Dolly's Dreamings

Gorgeous day - but a touch of frost

It has been a glorious day today and, despite what the title of the post says, not a hint of frost. That will become clear later.

We sat at Mudeford Beach and had a picnic. In t shirts. In the sun. It was warmer than some summer days and absolutely glorious.

 

it was nice to see the restored beach huts - the last time we were here was just after the Valentine's Day storm that destroyed so many of them on this stretch of beach

 

 

We did get a bit of 'winter feeling' though as we called into Stewarts and looked at their christmas store

 

 

and their beautiful winter planting

 

 

The frost - however- refers to the new Frosty Breath collection released today by Tiranisu Designs.

 

This is what I made with it

 

 

Pictures taken on the heath in January 2013.

Finally I have new Olaf pictures from when he was dry and lit. We don't celebrate halloween - never have and never will - but carving Disney pumpkins is kind of fun.

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely day out
• Olaf

 

and finally some fabulous photos on a pumpkin theme.  Photos by Max Ellis and taken from Bored Panda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wishes do come true

Never let it be said that Disney dreams don't come true.

Well they do in this house.

 

I wished for a Disney pumpkin again. We don't celebrate Halloween but last year we had such fun carving our pumpkin we thought we would do it again.

 

This was last year's

 

 

 

So this year I tentatively suggested I would love an Olaf pumpkin.

Well the gauntlet was down and Nigel is not one to be beaten. So today he disappeared into his man cave - aka the workshop behind the garage - and he created.

 

And I LOVE IT!

 

 

I also love the creator!

 

I think he is very clever and can't wait until we see it lit later on.

 

Plus I have lots and lots of yummy pumpkin seeds to munch.

 

I have new scrapping to share too

 

This is a digital page about our trip to see the poppies. The real life page is still drying on my desk at the moment.

This is made with a brand new collection coming out later today by Fanette Designs.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a very talented husband
• Disney wishes that come true

 

 

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red mini book

So the mini book is done.

Well, things don't always work out as you plan but it is now complete and looks sort of OK.

 

I really wanted to make a little album tor emember our visit to see the poppies as it is such an important thing to remember. I was so impressed witht eh whole concept of it, from the moment I heard about it. Seeing it was the icing on the cake.

Yhe pages measure just over 6" x 4" and this is the cover.

 

 

I spent ages trying to find what I needed for the poppies as I knew I wanted to make my own. In the end I cut apart a big silk carnation to get the fabric to make the large poppies. The small poppies were flowers I already had with beads stuck int eh centre.

The swirls are of red felt and the letters are metalic red foil.

 

This is the spine of the book

 

It looks like it is all creased - it isn't really.

 

This is the inside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I knew before I started that I also wanted to include some photos of my grandfather who fought in the First World War and also the information about the whole concept as I felt it was so important to record.  I also wanted to record the poem - In Flanders Fields as it was my Mom's favourite poem and one I wrote out and put with her when she died.

 

There are more tags and flaps than I have shown here.

 

A couple of the photos - namely the beefeaters and the large close up poppy, were downloaded from the internet but the rest are photos we took on the day.

 

I am pleased I did get to make it int he end inspite of so many things going wrong.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a job completed
• an event recorded
• Being able to help out a friend
• sorted wardrobes - bring on winter ... I am ready!

 

 

and finally news of a fabulous sale

 

Amazing savings - check out Dawn's store HERE

 

 

Nothing going right

Ever had one pf those days where nothing goes right?

That's me today.

 

Popped out to buy a specific craft item that I couldn't find.

Did some school work - didn't go well.

Tried to make a mini book - not looking good. My own fault really. Golden rule ... don't change the binding half way trhough - it simply doesn't work.

Start birthday present jigsaw. Give up - too hard.

 

So here is some scrapping I did earlier in the week!

 

 

Itw as made for the monthlytc hallenge on UKS which was a colour scheme.

 

 

 

 

The thing that has gone right though is the new ink store Nigel put up.

It is under a shelf so takes us zero room, frees up a drawer, means I can see my inks without having to go through four or five piles to find the one I want, and even has a light under the shelf to illuminate them. He is a clever lad.

 

 

 

Barb you asked about the adhesive I use to stick the twine down. I used double sided tape - very thin - and it is just wide enough to hold botht eh twine and the bunting

 

Today I am thankful for

• going to sit down in a minute - hopefully there is less damage I can do sat down!

 

Fabulous POPPY day

We had long planned a trip to London to see the poppies, ever since we first heard about it and bought our own poppy. Today was that day. We picked today as the weather looked good and my goodness it was awesome. Clear blue sky with no clouds and warm enough to walk round in t shirts. Hardly like almost November.

 

We drove up to Westfields - our preferred parking place as it is outside the congestion zone, costs £6.50 for the whole day and is right near a station so we get a travel card for £9 for unlimited travel and we are all set.

 

We headed first - via a Starbucks of course - to the Tower of London to see the exhibition we had travelled to see.

 

 

 

It is at its peak now with almost 900,000 ceramic poppies - one of which we own. It is an amazing tribute to the fallen British in WW1 and as stunning and moving and spectacular as we hoped it would be. Such a special thing to do, to see, to witness.

 

 

We took endless pictures and it was very busy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

amd of course we bought poppies - we always do - but this was our poppy seller this year

 

 

we stopped at the merchant navy memorial

 

 

 

before going back undergound and surfacing at Picadilly where were not only saw Eros but a very long bus

 

 

 

 

 

 

From there it is but a short walk to one of my favourite shops in London - Fortnum and Masons. I love the architecture, the history, the ole wooden staircase people would have walked in crinolines, the displays, the Christmas store, the food. Everything. And that greeny blue ... almost as nice as the Tiffany Turquoise. And yes ... we shopped ... quite a lot. Christmas goodies for us and gifts too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from there we walked down Picadilly to The Hard Rock Cafe. Now come on .... where else do we eat when in Lomdon

 

 

 

 

We were so stuffed we walked down to Harrods and browsed and shopped ... for one reduced bag ... we are not Stupid! Fun to look though!

 

 

The snow queen was lovely and then Nigel spotted the Wedgewood Ice House .... a snip at £12,000

 

 

 

The Christmas Shop was beautifully done though

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did seem to have a lot of Fortnum stuff though.

 

It was a wonderful day and well worth going up to London for.

 

Today I am thankful for

• A wonderful day trip
• shopping and those perfect presents for people we love
• the almost 900,000 people who gave their lives so we can enjoy the freedom we have today

 

 

Happy Sunday

I am loving today.

Sunday is a bit sad sometimes as I seem to spend the day catching up on work and feeling my weekend is flying by and I have to return to work too soon.

However, the Sunday of half term is fabulous.

 

Last night we went to the cinema and saw Gone Girl. I had read the book and loved it. It was gripping and such a twist. I wasn't sure how it would translate to film or how Nigel would like it. It was one of the few films of a book I have loved that I thought was good. It was well done and Nigel loved it too.

 

We enjoyed our extra hour of sleep although Fiki appears to be having trouble adjusting his clock!

 

I have done the weekly challenge on UKS and it is celebrating our day witht he Royal Navy. we were so lucky that our friend Helen invited us to be one of her Dad's guests on HMS Puncher.

It was an amazing day - made even more dramatic as it was very rough!

 

 

I wanted to use flags and union jacks as it seemed to fit with the naval theme

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely Sunday
• a new ink rack - pictures to follow

 

Exploding Box Card Tutorial

I made an exploding box card for Nigel's birthday and it seemed like a while since I had posted a step by step - so I have made a tutorial for it.

 

I am really keen to stress I did NOT make up the idea - there are loads and loads of different but similar tutorial around for these.

 

 

Nigel is really into his Baseball - always has been - and he has only ever followed one team - The Angels. He has been a fan for over 30 years which, as he is over 6000 miles away, is quite some going. He has been blessed to seethem play live and enjoys watching games here on UK TV these days.

 

So the card was a tribute to that.

 

 

The tutorial is adaptable to any sort of card - I am sure no-one else will want to make an Angels card - but you can make it whatever you want it to be.

 

 

If you would like the tutorial file you can downlaod it here

 

Download Angels Baseball Explosion Box card

 

 

Enjoy xxx

Praise be

After some truly horrible days it's here.

Half term is here!

 

Praise the Lord!

 

 

I cannot begin to explain how glad I am.

 

We have just been out to celebrate Nigel's birthday as we had postponed it as I was too shattered.  We went to our favourite TGI where the staff we know so well and who all know us by name and know our order without us having to ever order made it so special for Nigel.

The food was fabulous, the service awesome and they made the birthday boy a hat and he had cake with everyone gathered round. Daft but fun

 

 

 

 

 

Normal blogging will resume now it is holiday time - I hope!

Today I am thankful for

• HALF TERM
• all of the staff at TGI
• special times to brighten hard days

 

Have a happy half term everyone.

 

 And cousin Joyce thank you for this - so very very true xxx

 

*EATING  IN  THE  FIFTIES* 

Pasta was not eaten in the British Empire
 
Curry was a surname.  
 
A takeaway was a mathematical problem.  
 
A pizza was something to do with a leaning tower.  
 
All potato chips were plain; the only choice we had was whether to put the salt on or not. 
 
Rice was only eaten as a milk pudding.

A Big Mac was what we wore when it was raining.
 
Brown bread was something only poor people ate.
 
Oil was for lubricating, fat was for cooking.   
 
Tea was made in a teapot using tea leaves and never green.
 
Sugar enjoyed a good press in those days, and was regarded as being white gold. Cubed sugar was regarded as posh.  
 
Fish didn't have fingers in those days. 

Eating raw fish was called poverty, not sushi.
 
None of us had ever heard of yoghurt.
 
Healthy food consisted of anything edible.
 
People who didn't peel potatoes were regarded as lazy.
 
Indian restaurants were only found in India.  
 
Cooking outside was called camping.
 
Seaweed was not a recognised food.
 
"Kebab" was not even a word, never mind a food. 
 
Prunes were medicinal.
 
Surprisingly, muesli was readily available, it was called cattle feed.
 
Water came out of the tap.
If someone had suggested bottling it and charging more than petrol for it, they would have become a laughing stock!!

 

The one thing that we never ever had on our table in the fifties ......

"Elbows Or Phones.

Be prepared to be scared

OK

 

A fair warning.

 

Some of you may need to avert your eyes now.

 

Seriously

 

It's a scary old world here today.

 

Dawn Inskip has launched a brand new collection called Toxic at Scrapbookgraphics.

 

I don't do halloween at all and so I had to think what could be scary.

 

I came up with a very real scary page

 

 

I did warn you. It was very scary.

 

I cannot believe that this year I held my second tarantula.

When we went to Longleat with school in 2010 I held my very first tarantula and got one of the children to take a picture to prove it. This year I did it again. And no - it still hasn't cured my fear of spiders because holding a tarantula is actually not like holding a spider at all.  It's like a small furry animal - only not a very cute one.

 

Today I am thankful for

• some awfully nice people in the world
• courage

 

 

 

Dining heaven

The strong winds never really affected us down south today but I know other parts of the country have been affected by the bad weather and I hope all of my readers are OK.

At least it stayed relatively calm last night for the Elite League speedway finale and, thankfully, Poole won and are Elite League champions again. I had a very happy hubby home late last night.

 

Today I have another page for my IRL Florida album. We do love the Disney Dine plan as it means free food - and yes it is good value. We costed out what it would have cost us for what we ate when we were there and the days where we ate all of our meals in Disney we probably had in the region of $70 + a day.

We are not fancy eaters and so the quick serve restaurants are where we would chose to eat anyway if we were on property. We eat out at other places too but the plan works for us.

 

 

The pictures are of the mugs (and the receipt is for the mugs too.)The refillable mugs serve us well and we do use them a lot. Whenever we go out we go with a full mug full of either diet coke or in my case often jasmine tea.  And we refill when we come in too. Nigel is pictured with breakfast - we love our adult bounty platter each day. For two people who only  ever have a bowl of porrige for breakfast we max out on holiday.

The other picture is a meal we had at the electric umbrella. It is hard to find veggie stuff sometimes and the mac and cheese burger without the burger was one of the meals I really liked.

The only downside - we did enjoy the days when, for a change, we used real silverwear rather than plastic cutlery.

 

Today I am thankful for

• fences that stayed up
• winds not too bad
• a lague championship