4

I am still really chuffed with loosing 4lb this week so I thought that I would make myself a list of 'four things' to do with my life in the hope of some scrapping inspirations!

4 Jobs I have had in my life:

1. Nursery Manager
2 Out of School Care Manager
3. Deli Counter Assistant at Tescos!
4. Sandwich Maker at a bakers shop!


4 Movies I can Watch Over and Over:

1. Top Gun
2. Serendipity
3. Dirty Dancing
4. Cocktail


4 Places I have Lived

1. Camberley, Surrey where I live now!
2. Bracknell where I first lived with Steve
3. Manchester where we moved when my dad fancied a change!
4. London, where I grew up!


4 Places I have been to:

1. France with the school!!!
2. Dallas, Texas
3. Spain
4. Florida


4 People that text me regularly:

1. My mum
2. My friend Cara
3. My work colleagues
4. My husband


4 of my favorite foods

1. Dominoes Pizza
2. Butterfly cakes
3. Spaghetti bolognaise or anything with pasta
4. Galaxy chocolate


4 Places I would rather be right now:

1. the Beach, well anywhere hot and sunny by the water really!
2. In a purpose build scrapbook room
3. Getting a new hair cut
4. Somewhere peaceful like the Lake District


4 things I am looking forward to this year:

1. Finding a new job that challenges me
2. Changing my lifestyle and getting healthy
3. My mun and dad having Charlotte to stay overnight occaisionally
4. Seeing my little bro settled in his new flat


4 books I have read more than once:

1. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
2. Charlie and the chocoalte factory
3. Ballet Shoes
4. Monkey Do! Nearly every night to Charlotte, she knows the words better than me!

So there are my fours, not sure that I will have lost that amount this week, well we will find out on monday won't we!

Exciting deliveries

Ohhhh I just love getting stuff through the post. I got my back pay this month andhave spent a little of it on cafty bits! The first were from an etsy shop called Every Jot and Tittle Have a look, there is some great things in the shop. These labels and journal spots are delicious.

I also ordered the qvc foam american thickers (586141) as they were such good value, they were about £16.50 for 12 packs, couldnt have asked for better value. The final things that arrived were my 7 Gypsies stamps from www.craft-emporium.co.uk I am just getting into putting journalling on my pages and these little stamps are perfect!

So the futures bright, the futures scrapping! Im looking forward to getting down to some serios scrapping over the next few weeks, I guess really that I should be doing my uni assignment but heyho! thats life.

Heard from my friend Jo yesterday, she ahs moved to Nottingham, I can't remember the last time we emailed but it must have been years ago! Anyway after several e-mails we have begun to catch up on each others lives and hopefully we can meet up soon!

Long time no blog

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Im a happy bunny at the minute, I have lost 4lb this week which is great for a first week! Looking forward to seeing more pile off and getting back into all my old clothes as well as buying some new ones!

Scrapping is sort of taking a bit of a back seat at the minute, dont get much time to do any but would love too! I guess in some ways I have lost my mojo, so if anyone finds it please let me know! My ribbon for my multicoloured swap on UKS arrived yesterday so I will posting that off this week and can't wait to see what I get back! This is my first swap so Im really looking forward to completing it! Just waiting for my scrapagogo kit to arrive later this month and Ill be a happy bunny, might help me get my inspiration back.

Going to challenge myself to complete a pencilines sketch ths week, I dont normally use sketches very much but figure it might help me out.

Right off to check out http://www.pencillines.com/ for a sketch to use!

Can't sleep

Had a really rubbish night, cant sleep, keep waking up, tossing and turning so am now blogging and watching tv! We are off to the MIL's later so am about to get the ironing board out and get on with what I should have been doing last night instead of falling asleep in front of the telly!

Healthy eating plan still going well, need to start the excersise bit though, its just having time to start it! Nearly finished my mini book for mum, now just need to get her a pressie!

Day 3

Didn't get a chance to blog yesterday it was one of those days. This month hasnt been a good month for sscrapping, Ive done hardly any at all! I seem to have really lost the will too, despite all the little bits and bobs of new stash I have got!

Healthy eating plan is going to plan Ive eaten loads of fruit and veg over the last few days, my poor body is going into shock with it all! But it is nice to feel that Ive not stuffed myself silly all day with rubbish.

Were off to Steve's mums on friday so will try and make sure that I post tomorrow, I have been keeping my personal journal up to date too, must post a pic of that later, I must also post the pic of Steve's mums mothers day card too. Charlotte has made the Nannies cards and tomorrow we are going to bake some cakes to take with us. So I guess that most of tomorrow will be spent getting packed and ready to go! Oh I get all the fun jobs. Still she is very excited about us coming up and its only one night!

Here's to making a change!

So the start of something new happens today, Im looking foward to changing my lifestyle and eating habits, so started the day with fruit and wholemeal toast at work, my kids said, 'Joanne, what are you doing with that' pointing at the fruit on my plate! my response was 'Get used to it in the mornings I will be eating lots more of it' The looks that I got were hilarious!!!

Making a change isnt just about loosing weight its about changing my lifestyle too, getting some excercise and thinking more positively. So on a positive note, whats good in my life at the moment:

1 My home, its lovely, its big but full of stuff

2 My husband and my daughter, both so precious and unique

3 My crafting, without my scrapping I wouldnt have a release so Im pleased that I have the opportunities to do this.

4 The sunshine, not something I can control but so lovely when its sunny and bright outside.

5 A fanatstic family, parents who help ou with childcare and finance when needed and great grandparents who too help out where they can.

6 My work, its fun, interesting and worthwhile.

7 My CD player, the world is such a happy place with a bit of music

So they are some of the good things that are in my life

Housework is started, floors up and down have been washed and hoovered, the kitchen tops are all cleaned off and tidy and just about to start the lounge. I started journalling my journey last night, Steve thinks its all one big joke, but that just about sums him up. So I am off to start changing the beds upstairs and get the rooms tidier.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Sunday to you all, the weekend is well and truely in swing and this morning we have been to the garden centre, not to buy plants but to see the animals and fishes, both Notcutts and Wyevale have been tormented by Charlotte who seems to be in a whirlwind of a mood. Rabbits stroked, birds screamed at and fish tanks banged we left after just a short time!

At home Charlotte made sandwiches for everyone, and very tasty they were too, Im beggin her to go to sleep so that I can go to M&S to get a new pair of casual trousers as mine have holes in them they are sooooooo old!

Had a bit of a wake up call yesterday, another relly died and my brothers mate who is several years younger than me is back in hospital. Its made me think that its about time I stopped
whinging about how much weight Ive put on since having Charley and got on with doing something about it. So.... diet properly starts tomorrow, no more convenience foods, no more snacking between meals and lots more fruit and veg. I also must start walking again and mum has put my name down with her to do the race for life so I now have no excuse for getting in shape. I seriously need to as I have really let myself go since having charlotte, I have no confidence in myself and feel depressed and fed up all the time. So, tomorrow sees the start of positive change in my life. I need to get on a take life by the hand as my blog says and look for the positives in everything, as well as changing my lifestyle and eating habits. Wish me luck, I'm going to pick up a notebook whilst I am out so I can journal my sucesses and my low points. It willgive me something to look back on when I have lost the weight, got used to excercising and fel ethusiastic about life again!

Ill upload a pic later when I have done it!

Weekend ramblings!

The weekend is here and I can't wait to get back to work!!!! Roll on monday.

Spent yesterday in the kitchen baking, Charlotte made cupcakes and I made a victoria sandwich and some scones, yum!

We've done the weekly shop already at Tescos this morning and Steve treated us to a breakkie there which of course being Tesco's cafe and excedingly slow at serving was cold by the time we got it to the table!!! Never mind, Im used o to cold food since having Charlotte, so that is the norm for me!

Were off to feed the ducks in a bit, which is our weekend ritual, I made sure that I bought loads of cheap bread this week ready for the feeding! though Im not sure whether Charlotte or the ducks get more bread!

Had a go at the UKS challenge this week again! Bagged 30 points for my team. We had to use the following on our layouts to gain the points:

Song title from sound track of Saturday Night Fever or Grease as LO title - 10pts
Two photos - 10pts
Something shiney - 5pts
To use white on LO - 5pts

So I used 2 pics of Charley, one when she was 3 months old and the second was at 3 years old!,, Used the title 'Those magic changes' from Grease. SOmething shiney was the silver brads in the centre of the flower and also the glittery 'Magic' word and the white were the backings of the photo's and my cherryatre swirls that I have been staring and touching lots but not used since I bought them months ago!!! SO there you go thats my take, the papers are Brenda Pinnick, everyone on docrafts raves about her paper, but to be honest Im not in love with it, IM looking forward to using it all up!!!! Sorry Brenda!

Lost my scrapping mojo

I can't seem to get the momentum up to do any scrapping, been sorting through some pics from my mums but just can't find anything that inspires me! Most of my graduation pics are missing and there seem to be no negatives for any of the pics at all which is really dissapointing. Ive put some pages into my mums mothers day album along with the pic's that go with them, but can't muster the enthusiasm.

I've done several orders online but none have arrived which also disappoints me, only had one email to say one is on its way and my artymiss order from 8th Feb still hasnt arrived, they never respond to emails and Im totally fed up with it.

Spent today cleaning, tidying and sorting.

Ive sorted and put away all the ironing I did tuesday evening
Tidied up my crafting stuff in the spare room
Tidied Charlottes room and put all her dolly stuff up there from the garage
Tidied the boxes of Charley toys in the garage
Hung out a load of washing which isnt drying very well
Cleaned the downstairs cloakoom
Found about a million dummies hiding all around the house
Emptied all the bins
Re-loaded the washing machine and dishwasher

and the house still looks a pigsty, Charlotte decided that she didnt want her lunch so chucked it all over the lounge floor, great I love cleaning!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Roll on nap time!!!!!!!!!!!

We have the disney film Cars on at the moment, I havent watched it from beginning to end yet everytime we put it on she gets bored halfway through! Right am off to try and get her into bed then will upload some pics onto previous posts on the blog as I have worked out how to do it now with my new camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Half Term is here at last

Well school hols are upon us again, this will be the last one that I work so am going to try and enjoy it! Charlotte is well into holiday mode and waking up after about 7.30am which is late for her trust me!

I'm going to try and get some scrapping done this week, get some points for my UKScrappers team, Fruitloops!, I'm still waiting for my sickly laptop to be fixed so still can't post pics of what I've been up to recently which is a shame. I'm about to start a mini album for my mum for mothers day so will pop down to dad's later and pick up some pics of her with us kids!!! Horrible clothing memories spring to mind when I think of some of the hideous outfits I wore when I was little, but should be good for a laugh! Hope some of my papers go with the pics as Im on a stash diet from saturday.

I have far too much stash and really must start using it, I spent a fortune in the Jan sales! One treat will be my craft robo though, when I get my back pay at the end of this month, this is my little treat and I can't wait to order it! Am going to place just 2 more orders before I go on my stash diet on saturday as I want some Basic Grey papers - the two scoops range is gorgeous and I also want some Elsie papers too. I have signed up to the scrapagogo kits from March so that will be the stash I am allowed each month along with adhesives which are a basic requirement as any crafter will know although I am stocked up on tape runners, ds tape and sticky dots/sheets so should be fine for a while with those too.

The weekend was supposed to be great, it was only semi great! Charlotte decided to smear a pot of sudocreme all over the bedroom carpet, completely my fault as I had left it on the floor, she was trying to put it on her 'hurts' and make them better (bless her) Steve was not impressed at all and had a complete strop about it, but after a good 2.5hours of scrubbing, vaxing and washing it was almost all out. Charlotte wont be doing that anymore trust me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sudocreme incident over, Charlotte spent the night with Granny and Grandad while steve and I had dinner at Cinnamon Bay, a fab indian in Yateley, which we always have excellent food from. We cracked open a bottle of champagne (left from our wedding 3 years ago, we ended up with about 12 bottles!) and watched Atonement, which was really good.

Sunday was duck feeding time again! We do this every week, you would think we would get bored of it really. Charley enjoyed the playpark although Im not sure that a slide covered in frost is my idea of fun!

Did do the UKScrappers challenge though finally! Theme love/hate, Include the colour red or pink, Use a heart on your layout, As cupid uses a bow and arrow- use an arrow or arrows and finally a romantic quote or a love song title on your layout. I managed to claim 25 points for my team the Fruitloops!

Feb week 2 UKS challenge!

Right off to find some piccies at mums...

That Friday feeling

Steves valentines cards I made for him!
Today is one of those days when you wish you could sleep all day. Its been a long and tiring week. One monday I found out that the Kids club I work at will be closing its doors after half term to holiday club so only term time will continue to run. The found out yesterday that there would be a 3 month review to decide what would happen to the term time club. Sounds like everything is falling apart.

Had a call at 8.05am to tell me that a staff member hadn't turned up so had to rush into work to cover till she arrived, then back home for the housework and pick Charlotte up at 11.30am. In and out, in and out, in and out, I am now finally sitting down!

I finished Steve's mini book for valentines day and he was really pleased with it (as I was too) it was mainly pics of just him and me and things we had done together so it was nice!

Haven't done the challenge yet on UKS this week, it didnt reall appeal to me too much, it was a love/hate theme and although I have done loads of love pages I dont like to use too much pink or red in my layouts when I can use another colour. Didnt do Katys DoCrafts challenge either cos that was another love theme challenge!

Anyhow, looking forward to the weekend and some peace while Granny has Charlotte to stay and am desperate for the endof the month when I get my back pay - CRAFTROBO here I come!!!

The pick above is Steves Valentines cards I made him, the idea came from the Canny Crafter un UKS for the husband heart card! Thank you!

Preparing for valentines day

Well its 10 days away and Steve and I have set a challenge for each other. Last year we bought a set of 3 boxes one heart shaped, and 2 rectangular ones - Ill post a pic at some point of them. We both have £10 to fill all three and cant go over it!!!!

No idea yet whats going in it, but I'll work that out! I'm in the middle of making his card which again I'll post in a couple of days until then its top secret!!! An idea I got from the canny crafter!

The weeks fly by!!!

Can't believe the last time I logged in was about 2 weeks ago! I have finished my college assignment, finally and thankfully, just go the presentation to do next week for it.

Have done a few layouts these past few weeks but not that many considering the speed I was turning them out before xmas! Steve treated me to some yummy papers last month and I have used them for two layouts, one of me and Charley and one of steve and Charley, both taken at her naming ceremony. The ones with steve and Charley in are K&Co papers from the wedding collection, which are sooooo pretty and work really well with the colour of his shirt. Im really pleased with both of the pages.

Im about to start work on some bowling pages from Charlottes birthday, I took loads including one of her feet wearing the bowling shoes which look sooooooooo cute, will post it when i get a chance.

Ive ordered a Scrapping Angels monthly kit this week and am hoping it arrives very soon, I figured that this was a good way to take me out of my comfort zone and make me try new products that I would never normally buy, will post pics when it comes, its only a small kit, here is the link http://www.scrappingangels.co.uk/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=222&products_id=1556 but looks like it could be fun to use.

Right, work calls will try and blog again tomorrow.

Saturdays delights!!!!

We lazed about this morning doing nothing which was great, popped off to Fizzy Kids for some fun in the ball pool and had lunch. Charlotte is giving up her lunchtime sleeps which is hard on all of use, especially me as Im used to my break during the day where I catch up on chores and sleep, but she was down nice and early at 6.50pm, just have to see what time she wakes tomorrow.

Crafting hasnt happened today, although I have got a new book, 'The Amazing 650 scrapbook page ideas, tips and techniques, of which there are some lovely ideas, I just can't wait to get started on. Crafting is taking a backseat at the minute as I am really bogged down with a college assignment which I am finding very boring!!!!!!!!!!!! Ah well, only another 7 months and I should have my degree!

Right off to do some more studying.

Been and Gone

Well Christmas has been and gone since my last posting, all that time effort and money has been spent and now we are back in the real world and back at work.

Ive done some scrapping over Christmas but not huge amounts - will post some picks later! Charlotte had a lovely day and New Year was nice too, we went to Woking Theatre to see 'Peter Pan' as our special treat then went down to the Bowls Club with my parents to see in the New Year, Charlotte stayed up to see the new year in and after seeing in the new year, happy birthday was also sung to my mum!!!! A new year babe was she!

My aim this year is to scrap the year, not every day but to pick out activities that happen in the year each month and create a scrapbook of pages from them. January will be a new year page as most of the family were about and also Charlotte's birthday which is now up and coming!!!! More money!!!

Then I will take it day by day and see what happens.

We spent lots of Christmas with family seeing Steves side early in December. We spent Christmas eve with my brother and his wife, becoming the blue bin fairies to our next door neighbours on Christmas eve (long story, but very funny!) Christmas day was our day as a fimly together, we popped down to my mums for a short time, but spent the main bulk of the day at home together. Boxing day was at my mums andthe day after boxing day we went off to Steve's sister Sue, it was a great day! The rest of the week we just chilled out at home.

Now Im panicking as I have an assignment to complete over the next week and not a clue about what I am going to do! Mum and Dad are taking Charlotte to the Panto in Camberley - Cinderella I think!- today so I have a few hours to get going on it and work out what I am going to do. Has to be completed by Friday next week then I hjave to put together a seminar presentation on it!!! I cant wait for this course to be over!!! No more studying for me then, well not for a while anyhow!!! unless its crafting courses.

Feeling Yuck!

Am feeling really rough today, started last night with a tummy bug and has continued on into today. Didnt do very much scrapping today, but did get all the garlands up, Charley's bike built and the washing basket emptied - alls to to with that is the ironing now!!!!

We went to the local tescos this morning, and wished we hadnt, when we eventually found a space we had to battle through about a million people just to get a loaf of bread!!! The shops are only closed for one day, why do we go soooooo mad????

Ive onle page left in my mum's book to do and I almost know what I am going to do for it, just got to get around to it!!!

Well am signing off for today as Im still feeling rough so will hopefully blog tomorrow when Im feeling better!

3 Days and counting!!!

Last night I had a fab scrapping session, Charley was in bed by 7pm and Steve was out with his work mates. I managed to get six pages completed of my mums scrapbook and another complete to the title which I am just hand cutting now.

I was up early this morning and have completed one more page also of Charlotte's Naming Day, its using Anna Griffin papers, which I absolutely love, Steve was wearing a turquoise green shirt and I have used the same colour backing papers which looks really good.

We are off out with my brother, his girlfriend and her mum for lunch today, so that should be nice, Ive not really met her mum much so will be nice to see her, she is also a crafter, but mainly card making so we have something in common.

Ive packed all Charlotte's calenders into envelopes and have just the family Xmas pressies to wrap so am going to try and get them all done today. I'm also going to try and get the ironing and washing sorted out so that there are no more bits before Xmas to do after Sunday. We shall see.

My hall carpet is covered in glitter and no matter how hard I hoover it wont disappear, Charlotte had a great time making glitter pictures though so I cant complain.

Right off to finish that page I started last night, only six more to go!!!!!

Four more crafting days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only four more days to go till my mum's book needs finishing, OMG!!!! Ive still got 15 pages to go, were do I start, perhaps I shouldnt be on here!!!

Went for a very nice lunch with the girly's from work, at the local chinese as our christmas meal. Really enjoyed it actually and off out for lunch again tomorrow with my brothers girlfriend. This has to be the most Ive been out in a week for a long time, who cares Im enjoying myself!!!

Did my xmas food shopping yesterday and picked up the last remaining bits today, Im not planning on visiting the shops again till almost new year if I can help it!

Sent the last of the xmas cards first class and my last internet ordered pressies have been delivered so now apart from my scrapping I feel ready. Its our first xmas day at home on our own, we usually spend it with my parents but felt this year it would be nicer for us to be at home therefore boxing day will be spent with my mum, Im not sure how much I want to be doing all the cooking on xmas day but Ill give it a go, roast turkey and beef, stuffing and sausage and bacon rolls, sprouts (not for me though!) carrots, roasties and peas (again not for me, dont do green veg!) Followed by christmas pud with custard and cream and mince pies, coffee after dinner mints and then probably more chocolate mints and mince pies. Christmas day really is a day for feeling huge and fat, but I love it.

Well Im off to scrap and get some more of this book done or Ill be in trouble xmas day!!!

Christmas is nearly here!!!!!!

Well only another six days and the big day is here, all these preparations will be finished and by this time the lounge floor will be a hash of ribbons, bows, tags and paper wth a few discarded bits of broken toys I am sure.

The past few weeks have been a real blur, we've done school christmas fetes, been to London to visit Santa at Harrods (I'll add my scrapping page later!) shopped till we have dropped and now its scrapbook city time. Ive done Mother in Laws album and she has had that and lived it (we had an early xmas at the beginning of december which is her final visit for this year) when she opened it and was delighted. Later in the day, all the family arrived and she was nervously watching as it was passed from person to person to look at saying 'I think we should put it away, we wouldnt want to ruin it!' Bless her, at least it made her smile and she couldnt wait to get home and show it off.

My Nan's mini pocket book is made, I used the good old Brenda Pinnick pocket page album and was really pleased with the results. So now its time for my parents album which is proving a little harder than I thought that it would! Ive only done 4 out of 20 pages and I am pleased with the results so far, but quickly counting that there are only 4 more making days to xmas Im a bit worried that I have taken on more than I can chew!!! However I will get it done, by hook or by crook!

So thats pretty much whats been going on in the last few weeks. Off to scrap some more pages. Ive added lots to my docrafts gallery over the past few days including xmas card - I havent sent one shop bought card this year, Im sooooo proud of myself and even have a few left ready for next year!!!

Been Busy again with my Brenda Pinnick kit and Charley has been bisy being creative also!!! I am really trying hard to get my dissertation finished in time for the 21st November along with my drama and momvement assignment, but my new Brenda Pinnick kit arrived this week and I just cant resist having a play, Ive also got my DCWV Once Upon a Time kit which is also very irrisitable and I have already had a play with that as the pages are so easy and tell a tale within themselves! As you can see from the Happily ever after page and the Views over Mijas. I am really enjoying this kit as it has soooooo many uses.

Besides that we have had halloween and Charley dressed up as a witch, our piccies from that arent very good but Im going to try and scrap a few over the next few days so will post the results. Its Fireworks this evening so no doubt Ill have a few pics from tonight to scrap soon too.