. Scrapbooking or Excuse Me While I Navel Gaze.' The writer's basic premise is (her views, not mine) that in scrapbooking life is pretty-pretty and unrealistic (no poo, no horribly grubby children...unless you're pointing out how cute they are with baked beans all over their hair, no drama about your menstrual cycle...just happy families doing happy things on sunshiny/autumnul/snowy days. Happy. Happy happy happy). Whereas in blogging we tend to write about our children having the screaming ab-dabs in the middle of the supermarket (and how we wanted to just abandon them in the frozen peas section, to be brought up by wolves or gypsies or whoever), or how your mother-in-law is driving you nuts (and that you think she actually was brought up by wolves). The writer of said article says, "Basically, scrapbooks are there to show you the shiny stuff. Blogging is there to show you the poop."

The whole post is right here for you to read in its entirety.

*Taking on a Marge Simpson voice* Mmmmm...I don't agree (now there's a surprise...).

I did leave a lengthy reply to her post (now there's another surprise...) in which I said that as someone who a) Enjoys the creativity of writing through a blog and b) Enjoys the creativity of scrapbooking (oh yes I do!)…they are BOTH expressions through graphic design, art, photography, family history, and creative writing all mooshed together. And for me, anything grimy and gritty is fair game for both blogging and scrapbooking, as long as it doesn’t hurt someone…I just will NOT go into bitching about people in an unkind way anywhere on the internet. It’s not the place (in my mind). Bun fights in public? Nuh uh. They make the thrower of buns look like Trash. With a capital T. (I so want to write 'White Trash' there but then all the white trash people would be offended and wouldn't that be ironic...)

But I would and do blog about illness and I scrapbook about illness. I blog about bad moods, and I scrapbook about bad moods. I blog my opinions about the irritant that is George Dubya Bush and I scrap my opinions about the irritant that is George Dubya Bush. I don't, however, blog my ‘dirty laundry’ …in fact, I am more likely to scrap my dirty laundry (Not literally. Cos that would be smelly. And a bit silly. And did I mention smelly?) and keep it in an album for more private viewing so my daughter can know who I really am...when she’s emotionally mature and ready to (poor kid - you *thought* your mum was a marvel, and in fact she's a headcase...).

Blogging just allows me to get the memories down immediately and probably in more lengthy and wordy detail, and then scrapbooking allows me to get it on in an arty, photography, wordy way, but created over a longer period of time. With glue. And cutting implements. Happiness.

So, in short, I don’t believe they’re “versus” one another at all…they complement one another. And if you like one and not the other, no biggie. It’s when you actually don’t like one and feel obliged to do it from some sort of ‘everyone’s doing it and so I must be a bad mother/person/family historian if I don’t’ point of view that it becomes ridiculous. And slightly deranged.

What do *you* think...?

National Scrapbooking Day!

2008-05-05T14:02:00.004+01:00

Oh I just know there are people out there now hooting with laughter, but yeeeees, yeeeeees, mock aaaaaaall you like. There is a National Scrapbooking Day (in fact, it should be International Scrapbooking Day because scrapbookers in North America, Europe, Australia, NZ etc. all celebrate on the same first Saturday in May). So there. Nuh.

And I was happily invited to go hang out with Gil and Katie-Jane and Jan at Sue Winters' house in Cardiff. And the liver and onions lunch at The Quarry didn't go amiss neither.

So, after months of scrapbooking inactivity (cos, quite frankly, every time I even looked at my scrapping stuff I would literally feel ill and panic-attacky), I have completed a page. And by jilly-jingo I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the company of lovely people. And I scrapped some of my favourite recent photos.

So...here you go. April Fool!
I'm off out to watch my girl on a trampoline for a bit and then a mooch round Asda. Party on down. Mwaaah x

Get on Facebook Lee Webb.

Conversation with Celyn...

2008-05-04T15:09:00.006+01:00

...whilst driving her to her Nanny's yesterday:

Celyn: Mummy, when is that moneybanks day?

Me: *Looking puzzled* What? What day?

Celyn: Moneybanks day.

Me: *Completely not understanding and racking my brains thinking about something I might have said about money or piggybanks or giving her money on a certain day...* Um...can you explain what you mean? Tell me when I said it.

Celyn: You know. That day you told me about...moneybanks day, when I don't go to school

Me: *Ting...lightbulb goes on over my head* Oooooooh!!! Bank Holiday Monday!! *Now have to keep looking out of my right-hand window whilst driving, so she can't see me struggling like crazy to keep my guffaws of laughter under total control* Yes, yes *breathe, breathe..control, control* ...bank holiday Monday. That's this Monday luvvie...

How cool are these?!

2008-05-02T10:44:00.009+01:00

It occurred to me I'd better shift my typing fingers and blog about this, because the video won't be around forever on the site. But wait, I'm rambling. Let me explain.

My mate Lee (who is, by the way, brilliant) 'invented' (created?) a new toy a couple of years ago. It's now on sale in FAO Schwarz in New York and will soon be in Macys all over America. I believe they're in Hamleys in London too. Well, aaaaaanywaaaaay...you've heard of Martha Stewart right? The cooking/home decor/general homemaking guru type person? Well, she has a TV show in the States and Lee was asked to be on it. With his toy. Knitwits. I'm not calling you knitwits...that's the name of the toy, nitwits!

So, last week he was on the show (he told me it was all very nervewracking..."don't look straight at the camera, got to get this done in one take (no pressure), be generally wonderful, ya di ya di ya") and this week the show is on her website. Oh yeah baby! So I got to watch my friend (who is truly one of my dearest friends, and yet because of that great big Atlantic Ocean in the middle of us, I haven't seen for...ummm...13 years now). Fun fun fun.

Bit of trivia...when Lee first graduated from university and moved to New York, he shared with 3 friends...one was Brett Helquist who is the illustrator of the Lemony Snicket books (A Series of Unfortunate Events...you know the ones), and another housemate was Rob Blackard (who I met on my trip to NY, NY 13 years ago as it happens...funny guy) who all scrapbookers out there will know as Rob from Rob & Bob Studio. Quite the household...

Aaaaaaanywaaaaay...here's the link to the video. You need to go to the right of the screen and click on the picture that says Quentin Webb Crafts (Quentin is Lee...I can't be tiddled to explain). Watch it. Enjoy the toys (they are REEEEALLY cool). Order one. Order TWO. Order some socks. Or go and pick your nose and do your dusting. Whatever.

Oh.

And the socks they're made from (LittleMissMatched) have a part of their website dedicated to these little fellas...each one has a personality you see. It's all to do with where odd socks disappear to... so check that out too. Click there...there...on the LittleMissMatched link...just there...). Bossy moo.

Mwwaaah x

What could YOU look at for eternity...?

2008-04-30T19:14:00.013+01:00

...because I decided on Monday that one of my favourite things to stare at for an inordinate amount of time was bluebells. The colour of them is just wildly lucious and does things to me that might verge on rudeness. But only verge, cos I ain't THAT weird.

Not being a proper local to these 'ere Welshy parts, I had no clue where to even find a bluebell wood. Now, give me a Spring day in Reading and I could pootle off to any number of places of flowery loveliness, but round here, I am twp on all matters of bluebellness. However, I discovered that the beautiful Clyne Gardens in Swansea was the place to be and so, for Family Night, Celyn and I headed over there, camera in hand, child dressed in complementary colours (oh yes...of COURSE! And don't even ASK me about the bright yellow plastic binoculars she decided she had to bring, because how I managed to withhold wigging out at her is probably down to several deep breaths and a determination not to bring contention into the proceedings - LOL!).

So, here are the fruits of my labour. Clyne truly is a beautiful, beautiful park and worth a visit should you ever be down this way and you like a tree or two. Or indeed a bluebell.

The park also has, amongst many other plants, rhododendron bushes. Celyn posing with one of the petals that had dropped to the floor
Clyne Gardens is on the side of a hill and the sea is only a quick walk away from the bottom end of the park. The view from the top is lovely across Swansea Bay, Port Talbot in the distance.
Celyn loved the freedom of being outdoors. She was hard to keep still for a good photo!! This is her running, running, running!

At the top end of the park, by the entrance, is a little animal cemetery. Seriously. Dogs called Joy and Saucy have been buried there since the 1930s. Celyn enjoyed reading each of their names.

Funny conversation I had with Celyn today:

(additional information you need to know is that in her bedtime prayers, she always asks Heavenly Father to bless her with "no bad dreams" because she hates having nightmares)

Celyn: Mummy, do animals dream?
Me: Yes, I'm sure they do. In fact, I know they do because I've seen dogs twitch and wimper and wag their tails when they've been asleep, because they've been dreaming about something.
Celyn: So...are all their dreams good ones then? Because dogs can't say prayers...
Me: Good question Celyn...good question

Get on Facebook Lee Webb.

Britain's GOT TALENT!!!

2008-04-28T13:39:00.001+01:00

I just had to share this clip (post below) from Saturday's Britain's Got Talent. I just LOVED this act, on so many levels! I think Amanda Holden summed it up perfectly!

Just for starters, the Michael Jackson dancing at the beginning was surprisingly good, although I did think, "Oh no...not ANOTHER Jackson tribute." And then the whole geezer with the broom fitting into the act was just HILARIOUS. Seriously, WHO can keep still with that great Punjabi music playing. So fab! Even Celyn started leaping around the living room to it :D Add Ant and Dec being their usual warm and witty selves, and that wonderful London crowd (they were just SO London! YEY!) thrown into the mix, and you have a winning bit of Saturday night TV for me.
I always get misty-eyed when I see people achieving like this. I tear up EVERY time I watch it. Dappy woman. I'm the same when I watch someone win a great sporting event. Am I alone in this?!

Oh...scoot to the bottom of this page to pause the Newton Faulkner music when you're watching the vid. Obviously.

Suleman (Signature) - Britain's Got Talent 2008 - Episode 3

2008-04-28T13:36:00.002+01:00

Cranford! Cranford! Cranford!

2008-04-20T18:37:00.004+01:00

Now, because I've been a bad blogger you lot out there may not know that I was completely, totally and utterly in love with the BBC drama 'Cranford' that was shown at the end of last year. Five one-hour moments of pure, unadulterated TV pleasure. And the last episode?! Well! I could barely contain myself, it was so intense in its emotional attack on my senses. Julia McKenzie's sterling monologue where she describes Miss Mattie's kindness when they were young ladies was truly a work of art. Philip Glenister and Alex What's-his-socks (Etel...that's it) as the estate manager and young boy he takes under his rather manly arm (phwaaa), and Francesca Annis, Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins were all worthy of damehood. Oh, the lovely doctor and the beautiful girl of his dreams...just fabulous. And of course, not to forget one of my very favourite actresses ever, Imelda Staunton and her most hilarious one-liners (she had me roaring with laughter every episode, the best of which was "...and ONE of them had...A HUMP!!" Genius.

I said at the time, 'That Cranford will be up for a slew of BAFTAs, you mark my words' and look, by golly, I'm right. The TV awards are on this very eve, and I am eagerly awaiting them (just LOVE an awards show) (followed by Desperate Housewives...must see TV evening coming up :D). So, in time-honoured tradition, I shall post my guesses for the winners, to see how I do. I expect Rob and Katie-Jane will be doing the same...phone calls between Pontardillydoolay and Usstrid Mynachie will ensue...

Before I begin, I would also like to say that I actually DON'T watch THAT much TV (seriously, I really don't) so I haven't watched 80% of the nominations, so a lot of this is pure guesswork. So.

Best Actor: Matthew MacFayden for Secret Life (just because he's a bit yummy really, oh sad lusty woman that I am)

Best Actress: Now, how hard is this? Eileen Atkins AND Judi Dench both up for Cranford. Aaaagh. Eileen Atkins. There. Done. Eeek. Hard one. Or perhaps it'll be Judi...shall I change my mind? No, no...can't decide. Both. There. I can't decide. Both. So there.

Entertainment Performance: Again, this one's hard cos I do like them all except Harry Hill who I NEVER laugh at and I find completely unfunny. Mmmm...I love Stephen Fry but I think it might be Alan Carr & Justin Lee Collins for The Friday Night Project.

Comedy Performance: Mmmm...James Corden for Gavin and Stacey (another hard one. Stephen Merchant and Peter Capaldi I think are both contenders too)

Sky Audience Award: Well, if this isn't Cranford then the viewing public are all asses.

Single Drama: Umm...didn't watch any of them. Right...The Mark of Cain

Drama Series: Life On Mars (another of my absolute favourites...just LOVE this show)

Drama Serial: Cranford. Cranford. Cranford. (um...Cranford)

Continuing Drama: Eastenders

International: Heroes (not seen any of them but heard a lot about this one on the grapevine)

Factual Series: Tribe (cos it's made in Wales!)

Specialist Factual: The Genius of Photography (cos I agree with the title - LOL)

Single Documentary: Beautiful Young Minds

Features: Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

Current Affairs: China's Stolen Children

News Coverage: ITV Evening News

Sport: Wimbledon (seriously, who knows! LOL I just like tennis)

Interactivity: The X Factor

Entertainment Programme: Britain's Got Talent (another of my favourites)

Comedy Programme: No idea. Haven't watched any of them. Um...Fonejacker

Sit Com: The Thick of It (again, felt vibes about this one)

There we go. Bring it on.

Some days...

2008-04-17T20:42:00.005+01:00

We all have them...some days leave us emotionally battered and weary as we skulk off to bed. We might feel unloved, unimportant, lonely, uninspired. Forgotten by heaven. And when we have a run of days such as these, they can leave scars. They test our faith. I know you know what I mean.

So. Yesterday I had one of those days. You know my tether? I'd reached the end of it. And it left me pretty grumpy and blue. Mostly blue. Same when I woke up this morning.

And then...the phone rang at lunchtime and my friend Ros was at the other end of a line of communication. "I was thinking about you. I thought I needed to call," she explained. I told her all my gripes, why life was particularly hard today, and she (it turns out) had the perfect story from her past to help me. Her mother had had a similar...in fact, worse...experience to mine and once again I learned that, damn it all, I am NOT unique and I am not special...but in a good way! In realising that we share common experiences, we understand that we are not weird or crazy or stupid. We're normal. Our self-esteem increases...our hope. And thus our faith.

Without judging my less-than-spiritual moaning, Ros was able to explain why she felt things had happened the way they had and suddenly I felt supported and loved. I always marvel at the capacity that women have to do this - we have a great, great gift in the way we connect one with another. Then Ros and I had a good old natter and a laugh about her family's recent holiday to Utah (I was amazed she hadn't bought a KitchenAid that was on sale for $205...that's just over a hundred quid folks. Was she a crazy woman!!!!???) By the end of the call, the little black cloud over the top of my head had floated off to precipitate on some Welsh hill, just leaving an artexed ceiling in its place.

And then. Later today I found a way of spending a weekend in Reading and going to the temple on the Saturday for just £24. My friend Steve is coming to Swansea on business and he's going to throw Celyn and me out at Reading on the way back to London on the Friday. We can catch a train back to Swansea on the Sunday - booked seats, cheap as chips. Cheaper than the petrol anyway (it would currently cost me £70 or more to go to the temple and back by car *cough*). So if you fancy meeting up with me, I shall be in Reading 9-11 May and at the temple on the 10th.

And then Steve sent me this. Reflections of Christ: Reflections Slideshow Seriously, you really must click on that link. And turn on your speakers.

And then I felt and knew that God was watching and caring for me the whole time and that despite feeling judged and belittled by others, despite my rebellious heart, He still loved me and he wanted me to know it. He inspired my friend to ring. He gave me a way to get to the temple that I'd been hoping for for weeks. And he filled my heart with beautiful, inspired thoughts of the Saviour.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Some days life is good.

Mormon Slattern in Wales

2008-04-14T09:24:00.021+01:00

'SWANSEA, S. WALES -- The kitchen sink and surrounding counter inside the home of Chrissie Willicombe are completely full with dirty dishes and have been unattended for cleaning since yesterday afternoon's roast chicken/bread and butter pudding repast. This morning numerous dirty plates, saucepans, roasting tins, and even a container with left-over gravy have been identified in the home of this Swansea County resident. "There's something about doing the dishes at the end of a pleasant Sunday" explained Chrissie. "Desperate Housewives was coming on, and I just didn't want to do them" she whined.

Shocked eyewitnesses to the scene have been taken aback at this lack of homemaking skills in the well known Mormon housewife's home. "What a slattern" one woman commented, who asked not to be named. "She's just a pig and that's all there is to it" she continued.

Almost all would agree that Chrissie has greatly improved in her domestic endeavors recently, particularly in her organisation of cupboards, tidying out the family car and the general order in her livingroom. Her kitchen, however, leaves something greatly to be desired. Visitors stand a large probability they will view the unsightly pile of dishes, utensils, cookware and cups, should they enter the kitchen.

The news of Chrissie's unwillingness to load her dishes in the dishwasher is seen as a major public relations blunder for her hypocrisy. Last week, Chrissie declared "victory over procrastination," when she spent two hours cleaning and vacuuming her car.

Environmental health officers have been alerted, and may be shutting down the property until a full investigation has completed.'

So, back to last weekend, and how freaky was the weather?! On Friday it was beautiful sunshine and we were wandering around Reading in t-shirts enjoying 17 degrees C lovely Spring weather, and this is what we woke up to on Sunday morning...

Before
After

When Judith heard me stirring on Sunday morning, she knocked on my bedroom door and asked if I'd looked out of the window. There were audible gasps when I drew up the blind. Four inches of snow! Of course, being the record-keeping-pain-in-the-bum mum that I am, I had those children out in the garden before they could say 'frostbite' and got some great shots. It is so weird still to me that it snowed in APRIL, I look at these pictures and think perhaps it was actually movie foam snow and someone tricked us :D

You'd think they were sisters, the way they're dressed so similarly. Or even that I'd planned it for ease of scrapbooking the pics. But no. Complete coincidence (and Judith and I have the same taste in coats :D )

Right. Off to see to the Pen-y-Fan of washing up....

Get on Facebook Lee Webb.

Right. Enough's Enough

2008-04-12T15:37:00.007+01:00

I used to be really good at blogging and then life went...well...boobies vertical, and I didn't want to do anything much of anything any more. I'm starting to get back in the groove but I'm not completely there yet. Having spoken to other women who've been there and done that and bought the fetching t-shirt, even after 15 months it's still early days. Oh joy. I've learnt a lot about dealing with life, about people and about my relationship with God. At the moment there are more good days than bad, although I did have a weep down the phone to my old bishop last Thursday evening. My mum's health has also, on top of it all, deteriorated in the last 6 months. She can't really make it downstairs at all now and is pretty much dependent on me for sustenance, medicine, the odd choccie biscuit, etc. etc. I feel pretty guilty when I feel burdened by it. After all, our mothers look after us for years and years as children. But I can't say I find it easy.

Anyway...

I'm having one of those Saturdays where you don't do much of anything and that's okay because it's Saturday and that's what Saturdays are for. I realised at only about 6pm yesterday that I needed to get 10 writing and 5 reading scripts marked for NFER and emailed off before midnight. I could only start work on them once dinner and child were sorted, so they actually went about 2am or thereabouts, but she (my team leader) was none the wiser. The point was they were in her email box this morning - *phew*. I am doing some work for NFER (National Foundation for Educational Research) as a marker of Year 3 English tests, for which I had to attend a day's training in Slough last weekend. *Insert picture of me doing a litle bit of a happy dance* It was just a complete pleasure to be in the company of teachers as a PEER once more. Made me truly realise how very much I have missed teaching. The other ladies in my group were great, and we had a bit of a laugh as well as working hard.

The other up-side of the training day was that they paid for all my petrol (and some...and then some more), so I was able to go to Reading for the whole General Conference weekend for nowt, and hang out with lots and lots of friends. Gosh I love you all...and you know who you are.

On the Friday I got to Reading by lunchtime (impressive for me, Mrs I-will-leave-at-10.30-and-then-I-don't-actually-leave-till-half-past-1) and met up with my old workmate, John. On Facebook I had mistakenly left the group 'The Sweeney Todd Pie Shop Appreciation Society', naughty naughty girl that I am. Upon seeing this, John had sent me a message basically asking if I hadn't quite lost my mind and "these ARE THE Sweeney Todd pies you understand...you do understand that, don't you?!!!" Duly chastised I rejoined toute suite ("Order has been restored to the universe" he quipped) and I suggested we meet up for lunch when I was in Reading. Cor, I had a lovely chicken, broccoli and Stilton pie. Wicked lush it was. And the company was excellent too.

The training got out early so I was able to get back to the Pines where I was staying in time to head up to Saturday's General Conference session. As it was President Monson's first conference since he became President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Solemn Assembly was held to sustain him and the other General Authorities, including a new Apostle, D. Todd Christofferson. Each quorum in their turn had to stand and sustain our leaders by the raising of hands...and it was pretty powerful stuff. I felt proud to stand with the Relief Society and add my vote. My favourite talks over the weekend were Concern for the One by Joseph B. Wirthlin, and Faith of Our Father by Dieter F. Uchtdorf (I just LOVE LOVE LOVE that he's European and it shows...). These talks were inclusive and caring. And both of these men are 'themselves' when they speak (unlike Kenneth Johnson's breathy fakeness...gah! And I know I'm not the only one who noted it. And WHAT is his ACCENT all about?! He's from Norwich for pity's sake!). Anyway...click on the links and read these talks. Do as you're told. Ha ha!

I need to go make dinner but I shall blog more later.

Get on Facebook Lee Webb.

So here's a bit of trivia...

2007-11-20T14:47:00.000Z

I was reading Andrea's blog http://just-about-perfect.blogspot.com/2007/11/book-shelves.html and she says that she was reading a parenting magazine which said that children under 7 just can't look at book spines on a bookshelf and take a book out. Or put it back. They just CAN'T. It's not that they're lazy toe-rags, pulling every book off the shelf and leaving them all over the floor, and then putting them in a PILE on the shelf when you tell them for the umpteenzillionth time to put them back again aaarg! Not that I've had THAT experience. Ha.

If I went and took a photo right now of Celyn's room... *sigh* And on looking for an appropriate photo of a messy bookshelf to brighten up my post, I then saw this picture...of COURSE that's why they have those sorts of bookshelves for kids. There's actually a psychological reason for it that I'd never known about before. So the article Andrea references there makes SO much sense to me.

However, Celyn (and I) have a gazillion children's books, so how can she look at them and put them away more easily if not on a shelf? And the shelf pictured is £120 so that's not happening either (not that it would hold all her books).

Answers on a bloggy postcard please to the usual address.

Are you speeeeeeshaaaall?

2007-11-19T18:09:00.001Z

Actually I do have a particular revulsion for that spelling of speshal...I mean SPECIAL!!

I've been pounded by life this year and I feel pretty vulnerable at the moment, so I'm commencing my blog by invitation only. I enjoy blogging and do feel the urge to write again...I guess I stopped because I felt like a fake, not really giving a true picture of what was going on in my life. And the harder life got (because it's been really bad sometimes) the less I wanted to write anyway. And as things have played out, I was right to trust my gut feelings about telling all the world my business...they haven't all treated that information very well. But I do have a goal to be a 'kind blog' so I'm not going there on here.

So, if you're reading this, you've been invited by me and you're special. Not in a clique way you understand. In a protecting my fragile self kind of way? Comprendez? I hope you can respect that? Blogging is very much also about me keeping a diary in a way so it'll be good to get back to that and I'll be writing copious amounts very soon. And if you want to read it, then that's fine and dandy.

Thank you for being my friends ...and I've never meant that more.

Watch this space

2007-10-27T14:39:00.001+01:00

*in her very very very bestest Arnie voice*

I'll be baaaaaaack.

Soon.

After the Gloucester 3 retreat is over (1-3 Nov)

I am not dead. I was just...quiet.

Volkswagen Night Driving Golf Ad

2007-06-27T22:35:00.001+01:00

Two posts in one day?! What the...?

But I was blog trawling and saw a You Tube thing on someone's blog and it reminded me that I just HAD to get THIS ad on mine. Because the first time I heard it, the language of the narration just slooshed and trickled all around my brain and I thought, "Damn, that's beautiful!" And then of course I found out it was written by one of my favourite writers ever, Dylan Thomas. Who was born not a few miles from my very house.

Isn't it just fab?

I am still alive...and I'm scrapping!

2007-06-27T17:14:00.000+01:00

I've been missing in Tescos. Someone found me with my legs waving out of the frozen peas trying to reach the last packet of Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire puds...but now I'm back home, safe and sound.

True story.

Been scrapping today...my class for this Saturday's South Wales Crop (12 hours and everyfink). I was having a big tidy the other day (I tidy ALL the time and yet my house always looks catastrophic...why IS that?) and came across these lovely photos that my mate Julia (on the Scrappers Unlimited team) took a couple of summers ago (05) when she and her children were playing at my house. It doesn't seem that long ago...but in the life of a child it's a huge amount of time, and I can't believe how wee Celyn looks in these. Her hair is so short...and she even has a nappy on! Mad. She's stood with Julia's son Aneurin. So when I started to create this layout this morning straight after the school run, I immediately thought of these piccies sitting on my office desk. Awwww.

Anyway...do come to the crop on Saturday if you're free. There's a fish and chip run at supper time and a challenge where you could win a free place at the Swansea Retreat at the end of July.

Talking of which...

I've just opened and HUGE (and quite pricey) box of scrapping papers, brads (lucious metal brads...my my my!), ribbons, die cuts (rub them all over your body and kiss them with pash, they're so gorgeous), chipboard letters and rub ons. Oh my heavens above, there's some lush stuff in there. And it's miiiiiiiine all miiiiiiiine. Well...until it all goes in kits for classes that is *snort*

Right. Off to try the freezer cabinet at Asdas now. See you again in a month. Ha! Or perhaps sooner...

Guess Who?

2007-06-15T13:20:00.000+01:00

My mum and I are weak with laughter.

Celyn asked to play a game of Guess Who? If you are familiar with this game, you'll know that you have 24 faces on flip-up cards. You also choose a yellow card with a person's face on. You then have to find out who your opponent's yellow card person is (before they finds out yours) by asking a series of questions. For example, "Does your person have a beard?" If they answer "No" then you flip down all the people with beards because they have been elminated. "Does your person have blond hair?" "Yes". You flip down all the people except those with blond hair. Etc. etc. etc.

Simple.

You'd think.

My FOUR year old Celyn can play this, with ease. I know, because I've just played a game with her.

But then I said, "Oh play with Nana now Celyn, because I have to do some work" and this is where the hysterics started. My mother can't work out the rules of this game for love nor money. I've explained it and explained it, but she just gets confused.

Now, I know my mum is 84 but that has nothing to do with it (because she's as bright as a button). She just doesn't do logical problems! Celyn (my FOUR year old, I would reiterate) is saying "Right Nana, my person DOESN'T have blond hair...so you need to put down all the people with blond hair" and my mum says "No no...we're not playing this right" or "What are you talking about?"

And so I started laughing at her. And then she started laughing. And now we're sitting here completely weak with laughter.

Bless.

I am so hooooooooooot!!!!

2007-06-11T09:30:00.001+01:00

Close, humid, restless night's sleep, awakening to 22 degrees at 9am. Man alive. I am so HOT (and not in a good way)! On top of which, a neighbour's car alarm kept going off. FOUR times. There's only so much a sweaty girl can take.

Which reminded me of Sunday in the Park with George which is probably my favourite musical theatre ever. Little known fact about Chrissie...I studied theatre at university in America and used to go to plays and shows galore (GALORE) there and in London. For example, I saw the original cast of Les Mis before anybody outside of 'really into theatre' knew what it was. Them were the days.

This show is about the painter, Georges Seurat (him what painted with dots). Bernadette Peters (singing here) and Mandy Patinkin (who plays Seurat) are quite stunning in their parts (how great is her voice?!) and the music and lyrics touch my whole soul.

I am soooooo hoooooooooooot!

Of Doughnuts and Nests and Racism (Random Post!)

2007-06-09T07:27:00.000+01:00

It's not quite 7.30 in the morning, the promise of a beeeeeeeautiful summer's day, birds are twittering outside the open window, the family is still asleep, and I'm blogging while I have some peace. But now that I start, I feel I don't have anything exciting to say *Oooooh...she's in one of THOSE moods*

But seriously. I read blogs all the time where people create a new scrapbook page or book or altered trumpet or *whatever* every single day almost, and I think 'Where in the HECK do you find the time?!!!' I seem to spend every day wishing I could calmly sit and create lovely things (and believe me, I have enough products around my house to keep any scrapper happy for a year), but life seems to be an endless round of sorting out mon enfant, venues, kits and teachers for future events, trapsing round Tesco for food, making meals and tidying the bottomless untidy house pit.

Anyway *hffff, pffff*...my bits of excitement this week. I finished part one of an article for ScrapBook Inspirations magazine. The picture above is a clue to the subject of the article (and anyone who's attended one of my classes where they've eaten doughnuts will know what that is all about!). It will be appearing in the issue due out end of August and another article on the same subject will be in the following month's issue too *shiny me*

House Martins have built a nest in the eves of our house. Awwwwwww! I've heard neighbours moaning about bird poo and the noise (honestly...moaning about bird noise!!??) but I think it's GREAT! Celyn and I have really enjoyed watching Mr or Mrs Martin swooping out of their marital abode to go and get dinner for the chickies (sounds like my life - LOL!). At least, I presume there are chicks...maybe just eggs at the moment. Not being a house martin expert or nuffink. But it's all cool and they have so far kindly refrained from crapping on my car. Bless.

I have started walking. Now OBviously I don't mean that I've finally figured out how to walk after all these years. I mean my good mate Anne has decided I need more exercise (which, to be fair, is damn true) and so she comes over every evening and we walk around the delights that are Pontarddulais for about 45 minutes and either covet or criticise all the properties we pass, as you do. Mostly covet (there are some nice houses around here). Isn't she a lovely soul, to come and walk with me? I moan (in my head) every evening when I know she's due, but then I really enjoy it. So perhaps I should stop moaning and just get on with it! What say you?

I have also started watching Big Brother and of course there was the whole Emily Parr 'thing' this week. As a scrapbooker of course I know the Parrs as her mum owns a scrapping business not a million miles from here, but I don't think either of us would say we were the best of friends by a long chalk. However, having considered the situation all week (and watching the incident in context before making a proper judgement), I have to say that I'm not entirely sure she should have been kicked off the show. I feel that the term she used was said with the motivation of trying to be 'street' and hip, and not because she is racist. But Emily simply isn't street...she's white, middle-class and incredibly naive. You simply can't use that term on national TV, even if it's bandied around between blacks themselves in real life, and even then, only some blacks. Personally I've NEVER heard any of my friends use it and I wouldn't dreeeeeeeeeeam of using it ever (it's just not a word in my vocabulary), let alone around my friends...but I'm assured that it definitely is used as a 'buddy' term these days. I can remember a friend of mine going completely ballistic at a guy who was over his apartment one day who said that same term...it was completely unacceptable then (nearly 20 years ago) and although it's crept into slang these days, you have to remember that not everyone watching TV is 18! There are 40+ year olds who would be horrified by that word and who would neither understand nor hear its slang use.

I also think Channel 4's reaction by taking Emily out of the house was definitely in light of the Shilpa Shetty stuff last year which was a trillion times worse and WAS racially motivated. And I also think Big Brother has double standards. They say that housemates mustn't do anything which can offend each other or the viewing public, but then they use language every day that offends me (certain blaspheming being the main sticking point with me (makes me cringe), or the constant use of the F word). Now...no one is remotely reprimanded for that, and even by complaining now I bet someone reading this will think "Well if you don't like it, turn it off then!" So what if you also said that to people offended by Emily's choice of word? It's a double standard, whichever way you look at it. I would be very interested to see if anything was said, let alone done, about English-Welsh put-downs if they occurred between Laura and another housemate. Where do you draw the line?

I'm not justifying her actions though...absolutely not at all. It's an ugly word and she definitely should have been reprimanded in a serious way. But, when push comes to shove, her motivation and attitude were not racist. She was just a very silly girl.

But, on a lighter note...the two housemates that entered last night. I took an instant dislike to that Seany. Eeeuch. Nasty piece of work. The Greek guy is as camp as chicory coffee, and is just making me laugh. And Ziggy's face was a complete picture and had me howling. Awww bless him. He only wants a friend he can chat about football and women with. Love him.

Right. I have a ton of things to do today (tidying the bottomless pit of untidyness being one of them). And the famblee are arousing their bods from their beds now. Back on the gerbil wheel...

Ta ra!

You've been framed

2007-06-02T22:11:00.000+01:00

Just had to show you all these lovely bits of work my team and fellow S Wales scrappers have been creating for Frame Your Scrapbook! (a Cardiff based company who make 12x12 and 8x8 frames to put your special pieces of work on the wall. They send the frames to any part of the UK by the way).

The thing with these frames (which are made completely free from acid and all that anti-scrapbooky stuff) is that you can use much more 3D elements on your page, because they aren't going to be squished flat in an album. And (unlike a canvas), the page is protected under glass. We're loving them!!! We're even going to be having a class on how to create a layout with a frame as part of the deal at our Swansea Retreat soon.

The top picture here is Love by Amber (she of the Basque Book kit fame!). She stamped all over the frame, which had been painted a lovely gold. Apologies for the naffi-naff-naff quality of the photos. It's terribly hard to get a good shot of glass which has the damn habit of reflecting everyfink.

Then Penny's used metal flowers to scrap very much in 3D inside the frame, with a few hanging around on the corners too.

Katie-Jane has scrapped one of the owners of Frame Your Scrapbook's little girl, using a subtle paint stamping effect on the frame. Pretty eh?

And finally (for now), Fi created this simply stunning page and frame around a fab photo of her daughter dancing outside the Millennium Centre a couple of Christmasses ago.

With thanks to lovely Gil who waited so patiently and held the frames while I photographed them after the South Wales Crop today :D Where (by the way) it was gloriously sunny and back here in Swansea it was cold, cloudy and pants. HA!

Off to bed. Night night.

Just an update

2007-05-26T08:28:00.000+01:00

Remiss of me. I was just looking at my blog and realised I hadn't said how well I'd done in my BAFTA predictions. Or not. Mostly not.

I got both the Actor and Actress categories completely wrong.
I also got Comedy Performance wrong. However I was quite pleased Ricky got it though (Reading boy that he is)
Also got Drama Series wrong (boo on their winner, boo boo boo)
Also, Casualty won best Soap, oh sorry...Continuing Drama. Surprise.
I was irritated that Ross Kemp on Gangs won best Factual Series. Stephen Fry should DEFINITELY have won that. In fact he got a loud cheer when the noms were being read out.
And I was also stunned that Planet Earth won nothing at all. WHAT THE...?!
Furthermore I also got the Sport and International wrong wrong wrong.
And the Comedy Programme. Yes, I was a bit bovvered actually.

But what I got right (which of course is FAR more important, being RIGHT and all):

Jonathan Ross was best Entertainment Performer. The fact that I split my vote between 3 of the 4 nominees is neither here nor there *superior raise of eyebrows*
I also got the Interactivity programme right (Hogfather)
And best Entertainment Programme (X Factor)
But my favourite two wins of the night...best Sit Com was indeed The Royle Family: Queen of Sheba (MUST get that on DVD), and Life on Mars won the Audience Award. Woo hoo! See...the British public know what they're talking about! Oh yes they do.

In other news...

Celyn had her MMR this week. I had been a bit antsy about her having this controversial injection so had left it alone for a few years, but I knew the time was right now to get it done as I was more concerned about her getting measles than any possible side-effects, which I no longer thought she would get, being much older now and all. I told Celyn all about the injection and what it was for and was highly amused after the event to hear her telling my Mum, "I've had an operation so I won't get the measles, the mumps and the bellas. Mummy's had the bellas, but they didn't hurt" [I had them when I was 19, or rather I had RUbella! LOL!!!]

Well, all done now. She wasn't impressed with the needle, although she didn't really cry...just looked at me with wide, slightly teary eyes, in a "You lying wench...you told me this wouldn't hurt" manner *guilt, guilt, guilt* She has had a bit of a temperature since Wednesday night, but seems back to her old self this morning. Which is a good job, seeing as she's eaten next to nothing for 36 hours.

Right, need to go as the post office closes in 3 hours and 10 minutes, and I have some more kits to post out, and then Celyn and I are braving the delights of Swansea town centre on a Saturday. Joy.

Sack the Continuity Bod

2007-05-23T15:15:00.001+01:00

I love this ad...made me laugh like mad the first time I saw it. Not only because he's hilarious, but also her understated "Oh...oookay" at the end. Bwaahaahaaa. BUT. I spotted a continuity error on it the other day.

Look at the mum's laundry basket. There are 2 pairs of stripy underpants in there. He puts one on his head, and the other (blue and red stripes) is clearly on the top of the basket. HOWEVER, in the very last shot they are GONE. Gonnety-gone.

HA! I love it when I spot these mistakes *superior glow*

Torn

2007-05-16T12:34:00.000+01:00

So...anyone who knows me knows I love an awards ceremony, and this Sunday is the BAFTA TV awards, and some of my very favourites this past year are up for getting a gold masky face. However, one of the awards is voted for by the public HERE and I am so so so torn. One of the programmes up for the prize is the fantastic fabulous edgy, nostaligic, terribly un-PC (and therefore hilariously funny) and damn well written Life On Mars. I only discovered it about a third of the way through the second (and last) series, so I recently bought myself the box set of DVDs of the first series and am enjoying these no end. I've always loved stories around time travel. It has such brilliant one-liners (Gene saying to some children playing in the street "Oi kids...nothing happens to this motor or I'll come round and stamp on your toys" - bwaahaaahaa!) The acting is utterly spot on (travesty that Philip Glenister hasn't been nominated actually), and the stories are gripping.

However.

It is up against the most wonderful wonderful wonderful Queen of Sheba, which was the very last ever Royle Family episode (the one with nana... you know... I shall say no more in case it's a spoiler for you). Well I laughed my head off, I cried buckets, and then I laughed some more. It was absolutely truly BRILLIANT. Who can forget Denise's immortal "Muuuuum. Can you look after Baby David on Friday for meeeee" "Of course Denise. When will you be coming to get him?" *Denise, completely seriously and nonchalantly* "Oh...Sunday." *Barbara looks a tad perplexed but totally submissive* "Oh...okaaay." Priceless.

So who would you vote for? One of those? Both of those? Or perhaps another of the noms?

And as for all the other noms, this is what I hope will win:

Actor: John Simm (Life on Mars)

Actress: Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre)

Entertainment Performance: (toughie this one) Either Ant & Dec (Takeaway), Stephen Fry (QI) or Jonathan Ross (Friday Night With...)

Comedy Performance: Liz Smith (Queen of Sheba - The Royle Family)

Single Drama: Didn't watch any of them

Drama Series: Life on Mars ALL THE WAY

Drama Serial: Again, didn't watch any of them

Continuing Drama: Mmm...don't watch soaps very much but I'd go for Eastenders there (I've always preferred it)

Factual Series: Stephen Fry - The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive (fascinating stuff, and I love Stephen!)

Specialist Factual: Planet Earth

Single Documentary: Didn't watch any of them

Features: Didn't watch them

Sport: Winter Olympics

News: Who knows!

Interactivity: Hogfather (definitely)

International: House

Entertainment: X Factor

Sit Com: The Royle Family - Queen of Sheba

Comedy: Catherine Tate Show (Am I bovvered?)

And as for the Audience Award I (probably a bit unethically) voted for them both!! LOL

Roll up, roll up, git yer basque kit 'ere!

2007-05-16T11:51:00.000+01:00

This Basque Book of Sensual Loveliness was taught by the one and only Amber Lewis at our recent Brecons 2 Time Out. And falling over themselves to take the class they were too, despite the fact that it was a four hour jobby.

Since then, several people have contacted me to ask if they can get their hands on a kit and so Scrappers Unlimited are going to be offering various kits from previous retreats and seminars for sale. This is our first...which (as you can see) is a bit lush...and basque like. Ooo err missus.

If you would like to get hold of one, then I will be happy to send you the complete kit, including full instructions, for £13 per kit. Please leave me a message on here or email me at Chrissie@ScrappersUnlimited.co.uk and I will contact you for your address and details of how to pay.

What I SHOULD be doing...

2007-05-14T17:15:00.000+01:00

...is putting the dinner on.

Let 'em starve, that's what I say! *snort*

I just wanted to share with you all our fabulicious (I made that up (can you tell?)...and am kinda not liking it...I sound like I'm 13) guest teacher at our upcoming Gloucester 3 Time Out for Scrapbookers. All our retreaters have known about this for a week or so now, so I feel like it's time to jump up and down on the roof of my house, swinging my pants round and round my head and whooping in an excited (and somewhat scary) fashion, to announce to the world that I need putting in the mental home. No, no...what I MEANT to say there was...announce to the world that Prisca Jockovic is coming to our retreat.

This is the blurb I wrote about her on the announcement to our retreatees (retreatesses?):

34 year old Prisca Jockovic lives with her husband and children in the small town of Morestel, near Lyon, France and is a super talented, published scrapbooker. From childhood she always had a passion for being creative and making things with her hands. She has tried painting, minatures and embroidery, but when she finally found scrapbooking she was hooked! She is passionate about her craft and has scrapbooked daily for almost four years!

Prisca enjoys combining different techniques in all her layouts, and her favourite theme is her 5 1/2 year old twin daughters, Elisa and Milla. She also loves photography and believes that a beautiful photo is 50% of what makes a great layout.

Prisca works with Sandra Charbonnel teaching workshops throughout France called 'Variations Créatives'. She is the author of two successful books, 'Scrap Embellissements' (Scrap Embellishments) and 'Scrap Couture' (Scrap Fashion), and her third book will be published in September this year.

Prisca has also had layouts and articles published in the French 'Scrapbook Inspirations' and 'Création Scrapbooking' magazines. She has also been published in 'Memory Makers' magazine and was a finalist in their Master contest 2006. British and German magazines have also printed her lovely layouts.

Prisca will be teaching two projects at Gloucester 3, with the help of two translators (one of whom is me!! Eeek!) We are honoured* (read "peeing our pants") to have her at our Time Out, as this is the first time she has EVER taught in the UK.

So here's the thing. If you fancy having Prisca teach you too, let me know...as we may be able to get some workshops going on over here too.

Take a further look at her work on her blog, Côté Scrap

My daughter's chewing her leg off and threatening to eat Gingernut. And I don't mean the biscuit. Better go make dinner :D

Gingernut is in the building!

2007-05-09T15:56:00.000+01:00

No time to write any more just now as I've got to nip out. But he's here...last seen falling asleep on my mum's shoulder. Awwww!

Earley, Reading Seminar - 28 April 07

2007-05-06T23:06:00.000+01:00

M'enfin!

Which means, "At blummin' last you big ol' procrastinator!" in French. Yes it does. True story.

So off Julia and I went to Reading a week ago last Friday for our Shape Up for Design seminar there. I picked up my mate Simon in Cardiff on the way (as we have mutual friends there (The Smiths) AND they live right behind (literally RIGHT behind) our other friends' house where Ju and I were staying. AND Celyn was playing with said Smith children on the Saturday. Small world, ain't it.

We arrived and then I had heart failure for we all became aware that one parcel that I'd ordered to arrive at my friends' house had duly been delivered, but *hyperventilate* the other, full of Bazzill cardstock and buttons, had been delivered and then TAKEN AWAY AGAIN *reaches for paper bag* by the dimwits that are DHL. Never mind...Shaun and Judith introduced Julia and me to the delights of Buzz to take our minds off of it. Blummin' marvellous game and I shall be purchasing our own family copy in the not too distant future. Julia already has! LOL We had such a laugh playing it. I highly recommend it.

I awoke at 5.40am on Saturday in a bit of a stress about the Bazzill that we DEFINITELY needed for the kits that day (yeah, yeah...so I should have ordered it further beforehand... give the girl a break... I had just organised a retreat too ya know!). I decided that since I was up I should make good use of my morning and zipped off to Savacentre (all Reading people will know where I mean by that!) and was wandering around picking up juice and cakes (for the seminar) and flowers (for my friends) and hair bobbles and a school pinafore dress (for Zoe and Celyn) before the clock had struck 7! Best time of day to shop...there was hardly a soul in there! And I was back before anyone in the Pine house was awake still. We always stay at the Pine's house when we do seminars up there and (amusing side story) Julia walked out of her (downstairs) bedroom, walked straight over to the appropriate cereal cupboard, opened it and as she stood there staring at the boxes on offer, said, "I think I've stayed here too many times. I know where they keep their cereals!"

Well we laughed anyway.

On the very stroke of 9am I was hopping from one foot to the other outside the DHL office (I think I (obnoxiously) rang the doorbell 3 times on the very stroke of the hour). I reeeeeeally needed to pick up 'that' parcel and be back at the seminar hall by 9.15! First problem was that it was addressed to The Pines and not me, so I had to convince the Gestapo-esque woman behind the desk that the parcel was in fact MINE. And then she wanted me to produce some sort of ID with my name and address on. I just looked at her (how I kept myself from raising my voice even slightly is beyond me) and said, "I don't usually carry my gas bill with me around the country. I don't live here. I live in Swansea" *said through teeth that were starting to grit* and then *smiling as sweetly as I could muster* "But here are several debit cards...see!" *thrust* She did relent, not without a headmistress type telling off which included the immortal "...just this once...but NEXT time..." but I had legged it out of the office with my package of Bazzill before she could change her mind.

And after that the day went swimmingly. Our hall was fabulous...airy, spacious, full of light...and we had a room full of lovely scrappers from all over the South/South-East. We gave spot prizes for our favourite versions of each of the class layouts. Here's one little group of winners (although Erica of The ScrapCafe looks like she's been on the sherry during lunch. Sssh. Don't tell. Hic!).

It was a thoroughly good day and everyone has said how much they enjoyed it. Also big shout out for La Baguettes in Blagrave Street who delivered our lunch for us. In NAMED BAGS. Oh how much time and faffing they did save us. AND they were delicious baguettes (etc.) too.

After the seminar we went back to pick up Celyn and Simon who (separately) had also had a lovely time all day. One had slobbed on the sofa watching football with mate Andy (I'll let you guess whether that was Si or Celyn...) and the other had played merrily with the Smith children and Zoe Pine (who is just lushety lush...Celyn adores her). Rachel Smith (who was born just a few weeks after Celyn...Christina Smith and I were pregnant together and used to waddle into the central swimming pool once a week to blob about in the water together) cried buckets when Celyn left. Must go back again soon for her to have another play date with them. Before we headed back up the M4, I grabbed some shots of the kids in the Smith's back garden

Will 'Fresh Prince' Smith, Zoe, Celyn and Rachel - such fab kids!

As we left Reading I once again pulled into Savacentre for petrol and some food and realised that I was actually completely hanging...I HAD been awake since 5.40am remember. So Simon drove home. Which was exceedingly exciting at first, as his car (a little Suzuki) is, like, run on rubber bands, and my Renault is a 1.8. Va Va Voooom is right! He got the hang of it by the time we got to...ooo...Swindon. *And breathe*

We stayed at Si's brother and SIL's house (Rob & Katie-Jane's) that night in East Wales (which meant I didn't have to drive so far home in one go). I was so tired by the time we got there I parked about 5 feet away from the kerb and Rob was so embarrassed he had to go out and move it "in case my neighbours think I've got a patient from the mental home staying here." LOL

Anyway...sorry to burble on. My blog is also my diary of sorts, so you get all the bits inbetween as well as the scrapping! Church the next day was in Caerphilly ward which is held in the Ysgol Cymraeg (Welsh School) in Caerphilly. And, did you know (for I saw it on a display) that bananas don't grow on trees? They grow on HERB BUSHES. I never knew that! And Celyn learnt stuff too. This is our conversation on the drive home later that Sunday (which my LDS friends will find more amusing perhaps):

Celyn: *suddenly says out of the blue* Angels don't have wings.

Me: No they don't. Did you talk about that in Primary today?

Celyn: Yes. They just appear and disappear.

Me: Did you talk about the Angel Moroni [from The Book of Mormon]

Celyn: Yes

Me: Oh cool. What did he do then?

Celyn: *adamantly* Nothing!! He just appeared and disappeared.

So, it was a great few days, even if I was tireder than the last sausage roll at a party.

I shall blog some more tomorrow, about our upcoming Scrappers Unlimited events. I'm off to sleep on my new bed now :D M'enfin!

Is the glass half full?

2007-05-06T18:56:00.000+01:00

LOL! I was wandering around blog land and saw this. Oh, this is so me.

I shall post again in just a mo. I've got loads of piccies of our lovely seminar in Reading to share wich'all.

Tag I'm It

2007-04-26T09:24:00.000+01:00

The lovely and ever-so talented and damn funny Helen has been and gone and tagged me. Because I've got nothing better to do - phnaar. Oh well, in for a penny, in for a million squid...

The rules are to list 7 random facts/habits about yourself. Then choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names (don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog and they need to write the rules in their answer too). So...7 random facts/habits:
I've got a funny thing about textures in food. For example, love cake. Love nuts. But can't stand cake with nuts on/in. Hard bits in a soft cake...bleeeuch. It would be the same if there were peas in my mash or nuts in my ice-cream. Or smoothies with lumps of fruit in (love fruit juce, love fruit...but together they're just wrong). Cack.
I like to sleep with the gap between my big toe and the toe next to it (does that toe even HAVE a name?) straddling the back of my ankle on the other foot. Feels safe and secure and comfortable!

I'm petrified of butterflies. Evil wing-ed creatures that can FLAP IN YOUR FACE. Banish them, I say.

I can't stand cupboard doors being left ajar...makes me twitch. I have to go and shut them in an OCD type manner.

I have a habit of leaving the bathroom door open *in a Will Smith voice* when I do my toilet ting, if you know what I mean there. Not at friends' houses...and not if the local minister's over my house on a visit you know...but around my family that door's as wide open as the Mersey Tunnel.

I was mortally embarrassed about periods until I was well into my 20s. I couldn't even SAY the word period (even in the context of classes at school for example...I would never say "We've got double French for first period"...ho no!). In my diary I would write PS and PE to mark when my Period Started and Ended (not from a shorthand point of view, but a 'if anyone ever reads this they'll never know that I even have periods how mortally embarrassing would that be' point of view). Now I'm completely the other way and couldn't give a monkey's bottom!

My favourite film ever is When Harry Met Sally and I could quote you nearly every line from it. I've watched it more times than I could possibly say.

There you go. A peek into my strange little world. I hereby tag:

Debbie, Gems, Amber, Tina, Anna, Toni, and The Scrapbook Widower

Off to Reading tomorrow for the scrapping seminar. Still talking a LOT about packing kits and have got things in piles on the floor in the living room. But haven't done it yet. Ho hum. Have to, have to. *sigh*

It's all good

2007-04-24T12:18:00.000+01:00

I must admit to reeling a little. After having a few days "off" (as I work from home, I can hardly say I didn't "go" to work! LOL) following the busy-ness that was the Brecons retreat, I sent the Swansea Summer Time Out and Gloucester 3 retreats live on the Scrappers Unlimited website yesterday, late morning.

Gloucester 3 was full by 10 o'clock this morning (although I have since begged the hotel for another two more rooms...but then that is definitely it, it, it), and the Swansea retreat is 65% full (get me with the percentages - heh!). Wow!!! Brecons 2 sold out in less than 24 hours but I'm amazed it's happened again!

It's all very pleasing to know that people enjoy the Scrappers Unlimited retreats so much, and that word of mouth is selling these for us with hardly any advertising. I have a great team who do wonderful classes and people really enjoy being with them as people too. Kudos to them. Anyway...if you fancy bagging one of those final spaces then go here and get clicking.

I'm trying to sort something special for Gloucester 3 too...hush hush (I haven't even told my team about it We'll see if it happens first!)

Off to Reading on Friday for the Shape Up for Design Seminar with Julia (on Saturday), so I've got to get my derriere into gear packing up the kits

*Chrissie exudes a noise not unlike a cat choking on a fur ball*

I hate packing kits. Never mind. It'll be lovely to see our delegates, some of whom we're becoming quite good friends with now. And I also get to see some of my close friends as I lived in Reading nearly all my life. YEY!

It's my dad's birthday on the Sunday so I thought I would visit the memorial garden where he was...scattered (is that the word? LOL), seeing as I'm there that weekend (although we're coming home Saturday night). He died in June 1983 when I was very young really, and I can honestly say in all that time there hasn't been one day go by that I haven't thought of him.

So. Kits are calling. Tra la bleuch. I shall leave you with some lovely pictures of my girly-girl on the patio last Saturday (when the weather was still sunny and warm... *sigh*). Did I mention I got patio furniture? Oh the fun of spending money! AND *smug grin* a friend from church here who likes gardening like I like scrapbooking (imagine that!?!...she's nuts!) has said that she's happy to come to my house once a week and sort out my gardens, front and back.

I, my dears, have a gardener. Now all I need is a cleaner and I'll have a full set.

So soon we'll be able to sit on my lovely patio, on my lovely patio furniture, admiring my lovely garden. It's all good! And...as I finished typing this blog entry, I glanced through the window and noticed that the rain has stopped, and the sun is shining brightly again. It IS all good!

I'm crackered...

2007-04-17T23:19:00.000+01:00

...of the cream variety, so I'm just off to bed. But...couldn't go without uploading these cwtshy photos of Gingernut who is now 3 weeks old and getting bigger and stronger! We had a little visit with him/her today (we can't tell at the moment whether we have a boy or a girl! LOL. It's harder than you might think!)

Celyn is trying so hard to learn how to hold her kitten and how best to stroke him/her. Look at the concentration on her face. She's just in raptures about it all...but I was having palpitations the other evening that she would end up 'giving him a bath' or some other terrible accident would befall him. However she suggested (with absolutely no input from me) that we should "go to the library and find a book on how to look after kittens...and then we'd know how to do that." What a clever kid!

I actually actually did it...

2007-04-16T09:52:00.000+01:00

After saying I would, I did. Go me! At the retreat this past weekend I actually scrapbooked two whole pages for me, me, me.

Well.

Technically, I created one page and finished one that had been floating around in my unfinished pile since December. But still...schaaaaa-wiiiing. Two new pages. Heh!

'Munch Bunch' has photos of Celyn's friends at her birthday party last September. The girl's name has been rubbed out for obvious reasons (so... what I'm trying to say is... it doesn't have a big white line through it on the original one. Honest to goodness). I just love those photos though...she's fab she is.

And 'My Star' is Celyn age 3, Christmas 2005, wearing the hat she made in nursery school that year. There once was a girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead.... Big 'momentes speciales' (joke from the retreat) to Helen who said "ribbon...rouche and staple, rouche and staple" when I had stared at this half-finished layout for a good half hour without any inspiration at all. I'm like a little wind up toy...just set me off in the right direction and I'll toddle off by myself. Anyway...very happy with the rouche and staple, thanks very much Helen. AND (on t'other layout) I used some Pebbles Inc shaker doo-dads that I've had since Noah was a yoof, which work a treat with that yum-bum American Crafts papers (loves them I do). It's all good.

My patio got laid while I was away at the retreat too *joyous balletic type movements around the room, flapping floaty scarves and pirouetting a bit* Shame I haven't got any patio furniture ain't it? And the garden looks like some scrub land at the back of the local tip. Ho hum...I expect I'll have to sort THAT out now. Chuh. Seriously happy to have a patio at long last though and I intend to sit on it a-blummin-lot this summer.

Right. Off to do housework *yawn*

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip 'Thou Shalt Always Kill'

2007-04-09T20:21:00.001+01:00

Sometimes he makes a very good point...and other times he's just HILARIOUS. Love this!

An Eggy Hunting We Will Go...Eventually...

2007-04-08T20:06:00.000+01:00

Did I, or did I not, say (previous to leaving for the egg hunt) that we were going to Penllergaer Woods? Did I? Did I?

So...10 minutes after Husband leaves to deposit a stash of choccie eggs around in an Easter Bunny manner we had arranged that I would follow.

Dutifully off we went, Celyn all excited with a rustic and suitably photographable basket in hand, to Penllergaer Woods. We pull into the car park in the woods... no Daddy. No Daddy's car. I start to huff and puff and whinge such things as "Oh for goodness SAKES, where IS he???!!!!" (etc. you get the drift). So I sit there creasing up my brain for 2 or 3 minutes (in ratty arse mood), with Celyn beginning to look like someone had just popped her balloon, when it dawned on me that he had perhaps gone to Squirrel Park instead (around the corner from our house).

Upon arriving at Squirrel Park some 40 minutes after we should have, we are greeted by a ratty arse husband (get us...a matching pair) who was muttering things about having to fend off extraneous children and the odd dog or two from the little trail of eggs he's left all over the woods, and people were beginning to wonder who this strange bloke hanging around in the woods on his own was. Of COURSE we'd agreed Squirrel Park (he says). Why on EARTH would we say Penllergaer Woods (10 minutes drive from our house) when Squirrel Park is practically walkable (2 minutes drive from our house).

I spent the entire time walking around the chocolate trail spontaneously bursting into laughter at the thought of him hanging around the woods trying to get rid of dogs and being stared at in a "nutter in the woods" manner *snort*

Priceless.

Cute pictures huh? :D

The Traditional Easter Scrap

2007-04-08T15:44:00.000+01:00

Because *that's* a phrase sweeping the nation. Heh.

Had the S Wales Crop yesterday and I was DEEEEEEtermined to ACTUALLY scrapbook. I am mighty fed up of going to crops...actually having a WHOLE DAY where I can ACTUALLY scrapbook because that's what I'm there to do, and spending said day administrating and talking and not actually doing anything. S'rrrrrrubbish. So I took along a Pencil Lines sketch and a box stuffed full of the most faaaaaabulous (dahling) American Crafts products (wot I got sent by a rather fabulous person in America) and spent most of my non-chatting time doing this layout. I then submitted it into the crop challenge (which I had set) and then realised that it was supposed to be an Easter theme. *snort* What a div.

Anyway...I'm rather liking these here American Crafts papers and chipboard letters and all. They're a bit yummy aren't they? And thanks to Sue and Linz for the ribbon. And Fi for her pen.

Busy busy busy girly Iyam, trying to do all the last minute details of the retreat which begins (for me and the team) on Wednesday. I sat in church this morning unable to concentrate (bad Chrissie, bad Chrissie) because of little jobs that kept popping into my head, so I just gave up and grabbed my phone, typing in a whole list of important tasks to get done before the off. On that list is my determination that, no matter how busy I will get at the retreat (which I don't mind...I'm there to do a job after all, and a job I enjoy very much), that I will do at least one or two pages for me. But that means PREPARATION. I can't go with a vague wish. I HAVE to make up a kit of papers and photos that can be scrapbooked together.

Lovely beautiful gorgeous Easter day today...17 degrees, beautiful sunny day. I love Easter...it is definitely my favourite holiday (far surpassing Christmas for me). The sun shines, the flowers are all out, the birds are singing (I heard a beautiful blackbird (my very very favourite) whistling a tune on top of a roof in the middle of the village yesterday evening. I have a little silly thing that because I love (LOVE) the song of a blackbird so much, God always sends them to sing just for me. Dappy I know, but it keeps me happy). We have four days of Easteriness, and it's not over commercialised...but there is an attitude of giving and being with family. And no 'enforced jollity' (like what one gets at the Christmas/New Year's season). I. Love. It.

So my lamb, honey roast carrots, and roast potatoes are all cooking in the oven, sending gorgeous aromas around the house, and Husband has just gone off to Penllergaer Woods to set up an Easter egg hunt for Celyn (photo op' I think!)... I need to follow with Daughter in about 10 minutes. Tomorrow we're all going to Folly Farm/Tenby for the day. And then it's Monday evening and Tuesday work-like-the-clappers to get ready for Wednesday.

I'll blog with eggy hunt pictures later. Happy Easter everyone :-)

Just had an asthma attack...

2007-04-04T17:51:00.000+01:00

...laughing at this wot I just got sent in an email *guffaw* And I was in the middle of talking to someone and suddenly started howling at full volume. Of COURSE I was paying full attention to our conversation Penny and not opening emails at the same time... *Chrissie raises her eyebrows and tries to look sincere and convincing*

Anyway. Busy busy busy. Got a retreat next week you know. No time to BLOG to the likes of YOU LOT! Heh.

Mmmmwaaaah!

May I Introduce...Gingernut

2007-04-02T17:09:00.000+01:00

This lovely little tabby 6 day old ball of fluff is going to be our new cat in about 6 weeks. We've been umming and aahing about getting a pet for probably a year, and the other day one of the mums at school said her friend's cat (that she was looking after...I can't remember all the ins and outs, but it's the sister of her cat or something) had just had a litter of 5. And I just knew this was the time to do it. So over the weekend I asked Celyn if she'd like a kitten as an Easter present and she said, "Mmm...well, it's not very Eastery Mummy" (far too clever for her own good) and I said, "Hurrumph hurrumph, new life and all that, hurrumph" or words to that effect.

Anyway, this afternoon we went up to meet these little creatures, whose eyes have only been open a day, and Celyn and I picked out the tabby from the litter. Penny (who comes to the S Wales Crop) wants one of the greys. And then there's another grey and two black and whites left.

So. Meet Gingernut. Celyn is adamant that her name is Gingernut, despite me pointing out several times that the cat wasn't at all ginger. "It's still a nice name Mummy. That's what I want to call it." She sounds terribly precocious but anyone who's met my girl will know there's not an ounce of precociousness in her body. Anyway, I kinda like it. A non-ginger cat with a very ginger name...sort of paradoxical and ironical and all :D

I apologise to all cat lovers for the terrible way Celyn's holding Gingernut in the last picture. She has lots to learn but that's all the fun and responsibility of caring for a pet eh?

Tee hee!

Of Bonnets and Ballet Dancers

2007-04-01T23:53:00.000+01:00

Life's been getting in the way of blogging again. Bloggin' hell eh? (bwaahaahaa!)

Anyhoo...

Celyn is now on two weeks holiday from school, which is lovely in some ways and difficult in others. I love having her around of course (and she is such a pleasant child, and is really developing a great sense of humour) and the promise of the odd day out here and there beckons. However, I don't like the wishy-washyness of the lack of routine. And I have a retreat coming up in 1 1/2 weeks so I'm fairly busy. Not so busy I'm going crazy (I'm surprisingly calm and organised which is worrying me slightly - LOL. Keep thinking I must have forgotten something and I'll suddenly realise and say the odd swear word as I do). Anyway, on the last day of school (Thursday because Friday was an Inset day) they had an Easter Bonnet Parade in assembly and so I rustled together this little cap, which she has plonked rather unceremoniously on her head when she exited school that day, but hey ho. Anything for a blogging picture eh?

Celyn has also been in her very first ballet concert. Oh I was so proud. There is no other feeling in the world like seeing your offspring, the fruit of your loins, the genetic, nurtured piece of you prancing around on stage in a happy manner. It starts in your toes and swells throughout your whole body...a thrilling pride at her wonderous achievements. Well...her and all the other snotty, germy, oh-so-ordinary children on stage with her of course. LOL! There she is in a terrible photo, being a butterfly. Wha'dya mean, you can't tell which one is her?!!

To be in this concert was such the palava (ballet is a mighty fussy and expensive little to-do, I can tell you) and my lovely scrapbooking friend, Eileen, came over to do her hair for me. I was having itty-bitty kittens at the thought of having to do one of those 'doorknob' buns with nary a wisp of hair out of place for this concert, but Eileen, whose daughter has been dancing (with the same ballet teacher as it happens) since she was 3 (and is now 18), put it up all gorgeous in a minute flat. Maybe two at a push. Doesn't she look fab?!

I got to chat to my wonderful (dare I say, soul-mate) friend Lee in New York on Friday evening. I really never know quite how to express my love for this lovely human being. Just love him. And he may *Chrissie sighs, half not daring to type the next bit in case it doesn't happen* be flying over in 3 weeks to hang out with me for a few days (he gets to fly over for next to nothing because his partner works for an airline). Happiness.

It will have been 12 years since I last saw him....

Verbose Chrissie

2007-03-28T15:16:00.000+01:00

Well, I just did this little quizzy thing and behold forsooth tis me! LOL

Will write more later :)

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.
An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.
You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.
A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary.

You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Kidnapped by Aliens...

2007-03-23T07:30:00.000Z

...which is why I haven't posted for over a week. I am contacting the National Enquirer just as soon as I've finished blogging. Most annoying...I missed Desperate Housewives because of it, AND they didn't have any chocolate neither!

Or *much more boringly* I've had 'stuff' going on with me, AND the teensy matter of getting the Brecons 2 retreat classes live and booking (and sorting out a couple of Design Seminars as well). A bit of my very own retreat class here for y'all. I love those American Crafts papers and brads. The retreat starts in 19 days (for the Scrappers Unlimited team anyway...we're there the day before setting up) so it's all systems go go go from now on in *cue the William Tell Overture music...*

Julia and I are teaching the Shape Up for Design seminar at Crafty Pastimes in Gloucestershire tomorrow (that's NOT Gloh-sess-ter-shy-errrrr you American people reading this... it's Gloh-stuh-shuh - LOL!). At least...I HOPE we are. I had a phone call from Julia at 7.15 this morning from hospital (so why are those last two words just NOT GOOD at the end of a phrase?!) to say her son had been in overnight because he and the pavement had a meeting when he got knocked off his bike (playing - not by a car or anything). They think he's okay now though, so hopefully she'll be there. If not it's still going ahead (before anyone panics!), but will be Julia-less.

And breathe...

Just before I go shake Celyn conscious for school (praise be that she's NOT one of those kids that wakes up at 6 o'clock every morning!), I would like to say a big 'WOO HOO' for Hebe Ambler who is a British scrapbooker whose work I have admired for ages (and I have met once and she was a very nice girly). She found out yesterday that she has received an honourable mention in this year's Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame competition. Good for her!!!!! So cool. Well done Hebe!

More, More, More...

2007-03-12T13:12:00.000Z

How d'ya like it, how d'ya like it? (showing my age now, quoting 70s song lyrics! LOL)

The classes are almost ready to go up for the Brecons 2 retreat in Crickhowell, but here's another sneakypeeky, this time of Amber's fabuloola class (which is going to be four hours long, oh yes indeedy). It's a book. It's in Blush. And it reminds me of a corseted bustier *insert gasps of longing and admiration*

Ooo, talking of Amber...she's been and gone and got herself a blog... What a Load of Old Scrap. No I'm not being rude. That's the name of it. And some mighty gorgeous piccies of the South Wales Crop on Saturday to boot. Gosh we're stunners.

Interesting week last week. All I can say is, life is very exciting sometimes.

Off to see the X-Factor concert in Cardiff tonight, and staying in a posh hotel afterwards, so I am currently sitting here, at 1.20 in the afternoon, with freshly dyed hair ("What?!!" they all gasp. "You mean that's NOT your natural colour?!" to which I swiftly reply "Oh yes my dears...I am a natural redhead (and can prove it *wink*)...or at least I was *pitiful sob* when I was *sob* younger *uncontrollable shoulder heaving wailing sobs, head down on the desk*).

Ahem...as I was saying...freshly dyed hair, drying off from my shower (and thinking how much my shower needs a clean), with a towel pertily wrapped around my head. At 1.20 in the afternoon. Ha! What a slattern.

We Love Paul

2007-03-05T11:09:00.000Z

Since January I've been determined to be healthy. Which (for me) means losing weight. As I'm someone who naturally has a curvy body shape and I also have developed some very bad eating habits, I've tried to diet many many times in my life. I haven't always been overweight...I weighed about 9 1/2 stone when I was living in France and Belgium in my 20s, and same again when I was living in America (despite the wonderful Mexican food and grasshopper milkshakes!). Since getting married though, I've piled on the weight...and it's reached crisis point now.

HOWEVER, whenever I've tried to diet, except for one time when I lost a load of weight in my late 20s, I have failed. I can't do it. I fail and then eat because I'm fed up I've failed... ya di ya di ya. I tried to diet with my colleague from Scrappers Unlimited last year and started out fine (I always do), but then crashed. She's gone on to lose 2 stone (and has maintained that, and intends to lose more), whereas I just put back on the little I'd lost. Hopeless.

I have said for years that for me dieting is psychological. I have used those actual words. Thin people NEVER get that. They just say stuff like, "Rubbish! I just eat less and exercise. Psychological - pah!". But most overweight people I know really understand the whole stuffing your face when you've had a crap day, working your way across the kitchen cupboards when you're feeling lonely, bored, annoyed, etc. Or eating socially...the need to have a meal or an icecream or a sweet because everyone else in the group is eating, etc. It's very very very hard to cope with.

And then right around the New Year when I said I would lose weight to help a friend who needs to lose weight for health reasons, I happened upon Paul McKenna's TV show which was a 4 week series that talked through his programme for losing weight. Of course it was ALL about psychology. I was fascinated by it. It really made complete sense to me. What I find amazing is that figures show that dieting groups have a 9% success rate of people who lose a significant weight and keep it off, whereas this programme has over a 70% (SEVENTY percent!) success rate. Basically (and this is basic) his rules for losing weight are (and I can never remember these in the order they are in the book, so forgive me if I do it wrong):

1. If you're hungry, eat! (But you have to be hungry. Not starving. Not a teeny bit peckish. Hungry)

3. Eat what you like. (This one's a bit mad. All 'diets' say eat low fat such-and-such, low carbs, low calories, etc. He says if you want sticky toffee pudding (and you're HUNGRY and you only have enough to satisfy you until you're full) then HAVE sticky toffee pudding!)

3. Eat consciously (eat slowly. Slow the speed of your eating down to about a quarter of the speed you eat now. Put your knife and fork down or the sandwich down between chews. Savour the tastes and flavours as you eat the food)

4. When you're full, stop! (Make sure you eat slowly so that your stomach gives your brain the message that you're full in time. If you stuff food in at lightening speed, you don't get the full message until you're stuffed. AND always leave a bit of your meal. Do that consciously at first... after a while you find yourself leaving some of your dinner or whatever anyway because you recognise that you're already full before you finish it).

Now there are other things to it as well. Tapping (I'm not explaining that here, but it does work!). Spinning (LOL!) and visualisation techniques to rewire your mind into achieving these eating patterns. And with the book there's a CD that is basically hypnosis (which is deep relaxation and NOT making you leap around the room with a turnip up your bottom to look silly by the way!) . The CD definitely makes a difference. I don't find the time to listen to it very often but when I do, I'm much better the next day. He also talks about exercise (it's very very funny when he talks about it on the TV show)...basically you just increase what you're doing now. Walk a bit further. Climb stairs. But that's a bit simplistic. It's better expained by him!

The thing I love about this programme is that I don't have to buy in extra foods for me. I don't have to go anywhere and get weighed (in fact, he encourages you not to weigh yourself hardly at all. You're supposed to go 3 weeks at a time before you weigh yourself, if you HAVE to). You just eat what you want. You just eat less of it.

It's. So. EASY.

And yet...

This morning I did weigh myself. And since 2 January I have now lost 1 stone and 3lbs. One more pound and I shall be seeing numbers on the scale I haven't seen for a long long time. So I really feel very psyched about all of this and had to BIG UP Mr McKenna. My scrapping friend Nat has been following this programme too and been seeing success as well.

And for anyone out there who's sceptical about his methods, as he said on one of his shows once, "You don't have to believe in me. You just have to do what I say." He's not a guru. This programme just WORKS.

Because dieting is psychological.

Go me!

We love Paul.

Sneakaroo

2007-03-01T18:11:00.000Z

Another sneaky peek at one of the Brecons 2 retreat classes. This one is Julia's. Those who can't cope with crumpled torn paper need not apply :-)

In other news...

I've spent most of the day on the phone and computer sorting out the plethora of paper, cardstock and embellishments I need to order for the retreat, upcoming seminars, and a couple of crops. My head is spinning (and I still haven't finished).

Off to cook dinner now, get Celyn to bed, and sit and watch the Desperate Housewives that I missed last night because I flaked out before it came on. Should have watched it in the middle of the night....

Dydd Dewi Sant Hapus!

2007-03-01T12:23:00.000Z

St David's Day is always so fun, seeing the children dressed in traditional costume. Awwwww!

Some pics of Celyn and her classmates this morning. Enjoy.

What do YOU do at 3.30 in the morning?

2007-03-01T03:43:00.000Z

Because after 3 games of solitaire, and checking any updates on blogs and forums I read, I've decided that a more productive use of my time would be to actually create my own blog entry. And *why* am I blogging at stupido-o'clock? Because my incessant illness has now decided I have a blocked up nose, which thus far (although feeling like scrapings of plop some days and coughing for a gold medal) I had escaped.

Plus I needed to pee.

So...Oscars! Well, as I explained last year, we always have an annual Oscarfest at my house (or wherever) with Husband and five of our friends. This year was the first time EVER that we'd all been in the same room to watch them (Clare kept in contact by phone last year, and Shaun went to bed and woke up to his victory in the morning!). But not this year...no-ho. By 8pm everybody was settling in for the evening in my living room (although Danny and Katie did go off for naps prior to the ceremonies. In separate beds. Of course.) Shaun drove from Reading that evening, and brought Bertie back (our little Oscar statuette) with an 'I *heart* Crash' piece of paper placed carefully on the front (he voted for Crash as best film last year as opposed to all of us that went for Brokeback Mountain, and he won because of it - LOL).

So I, in a spectacular fashion, was last right from the word go (if you're going to bomb, bomb with style...that's what I say!) and ended up being second to last, next to Katie-Jane. But our 2007 winner was Simon, with Shaun second and Clare pulling a great victory for the girls and coming third. Beating Rob. Hah!

Bertie and the £35 winnings were duly handed over with great aplomb, as you can see (Si on the left, Shaun on the right). Forgive the shockingly horrible photography but give me a break...it was 5.30am and I'd been up all night.

Ah well...the glory shall be mine all mine next year. *snort*

So anyway...whose dresses were gorgeous this year? And whose stank? Us 3 girlies take great delight in wittering on about the apparel, much to the lads' amusement (they can't really see what the difference is between one dress and another). Well...our favourites of the evening were this gorgeous gorgeous dress worn by Cate Blanchett. This photo doesn't do it justice, as it was very shiny-shiny and sparkly, and had the most glorious red beading all around the bottom part of the skirt (which you can just about see). 10/10 for Ms. B we say.

We also liked our lovely Helen Mirren (winner of Best Actress Oscar, thank you very much!) who looked just lovely in this Lacroix dress. And we also thought Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet were looking good in their frocks too, which were respectively blue and mint green...a bit of colour! How exciting (in a sea of black and 'flesh' colour dresses). Couldn't find decent photos of either one though.

But whose dresses were pitiful (considering they have all the money in the world)? Bottom of our list this year were:

This dire 'thing' that Kirsten Dunst wore. Dreadful. And WHAT was with her hair? It looked she'd scragged it back herself. And (as Danny pointed out)...too thin girly girl. Speaking of which, check out the arms and shoulder blades of Portia de Rossi. Blimey, you could cut your chin open on that! Eeek. Now, Penelope Cruz's dress was completely gorgeous at the top...just lovely. And then you pan down and it looks like an ostrich exploded. Bleuch. And Jessica Biel's pink dress was horrid (hated the belt, and her boobs were flopping around under her armpits).

Says she. Ms Fashion herself. Bwaahaaa. Well, I've got a movie director coming round for a chat in't mornin' and then some dresses are being flown in from Milan for me choose. Dahling. I'm so cool.

If I can ever get back to sleep that is. A quarter to 5 now. I'm off to get horizontal in a dark room again.

007 Mission

2007-02-28T14:50:00.000Z

I'm Chrissie. Chrissie Bond. And I'm on a mission.

Somebody at Gloucester 2 in November made this book during Linz's class.

Was it YOU? Do you know WHO it was?!

Let me know!

Thanks ladies. Mmmwaaaah!

Sneak Peek Cha Cha Cha!

2007-02-27T13:47:00.000Z

Brecons 2 Retreat is fast approaching and I'm getting all the bits and bobs for the classes sorted this week. And as I was so doing, I thought I'd give you little scrappy ladies a glimpsette of one of the classes...Fiona's to be exact.

Yes - it's a book.

Yes - it has pretty pretty beads on.

Yes - it involves ink.

BUT when I say MINI book, I mean MINI.

Tee hee.

It is lush and you are in for a treat.

Our Beach

2007-02-27T09:41:00.000Z

We are lucky enough to live 20 minutes' drive away from beautiful mountain scenery in one direction (Brecon Beacons National Park), and 20 minutes from beautiful coastline. A quick car trip across Swansea and we've got our pick of some of the most glorious beaches in the whole of Britain.

Caswell has always been our favourite - it is just the most perfect beach...Enid Blyton-esque I always say. Caves, rock pools, beautiful sand, never ever 'Bournemouth' crowded, even at the height of summer. We visit it so much more often than any other, Celyn calls it "our beach".

So last Sunday I took my friend Clare, who was visiting from Reading for the annual Oscars party, for a walk down there (while Danny prepared dinner - heh heh *Chrissie raises her eyebrows up and down in a dastardly manner*). WHAT a day to visit. The wind had whipped the waves into 12 footers. Comically, all the surfers were literally running down the beach to get in it! It was soooooo spectacleeee-errr. I'm just so glad I had the forethought to grab my camera as we headed out the door. Nature is amazing, beautiful, awesome, and just a teensy bit scary in its power.

Clare and Celyn looking at the amazing surf. And you have to click on this picture below to see how high those waves were.

I also managed to take some lovely shots looking west, where the currents etc. hadn't caused a swell at all.

Clare was here, as I said, for our annual Oscars party, but I shall blog about that in my next post. Later. Because I have to do ordering for retreat and seminar class kits. And try and stop coughing (oh yes...still! 4 weeks and counting...). And have some breakfast.

To cheer and encourage

2007-02-26T12:03:00.000Z

Some scrapping ladies I'm pleased to be associated with and I created an album for somebody. They know who they are. The recipient knows who she is. I'm just uploading the pics here so everyone can see everyone else's (and blogger is the quickest way to do it). The pages in order are by Fi, Sue, Chris, Gill, Lorraine, Claire, Amber, Rachel, Tina, Nat, Katie, Debbie, Helen, Julia and me. Not the best photos in the world, but I was snapping it quickly before I needed to package it up. Thanks to Penny for her helpful hand in this process - LOL :-)

In Stitches!

2007-02-21T08:13:00.000Z

Well I got back from the Craft Hobby & Stitch trade show at the NEC yesterday but it took me a day to recover so I'm only just getting round to yapping about it. For those of you who don't know, 'Stitches' shows off all the new scrapbooking papers and products that will be available to make gaaaaaaaaaaw-geous things with in just a few weeks. Maybe a month or so for some of them. There are other products on display too for people who knit and sew. But as I do neither...*Chrissie shrugs and curls her top lip in a "Am I bovvered" fashion*...I take no notice of those stands except to go "Awwww!" at the cute CUTE knitted things for children, and maybe think "I wouldn't mind a decent sewing machine so I can sew all over my layouts."

Well the day started off more or less to schedule. I stayed with Katie-Jane in Ystrad Mynach the night before and we got up and set off by 7.30, reaching Amber in Newport at 8 o'clock. And then that is where it all went the shape of a great big pear, as they say. There had been a bad crash on the M4 at the top end of Newport, and as we hit the motorway about halfway across Newport, it then took us TWO AND A HALF HOURS to move 3 junctions so we could zip off north up the M50. Man alive, it was boring! However, getting it into perspective, someone or perhaps several people were obviously seriously hurt or worse for them to have closed the motorway altogether, and so it doesn't really matter that we were inconvenienced for 2 1/2 hours, does it?
One of the first people it was lovely to see again was the delightful Marilyn from All My Memories (pictured here with Amber and Kate). She is just a sweetheart, and we chat up a storm about Utah and so on when I meet with her.

She even gave me a big hug this year when she saw me!! Cool! And, we have to say, the new AMM totes and trolleys are just deeeeeeee-lish. I can just see everyone e-baying their old desk totes so they can get one of the new colours (I like the black one with the stripe personally!), and the new Roller Bags are fabulous. I want one and I want one NOW! The bag part slips very very easily onto the handle so it makes a two-part trolley, and (as Marilyn said) you can take the top bag off to go merrily into your classes at crops and such like. "Ha!" said we. "If you were ever THAT ORGANISED - bwaahaaahaaa" said we. But still, very pretty product. They also have matching handbags and clutch bags to go with *sigh* and a bit of bling hanging off the zip...ooooo! The new AMM albums are also just a beautiful beautiful thing...made from softer faux leather, a bit padded, and lovely new colours (raspberry and navy)

We then sat and made a Rusty Pickle file folder book thing (I'm good with my terms - LOL)...got to love a little make 'n take (even though the girl doing it looked for all the world like she didn't want to be there. Perhaps she had jet lag...?) . Here's Amber Dawn proudly showing y'all her little book, in front of the new errr...well...a new collection anyway. Might be Cosmo...might be Crate. No doubt Amber will tell me *Chrissie looks sheepish and ever so slightly clueless*

Edited to say they are 'We R Memory Keepers' papers :D It MIGHT help to zoom in on the photo eh Chrissie...duh!

In our wanderings we then came across Timmy Tim Tim doing a demo surrounded by the obligatory clutch of excited fans. This photo of Katie-Jane peeking through the crowd does just make me laugh. I said hi to him and his manager Alain, and then we wandered off. I am not his stalker, despite what Amber says - LOL!

Other new products we loooooved: the new Basic Grey (no brainer), some lovely acrylic stamps called Studio G (but very irritating that we couldn't order 30 or so of the same stamp for our retreat kits...grrrr! Drives me MAD), I liked some of the MAMBI stuff, and the new Maya Road chipboard and ribbons. It seemed to me that there was a fair bit of turquoise and red about on everyone's collections, which is a bit lovely as it's one of my favourite colour combinations.

While we were chatting to the chaps on the Fiskars stand (or Friskars as Katie kept saying - mwaahaaa), the entourage that is Dawn Bibby came sauntering by. "You're following us" I bantered with her (for we had seen her about 3 times already that day). She then toddled off to partake in the champers and food they had on offer and I put my head down and said quietly to Amber, "Right. I'm going to get a photo of you and her together." You have never seen such wide-eyed urgently quiet hissy fitting in all your born days. "Don't you dare! Don't you DARE!" I was creased. I very nearly did do it too, but figured that annoying your staff (staff who have just completed a truly STONKING retreat class to boot) is perhaps not the best idea.

Later, back at the Scrapgenie stand we ran into Tracie Hudson, who I've chatted to a little bit and whose scrapbooking I admire very much. It was nice to finally meet her in the skin, and here's our cutesy photo to mark the occasion. She told me some very exciting news and I've told her that if certain things do happen, I want to be there! I'm not saying anything more...she knows what I mean :-) That news was definitely one of the best bits of my day.

I ended up staying at Kate's again that night as we were all completely and utterly shattered when we got back to Wales (and I had a blister on each foot from the miles we walked round and round the NEC). I couldn't face another hour drive home (plus stopping for petrol) and was asleep 30 seconds after my head hit the pillow in the Gilmour's spare room. Reports on the jungle drums of my Celyn really missing me made me get up and home before 9 so I could give her some Mummy love! I'm not one for schmoosing about my daughter on here, but (goes without saying) I love her so much it squashes me.

Can I also just say at this juncture that MacDonald's really have no concept of the term 'fast food'. Having to wait 7 minutes for a bagel (not a full-on meal with nit-picky 'no gerkins' or anything...just a bagel) in a drive through when one is the only customer and one is trying to get home is IRRITATING BEYOND BELIEF. Raaaaagh! I'm NOT lovin' it.

Be sure, your sins will find you out

2007-02-15T16:23:00.000Z

Yesterday I felt rough as a donkey's bottom and by 6 o'clock I had no energy, a child who needed a bath as she was beginning to resemble a guttersnipe, and a mother and daughter who were starting to chew their arm off they were so hungry and, oh yes, no energy. Not to mention that my house looked like something off of 'How Clean is Your House?' And I don't mean at the end of the show either. Kim and Aggie would have been walking around tutting, oh the shame. That's what happens when you've been ill for...blimey, how long has it been...? Two weeks. All of this, and Danny was working till 9. *pitiful sob*

I caved. I finally called a friend of mine from Church and said "Heeeeelp. I'm overwheeeeelmed" and she came right over. Bless her. While I made my mum and Celyn a bit of dinner, she emptied all my bins, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, tidied the living room (even cleaning a bit of the carpet where Celyn had spilt something), and vacuumed my kitchen, living room, dining room, hall, stairs and landing. While I tidied up the toys from Celyn's bedroom, she ran Celyn a bath, cleaned the sink and toilet (and even part of the skirting board...that really is going the extra mile!), and then vacuumed Celyn's bedroom and the bathroom. She folded some of my laundry and transported dirty laundry from upstairs into the utility room. I even got a couple of encouraging hugs as she was working, and the pleasure of a good chat and her lovely company.

I did insist however that she leave before Husband got home (he's very friendly with her as well, but is of the opinion that one does not ask for help, no no no). He would only say that my actions were demeaning or somesuch rubbish and take the shine off it (if you'll forgive the atrocious pun). So off she tripped with a merry wave and a bar of Green & Black's Milk Chocolate in her hand, and 10 minutes later Danny arrived home to a house of calm, a clean child, and tidiness all around. I didn't liiiiiiiie. I just didn't mention that she'd been.

However.

This morning as I was about to take Celyn out to school, Husband said *with a bit of a smile*... "So. Did you clean the house all by yourself last night?"

I laughed and said good naturedly, "Well, who else helped me? The House Fairies?!! Hardy har har."

He pressed further. "So. You didn't have any help then?"

"Why do you ask?" I trilled, in a 'what a very very terribly FUNNY question ho ho ho don't be daft' manner. "The House Fairies ARE my best friends after all. Hardy har har."

He got to the nitty gritty (he really should have considered work as a lawyer). "So. Are you saying then that you definitely did not have any help last night then?" *beginning to laugh at me with a slight accusatory tone, the pig*

I was cornered. I did what any self-respecting woman would do and said, "Ooo...come on Celyn, get your coat...here you go...right...come on, come on...we'll be late. Byeeeeeeee" and skidaddled my backside out of there.

Rats!

When I was taking Celyn's coat off in the nursery cloakroom, I said nonchalantly, "Ummm...did you tell Daddy that Ann came over last night then Celyn?"

Picture the innocent eyes gazing up at you...

"Yeeeeees. Why Mummy?"

Rats and double rats. I'm rumbled.

Ah well...I don't care. It was sooooo worth it. I got up this morning feeling like I wanted to saw my head off (sore throat, sore headache) but life was just so much better because my house was normal again. Huzzah!

You know that advert...

2007-02-14T12:58:00.000Z

where all they can say is "Wow!"?

I had one of those moments this morning. And then a lot of happy dancing. And then lots and lots (and looooooots) of pulling everything out of its packet, stroking it several times, putting it away, and then getting it all out again. Even Husband was impressed.

The lovely lovely Lisa Bearnson (CEO of Creating Keepsakes, yadiyadiya) sent the prize that I was so excited to win the other day (43 people, including myself won a surprise package because we answered some questions correctly that she'd posted on her blog). So, this morning the UPS man arrived with a box from Utah (how great is that sentence?!), and this is what was in it... ahem... (are you ready?)

One 'Our Family Scrapbooks'...signed and with a personalised tag (C for me!) also with a message and signed on the back.

One full kit (from a CK Convention) to make a 'Then' and 'Now' flip flop album (including Chatterbox papers, cardstock, chipboard, monogram, charms, rub-ons, acetate, and tags.

One 8x8 album in a matching box (been hankering after those albums...completely beside myself to have one) with a complete set of everything to make up the whole album, including an instruction booklet (very cool)... AND...

A spiral bound fabulous book 'Scrapbooking with Lisa Bearnson' in a gift box that also includes a 6x6 album, all the papers and whatnot to make up the album including a set of chipboard letters AND a set of great big lovely stamps (top left of the picture).

And a happy Valentine's day to ME!

And she sent that prize to 43 people. Wow!

I am speechless. How generous is that?! After being so fed up with being ill, this has really lifted my week I can tell you. Thank you, thank you Lisa :-)

I had a lovely card from Danny this morning, but as we're both still feeling completely poo (cough cough cough cough cough cough cough...get the picture?) we've decided to go out somewhere on Saturday afternoon (in the hope that we'll both feel a little better by then).
Right. I feel the need to go and stroke my prize again...

Fed up, fed up, fed up...

2007-02-12T16:32:00.000Z

I feel really ill again. No energy. Achy. Cough cough cough. And I'm FED UP of it!!!!

I went to the S Wales Crop on Saturday (nice day chatting with people...no layouts done at all - LOL) and when I got home I felt flaked out and went to bed at 10.30 (unheard of for me). And yesterday I felt completely crud again. The crop wiped me out.

Feeling very sad and short tempered. Blah!

PS. Just looked at Valentine's week this time last year, and looky looky...I was feeling like a big old pair of pants then too.

That's it.

I officially hate February.

Blah.

Heh heh heh

2007-02-10T19:09:00.000Z

I saw this cartoon when I checked out Vicki's blog (who posted a nice comment on my previous message, thanks :-D ).

I dedicate this message to Fiona from the Scrappers Unlimited team, whose birthday it is today. She is (as anyone who knows her will testify) a naughty little minx who has OBviously been playing with the chemistry sets at school, because her scrapbooking is just too damn good (you should SEE her class for the Brecons retreat!)

Happy birthday Fi -- mmmmmwaaaaah!!!

It's Snow Joke!

2007-02-09T18:35:00.000Z

Well, our family are nearly almost recovered. I still sound like a 40 a day smoker *hack, hack, hack* and Celyn's scheduled whinge happens at breakfast, lunchtime and just before bed as she has to down some banana flavoured antibiotic. She ended up with ear infections in both ears, bless her, which made her very poorly indeed. She's lost so much weight :-(

My mother is still feeling fairly ill, with a wheezy, crackly chest that you could probably hear in space. Will she see a doctor? Don't be damn stupid! Of COURSE she won't. She's 84!! 84 year olds do NOT go to see doctors of their own volition. 84 year olds need to be tricked into appointments (I do this on a regular basis. I am evil and should be destroyed, but hey *shrugs*)

Anyway, I am still here but this is why I haven't blogged for days on end. Once I'd started to feel well again (Wednesday), I was playing catch-up with lots of urgent retreat/seminar/crop business (the 30 spaces for our Shape-Up for Design Seminar in Reading in April sold out in 2 days :-D ) AND looking after Celyn and my mum. Celyn went back to school today, just in time for them to close just as she was leaving at 11.20! LOL After missing out on the first snow this week (friends were blogging the most beautiful snowman pictures and I was jealous!), today it dumped 4 inches of the stuff all over Pontarddulais in a "Weeeeeell...you shouldn't grumble then, should you!?" manner.

We went for a walk in the park up the street on our estate this afternoon and at one point Celyn fell over and got a very wet bottom! LOL As you can see from the picture, she wasn't exactly happy about it! She soon cheered up when she carried on playing with the snow though, making snow balls and so on (which she threw at me, cheeky monkey!).

Danny and I bought a new (to us!) second car this morning. His old beat up Cavalier is due for the MOT and tax and we knew the process would cost us hundreds, so we figured we'd spend the money on a better (read "safer") car. Have you ever test driven a car in the snow? I don't recommend it. All I want to say is I need to repent of the rather choice swear words that uttered forth from my mouth as I started sliding towards the side of a honking great lorry as I was test driving the new (to us!) car just before purchase. It wasn't the most calm moment of my life, that's for sure. Not just careering into a lorry, but careering into a lorry in a car I was test-driving for pity's sake. Not to mention the revving of the engine and spinning of the wheels thing that happned as I tried to go up a hill. Anyway, we are now the proud owner of a shiny new (to us!) beigy-gold Vectra with only 70,000 on the clock and in excellent condition. AND I bartered money off as well. Ha!

Well, I need to go and wash my mouth out with soap now and then make the fam-lee some dinner. The South Wales Crop is ON tomorrow by the way (any S Wales Croppers who might be reading this). I just spoke with my neighbour who has driven from Birmingham to Swansea today and says the M4 is wet but clear (although grid-locked with traffic at the moment). So once I've negotiated my way to the main roads, all will be well and we shall crop merrily till 4, when everyone needs to go home before dark. Including me.

Happy Dance, Happy Dance!

2007-02-03T11:58:00.000Z

Oh my word, I'm so excited!

Is it because I'm feeling better? No it is NOT *cough, groan*

BUT it IS because I entered a little competition a week or so ago on Lisa Bearnson's blog (the lady who started Creating Keepsakes). It was her 43rd birthday and she posed 5 questions, and said she would send a prize package to the first 43 people who answered the questions correctly.

And today she published the winners list. And I am number 38!!! I won, I won, I won!!!!

How cool is THAT?! *happy, happy, happy dance*

PS. I love Calvin & Hobbes. One of the best cartoons ever IMHO

Everyone but everyone is sick...

2007-02-02T17:20:00.000Z

About half the people I talk to on UK Scrappers, some of the Swansea scrapbookers, and (more to the blummin' point), Celyn, me and my mum. Lying in bed last night with me moaning and coughing my lungs up on one side of him, and Celyn groaning and coughing on the other side of him, Danny said, with a resigned tone, "I don't stand a chance" and sort of stared into space, as if waiting for the achy muscles to hit.

Celyn was even hallucinating last night, her temperature was so high. And I slept with the window open all night (in FEBRUARY!) because I was so hot. My mum is also part of the 'we're not getting dressed today' brigade and has lain around in her bedroom all day, coughing away in a bronchial manner.

Germy children. That's who I blame.

Anyway. Tomorrow is the Crop & Create day at Caerphilly Leisure Centre, organised by Crafty-Ness, and I was teaching. Yes, you will note the past tense. I had to make the decision this afternoon to take a big breath and tell Vanessa I wasn't coming. I feel simply terrible about it, but I could barely walk down the stairs this morning and most of the day I've had to look after the two other invalids whilst feeling crap myself. And it also means that Celyn can't be taken to Nanny's house to be babysat of a Saturday morning as usually happens if Husband and I are both working, because she's been at 180 degrees on the sofa, as limp as a lettuce, for most of the day.

So, here are the two classes I was teaching, and perhaps I'll teach them another time at a crop near you!

Do you Believe in Fairies (which I, very annoyingly, forgot to put the question mark on, oh the horror) has a tissue paper/paint/inking/stamping technique all over the large photo.

The second class was this accordion book with 7gypsies products (love those stickers!). The photos were taken on my kitchen windowsill (outside...oh yes, I remember the days when I was well enough to go outside the house, she says pathetically).

Right. I need to go and lie about on the sofa again *cough*

I'm starting a tag...

2007-01-28T18:00:00.000Z

This Moment: Somewhat irritated/guilty for being irritated
Your Shoes: Off
Craving: Toast, butter and Marmite
The State of Your Home: Higgledy-Piggledy
Annoyed By: Celyn tapping my arm every 15 seconds to look at her drawing (bad mother, bad mother)
In The Background: My mum's TV and the sound of the extractor fan in the bathroom
Really Want To: Eat toast
Thinking About: BYU days
Smelling: Left-over dinner
Nearest Scrapbooking Product: Pile of magazines
Don't Ever Want To: Stop learning
Your Eyes: Need testing
The Weather: Dull
Have Never Tried: Sushi
Think Everyone Should Try: reading the Book of Mormon
Last Holiday Destination: Cornwall
Best Thing You Did Today: Gave a lesson at church
The Last Thing You Had to Drink: Lemon Fanta
Your Bad Habit: Leaving the bathroom door open when I wee (drives Danny crazy!)
What You're Going To Do Now: Tidy, and check what time Big Brother's on (final tonight!!)

And I tag Nicola, Carrie and Sue.

Chortle chortle...

2007-01-28T16:32:00.000Z

Celyn's watching Joseph in her bedroom again. A 4 year old's version of the songs:

"There's been a run of crazy dreams, and the man who can in turn it, could be a superstar"

or (very earnestly):

"Those Canaan days we used to know, where have they gone, where diiiiiiiiiiiiid they goooooo?"

Bwaahaaahaaa!

8 more sleeps and we go see it in real life at The Grand Theatre. Danny can hardly wait! LOL

Happy Birthday Rach!

2007-01-27T14:20:00.000Z

I do have the most fabulous Creative Team at Scrappers Unlimited and today is the birthday of one of them...the fabulous* Rachel Millington (* talented, funny, great to chat to for hours on the phone, hard working, and did I mention talented and funny?). So, as she is a lover of all things Oriental, I sent her these orchids this morning. And she (because she received a bit of a fabby Canon camera today from her fella) took this rather fetching photo of them for me (you do always wonder when you order flowers over the phone what sort of tat they might end up with!)

And to anyone whose birthday it has been and I have sent them nary even a daisy, let alone orchids, may I just say that it is one of my goals this year to be more diligent on the friends' birthdays front. And Rach has lucked out because her birthday is in January, before I get time to be a waster goal setting drop out! LOL

Have a JOYOUS day Rach. Mmmmwaaah!!

Huff Puff

2007-01-27T10:35:00.000Z

Well I've spent all week sorting out bits of paper. The up side is my house is inordinately orderly. To me. The rest of my family may think the piles of crap all over the floor are just piles of crap, but to me they are SORTED piles of crap, that just need putting away. Which is now easy, because they are sorted. I've just got to add up some numbers, ring my accountant on Monday so he can work out the tax, and then go to the tax office and give them the form, and then to the bank to pay the tax. Peachy.

The down side to shuffling paper all week is I've done little else (apart from feed the family and ferry Celyn to and from school). And I have a ton of scrapbooky things I need (neeeeeeeeed) to get done pronto.

So of course I've been catching up on a few blogs this morning, as you do when you have lots of deadlines looming *sigh* And a couple of things have caught my eye. On Mormon Mommy Wars there's been an interesting discussion about language and phrases that drive one crazy. Such as my own personal favourite...when people say "I did it off my own back." It's BAT, folks...BAT! And don't even get me started on spelling and grammar. But while I'm on the subject... it's "loose" when your trousers are flapping around your waistband, and "lose" when you can't find something. Don't mix them up or I'm likely to tut. And "alot" is not a word. It's TWO words. A lot. And (as eloquently explained by Ross in one episode of Friends), 'your' means belongs to you..."your book, your pencil, your backside" whereas 'you're' (note apostrophe) means YOU ARE..."you're going to the cinema" "you're going to get Chrissie tutting at you if you mix up your yourses." Same with 'their', 'there' and 'they're'.

I'm a grammar nazi. I can understand people not knowing how to spell uncommon words... I do look things up occasionally myself. But when writing everyday-all-garden-so-blinkin'-common-it's-unbelievable words, then it's just bone idleness not to learn how to spell things correctly. Pah! "I see grammatical mistakes *says she, in a 'Sixth Sense' voice* ...they're everywheeeeere!"

However, I don't get all bent out of shape about pronounciation. I remark on it because I really enjoy accents and dialects...I love that we all speak differently (imagine if we all said everything exactly the same...no regional/national accent or dialect...that would be so dull!) and if I were ever to do my Masters in English, that would definitely be my thesis subject. I love it when Swansea people say "fabberluss" for fabulous (fab-u-luss), and "morve" for mauve (I say 'mow-ve'). It even makes me chuckle when Americans say "Wor-cester-shire" for 'Woos-Tuh-Shuh'. I think 'bathers' instead of 'swimming costume' is fun. And I got teased last week at our Shape-Up for Design seminar when I said "muh-stosh" (moustache) in front of a room of Welshies. Julia was repeating, "Ooo muh-STOSH, muh-STOSH!" in a posh voice, and they all agreed (apart from English Sue!) that it was, indeed, 'muh-STASH'.

"Chrissie, Chrissie...I say muh-stosh too. Ignore them" says Sue. She's from Northampton. LOL

So. What words and phrases that people say or spell wrong drive you nuts? I can't be alone... can I?

* Edited to add another one I just thought of. I really really wish people would learn how to use either "my friend and I" or "my friend and me". Both are correct, depending on the sentence. "My friend and I went shopping" is correct, but "The bird flew near my friend and I" is NOT! It should be "The bird flew near my friend and me". And if you want an explanation as to why, then I shall witter on for a bit more.

All I have to say is...

2007-01-22T10:07:00.000Z

Tax Return. Due NOW!!! Must DO! NOW!

Thank you for all your good wishes. I feel 100% fine now thank you (apart from Doing The Tax Return Blues). Danny, however, had 'man-vomiting' and was much much more unwell than me.

*snort*

I'll see you on the other side of the invoices and paperwork... bleuh.

How many expressions are there...

2007-01-19T17:18:00.000Z

for vomiting?

Hurl.upchuck.blowchunks.spew.puke.heave.throwup.sick.tossmycookies.

I know there are lots more. But because I feel so nauseous, my brain has shut down in sympathy. Husband's had it worse than me (4 times worse*) but I still feel vile. Celyn had a throwing-up bug last Saturday (24 hours) when (which IS quite amusing) she spewed on her Nanny's dog's head. Ha ha ha ha ha. Poor Mintoes! However, it seems, she has lovingly passed it on to me and Danny. The day before the seminar. And the day of the Swansea Crop.

* Edited to say twice as worse, as I have thrown up yet again. Ain't that nice?!

So I'm staying home tonight and Sue's running the crop for me (bless her). And I'd better feel better in the morning or it's going to be a nightmare of a day. Spew.

When you THINK your children have been naughty...

2007-01-18T14:14:00.000Z

Surely little could beat this.

*hyperventilate, hyperventilate*

I mean REEEEALLY hyperventilate! I'm surprised this mother had the calmness to even take a picture! Perhaps she used it as evidence in the court case as to why she was giving up the children for adoption...?

LOL!

I'm It

2007-01-18T12:47:00.000Z

Just remembered (because I've been stooopid busy) that I got tagged by Nattie. Huzzah!

So...what I've got to do (for tag number 1) is:

1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence.
3. Post the text of the following three sentences on your blog.
4. Name of the author, and book.
5. Tag three people of you own.

Ummm...I'm striking out here as the nearest book to me was Apples for Jam (recipe book) which had a honking great picture on page 123. Start again. The next nearest book was a children's version of The Iliad and The Odyssey which Celyn had migrated into the office for me. Doesn't even reach page 123. Ho hum. START AGAIN! Okay...here we go...3 sentences from page 123 of Spiritual Roots of Human Relations by Stephen R Covey:

"How widespread is this mote/beam sickness! To some degree, it afflicts all of us. The doctrine of magnifying our own stewardship is the only medicine that will bring about a permanent cure. In other words, to improve a situation, I must improve. To change my wife, I must change."

This is my husband's book as I'm not a huge Stephen R Covey fan I would like to point out. But GOOD POINT Mr Covey! LOL

Next tag from Nat was: Who am I? Describe your personality in a paragraph or two.

Blimey...that's a bit deep for a Thursday afternoon innit?! Right...I shall answer in a bit of a stream of consciousness typie manner:

A child of God is one of my first thoughts. My beliefs have and still shape who I am and how I behave and how I repent of how I behave sometimes (bwaahaahaa!). And how I think of others. I am wholly imperfect is the next thought. And I am a bit of a paradox...I am confident in lots of things...my ability to get things done right, to learn, to organise, to teach, to talk to people in certain setting (put them at their ease, etc). And yet I'm incredibly insecure when it comes to one-on-one friendships and also my body (both of those cover a huge spectrum of behaviour). So people read me wrong and think I have broader shoulders than I do, and I get terribly hurt if people are mean to me. I'm also a paradox in that I am a worker...I work hard and expect others to work hard too...but then I can be dreadfully lazy sometimes as well.

I think I have a good sense of humour...a sense of the ridiculous...and I never take myself too seriously. I can be intolerant (bad Chrissie, bad) and impatient...intolerant of stupidity and inefficiency, and people smoking anywhere near me (I'm shockingly rudely intolerant of that). And I have a personality where I am able to watch behaviour and see both sides of a situation. And finally I am fiercely loyal and very loving towards people I care about (even though they might not know it). I will happily give people hugs and kisses and tell them how I feel about them, given half the chance! BUT I detest confrontation if it's negative...I'll run a mile in the other direction rather than tell someone they've upset me.

Ta da! Phew, that was hard!

Okay...I tag Sue, Debbie and Rach. For both. Hah!

Crafty Women's Tips And Fiddles

2007-01-17T10:13:00.001Z

Oh my heavens this is SO SO FUNNY! Thanks to Amber for telling me about it. Had Husband and me wetting ourselves laughing.

The Highest of Honours

2007-01-17T09:08:00.000Z

Okay. Now I love a good laugh. So I do have a blog on my Blog Scraps list which I call 'The Funniest Blog in the World' because it has made me laugh till I cry.

But I think we have a new favourite. Oh yes. Because (here's the clincher)...I am hooting like a demented tawny owl. All thanks to Lorraine of the Scrap Cafe who emailed me this link this morning. Her email was entitled 'Whose Husband Is This?' and I have to put up my hand and say, "Yep. I think that would be mine."

Too hilaaaaaaaaaaaaaariously funny.

Scrapbook Widower Go click on that link. And enjoy a ROFLPIMP!!! Waaahaaahaaaaa ha ha!

Stop Press!!

2007-01-16T11:02:00.000Z

I've had lots of people asking for us to teach in the South/South East and I'm pleased to announce we shall be teaching our Shape Up seminar in Reading on Saturday, 28 April. The seminar will be up to book fairly soon on the Scrappers Unlimited website (just putting some finishing touches to the details) and then you lovely lot can get booking!!!!

Yey!

DID YOU HEAR THAT TINA!!!??!

SP

2007-01-16T09:55:00.000Z

Short for Sneak Peek you know. Because you are (in the nicest possible way) All & Sundry (sounds like a firm of solicitors doesn't it? LOL...Messrs All & Sundry).

Anyhooooo...this is another of the Shape Up for Design classes that we (that be me and Julia) begin teaching this Saturday at Crafty-Ness' studios in Caerphilly. I am crazy busy this week getting that ready (i.e. finishing 12 page handout, writing up class instructions, making sure all kit papers/bits and bobs are ordered, making up kits, rocking gently in a soothing manner), sorting out my classes for the Create & Craft day (again in Caerphilly) on 3 Feb, sorting out the Swansea Crop this Friday, ordering papers for the next S Wales Crop and...oh yeah...getting my tax return done (which has to be in before 31 January--blummin' heck).

Plus run a house. And look after a four year old.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... (that's laughter nigh on hysteria, if you are failing to recognise the slightly unhinged tone of the mirth).

A diverse post

2007-01-15T12:30:00.000Z

Awww. I love children's drawings. These works are the artist Miss Celyn circa January 07, age 4 years 4 months, in the 'enfant mimie' style, completed as a set in church (at least, that's what it'll say in the auction catalogue when she's a famous artist :-D )

Had a lovely day at The South Wales Crop on Saturday. I've now decided that I must find time to do at least one of the classes offered at a crop, as that is by far the only scrapping I ever get done at such events. I completed Helen's lovely class and that was the extent of all scrapbooking I did in the 6+ hours I was there. Ho hum.

So. Changing the subject completely. Who saw Jermaine Jackson singing I Want You Back in the Big Brother house last night? Oh my word, does that man still have it? Yes he DOES! I was lying on the sofa watching the show and when the Jackson 5 Tribute Band performance started, singing that classic classic number, I was vertical within 15 seconds just looooooving the feast of 70s groovy fabulousness. Got to love the Jackson 5. Seriously. If you don't, then I don't know if I can be your friend any more.

It was only my desire to watch every single second of the performance (which was incredibly funny as well) that stopped me from copying all the dance steps myself around the living room. No wonder they won with 75% of the vote!!! How interesting though that although he hasn't done that routine in yeeeeeears, he knew it all perfectly. A testament to how much they rehearsed and how many times they performed it. And how interesting that some of the other housemates said afterwards that they couldn't take their eyes off him while he was singing it, and they were all rather in awe even despite their own celebrityness. No kidding--that band are legendary.

And if Celyn's drawings and a picture of Jermaine Jackson in a fake afro aren't the most diverse set of pictures on a blog entry, then I don't know what is! Bwaahaaahaaa!

Have to say though, all those horrible girls bitching about Shilpa all the time are driving me completely demented. I seriously want to slap the lot of them. Good for Cleo who has stayed right out of it. Jermaine and Cleo are definitely my favourites in there, and get Jade out (could that girl's big wooden spoon stir any faster I ask?). I just cannot abide nasty, sniping, mean, gossiping women.

Joseph

2007-01-14T19:09:00.000Z

When we went to the panto a few weeks ago courtesy of Uncle Jeff, I noticed that Joseph & His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was coming to the Swansea Grand. I completely love that musical and so was very happy when Celyn also seemed keen to come and see it. Tickets are now bought (woo hoo!) and darling daughter and I have been singing along and discussing the story to the Donny Osmond CD (with the Toronto cast, where he performed in the show for 6 years). Every time we get in the car. Much to Danny's chagrin (he makes faces akin to someone under torture).

And so today I got Husband to hook up our now dinosaur extinct video player (which is only about 2 years old!) to the little portable telly and put them in Celyn's room, so she can watch the Donny Osmond video of Joseph (made in 1999 in the UK...which is about the time I met Mr Osmond himself. Now there's a story...)

I am not a fan of children having tellies in rooms. The amount of terrible things that are on TV these days, it is just not appropriate (IMHO) to have TV where they can freely watch more or less what they want. But as a one off to watch Joseph, which (IMHO) is good Sunday viewing, then I was Mrs Naggy Britches getting Danny to set it all up.

And do you know what?

My office is next to Celyn's bedroom and at the moment she is lying in bed, singing along to the parts she remembers...and it is her THIRD run through of the video today. I've never ever known her be so so so into a film before and I'm so chuffed I can't tell you. Because now I have visions of Celyn and me watching all the musicals together and going to the theatre together, because Husband hates them.

She takes after MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! (I love love love love love love LOVE musicals, oh yes I do!)

Blogger's being a norty noo noo and not letting me post pictures. Big tsk! I'll tell you about my encounter with Mr Osmond next post :D If you're good.

More events booking

2007-01-12T09:40:00.000Z

I have just finished loading a couple more of the Scrappers Unlimited Design Seminars onto the Scrappers website. Two more seminars to get booking. So go see...go on, go on!

I can't linger this morning as I've just had a phone call (literally just put the phone down) from Husband who has locked his keys in his car.

*Chrissie breathes very very very quietly, slowly shuts her eyes and sighs*

Danny: Are you busy?

Me: Whyyyyyyyyyy? *said very very suspiciously*

Danny: Well (goes into rambling story about picking up something from somebody and someone not hearing the doorbell so going back to his car to phone the house and then locking keys in the car)

Me: Oh no!

Danny: So can you come over and get me?

[bearing in mind that my real work of the day is done when Celyn is at school in the mornings, which is NOW]

Me: *trying to be kind* Oh. Okay. Shall I bring the second set of keys?

Danny: This is the second set of keys. *giggles nervously* [i.e. he's locked the second set of keys in the car and he's lost the first set of keys]

Me: *breathes, sighs, shuts eyes* Riiiiiiight. *trying harder than ever to be kind* Right. I'll be right over.

So. Please go and book and brighten my day... :D

It's Competition Time

2007-01-10T13:24:00.000Z

Well, I'm appealing to all you clever people out there who can do this sort of stuff. As you can see, I've recently done a bit of a new look on my blog. Slapped on a fresh coat of paint and changed the furniture around. But I am so completely hopeless when it comes to creating banners (the wonders of Photoshop are a mystery to me) and I need a new one. Desperately. My poor blog looks very very sad at the moment without anything but words at the top. Poor sad old blog.

So...I thought I'd run a little competition. If you would like to design a new blog banner for me, I will send the person who makes my favourite one...the one I use...a big pizza box FULL of stash (cardstock, papers, charms, stickers, fibres, ribbons, brads, etc.).

So who's up for it? Eh? Eh? I'd be EVER SO grateful!

My email address is Chrissie@ScrappersUnlimited.co.uk and the deadline is Wednesday, 31 January (that's 3 weeks today).

Circles and Twirls

2007-01-10T10:43:00.000Z

This is another of my layouts for the Shape Up for Design seminars. Well...part of it anyway...for delegates' eyes only at the moment.

Two days, two layouts AND I'm back in my normal twirly whirly style. The sun's come out (although apparently there's another 'front' scudding across the Atlantic towards Wales - grrr! - but we'll completely and utterly ignore that fact for now). I just LOVE SUNSHINE. Seven more weeks till March which is a Spring month, oh yes it is. AND it's Desperate Housewives Wednesday (got to love that show!). AND tonight is eviction night in Big Brother.

Ah me. All's well with the world.

I felt a bit discouraged yesterday because both of my 'Get Healthy in 2007' buddies, Debbie and Linz, had lost 8lbs in their first week of eating in a diety type manner. And I lost half that. But this is my big downfall... I get down and then give up. Husband said the same to me when I first started--his one big piece of advice was "Just don't give up this time. If you have a bad day, pick yourself up and carry on. Don't give up!" Anyone would feel discouraged with that dreadful grey, rainy, grey, miserable, grey sky for days on end...no light = sad Chrissie.

So. Today is The Sun's Come Out So Don't Give Up Day! *Chrissie rattles a collection box and proffers an Angel Kiss flower in the form of a badge* Sounds like a song from 'Annie' doesn't it?

MUST do some exercise today. Hoo haa!

Here's the first...

2007-01-08T16:27:00.000Z

...of my 2007 teasers *phnaar* Just a little corner of my latest layout which all and sundry aren't allowed to see just yet. Sorry sundry.

I've been working like the clappers to put together the Shape Up for Design seminar which Julia and I are teaching all over the place this year (along with the other two design seminars). Five layouts between the two of us, plus a 12 page booklet handout, plus instruction sheets for each project--and then sorting out who's coming, what they want for lunch, making up the kits--it doesn't take half a day to sort out, that's for sure.

Yesterday I was working on one of my layouts - It's All About Love. It needed to be in a graphic, clean style to teach the delegates some particular principles...and this style is not normally me. I can't tell you how desperate I was to start throwing on circles and swirls. But I got there in the end! And today I am working on a layout with circles and twirls and all I want to do is graphic.

Contrary moo.

And as for this weather. I mean, I'm sorry to get so hackneyed as to talk about the weather but really, it does take the piddle, it really does. Days on end of a grey bowl covering my piece of the earth, with drizzly murky rain and even more grey murky light (NOT very good for getting shots of one's lovely new layouts, now is it? Eh? Eh? Had to resort to sitting in the car at lunch time when the sun *snort* is at its highest in the sky *snort* to get some decent photos. Any neighbours who witnessed it must have thought me deranged).

I feel a little tantrum coming on, so I think I shall go make a sandwich and get on with my layout instead.

Only one place left at the Shape Up for Design Seminar in Caerphilly by the way.

I've been having a play...

2007-01-07T20:45:00.000Z

What do you think?

I want to change my header which is why I haven't replaced the old one...but also I'm Mrs Dozy when it comes to creating such stuff (anyone fancy doing one for me? *sigh*)

New elements apart from the very very boring header(!) are the 'What's Entertaining Me Scraps' section on the sidebar with little pictures (ho yeah) and the very cute Total Visitors scrolling bar with a little ladybird who flutters in and out and who I shall call LooLa.

So who wants to come scrapping then?

2007-01-04T19:02:00.000Z

Finally finally finally I've got back to work and I've been a whirling dervish today, indeedy doody.

And one of the things I've been doing is preparing and uploading the info for our new design seminar...Shape Up for Design. The very first of these this year will be held at Crafty-Ness in Caerphilly (that's in South Wales) at 9.30 to 5pm, Saturday 20 January. The day includes five classes with full kits, all with the theme of shape and all interrelated, and we aim to show our delegates how great designers use shape to best effect, so that their designs are interesting, cohesive and beautiful. You'll receive a fab handout to review the things you've learnt during the day too.

We love teaching these seminars...at the end of each one Julia and I always agree that the most rewarding thing is that we actually TEACH something. People leave with new ideas on how to create their own designs because they've been given real design tools to use. So it will be exciting to get out on the road again and teaching again, which is certainly what I love to do!

The day also includes lunch, a goody bag, and 5% off purchases at the shop that day. So if you fancy booking you'd better be quick as most of the places have already gone before we even start! LOL Cerrrraaaazy. Take a look at the Seminars page on the Scrappers Unlimited website now. And take a peek at our feedback on these seminars too :D

Right. I'm on a roll...got to keep on keepin' on. Next! *ding ding*

Keep meaning to say...

2007-01-02T15:08:00.000Z

Do you guys know about Bloglines? It is a fantastic FREE service where you make your own list of blogs you like to read regularly, and then when the blog author updates, it tells you (you just go to Feeds and it highlights and lists all the blogs that have been updated).

I use it all the time (as I couldn't possibly trawl through all 60+ blogs I like to nose at on the off-chance that they may or may not have updated it!). Gosh...60+ blogs...I seriously don't sit here looking at blogs all day...honest I don't guv'ner. Honest.

Later bloggy peeps.

Edited to add instructions for how to use Bloglines!

Okay...

Go to www.Bloglines.com and register an account (very quick...they just want an email addy, a password, your time zone (that's GMT if you're here in Britain!), and your language. Done.

Right...Then log in (email addy and password)
Then click on Subscribe (which is on the home page, in yellow, at the top of the circle of titles)

Then type in the address of the blog you want to watch...i.e. www.LifeIsScrap.blogspot.com and click Subscribe next to it.

THEN...You may be given 2 or 3 options of 'feeds'. I usually just click the one that has the most subscribers to it (I don't really understand what that part is...but hey, my system works for me! LOL)
Ignore everything else...unless you want to watch a blog and don't want people to know you're watching it...in which case click on Private in the Access block.

Then click Subscribe again at the bottom. Done.

You will see the blog you just subscribed to on the left. The ones that have been updated are always in bold.

To add a 2nd, 3rd or 4th blog...click Add at the top of the list on the left, and start the process again.

Hope that makes sense to everyone :D

So when do you do yours?

2007-01-02T12:49:00.000Z

Are you one of those people who are dragging the tree back into the garage at 1 minute past midnight on 27 December, or possibly as people are still singing Auld Lang Sayne? Or do you stretch it out till the bitter end, and wait until the very last evening of 12th night before all the Christmas paraphernalia comes down?

I had intended to get all the decorations down by today but realised yesterday that my auntie and uncle are coming by for a visit on their way home from a 2 day break at The St David's Hotel and Spa (there's posh!), so I have to keep the house looking festive until they've gone. Probably as they're walking up the path to their car actually - LOL. I'm itching to get it all down now...but then again, the tree does look so pretty lit up at night.

Anyway, as the last hurrah before Christmas is officially over chez nous, here are a few of my holiday photos for your delight. Blogger has been mucking me about for the last day or so and not letting me upload photos (grrrr!) so I hope that it will let me....

Top two photos: Celyn and Nana on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Day...Celyn searching for her presents (she can read her name now!!) Celyn and her friend from school caught eating the Quality Street (day after Boxing Day). Celyn (and her daddy) in her new Christmas jim-jams from Nana (which, in a happy manner, matched the tree and daddy's hat!) (Christmas Day evening).

Going Public

2007-01-01T13:20:00.000Z

That's one blog title you don't want to do a typo on... (bwaahaahaa)

Okay. Here we are then. Happy New Year and all that.

January 2007.

The 1st of.

A new month and a new year.

It's like a brand new, clean stack of exercise books at school (from which, of course, you take yours from at least 3 down because no one but no one takes the TOP one...do they?)

It's like a brand new car...unsullied by crumbs or family faloolaa.

It's like a brand new scrapbooking tote...all clean and lovely and waiting to be filled with stash but in an orderly and pleasing manner.

Enough of the analogies already.

I'm going public. Because it's got to be done.

My mate Debbie told me a couple of weeks ago that she's been diagnosed borderline diabetic and because it is in her family, she is determined (De. TER. mined) not to become diabetic and be having to inject herself every day and all that. So it's a healthy, get fit and happy life from tomorrow.

And I will be joining her. Because I pondered her quest and thought she could do with the support. And also because I am so badly overweight it's not funny (since I got married, and then more pounds went on when I was pregnant). And I don't want to have any fatty diseases either. I want to go into Next and be able to wear any of the clothes in there. I want to run and play with my daughter. I want to be able to go places and not feel uncomfortable because I don't have the right clothes (because I can't find any) or shoes. I want to feel sexy. And I don't want to miss out on opportunities because of my body!

So.

I'm going public.

I'm getting healthy in 2007. This is my year. Me and my mate Debbie.

Go us!

Ooo...cool challenge

2006-12-30T10:33:00.000Z

Silly, but I love lists like this. I was wandering around on Two Peas in a Bucket and found this. You have to publish the list, highlighting the ones you've done (I've highlighted mine in green). If you're reading this and fancy doing it, just cut and paste m'dears (but let me know so I can read yours too :D ). In counting, I've done just over 1/3 of the list. Some I will never do, so don't even ask. And some are actually ambitions (but I'll leave you to guess which ones).

Edited to put the link to the original thread on 2Peas: Two Peas New Yearsy Blog Challenge Thread

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink (nor shall I)
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain (what? for fun?! Not in a car? Ha--I don't think so...)
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (and had water left over in the bath? Eureka and all that)
8. Said “I love you’ and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped (not in a million years)
11. Visited Paris (several times...and once 'illegally' but that's another story)
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea (in Athens, Greece)
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights (big ambition of mine)
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards) (several...in the US and UK)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables (should do this *guilt, guilt, guilt*)
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars (at Bear Lake, Idaho...no tent or nuffink...absolutely beautiful)
20. Changed a baby’s diaper (ooooh yeah baby...lost count of how many times)
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower (see 19.)
23. Gotten drunk on champagne (nor shall I ever)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity (I didn't say yes to this because if you've given to charity and you are still solvent and have something to eat and somewhere to live, you COULD afford it...)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (too many times unfortunately!)
27. Had a food fight (in a tent! Which nearly came down in the process. SO funny!)
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger (and he was the brother-in-law of someone else in Scrap Land...and I shall never tell...it did not work out well - bwaahaaahaa)
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse (if you didn't answer yes to this one, where WERE you a few years ago?!)
34. Ridden a roller coaster (the first one was Space Mountain and I had NO IDEA it WAS a roller coaster...dumb 18 year old! But you would NEVER get me on one of those big mamas in Florida not for love nor sixpence, no way Jose, uh uh!)
35. Hit a home run (I may have done this once in rounders...)
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (quite a lot...and with no alcohol involved)
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales (another ambition)
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip (all round the UK with an American friend who (we discovered) had contracted glandular fever (mono) and he kept falling asleep on me! Ho hum)
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach (on honeymoon)
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland (lovely country, horrible trip)
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow (at Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire...three times!)
56. Alphabetized your CDs (I have too many not to really...can't find them otherwise)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day (but not for many years)
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain (see 49.)
65. Gone to a drive-in theater (in Provo, Utah...well...on the road to Springville somewhere)
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites (in several countries, including Britain, Greece and America)
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days (who would DO that?)
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice (the only reason I didn't answer yes to this one is because we thought it was too pricey and didn't bother...but I have been on boats in Venice!)
80. Gotten a tattoo (no, and nor shall I ever)
81. Rafted the Snake River (no, but I've watched others do it! And been to Jackson Hole)
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage (lots of times)
85. Been to Las Vegas (Boxing Day 1989...stopped there for a few hours driving from Provo to Los Angeles and won $40 which paid for us to get into Sea World!)
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house (twice)
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (or…raising children)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country (I've cycled all over in France...but not on a tour. There was one day when we cycled from Reims out in the country...the whole trip was about 30-40km...I was knackered! Good day though!)
100. Picked up and moved to another city to start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (okay, I lie...I drove over! BUT I screamed all the way...I was SO excited!!!)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking (um...like...every day...?)
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (no...but I'd like to)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart (not that I know of anyway)
111. Helped an animal give birth (when you say 'helped'...I was moral support for our cat and her kittens when I was a teenager :D )
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari (another ambition)
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (nor do I want to...hate guns)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse (not that I enjoyed it much...I don't like horses (to ride) and they don't like me)
119. Had major surgery (unfortunately)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (again with the walking up and down hills thing...why would anyone do that for fun???)
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states (this question can be interpreted 2 ways ...have you visited more than 50 foreign countries, wherein the answer is no. OR have you visited more countries than you've visited US States, wherein the answer is absolutely yes...7 states but 12 countries)
124. Visited all 7 continents (Nope. Visited 3. Would LOVE to visit them all though)
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes ... yum!
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read (actually, lots of these)
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (well, maybe...)
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care (No. Thank goodness)
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair (when I was a missionary for my church)
146. Dyed your hair (every month!)
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident (but not for a long time! I have 8 years NCB!)
150. Saved someone’s life

Don't You Shiver?

2006-12-29T19:11:00.000Z

I'm telling you...if it wasn't for repositionable Hermafix, there would be a deranged woman twitching and rocking over this side of the country. I have shifted things around and around on this layout for a whole day now. Give the man who invented it an award. Truly.

I've been creating (read 'shuffling bits of card and paper around') for the Crafty-Ness Design Team, which I'm proud to be a part of. In this kit I was given BasicGrey Dasher papers, red, off-white and green cardstock, white snowflake brads and matching fibres (plus some other buttons and charms which I haven't used on this one). I've added my own gem brads and metal snowflake charm. And I've used lots of silver ink. Lots. of.

The title is from the song Shiver by Coldplay, as is the journaling--one of the verses of the song says, "...on and on, from the moment I wake to the moment I sleep, I'll be there by your side. Just you try and stop me." Isn't that how we feel about our children? They're like a piece of our heart walking around outside our bodies. Not that I've got any intention of following her around all her life (which strikes me as a little on the nutty side of things)... it's metaphorical you understand. Although NOW I'm thinking about this, it's giving me palpitations just imagining her flying off to another country on her own or somesuch thing one day...EEK!!! *Chrissie looks freaked out but shakes her head and pulls herself together* Grief...she's only 4...plenty of time before then!

New Year's Eve is fast approaching and it is a time when some people make resolutions or set goals...semantics-pedantics. I did set a couple for this year. In my head. Because then if I didn't do them, I could file them away nicely at the back of some dusty nerve ending that doesn't get much traffic and they *certainly* wouldn't be viewed by any passing critics. Heck...even I might have conveniently forgotten about them. But, yey, go me, I actually achieved two goals. Hoo haa!

I wanted to be much much better at recycling. Well, when I say 'better', what I mean is, actually recycle. Because it's shameful not to when you have bags and boxes and all that malarky these days that the council give you. So, for a whole year (much to Husband's chagrin as he found himself now having to lug out not only black bin-bags but also green ones full of tins and bottles and newspapers), I have sent my recycling off every couple of weeks and stood there looking duly holy and feeling very righteous.

On a side note...Swansea Council drive me crazy because they seem to think we live in the 1970s and don't provide wheely bins for your rubbish. Hence you have black bags sitting around in your garden for a week, which cats and foxes just love to have a forage in. And when I say 1970s, even THEN we were given round bins with lids. Tsk. *Chrissie goes off muttering about 'living in the Dark Ages' and saying words like 'nonsense' and 'ridiculous' a lot*

My second goal for 2006 was to keep a better record of my life. I come at this from a church perspective, which encourages one to keep a journal. I used to be fabulous at this when I was a teenager (when I come across my diary of life at 13 years old again, I shall share bits with you and I promise you will fall off your chair in your asthma-attack-laughing-fit). I was also pretty good right through my 20s. But then I realised that I don't actually enjoy HAND writing things (at uni' I could only ever ever write essays on the computer), especially as I touch-type and do that fast too. So my life became undocumented until I discovered scrapbooking which helped somewhat. But blogging (despite me slagging it off last January!) has helped me keep a record. All year. Albeit not quite as personal as it might be. But hey, it's better than a whole decade of next-to-nothing eh? I print off my blog at the end of every month and keep it in a folder.

So...we come to this new year. Shall I share? Or shall I keep my new goals floating around in a petri dish in my brain? Mmmm....

What do you do at 5.30 in the morning?

2006-12-28T05:24:00.000Z

I need a post-Christmas detox. Two mornings in a row now I've woken up at silly o'clock and can't get back to sleep (after going to bed gone midnight). I know why. It's because I'm barely doing any movement at all at the moment, let alone exercise (I mean really, how much energy does it take to just walk around the house all day?) and, ironically, I'm eating twice as much food in the form of left-over turkey, ham, pate, yule log, mince pies, etc. etc. etc. So, 5-6 hours sleep and my body's DONE. Recharged. Ready to go again. Bleuch. I am a slug and I need to get myself invigorated!!!

And now, on top of all that, I have Lisa Bearnson Envy (you may recall my pseudo Stacy Julian Envy of a few weeks ago). This woman is much more my cup of char. Organised-ish (but her child has two different socks on - bwaahaahaa - and I love that she put on her daughter's top and squished her face in the process because a button hadn't been undone--I do that!), a house to DIE for, a family that are all working *together* to get out the house in the mornings, and a house where the spiritual is important, exercising (and, please note, NOT jogging) with friends, and did I mention the house is to die for? I am so tuning in today and tomorrow to see what her scrap room looks like....

We went to see Aladdin last night at the Swansea Grand Theatre. What a treat! I love a good panto (oh no I don't...oh yes I do). We have friends who all belong to the same family (the Gilmours...some of you reading this will know Katie-Jane as she comes scrapbooking, and she's married to a Gilmour). This family consist of mum and dad, and their 8 children (the youngest two are twins, one of whom is Katie's husband--but can I just say at this juncture...6 children...and THEN she had TWIN BOYS. The woman deserves a medal!!!!). 6 of the 8 children are married now, and between them they have another plethora of children (Tracey has 6 kids for example). And Jeff, one of the brothers, pays for his whole family--parents, siblings and spouses, nieces and nephews--PLUS friends (there were 7 there last night) to see the panto every year. Sooooo coooooool. Celyn's been going to an Uncle-Jeff-Panto every Christmas since she was 1. I really love the Gilmours and I remember sitting there last night looking around at Danny and Celyn, who were just laughing and waving and joining in the frivolity, Katie sat on my other side with one of the nieces on her lap, Craig and his family sat in front (love Craig--we spent two years writing when he was serving a mission for our church), and another 3 rows of Gilmours behind me (who are so fab) and I felt so happy. I'm very blessed to have such lovely lovely friends. Oh no I'm not...OH YES I AM! The production was excellent (Mike Doyle is always completely hi-laaaaaaa-rious and Kevin Johns was also fabulous as Widow Twankey...and the two of them on stage together are a scream). If you live anywhere near Swansea, I can't recommend it enough.

Oh...by the way...check out the new Scrappers Unlimited Gallery. I've changed the look of it (with a tiddly bit of help from my web company - bwaahaaahaa) and you can now see all the fab work my fantastic Creative Team get up to, with more images being added soon.

Well. It's just gone 6am now. I wonder if I could get back to sleep? I can but try. But then again, Lisa gets up at 6... *sigh*

Who's Boxing?

2006-12-26T10:40:00.000Z

Are you Boxing today? Heh heh. Ding ding, round 2.

All I know is, it's pretty quiet in Blogger Land (see that piece of tumbleweed that just blew past?) Just as it should be. I hope you're all having a good time.

As for me and my house...I've eaten too much...I am still in my PJs at 10.45am...my hair looks terrible...we've run out of wrapping paper and we've got the in-law pressies to wrap and take over today...Celyn has tooooooo maaaaaany tooooooys...Husband and I laughed till we cried at Christopher Guest and Ricky Gervais last night on the TV (of Spinal Tap fame...oh Spinal Tap is soooo funny)...we're off to the panto tomorrow (oh no we're not, oh yes we are)...I'm desperate to scrap and I know it won't be met well if I do, so I can't...and talking of Desperate, the Housewives return on 3 January (hoo HAA!)...and finally, I like Boxing Day better than Christmas Day I've decided (less pressure, if you know what I mean, and I LOVE cold turkey and salad stuff).

Right. Off to have some chocolate for breakfast.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

2006-12-22T12:19:00.000Z

Santa visited Celyn's school yesterday which was VERY EXCITING! Of course this was just the prelims before the BIG DAY, but he gave her a really cool colouring/sticker book and asked her what she wanted for Christmas so I'm SURE she'll get it (because she's been such a good girl).

Tee hee! So lovely. Look how happy she is.

I had an outrageously scrappy day yesterday as well, and it furthered my epiphany that I am a 'library scrapbooker'. The lovely Debbie came to scrap chez moi and after the intial cafuffle because we went to take photos of Santa, and then I made yummy lunch (if I say so myself) (soup, tiger bread, sticky toffee pudding with real fresh custard), I got down to scrapping and you couldn't see me for dust. I scrapped like a mad thing. Now...sit me down in a crop and I'd do next to nothing in 12 hours. BUT with just one person working at the same table as me, calmy chatting and laughing all the time, I produced not one, not two, but THREE file-card books for Celyn's teacher, class assistant and head-teacher.

I ROCK!

Debbie and I had such a fun day. MUST do it again soon!

I gave all three teachers their gifts this morning and they all made the appropriate oooing noises (and apparently they've already been passed around the staff room in an orgy of delight). Happiness.

So, this afternoon I'm putting on my battle armour and charging into Tesco to fight it out over the turkeys and parsnips. Hoo haa. And then I intend to spend the weekend being chilled out and festive...wrapping presents (tedious), making the-best-stuffing-recipe-in-the-world (fab), and tidying the house (more tedious than present wrapping but feels sooooo good when the house looks glorious). And THEN on Christmas Eve everything will be joyous. Ho ho ho.

So, I wish you all a very, very happy Christmas and big yuletide snoggies from us all in the Willicombe household xxx Here's the slide-show of one of the books for y'all.

The children's names have been smudged out, in case you're wondering what those green and red blobs all over the place are!

Education is the answer

2006-12-19T18:50:00.000Z

I literally just heard that phrase quoted on the news as I logged on to write a blog entry. And that is my thought for the day.

There has been a lot of debate just lately on UK Scrappers about the reasons why several scrapbooking magazines and bricks-and-mortar shops are pulling down the shutters on their businesses this year. It's been a really thoughtful discussion, and one I'm very interested in as someone who runs a scrapbooking business in this country.

I really feel that teaching this fab hobby of ours is at the root of the answer. People can say that they don't make enough money to stay in business, but if there were more scrapbookers around (1 in 5 households in America has a scrapbooker living in it!), then the market would be sustainable. However, most of the women (or men!) I speak to here don't have the first clue what scrapbooking is. When they ask what I do for a living, I always have to weigh up how much time I have to invest in a conversation at that moment, because I know it's not going to be a short answer and I'll have to explain scrapbooking as a design craft and not newspaper clippings in sugar-paper books.

In my experience, if I think of the women I know through school, my daughter's ballet class, at church, whatever... only some of them will naturally be interested in scrapbooking (we're all different...I wouldn't want to go kayaking every weekend, but some people love that :D ). However, once those who DO have a bent towards cutting and sticking see my scrapbooks and then (which I think is the crux) do it for themselves, they are so delighted with the finished product (because it has THEIR photo of THEIR family on the page which THEY created), they get hooked and want to do more for themselves. They also realise how DOABLE it is, even for a beginner (you don't have to be able to draw or paint for example).

I had a lady come to our last retreat in Gloucester who was a friend from church. She only came because she fancied a weekend away (her husband is physically disabled and she wanted a break) and she knew she'd be somewhere pleasant, friendly and safe because I would be there. She was planning to do 1 or 2 classes as "something a bit different" but by no means was she coming to attend as a scrapbooker. She bought a few bits and pieces so she could take part in her chosen classes, but on the whole she was just going to chill out, do a bit of sight-seeing and enjoy the lovely food!

Well, by the end of the first day she was completely hooked. The next morning she went off into Gloucester to do her sight-seeing (which is what she'd planned to do all of Friday) but she was back by lunchtime and participating in more classes. The Sunday after the retreat she said to me, "I didn't realise I NEEDED this!" To her it is a relaxing creative outlet, and a way of recording her personal and family history, which is very important to her. She LOVES it! And she's now attending the Swansea Crop and is planning to bring members of her family in the New Year.

However, I've known her for years and she's never been interested in scrapbooking before. It was only when she did it for herself she realised how fun it was.

My point is that for scrapbooking to grow and therefore magazines to succeed and shops to flourish, women (let's face it...mostly women!) need to be given the opportunity and impetus to attend well taught, interesting classes that are sensibly priced (price is very important). These classes need to be aimed not just at more experienced, 'in-the-know' scrapbookers who are attracted by so-called 'celebrity' events, as new scrapbookers have not the faintest clue who these people are. I've also learnt through my own experience that simply advertising classes in the local area doesn't work either, because if people haven't got a clue what scrapbooking is, they're not likely to go to a class in it are they? That would be like me seeing a poster in the Co-Op to come "Flooblepopping" at the village hall on Thursdays from 6-9pm!

What does work is a lot of word-of-mouth and showing my work off and then encouraging people to attend a crop or a class.

I have heard all the remarks before about the British not being a nation of crafters (which I actually don't believe because a great number of my non-scrapbooking friends and acquaintances have or do enjoy sewing, painting, card-making, knitting, beading, tapestry, cross-stitch, etc.). I've also heard the theory that because the British are less 'emotional' than Americans, they won't be so keen on pouring out their love for their children/husband/friends/cat on keepsake pages (again, I'm entirely unconvinced by that theory as well...the British feel emotion just the same as other nations...and we express it differently...but we DO express it!).

Despite these theories, I still think there's a lot more potential for growth out there. And also, I know an absolute TON of scrapbookers who don't visit UK Scrappers (some of them don't even come online ever! Imagine that!! LOL) and they only have one shop near them if they're very lucky. These women therefore don't know about events around the country, or 'who's hot' or what the latest must-have products are. Magazines are probably their main resource unless they attend a local crop or a class. I think there are a lot more ladies like that out there. Lots of lone scrappers who don't know what's available out there for them to attend.

British scrapbooking magazines are very important for pulling in new blood, but of course they have to be widely available (which they aren't, I hear). Magazines should also teach the craft to newbies, but should also show more advanced scrapbookers new skills as well. That's why a range of magazines with different objectives (like Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks and Scrapbook Answers* in the States) would be the ideal in the UK. But people need to buy these magazines to keep them in business. As it stands at the moment, it looks like we only have two magazines in this country still in publication, which is getting into 'monopoly' territory and that is never ever a good thing.

* An American magazine that focused on teaching and I loved it. And it's recently folded - boooooo!

However, nothing will ever replace hands-on, face-to-face teaching.

Educating the whole country IS a slow burner, funnily enough - LOL - but education (as with many other areas in life) is the answer IMHO :) I have seen ENORMOUS growth in the UK in the last 3 years and I actually do feel positive about this growth continuing.

So what do you guys think? What do you see as important for you to progress in this hobby? How do you think scrapping magazines and shops will survive?

So...my bed broke

2006-12-18T20:18:00.000Z

I'm feeling blue today. And in an effort to cheer myself up, I shall relate the woes of my bed instead. Or should that be bedstead?

Picture the scene...

A winter's morning (last Thursday). Snuggly buggly under the duvet as it's still dark despite the alarm driving home the idea that it's actually 7.30. With a sigh, I sit up and start to swing my legs out of bed, when...

KEEERRRRR-AAASH!

The right side of the bed (my side) suddenly falls southward with me, naturally, following it, and Danny clinging on for dear life as the mattress is now tilting at a 25 degree angle.

"Oh my goodness gracious me. This is a to-do, isn't it dear?" (or words to that effect).

The little ledge which holds the slats which hold the mattress had broken completely free from the bedframe. Now, this is not a new bed - indeed it was second-hand when we gratefully received it from my first cousin...and she'd had it for a number of years, and we have now been married for over 7. It simply appears that our marital divan had come to the end of its natural life and had dramatically given up the ghost.

And no, the bed did not break because we were both on the same side of it engaging in rumpety-pumpy, which is what I was accused of amid gales of giggling at the South Wales Crop last Saturday (despite the fact that I threatened to bar the lot of them). At least it happened when I was conscious...can you imagine if I'd turned over in my sleep... there would have been legs all a kimbo and it all being rather distressing to say the least.

So anyway... now we're sleeping on a mattress on the floor (I feel like a wanton student). However, strangely enough, both Danny and I have remarked that we're both finding the floor mattress more comfortable than our bed ever was, and I always hated the shape of the headboard anyway. Every cloud, as they say...

Forgot this one...

2006-12-18T15:18:00.000Z

Love this one! Celyn and her Daddy :D

Away in a manger...

2006-12-18T13:55:00.000Z

Here, at long last, for your "awwwww!" pleasure, are pictures of Celyn's lovely nativity concert on Friday. I have to say her teacher and class assistant did a fantastic job and all the children did a fantastic job too. Considering that they're only 3 and 4 years old, they said their lines clearly, they sang brightly and you could hear all the words, and they knew where to go and what to do on stage. Fab, fab, fab. Brought a tear to my eye it did. And my girl...well...what can I say. So proud. Just so proud. And my heart swelled a thousand times when she came into the hall in her lovely Star of Bethlehem costume and the first thing she wanted to do was find us. When she spotted Danny and me sitting there, her face just beamed and she couldn't resist a little wave.

l-r Celyn with her teacher - Celyn with two of her good friends - Shepherd (such a cutie!) - King and cast (LOVE the ears!) - One of Celyn's good friends with her mum after the show - Celyn doing her thing as the angels sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star :-D (love that halo (girl 2nd in from the right)...all the other angels had halo envy! I teased her mum about it after - chortle, chortle)

So how scrapable are these photos on a scale of 1 to 10?

Celyn's eyes have dark rings under them...on account of the fact that she was actually not well, which we didn't discover until she was on her way home and asked if she could get in her PJs and watch TV (watch TV, yes; get in your PJs in the middle of the day? Not Celyn at all). Playing around with the thermometer an hour later, quite by chance, I discovered she had a temperature of 101...and I spent much of that evening dabbing her down with cool flannels and shoving Nurofen in her as it carried on soaring to over 103. Horrid. It's always horrible when your children are ill. She was better by Saturday though (phew!)