My my ... loads to catch up on ......

School

We've had the school production of Oliver this week, and I always get roped in to doing the make up for the kids. This year we involved 18 primary school kids from surrounding schools, and they were absolutely fantastic !!! I haven't posted a picture of them for obvious reasons, but the kids at my school (and parents) have given the ok for theirs to be posted ... so here/there/wherever ... are a few of our kids in all their glory !!!

Thank goodness its all over tho. The show was on for 3 nights, and I had to be back in school for 5.30 every night .... I really do feel a bit knackered today ... but it really was well worth it !!!

Other News

So much going on at the moment that I'm meeting myself trying to catch up !!! Had a bit of a health scare last week when I got carted off by ambulance with a suspected heart attack - it turned out to be IBS and my fault because I haven't been taking the tablets properly ... 3 a day I'm supposed to be taking NOT one when I feel unwell !!! Ooops ! Week before that, my BP soared and my heart was racing so Doc has put me on Beta Blockers - I feel really fab on them ... so thanks to Dr Majunder - he has a lot to put up with from me !!!

Scrapping wise I haven't done a lot, as I've been busy making Valentine cards and other commissioned cards - god knows why i've got a run on cards at the moment. I must get some scrapping done tho as I have a load of photos to get printed off and scrapped !

Joke

Our Four Sons

Four guys went golfing; one went in the clubhouse to pay while the others waited at the first tee. One of the guys says, “I'm so proud of my son. He is a stock broker and he's made enought that he just gave away a huge portfolio.” The next guy said, “I'm so proud of my son. He's a car dealer and he's doing so well, he just gave away a Ferrari.” The third guy says, “I'm so proud of my son. He's got enough money that he just gave away a million-dollar home.” Just as the third guy fininshes talking, the fourth guy joins them and asks, “What are you guys talking about?'“Just about how good our sons are doing,” the three men replied. “Well, my son is doing very well,” says the fourth man, “He's a male stripper and just last week he got a huge portfolio, a Ferrari and a million-dollar home.”

Have you seen ........

......... the new Blog by Fairies with Tude ? ..... well, I made this chipbox after accidentally stumbling into their Blog .... cool or what ? It can be used for sooooo many things ... an address book, a card reminder, send gifts in ..... absolutely allsorts ... I am soooo chuffed with this !!!

I made mine using American Crafts papers and heaps of ribbons from Little Silver Hat

Catching up ...... (and I've been tagged again)

Oops - I seem to have been a tad remisce in posting on my blog ... anyway ...

I've had a bit of a heart scare (again). BP very high and my heart was racing, so doc has added a beta blocker to the mound of tablets that I'm already taking. Funnily enough, I only had a banging thumping headache that wouldn't shift .. but other than that, I felt ok in myself - ho hum. I'm feeling fine now, but stressing myself stupid about dying ... I need to get the thought out of my head, and stop being stupid so someone please give me a kick up the posterior.

Anyway, my latest round layouts, should be somewhere in this post .... again, where they turn up is anyone's bet !!!

While I've been off school, i've also made a start on Valentines cards - the kids at school always ask me to make a 'special' card for them, so in preparation i've made a start. I got some fab lushy lush ribbons from Lianne (www.littlesilverhat.co.uk) and i'm on a role .... isn't it funny that a single ribbon/piece of paper/embellishment can set you off on a role ... but a role I am on anyway !!

Swimming

Aaron started swimming lessons at the new baths tonight. He has no confidence in the water whatsoever even at 11, and although i'm not a pushy mother, I really have been pushy over this swimming malarky. He was previously having lessons at the main pool in Rochdale, but because of the confidence issues, they put him in a class with the toddlers !!! I could have cried for him ..... anyway, the class he is now with are kids his own age or just slightly older and he feels so much more happier about it now .... Well he must be happier because he swam a whole length on his back without floats and he's never done that before - rock on Aaron !!!!

Besides which, my brother who is now a [sea] Captain was exactly the same and hated the water until he was about 14 - ironic or wot ??

Tagged again .... by Hosiemosie

1. grab the book closest to you

2. open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence

3. post the text of the following three sentences on your blog

4. name of the author and book

5. tag three people of you own

"When Sergeant Player arrived at the committee headquaters, a requisitioned building in the Place de la Madeleine, he took his place in line waiting to receive a folder of information about what was expected of him, while he was on Allied territory - how to locate the Eiffel Tower, which clubs and restaurants were within his price range, how to avoid catching VD. It looked as if this advice was being dispensed by a group of middle aged ladies who couldn't possibly have seen the inside of a nightclub for the past twenty years".

Jeffrey Archer - The Fourth Estate

Tagging - Debbie Duck, Chrissie and Roz

(will add links tomorrow)

Crop and latest 'round' Layout ...........

Had a fab crop today at the Manchester crop - Sam had bought the obligatory danishes and the most delicous butter scones that I've ever tasted - yum, yum pigs bum !

Anyway, I took my delicious-es-es-es-es Basic Grey Blush .... started the next round layout, and what happened .................. I only went and knocked a whole cup of tea all over it .... I could have cried. The photograph I had used was an original and was the first one of my mum holding Aaron at four days old. He was so damaged and jaundiced after giving birth to him,that I was the only one allowed to touch him. So the photograph is just sooo special to me.

Thankfully everyone around me jumped up as I'm in a state of frozen panic - and people came from nowhere with tissues and kitchen roll. June snatched the layout, ripped off the photograph and dabbed it quick - and thank heavens it was ok ...... I then borrowed Pauls (Olbas Paul) heat gun and dried out the layout ..... I couldn't believe it when it turned out distressed !!!! It was fabby !! So thank you to everyone for saving the day !!

Anyway, here/above/at the side .... wherever it bloody turns up once i've posted it - is the 'distressed' BG Blush layout !!!!

Joke (for those who have missed them)

A man is strolling past a lunatic asylum when he hears a loud chanting.

"thirteen thirteen thirteen!" goes the noise from the mental hospital wards.

The mans curiosity gets the better of him and he searches for a hole in the security fence. Its not long before he finds a small crack, so he leans forward and peers in. Instantly, someone jabs him in the eye. As he reels back in agony,the chanting continues ................

"fourteen fourteen fourteen!"

Ok - hands up all of those who would have peeked through the hole !!!!!!!!!!

First layout 2007

I spotted a round layout on PageMaps, and thought what a fab idea it would be to do a whole album of round layouts as a BOM (book of me) .... so, this is my first !!

Just need to make an album to contain the layouts now, but I'm looking forward to the challenge !!

I've also decided to do a lot more stamping this year ... i've sort of got a bit despondent about my talents with stamping and have decided that to get better I need to practice. I'm going to try and do a bit of stamping on each layout .... she says - famous last words !!

So ...... what skills/techniques are you going to try and master this year ???