Happy Birthday....

To Jase :) He is now 31 lol. Mum and Dad came over today and we all went for yummy scrummy carvery at the Toby Restaurant up the road.... Josh missed out as was at school :( but he enjoyed playing 'swords' in the garden with Grumps..


Please excuse the lack of grass cutting that has taken place recently....

Only a quick blog entry as a) The Lost season finale is on and b) I seem to have collected nine million¤ crafty tasks to complete this week *sigh*

¤ slight exaggeration!

Weekender

We visited our friends Jamie, Claire and Toby at the weekend in 'Royal' Leamington Spa and had a fantastic time .....
Josh and Toby were superheros for the day!


Jase and Jamie watched the Ryder Cup...


Jared was 'busy'!


Claire made a yummy scrummy roast dinner!




The boys posed for photos (well Josh and Toby did, Jared prefered to eat grass!!)...you can click on the piccies to see an bigger image.

Get Well Soon.....

.....to the lovely Richard Hammond. He's been in a crash this week! The presenters make Top Gear worth watching. OK Jeremy Clarkson is cool but not in the same way IYKWIM :) But they are funny and make me laugh. Out loud.

You can see the whole caravan escapade here

Photos

On a more positive note from my last entry :).... I am feeling much better. It was one of those really nasty 24 hour things where you don't want to stray too far from the loo lol. I did feel sorry for Josh a) being late for school (it was only about 10 mins) and b) me throwing him at the receptionist oops no sorry Admin Assistant so that I could get home as fast as possible.
Jared does look cute in his tigger suit though....

I have been playing with photoshop :) Here is one of Josh....(he's at martial arts at the mo) He is very proud of his purple belt :)

Copycat

Trawling through the realms of the huge auction site that is known as 'eBay', I stumbled across these toppers. Hmmm I thought, they look just like some I made and sold on eBay a while ago. I stopped to ponder. I have had it very kindly pointed out to me that if an item is changed by just 10% then it is no longer a copy. I pondered some more. I understand that there is only so much that you can do to alter a die cut shape but when all a person's listings 'bear' (groan) more than a passing resemblance, is that more than a coincidence? Perhaps I am being paranoid but even the wording in her listings is identical - a copy and paste job, perhaps? (except she has left out the bit about being a 'BOB' lol). Here are mine to compare. They may also be found in the archives of my blog.


I really do try hard not to get upset. imitation is after all supposed the be the highest form of flattery. It is just frustrating. I am used to the odd item that I sell on eBay being emulated but when everything that a seller has for sale is an emulation of something that I have created, it leaves a bitter taste. Particularly when the seller is a member of the forum that I like to frequent.

Down with the sickness (the Richard Cheese version)

No blogging today as I am poorly sick :( Josh was late for school and poor little Jared got dumped in the car still wearing his tigger sleep suit. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Eat It

Josh had his first full day at school today and survived. Just. I knew that it was not good when he came out of school looking very sad and said 'I missed you mum' 'today was bad' and even wanted to give Jared a hug.

I think that all went well until lunch time... I made Josh his super healthy energy packed nutritious lunch last night. Lol Jase got carrot and cucumber sticks in his too 'cos I couldn't be bothered to make two separate lunch boxes. Josh is not allowed anything vaguely bad for you a la Jamie Oliver and whilst I agree that chocolate and the like in excess is not a good thing, I think that children still have to want to eat their lunch. I snuck in a brioche filled with yummy strawberry filling that cunningly disguises itself as a plain bread roll :)
I digress. I got a 'phone call at about 10 past 12 from Josh's teacher asking why I had not picked him up. Horrible phone call, you just think that something bad has happened when the school phones during the day. It hadn't luckily. So I explained that he is in the age group that stays all day ( I had checked with her when I dropped him off) and after she had checked ( like I'm gonna send him all day if he is not s'posed to be there!) she agreed that yes, I should be picking him up at 3pm.

After I got off the phone I worried (Mum's are allowed to worry!) If Josh was with the teacher, when was he gonna have is lunch :(

Sure enough when Josh had become less upset, he told me that he had to eat his lunch on his own and did not have time to eat all of it which made me upset :( I may have to investigate this further tomorrow. I know that it is probably a little thing in the daily life of the school but for a little person having his first packed lunch on his own makes me sad and it was a big thing to him.

Ok rant over :) Josh was knackered (as to be expected) and napped when he got in (he's still awake now thanks to that nap (it's gone midnight)) but recovered enough to have tea and go training.


and finally.... It's Talk Like a Pirate Day...It be today! no really...lookie here I saw the funniest pirate joke on Lythan's blog. Its really bad but still makes me chuckle....


Why are pirates called pirates?
Because they aaaaar!

Jelly

.....After a swift kick with pointy boots from Jane, I promise that I will try to update my blog more lol. Not much happened today though to report. Instead, I will give you the aftermath of having Jelly and Custard for Pudding....

Mahnamana lol

I *wubs* The Muppets :) I found this link on a forum and thought I would share... enjoy :)

Tag You're It...

Got tagged by Jane ... You have to copy the list and highlight the things that you have done....

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
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
8. Said “I love you” and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game... have been to see England but they are not exactly huge at the mo lol
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables yum
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s nappy ...daily :)
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne (bleugh)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen an eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run (if that’s like a rounder )
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
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... we have two, they're just not connected :)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was inebriated
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign (and traffic cones lol)
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a roadtrip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
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
56. Alphabetised your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (most days with Josh, I am *fanfare* Power Ranger Mummy to his Mesagog lol)
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
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
65. Gone to a drive-in cinema
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
70. Taken a martial arts class no I do take Josh to one though...
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 not by choice but morning sickness kinda does that to you lol
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favourite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (only to go to Uni)
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking (normally Jared's favourite song 'Old MacDonald' or as he calls it... Oink oink lol)
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
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111.Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery (does an appendectomy count?)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
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 ( I have made green tomato chutney though yum)
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating only trout which are technically fish rather than an animal, I s'pose.
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office ...lol not likely
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
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
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

and so.... I tag Kathy and Debbie have fun lol ( and I am feeling chuffed as I remembered how to do those hyperlink things again yay)

How Cool is That?

I got a fabby email today saying that the piece that I submitted to the Basic Grey Gallery has been accepted *yay* I'm not sure how selective they are when choosing the pieces that they upload but it is v. cool to see my name next to the words 'Basic Grey Designer' lol

http://www.basicgrey.com/catalog/idea_gallery.php?designer_id=10152

Postman

Why oh why is the Royal Mail so useless? You send something via Special Delivery and it is states 'guaranteed by 1pm next day' Apparently though, this only means 'guaranteed by 1pm next day' if you pay extra on top of the monies that you have paid for this service in addition to the funds that you have parted with for normal postal charges. Otherwise, it is just guaranteed to get there, when they feel like delivering it... Make sense? No, it didn't to me either :)

Particularly annoying as I discovered after deciding to enter the Card Maker of the Year Comp and now find out that my entry may not have reached there in time :(

Today, I also found out that an Ebay purchase sent via this service also will now not reach it's destination until possible tomorrow when it should have been there yesterday. *grrr*

And... (I know 'And' should not have a capital 'A' but I wanted to start a sentence with it anyway) I posted a Birthday card on Sunday to a member of the Birthday club on CBC and find out that the postie was off sick so no mail was collected on Monday therefore my card was late *double grrr*

On a lighter note, I did find the latest set of papers made by Blonde Moments, they are particularly lush and I deffo need them all :)

I Can Sing a Rainbow

Josh survived his week of school... *note to self* add pictures of Josh in uniform* and this week came the first of the requests... to take in something colour, material or elephant related. So after a really helpful suggestion from Jase of a rainbow striped material elephant (I didn't bother checking, I know we don't have one of those!) I thought I would make him a tag book :) It is not the most embellished book and some of the shapes are a bit iffy although the hand cut whale is better than I imagined. Tis finished. Hurrah! and Josh likes it which is the main thing. I did have a TV on the black page but Josh pointed out that TV's are silver as I guess most are now so it became Sid the Spider.

So... I made it with Bazzill, patterned paper scraps, printed colour names, inked some edges and tied lots of ribbon on the top :)

The Relatives

Eeek! My first tag, from Kathy *waves*

1. Which famous person would you most like to learn that you are descended from?

Hmmm I actually quite like my family :) I have finally (I think) got used to having a kinda unique surname and wouldn't really want to change that sooo... I would like to keep all as it is :) Plus I don't think I would really want to be related to someone über famous, too much hassle!

2. Which famous person would you hate to learn that you are descended from?

Paul Daniels ....bleugh ( and of course any other more obvious nasties).

3. If you could be ancestor to any living famous person, who would it be and why?

Bill Gates... it's all about the fancy retirement home!!

4. If you could go back in time and meet any known ancestor(s) of yours, who would it be?

Can I say all of them? Just to meet them and get to know what they are (were) all about?

5. Tag 5 others.

Hmmmm (again) don't think I know 5 other bloggers that will not have already been tagged so consider yourself tagged a). if you are reading this and b). if you have not already been tagged.

White Wedding

A few more piccies of the actual day, most of the photos we took are a bit rubbish so here are the best few, I had to lighten them in Photoshop and am not the best :)







And finally.... a piccie of the card that I made for them to celebrate the occasion :) featuring bears (of course!) DCWV paper kindly sold to me by Rachie, Prima and Angel Kisses flowers and lots of brads and ribbon :)

Sharp Dressed Man

So... Still got loads to update after our period offline. First up is..... Marc and Julie's Wedding.

The day itself ran smoothly, it was just Josh's suit that proved difficult. It came from a place in Swindon called Garry Andrew website here If you are ever in the area and in need of a posh suit, don't go there. No really. Don't even think about it. Not Ever. No way.

I had only had one dealing with them before and that was the bridal bit where a really snotty woman told my friend that in order to fit into a decent dress she would need to get a boob job (!)

The fitting itself was ok, the gentleman whom I guess is 'Garry' is so miserable though and had no idea how to deal, act or speak to little people and was generally the sort of person that you would not ever want to deal with again.

The suit was picked up and tried on at home, only for us to discover that it had a button missing and.... was too big imo.

So a call to the shop and and after a lengthly discussion with a female - I'm guessing that she is not Garry's wife IYSWIM but was certainly obtuse enough to be, It transpired that they could not possibly have sent a suit out without a button but they did offer to pay parking for me to travel in with both children to allow them to correct their error.

Garry was his happy self. Actually no, he was downright rude. He got annoyed with Jared for daring to walk around the shop and stressed with Josh cos he wanted to try on a top hat. Grrrrrr. If they had done their job in the first place, we wold not have been there.

Anyhoo button was fixed. Suit was tried on but Garry ' I have a lot more experience of this that you' refused to admit that the suit was too big. I have added pictures for you to decide....Parking monies was thrown at me. LOL they gave me an envelope containing £1.10 of coppers. Could they be any more awkward? And we left never ever to return.







On the left, we have the suit as deemed ok at the fitting... and on the right we have the suit at the wedding, a completely different one from the one tried on but according to Garry also fits. Hmmm. It didn't matter, Josh looked lush and was a little superstar all day :)

Holiday

So.... after losing our internet connection and now finally finding it again :) we have the long awaited holiday photo's..... We had a fabby time at Rachie and John's and even managed to fit in a visit to Jase's N and G on the way there. The weather was pants but we had, as Josh would say; 'a super extra fun time'. No photos of our Blue Planet visit as managing two small people and taking photo's would have been a little tricky :)

We're Back...

Hurrah. Nuff said :)