Wednesday 30 April 2008

Don't ya just love it when a plan comes together ...?!

Ahhhh the satisfaction.....

My new TV was delivered this afternoon while E was napping. They just plonked this HUGE massive box in the middle of my living room and left ...

So..... I decided to try and get it all set up. First I had to assemble the stand, which proved problematic, especially when E woke up half way through. But bless him, he was very helpful, he even asked me at one point 'do you want me to leave you alone mummy?' ....

I couldn't understand the instructions, then the screws kept falling down the hollow legs, but finally I managed to get it together, or what i thought was together ..

Next i had to lift the TV out of its box ... this was a major task, but one that i wasn't going to let defeat me. Even if the picture on the instructions recommended that two people lift it. So giving myself a mild hernia, i managed to get it out of its box and onto the stand .. but it didn't look right. Then when i tried to get the shelfs attached I realised that i had screwed in the back leg back to front... cue much under my breath swearing.

So off came the TV, but I couldn't work out how to get it to look like the picture, it just wouldn't fit .... it took Ethan pointing out the right way (seriously, my boy is a genius!!). So after getting the stand properly assembled I then had to lift the TV once again... oh my... but i did it. YAY!!!!

Then i connected up the old TV to my bedroom DVD player and freeview box, and guess what ... perfect signal. For some reason it now gave me all the channels!! Double YAY!!

So next on my TV project was to move my little bedroom TV to the kitchen ... jiggle the work surface clutter around a bit and guess what ... yep perfect signal. Triple YAY!!!

So I was one happy woman. At times I did feel like giving up, especially when i couldn't lift the TV ... should I call my neighbour ... why was my brother off shore when i needed him ... ? Do i just need a man to help me lift heavy objects??!! No, I am stubborn and managed it all on my own, with a little help from Ethan. What a team.

Then to top it off, I got a phone call to say that I got the part time job i had interviewed for ... and guess what ... it is in the CRAFT DEPARTMENT!!!! YAY, YAY, YAY, YAY!!!

All is very good in my corner of the world today!

xxxx

Somewhere over the rainbow ......

Yuk, what a horrid day. Ethan isn't feeling very well again today, nothing specific, just a wee bit out of sorts. So he doesn't want to go to nursery today.

I have set up a 'dent' for him with two chairs, some blankets and cushions (FYI a 'dent' is E's version of a Den, lol!!). He is watching the Wizard of Oz, I am making a pot of potato and leek soup and we are going to stay in out of the rain.

My new TV also gets delivered today, so I am v excited about that. Also in the middle of a LO that I am really enjoying, using the Sultry BG papers. Hopefully he will have a nice long nap like yesterday and I can finish reading my copy of SI and catch up on series 2 of Dexter (sob, it isn't the same without the ice truck killer, sob ...!).

Hope you are all having a nice day too.

em xx

Tuesday 29 April 2008

Mr Pickle ....

is coming to Scotland in June to teach some classes (Lance Anderson and Donna Downey)!!! So if you are interested and willing to travel, pop on over to Beckies blog and leave a comment and I am sure she will be able to give you more details!!

Starbucks lurve ....

Hola everyone,

Sorry it has been a few days since my last post, have been v busy the past few days, have had a total ball!

I was over in Edinburgh on Thursday night, Ethan was staying the night with my brother. E really loves Geoff and especially loves his car! Well, he especially likes the fact that at the push of a button the roof comes down...

So away they drove with the wind ruffling their hair. My two boys, they are so alike in so many ways, it makes me smile, and I am so touched at their special relationship.

On my arrival in Edinburgh, I just had to have a Starbucks, I love, love, love Starbucks... when I was living over there I had one pretty much every day.

There are no decent places for coffee in Kirkcaldy, so as you can imagine I was gagging for my Starbucks fix (think if i had the cash I would start a Starbucks franchise in Fife!!). Jo came to meet me, we went back to hers and then had a quick tea (bless her, she indulged my current salad addiction .. cant help it am totally loving rocket and watercress at the moment, am going through bags of the stuff!). Then we went speed dating with Lou and Lisa. It was fun, as long as you don't go with the thought that you are going to find your soul mate, lol. No decent men, not that I am looking anyway, but it was great to get out and have a laugh .... Friday was the 25th .. so the start of my Shimelle challenge, Jo got much amusement from me snapping away at the alarm clock, cup of tea and pretty much everything else in sight. We had a lovely morning walk trough Edinburgh and the meadows on the way to Jo's work ... then I went to Starbucks for breakfast (cue much snapping away on my camera!!).I did a bit of shopping, got some Liz Earle in John Lewis' and as E had been so well behaved, as promised I got him a 'soft buzz' at the Disney shop... More snapping as I walked to the train.More snapping on the train, quite frankly I seemed to photograph most of the day!! E came back and "soft buzz' was an instant hit. I headed back to Ed on sat afternoon, again stopping for another Starbucks at the station. Jo and I then went out for a lovely Italian (managed to find a pizza with my adored Rocket, lol!), had some lovely wine and some scrummy puddings. Much chat, putting the world to rights and anticipating our holiday 'in a permanent state of excitement' to quote Joanne, lol!! On Sunday we went to the Body and Soul fair, after stopping for another Starbucks for breakfast, lol. I love going along to these (twice a year at the assembly rooms), i find it an extremely rejuvenating, inspiring and relaxing experience ... and we both came away feeling great and so much more positive.


Then I headed down to have tea with E and James. I had been dreading this and was very anxious about it. But after the positive affirmations taken on at the Body and Soul fair, i was much more able to cope, and actually had a lovely time . I certainly think E loves having us together, without the tense, difficult environment of before . Athough he was asking is we were having a sleepover, lol!!!

I did feel quite emotional at times being back in Edinburgh...


I certainly miss it, the architecture, the hustle and bustle, the excitement, the Starbucks and all the people, there is just a buzz. Also it was the town of my relationship with James, where I worked at Shelter, so I have many happy memories. Also it is where E was born, where we took him for all his 'firsts'. I wandered around looking at everything and remembering our time there, seeing the ghosts of my past walking the streets beside me. Not that I regret moving back to Fife, but I do miss Edinburgh. I realised this weekend, that I would certainly want to move back at some point, maybe when E is away at Uni!!?


Back to daily life yesterday, although I still fell very positive and so aware of how fortunate I am right now. After the difficulties of last year, I can fully appreciate how great things are now for E and I. Plus the sun was shining and we went down to the beach to collect stones and sea glass, pure joy!!!

xx

Tuesday 22 April 2008

Tired bunny

... I am not Ethan!!

I decided today to rearrange my desk area until I get my new desk and shelving. The shelving i am currently using isn't attached to the wall, so is resembling the leaning tower of really useful boxes (star attraction in Rome, I tell you!!). So i went to Rejects diy department to get appropriate raw plugs for plasterboard. Then armed with my drill (i love using my drill, makes me feel all powerful and liberated!!) I attempted to insert them into the wall. But alas, i could only get the drill to go half way, not far enough for the plugs... don't know why? It is the wall that goes on to my next door neighbour, so it is obviously masonry after the plasterboard, and my little girly arms couldn't push hard enough on the drill... will have to get my Bro round to help!!

As well as doing this though, I had decided to move my desk, so that it all created an L shape, which I would sit behind. But once i had moved it all (including everything off the shelves and the pc) it looked silly .... so I deciuded to move it all back again!

Then it was obviously time to go and collect E......

So i had to put it all back where it was before... although I arranged the leaning tower differently, with heavier boxes at bottom. I currently have a chair wedged against the shelving unit to stop it from doing its Pisa impression.

Been toying with the idea of starting to make my book for the Shimelle class, but i think I will just make my dinner (tuna nicoise salad) and watch some tv .... am nearly at the end of the first series of Dexter and it is Grrrrreat (why does the dishy doctor have to be a bad guy .... boo hoo!?).

I will defo remember to upload the photos from the weekend tomorrow (E and I were in the newspaper!!). But here is one to keep you going, lol!
TTFN
xx

Scrap Your Day .....

I signed up for the new Shimelle challenge last night, 'Scrap Your Day', is a great concept, so just getting everything together to make my album.

Have had a really busy few days, will pop up some photos in a bit.

Just getting my little monkey dressed - I got all our summer clothes out and washed yesterday (as it was a lovely sunny day here), but typically it is now dull and grey!

Oh well.
xx

Thursday 17 April 2008

Holi holi day!!!

yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just booked my holiday. Can't wait, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Petra, and I am so glad I know I am going back this year. I do feel really guilty that I am not taking E away with me, I have never been away without him (except one night away to Stobo for my SIS's hen weekend!). But he will be away in Centre Parcs with his dad, so he shouldn't notice too much!! I haven't been away for a girlie holiday since i was 22, so 2 years ha ha !! (only kidding, it will be 11 years!). I know Joanne and I will have a great time, I just can't wait for my first Mythos ... lovely cold beer!

Defo need to start brushing up on my Greek, as I won't have my Aunty to fall back on, and Jo doesn't know any!

Right, need to get that Davina DVD on!!

xxxx

Tuesday 15 April 2008

The market is coming to town ...

Ethan is very excited as the Links Market is coming to Kirkcaldy tomorrow. It is a funfair, that is reputedly the longest street fair in Europe, running almost one mile in length along the Esplanade. I haven't been in about a million years, always loved going as a teenager. Bouncing around on the rides gave you an excuse to accidentally bump into the boy you fancied!! I am taking E on Friday with Amy and Michelle and Sunday with Marion, Jody, Rachel and Logan. I just hope they don't have goldfish as prizes anymore, as I know he will want one and Charlie and Lola will just love that!!

I am just getting ready to take him to Nursery, then I have to go to Asda.... the joys! Think I might take him for a cake (and coffee for me) after nursery.

It was Rachel's birthday on Friday and we all went out for a family meal, there were 18 members of my family there, we haven't all been together like that since the wedding last summer. Debbie is starting to get a bump now. It has been 15 years since a girl was born into the family, so there is just a little bit of pressure on them to have one!!! I decided to keep my non-drinking effort going a little longer and stuck to lime and soda .... although the peroni beer was calling to me. But I was good and ignored it!!

Here is a picture me, Rachel and Jody. I have still to upload the rest of the photos as I need to get some new batteries!! Em x

Friday 11 April 2008

Spout, handle, lid of metal......what's inside the sinning tettle ....

I watched Katie and Peter last night - and laughed out loud, they are so funny. I loved when they were in the Greek restaurant, I love Greek music. Joanne and I are planning to go away in September and I can't wait. I am taking her to Petra, one of my favourite places on the planet. Hope she likes it, it will be strange going back without E, but it will be nice to have some peace and some quality, girly time with her!! (Now this is to check and see if she is reading this, lol!!) Here is a pic of Jo, that I nicked from her, is from her tirp to NYC, nice lolly!!!! We are also going speed dating in 2 weeks, which will be fun. We have been before and it is v funny, I am only doing it for a laugh, just trying to decide which personality to create, ha ha ha!!!

We had a blast yesterday, it was the singing kettle. It was a pirate theme and E was fully kitted up. We met Rachel and Logan when we got there, and the boys had great fun. E got picked to go up on stage, but when we got down to the stage he wouldn't go on without me, which isn't really part of the act, lol!! So maybe next year he will be a bit braver! They did my favourite song 'i like to eat eat eat , i like to eat apples and bananas' ... I was subjected to endless rounds of the singing kettle videos when Jody and Abigail were little, so I think I enjoyed it as much as the kids!! Then after we met up with Hils and her wee boy Struan, it was so funny watching the boys play together. Stru was particularly enthralled with Charlie and Lola, alas they were not as keen!!

Also Debbie and Geoff came round for a visit, Stru was quite taken with Geoff, v cute. I gave them the mini book I had made them (from Cleo's kit) and they loved it, Deb actually started crying a bit... we will forgive her as she is pregnant!! But it was a brilliant reaction, and made me feel so proud and touched. She asked me if I would make a wedding album for them, I was planning to do this anyway, but was extra nice that she asked. As the bestest Aunt and Uncle ever, they didn't come empty handed and brought a Power Ranger dress-up suit for Ethan, complete with 6-pack! He loved it, I will try and get some photos up later. But he is going through a 'don't takre my pictte mummy' phase, lol!!

Oh nearly forgot - got a phone call from my bank yesterday, and they asked it i was trying to make a 6000 payment for goods in Romania ... err no, wish i had 6000 to spend. They stopped it, but i was obviously nearly a victum of identiy theaft, a bit scary!!!

Ok - got to go and play with my boy now.
Hope you all have a great day!
em xx

Wednesday 9 April 2008

Yummy scrummy

Just got an email to say that the latest of my DVD rentals from Amazon has been dispatched... it is Enchanted staring the lovely (future husband) Patrick Dempsey .... Also as Ethan has already seen it at the cinema and really enjoyed it - we can watch it together, although I must remember not to drool, lol!!!

Joanne, Joanne ....

If you are reading this in the morning ... get back to work, ha ha!!! Have you started creating your blog yet? I want some entertainment, lol!!!

Bring on the sunshine!!

xx

Product Review ....E - Z Runner

A group of us have been selected to do a product review on a 'mystery product', this turned out to be an Scrapbook Adhesives E - Z Runner. As any crafter worth her salt will use adhesive of some kind at every crafting opportunity, this was a very welcomed product to 'road test'! As i said, I am always using an adhesive, I normally have 3 on the go. I typically use DST, Herma for papers and card and I use Anita's Tacky Pva glue for smaller detailed work and chipboard. (I personally prefer this to using Glossy accents, as a glue as I can see where it is going). I have used quite a few glues and tape products in the past that, quite frankly haven't been up to the job, two minutes in the album and all the embellishments are rattling around the bottom of the page protector! I also want my adhesive to be fairly easy and straightforward to use ( i have about 6 rolls of the hallowed 'sticky dots' sitting in a box as they were far too fiddly for me and i recently had an 'experience' with silicon glue tube all over my hands). So a good adhesive is always a bonus!

The E- Z Runner was very easy to remove from its packaging and simple to use, I have used it on 2 LOs so far, one involved lots of cardboard and a heavy cardboard frame covered in a great deal of crackle paint and it has stuck down perfectly. I have had it sitting upright on my LO easel ever since and it hasn't budged! The runner went on smoothly, although it took a few attempts to get isolated strips rather than the 'run' of them. Once I got the hang of doing this, this was a great feature, as rather than dots of adhesive (like herlma, xyron or sticky dots) the E - Z is actual small strips of tape, you can pick them off paper and I also put a few on my finger to add to small buttons. Also despite being a permanent tape, it is repositionable if you don't stick it down too hard at first. I usually don't do this until I am completely happy with a LO, but at the last minute I decided to move something and I was able to lift it off my LO without ripping and the tape left no tell tale residue.

In terms of its look and feel, I liked the E - Z runner, it is similar in style to herma and the Xyron runners. You can see inside to check how much tape remains, which is great as i hate it when you run out in the middle of a LO, after using it on the 2 LOs (and i wasn't scrimping on tape!) I still have a lot remaining. It felt comfortable in my hands and didn't slip.

The only downside to this product is that at the current price, I don't think it is good value for money as it isn't refillable (like Herma or Xyron). However this is the only factor that would prevent me from buying the product in the future. However if they were to make it refillable then I would certainly use it and also recommend it to others.

Thanks for reading.
em x

Tuesday 8 April 2008

I'm confused ...

... yes it isn't hard, but i am confused. It is this weather, wish it would make up its mind, i don't mind either rain, snow or sun, just wish it would decide which one!!

Despite this, we had another fun day today. My friend Lisa came up with her little boy Harry and we went to the park and then for lunch. Lisa had a ball (and here is the photographic evidence!!)I have known Lisa since we were 16 and it is photos like this, that remind me that we are maybe not that old after all ....!!?

Then my Aunt popped in for a cup of tea and we got some good family news, which has made me really happy!

So all is well with my world tonight!! E is in bed (well he was up at 6.30am), so I am going to get some scrapping done as have a Lo I have been thinking about for a while (hold the front page .... I am in the photo!!!).

em xx

Awwwwwwww

We had another first last night - E and i were watching Tarzan together and he got really upset when the Kurchek (sp?) the big gorilla gets shot and dies ....

'but why did he have to die mummy'

... that is such a hard question. He has watched it a million times before, but maybe now he is starting to understand death?? I remember back to when I was little and I sobbed my heart out when Bambi's mum dies, or the end of Little House on the Prairie (it all so seemed to sad at the time) .. or anything for that matter....

Oh my sweet boy!! Bless his heart! All the things he is going to learn along the way, I wish he didn't have to experience the hard things, the pain, the grief when you loose someone .... I guess all I can do is love him and help him to understand.

xx

Monday 7 April 2008

Homecoming ...

My boy will be home soon and I have missed him like mad, can't wait to get a big cuddle! They had loads of snow down South, so he was having lots of fun in the garden and getting spoilt by his Grandparents.

I have just finished working on LO that was inspired by a bottle of Tim Holtz crackle paint ... kept thinking of beach huts and drift wood, so I used some cardboard and distressed some pages form an old book and hey presto!!
Done all the housework, so going to put my feet up with a cup of coffee and get my Mummy head back on (might try and fit in a bit more scrapping too!!)

xx

Friday 4 April 2008

Fab Friday ...

Well I am feeling a little better, had a nice lie-in this morning, well until 9!! E is in London, so I am still sitting in my pj's, have been scrapping and watching Oprah, ahh the life!!

Just finished this LO:
Just going to go and have some 'Molton Brown' time, then back to scrapping!!

Have a fab Friday everyone.
em xxx

Thursday 3 April 2008

I feel yucky ....

I have a horrid cold, and I feel really pants. Head is all a bit fuzzy and my throat is scratchy and i generally feel a bit rough ... but hey ho, the world can't stop when you are a Mummy, lol!!

Ethan and his Daddy are going down to London tomorrow to see the Outlaws, I always worry when he is on plane without me (Ethan not James, lol!!). E has flown about 30 times, so he is used to it and loves it, especially now that he has his own seat . I just think I have seen too may episodes of Lost! I am not scared of flying at all, I just have an overactive imagination ....

Anyway - I am currently working on 2 projects, I am doing the canvas from Cleo's April kit. It is fab and I am going to give it to my nanny for her birthday in May. I am also going to use the same concept on a much larger canvas for my new kitchen, I think?! I am also doing a LO of some cool photos of when E went to the city farm with his Daddy and a goat tried to eat his apple! I am in a funny place right now as the last LOs I have done have all had more than one photo .. I wanted to get 4 on this LO, but I couldn't get it to fit, so had to use the 3. Isn't it funny the phases we go through ...

Anyway, here are 2 of my recent LOs, I haven't showed these before as they were competition entries;