Dolly's Dreamings

And she is back Digi scrapping!

It's been a long time since I scrapped. When youa re used to scrapping every day, a month is a long time away. And it is not only my paper and glue I have missed but also my digital scrapping.

It felt good to get back into that too and it was great fun to work with new relasesat Pickleberrypop. Og course, I do have the odd new photo to work with too! 

The first collection I worked with was from one fo the new designer who just opened her personal use store this week. This is Autumn Reverie by Sherwood Studio

 

 

 

and I also used this gorgeous Autumn Days frame masks by Booland Designs

 

 

I scrapped one of the fall pictures from Alton Bay with that collection

 

 

 

This is a collection by Alexis Design Studio called When Autumn Leaves  and I used the masks again 

 

This is a photo taken at the river on the Kankamagus Highway

 

 

Finally I worked with Cold Beauty byTiramisu Designs

 

 

 

and this is one of my snowy pictures from Vermont

 

 

It felt good to be scrapping again.

 

Today has been a work day and I can tell you it was rude awakening to have the alarm going off at 6.30 (in my poor body clock that is 1.30 am ) to get up for work. It was dark for goodness sake. However we are in mock exam season and it is only a few days so heck ... I can do this!

Today I am thankful for

• Having new goodies to play with
• digital scrapping - I love nboth my paper and my digital
• work that is easy, stress free and close to home ... and not every day! 

 

No holiday pictures to share today - still siftingt he next batch. More trip reports tomorrow. Instead enjoy some lovely cakes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catching up on pictures - all kinds

 

The last couple of days have seen me watching up on pictures - the photograph type and also the movies type.

Obviously being away for a month we had missed recent cinema releases and there was one we were both keen to catch before it went - Bohemian Rhapsody. I started off not liking it as I found the excessively false teeth a little jarring, but once I overcame that I was well and truly 'in'. I think it was a terrific film, the final scenes being amazing and yes, of course, I knew he died and yet still I cried at the end credits. We both thoroughly enjoyed it ... the Live Aid section brought back so many memories and was so incredibly filmed and we were glad not to have missed this one. Today, however, we saw the Nutcracker and whilst it was certainly a spectacle and certainly beautifully filmed, neither of us warmed to it greatly. A Disney film we were not made keen on - Surely Not!. 

 

I did manage some scrapping between watching films and endless sorting of photographs. 

 

 

My very first page for the new album(s). It took a lot longer than expected as I was out of practice having not scrapped for four weeks and the title block of pumpkins took an age to cut, weed, colour and then mount and fussy cut.

 

I also collected my new camera. Half way through the holiday - thankfully at Disney which I confess I did already have the odd photo of, my beloved Panasonic Lumix broke. In fairness, the camera still worked but it had obviously been knocked at some point in just the wrong place and the LCD screen had shattered inside. You could still take pictures, you just couldn't see what you were taking. We did look at options to replace over there, but in the end, decided to wait until we got home and I now have the latest Panasonic Lumix model which is very similar but with more bells and whistles which I probably won't use.

Today I am thankful for

• seeing some new movies
• steadily making y way through photos - sorting and deleting
• my new camera - I think!

 

 

Thursday 18th October

The One with the Snow and the Sun

 

 

A most unexpected ... and quite a delightful start to our day today ... Nigel went out at the crack of dawn (actually Dawn hadn’t even cracked yet it was so early) to get ice for the trip (We have an ice bag that acts as a portable fridge for water and diet coke on the road) and came back with astounding news ... it was snowing. I didn’t quite believe him, but apparently, it was true so on the way to breakfast I checked it out. Turns out he wasn’t making it up. Ok, it was a very light dusting of very powdery snow, but I was beyond thrilled. The ground was wet, not white but the cars were white and the red roof of the hotel had completely gone. It was what I later heard on the weather channel being called ‘for show snow’. Love that phrase.  And it added a nice bonus to our travels on this day. I know snow is wet, dangerous, disruptive etc but I do so love it.

 

 

 

 

The red roof of the hotel had completely gone

 

and one feature of this trip was the lovely fall decorations everywhere. These were from the hotel lobby

 

 

 

We enjoyed a fab breakfast ... I even braved the waffle maker and was quite proud of my efforts. They didn’t turn out quite as expected as I was still reading step two when I should have been doing step two, but they were none-the-less very delicious if a little less orthodox in design. I have to say breakfasts have improved. It used to be that breakfast was generic Kellogg’s cereal and a few pastries but now all of the included breakfasts seemed to include hot offerings too and plenty of choices.

 

 Braving the snow and the cold we loaded the car, cleared the snow off it and we were off. The hotel looked like an alpine lodge and had afforded us a great night with the comfiest bed ever.

 

We started the day with our fourth state of the trip, Vermont. We almost went a little further as Nigel noticed the sign that said Canada was only another 20 miles and we were both secretly tempted, but we resisted. Maybe – at long last – we are growing up. Apart from wanting to go into another state, the reason for our venture into Vermont was to visit the Wildflower Inn where we had stayed with Jim and Diane some 21 years ago. It had been thick snow then and today there was just a light dusting, but the inn was still lovely and very picturesque.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We even snapped a picture of the annexe with the balcony – that had been our room back in 1997. It looked a little more tired now – it had been a newly built addition when we stayed.  Photos from back in 1997 - thick snow then

 

 

We had a wonderful morning meandering down first the 91, which afforded huge vista views of the fall forests, adding white to the autumn shades, and then taking the smaller and more interesting 5, the Connecticut river byway, the second of the ‘must do’ fall roads.  Endless on the move photos were snapped, but we were sad not to see the vivid reds we had hoped for. It seems we were just a little too late to see the red colours on the trees ... they were on the ground ... in the north east kingdom and yet whilst we expected to see the red further south it appears we were too early. It would appear that this year there was a nano second of peak red foliage and we clearly blinked at that point and missed it. Ah well, the colours were still lovely.

 

We passed several cemeteries and were surprised they were literally right on the road.

 

 

and lots of lovely typical New England churches with their white clapperboard and tall steeples

 

 

 

We loved the typical New England homes too

 

 

and this was certainly the trip of covered bridges

 

 

 

 

 

We did fulfil a wish though. No idea why, but I really, really wanted to take home some real maple syrup and I needed it to be from Vermont from a quaint general store. Job was done and I was thrilled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The snow followed us down quite a way south, but by the time we reached the Windsor Cornish Bridge, the longest covered bridge in America, it was dry and very sunny ... though that cold was still very evident in the air. We didn’t mind that at all .. we would rather have cool weather than oppressive heat. We would cherish the memory of the cold by the time we hit Florida in the heat and humidity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this goes in my 'weird stuff by the side of the road' file!

 

 

Nigel's much better account

The White Mountain Inn where we stayed is obviously well named. My early tasks this morning take me downstairs to get ice and to grab a luggage trolley from reception. As it is dark, I’m not paying much attention the first time I pass the front entrance. But as I go back for the trolley, I do a double take... is that really frost on the cars outside? Did the temperature drop that much?

Answer.... NO! That’s not frost....it’s SNOW!

Yep indeed, Karen didn’t believe me either when I break the news. But actually that is a good thing and when I finally convince her it’s true, she is excited!

Snow is actually falling as we load up and head out in the dark.

The Inn has taken on the look of an alpine ski lodge and we turn onto the interstate glimpsing her on the top of a snow-covered hill.

It’s not laying particularly on the roads but the verges and trees are white. We travel North and know that there is potential for this to thicken!

We should worry little though as it hardly affects our progress and it only impacts is to make the scenery somewhat magical. If we truly have missed the best of the fall colours, this will more than compensate.

Our first stop is the Wildflower Inn. The last time we travelled into Vermont it was snowy and cold and it seemed a good reminder of that occasion to re-live the conditions again today.

The journey, now even more familiar, gets us to the Inn In good time and our only disappointment is that the buildings are wearing those twenty or more years that have passed rather obviously these days.

Whilst the last time they were newly completed they look tired and in need of some love and care. Not so much the main house which looks pretty much as we left it, but the annexe in which we stayed is not nearly so inviting now.

I recall these views from the past only too well though as well as the surrounding features so I snap a few pictures, perhaps for comparison later.

We talk about the fact that Americans would hardly consider this flurry sufficient to be referred to as ‘snow’ and speculate if they might not rather refer to it as ‘white rain’.

The Wildflower Inn is just about the most Northern most outpost of our tour. We navigate to Linden and begin our journey South now which will take us all the way to Miami over the next three and a bit weeks.

The snow remains on the ground but we convince each other that as we go further down the state we will have less of it, together with blue skies and brighter colours.

It proves to be mostly true as we follow the path of the Connecticut River along the I95and then the 5. Some sweeping views are impressive from the interstate but we opt for the highway as it takes us through many small settlements and towns.

At Windsor, we pause for a while at the longest covered bridge in the USA! We actually travel across it too and record it in pictures of course.

 

The One Where we see FALL

I had hope to have some scrapping to share today - but sadly not. It will come ... hopefully soon as I am itching to get to those papers and embellshments. Hopefully the trip report will keep you occupied for now.

 

 

Wednesday 17th October Part 2

The One Where we See Fall

 

I left you all with Ogunquit yesterday so today we carry on with our first full day and scenic roads took us to Alton Bay back in New Hampshire. Yes our foray into Maine had been brief – but it was there. Alton Bay had been a late addition to the trip just because we saw some photos of it on the internet and it was very pretty. So pretty that we thought we must add it to the trip and from a travel point of view it was very achievable. The photos had, of course, been taken on a day with no wind so there were perfect reflections. Our day was a little cloudy, a little sunny, a little overcast and a little breezy. However, it was indeed lovely and we enjoyed meandering and snapping.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We followed the lake for miles to get to an even later addition, Squam Lake. We had been staggered, as we watched tv, having finished packing and cleaning, just hours before leaving, that Autumn Watch was coming from New England, an area we were visiting, so we went to Squam Lake, the lake from On Golden Pond. The whole area was very very pretty and I even gained my New Hampshire licence stamp (Nigel made me a driving licence ... looks very authentic ... and I get stamps for achievements like doing a U turn, driving an unpaved road, states etc.)

 

 

 

 

We passed through lovely tree lined roads and a place called Weir Beach and Holdness before reaching Squam Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was desperate for the loo by this point so I popped in to the lovely old local library and asked if I could use their rest room.

 

 Finally Squam Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The colours were lovely and more intense than we have at home, though we were sorry that there were not more reds, the colour we were hoping to see. We later learned that it was a poor fall this year due to the mix of different climate features during the year.  The weather forecast had been a bit grim with rain and cloud, but for this early stage of the day it was beautiful and often sunny. We finally reached Conway and Nigel needed a break for a few minutes and so we drove through to a Macdonalds and had a quick snack to share. I had to take a photo of the cutest seating booths in there, just like ski lift gondolas.

 

 

 

We also saw the first of many covered bridges off to the side of the road before hitting the Kankamagus Highway we had been looking forward to so much. It is meant to be one of two must see routes in fall – the other being the Connecticut River scenic byway (we did that too)  It certainly didn’t disappoint, although again there was little red, but the weather filled in a little and whilst it was beautiful, it would have been even better in the sunshine.

 

 

 

 

We stopped at many places including Albany Covered bridge which was lovely to explore.  

 

 

 

 

We visited the gorge and pictures were taken there too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, by the time we arrived at Sabbaday falls it had started to drizzle. You see I KNEW the cheap brolly we bought at Walmart last night was worth getting! It was a lovely walk though – even with the drizzle.

 

 

 

 

 

We walked to the falls and back but by then it was raining, so we pressed on to Lincoln. Nigel and I are not good with food. We know what we like, and it is simple stuff, but we are very fussy.

 

 

 

 

Consequently we scope out the food before we go and we had selected the Black Mountain Burger company... or as Nigel preferred to call it ...Bob’s pretty good burgers. They did things other than burgers and it seemed the nicest place in town on paper. We drove through the town to double check and yes, definitely the nicest. Lincoln wasn’t a very attractive place, made worse by the rain, but we knew we could eat at the burger place. We drove back through town and pulled up at the restaurant. Mmmmm ... no lights on. Nigel went to look and nope, no,lights on at all because THEY DIDN’T OPEN ON A WEDNESDAY.... what the heck was that all about.

Oh no ... now we were stuck with Enzo’s Pizza which at least looked like a regular building, not like the shacks the others occupied. Nigel scoped it out and said we stood a reasonable chance of not getting food poisoning and so we went in, huge restaurant ... and he was right, it did used to be the Pizza Hut we had stopped at with Jim and Diane 21years ago. Now it was largely takeaway but the staff were pleasant and we ordered a pizza to share, half and half. We did ask for red onions. Mmmmm. When the pizza came I was a little horrified. It was covered in oil so most of the centre was not edible for me, and also covered in Peppers. I love most vegetables, but do NOT eat peppers. Transpired they didn’t  do red onions so they put peppers on instead. They figured both were red so they were the same. Good job I wasn’t hungry and good job I was feeling lucky as it was a miracle the plastic ... yes plastic ... fork coped with it. However it was food and we were kind of satisfied. Well almost.

 

We headed on to Franconia in really heavy rain. It was a shame as the notch is beautiful even though the old man of the mountains fell away years ago. However by the time we got the other side of the notch and the elevation dropped we were in the dry.

 

 

 

We checked in to the Best Western in the White Mountains, still our go to chain where possible as they are reasonably priced but always very nice (we have never stayed in a bad one)   and Alec on the desk had lived in London for a year and even visited Dorset. Our room had mountain views and we were good and early so had time to relax, download the photos and type our journals up. Day one over and we had seen so many wonderful things already. It had all the potential of a really great tour. The view from our room.

 

 

Remembering the many

Such a poignant day for so many people across the world today. 100 YEARS

It has been a very poignant day today for thousands and thousands across the world. 100 years since the end of the first world war, the war to end all wars. Except sadly, it was not and still today brave men and women the world over die fighting for their country. Man's inhumanity to man continues and it is important that we all stop and take time to reflect ... and that is what we, as a nation, did today in moving tributes around the country.

Apart from the national reflection I always think of my Daddy (ran away to sea aged 14, lying about his age, and caught the back end of the war, the Battle of the Atlantic, seeing things no man should see let alone a young boy) who served in both the Merchant Navy and the Army in the Royal Signals, and my Grandad, Benjamin Lovatt, who was a regular soldier when World War 1 broke out and who faught at Ypes and the Somme and received a certificate of commendation for bravery in the face of danger. Both were lucky - both came home. Many did not. We were priviledged to go to the Menin Gate ceremony in Ypres 2 years ago and I thought about that a lot today.

Let us never forget the sacrifice made by so many and let us all work towards a more peaceful world on a personal, community and global level.

 

My grandad home on leave in 1915 and 1917

 

My Daddy in the navy and the army

 

How impossibly young does he look in the first two

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No trip report today - it feels a little frivolous to be honest.

Today I am thankful for

• the many many men and women who fought, who died, who lost loved ones, who were maimed, injured, scared mentally and physically for us ... for all of us. 
• my Daddy who was such an inspiration to me and who still is

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fabulous Fall 2018 - the first edition!!!

Well, having slept really well last night after 24 hours travelling and no sleep for about 34 hours I feel human enough to rejoin the world.

We had a truly, truly amazing trip - we saw so many incredible things and learnt a great deal too - it was quite an educational trip - I can finally say I am glad to be home, glad to be unpacked, all washing is done (we did a mess of laundry whilst away so there was not a great deal to do) , almost everything out away (I bought a few too many scrapping supplies and so am struggling to find room for quite everything) and my wonderful fur babies back home and settled and it feels good. There is the matter of some 9000 photos (quite a lot will be deleted as I tend to take more than one of things so I get a good one) to look at (I can't wait to start looking at them all) and some serious scrapping to be done, but what an amazing time we had.

 

Thos of you who come here purely for scrapping stuff may need to look hard for a while as there will be trip reports most days. I will pepper them with photos so at least there might be pretty things to look at, but you may want to skip the reports if you are not interested in travel. Thank you to all of you who have said, in the past, that you enjoy my resumes of our epic road trips. I hope this year does not disappoint and you enjoy the journey travelling along with Nigel and I. And Barb - next year includes your home town too!!!

so here goes the first report ... and it is just an introduction and the first few hours of the trip really. It will get better - I promise.

 

Fabulous Fall Tour 2018

Tuesday 16th October

The One where we set off and arrived

We always give our holidays a name and opted for Fabulous Fall this year .... as it happened a name with many meanings.

 

This was, at the same time, the worst and the most civilised starts to a holiday ever. Perhaps I need to set this in context a little. The holiday was booked ... well, the flights anyway ... the day after we returned home from our last holiday ... the Gone with the Wind tour. We use our air miles for flights so need to nab them quickly. There followed months of planning, sorting routes, stop overs, sights to see and also, one of my favourite pastimes, booking hotels. Oh my do I love booking hotels and  I love when we modify plans and I get to cancel and book another. I was still making tweaks into September. We spent hours researching, plotting mileage, doing maps, sourcing attractions and food and so on. Part of the fun of the holiday for us is preparing. And this one was a long-awaited trip. Nigel had promised me fall as soon as I retired. We managed a couple of other things first,  but fall it was.

I feel we were possibly more prepared, and certainly more ready, than we had ever been. Or so we thought. We had a few waves of panic...  or least a couple of broken ribs that were stubborn healing, but eventually, we were just a few weeks away and ready.

Or so we thought.

In the early hours of the morning on Friday  5th October, just ten days before t day, we had a call from Poole Hospital to say they had Elfin, Nigel's mom there. She had walked almost a mile and a half, fallen and broken her hip. Initial thoughts were we would have to cancel. 

Nigel headed to the hospital and was surprised and pleased when they said they would replace the hip later that day. We were not sure she would survive surgery but she did and seemed to be recovering well. There followed an anxious couple of days where we were not sure if we could go and where we knew we had to go because Nigel desperately needed the respite from caring. Then we had the devastating news on Thursday 11th that they would send her home with a care package. We were In utter despair and this was clearly not a workable option for her or for us. We cried, we begged, we spoke to the brothers. We accepted we would have to cancel. However, on Friday 12th social services agreed to a temporary placement and Nigel broke down. It showed the stress he was under. There was still a lot to sort but Elfin would be well cared for, safe and secure. We visited the care home, which was lovely, and we attended the assessment and finally, when it looked like we would not be going, going we were. Nigel’s middle. Rather who lives in the US and is always so incredibly supportive of all Nigel does and so keen to offer genuine help and support was coming over for two weeks whilst we were away and he would settle her into her new home.

 

We hadn’t started packing so Monday was frantic. Cats in, packing done and we were set.

Tim, so reliable and lovely, was with us before 10 and we had a trouble-free journey,  checking in at the Upper-class wing at 11.45. We save and save and save our air miles to be able to cash them in for free tickets with Virgin. There is no way we could do this without our air miles and I am sorry, but there is no way I would not fly Upper Class to the USA now as it makes a long tedious journey very enjoyable and comfortable. After a splurge In Duty-free... well it is part of the holiday and I did find the watch I had been looking for (Nigel had bought me a Seconda Watch on the ferry to Calais 5 years ago ... it had only been cheap but I loved it and it was finally past its sell-by date scratched and starting to discolour. I had looked at a lot of watches and hadn't liked any and so I was so thrilled to find the very same seconda watch in duty-free... with a free bracelet and necklace which I will never ever wear... for the princely sum of £39. I was a happy girl) ... we hit the Clubhouse and champagne was drunk. We had a lovely lunch of veggie burger, pizza and the most delicious chocolate fondant with ice cream. I love the clubhouse ... the only way to travel. I’d happily forgo holidays to do it this way. Thank goodness we managed to get it for free with careful planning.

 

 

 

Nigel even managed a shot of our plane

We boarded in good time and they had extra big loos ... fab. Another champagne and we were on our way to a new adventure.

A few wines ... gorgeous Chardonnay ... and a melt in the mouth fillet steak and a lush chocolatey thing went down well whilst watching Woman who walks Ahead .... excellent film ...  very sad ... then a bit of shut-eye but there was terrible turbulence so I managed about half an hour. However even a little sleep does seem to re-set the body clock a little and besides that, jet lag works in our favour on the way over. Our holidays are the sort of holiday where you want to be up at the crack of dawn, make the most fo the daylight, and crash again at about 8.30 pm.

A little afternoon tea and a bit of tv and reading. We were a little late arriving, but the journey through the airport was mega. Almost no walk to immigration and very quick through with the kiosks and our ESTAs. The bus to the rental centre was a bit grim, but we skipped the line, straight to the car ... a choice of three ... and we selected the burgundy dodge. We love a Dodge Grand Caravan. We both agreed Boston airport was one of the best entries into the USA ever ... and we have done a few.  Less than an hour after touchdown we were on the road. We drove an hour, through some terribly scary roundabouts ... picking up a car in the dark and then dealing with backwards roundabouts was pretty intense. We missed the exit on the first big one and Nigel questioned it and said he had counted three exits, had I? I said I had my eyes closed as I was scared so wasn’t sure!

A very quick stop at Walmart for trip essentials and too full of Virgin food to try a Ruby Tuesday, we checked in at 10 pm, just a mere 18 hours after leaving home, sorted the cases for the road ahead and collapsed into bed for the four hours sleep we managed. Our road trip would truly begin in the morning. We had a Florida case that didn’t need to be opened for 12 days, we had our electrical and miscellaneous hand luggage, our toiletries and pjs case and then clothes sorted with all underwear sets ziplock bagged and ready and yes ... I am as anal in my packing as in my scrapping, but boy does it make road trips a breeze.

 And, because they proved very popular last year and because if I have to keep a daily journal I don't see why he shouldn't have to ... Nigel's reports will follow as well.

 

Here is his Day 1 - he writes way better than I do.

After a year of planning it’s finally here and we are packed and ready as Tim arrives, bang on time as always, to take us to Heathrow.

The journey time passes quickly as ever whilst we chat heartily in the van all the way swapping stories about health and ageing etc. All of a sudden we are heading down the tunnel as I realise I haven’t even begun to talk to Tim about one of our favourite subjects, NASA and space travel, having been meaning to tell him that we went to see ‘first man’ and that we liked it.

Our Virgin experience was as good and smooth as ever and all the more thankful having been forced to fly Delta this time last year.

I did make an important discovery, however. I now fully understand what causes aircraft turbulence, something I have pondered for years. It appears it is ME that is responsible. Having spent the first two hours or so in smooth cruising comfort and grazed my way through the crisps, bread, fillet steak and apple pie I had allowed myself to become tired and ready for a mmid-flightnap.

I had not realised the degree of responsibility with which I was endowed, for within a few moments of reclining my seat to a flat bed and settling down the incessant trembling, shaking, rattling and bobbing up and down began. I remember now this happened on my last trip... so it MUST be my fault.

Of course, within moments of me giving up entirely after about an hour and a half of bumping around, the flight became wonderfully smooth again. Grrrrr!

Mercifully, on arrival ,I have to say the whole Boston Logan experience was amazingly good, and probably the best arrival process we have ever enjoyed in all our years of USA travel.

We taxied up to gate just about 10mins late after delays getting airborne from London. As luck would have it we were the closest gate to the arrivals hall and within just a few steps we joined the line for the automated passport machines.

The line moved so quick you were walking forwards practically the whole time and within minutes we were at a free console.

The process worked easy and quick and we were off to stage two immediately.

This was another line for the agent inspection.

Although slower this line also moved consistently forward and we were never standing longer than a few seconds.

Despite only having three officers on duty the process was fast with almost no questioning and we were through to baggage claim.

Bags were already on the carousel and by the time Karen had procured a trolley Nigel had spotted the bags, all three, approaching.

The longest walk seemed to be from the carousel to the exit!

Once outside it was easy to see the buses for car rental which seemed to come around within two to three minute intervals.

Our terminal must have been the final pick up as space was at a premium but without having our cheeks pressed into the windows, just, we were on board the first one.

It gets better yet. Dropped off at the door to the rental centre and, with only a minor wrestling match between three suitcases that were reluctant to be wheeled and Nigel, we made it to the upper garage level. Our skip the line voucher worked like a dream and we were able to choose a vehicle without breaking our step from the bus.

The Dodge Grand Caravan in Burgundy was our choice and we duly loaded up in an orderly fashion and went on our way. We even remembered ALL of our bags!

The final bonus came as we left and were handed a toll pass transponder. “Is this only good in Massachusetts”, asks Karen.

“Oh no,” replies the agent .. “this will work anywhere.. even in Miami!”

RESULT!!

Having done dummy runs on Google street view, we make a faultless exit from the airport despite it being dark. We survive roundabouts and scary-ass on ramps to make it to Portsmouth in one piece, and our first night ends with a shopping spree akin to supermarket sweep at Walmart before checking in to a comfortable night at Howard Johnson’s ... whoever he is?

Our Fab Fall trip has begun. We thought at times leading up to it that it may never become a reality, especially when Nigel’s Mum fell and broke her hip just days before our scheduled departure.

It’s been a rollercoaster week of arrangements and fears, negotiations and tears, but we got here in the end and, with Mum fully sorted and a future solution for her in place, we pondered the true meaning of our trip title, ‘Fabulous Fall’. Yes ,it’s true, the Lord works in mysterious ways!

 

 

Fabulous Fall Tour 2018

Wednesday 17th October

 

The one where we travelled at Dawn to Nubble Lighthouse and Ogunquit

 

I guess jet lag pays off when you want an early start. Doesn’t work on the way home so we like to maximise it on the way out. We set the alarm for 5.30, but we’re both awake before then anyway. We were up, showered, loaded and off just after 6am. Most of the hotels we stayed at this trip offered breakfast but this one, the Howard Johnson, didn't. We were not unduly worried as we had sourced a place for breakfast before we left home. First stop was the adjacent Roundabout Diner. It looked good on the internet but oh my, it really did not disappoint .

It was still dark, but as we entered it took our breath away. It was like stepping back in time. There was 50s music playing and it was like being on the set of Grease or Back to the Future. A really beautiful retro traditional diner. We couldn’t stop smiling and taking pictures. It was gorgeous ... and so was the food. Nigel had a monte Cristo having not had one in 20 years and I hit the most gorgeous french toast. Such a great find and we will be back ... we really will, hopefully next year.

 

 

Imaculately clean, beautiful decor and such a 50's vibe

 

 

 

The old map was from the 1950's ... no interstates in New Hampshire then

 

dawn breaking as we left

By the time we came out, dawn was breaking and we headed to our first stop at Nubble lighthouse.

 

The first thing we did was travel across the bridge into Maine ... goodness we were on our third state already having manded in massachussettes, slept in New Hampshire and travelled into Maine!

 

 

 

Flossie .... yes of course our sat Nav has a name ... took us a very odd way down an un paved residential street but we got to see some great houses.

 

 

Eventually, we ended up at Nubble Point in the early light of day. It was cold and windy and ... well I guess we English would say bracing ... but lovely to be there and know it was just the first stop of many of this trip. It was a shame the lighthouse was covered in scaffolding, but it was still beautiful and the light the other side of the bay was breathtaking.

 

 

 

We were there for a while as the sun slowly rose and loved the changing light and tones around us.

 

 

 

 

 

And I introduce our 2018 tour bus. We went for a Dodge Grand Caravan again because we need a 7 seater!!! Seriously it works perfectly for our road trips. It has just the right little cubby holes and storage places, the back row of seats folds down and takes the luggage perfectly with blacked out windows which afford a little security as we have to have our stuff with us wherever we go when we are travelling and yet we still have back seats for coats and ice bags etc. Once again she was a great great car and served us well for the trip. We had a choice of four when we picked her out but went for the more unusual colour. She was still clean here ... within another 24 hours, she was filthy thanks to the weather!

We then took the scenic route to Ogunquit and boy was it scenic. There were great views of the coast but it was the houses that took our breath away. Really typical New England and very beautiful. We couldn’t get enough and loved that so many were decorated for Halloween. You just don’t see that in the UK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn't until I looked at these pictures this morning I noticed the little boy - chilling!!

On to Ogunquit beach and it was another of those special morning visits, filled with great light and almost no one else around. It was cold and bright, out of season and early ... the recipe for a place we had almost to ourselves. I had always wanted to visit Ogunquit because the name was just so magical. It didn’t disappoint. There are two separate parts - the estuarya nd the beach. The light was just peerfect and we saw our first real fall colours - the whole reason we took this trip at this time of year. But oh my it was cold. Still, cold and early meant we had it to ourselves pretty much.

 

This is the estuary side

 

 

 

 

and this is the beach side

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and more pumpkins .... they are going to be a feature.

 

and Nigel's report on the first part of the day

 

A 5.30 alarm call isn’t particularly inviting but taking jet lag into consideration it’s probably more like 10.30 to our bodies so I can’t complain, even if bedtime want until 11pm local, last night.

Maybe it’s the jet lag, I don’t know, but apparently, according to Karen, Nigel has turned into a snail this morning!

Our target departure of 6.00am has been missed by 7 minutes and as a consequence, it will be raining for the rest of the day! (Apparently).

We consider skipping breakfast, but as it is still profoundly dark outside we agree that we WILL go to the much anticipated Roundabout Diner which is literally across the road.

Good thing we do, as we both gasp when we enter. It’s a moment, we both agree, that is akin to the day we went into the Rim Rock Cafe at Torray, it’s simply awesome inside.

Our trip has suddenly come to life as we step into this iconic old time diner that seems to have been plucked straight out of the 1950s!

With a soundtrack of ‘Blue Moon’ playing its as if we have walked onto the set of ‘Back to the Future’. Karen says, “All that’s missing is Marty McFly!

We take a mass of pictures and shamelessly stroll around taking it all in. All the details including a wall freeze created by enlarging the regional road map of 1957!

The food is a treat too. Karen orders French Toast and me, A Monte Cristo Sandwich. Suddenly, in one sitting, everything we love about Road Trips comes to pass. The research and the constant uncovering of little nuggets of USA gold.

As the sun rises we pause for some final exterior shots of our first “moment” and jump aboard our tour bus with the whole of our three and a bit week vacation ahead of us. It’s another of those highlights we will always treasure.

The sun is low and affords a colourful vista on the horizon as we head North and quickly acquire a new state for our collection, Karen even managing to snap the state sign as we pass into Maine for the first time.

Our first destination is Nubble Lighthouse. It’s almost silhouetted against the rising sun and makes for some atmospheric photos. There is a contrast as we turn about to focus on the adjacent coast which is being floodlit by the warm glow.

In the early morning, we enjoy the luxury of having few people around as we explore our new surroundings, like so many times before.

From Nubble, we head further North to Ogunquit. Here we enjoy the beach and ambience of an out of season resort that seems as though it has closed For the winter now, with only the more adventurous tourists or regular dog walkers taking the cool air.

 

Today I am thankful for

• safe travels
• our cats returned to us in good health, beautifully groomed and happy
• being home
• wonderful wonderful memories

 

 

News to share

 

As you read this I am high in the sky ... flying back from an amazing holiday ... the one we thought we wouldn’t be able to go on because of a Nigel's mom. But go we did, and an amazing trip it was.

 

We spent almost a month in America ... our spiritual home ... taking a road trip of some 14 states, travelling the East Coast from Maine to Miami. We saw some truly amazing things including New England in the fall, Vermont in the snow, historic Concord, the 9/11 memorial, Carlo’s bakery, Amish country, Jamestown settlement, colonial Williamsburg,  Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Savannah, the oldest town in America, family from both sides and, of course, Disney. So many stand out moments and be prepared to skip my blog for a while if you don’t want to see the daily summary and photos of the trip. It has been amazing, but I will be glad to be back home with my fur babies. Watch this space for our Fabulous Fall 2018 tour! It has been amazing and on our best holidays ever. But, there’s no place like home eh. And no place with my fur babies. 

Sketch Saturday ... yes I KNOW today isn't Saturday

I am thrilled to post here that I am hosting a sketch Saturday every second Saturday of the month over on the ATDML blog - Created by ATDML

 and before you say - I know today isn't Saturday. I am just giving you the head's up for next Saturday and sharing what I created for October.

The blog is fabulous and full of inspiring ideas from the fab team over there (and still grinning to be back a part of i)

 

This was my sketch last Saturday and you need to watch for the next one coming out next Saturday. Hopefully, these sketches will inspire you to scrap - even if the connection to the sketch is somewhat lost.

This is the sketch I posted last month

 

 

 

And this is the page created - using the gorgeous Come Away with Me papers from Graphic 45 and available in store here 

 

Life has been quiet but lovely here and whilst it is getting colder it is STILL my favourite time of year ... darker morning (snuggle up in bed time) crisp days (walks on the beach time) and dark evenings (snuggle up in front of the TV) What's not to like?

And Autumn means great sunsets - and there are few places to better them than evening hill. This is a painting I have just finished based on a picture I took last year - not great but I do like elements of it. I used acrylics, a medium I am not comfortable with really - and it shows

 

 

 Today I am thankful for

• art which brings me so much joy
• scrapping which also brings me so much joy
• Nigel - brings me the most joy of all

and I just thought these were cool

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More of that old fashioned wedding

Oh dear - I am very sorry but this is what I have been working on so you get to re-live that 80's wedding 

 

There tend to be more pictures of the bride than the groom from a  pre-wedding time. Largely because the photographer tends to go tot he bride's house before the wedding.

But here is the handsome groom and his family

 

 

 

Nigel's brother for America was his best man  - he agreed to wear a morning suit too - his other brother refused!

 

 

Elfin was so proud of her three sons - and it shows in this picture

 

 

Nigel promises me this one was staged. He promises he didn't really need forcing!

 

Today I am thankful for

• my handsome groom. He is older, greyer and, thankfully, wears smaller glasses (what was witht he 80s glasses) but I love him more very day

and how about some fun to end with although I think they are more scary than fun - they are so 3D realistic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

32 years in the making

A little while ago there was a challenge on UKS to scrap siblings. 

I don't have any of those. Just me - an only child - now an orphan!

 

So I searched what I could make. I debated Nigel and his brothers but it didn't float my boat so much and then I thought of a picture of my Mom and her sister. It was all the more poignant because Aunty Betty passed earlier this year.

 

So I dug out a photo of them that was from my wedding - just such a happy picture of them together. And I prepared to scrap it. And then I stopped and thought what I was going to do with it and - well inspiration struck.

Nigel and I have been married almost 33 years and apart from the odd photo for a specific purpose I have never scrapped my wedding.

 

There were reasons for this - and they were pretty stupid reasons really. Firstly I feel my photos are very old-fashioned. Well, they would be wouldn't they. It was the 80's. That's practically vintage! What I mean is they are very formal. I think wedding photography is gorgeous now with artistic shots, informality etc. Ours was of its time - formal and staid and, quite frankly, boring.

The other thing is I was very nervous on my wedding day. I don't like my photo taken now and I am so much more relaxed these days. I look scared and stern in most of them.

But I have come to accept that they are what they are and they ARE my wedding day - one of the happiest days of my life. And I haven't recorded the day in any meaningful way. I just have the professional pictures in albums and no stories are told. So I set about addressing that.

 

I didn't want a huge album - so I went for 8" x 8" as I figured I would want very little embellishment and really just wanted to tell the story of some of the day.

 

It's not going to be finished quickly as I dip in and out of it but here is the work in progress so far. Dated and simple but mine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

These two form a sort of double

 

 

 

   and this is the companion page to the one of the three of us. Nigel worked on a local radio station - just once a week for sports reports - but knew all the staff so it was no surprise that I ended up Bride of the week - the bride they called on her wedding day! He just didn't give me any advance warning so no surprise but I was very surprised!!

 

 

 

and this was the page of my Mom and her sister that started it all off and I am so pleased I am working on this album

 

Thursdays - I know today is Friday but I missed yesterday - are art class and so I will share my latest picture. It is not my style was not my choice and is not the medium I like! It had to be acrylic and was from a very poorly copied picture off t'internet. But never let it be said I wouldn't do a challenge.

We had to paint it from scratch in 2 hours. The idea was to be free with paint and just flow. Not detail.

Um, I don't do free and flow and not detail. I did get it done in under two hours though - even with the details

 

Today I am thankful for

• deciding to record our wedding - better late than never
• scrapping time
• 32 years of being married to my best friend

 

 and finally - just to show we are as happy today as we were 32 years ago. Well actually I think we are way way happier to be honest

 

 

yes - still happy and still in love and still very very stupid

 

 

Tropical Travelogue Part Two

It's been a lovely day here today - just a nice chilled relaxed day with a long walk and nothing much happening. Not every day needs to be amazing. Truly! But every day can be lovely. It's just that some days you have to look a little harder ... today I didn't have to look far.

 

I shared some of the Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue work the other day so this is the remainder of the things I got to create

 

This was different again - very much a water theme with the aquarium at Seaworld

 

 

 

 

 

 

and this was another 'wild page using lots of the leaves. One thing I will say about this collection was that I used a LOT of fussy cutting ... but I do like fussy cutting.

 

 

 

 

A tropical Travelogue set had to have pictures of the Caribbean Beach - our tropical paradise ... well, it used to be. They have ruined it now. It is no longer just tropical with gondola monstrosities and huge towers and it certainly isn't our idea of paradise, but it WAS

 

 

 

 

 

And I couldn't resist using it for a Pismo page - still my favourite ever sunset. Sandbanks and evening hill is close, but this was perfection 

 

 

 

 

This is my favourite page made with the collection and I confess this one is framed in the hall. I have a lovely frame - I think it is a Ribba from Ikea which is about 16" square with a 12" x 12" opening inside the mount - where I change the pages regularly. This is in the frame at the moment.

 

 

 

and finally three more cards I made with the left overs

 

 

 

Do check out the collection HERE

 

Barb you asked if I always do pages quickly. I never leave an unfinished page... I generally spend between an hour and two hours in a page ... any longer than that and I lose interest... I also have to clear my desk and put away everything after each layout even if I am doing another page that day. I am terribly OCD 

Today I am thankful for

• being married to someone who gets the simple things of life too
• nice days - not just special days. Although it is true what they say, every day you are alive is special

 

 

Finally - some people made things a little more special by painting the ordinary and making it extra-ordinary