January 30th

I have tried to catch up with two blog posts-sorry.

We have been busy decorating and finishing the walls in the bathroom.

We couldn’t decide on a colour and had 3 colours to choose from.We decided to risk it and plumped for a very dark grey.I have ordered white shutters for the windows and with all the other white bits going on it shouldn’t be dark just sumptuous and classy.We papered the wall where the sink,toilet and shower are going.I LOVE this paper and have used it in 4 rooms in my house.All in different colours.

The silver in it matches perfectly with our sparkly floor tiles.It all glimmers and glistens even with the lights off.I will add dots of colours like this pink towel.

To brighten up the solid colour of one of the wall I pinched this idea from Elizabeth Kartchner.

And this embroidery hoop was my idea.I have been waiting to use these for my scrap room.I have another one ready to go but I will wait and see if its needed in this room.

This is the same wallpaper in cream that I used in a cloakroom.I’ve stretched it over the hoop and embellished it.Hopefully it will tolerate the steam,if not they do make a fabric in the same print.

My Husband is busy cutting all the skirting boards and painting all the woodwork.He’s like a pig in sh*t.He loves getting his hands dirty.

This is an outfit I wore Friday.Its a very bright print dress.When I bought it I thought I’d see people everywhere in it.But I only ever saw a pregnant GMTV presenter with it on?

A bit of bright ,clanky jeweller.

and a pink cashmere cardie with jewelled buttons.

matching striped socks and my old comfy boots.

I wore my favourite outfit last night to my In Laws 50th Birthday dinner,but no one took a picture of me in it!

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(Spring)

January 29th

I admit it I am a closet Elvis Presley fan.I have been catching up on my sky plus TV programmes from January 8th.This would have been Elvis’ 75th Birthday.

My Mum had some of Elvis first singles and as a child I used to sit and kiss the album cover.

I was in Spain the day he died and bought as many newspapers as I could whilst I was away.I had quite a collection from lots of different countries.As I grew older I joined lots of Elvis Presley fan Clubs and had suitcases full of memorabilia.In one of my mad cleaning episodes a few years back I sold ALL my Elvis memorabilia and records at a car boot sale .What was I thinking?.

As a child I even wrote to Jim I'll fix it.I wanted to put a wreath on Elvis’ grave.I never heard a thing.But then neither did my sister.She wanted to be a monster on Dr Who.She even said she wouldn’t need much make up!

My Mum was always worried that I would name my Son after Elvis.What people probably don't know is,I did.My Son Ryan has the same middle name as Elvis -Aaron.That was my way of making sure there was a little of the King in him.

I would still love to visit Graceland's and I am sure I will continue until my dying day to fall silent whenever I see or hear him.He is,was and always will be the King to me.

Happy 75th Birthday Elvis.XXX

This dress is quite a recent purchase.A friend was wearing the grey version at a Christmas party.I immediately popped to Next to purchase it.I have added my own crochet flower.I made it some years ago when I was an avid crocheter (not sure if thats a word?)

 

At the moment whilst it is so cold I wear it with a long sleeved t shirt and matching blue leggings.It was so cold today I popped on my new Uggs.

January 26th

I was pleased to see some of my photos were used on the latest posting on the Hands on Photographer blog.I find sites like these are a great way of keeping me interested in taking photos and expanding my knowledge of my camera.

Another new place to try is Paislee press:Develop Fridays its another free photography driven “course”with a forum.I have joined and hope to put my camera to more use.

Let me know if you join the groups.I am called buzz over on Develop Fridays.Towards the end of this post will be some of the photos I captured for their first assignment-VOICE

Of course to capture my “voice” I had to shoot Teddy.However my new 50mm lens literally fell apart so its been sent off to be repaired/exchanged.Boo Hoo.I will miss it.

The last two weekends have seen me (after crops) driving down the motorway ,watching the most amazing sunsets.I was thinking what a beautiful photo it would be,when across my eyeline flew a flock of geese ,straight into the sunset.It would have been an awesome photo and I was gutted to be stuck in the car.So I took the next exit on the motorway and stopped as soon as could.Next thing I knew I was up a bank with my camera in hand.

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sunset

I managed one of Anna’s crop kit Layouts at this Sundays crop.

I just have to add some of my own stash and journaling and its done.

The other layout I had been wanting to do for ages.

Its title is- Beware ,so cute its scary.

My children added their own journaling.

Its the anniversary of my beloved dog Buzz's death tomorrow.

Whereas Teddy is mad on leaves he was mad on stones.He has one in front of him in this picture.

He loved the camera.X

Have you ever heard of civet coffee?It is the most expensive coffee you can buy.Why you may ask?

What makes it so special?

Well an animal that's like a cat,ingests the ripest and reddest coffee beans, which happen to be the ones best for brewing.  The cat eats the outer covering of the beans in the same way that is accomplished by de-pulping machines.  Something happens to the beans in the journey through the cat's intestines that gives it a flavour that is celebrated by coffee drinkers.  It makes a great Crappuchino !!!!!!!

Why might you ask am I telling you this?

Well I have mentioned before that nothing is safe in this house when Teddy is about.You name it,he’s tried to eat it.Today I realised I hadn’t worn my diamond earrings for a few weeks.But they weren’t where they should be?

I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.I must have taken them out one night and left them on the bedside table.He couldn’t have eaten them could he?

I gave him the evil eye and I’m sure he winked.

I realised there was nowhere else they could have gone.I was resigned to the fact that my special anniversary earrings were now a thing of the past.

I later took Teddy out into the garden for his photo shoot.For some strange reason an old forgotten poo of his was calling to me.It had a strange different shape and texture to it than normal (which is why my husband had left it there for over a week)

It was out of place to Teddy's usual boudoir area. There poking out was a large bead off my silk eiderdown and my diamond earrings…..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What are the chances of finding them like that?????

So do you think they are now worth a bit more?

Any offers?

My son said he can’t look at them now,without thinking they’ve been right through Teddy.Erghhh.

I don’t care I am just so relieved to have them back,Teddy's crap and all.

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voice

 

Teddy was the real object of the shoot I was supposed to take 75 photos of a subject I took 331…!!!!!!

He was going mad for leaves AGAIN?

January 23rd

A huge thank you to everyone who voted for me to win Cheryl's latest photography course.

I won,along with two other girls.So I get to choose another free photography course.Yippee.So My new Years resolution  to improve my photography skills is going well.

I also submitted this photo today to this new  photography webpage.

The Canadian scrapbooker-Hands on!photography.

Januarys assignment is Depth of Field (DoF)

I tried a selection of ideas ,but the light was just too bad indoors.This was one of my more successful attempts.

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DoF

Go and check her site out,its great if you want some photography help and some inspiration

There has been a serious lack of daylight lately,which I’ve found hard when trying to take pictures indoors.I heard on the news last week that there had been only 6 hours of sunshine in a week in the town of Royston,which is only up the road from me.

I am looking forward to the skies clearing and the sun coming out.

January 21st

I used up some some left over paper from my Crafty Stash Crop kit.None of us had wanted to cut up a sheet of paper with a Christmas tree on it. So I’d put it to one side for these photos.The title reads “tis the season to be merry”.

I used the collage photos I’d made on Picasa.Each one is numbered in the order I took the photos.As you may remember my Husband got a bit tipsy at Christmas and unbeknown to me,was pulling faces whilst I was snapping away.

I have a small journaling card that slots under the top right hand side photo.I lifted the photo with 3D tape.

I was expecting to go out today so I put on one of my favourite skirts.It has the most beautiful felt flowers and a sequinned underskirt

But it turned out I stayed at home,so I just scrapped and surfed the web instead.So I was a bit overdressed for a day at home.

I bought these ballet pumps the other day

I live in a pair of silver pumps I bought in Paris and I worry they won’t last much longer.So I was ecstatic to find these sequinned ones.I’m having to wear them in at the moment,they are a wee bit tight.They look much better on than they did on the shelf.They will hopefully add a bit of sparkle to some of my outfits this year.

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playmates

teddies

war paint

January 20th

I have a weird eating disorder called SED

but I am sure some people think it should just be called SAD people.

It essentially means I cannot really diet.Nearly everything I eat is high in calories and considered bad for you.I don’t even get my portion of 5 fruit and veg in a month let alone a day.Before the age of 21 I only ate a handful of things,but over the years I have tried to expand my repertoire and with a course of hypnotherapy,I now eat enough to get me by.

Its very weird but the majority of people with SED all eat the same things.The problem seems to be about the texture of foods.We tend to eat foods high in carbohydrates and have an aversion to entire food groups such as fruit and vegetables.

There are some foods I would love to eat.I would love to sit in a pub garden on a summers day,with a glass of wine and a cheese ploughman's.But at the moment all I would eat is the chunk of bread.I could never eat a tomato or pop a piece of orange in my mouth.Erghh.Yet I like tomato  and orange flavoured things.

So I am resigned to the fact that with age I will slowly grow in size.I am not prepared to starve  myself and I HATE exercise as it kills me due to back and neck problems.Added to the fact I find it sooo boring.Plus my enormous knockers just get in the way.

The other weird thing is in studies of people with SED they found that we are of average height and weight.Even though we tend to live on very fattening foods.I had to have monthly medicals through out my childhood because I was always VERY slim.

In my teens I was the envy of all my peers.I used to  have a Twix and a bag of Walkers crisps for my breakfast.At school I would get through at least 15 bags of Burtons potato puffs from the tuck shop.My evening meal would be a huge plate of hand cut,thin chips .Always deep fried with something like a chicken pie,with the filling removed.

I had the glossiest hair,I never had a single spot in my teens and I had a figure to die for?

At that time the Doctors weren't that hot on nutrition or what to do with children like me.I remember my Mum being told that as long as I ate bread,milk,potatoes and eggs I would probably be healthier than most people??

They just all hoped I would grow out of it.

Now people are much more knowledgeable and it has been great as an adult to find I am not the only weirdo out there.We even have our own forum-Fussy eaters

where believe me I almost feel normal.

Anyway I’m off for another chocolate biscuit.Mmmmm

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coffee with friends,without coffee

Naples-literally a load of tripe

Borough market

heaven

January 18th

I was always known for my colourful clothes.I use to be always shopping for new outfits.But since buying our Edwardian money pit,every penny I have,has been spent on this for the last two years.As I don’t have any spare money I NEVER shop anymore.This has resulted in me wearing comfy,slobby clothes and piling on the pounds.Some of my favourite clothes now hang in the wardrobe as a distant memory.Far too tight to come out to play

I scrapped this a few years ago,just after moving to this house.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2174/2545053819_8118b1b0b9.jpg

As you can see my wardrobe was full of colourful clothes.This was why I came to choose the name for my blog.

My friend Hilary sent me a link to this blog today.She thought I may be interested in “my year in outfits”

After reading about lots of yearly projects this is the first one I have become really interested in.

I thought this may be a way of getting the old me back again.Even get me interested in shopping again.So out came the tripod and I found out how to take a self timer picture.But that was where the problem began.I was horrified to see how big I had got in the pictures.(believe me this was a good “thin”one)

My original cardigan was stretching at the seams,so of I went to change again ,only to hate my dinner lady arms.

So maybe this will be a torturess project in the end.But as we all know in years to come,I will look back at these photos and think “I thought I was big then ,and look how big I’ve got now!”

At least I know I can wear this to complement the outfit.I love this ring.

Even my bloody hands look old!! At least they aren’t fat as well.

I shall wear this sparkly coat tonight,when I am out on the town.It used to be miles too big for me,but you guessed it,its snug now.

It has been hard for me for the last 3 months not having a bathroom.I am using my Sons ensuite and all my toiletries are in this little basket.

I have gone from using £89 pots of Dior cream to a £2 Aldi cream.I had a makeup case full of Dior make up (I was a Dior consultant)now I have a blusher,lip gloss and cheap mascara.

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Fake beauty

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Originally uploaded by buzzy boy

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Originally uploaded by buzzy boy

January 17th

I stayed in bed this morning until 12pm!!!

But I was busy on my laptop researching my holidays in the States.I am the most anal,organised person you could have the misfortune to meet.Along with my written lists I have labelled folders of web pages on my laptop.Both my trips will take lots of organising.I hate to miss out on anything when I travel.

I have been posting questions on travel sites and the American “two peas in a bucket”scrapbooking site.People are so helpful,and its best to talk to the people who know the area where you are going.

Luckily I am going to Chicago with another two very organised ladies. However they have informed me they like to pack on the heavy side.I am again the most organised packer.I travel so light I can fit my clothes in a hand luggage bag.I prefer to buy clothes in the States and keep all my luggage allowance for my purchases.I have been known to bring home curtain poles and Goose down quilts (Poor husband had to return the quilt on another trip!)

Are you a light packer or like my friends take everything but the kitchen sink?

I spent the day yesterday with the above mentioned ladies at Crafty Stash's crop at Tempsford.The crop kit was very similar to last months,so my album now looks like there is a bit of a theme going on.I must say I would not have bought the papers we used ,but I again love the layouts I created.

They are both of my nieces,I added a few embellishments of my own and added some hidden journaling under the 3D mounted photo above.

I started following the kit on the one below but ended up doing my own thing.I added some stash left over from some of my previous crop kits.

I am after some new bits for my scrapbook room.I bought these boxes for storing my stash in.

The bottom one will be handy for keeping my unfinished layouts in.

I wanted a AMM tote bag with a carousel on the bottom ,but I have been informed today that they have been discontinued.If anyone knows of any stores that still have any I would be very grateful.

I bought one of the cheaper papermania ones when I started.I thought scrapbooking would be a flash in the pan for me,but four years later I am still going strong.

How long have you be scrapbooking?

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snow

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