Dolly's Dreamings

Too tired to type

I am shattered

 

Seriously

 

I am too old to be doing this stuff.

 

We went to IKEA today (I do love IKEA) with a view to getting a small unit to go by the side of the big unit I have which doesn't really work.

I have a big shelving unit that wasn't designed for 12 x 12 so they sort of stick out and it doesn't really hold anything but paper and some artbins. Whilst there we saw the Kallax units (which I had always wanted when they were the Expedia)

The unit I thought I was getting didn't fit 12 x 12 anyway and so as an act of faith we bought a couple of Kallax units and a small rack and an under desk  filing cabinet and we prayed they might fit.

Now I have a serious serious craft room and there was a serious serious lot to empty. Then we had to build the units, then get the old units out then put all the stuff back.

 

And we did

 

In just 4 hours.

 

Can't move now and I need to do a lot of sorting out but I have ages when I retire and it is good enough for now and so much better than it was.

 

The hardest thing to build ... as it happens ... was the small filing cabinet!

 

 

and just a tiny part of the un sorted Kallux (it has 24 compartments to organise - some of which Nigel will put shelves in

But that will be sorted POST retirement.

 

 

I also managed to download the photos from the other day.

 

A couple of pictures of our borders with the azaleas coming out

 

 

 

 

 

 

and pictures from Salters on Saturday

 

 

 

 

 

 

No scrapping today - way too tired and messy

 

Mike - thank you for your lovely e mail about Memorial Day and what you have been up to. I loved the pictures of raising the flag on Iwo Jima - it was very moving and we do owe vets from all around the world so much.

We saw the statue Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima when we were in Washington and it remains the favourite sculpture we have seen anywhere in the world.

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a wonderful patient fit husband who makes my dreams come true every single day
• all of the people in the services who fit to protect our peace and our countries

 

 

 

 

 

 

Failing miserably

I am on holiday and yet appear to be failing miserably to keep up with my blog.

I totally missed yesterday and I haven't even downloaded the pictures I took.

Too busy relaxing to be honest.

 

Yesterday was a glorious day and we headed off to Salisbury. We had a very productive time at the shops with both of us getting the things we were looking for.

We also had lunch - as you do - at Reeves which has to be the best bakery in the world.

After a gorgeous drive around Cranbourne Chase we then finished our day with dinner at Salterns which was perfect.

 

Simple pleasures - happy days.

 

Today we have been working at home - sorting and washing and just enjoying having the time.

 

I have a new page made with Dawn Inskip and don't forget - Dawn is opening a  BRAND NEW STORE at The Lily Pad - and there are some awesome goodies

 

Dawn Inskip's LILYPAD store - Opening June 3 - VERY excited !!!  And you can of course find her here too

 

It uses Dearest Diary by Dawn and was made for a challenge at UKS to use a no photo page

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It details the things I will miss - and the things I won't - when I retire. It is coming awfully close now and I am so going to miss the teaching side of it, the girls, the interaction with young minds and the fun we have. The paperwork - not so much!

 

Today I am thankful for

• sunshine
• days out
• half term holidays
• de-cluttering. There is a LOT of that at the moment and will be even more in a few weeks time

 

 

 

Those words again

It is no secret that my favourite film is A Few Good Men

 

I love everything about it - the dialogue is superb

 

 

I even have some of the words as my diary/meeting alert on my phone 'And the hits just keep on coming' Today was such a day - the hits kept on coming.

 

However there is good news - we had a doctor appointment and the skin issues we were both worried about are FINE! That's the best news of all. I don't think I could have dealt with more skin cancer at the moment! Every cloud eh!

 

I have new scrapping to share with a brand new release from JB Studios at Pickleberrypop

 

 

This is the page I made with it

 

 

I love that picture of sisterly love with my two favourite little girlies in the world.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a bowl of chips (you had to be there)
• surviving
• good news
• HALF TERM HOLIDAYS!!!!!!

 

and I had to share this as - late as I am to the club - I have a bit of Game of Thrones thing going on at the moment - gotta love boxed sets

 

 

 

Sunny days and runny eyes

I am so going to have to get my hayfever sorted out.

It has been a glorious day (way better than yesterday that saw me eat both lunch and dinner at my desk and I was at work for almost 14 hours with no break ... grim ... and hence why there was no blog post yesterday. ) And so I came home topless - the car of course, not actually me, and then I went and sat on the patio with Nigel for a quarter of an hour. Result - I have been sitting with cold cotton wool pads on my eyes trying to undo the damage caused by the pollen. How stupid am I?

It was nice to feel a bit of sun though.

 

I have a new page to share today - another made for the Holland and Belgium album which is filling well

It was made a few weeks ago and was for a challenge

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• sunshine - even though I am paying the price
• almost half term. I am awfully tired
• a canvas we ordered for the bedroom arriving - it's lush

Highs and lows

Some days are highs, some days are lows and some days are a mix of the high and low and I guess it is that variety that makes for that wonderful thing called life.

 

If everything was a high then in reality nothing would be a high. You would never appreciate it because it was all the same.

You need the lows to make you really appreciate and love the highs.

 

If there was never any rain, you could never enjoy a rainbow.

 

Nuff said.

I have a page to share today that I made ages ago and never got around to posting.

 

It was made for a weekly challenge on UKS and features my Mom and her cousin Irene when they were bridesmaids at her other cousin, Anne's, wedding.

 

 

It uses a collection called Harmony by Dita B Designs at Pickleberrypop

 

Today I amt hankful

• for variety in life
• for both the highs and the lows
• for gifts and laughter
• for making a good friend smile

 

Last chance saloon

I am settingt his in advance as I know today will be crazy.

It is the last chance to snap up those Pickle Barrel Bargain today.

 

The colours are lush and it is too good a chance to miss.

 

This time I worked with a collection called Love Love Love by Jennifer Labre

 

 

 

I used my friend's two gorgeous daughter - way to pretty not to scrap over and over - to make this page

 

 

 

Today I am sure I will be thankful for

• being home
• managing another first

 

 

 

Retirement training

I have been in training today ... practicing doing nothing.

 

I didn't plan on doing nothing - it just kind of evolved.

we slept late as we had a disturbed night. Kira was absolutely determined to sleep with us last night. She even went without her supper so she could beat her Daddy upstairs and be ont he bed before he closed the door. She used to sleep with us every night when she was 4 years old and so poorly and was very good. We figured as she really wanted to sleep with us it would do no harm. Turns out she really wanted to 'be' with us rather that 'sleep' with us. I finally encouraged her to go to her own room at about 3am. It really wasn't a restful night.

 

I did a bit of light hearted scrapping, a bit of reading, a bit of doing nothing and it was lovely. It's been a very busy week and I worked yesterday so I figured I deserved a day off.

 

It is still Pickle Barrel time at PBP so do go and check that out and snap up a bargain.

 

This is another fabulous collection I worked with by Lorie M called Love and Laughter

 

 

and this is the page I made with it

 

 

It is still one of my favourite pictures of my two little minsters ... it is my mousemat too ... and even though they are 13 they still sleep like this. We werewatching them today and saying how lovely it is that not a day goes by that they don't sleep curled up at some point and wash each other several times a day.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lazy day
• recharging
• two lovely cats

 

and the rain rain rain came down down down

In the words of the famous Winnie the Pooh Song

 

The rain rain rain came down down  down .... all day today. I have been humming the said song on and off most of the day.

 

And just so I am not the only one....

 

 

 

I haven't blogged for a couple of days and I fear that may be a feature of my life for a while.

As I draw ever nearer to that golden retirement day I am working harder than ever to make sure everything is as right as can be before I retire that everything other than work is taking a bit of a backseat for a while.

Normal service will be resumed on Independence Day!

I will try and keep up with my blog but bear with me if there are the odd missing days.

 

Exciting week this week though as it is Pickle Barrel Week and the Pickle Barrel is open with new lush lush lush colours.

 

 

 

I was lucky enough to work with a lot of the six packs this month and the colours are wonderful - blues and greens with shocking pinks and pastel pinks and black. Really lush and dramatic and lovely.

 

The first one I want to share today is made with Fayette's pack - or should I say packs as there are so many.  As ever the pictures are clickable links where relevant. This is her six pack

 

 

 

and these are add on packs

 

 

 

 

The colours this month are very pink but there are also some lovely blus and I chose the blues to scrap my favourite fella who says such a lot into a mike!

 

 

 

 

It is a tribute to his performance in front of huge crowds each week at Poole speedway.

 

He was also in front of the mike on Thursday night - and that si why I didn't blog - as he was hosting one of his amazing quiz shows. They are like nothing else (local people who want a quix that is multi media and very different do get in touch!)

 

Today I am thankful for

• being in in the dry (well most of the time - a brief foray outside)
• a decent lie in ... I was awfully tired
• work completed which means I can play tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

getting down and dirty

We have a big project on at school at the moment - making giant mosaics with a very talented artist

 

Everyone is having a go and it is so much fun and I love playing along and putting bits of mosaic in and getting creative and dirty - great great fun.

 

Just need to dig all of the very dark cement out of my nails though!

 

I have exciting news to share today - after many happy years at Scrtapbookgraphics, Dawn is moving to the Lily Pad and there are going to be so many excitingt hings. I can't wait to create for her new stuff there too.

Be sure to check out the advert below for the launch date.

 

 

I have new scrapping to share today but it was made a little while ago. Called I love you Beary Much Beary Love by Paty Greif it is a really cute collection

 

 

and this is what I made with it

 

 

I can't wait to have the time to use those bears for some hybrid cards - they are way way way too cute

 

Today I am thankful for

• speedway being off - Nigel is home
• creative fun
• new opportunities

 

Another gorgeous day - I think

I was work bound and indoors all day but on my brief forays outside between buildings it looked like a lovely day.

So lovely my wonderful hubby pressure washed the patio and steps and they look fabulous.

 

One day I might get to use them!

 

It is a quick work week post today of a page I made a while ago.

It is another for the Belgium and Holland album.

 

The trip was primarily to celebrate out 30th wedding anniversary and when we checked in tot he hotel in Ghent they asked if we were there for any special reason. We said yes our anniversary and when they asked how many years they seemed quite shocked. Obviously it was my age shocked them - I must have been a mere child when I wed, clearly!

 

Anyway, when we returned to our room after sightseeing we had a knock on the door and it was the manager with a bottle of champagne, some chocolates and a card from the staff. It was such a wonderful and touching thing to do and quite made our trip.

 

 

 

 

as always there is lots of stitching - real and faux

 

 

 

 

 

today I am thankful for

• sunshine
• sorting
• a project going well thus far
• taking Ruby to school

 

and finally some more of those gorgeous teeny tiny quotes