i'm in mourning...(well, ok not quiet)

... our hoover died yesterday. A big puff of smoke poured from her insides and she had caught fire. Good job we don't rely on the use of our OH's in an emergency. He just flapped and tried to start evacuation... I turned her off and threw the bath mat on her. It's the third hoover in less than a year...

I have nearly finished Harry Potter too... but am sad to see it end. And I now know what might happen. I've read THAT bit. I guessed it anyway. But it made me cry. In fact alot of the book has made me cry. And once Kevy has read it too - I can finally vent all the moments i've loved, hated, not understood and cried over. One thing i'll add which gives nothing away but has me astounded - when the hell did Ron Weasley get clever???

Busy!

Well yesterday and today have been busy!

Yesterday I went to work at Pandoras in Basildon - well I say work but it's so enjoyable! And Sandra's mum is such a sweetie. I managed to get a little scrapping done and have a nice chat - hardly seems like work...

I am also slowly, although it's quickening now... in mad Harry Potter mode. This book is strange. I have found it one of the hardest to read and have finally got 'into' it. It seems to move much quicker than any of the others...I am really enjoying it though. I always read the Harry Potter books and kinda wish they WERE true. Some of it is truly magical and amazing. I am disappointed alittle though as there is no Neville ... yet, maybe he will show up soon...?!

Today we went to get Ben's photograph taken. We had a big canvas of Emily at this age (actually it was alittle before now) ... we just wanted two large pictures of them at a similar age. He was very, very good. He is very good anyhow. Always happy. Always smiling. And then we had one of the pair of them together and one of Emily. I managed to buy a few birthday gifts too and a few bits for us.... And we had a pizza hut lunch - yum!

I have then sat and read Harry Potter on and off until now - between tea times for Emily and Ben and between playing with them and then putting them to bed. I haven't achieved much scrapping. I've had the stuff out but just haven't had any drive to do anything. I made a little pirate mini album yesterday but need some more black cardstock for the inner pages and have NO idea of what i'm going to put into it. I wish I knew. I'm hooked on making mini books/albums and then not filling them... I don't even know what i'm going to do with them all either. I just know they give me a sense of creative achievement when i've finished them - and that is the point of scrapping.

I signed up for Shimelle's new class too - i'm pretty excited about it. I super love her her atm... along with a huge list which is longer than my arm. But those who know me already know what I like and i'm sure you know who floats my boat...

p.s. Nina has been talking about having her tongue pierced. I had mine done a L-O-N-G time ago now. But things like that are addictive. Same as tattoos... i'm thinking about it. I have done since I had my second one... A week after my first. They are SUPER addictive. I just have nothing yet that I want done. I wouldn't have names... I wouldn't have things that are 'in' now cause you're stuck with them forever. Maybe i'll never get another but you can be sure that if I do - i'll still want 'just' one more...

I wanted to post this earlier but little eyes were peeping!

This is what arrived this morning for my gorgeous Emily! It's not her birthday until September but she is just so in love with this monkey. I have been looking around for ages for curious george stuff and Kevy found the link via wikipeadia... (http://www.awestores.com/) it is a fabby site!!! And I only ordered it at the weekend and it came from the states. How quick is that???!!! There were heaps of plush-ies but the 'train driver' george caught my eye! He was only £6.50... A complete bargain. (and of course I just HAD to order the scrapping kit to go with him)

one pair of sunglasses + two crazy peeps = FUN!

I can't quiet get used to the no flash setting on my camera - it takes the piccie so slow that it usually ends up blurry and the flash makes faces pretty over exposed. I suppose I oughta read the manual for it but you know i'm a results now kinda gal... Any tips will be greatly received... (the first one was no flash - and the only one not totally blurry but I prefer the effect. The second one was with the flash - Emily is far less likely to stand completely still...)

But these are just two of the piccies we just took - and boy, there was heaps! random photo moments are so important in my life.

Oooops...

... I think i'm supposed to tag 5 of you... So I have four more to go... ok. So my other four (in no particular order) are:

Sandra (http://pandorasandra.typepad.com/)
Shelley (http://shellybrewer.blogspot.com/)
Michelle (http://scrapcouture.typepad.com/)
and....
Barbara (http://barbaraespinosa.blogspot.com/)

These are all blogs I LOVE so much... enjoy!

I've been tagged!

I've been tagged by Katy! ( http://scrappingandnewfs.blogspot.com/ ) She has some SUPER cool photography going on and a really cuddly doggie! And I am on her UKS team - she is a fabbbbbbbby team leader! I am going to tag Nina ( http://adventuresinbugland.blogspot.com/) Although I know she's cropping tonight - next time I will TRY so hard to make it...

Thanks Katy!!!!

A song in my he{art}...

... so here it is. The begining of something big for me. My whole life documented in song.

I am not putting it in any order - simply because it would just be TOO complicated and I think i'd loose sense of the album. It's about enjoyment, love, song and most of all it's a therapy. Scrapping really is the best way I express my feelings, thoughts and just get it all out.

At last weeks class we talked about journalling. The sort you read and your heart leaps. The sort that makes you have a tear - whether it be happy or sad. The stuff you think you want no one to know until you're not here. The stuff you say when you think no one is listening. The stuff that is actually from your heart and not your head. Writing it down is therapy. You write it down and you shut the book. It's gone. It's not your burden anymore. It's not something you have to remember. Some journalling is like that. Sandra is the best-est journaller I know IRL, she has it all down to a 't'. The stuff she writes about her girls blows me away. The book Michelle so kindly sent to me is fabby. I am loving it. I am just getting to grips with writing in it. I'm writing in pencil and plan not to rub any out - it's all about learning to find my voice on paper - but it is tempting when you re-read it with a clear head the next day to scrub it all out. I'm not going to though.

Well, this album/book/whatever you want to call it... it's becoming a therapy for me. My younger days put onto paper. All my thoughts, fears, fun and believe me stupidity is there to see. And you know what, it's making me feel proud of how far i've come. The people i've met and shared experiences with. The people who maybe i'm not in contact with now but I know they know they hold a special place in me somewhere. I'm celebrating what i've done. The fun i've had and how much of a complete doofus I used to be. (just check out one of the piccies above...)

Music is food for the soul...

... you know when you're driving along and THAT song comes on the radio. I don't have it so often now seens as I hardly drive any where but you know the one. The one that makes you jack up the volume and sing along. The one where, when you stop at the red lights the person in the lane next to you looks over and smiles. The one that reminds you of something special... We all have them. Songs are like mini movies or photographs to me. They evoke memories that I hold somewhere in my head. Memories that I may not have in any picture, memories that someday will be gone and all that will be left is a song.
My head is trying to gather all of THESE songs in one album. I am scrapping my songs of my life. The songs that make my heart sing...

I'm hooked...

...on Harry Potter... do you know how exciting that book is??? Yes, no spoliers here but I would just like to say how quickly it's got into the whole Harry/Voldermort thingie. It's pretty gripping from page one! Hooray for books - I just love 'em!


Managed to scrape in my BOB (best of British) scrapbooking entry. I have no doubt that i'll not even come close but you never know unless you try. I know heaps of you UKS girls have entered and a big good luck to you all! It would be super amazing if someone I actually knew won.


Yesterday Emily was busy playing dressing up - she loves hats and has found a pair of cheap sunglasses, I think they were a freebie with something. Well, because they were so cheap practically as soon as we got them the 'sunglasses' lenses had fallen out. Now she has been wearing them as glasses and making us laugh so much. Benny Hill sprung to my mind....

Tooooo busy to blog...

Yes, I have been super busy (and super tired too). Yesterday was the Billericay crop. It was a queit one but we still had fun. It's so great to see everyone working and getting creative. I just love it. And it was so nice to meet Sue too (a scrap witch from UKS!) and to see Dee again, after all her troubles with her DD being v.ill and everything!
So did I manage to get much done? No. I sat and yapped the whole time. I managed to make some of my 'travel' album from the kit that Donna had provided for us and the SoML kit tied in so well too so I also added some super dooper bits from there too... but that was it. No piccies in it. And v. incomplete (I only managed to decorate about 6 of the 20 odd pages...) So I have more to do this evening...
And last night I went mad on scrapping two new pages of old pics i've had pre-digital camera of old friends from when I worked a holiday season at Butlins... (I hear you groan..) I am planning on making a huge 12x12 spiral bound book of the whole two seasons, pics, memorabilla etc and diary bits... it will prob be too personal (lol) to share with everyone but I know that the bits will get chucled out or go astray if they aren't put all together some time soon. So THAT is my project for the up coming school holidays. Scrap my summer hol job.....

And then last night I started reading Harry Potter too. Kevy went out and got me the new book. So I have read a couple of chapters but am loathed to stop scrapping while my mojo is going on overdrive... But so far it's seeming very very good and much more grown up than ANY of the other books... I am so hooked on that boy - well actually my secret Harry Potter crush is Neville Longbottom... he is SOOOO sweet. I am eagerly awaiting to see what happens and how the story unfolds. AND if Harry dies.......

Lookie what I got!!!

Yes, my fave, fave, fave kit arrived today with all those cute little extras! Wow! I am so stoked. Check out the bright pink hambly owls!!! And, well just EVERYTHING... I am so, so, so dying to use all these fabby, funky bits. I am so glad that it's crop tomorrow and I will have a big chance to play and create so much stuff. I'm so excited - as you can tell.

This is what Emily and I did this afternoon...

We used all my stamps and ink pads and stamped it all in my ideas book. Emily had the best time ever!!! She was so sad when we had to pack it away when Ben woke up - but i'm brave enough to let her with supervision BUT not without...

My little {he}ART...

I am soooo *heart-ing* scenic route atm! The colours are super bright and so funky!

I am trying so hard to scrap everyday moments right now, rather than those lovely but posed piccies. You will find me during the day with my camera permanently attached to my hand, snapping the tears, tantrums and giggles of my two littlies.

I just really adore this little embellie that once was a piece of fahion jewellery... It looks so sparkly and shiny when the light catches it. It inspired the WHOLE LO. Just one beautiful piece. I am forever scavenging in claires accessories/funky fashion jewellery shops - you'd think my jewellery box was overflowing - but instead, my LO's are adorned with funky gems...

It looks pretty washed out here. My photography skills don't do it justice. I know I should've taken Sara up when she offered to teach me to 'scan and stich' and i'm sure my art would look better. And thank you to Shelly for the fabby inspo! I love that chicks work!

And this is the one i'm working hard on atm... I doodled the whole paper an age ago... I had no 'H' so I cut a 'Q' for the title... i'm getting letter thrifty like that...

I'm late, i'm late...

Yesterday I had my class. I know it's usually on a Friday so that is something that threw me. I totally didn't realise it was starting at 10:30am. So I toddled along and went for a walk down to the local shop and wandered back slowly with the kids in tow. I got back to find Sandra had called me. My class started at 10:30am and it was now 11am!!! I shot in the car and zooooooomed over there. It took me only 15 mins to get my stuff in the car, drive into town, park and walk down four flights of stairs to her gorgeous little den of paper goodies!
My ladies were lovely, so understanding and so enthusiastic to get on creating! Wow. We had some super sreative thoughts going on. Real light bulb moments. So we worked til around 2pm and had fun. You know scrapping really is a type of therapy.
And when I got home... I put my little boy to bed and then Kevy fell asleep in the chair and Emily on me while I watched neighbours and read my new CK mag. (I might've shut my eyes too, lol).
I did scrap last night - so I will add piccies later of my 1.5 creations... I still have half left to do.

Kevy has his end of term party for his form today. I hope it goes well. He says they are a good bunch. Well, i'm sure they'll be full of e-numbers as he left this morning with fizzy orange fanta, jelly sweets and mini choccie deserts...

And it's Billericay crop tomorrow! Yay! It will be weird though, no Nina again and no Jane... Last time I was alittle late - so i'm planning on getting there at a reasonable time tomorrow... And i'm planning on being as productive as I was at the Havering crop... I always seem to get SOOO much more stuff done there (maybe because i'm not just having a chin wag for the whole entire time?!) . Donna has come up with a beautiful mini book with the love, elsie Toby papers! I know i'm not going to fill it with piccies tomorrow (our yellow ink is out) but I will have fun making it and then I have a hundred and one projects I wanna get on with... fingers crossed...

And I have a new obssession to add to Amiee's CJ... SIStv.... get over there. The galleries are SO out of this world and i'm loving you guys who *hearted* me - thanks you sweeties.

Thanks Mrsnosab!!!

check this out http://mb.lifetimemoments.com/viewtopic.php?t=149554 thanks for the prompt on SIStv... I am totally loving this site atm!!! And lovin' mrsnosab's LO's!!! they are so inspirational! Wow. Urge to create coming on!

As promised...

...I have been wanting to put these up since last Friday evening but haven't had the chance... These are the goodies - minus two paper packs that I already sold at crop... (thank you!) - that Sandra gave to me along with my apron. I'm sure I was supposed to sell the apron too but you know that thing is so dang cute; how could I part with it???

So ok... here are the goodies on offer today: (I know the college fund is on hold but i'm still undecided how I can work around my childcare issues atm... so still saving and gathering... who knows what may happen...) Again, prices don't include p&p and will be charged at cost. Thanks x

A bazzill basics black album with the 7gypsies paper (heaps- plenty to cover the inside of the album and have some left over) with two DCWV packs - tabs and letters. £8.50

Petaloo flowers - super cute and funky!!! £2

An little mini book pack! I love mini books...!!! £1

And lastly this paper pack is SUPER SUPER cute... A karen foster paper pack with brads (yes, how cute are they???) and two sticker sheets which are cardstock stickers! £10

If you want anything then email me at : realmarypoppins@yahoo.co.uk And thanks again!

Ice cream towels

This is Emily after her bath the other night. The only way I got her out was to promise that i'd do her an 'ice cream' towel on her head. And so she was SOOOO happy and posed for around ten minutes showing off... until the towel fell off and then we had tears.

Grrr! Blogger...

I have been trying to get onto my blogger account since yesterday afternoon.. with not any luck. I hate it sometimes... quiet often I can't upload pics for ages etc... makes me keep thinking about a typepad blog.


Well... here things are ok. Spoke to my sister again last night (she is a total diamond) and feeling better but still not sure whats happening now. My midwifery dreams are on hold and it just seems so is everything else. Poo.


I am going to do Shimelle's new class! Have you all seen??? The ten photos one... (http://www.shimelle.com/) I didn't do the once upon a time/childhood one but this one I just wanna sink my teeth into. I'm very, very eager for it to start now!


I have FIVE ladies on Thursday for my class so i'm going to be busy beavering away with all of that tonight and make sure i'm super organised and ready to go. Last week went soooooo well that i'm so pleased and really looking forward to time out to be creative from everything that is happening at home. I will TRY and remember my camera too and then I can post some cool pics of stuff we do on here!





I also made, well finished a LO yesterday that I started at crop on Sunday - it has taken me Sunday night and Monday to finish ... it just lost its flow for me and I couldn't get on with it. I'm not sure if I particularly like it now but it has a weird photo on. I am trying to scrap 'everyday' life rather than just the nice bits. It was pretty difficult to scrap because what do you say about it. How creative can you be with a piccie of your daughters fat lip?!!! Well, I tried to match the pink with her red lip and that made me giggle. Only a mad scrapper would be thinking like this. Taking and documenting their childs mis-haps. But I did have the help of finishing this LO with these little beauties.... ooooooooh aren't they simply scrummy?

Thank heavens for sisters and friends...

... a big hug and thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and helpful to me in helping me and listening to me moan on about how tough things are at the mo!!!

Here is a piccie I took last week... Yes this is Kev's idea of getting Emily to sleep - he was alseep before her and snoring so loudly that i'm surprised that she ever did drop off. When I get some ink in the printer I am going to print and scrap it. It is so typical of the pair of them...



Good news though - check out http://pandorasandra.typepad.com/ and see how much good luck she is having after a rough time just lately. Shows there is hope for us all!

I do have some more stuff to sell... (thanks Sandra) and I will add it on here tonight for those of you who wanna have a peek.

Creativity chaos!!!

(Thanks to Karen Russel for a fabby 'kinda' scraplift!)
(thanks to 2peas for another 'semi-kinda' scraplift)

Today was the Havering atte Bower crop. Can I just say for all you Essex gals it is really FAB... There is heaps of space and it's a beautiful hall and setting and Tanya is a super cook - she bakes the most delicious cakes!!!

I was pretty creative too and made 6 single LO's and started a maya road mini album for my sister. How fabby it was! So you know i'm feeling pretty good that I have created SOOOO much.

Now for some pretty bad news. My sister has been having a hard time of it lately... I really am wishing I could be with her right now. Her little boy George has been going to pre-school for nearly a year now and his key worker has suggested and asked for an SEN co-ordinator to be brought in. She is absolutely destroyed. This is my sister who is normally so happy and manages to cope with so much. I hate to know she is feeling so sad and so low and most of all so lonely. It just really hurts me so much. And whats more I am sure, after working with special needs and lots of small children, he is just a typical boisterous boy who is nearly four and trying to make sense of his place in the world. I think she has nothing to worry about but you know what us parents are like!

Secondly, yesterday Kev asked his mum whether she would mind having the kids alittle more. And talked And after nearly three years of her saying that she would have her grandchildren any time at all... she called today and said no. I knew that was the answer yesterday. I just wished she had of had the decency to actually say that AND to have not have already said that she would've had them any time.

Needless to say i'm a bit in limbo, no actually i'm upset. This might be irrational and unfair to say but I feel as if it's a personally attack against me and my children. And in some way that her other grandchildren matter more than Emily and Ben. She said that she would if it didn't interfere with the others... and that if FIL would help more. Basically she said no there and then. I mentioned it to Kev and he said that it didn't seem like a no to him. But she called and Kev said he spoke breifly to her and she felt she couldn't look after them. I'm pretty annoyed. It has been so long coming. We have been told that they would do anything and would be willing to have the children any time and it turns out not to be true.

Things are sent to try us...

... as those of you who know me will know already... i'm hopeless at journalling. It's all in my little head somewhere but getting it out is hard. Michelle was SO kind and sent me a journalling book a while ago and as yet i've read it but have not managed to actually get the pencil out and actually write anything.
At the moment, I feel my life's in limbo... I am torn between being a SAHM to my two little ones or going out and training and achieving my dream. And when I go back and read that sentence it seems so easily said. IF only it was. I have realised that motherhood has brought me two wonderful children, two children I would do ANYTHING for, two children who in my eyes couldn't be any more perfect, two children who I look at and think - they truly are my best achivement that I will ever have, two children who I have wild hopes and dreams for and two children who mean so much to me. Sandra showed me some journalling yesterday while I was working that she had written for her three girls to find when she is no longer here... it really brought a tear to my eye (yes, those who know me will know thats easily done too!) but this writing that she had done at 4am one morning on the back of an old, torn, battered envelope was beautiful. It was truly the same thoughts we all have for our children, no matter how old they are... How I wish that I could journal like that. Well, anyhow along with motherhood too has come indecision... I cannot make a decision. I used to be so free and easy with my decision making. Since children I feel incapable to decide anything. And then when you think you have made your decision something goes and happens and you realise you simply can't do it.
I guess deep down I know what is the right thing to do but actually doing it and being brave, facing all the turmoil it may cause would probably be one of the hardest things that I would do. Guess i'm gonna have to be brave...

This little beauty...

... was made for me by Sandra... and how beautiful is it??? She has been super kind and given me heaps of bits to sell to raise my course fund. I am feeling very lucky and very blessed and super happy with the generosity and help everyone is showing. Thank you!

I will be adding more stuff to the market place on UKS (and duplicating here too) so check back tomorrow.

My class was extra cool today. I had a total novice scrapbooker and it was wonderful to see how happy she was learning and beginning to scrap. It was so special. That time, when you're just starting out is the beginning of a magical process. I also had two other ladies who started two gorgeous projects! It is so wonderful to watch and help others scrap - it really is so bloomin' special!

Thank you everyone... it's been a great day.

oooooh and on the study front. I think I am going back to college, subject to my MIL and FIL having the children... The OU course is just worth 60 points and its a requirement that if it's an OU course you need 120 points!!! YIKES! That would cost a whopping £1200 without books and study materials and take two years... Yes, you can't put a price on education but I simply can't justify that AT all...

Super dooper!

Today i've packaged off all the sales for those who have paid via paypal... Thank you!!!

I have a super busy time coming up atm!

Friday: Teaching at Pandora's papercrafts!!! Yeah! And a chance to natter on to Sandra too!!!

Saturday: A visit to my MIL to see her brand spankin' new kitchen!

Sunday: Havering atte Bower crop (if you're interested contact Tanya on UKS!)

Also I have to decide my course options too... Call my sister... Do the washing... hoover up... go over my class for tomorrow.... Do some scrapping.... Do some ironing (!) ...

And of course add a couple of pages to this:











Thank you so much Amiee for letting me be a part of this special journal... I am loving the whole recieving new journals each month! And loving the coloured tissue that Gina sends them in... I have three gorgeous colours collected!

He's not a baby anymore!!!

This is my little bubba boy's pram. He, of course is way, way too big for it now but putting it up and seeing it again has made me alittle sad. My two babies have grown into beautiful children... Oh well. (note the orange walls are going over the summer - not our choice the choice of our previous home owners!)