Project Life - May 2014

Finally found time to upload my May pages, again keeping everything simple, with minimum embellishments.

Decided to have my hair short; trying to eat more healthier; another trip to Botanical Gardens.

Jon making sure my bike is road worthy: working on my charity crop layout at Julies; out for a meal with my neighbours.

Close up of Jon fixing my bike.

Doing my 1st teaching class at the Solihull 'charity' crop; the layout I designed; trying a new ice-cream; finally taking James bed down and James having to sleep on the mattress until his new bed arrived.

I added a flap to this insert so that I could add more journalling and photos of the inside of the mini book.

Helping James with his revision for his GSCE; Canvas Workshop at Moxley (yes I know the 'p' is missing); watching the sunset whilst at a neighbours BBQ; with the girls at the Botanical Gardens and going for Afternoon Tea with Julie & Barbara.

Sue Ryder came to take James bed away; James spending the half term holiday in school doing extra revision;  I voted; my garden flowers; a Treat for James; and my cinema trips I did on my own.

So that if for now, I've nearly finished my June pages so hopefully they will be up before too long.

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Yeah !!! I Did It …

I applied and was accepted on to the Creative Team over at Sarah's Cards Ltd - which has now been relaunched as 'Hey Little Magpie'.

I am beyond excitement and so grateful for this great opportunity and I'm looking forward to getting my creative juices flowing and being part of a fantastic CT team.  Thank you Sarah and Lianne for making my day. 

These are my layouts I submitted

Using Amy Tangerine - Plus One Collection.  The photos was from my recent visit with the girls to the Botanical Garden, when we were celebrating Barbara's birthday.

I added extra texture by introducing some hand stitched lines between the triangles, and splatter ink on the background.

Then I did this one - which could be a 'stand alone' page but I designed it to be a right side of the 2 page layout.  Love this die cut from Silhouette Cameo.

The two pages together

Selfie : Maggie Holmes Collection - I took this selfie as soon as I got into the car from the hairdressers after having my hair cut really short.

RAD - I used an exclusive paper from Studio Calico for the background and did a lot of stamping to distress the background.

The RAD wood veneer I got from Studio Calico

Please check our Hey Little Magpie blog here, to see the other new members of the team.

To my great and thrilling surprise my bestie Julie had applied and was accepted, along with my two musketeers Sam and Sheena.  This is so funny has none of us had told each other that we had applied, let alone been accepted, I'm looking forward to being part of this new DT team and meeting some new friends and scrappers along the way.

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Visit to Preston - June 2014 - Part 2

On the Saturday, I decided I needed to see Preston City Centre - so I headed into town on the bus

I walked along Preston bus station

then visited the outdoor market

I wonder if these are the same boards that was used all those years ago when I was younger and the outside market was a buzz of activity.

I love this view of the cenotaph - it looks just the same, bright and clean, (the building in the background used to be the Post Office) - not sure what it is now.

Then I saw a school friend who was taking part in the Carribean carnival 'King & Queen' contest on the flag market, now has I had about one hour to wait before it started, I decided to pop into the museum - and I'm so glad I did - there is an exhibition about Preston  and has I walked round it was like stepping back in time - I saw a lot of places I remember quite clearly growing up, where my mum worked, the large factory where my Dad and most of the people I knew worked at one time or another, 

and then when I turned around I saw this.

Why would this photo strike me !!! well this is the place I was born - not the actual mosque - but on the site is where my house was before they knocked it down built the mosque.  The first mosque in Preston.  (my next visit to Preston I going to drive round and take a photo).

After looking around the exhibition I then headed outside to see the 'king & Queen' event - this is the start of the Carribean Carnival week of events and the winning pair - get to lead the procession - which is a big honour.

There was a steel band

And whilst the judges made their decisions, some young girls got up to dance - has the compare said 'its in the blood' it was great to see them and everyone enjoying the afternoon entertainment.

But the best part of the day was meeting this man,

 it had been about 15 years since I'd seen him and it took me all my time not to cry.  This man was one of the my Dad's best friends.  He was also my Master of Ceremony at my wedding, 19 years ago - and I can still remember the speech he did, he didn't read it out, it came straight from the heart - I definitely going to do a layout about this meeting as well as the speech.  Don't you think it strange how certain things come flooding back to you, things that are important, but you have forgotten about them.  This totally made my day.

As well as seeing him, I saw a lot of familiar faces and it was great to see them again and have a quick catch up.

Then it was back to my friends and my old next door neighbour came round for the drink - it was great seeing her and catching up.

That was my fun packed weekend, love how an unplanned visit to the town gave me some great memories.

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A Visit to Preston- June 2014 - part 1

I'm now trying to catch up with my blog posts and get back on track after hardly blogging over the past few months.  I'm also hoping that I can get back on track with my PL pages and scrapbooking.

So one way to do that was to have a weekend visit to Preston to see the girlies - oh how I miss them, and sometimes wish I could just jump in the car and nip round for a brew - but it would take me 2 hours to get there - lol so I have to make do with our weekly chats and my weekend visits when I can.


So I headed up the motorway

and the nearer I got the more excited I became - I  love going back to Preston.

My first stop is always to visit my mums grave,

then has I was nearby, I nipped into Hobbycraft,

and I'd promised James if I passed by I would get a photo of Sir Tom Finney statue outside Preston North End Football ground,

I passed my old house, whats with the wheelie bin being outside, never in my day - lol x.

Then I meet up with Christine and we went to lunch and had a good natter

Then I headed to Susans - we have been friends for 42 years, can you believe it - we have had our arguments and disagreements but have been able to overcome a lot and pull through

Then it was time to meet the girls for a meal in town

Followed by cocktails … Not even sure how many I had and yes I did wake up in the morning with a very sore head, but I had a blast which was what its all about.

I had a lovely night with the girls, come back soon and see what I got up to the rest of the weekend.

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Where has the time gone

Yes my boy has finished school, and looking forward to going to College in September.

This is his very first day at School back in Preston, a cute little 4 year old looking forward to making new friends, and leaving very nervous mummy at home to sit, wait  and worry and hope that he would be OK and telling myself that he's too young for school! he needs me! hows he going to cope!

  Age 4 - Sept 2001

Then we made the big move down to Birmingham and he had to start all over again, giving me even more to worry about, not only did we move down here and didn't know anyone, but we had only been in Birmingham for 2 weeks, and one week of that we where away on holiday.

 Age 6 - Sept 2004

Then before you know it he's gone through Infants and Juniors and it was time for Secondary school - OMG ! this I wasn't prepared for how on earth was he going to cope in a big school? with all those people? getting to and from school on his own!

 Age 11 - Sept 2009

Looking back I must of spent the the first few weeks of each new school in a consent state of panic, but I soon settled down and got used to his new beginnings, but more so James took each stage in his education, in his stride and looking back I needn't have worried, he made friends, and has really enjoyed going to school.

He has walked to school with the triplets for the past 4 years, and on the 1st and last day of each school year I have taken there photos of them together, always in this order and against this wall.  Hard to believe that this little routine has come to an end.

On his last day he had his GCSE Maths Exam in the morning, then this happened, has you can see from the smile on his face he had a great last day.

My boy is growing up fast and has become a handsome young man and now he  looking forward to starting college, and yes, I will have my weeks of panic, worry and doubts but I will just have to deal with it and know that he will be OK.

 Age 16 - June 2014

Love you son xxx

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