Viva Espana

Last day at work! Woohoo!!! well, last day for two weeks anyway!

That's it, we are clearing off to Spain for a couple of weeks to visit my mother in law and Barcelona. For the first time we have decided to explore a bit more of Spain and I'm very excited about the photo opportunities!

Mel is also off in a couple of weeks - but to Sorrento, so again - fantastic photos to follow, I'm sure!

Dan had "superskills" at school yesterday which is a great event. Each team has a member from reception all the way through to the team captain in year 6 and they help each other out with sports themed tasks. Their team was the Funky, Punky Monkeys and they did just great! Look at that sky though!






I have also managed to complete my LO of Dan as a baby on the beach. After making some changes - I'm very pleased with the bright colours and the windmill.



I also started on a LO of my husbands grandparents. I found it really difficult to put together because I didnt know them. Its hard to complete something like this when you dont know the characters involved!



Anyway - I've got to finish up at work now (yawn) and then pack!

WOYWW - 21 July 2010

Morning bloggers,
Not much going on on my desk today but I have started a new layout -Yippeeee! It feels like ages since I've done one and it took a couple of days to get any ideas but its finally coming together.
The LO is of my son Daniel about 10 years ago on a holiday to Spain. It was his first time on a beach and he decided that he would EAT it! Very odd child because he had a whale of a time. I think I'm going to use the title "Happy as a sand boy".

I have used some Basic Grey papers that have been in my stash for a while along with some freebie papers from a recent magazine.




My desk is usually quite tidy - I'm the kind of person who can't concentrate if there is too much mess in front of me. I also have to clear away everything between projects - only to get it all out again!
I do have piles of stuff around, above and underneath my workspace through - which is in a terrible mess - but how do I cover all that up?

92 Years Young (almost)

Another very busy weekend hosting family for Nanna's 92nd birthday bash!

Saturday was spent at Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. The weather stayed warm and dry and 16 of us plodded around the park with cameras in hand trying to compete with my Uncle's (terrific) photos. I have to admit to having "lense envy".

(Uncle John with his terrific camera and lense)

Usually my favourite animals to see at a zoo are penguins - but it seemed they were being kept in. We did see one naughty penguin trying to "run away" and hide behind a bush - but he was soon caught by the keeper and put in the shed!

I admit to being a bit scared of Emu's and ostrich - I'm not sure what it is about them....

(You lookin at me)?

The big cats did it for me this time - I just want to go in a have a cuddle!
I even took a paw picture - although some would say all my photos are paw!








And then, of course, there are always the monkeys! Always at their best when having a tea party!




Best of all was that Queen Nanna had a lovely time enveloped by her family! Heres to the next 92 years!!!!!!!

WOYWW - 14 July

Rubbish week so far for being creative - instead my workdesk (at "paid for" work) is under a pile of about 300 envelopes which yours truly stuffed and franked.



Other than that this week has been really busy and is set to get busier!

The Tanzanian students left yesterday so Monday night was party night - which was quite emotional for some. I was really chuffed when several of the Tanzanian teachers said how charming Casey (my daughter) is and how they look forward to seeing her next year!
The Tanzanian students and teachers were all beautifully dressed in suits and dresses which we all found a bit embarassing as we sat there in our shorts and t-shirts!

Casey has a BTEC Performing Arts performance tonight and Dan has his performance of Wind in the Willows tomorrow. Bless him, he has just been given a "fill in" role as someone else is not able to make it so he's practising for "Prisoner 1".

Maybe I'll get some time to scrap photos next week before we fly off on our holidays!

WOYWW- 7 July 2010

All kind of things on my desk for WOYWW:

1. 6 Tags that have arrived from the June altered tag swap on UK Scrappers. The theme was "A Midsummer Nights Dream" - all of which are very different and very lovely. Thanks ladies!


Above - By New2This (Frances)

Above: By Cynthia

Above: By me (I think someones tags got lost in the post so I got one of my own back)

Above: By Scrapelephant (AKA Helen)


Above: By LEBOSI

Above: I dont know who this is by because she didnt put her name on it!

2. Fabric artwork, jewellery, be-jewelled flip flops and printed fabrics all from Tanzania from our lovely Tanzanian exchange student Mayvees who is staying with us for a while.



My daughter has been involved in raising money for the Tanzania exchange at school (which need to total £60K by July next year). Our Tanzanian friends have been enjoying the English weather for the past couple of weeks and getting used to our British ways. Mayvees was so kind to bring some of these fantastic traditional items to give to us. I hope we have given her some lovely memories to take back with her next week.
So far we have made her sit through "Mamma Mia" the movie, been bowling (which she had never done before - but still came 3rd and told us it was beginners luck)! We showed her the indoor ski slope - and this was the first time she has ever seen snow and then we frightened her half to death by showing her the indoor sky-diving! Tonight we are off to the cinema to see Shrek 4 in 3D and buy mobile phones for her friends and tomorrow we have to have fish n chips. Friday is a Ceilidh dance before Warwick castle on Saturday. Phew....

A Proud Family Day

Our grandmother is almost 92 years young!



As she is the oldest member of her church in Ampthill she was asked to open their new extension and give a little speech. Obviously we had to go and give her moral support, so 4 generations gathered with over 100 church members to see her do the honours!
What a proud moment it was for all of us!

Unforuntately we managed to stand inside while she directed her speech outside so we didnt get any decent photos of her doing her bit.
She told the crowd that she had been christened in the church in August 1918 and married in the 1940's. Her parents were also members of the church as was her grandfather who was born in 1842.

Nanna isn't very well at the moment and has just been given some rather bad news about the recent tumour that she had removed. It looks like she will need a further operation to get rid of the cancer. At her age this is something that we all worry about! But to celebrate her impending birthday we are getting the whole family together for the weekend - So we have something to look forward to.....





Mother and daughter

Casey & Great-grandmother




A very proud great-grand-daughter