Sunday 27 June 2010

Clean Up Campaign

I took today off to catch up with my washing, ironing and general housework and although I'm exhausted I'm quite pleased with what I've achieved. I managed to get 3 loads of washing done, hung out and dried now all I have to do is iron it (or do I???) maybe I'll call The Press Gang LOL.

Till tomorrow.

Fee x

Friday 25 June 2010

Thank Crunchie It's Friday


This week has absolutely flown past and I've struggled to keep up with everything I had to do so nothing new there then LOL. Today Jim went out for lunch with his sister (Evelyn) and although he enjoyed it he was so tired when he came back that he had to go to bed for a couple of hours. While he was snoozing Laura and I were gardening. She really likes to help with the digging and planting but not so much when I ask her to do some weeding LOL. I bought her a couple of strawberry plants so that she can grow her own strawberries and she couldn't wait to get them. I'll need to get some wire netting or a little poly tunnel for her to keep the birds away though!

Here is a layout I recently completed of the girls (Laura, Sophie and Jenny) playing in the sun. They had a ball just running around barefoot, climbing trees, squirting water at each other, etc.

Gotta go now duty calls!

Fee x


Wednesday 23 June 2010

Training Wizard


Yesterday and today I've been busy running a two day training course on Supervisory/Management skills in Glasgow. I'm glad to say it went well and I scored perfect 10's in the feedback from the delegates. I always find that bit rather nerve racking because if the delegates don't rate you highly then you may not get used again. All I can say now is WHEW I'm glad it went well. At work I've been up to my ears doing a salary review and I really haven't had much time to sit down.

My crafting time has been severely limited of late but I wanted to share my latest toy from PTI. I used their A2 envelope liner die to make these pretty envelopes. I already have plans to use this excessively at Christmas time.

Till later.

Fee x

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Thank You





Thanks to everyone for all the support over the past few weeks, we have been having a pretty rough time of it lately with Jim being ill. He got home from hospital on Thursday and I have been doing my best to allow him do absolutely nothing (not an easy thing to do). It's been confirmed that he has had another stroke and I'm being really tough on him when he does anything he's not supposed to. He is unhappy that he can't drive at the moment but he does understand why but gets a bit frustrated about it.

On Friday evening, the sun was shining and I decided to take Laura, her friends Jenny and Sophie and their Mum (Anne) up one of the local hills to see the beautiful view of Loch Lomond. It took us about half an hour to climb to the top of Duncryne Hill (locally known as "The Dumpling"). It was good to get a bit of exercise and some girl time. I took a bottle of peach water and bags of crisps with me and we had a rest at the top while munching our crisps and drinking our water. The view is absolutely stunning and it is a fairly easy climb as there is a track all the way up. I would recommend it to anyone. I've posted some photos for you so that you can judge for yourself. The first one is near the bottom of the hill and the girls are doing their yoga (and chanting), in the second one Jenny had climbed onto the stone plinth at the top and the third is a beautiful view of the loch and some of the islands,

A mega thank you to Val and Sandra for looking after the shop on Sunday to let me have some R & R time with the family which was much needed and appreciated. I was under strict instructions from the girls to go home and chill which is what I did. Later on in the afternoon we took a short drive to the beautiful village of Luss on the East side of Loch Lomond. It was a wonderful sunny day and wandering round the village helped me to de-stress. Jim managed to walk from the Car Park to the Coffee Shop and back but he was exhausted after just a short walk. I think it just proved to all of us that he really needs to take it easy for a while.

Gotta go now or I'll be late for work if I don't get a move on.

Till later.
Fee x

Tuesday 15 June 2010

Hospital Visiting

Apologies for being missing in action for a couple of days. Jim has not been too well again and ended up back in hospital yesterday. He is experiencing pain in his right arm and leg and it's a bit odd because 1) he shouldn't really be in pain and 2) the injury to his brain was on the right side and it is usually the opposite side that is damaged. He is in the right place anyway and I feel better just knowing that he is getting 24 hour care instead of being on his own at home. He will be getting more tests done today so we will see how that goes.

Gotta go and get ready for work now. Catch ya later.

Fee x

Thursday 10 June 2010

Fun in the Pool


Another busy day today and I fell asleep for an hour when I came home. I must have needed the rest but it meant that we were eating dinner at 8.30pm which is a bit late for us.
This photo on this layout was taken in Florida 2008 when Laura was having fun in the pool at the villa. The paper is from the Baby Safari Baby Girl range of papers. The backgorund paper is by Doodlebug and has embossed flowers on it (although you can't really tell from this photo). The letters were cut from chipboard using my Sizzix dies and covered with Posie Pink Bazzill then stamped with Versamark to achieve a watermark effect. I hope you like it.
Till tomorrow.
Fee X

Wednesday 9 June 2010

Getting Ready to Bake

I did a bit of shopping on my way home tonight to stock up on my baking supplies. I seem to have run out of quite a few things all at the same time. All I need to do now is to decide what I'm going to make and how to find the time to do it LOL.

I got a phone call late morning from Laura in a panic cos she had ripped her cardigan at school. I don't know what she expected me to do when I was five miles away LOL. Anyway I told her to come home at lunchtime and I popped home and made Jim and Laura some lunch, found her another cardigan and then dashed back to work. Flippin eck what next I wonder. She had the cheek to laugh at me because I was wearing my sensible steel toecap shoes and fluorescent yellow hi viz vest. I must admit it wasn't my best look but I had just left our factory in Renfrew and was on my way back to Dumbarton so I was wearing my protective clothing. At least she didn't see me in my hard hat which was still lying on the front seat of the car.

I'm off to bed now with some of my late Aunt Bessie's hand written recipe books for inspiration.

Back soon.

Fee x

Tuesday 8 June 2010

My Poor Hubby

Yesterday evening I had to go back into work to talk to some of the guys on nightshift and I didn't get home until 10.45pm. The downside of this was that I could hardly get out of bed this morning LOL.

Jim met me today at lunchtime so that we could do a bit of shopping at our local ASDA however we had hardly got in the door before he was over tired and had to lean on the trolley from then on. When we eventully got back to the car he was exhausted and had to go straight home for a lie down. I am still very worried about him and he seems to be getting slightly worse each day which is very worrying. He has to see the Doctor again on Friday so we will see what he has to say then.

Off to bed now to catch up on some ZZZZZ's.

Till tomorrow.

Fee x

Monday 7 June 2010

A Busy Day at the Office


I had an exhausting day in the office today. I am up to my neck doing feedback sessions to employees on the results of a recent communications survey so it is pretty hard going. In saying that I'm still enjoying the job and it is certainly busy enough and there is never a dull moment.

I thought I'd share another layout today. The photo was taken a couple of years ago in Florida. The cardstock I used was from My Mind's Eye and I made the flowers using my 1 3/8" and 2" scalloped punches with a little brad in the centre. The rub ons are by Doodlebug and I used a white gel pen to do the faux stitching.
Catch ya later.
Fee x

Sunday 6 June 2010

Disappearing Mojo


Well more like it has already disappeared LOL. My friend Lesley came over today as we had agreed to have a PTI day and make some cards. Unfortunately I just couldn't get into the swing of things and ended up just stamping out loads and loads of images and haven't got a completed card to show you.
The photo above was taken on Saturday evening when the girls (Laura, Sophie and Jenny) were running around playing in the sun. Earlier on, my niece Lynne came over and gave us all a file and polish and the girls were showing off their nails by making a friendship star with their fingers. I took lots of photos of them posing and generally running around having fun, no doubt you will see some of them on layouts soon.
Till tomorrow.
Fee x

Thursday 3 June 2010

Pretty Ballerinas




Here is a photo of Laura and her friend Caitlynn posing in their ballet costumes before their final performance. They both look so grown up here and Laura just loved the fact that she has progressed to having pink ribboned ballet shoes for the first time.

Today's layout was made using Prima Watercolour paper and flowers. I wasn't too sure about this layout after I finished it because it is so definitely shabby chic but I now absolutely love it. I've used chipboard hearts covered the paper and distressed with brown ink. On the right hand side I used a mixture of Autumn Leaves stamps stamped in different coloured ink and some Doodlebug rub ons to fill up the numbers 1 - 10. I hope you like it.

Till tomorrow.

Fee x

Wednesday 2 June 2010

Dancing Queen


The dancing display went very well and Laura and her friend Caitlynn danced themselves dizzy. I was exhausted just watching them LOL. Only one more night to go and the madness will be over. I got home at 5.45pm and had to be out again at 6.15pm so it was a mad rush.

Jim wasn't feeling very well today and I worried about him all day. I'd like to say he's now feeling better but he isn't and I'm not really sure what to do next. He has a Doctor's appointment but that is not until next Friday and I don't know if he can wait that long. I think I'll phone the surgery tomorrow morning for advice.

Todays layout shows Laura posing by the pool during our holiday in Florida in May 2008. The paper is from My Little Yellow Bicycle Baby Safari (Girl). I particularly like the clear acetate embellishments from this range. Apologies for the poor photo.

Off to catch some zzzzzzzzzzzz's now.

Till tomorrow.

Fee x

Tuesday 1 June 2010

Dress Rehearsal


I flew home from work tonight (via Dominos Pizza), ran round the kitchen table and then took Laura for her dress reheasal for her dancing display. We didn't get home until 10.35pm and it has been a mad crazy rush to get her showered, hair washed and dried and into bed WHEW! She is back to school tomorrow and is not looking forward to it and I don't know if she will sleep tonight.

I've posted another quick and easy card I did recently using a Woodware Baby Greetings Clear Stamp Set and Doodlebug Baby Boy paper. This is an older paper (or should I say vintage LOL) but I still love to use it. I hope you like it.

Gotta get to bed now cos I've got a busy day tomorrow.

Till tomorrow.


Fee x