Digi scrapping

PNE PNE PNE!!

I swapped my days at work this week so that I could go with Mark and Charlie to the open day at Preston North End. We took along our nephew Chris too as he's an avid supporter just like Mark! We didn't know what to expect of the event but it was quite good! We watched the players training and then met Deepdale Duck and I got a photo that i've been wanting for a while, Charlie with the duck where he's happy!! I attempted it at the hospitality day in December but Charlie wouldn't even look at the camera that day never mind smile! Charlie and I(!) had our faces painted and then we met all the players and manager, Darren Ferguson. We collected all their autographs too. :D
Charlie with Deepdale Duck - Yay!

Us all with Mr. Duck!

Charlie having his face painted

......and then me!!


with Sean StLedger (Sean really liked Charlie's cheesy smile!)

with the manager, Darren Ferguson (son of Alex Ferguson, Man United)

The drawer unit is home

When I walked in tonight I had a lovely surprise, my antique drawer shell is home! I've put a few drawers back into it just to admire it's beauty. I can't wait to start using it in my new craft room. :D

Aysgarth Falls

What a beautiful place! Finally after 3 attempts Elizabeth and I were able to take Charlie on a day out there! It is so well set up for pushchair/wheelchair users. I went to Ingleton falls last year and ended up carrying Charlie all the time. At Aysgarth the pathways are all flat to the falls, you do have to maneuver you way down to the falls but the most part is easily accessible and even if you can't get down to the falls you see enough from the top!
Charlie really enjoyed the day and he was so well behaved. When we went for lunch he told us he wanted to go back to the sea, LOL!! It was a little treturous to see the final fall as you can see in the top left pic but we got Charlie down there by him listening carefully to us and he'd wait for his next instruction! He loved it, to him it was one big adventure! It was so worth the effort getting down to that last fall, truly stunning! Elizabeth waited with Charlie whilst I ventured right up to the fall for a better pic!!! Whilst down there Charlie had fun making splashes with little stones into the 'puddles'!
On the way home we called in at Hawes, another lovely place. It was market day so we enjoyed a mooch although neither of us bought anything. (Elizabeth did buy Tim a couple of precious rocks from a shop though) We found a nice cafe, Elizabeth liked the name, Laburnham cafe. Anyway we were both still quite full from lunch so we only had a drink, an Elderflower presse to be precise. As Elizabeth commented, just like our grandmother's used to make. I hadn't realised her Grandma made it too! Charlie enjoyed an ice cream. We had a nice steady drive home, Elizabeth and I nattered whilst Charlie had a snoozle!

Hairspray - The Musical

This evening i've been to The Opera House in Manchester with my friends Sarah and Rachael to see Hairspray! I've had the most fantastic night!
First of all we had a meal in the Old Grapes pub which is just around the corner from the theatre so quite handy! Once inside we noticed tons of Coronation Street photos which we weren't surprised at as it is filmed nearby but in paticular there were alot of Liz Dawn who played Vera Duckworth in the soap. When our meal was served we asked the waitress about them and it turned out that Liz Dawn half owned the pub!!
Then it was time for the show! Hairspray is touring from the West End and our performance had Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad! He was sooooooo funny! The whole show was so well produced! I liked the film when it came out a couple of years ago and I watched Hairspray, the High School musical series on Sky so I was very familiar with the storyline and songs! I treated myself to the CD and a picture book of the show. :D

I *need* these punches, LOL!!

In stitches
Cupcakes


I am a true sucker for border punches, I love them and have a basket full!! So I really don't need anymore but I do *need* these ones!! LOL! It's my all time favourite scrapbookers fault, Susan Weinwroth She produces the most gorgeous layouts and features gorgeous products!! I *heart* her work and her 2 little boys are sooooo cute! I have to wait though as these punches aren't available yet and it'll be a little bit longer before they come over to the UK *stamps feet* LOL!!!

Why Layout

I just had to scrap it!! I like to scrap these milestones!! LOL! (I kind of went a bit OTT on thickers!!!)

Approx 17 miles

I have to say approx as my cycle computer stopped working in the rain!! I took the reading from a blog entry a few weeks back where we did a simalar route. It's been a real mixture of sunshine and showers this morning but mainly dry! We set off on our cycle ride around 1pm, like we normally do and headed for Glasson Dock, we took the 'over' route going this time (near to the football ground) and back came along St Georges Quay. As we set off it was spitting slightly, as we got nearer and nearer to Glasson Dock it got heavier and heavier!! By the time we got there it was torrential, LOL!! We had to cycle all the way home in it too and it hasn't let up since!! Drowned rat was an understatement, LOL! We are currently on a hosepipe ban due to the resevoirs being at a very low level. Ever since the ban came into force it has rained!! I wasn't able to go out on my bike at all in the week which was quite frustrating!

Two cheerful layouts!

It was Chorley crop today and we had a late one!! 9 hours scrapbooking, bliss!! I managed to do 6 layouts, the 2 below and 4 for Mark's Preston North End album. I only have 1 layout left to do in that album now, i'll try and share once it's complete. :D


Scraplifted from Jude Hutchinson

Why? Why? Why? Why?

So it seems Charlie has hit that phase........the Why? phase!! Everything we say is followed with a Why? and then another and another!! Bless him, it's such a cute phase! I wonder how long it will last..........LOL!

I had an email earlier, my antique drawers are repaired and should be on their way back to me very soon, yay! Plus we've now got the letter in hand with the permission needed from the brewery to build on our land! They put a covenant on the land that their permission had to be sought for any building!! We've been charged £117.50 to obtain it through the solicitor and after 7 months of chasing I was the one who finally sorted it out by dealing with the MD directly!! Still, at least we have it now and work can go ahead as planned in a couple of weeks!!

Just a bit of fun!!

My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com

20.6 miles

We did the nice route again today that we did on the 14th June except this time we came back again along the canal and prom which added about 3 miles! It was a lovely day for a cycle today, nice and fresh. Whilst cycling along the canal we saw alot of elderfower in bloom. This reminded me of my childhood, around this time of year my sister and I would go elderflower picking with my parents and grandparents. My Grandma used to make elderflower champagne! It was delicious! Once made she would store it in their coal house and many times we'd hear a very loud pop when a bottle exploaded, LOL!! We also saw the baby cygnets today, I can't believe how much they've grown! They were swimming along all in a row, too cute!

Race for Life

Today I took part in my 6th Race for Life! I feel so proud that I am able to take part in this event and love every minute of it! This year I did it with my sister in law, Karin and niece Maddie. We arrived just after 10:30 and I met up with some of my colleagues. The event is sponsored by Tesco and there was quite a crowd of us this year! I have about 3 group shots but we didn't manage to get everyone on just one photo! The pic i've included is the one with the most on!
Just before the event we have a warm up, the atmosphere is just brilliant! Somehow we seemed to end up setting off near the back this time therefore it seemed quite a slow pace to start with. The course is 5km long (approx 3 miles) and takes us around Salt Ayre and the cycle track up to Carlilse bridge and back. There were quite a few people cheering us as we reached the end! I can't wait for next year's already!! :D

Charlie's new growing project!

Following the success of the strawberry plants we have a new project in our garden! We are attempting to grow sunflowers!! I love sunflowers and really hope we get a good growth!! Charlie planted a sunflower seed at nursery a few weeks ago but he accidentally dropped it and the seed was lost :( So Aunty Elizabeth has come to our rescue and very kindly gave us these 3 plants. Charlie has decided who's plant is who's (although Aunty Elizabeth did stipulate that Charlie had to have the biggest!!) and the challenge is on, I wonder who's will grow the tallest!!! (I've told Mark he's not allowed to swap sticks, LOL!!)

Just like Daddy! (and dreaded barbers visit, LOL)

This morning I took Charlie to have his hair cut, it's one of my worst jobs!! Charlie's hair has always grown quite fast, it was quite long when he came to live with us!! Anyway, we do all the prep talk, he responds well to it and he really likes Paul, the barber, but the second he sits in Paul's chair we have tears!! not just tears but uncontrollable sobbing! Every time!! It breaks my heart! So this morning was no different but I think we may have finally sussed out what the problem is! He doesn't like the hair going into his mouth, which of course it always does as he struggles so much! After much tussling this morning Paul gave me a facecloth to wipe away the hair. I asked Charlie if he'd like me to cover his mouth with it and that was it! he sat lovely and still for the duration of the cut and it looks lovely! He even told Daddy that mummy put the cloth over his mouth and he didn't cry! :wub:
So as a reward for finally being so good at the barbers we went to see Daddy at work! He was just loading up and Charlie just loved 'helping' his daddy! I tell you, he looked like a pro!! Mark has an employee, Paul, I think he'd better watch out, Charlie's after his job, LOL!!

16 miles

It was quite windy again today but we managed to venutre to Bull Beck and back! I loved being back on my own bike, the one that I had at the castle on holiday was terrible, apparently it hadn't been ridden for 2 years, it was rusty and had a puncture which was repaired only it seemed to have had 2 as it was flat again by the time i'd returned to the cottage, LOL! The one we hired in the Isle of Cambrae was in lovely condition but it was a mountain bike and i'm used to my hybrid! So I truly enjoyed my ride today on my own bike!!!

I've been scrapping again!

Golly, 2 nights in a row! I can't tell you the last time I did that!
First layout is of our holiday in Ayr, I used Picasa for the collage.

This layout is a the Scrapagogo 6th Birthday Challenge. We had to follow a sketch. I'm quite pleased with it.


My lovely antique drawers arrived today, I have been so excited to see them! Unfortunately they have now gone again as there was a shrinkage crack in the top of them. Thankfully it can be repaired but I have to wait another 3 weeks before they'll be back again. (He hasn't taken the individual drawers, just the actual unit. I have 18 drawers piled in my dining room!) They're so quirky, each one is a different depth! I never expected that and I love it!!

and for my 100th entry..........

According to my blog 'dashboard' this is my 100th blog entry!! I can't believe i've made 100 posts already! I'm going to use the entry to show off tonight's scrapbooking!!

I totally love this first layout! I spotted it in the new Scrapbook Inspirations magazine and just knew I had to scraplift it! I even staged the photo, LOL!

This one is a class I found on A Trip Down Memory Lane's blog. Charlie made the head piece at nursery and originally I wasn't going to scrap it but once I saw the class I did!!


I was going to try and squeeze another layout in tonight but i'm too tired, I have the photo out ready so maybe i'll do it tomorrow.

Charlie is such a lucky boy!

I went for my 'mummy massage' last night, I go once an month as a little treat! I'm now really good friends with Carol who does my massage. We met about 5 years ago on our first adoption course, we got on well with them and they were from Heysham too! Unfortunately we lost touch but I did hear they'd adopted a little girl and briefly met them in Tesco about a year later. Just after we got Charlie we had a leaflet through the door about massages etc and I rang to enquire. Imagine my surprise when I turned up at my first appointment and it was Carol!!! Ever since we've been friends, I see her quite regularly for my massages and we try to meet up every school holiday for the children to play. Their little girl is adorable (i'm not going to name her as she has an unusual name and I wouldn't want to be responsible for any tracing) She's 6 now and just loves Charlie! She's a real 'motherer' and Charlie seems accepting of being mothered by her, LOL! Anyway, Carol asked me a couple of weeks ago if Charlie would like her little house, she doesn't play with it anymore and she'd suggested Charlie could have it. I said yes straight away and brought it home last night. I love it and so does Charlie!! The detail in all the pieces is fab! He's played beautifully with it all afternoon, he's amused by the toilet having a lift up lid (typical boy, LOL!) and has taken the dog for a walk all around the garden with the kennel!! I love the sleigh and reindeer, what a clever idea! At Christmas i'm going to give it a snow layer and put them out on display!

July's My Little Heart

I absolutely love this month's chart!! It's so cute and very summery :D 2nd July and it's stitched!! (although Tree got her's done on the 1st, LOL!) Can't wait for next month!!♥