Dolly's Dreamings

Busy busy busy

Life is busy busy busy - but generally good.

Diet is going well - i am being sort of good and have lost 6lb this week so am pleased. I know that the first bit is easy and that it will generally only be a pound or two each week, but heck - that is good too.

I have also been doing pilates - which I think is code for 'this is torture thinly disguised as something which might be fun!' Still, I will stick with it.

This is a page I made last week for my Making of Me mini book.

 

I need to finish off the mini book now or it will just go on for ever. It has just taken me a while to accept the fact that my journey is almost over. I do want to get out some of the enormous clothes and take a couple of photos though - it needs to be recorded.

Today I am thankful for

• a varied job
• My DS Lite and Walk With Me. I have managed a minimum of 6000 steps each day int he past week and for the last three days have hit over 9500

 

My page for promt 46

It's been a little nippy here today and there was quite a frost when I left home at quarter to six.

I don't mind though - I LOVE winter. Bring it on i say.

I have my page made for yesterday's prompt to share and I had such fun with it.

 

The page documents how, for the first time in a long long time I am actually comofrtable with myself.

Part of that is the weight loss. I have lost almost 7 stone, most of it in a 6 month period last year, and am now an almost healthy weight. I have gone from being morbidly obese to overweight. i am sure lots of you think being overweight is nothing to be proud of, but I am THRILLED to be overweight. i don't think i will ever be the right weight for my height. I think I'd look ill if I was. And besides which, I am not overweight, I am just too short!!

Anyway, part of me being comfortable is about the new shape, but it is more than that. My weight loss has made me feel more confident, but I think the years have too. I worry less about what people say and think now. So long as I live by the values I hold dear and true that is what matters. I have become much better at 'letting go' when something hurts me. I bear grudges less, I feel slights less. I worry a little less (which for someone who is always going to be a terrible worrier is at least a LITTLE progress)

I am happier in myself than I have been for years. I feel I have less to prove and more to enjoy. So my page documents that because it is a change.

 

The picture was one taken in July as I was dressed for a summer ball. I loved the dress which was a rich purply burgundy covered in black lace. It was very flattering. I wanted to echo the colours and the way i felt quite glamerous int he picture and so i used a rich embossed paper and also lace and ribbon to echo the lushness.

 
I also printed onto the photo, which is a technique I love.

My quote today is

 
Today I am thankful that

• I finally plucked up the courage to cancel my gym membership as it is a waste of money - i haven't been since september.

 

 

 

I LOVE lazy days

We had a fabulous time last night. It was the Poole Speedway awards evening and it was wonderfula nd one of the reasons it was so wonderful was that they had the best ever master of ceremonies EVER. It was Nij and he was awesome. He had done a video presentation and it was so slick and professionala nd I was so so so proud of him. So many people also said how wonderful it was.

I have a few bad pictures of me taken before we went out. They are either full of shadow as he used the flash or very blurred as he didn't! And I am not quite sure why my teeth are red. They are not really. Promise.

 

 
The jacket is the surprise present Nij bought me yesterday. You can't really see but it is all lacy and pretty.

 
and one jacket-less - but the arm isn't all mine. Looks like I have huge arms but it is shadow too - honestly!

 
Today we have had the best lazy day ever. Popped out to fetch a Frap and have chilled and watched TV and scrapped and just relaxed.

I made this page with Dawn's new Grab Bag. The grab bag is stuffed full and so much to use in it.

 
My quote today is

 
Today I am thankful for

• chilled days and time together doing nothing

 

Riverside

It has been a glorious day here today - cold but sunny and beautiful. After a slow start due to a bad cold and being shattered after decorating, we headed out to the Stour and a walk along iford to Tuckton.

 

 
 
 

It was lovely meandering along by the river and we sat and had a lovely picnic.

Back home and decorating again now. Wish it was all done as I ache and just want to lie down really, but Nij has his whip out and insists we finish the painting.

I now have the two pages I made for my 5210 birthday prompt.

 

 
I used a whole load of rub ons that just went with the look I was trying to create.

Today I am thankful for

• Finding lampshades and vases
• The decorating almost done
• Alice not being in a bad accident - just a car hiccup

 
 

5210 Prompt 43 - the BIG ONE

 

Apolgies for the lateness of the prompt today. I have been very busy.

Yesterday was Nigel's birthday and we went up to London for the day. We had a wonderful time looking round the Imperial war Museum.

 

I think we spent the longest part of the visit in the Holocaust exhibition, a subject dear to both our hearts. The exhibition was very well done and very moving. we looked round at many of the other areas and then headed off to the Hard Rock cafe for Nij's birthday meal. Getting there was not nice.

 

I hate the undergrounds - hate being underground, hate feeling trapped, hate crowds etc. But I do try and brave it and lately have been doing better. Till yesterday. They had problems on the Jubilee Line and the trip from Picadilly to Green Park was so awful. I have never been on a train so crowded, so hot, so awful. When we got tot he station no-one could get off for a while as everyone was so tightly packed no-one could move at all. It was hideous and brought back all my fears and I felt quite ill.

However, we had a fabulous lunch and then did a little shopping including spending time in Fortnum and Mason which I love. It was already decked for Christmas and looked beautiful and we bought some Christmas goodies including our Christmas pudding.

 
 
Then we headed off to Waterloo for his present - the new production of The Rainlway Children at Waterloo Station. It was stunning. It takes place in the old Eurostar station and the whole setting and production was magical. Louis Clein (one of my e pupils) was playing Phyllis and we thought she stole the show (we may have been a little biased) You may recognise her from Judge John Deed and Island at War. She is a lovely girl and was stunning last night.

 

I would recommend this innovative retelling the classic story as it really was first class - very unusual and with a real steam train too.

We didn't get home until very very late and so slept in. Consequently we didn't start the decorating until 11.00 am.

However I am really proud of us. We have a huge lounge and we wallpapered three walls (the complex three walls with doors, windows and fireplaces) in 4 hours. Shettered but happy. I think it is going to look lovely when it is finished.

 
So, on to 5210.

This week is what it was all about. Those of you who have journeyed with me throughout the year know that the reason I started this was because I had a big birthday this year - one I was dreading. (Actually I can now say I like being 50 - it is pretty OK actually)

So this week is THE PROMPT. The one it was all about. The big birthday. Now it is OK if you didn't have a big birthday this year. Just take the idea and run with it. But for me it is a key page (so it ended up as a double page of course) This week is what it was all about.

 
I was dreading making these pages as I knew they had to be important.

As it happens they came together quicklya nd are very simple.

 

I will share them properly tomorrow. meanwhile I have a schoking cold, several blister from wallpaper pasting and am shattered so I am off for a relax.

 

Its a mad mad mad mad world

Oh boy - what a day.

It started really badly this morning. i was sat in bed, just putting on my makeup after my shower and whoosh

the nosebleed from hell.

I have no idea what triggered it. i hadn't sneezed or blown my nose, I hadn't bumped it or anything. But blimey -w hat a bad one. I couldn't stop it and it was everywhere by the time I got to the bathroom. It went on for a good fifteen minutes very heavily then slowed by which time I was able to strip the bed, clean the matress cover and me and start again. i was just egtting myself sorted when i knocked my wii step counter off the bathroom windowsill and down the toilet. i stuffed my hand down to get it immediatelya nd then -because I am quite obsessive, scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed my hand, bleached my ring etc etc. OK so I guess that bit was comical but it started the day off in style. late for work (well late by my standards - I am concerned about the nosebleed as I felt unwell for a good few hours afterwards. I have taken my blood pressure and it is slightly below normal (which mine always is) and I am hoping the unexplained bruising on my fingers isn't another worrying sign (I mean how on earth have I bruised on at least two separate occasions, the insides of two of my fingers!)

So- moan out of the way and on to scrapping.

I made this page for a challenge at PBP to use a picture of yourself. I have made the page for the Making of Me album I am keeping as it records my september goals. Products are all from BBP and the gorgeous papers are by Sunflower designs.

 

  I also made this quick page for another of the Green Buttons challenges

My quote for today is

today i am thankful for

• Clean bedding to sleep in (and a wonderful husband who washed the others and put the new on)
• Quorn cottage pie - it was lovely

 

and finally I want to share this from one of the sweetest kindest people I have the pleasure to know - and I get to see her every day at work and she looks after me so wonderfully - along with lookjing after everyone else.

 

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT. DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE IN THE FACE.

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND, 'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE'.

THEY KEPT ON WALKING, UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS, WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH .

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING, BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE WROTE ON A STONE:
'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE'.

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM, 'AFTER I HURT YOU, YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW, YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?'

THE FRIEND REPLIED 'WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY. BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT'.

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

THEY SAY IT TAKES A MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON,
AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM,
A DAY TO LOVE THEM,
AN ENTIRE LIFE TO FORGET THEM.

TAKE THE TIME TO LIVE!

DO NOT VALUE THE THINGS YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE, BUT VALUE WHO YOU HAVE KNOWN IN YOUR LIFE!

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

 

Harley Heaven

It has been utterly glorious here today. really bright and sunny but quite crisp and cool and I have had a lovely day.

It started with my sat nav arriving.

We have put this off for so long but finally gave in and bought a sat nav and I love it. We have had that came with Nij's car but it doesn't have the live services etc and this one is just awesome. I am in love with it already.

Then we headed off, Starbucks in hand (well it is the weekend and I sin at wekeends) to the beach at Bournemouth. The weather was perfect and I snapped my heart out.

One of the reasons we went down to Bournemouth Beach, rather than our own beaches in poole, was that they had a Harley celebration and were expecting a rally with 500 Harley's. And they got it. It was awesome to see them all. They were stunning bikes. I want Nij to take a motorbike test so we can hire one. The riders, by and large, are all our age so we'd fit right in!

On the way home I went into Matalan and bought something I have always wanted - a red duffel coat. I love it.

OK - so what else have I got to share.

My LSNED page from yesterday

Jakki and I fed the ducks (well actually we fed the pigeons as the ducks were not interested) at lunchtime yesterday. It was wonderful therapy for a stressed Head and Deputy Head.

Dawn has a new kit at TDS and it is live now. See HERE

I made two pages with it.

This one is little cutie pie Emily

and this is us in California again - at the Angels game

It's a lush kit so do check it out.

So what have I learnt today

• I can wear skirts shorter than I think
• We can walk a LONG way in a short time
• I love Harleys
• All good things come to those who wait.

My quote for today is

Today I am thankful for

• Beautiful places to walk
• Red coats
• Joy in being together and doing simple things
• Sat Navs

Abstinence is better with friends

I have made my first LSNED page - focusing on yesterday of course, Remember the posts will all be a day behind.

I took a picture of the scales as what I have learnt most of all is that the scales are going to be an important friend for life. Not that I am going to be obsessive about weighing myself every day (well OK so i am this month but not after that) but i am never ever going to be int he situation i was in where I needed to lose stones (for those of you not int he UK a stone is 14 pounds) rather than pounds. If I keep a regular check on my weight I will only ever need to lse pounds. If I have a bad week and put a fe on I need to have a good week and knock them back off. But clearly it is not an issue that is ever going to go away. Losing the weight was the easy bit. masintaining it for life is the challenge.

So here is my page for today.

I used the title and the patterned overlay from Shimelle's templates. the other things are labels Boho Chic, papers Corina and overlay, butterfly and torn paper dawn Inskip.

I also used the SOFA logo (hope that was OK Ann) I recoloured it a little but it so needed to be there as doing this month of getting back on track is really so much nicer with friends.

I have two more pages to share today.

Dawn Inskip has a brand new kit available at her PBP store today called Doodlemania.ink

It is a fab kit, so easy to use as black and white or recolour and I can see quite a bit of it being used in my LSNED album.

This first page was at Old Harry the other week.

and this little robin was snapped not at Christmas but in the middle of August at Furzey gardens.

I have been in to work today and am just off for my walk now to get my steps over 6000 again. i did really well yesterday. Not every day will be 8000 I can tell you. I also did my 30 day shred last night so felt very virtuous and was rewarded with a loss ont he scales this morning. (I know - the first few days go quickly anyway so i am not too excited)

Today I have learnt

• Summer holidays are long but fade quickly into dim and distant memory
• The sun is hot even if you don't go outside until 12.30
• Walking is a great way to look at nice houses you can't see long enough when you drive.

Today I am thankful for

• Losing some weight
• A little willpower

My quote for today is

A new month - a new start

So September is here and I start a new regime today. I want to improve my body and my mind.

I plan to do the following (and if I post them publically I am more likely to keep to them I hope)

• Loose 12 - 14 pounds in September (might be a little optimistic but we will give it a go)
• Do 6000 steps minimum every day
• Do my pilates every day to help my back
• Do my Brain training every day
• Do exercise like 30 day shred or wii fit every day
• Find time, each day, for quiet contemplation and giving thanks
• Accept that plans may go awry at times and not beat myself up about a missed target for a day.

I am hoping that, after 30 days, these things will have become a habit and not be difficult to achieve any more.

There are a lot of friends doing all sorts of wonderful things together in september. thanks to Ann and SOFA, we all feel inspired to imporve ourselves, love ourselves a little more, take care of ourselves a little better and make September a great month.

The page I share today was my page for the latest word at IACW which is inspire.

I am contantly inspired by nature and so this was perhaps an easy page for me to do. I wanted to play with one of Dawn's awesome templates which meant altering the size and format but keeping so many of her wonderfule elements and I was pleased with the finished result.

The colours were just perfect for the picture I knew I wanted to use.

Now I also said I had been doing a lot of paper scrapping and couldn't share it yet. Well I can now.

Karen at Charmed Cards and Crafts sent me the entire Basic Grey capella range and I had such awesome fun making so many things.

This is just one of the cards I made with the goodies.

The lace was just awesome.

Now as you all know I am doing Shimelle's LSNED again this year and so let's recap on what I have learnt today (the page will be scrapped tomorrow of course)

• I have learnt that water really does fill you up when you are hungry
• I have learnt that the scales are still as terrifying
• I have learnt that walking 7000 steps is fun when you walk with your soul mate
• I have learnt that new starts are exciting

My quote for today is

Today I am thankful for

• new starts and clean slates

Inside my 50 book

It's been a really mixed day today with bright sunshine and torrential rain. But it's been a very productive day. I confessed to Nigel that my filing of all the household stuff was not all it could be. In fact it was very grim so we spent a couple of hours sorting everything out and now all our finances are in good order and I agreed to throw out the statements for things that i have kept for years and go back to pre-decimalisation! OK so not quite that bit, but it did need serious culling.

I did get the chance to take pictures of my 50 book inside though.

It is very simple and just records one special day in my life. I have to say i have never ever scrapped anything so self indulgent that is just pictures of me, but I guess it had to be as it was about my birthday. Nij took so many pictures of me that day.

Page one is just an intro - although it did give me the chance to use the little Prima crystal Cancerian Crab I had been saving.

Page two - me in my jammies I'm afraid - has a hidden tag which shows the cover of the DVD Nigel made and records how special it was.

I have used lots of rub ons throughout the book and the pages are very dimensional and layered which hasn't shown up well.

The left hand page of this double is all about my 50 kit Nigel made me. He actually made the box up  with all of the things in it. It was such a novel idea and way too cute not to scrap. So we didn't have to take too much away with us he wrapped the instructions and a photo of the box and contents so the box was waiting for me at home. He also wrapped photos of my other presents (books and DVD's etc) to minimise packing.

The right hand page was me selecting a healthy choice for my breakfast (and unhealthy stuff I wouldn't let him take a picture of LOL)

This double page is my first big present from Nigel - my Harley ride.

I kept the pages simple and used rub ons that looked like tatoos etc.

Under the ribbon is a little pull out folded booklet with other pictures of the event.

  and this is with it pulled out

The left page is my fave picture fromt he trip, taken by larry of us both in our tour shirts at the Las Vegas sign. I love it.

The little 50's are from the confetti that was in my presents and got everywhere in the hotel room.

You will be relieved to know there are no pictures of me during the afternoon on my birthday. We spent it by the pool and chillling with wine in the room.

The right hand side was me all dressed up and ready for the show.

The last page is me and my other big present. VIP tickets to see Donny and Marie and meet with them after the show.

See really simple, but I am pleased with the record of my birthday.

Finally here is my page for the 5210 prompt yesterday.

I drew a very poor plan of my dream garden (quite realistic in size actually) with all of the features I would want to incorportae and found pictures off the internet to support the ideas. The tag pulls out an explains what i would like and why.

My dream garden would include a folly, a waster feature, a wild life garden, heather beds, a perfect lawn, a secret garden and a huge decking area with seating and sunbeds. I guess it would include a gardener too!

I also had a go at the Chicken Soup challenge this week and found it really hard. I am not sure I like what I made, but here it is anyway.

My quote today is

Today I am thankful for

• Nigel not freaking out when he saw what a mess I had let the filing get into