another day another outfit

I’ve been pulling out lots of colourful summery clothes this last week. Mainly because it’s so grey and dull here. The clothes make me feel more Summery and at least they will get some wear this year. Otherwise I fear they would be going back into the loft unworn this year.

This week I have pulled out two of my old Whistle cardigans. I used to buy one each month, in a different colour. They were expensive, I can’t tell you how much I have worn them over the years. I love the fact that the buttons are all different , even the colour of each buttons thread is different.

I would have shown you the full size image of me ,buy I looked like a heffalump. It didn't make it any better that everyone who saw me in the outfit remarked on my weight loss!

What did I look like before then ?

A massive heffalump, I suppose.

I wore another of my Anthropologie outfits to the Sunday crop.

It’s so comfy. In fact, I will let you into a secret the dress is actually a nightie. But who cares not me.

I wore it with my £4 Primark yellow ballet pumps. Super comfy.

A wee bit of scrapping

 

For some reason my pain is always at it’s worst on a Sunday.

I had a place booked at a crop so I felt I couldn’t let anyone down. It took me 10 minutes just to get the car of the drive, because of the pain. Hubby said he didn't expect to see his car in one piece again.

I didn’t think I’d be able to concentrate enough to do any scrapping. But once the medication kicked in and with talking to keep my mind of it. I got down to some scrapping.

I find it very hard to scrap nowadays, as my artistic flow has disappeared..

But I managed to get 4 layouts done and dusted.  I’ve just added the dreaded journaling and put them away in albums.

A layout using an image from our Anniversary afternoon tea party.

 

A picture of my son taken 14 years ago, that's been sat waiting to be scrapped for yonks'. I’ve tucked a recent newspaper cutting behind the layers.

Another even older one of Ryan when he was too young to join a football team, so he started to play rugby until he was 7. Of course he was the star of the team. He always bloody was.

It got a bit embarrassing as the years went on. It didn’t matter where he was. A golf program, a Centre Parks course, a Council run holiday football program or his team awards ceremony. He always won the main prize. Sometimes I could feel the other mums eyes boring into me. Him AGAIN.

 

A layout of my son and his previous long term girlfriend. Sadly after over 5 years they have no parted and moved on to new partners. But I am glad I have instilled in my children that ALL photos should be cherished and kept for future memories. I hate to hear about people who ripped all there old boyfriend/spouses photos. I made my Husband keep all his old love letters and images of his old girlfriends and I keep them in a box, along with mine.  And all these years later I am so glad I did.

I’m not sure if I have shared this layout before. I made it for my sister. It’s of her daughter as the Carnival Princess.

I used some paper from a collection designed by someone who used to live in my previous village, Amanda Lincoln. She had kindly posted a selection of her collection for 3 bugs in a rug, through my letterbox. They were perfect for this girly layout.

I also used a paper as the background for the girlfriend layout above.

It’s a sign I’m getting old

 

I have on my Sky plus, a couple of shows that I have to watch, whenever I am bored.

It drives my family mad.

I must be old.  Because the object of my desire is a young, gay man !!

I loved him in a previous programme that he won.

I was super excited to see him taking part in another of my favourite singing programmes.

The anticipation of the Sunday night programme kept me going on holiday.

Yep, I’m old. Popstars to Operastar is one of my favourite programmes. I’m so sad it’s finished, but at least I still have my two saved programmes to watch.

And at full volume.

Over and over again

Tasmin said she’s going to delete them.

I told her she had better start searching for somewhere else to live……

 

Cheryl was so good in her performance below, she nearly pipped him at the post.

But luckily my 1000 phone votes meant Joe won. I better hide the phone bill from hubby when it comes………..

A picture tells a story

Just had my first ever chance to shoot at sunset. I have never used the “golden hour” before. Mainly due to the lack of sun here, and a distinct lack of willing models.

But tonight I got to play with my camera .and dragged an unwilling daughter out to the meadow opposite our home. I learnt lots about light and my new camera.

When I returned home I saw these new photography words on Ali Edwards site and I couldn’t resist them for my Project Life.

The story:

Tasmin had just sat on the rug at the very beginning of our shoot. We heard the gate open to the meadow, and in shot a very bouncy, huge black dog. We both took a sharp intake of breath, as we are both scared of dogs. But luckily he was more scared of us.

This turned out to be one of the few unposed images and was my absolute favourite from the shoot.

So thank you huge, bouncy dog for scaring us shitless.

someone is watching

me.

Teddy likes to keep a check on what’s going on at the front of our house.

It’s just DIY dad, doing what he likes best.

People believe I beat my Husband with a stick to get him to do all the jobs around our house. I have to beat him with a stick just to make him sit down and spend time with us.

He’s enjoyed his weekend by digging up an entire lavender hedge.

It may look beautiful in this shot taken last month. But it is over 20 years old, and had blocks of it that were dying. It was a job we have been putting off for 3 years. But now the house is finished, Hubby is eager to crack on with all the bits and bobs that need doing.

So he ripped up the old hedge, took it all to the dump, in numerous trips.

Then he moved 1 tonne of shingle

and with a bit of help from a willing volunteer !

our new border was planted

It has huge Verbenas, blue grass, spirea and blue and white lavenders.

It will take a couple of years to reach its potential. But fingers crossed we have chosen the plants wisely for a sunny, dry and windy spot. That part of the garden gets everything the weather has to offer.

 

Does this look like a man who has to be beaten to get a job done.

Or is it a picture of a man who’s glad to get out of a day shopping or being trapped with his wife all day ?

A resurrection of a year in outfits

taking pictures of different outfits was something I did a long while back. I thought I would start again. As no one around here ever wants their picture taken. It’s a way for me to put my camera to the test and practice with my tripod. I had stopped using my tripod, as the Canon 7D was a bit too heavy for it. I was always scared it would topple over.

As you’ll see from my focus. I need to practise using this cameras meagre focusing a tad more.

I am weird at choosing my outfits,The clothes sort of call to me.Sometimes I end up in something very inappropriate for the day. Plus I often put combinations together that always come as a complete surprise to me. Some work so well that I’m always amazed I had put them together before.

Well yesterday a dress I hadn’t worn for a year was calling me as I was going to sleep/I had no idea if I still fitted in it but due to a recent weight loss it was fine.

This dress cost just £7. Yep £7. It was all on its own during a Tesco sale.Yep Tesco's.

It’s a classic shift dress. I usually wear it with my Chanel pearls,but sadly they were stolen.

I like to wear something to cover my old lady arms, but I always struggle finding a cardigan in my wardrobe to wear with it. I really need to buy a black one. But after trying on several, I settled on my favourite Anthropologie one. I have worn this cardigan to death since I bought it. I added an Anthropologie stretchy belt to give the dress a bit more definition.

Then I added my yellow ballet pumps, just £4 from Primark ! My gorgeous yellow ones from Paris have bitten the dust. I wore them until they died on my feet.

Oh and of course a chignon. I did try a bun, but I have recently lost half of my hair (another story) so it was a bit gappy and I gave up. So a quick twist of my meagre locks and one curved comb, and voila ! A bit messy, but I hate hairspray and the “ helmet ” look.

You’ll laugh at my attempt to “ model “ the outfit

  I don’t think the beautiful Peony Lim needs worry about my attempt to replicate one of her poses.

I LOVE her website that I found recently.

She wears some beautiful clothes. But then it massively helps that she is stunningly, beautiful and SLIM.

Oh well, I tried.

A girls dream come true

 

Hubby has obviously been reading this little book I got for him. ( I got a small magnifying glass with it, not because he needs glasses and is too vain to get his eyes tested,though )

This passage is very important. I like my own space. I have been sleeping on my own for several years. It is bliss .

But what’s this Hubby has moved out of his bedroom, next to mine.

He’s moved into our son's room. There is no way Ryan's going to be able to move back home now.

 

 

Well, the best bit was, he also moved all his toiletries into the rooms bathroom.

 

 

 

 

 

That means I get this bathroom all to myself now. Yahhhhhhhhh

I’ve started filling the cabinet already……..

No more toothpaste all over the lid. Marks on the sink and being woken up as he gets ready for work.

A girls dream come true…………

It makes for a very happy marriage………….

If a tad unconventional.

But I know you girls are all jealous out there……………….

Project Life- Week Twenty-three onwards

It has been hard going not always having a camera and trying to keep up with a daily photographic project.

Luckily I had some emergency reserve photos and we were on holiday for a large portion of the last few weeks, so I had a bit of free license with the images.

Week twenty-three

I added a 6 x 4 photo insert with images from our summer garden. This then follows on from the winter and Spring ones that are in the earlier Project Life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week twenty four

I added an A4 pocket with two collages of my nieces taken during the day spent at the carnival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week twenty five

yet another insert of ephemera and inames from our stay in Paris. All of my pocket inserts were bought at Scrap Revolution.

I am still waiting for Hubby to fill in the journaling card about his time working in Paris.

I included a copy of the journaling from my blog when I wrote of our time in Paris.

Week Twenty six

annoying, because I noticed I’d missed out a word in my journaling above. Erghhh.

Week twenty seven

The picture of me with the ice cream freaked me out. I look the spitting image of my mum.

Week twenty eight

I love the wild picture Tasmin took after she brushed out, all her curly hair  after going to bed with it wet. I think it may turn up on a scrapbook page very soon.

Well, that's  my Project Life finally all up to date.