I've only gone and bloomin finished it

First up - all these planes for the Air Festival keep flying past and I've tried so hard to get a picture. Yesterday I kept forgetting to bring my camera up to the loft.
Today I can't find a camera that has working batteries, so had to use my phone.
This was as good as I can get - they're 3 Red Arrows, but of course you knew that as it's so clear and close up...!
Anyhoo, back to the main point - I've done it! I've finished last years December Daily - first time! I started one in 07 that I only managed the first week (if that...?!), in 08...well...the photos exist and are all printed out but no book.
But 09? Oh yes, 09! I've done it! Huzzah! Some of the pages are pretty basic but I love the whole lot together (can I say that about my own work?!) Here are a select few...!

So there you go.

Is it wrong that I can't wait for this Christmas already?! Better not wish the rest of the year away just yet (got a Magpie party to get to first!!)

One more thing before I go -

Just when you thought it was safe to look out the window...

Arrgghh!!

Actually he's been quite good lately.

Well, he did scratch me earlier but it was because mum chucked a plastic bag on his head, while he was asleep, whilst running to the window to catch a view of the planes.

Why he took it out on me I've no clue...sigh...
xxx

Shadows of the City

Ok, so if you remember my many failed attempts (if you could even call them that) at making a light tube I've finally cracked and nicked a bit of dads scrap pipe/guttering what-have-you.

Yes it's about 2 inches too short, and yes my goodness the edges need sanding, but it certainly seems to be fitting the purpose.
Esp. as I can't seem to be able to actually make the thing myself.

Why do these photos keep coming out sideways? Tilt to the left for above, and right for below.

Ah yes, the photo below. I went up to the loft. Pip looked as gorgeous as usual. I set the ttv up. Balanced tube on top. Put batteries in camera. Switched it on. Spent a short time finding the right distance for focus. Pressed the button.

He stood up.

...

Yeah...

In other news, anyone who reads my blog must now listen to this song - Shadows of the City by Marcus Foster.

He has his new EP coming out in September and words can't describe how happy I am about this - I adore his voice. His last EP has one of my favourtie songs of all time in and I'd imagine the rest would slot somewhere in my top 100.

Turns out something good came out of the Robert Pattinson global saturation.

Ok, that sounded mean - he's alright, just wish he wasn't everywhere.

I get the impression he wishes that too.

Actually, he has a pretty good voice. Shame superstardom apparently means he can't release any music.

I hope my link above worked - never added one before.

Huh, just think if it does I can add even more to annoy/teach/amaze people with.

Mwah ha haa

xxx

The things you see

While you actually have a camera in your hand. Makes a change. For me at least.
First up - Pip of course...
I'm sure there's an lol catz caption here but I can't for the life of me think of it.
2nd - pigeon dude braving the rain and wind on next doors roof.

He even stopped cleaning and posed for me.

Apparently even the wildlife around here has gotten used to my photographing everything in sight ways.
And finally - I heard fireworks in the distance, hung out the window et voila.

If only I had pressed the shutter a split second later I would have gotten the sky filled with green but I was lucky to get this. Fireworks are so hard to photograph! Esp. if you're so far away you can't see/hear the rocket 'pfft' upwards.

Just as I'd taken the pic and was closing the window a dark shape loomed from the left.

I jumped about a foot, bumped my head looked again and there was a nose poking through the gap.

Pip.

I'd imagine we aren't the only family that has our pets name as the most used expletive in the house.

Pip.

For a nice change he didn't bite me when I picked him through the window. Does this mean he's growing? Hmm.

Crafty Day

Check it out - a Friday sky to share with you.
See, I do still take them, I just don't upload.
Good photographer/bad blogger. Ah well. Can't be good at everything now can I?...(!)
Spent most of the day crafting. I woke up with the sudden urge to put together last Decembers daily album.

Probably should have done it *slightly* before now (!) but I always think that if you aren't enjoying making something then you won't like looking at it once it's finished. If you're forcing yourself to do it that's all you'll remember when you flick through and more than likely you'll never pick it up again.
Yes, I've done that. Learning experiences are wonderful things.
Weather changed a bit while I was busy.
These three turned up just after it tipped down.
Amazingly they stayed just long enough to get a picture.

Oh, and as I've been a bad blogger - here's my mums birthday cake from the other day.
Made and decorated with my own fair hands.
I was assured it tasted delish.
Phew.

And here is a absolutely gorgeous (though slightly dark - have to edit) photo of my cousins little girl holding her new baby brother (only a few hours old).
How did we manage before facebook, all these photos to coo over. Sigh.

Mmm. I think I'm caught up.

Haven't really done much since my birthday.

Well, except sleep.

Quite a bit of that.

xxx

Happy Birthday to Me

Mumsy made me a cake - it's scrummy (dontcha all want a bit - admit it, I know you do)
Best part about it -see the bright red, green and blue icing? It's all natural colours...shock...where were you, icing, when I was teeny and had my whole class round to eat my bday cakes? Natural blue! No worrying about throwing up a few hours later -woop!
Now I need to go through every item of Asdas own brand sweets...hmm...

I planted these the other week and they haven't all dropped dead yet. Yay me. Aren't they pretty? Bees seem to like them too. All good.

Borage from the front garden. The only seeds that seem to want to grow and come back every year. Bees love this too.

Today's been an odd one.

Bit hit and miss.

Birthday's have a tendency to do that to me though.

Well, for the past 11 years anyway.

Hmm.

Tomorrow is another day.

Hopefully we'll get some flippin' rain and this heat will go away!

Sweet dreams and birthday cake wishes to you all

xxx

Birthday fun

Today was my Nan's 80th birthday so a few of us went out (with her!) to lunch at a hotel on the front. Lovely opportunity to try my phone cam panoramic whatsit out...

In the afternoon we (almost) all went round to suprise nan. She was happy to see everyone as she'd convinced herself only a few of us *might* pop in.

Finally got to meet this gorgeous girly - Summer Brooke

And here's the birthday girl herself blowing out her candles.

Cake was delicious! (and I'm not just saying that because my mum made it)

All in all a lovely day, but my goodness I'm knackered!

xxx

Cute!

I realise I haven't uploaded any layouts anywhere for quite a while.
Partly because I didn't feel they were all that great (though I do love a couple, just can't show anyone until November...hmm...wonder why?!)
But mostly because I keep forgetting to take the camera up to the loft.
So anyway, here's my attempt at the UKS weekly challenge July wk1.
We had to follow a sketch, use 7 of something (7 black gems, 7 ab gems), stamping and pic of someone relaxing (I think this one of Pip fits the bill...)

I know I made it a little bit late but I've always figured that as long as you're in the right month it shouldn't *Really* matter...right? It's not like I'd claim points for completing Feb wk 2 challenge in October...

Anyway, either way I really like this one. I need to delve into brighter colours as I keep sticking to the duller, grungier range. The new Echo Park papers I got this week help me with this plan I think!

This morning we went to our local market to buy some flowers for our front garden as somehow my potential field of poppies has vanished! There are about 3/4 poppies and about 5/6 californian ones and that's it! I don't know where they all went to, and for that matter, why were there a few left? I mean, they were all growing the same...why miss just a handful? Very odd...

Anyhoo, it's all looking a bit like a barren wasteland there now so we picked up some cheap bedding plants that should brighten it up a bit.

Aaand, while we were going around the inside I may have spied a little cutie. See, he's a bit old, frayed around the edges and his ear's had some major surgery at some point in his little life - but how could you not love this face?

I seem to remember Elsie Flannigan had a fawn collection on her blog once (though I can't find it now!) and I've decided to follow her lead.

Though don't tell anyone - I used to collect fairy ornaments when I was younger and made the foolish mistake of letting people know so all I got was fairies for birthdays and Christmas.

Now, that in itself is not a bad thing, but flippin' heck there are some creepy looking fairy ornaments in the world!!

So, as I didn't want to insult people by returning the gifts, I had a shelf full of psycho looking fairies that I was fairly certain would one night come to life and eat me.

Needless to say they may have made a trip to the local charity shop when we moved...ahem...

I'm just far too specific about the things I like and don't like.

Or, you know, fussy.

Anyhoo, I'm off, busy day tomorrow! Things to do, sleep to catch up on...

xxx

It's definitley the simple things

that please me.
I left my camera in the loft and my ankle hurt too much to go get it so I thought I'd see if there's a macro-type function on my phone.
Yeah, I know, long shot. But you never know.
Of course there wasn't, but I did find a panoramic whatsit.
Now, I've never held much stock in this function in the past - I've tested it on other camera and it's just so hard to line it up. They always stich it up weirdly...
Anyway, I thought I'd give it a go to see what it was like - all I did was sping around in the garden - et voila!
(excuse the washing...my mother will kill me if she knew I posting this...)
(edit - I just looked closer at this photo and realised I should probably point out that the things that look like giant knickers are actually arm covers for the sofa! They've just folded up into a rather unfortunate shape!!)

How cool!

I know It isn't perfect, but it's just a camera phone. A cheap one at that (none of this iPhone malarky for me) I think it's done a better job than some £200 actual cameras I've tried!

Now I want to go somewhere really scenic now and try it out.
But it's raining. Again.
Sigh.
In other news the gorgeous butterfly punch I ordered yesterday just arrived and is just perfect. Phew.
Hopefully I should be getting an order or dies for my cuttlebug (Bob) next week - can't wait! I've been putting off buying any for so long, not sure why. I mean, I always think 'well, they're a bit expensive' then I see someone elses work, or I'm making something my self and I think 'I wish I had a flower/swirl etc...die like that'.
Always the way, no?
Thing is I made I a list then shrunk it down to a more managable size and now I'm wishing that I'd just gone mad and ordered the lot.
No no, must save up and be a good girl.
I think it's because I haven't bought anything crafty in so many months (beg. Feb) that now I've opened the floodgates I've gone a little crazy.
Help!!
xxx

Hmm...

So it seems a few days trapped in the loft with some paper, double sided tape and photos can do wonders for the system.
I don't feel great, but I do feel a bit better.

Earlier today I was chatting to my Magpie friends (name of group, not actual magpies. I'm mad, not *that* mad.) and Shirley mentioned the exploding box she was making her dgd for her birthday next week. It sounded like such a great idea I decided to make one for my nan for her 80th next week.

I had a quick look through some galleries and combined 2 - cake and butterflies.
Mostly because I couldn't decide between the 2...
Excuse my tip of a desk....

It didn't turn out *exactly* how I imagined it - but then do they ever? Plus I'm not sure I have the talent or equiptment to create my vision, it would help wouldn't it...

Probably should have made the candles a bit bigger too but they were so flaming fiddly I gave up. I'd imagine I'll be the only one that's bothered!

Aaanyhoo, there's my exploding birthday box.

Ta-daa!

I'll try and upload some of my 10,000 layouts soon too.

(well, 11...)

xxx

My head needs space

does that make sense?
Things happen.
Things you weren't quite prepared for, yet, as it involved an appointment you think you would be.
You build things up in your mind.
No matter how much you say to take all things with a pinch of salt. Dose of sceptisism.
You still get a slight bit of hope.
Then they say they want to test your blood for £70 to see if it's worth giving me their own brand miracle supplement for Epstein Barr.
Which there's every chance I have in my system as that's what started this whole bloody thing off 11 years ago.
Which they knew.
£70 as the NHS do test for it, but not quite the test they provide.
Of course.
And I had EPV which you know so what's the point of the test!?
You think you wouldn't get your hopes up.
But you do.
11 sodding years.
And my bloody ankle's started really hurting again.
I need space.
Everyone keeps asking if I'm ok, I want to scream no but I don't want them to worry. Mum gets ill with it and dad works so hard.
I just need some space, but there's always someone here.
Always.
Eurgh, just a few hours sleep would probably help. Stupid heat. Stupid ankle. Stupid people with promises that they can't keep and lies they sell for a fortune that they know you'll be willing to pay just for the chance to...live...

Yeah...I should probably avoid this thing for a while otherwise I'll have a blog full of random ravings.
I only came on as I'm worried about my crops dying on FB.
Yes, that is my life.
See why I need that flippin' miracle cure?

I think I'll go in to hiding for a while.
Don't worry.
I'll be back, just need to get my head straight.
xxx

Baby Summer

So this is Summer Brooke, my cousins little baby girl - isn't she gorgeous!?!
(I 'borrowed' the picture from her FB page, hope she doesn't mind!)

Before we saw a pic of her all I heard was how much she looked like her dad but from this pic all I can see is her mum!

Definitley has the Cole nose.

One day I'm going to gather up all the 'Cole baby' pictures because it just fascinates me how similar mum's side of the family are, particularly when they were babies.

xx

New Hair

I had blonde and copper highlights put in last Wednesday - not sure why I went for copper, just wanted something a bit different!
I like it - it isn't as streaky as it appears in these photos though..
In fact it's kind of hard to tell in this first one
And this one looks really bad but I'm assured it isn't that streaky!
(I know it's a weird pose but mum's a bit shorter than me and this was the best light, of course there was no seat !!)

I'm not sure if I want to keep these colours when I have it re-done in a few months...I'll see if it grows on me...I quite like the idea of purple(!)

xxx

So that's that then

This is what Pip thought of the match.
Can't really blame him either.
That stupid ref not counting the goal that the *whole* world saw - grrr...

*but* in fairness, we didn't deserve to win. What happened to the fight? The spirit? It was missing from quite a few teams this year. Shame.
Ah well.
Wonder who'll win in the end?..

Bad, bad blogger

I know, I'm sorry. Life is mean and I've just not felt like updating when all I'd be doing is uploading photos of nothing interesting and barely saying 2 words.
I blame my ankle.
It's still playing up 1 month later.
Bah.
I'm starting to take root on this sofa.
Had a quick trip to the dentist earlier in the week (joy).
Yesterday, however, mum had to pop to the hosp. for a quick outpatients whatsit so me and dad went over to Poole Park for a very slow & brief walk.
First up - foamy fountain...
This is fun. It's been a while since I've been here so I'm not sure how long they've been in place *but* they've put in reed beds!
Well...it's fun to me...

Apparently they don't use chemicals in the water now so blanket weed is taking over.

I think it makes it look so much better that way though.

And check it out - you can see to the bottom!

I've been coming here since I before I could walk and I don't ever remember being able to see to the bottom!

Now either this Swan has been very busy or they're the registered child minder of the group as they had 8 signets following them around.

Gorgeous.

I forgot how much I love this place.

Wonder if I can convince people to take me here more often...once my ankle lets me walk properly again of course...

Sigh...

Oh, I feel I should add - for the record - I've kept to my photo schedule completley. Just too dull to bore you with the back dating.

Just thought you should know.

Toodles.

xx

Coming home now

We got to the port an hour early but luckily managed to get on. Good thing really - who would want to hang aroung in this weather?!

So, back to the boring old real life.

More time to worry about ankle...

Woo.

xx