WOYWW 31st August

I know Learn Something New Every Day starts in the morning.

I know that yet again I am behind.

I have started making my pages and am thinking about the covers to my little book.

I am busy recycling some old packaging.

Am going for the small is beautiful approach.

Will I finish this class on the 3rd attempt of trying.

To be continued................

My Creative Sketches

I happened upon this fab new sketch challenge blog whilst wandering around the world wide web. From what I gather My Creative Scrapbook is a company who supply scrapbooking kits and in addition to this they provided their subscribers with the odd sketch or 2 to inspire them. But you don't have to be a kit club member to play along with their sketch challenges - and you know me - I love a good sketch.

Here is their first sketch:




And here is my take on it:






























I used more of the bargain cheap as chips Amy Butler papers I picked up in the States(this is the 3rd page I have managed to squeeze out of the 5 sheets of patterned papers far!) and the photo is of Andy, Matthew and Callum when we stopped at a viewpoint in The Smoky Mountains.

Really enjoyed this sketch and will certainly be playing along next month

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

This is an older Madelaine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella) book that has recently been re released over here. I have enjoyed the rest of her books but have to admit when I read the blurb on the back (and some not very good reviews on Goodreads) I wasn't over struck by it. I mean a story about a woman who gatecrashes weddings....... But I have to say that 7 chapters in I am enjoying it although not over keen on the main character of Fleur - I want to keep on reading to see what happened - does she get her money - or fall in love?




Fleur is beautiful, unscrupulous, and has a large wardrobe of black designer suits. With the help of "The Times" announcements page she gatecrashes the funerals and memorial services of the wealthy, preying on rich, vulnerable men. She charms her way into their lives and onto their platinum credit cards, takes what she can, and then moves swiftly on. When Richard, a dull but wealthy businessman, meets Fleur at his wife's memorial service, he's bowled over. Gradually Fleur works her spell on Richard's family - transforming their lives while she moves in on their wealth. But she finds herself lingering longer than she meant to ...

Pop over to The Book Journey and see what everyone else is reading this week.

Sketch Of The Week

Thought I would have a go at Shimelles sketch of the week from a couple of weeks ago - you can find it here.

After hunting high and low I eventually found the October Afternoon Road Maps papers that I knew I had somewhere! (Really must have a good reorganisation in my craft room.)

The photos are from our holiday - we took a 12 hour drive from Tennessee down to Florida - and I took quite a few photos out of the car as we travelled - this is us approaching Nashville (we had already been here - and we partook of the line dancing at The Wild Horse Saloon - but that is another set of photos!!)

Here is Shimelles sketch:




And here is my take on it:








I have spent this weekend uploading a whole stack of holiday photos to Photobox and placed a big order - 304 photos should be winging their way to me shortly - that will keep me quiet for a while!!

UK Scrappers Book Club

September is my month for picking the book choices for our online book club over on UK Scrappers - someone picks a selction of titles, then we vote on which ones we would like to read and then follows a discussion (sometimes lengthy) on the chosen title. Feel free to pop over and join in.

I make no apologies for my book choices this month - this year I have been taking part in the Chick Lit Challenge and have thoroughly enjoyed a majority of the books I have picked up so far. I know some people look down their noses at this genre but sometimes all you want to do is read something light and not too taxing - and all of these books I think would make perfect summer holiday reads.

Kate's Wedding by Chris Manby.
Thirty-nine-year-old Kate had almost given up on love when she met her fiance. Now she's planning for the wedding she never dreamed she'd have. But things seem to be slipping out of her control. Diana, born on the day of the 1981 Royal Wedding, never doubted that one day she would find her prince. Newly engaged, and with daddy's credit card in her grasp, she's in full Bridezilla mode. Against the backdrop of the other couple getting married in April 2011, both women prepare for the most important day of their lives. But will each bride get

Summer Holiday by Penny Smith.
The riotously funny new novel from Penny Smith. Miranda Blake is divorced. At 45, things are starting to head south. She's toying with the idea of Botox. Toying with the idea of facial surgery. And toying with getting a job or possibly a toy boy. The only block to all those things is her stiff, uppity daughter, 23-year-old Lucy. Pompous, is what Miranda calls her. (Sane, is how Lucy sees it.) Her friends are trying to set her up with a collection of bankers and company directors! Similar types to her ex-husband, Nigel (Nigel -- just saying his name makes her wince) and every new date ends in disaster. So, one summer's day, Miranda decides to go and help clean out a local canal. She falls for Alex, a dreadlocked eco-warrior. But Lucy does not approve, and sets about sabotaging the relationship. She succeeds! Miranda, heartbroken, goes on holiday to Spain. But there, things only go from bad to worse -- she falls in with a bad crowd, and is soon way out of her depth. What is it they know about Alex and his family? How is the wealthy recluse, and island owner, David Miller involved in their dodgy business activities? Aboard a glamorous yacht, hosting an award ceremony with former breakfast TV star Katie Fisher, Miranda might be in more trouble than she ever could have imagined. Will Alex get there in time to save her?

My Single Friend by Jane Costello.
At 28, Lucy is doing well for herself. She's got a great job in PR, her boss loves her, and her best girlfriends Dominique and Erin think she's great. More important than anyone's opinion is that of her flatmate, and oldest friend in the world, Henry. For twenty years they've been inseparable: beauty and the geek. Henry thinks the world of Lucy. So why does she feel the need to lie outrageously on dates? From rock-climbing to Chekov: when it comes to prospective boyfriends, Lucy is compelled to embellish her C.V. with unlikely porkies that always backfire - with hilarious results. Henry can't understand it. Lucy is so loveable: why can't she just be herself? But when Lucy turns the spotlight on Henry, he wishes he'd never brought it up. With a penchant for jumpers and NHS-style specs, Lucy decides that Henry is in need of a makeover - big time. Enlisting the help of Dom and Erin, it's not long before the girls have Henry out of the flat, and into the Topman changing rooms. A new haircut, contact lenses, a flirting master-class from Dom ...poor Henry doesn't know what's hit him. But nothing can prepare them for the surprise results! Before long, Lucy realises that their lives will never be the same again.

Here Come The Girls by Milly Johnson.
Shirley Valentine, eat your heart out Ven, Roz, Olive and Frankie have been friends since school. They day-dreamed of glorious futures, full of riches, romance and fabulous jobs. The world would be their oyster. Twenty-five years later, Olive cleans other people's houses to support her lazy, out-of-work husband and his ailing mother. Roz cannot show her kind, caring husband Manus any love because her philandering ex has left her trust in shreds. And she and Frankie have fallen out big time. But Ven is determined to reunite her friends and realise the dream they had of taking a cruise before they hit forty. Before they know it, the four of them are far from home, on the high seas. But can blue skies, hot sun and sixteen days of luxury and indulgence distract from the tension and loneliness that await their return?

The Truth About You by Melissa Hill
When the baby is found on the doorstep of Ella's cafe, everyone asks - what sort of parent would abandon their child? Jess feels increasingly left out as the only non-mum amongst her friends. Terrified she might lose them altogether, she embarks on becoming a mother too. But is she really ready? Hollywood actress Ruth Seymour is home in the small town of Lakeview for the summer. But has an ill-advised fling with a handsome co-star resulted in a seriously unplanned consequence? Nina has come to live with her estranged father, Patrick, after a bad break-up. But will she ever dare tell him about the secret she is concealing? One thing's for sure: someone knows more than they're telling. And the truth won't stay hidden forever...

It Happened One Summer by Polly Williams.
After years of romantic drought, Nell is enjoying a thrilling fling with a sexy new man and loving London life, somehow managing to juggle single motherhood with a busy career. Plus, in the city it's easy to avoid her sister who is about to marry Nell's ex. (Yes, messy.) Then she gets the news. Please could she return to Tredower, the crumbling old family home in Cornwall for the summer? Disaster. Tredower has no wifi, harbours her big dysfunctional family, and, far worse, memories of her passionate love affair with the man who is about to become her brother-in-law. The past is another county. Can she go there? Another woman is making her way west too, carrying an explosive secret. Love will be lost, broken, and found, lives changed forever...

52 Weeks In B&W # 35

A balck and white view of Lossiemouth Beach this summer.

52 Weeks in B&W # 34

Just realised I totally forgot about last weeks black and white photo.

Here is the Spitfire which we watched fly over Fort George the other weekend. I'm not sure how many of these fabulous machines are still flying but it was amazing to see - and the noise made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Skywatch Friday

Series 5, episode 7.

Gorgeous blue skies over the fortifications at Fort George the other weekend.

WOYWW 24th August

First of all I just want to say happy birthday Dad.

I have actually managed some scrapping over the past couple of weeks - mainly down to Shimelle and her crafty weekend. Today I am having a bash at her weekly sketch challenge and as I still haven't done a Photobox order for my holiday photos I popped down to Tesco to print a couple of suitable pics.

The photos are of our drive into Atlanta at the end of our holiday and I knew I had the October Afternoon Road Map papers somewhere - but could I find where......... It just goes to show that I should really sort out some of mt stuff - instead of shoving it inside pizza boxes never to see the light of day again.




In with the papers I also found an unfinished page from yonks ago - so maybe I will tackle that as well.




Pop over and see Julia to see what everyone else is up to this Wednesday.

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

I read a review for this book on a blog somewhere on my travels and it sounded good - I put a request into my local library as they didn't have a copy and hey presto they bought a copy in for me - I am so lucky to have such a fantastic library on my doorstep.





It's 1999 and for the staff of one newspaper office, the internet is still a novelty. By day, two young women, Beth and Jennifer, spend their hours emailing each other, discussing in hilarious detail every aspect of their lives, from love troubles to family dramas. And by night, Lincoln, a shy, lonely IT guy spends his hours reading every exchange. At first their emails offer a welcome diversion, but as Lincoln unwittingly becomes drawn into their lives, the more he reads, the more he finds himself falling for one of them. By the time Lincoln realizes just how head-over-heels he really is, it's way too late to introduce himself. What would he say to her? 'Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail - and also, I think I love you'. After a series of close encounters, Lincoln decides it's time to muster the courage to follow his heart ...and find out whether there really is such a thing as love before first-sight. Heartwarming, witty and unforgettable, ATTACHMENTS is an irresistible romantic comedy that has it all.

I can't say too much about it as I only started it last night - but so far it is quirky and enjoyable with the chapters alternating between Lincoln and Beth and Jennifer's emails.

Pop over to The Book Journey and see what everyone else is reading today.

Scrapbook Starting Points

Following on from one of Shimelles classes last weekend she has decided to do a regular starting point challenge on a Saturday.

The idea is that Shimelle gives a starting idea for a page and then we take it from there as follows:

It’s a take your pick challenge – you can enter by creating a page with either paint, hidden writing or trying this grey/turquoise/yellow/black colour scheme. And there you can win a prize. So consider the starting point a little kickstart toward that challenge perhaps!

Here is Shimelles starting point:




And here is mine:




And this is how it ended up:







I am really pleased with the overall effect. I managed colour challenge minus the yellow with these Amy Butler papers - I picked them up while I was in the States in a fab scrapbook clearance store I found with my SIL - I think they were about 25p a sheet! And the photo was taken on the balcony of our our lodge in The Smoky Mountain and the hidden journalling explains why I was drinking coffee instead of my usual cup of tea.

I even made a quick birthday card out of the scraps.



And the final billy bonus was that whilst I was hunting for those yummy Thickers (I have had them for several years and hoarded them as I thought they were too nice to use!) I came across a box of stash I had forgotten all about. So my motto will be "use it up" instead of keeping things and not using them - what is the point of hoarding stuff in boxes and never letting any of it see the light of day??

Half Page Challenge

Another challenge from Shimelle last weekend was the Half Page Challenge - which was to create a page where at least half of the page had to be "white space". This challenge was made for me as I never fill a sheet of 12x12.

It also made me scrap the first of my holiday photos - I still need to do a Photobox order and get a stack of them printed off.)

On our way from Atlanta to The Smoky Mountains we stopped at Cherokee - and as the name suggests it was an Indian village. Aimed mainly at the tourists it included plenty of souvenier shops and the like - we had a laugh as we looked round them - expicially trying on some of the headgear!! The boys all bought wooden catapults, each of which had an animals head carved on them - perfect when you are aged between 10 and 14.

The papers are from an old Scrapagogo kit and I used my new journalling stamps I bought from them last week. Now I have photographed this page I can see my stamping is non too straight (Banana Frog De Louisville) but life is too short and I won'r be worrying about it.

Chick Lit Reading Challenge # 20

This was a book that was recommended to me by a friend who works in my local library - she had enjoyed it and thought I would too.

Girl On The Run by Jane Costello:




He's a real catch ...if only she could catch him up Abby Rogers has been on health kicks before - they involve eating one blueberry muffin for breakfast instead of two. But since starting her own business, after watching one too many episodes of The Apprentice, the 28-year-old's waistline has taken even more of a back seat than her long-neglected love life. When Abby is encouraged to join her sporty best friend's running club - by none other than its gorgeous new captain - she finds a mysterious compulsion to exercise. Sadly, her first session doesn't go to plan. Between the obscenely unflattering pink leggings, and the fact that her lungs feel as though they've been set on fire, she vows never to return. Then her colleague Heidi turns up at work and makes a devastating announcement, one that will change her life - and Abby's - forever.

There are quite a few side-plots: the ups and downs of her business, her best friend's troubled marriage, her parents' difficult post-divorce relationship, her colleague's tumultuous love life, her other colleague's ill-health. Really, of these, the only one that really interested me was the plot about her business.

This is a witty easy read and did make me chuckle on places (re the thong incident!!) Apart form the main storyline of Abby taking up running as a fund raising scheme there are quite a few side plots - the ups and downs of running her own business, her friends marriage which appears to be on the rocks, her parents post divorce relationship etc.

I have never read anything by this author before - but have picked up another one from the library which is now sitting in my to be read pile.

Chick Lit Reading Challenge # 19

I seem to be slipping behind with my reviews for this challenge so am going to be playing catch up.

First up is Head Over Heels by Jill Mansell. This is one of her older books but the library and a new shiny copy which I couldn't resist and I usually enjoy her books.




Jessie has kept the identity of her son Oliver's father a secret for years. She's stunned when she discovers that the man in question, actor Toby Gillespie, has just moved in next door. The truth's about to come out. One glance at Oliver, and a little mental arithmetic, and Toby has the situation sussed. Meeting the son he never knew he had is the shock of a lifetime. It's a shock, too, for Toby's wife, the beautiful Deborah, though she seems to take it in her stride. Would Deborah be so relaxed if she knew just how close Toby wants to get to the mother of his firstborn? As the attraction between them flares up again, Jessie just can't see her way to a happy ending. But no one is quite what they seem, and there are more surprises to come...

This was an enjoyable read even if the storyline was a little predictable. The main story revolves around Jessie and Toby who have some history and the repercussions ripple throughout the book. There are some fantastic character introduced along the way which make for a very entertaining read. Chick lit at it's best in my opinion.

Skywatch Friday

Series 5, episode 6.

A WW2 dogfight between a Spitfire and a Messerschmit in the skies over Fort George last weekend. It was an incredible sight to see.

See more skies from around the world here.

WOYWW 17th August 2011

I haven't played along with this for ages - probably due to the tumbleweed making it's way around my desk.

I did manage a LO over the weekend thanks to Shimelle and her scrapping weekend. And here is the start of LO number two. I have found some scraps from an old kit, a sketch and a photo - just need the motivation to put them altogether. Plus two rather yummy new stamps from Scrapagogo arrived in the post this morning to play with.






Pop over to Julia's and see what everyone else has on their desk today.

Back to school

Both the boys went back to school today - after an extra long summer holiday of 8 weeks.

Both were up, showered, dressed and fed by 7.30am which is nothing short of a miracle. But then I asked them for the obligatory first day of term photos....

Callum was happy to oblige. But maybe he should have had a pre school haircut and he appears to be wearing half his breakfast down his jumper. Start as you mean to go on son!


























Sam didn't want to play as per usual being the grumpy teenager that he is. He looks rather tired I think - and in fact out of the 3 photos I managed to get of him he has his eyes shut in 2 of them!!


























Shame they have to grow up - this is the boys back in 2006!

Online Scrapbooking Weekend

Shimelle hosted three days of scrapbooking challenges over last weekend with a total of 13 projects to play along with - you can see them all here.

We had quite a busy weekend with a day out, surprise birthday party and the resulting feeling a bit "delicate" on Sunday - which means so far I have only managed one of the challenges. But not to despair - the challenges are open until the end of next Sunday, the 21st August.

Here is my take on the Starting Point Challenge where we were given a photo of a partially completed scrapbook page from which to use as a base for our own work.

create a layout that starts from this design. You can use any papers or colours you like, but before you add any pictures, start with that large box of paper in the background, a wide vertical strip plus a narrow stripe and a horizontal block. Then complete a layout! You can use the page above as inspiration, but it’s not required. See where this starting point sends you!




I used some old Bo Bunny papers which I have had forever and managed to use it all up with just a few scraps left over. I haven't actually put a page together in a couple of months so I would like to say a big thank you to Shimelle for getting me motivated (and a double result to use up old stash!)




The photo is a self portrait that I took for Shimelles "Explore" class (which is still waiting to be started - oops) and the journalling is about my need for reading glasses. I discovered while on holiday that I was struggling to read the menus when we were going out for meals etc so booked an eye test when we got home. I was shocked when the optician suggested varifocals - aren't they something that old people wear?? So I opted for reading glasses instead. And anyone who knows me would know that not being being able to read would be a total disaster!!

I used punches for the flowers and leaves and the journalling is a Studio Calico stamp.





Might even attempt another one of the challenges now...........

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I have almost finished A Winter's Wedding by Sharon Owens. I think the only reason I picked it up in the library was due to the cover - for some reason it appealed to me - and I haven't read anything by this author before.




Love in the bleak mid-winter . . .


Emily loves Dylan.And Dylan loves Emily.Their relationship is rock solid.Everyone says they are meant to be together, it’s just a matter of when – not if – Dylan’s going to pop the Big Question.


There’s just one tiny fly in the ointment: Emily hates weddings. Which is fair enough seeing as she was jilted at the altar years ago by Alex, her supposed soulmate.Still, Dylan isn’t Alex.He’s gorgeous and sexy and scruffy and kind – and more than worth taking a chance on …


But what happens when the ghost of Emily’s Christmas past threatens to ruin everything? Can Dylan convince the love of his life he’s different and that their wedding day will be remembered for the right reasons?


After all, with a sprinkling of snow and a touch of magic in the air, there’s nothing quite like a winter’s wedding to warm the soul …



I have to admit to enjoying this book more than I thought I would after reading some reviews for it on Goodreads - yes it is only a light read - but a perfect way to spend a couple of hours with a cup of tea!!



Pop over to The Book Journey to see what everyone else is reading today.

52 Weeks In B&W : Week 33

A thistle on the battlefield at Culloden.