Dolly's Dreamings

It just goes to show ...

We see a lot of films these days thanks to our Cineworld membership. We have seen some good, some Ok and a couple of dire, but generally, we enjoy what we watch. There are times, though, that we don't always fancy the same films but we go with each other's choice too. I didn't want to see Churchill (it was OK) or Happy Death Day (it was quite good) and Nigel didn't want to see Thor Ragnarok (he didn't enjoy it). He most certainly did NOT want to go yesterday to see Paddington 2. I had seent he first one on Amazon Prime and really enjoyed it and so was keen to see Number 2 and he 'agreed'. He even bought Paddington Bear chocolates from Marks and Spencer (have you see the New Christmas ad? Way better than John Lewis this year in my view.) 

 

The verdict - he loved it. The CGI/animation was so clever and so seamlessly blended into the real life stuff, it was a good story with a proper plot, a decent ending and loads of famous faces. We both had a lovely time and it merited a 4 star!

In case you haven't seen it - the M and S advert and the Paddington trailer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have new scrapping to share.

Dawn has two lovely new collections out this week and they are on sale and great bargains.

 

This is the first of my - no doubt - many Christmas pages. I am starting to feel Christmassy already. The collection is the Ho Ho Ho Bundle and it is great for cards and hybrid stuff too. I chose to scrap the adorable knitted nativity set we saw at St Aldhelm's Christmas Tree festival last year.

 

 

 

 

And the second is the Loving Life bundle which is gorgeous - I love the colours and I am not really a brights girl

 

The picture is Nigel at Lake Pier ... a favourite lunch spot of ours.

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely couple of days
• some sunshine (not today)
• central heating - it's been chilly here

and some random things I have been pinning ... so much to make and only the one lifetime to do it all in!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

All change again

Yesterday the weather was foul. Really foul.

I headed off to do a card class at Craft Obsessions which was great fun. Would have been even better if my head had been screwed on and I hadn't left my cardigan there!

 

Last night we went to an unlimited screening of the film Suburbicon which comes out at the end of the month. mmmm ... I think George Clooney - who directed and produced it - should stick to being gorgeous and acting. It was well filmed and they had the retro stuff off to a T but it left us both feeling strangely unsatisfied. 

Today has thankfully been glorious.

I volunteered to help with the Poole Park Count (a reasonably regular survey of users of the Park) Regular readers will know how much I love Poole Park - one of my favourite places in the world. Now I have time it is nice to be able to help with events. It was a good walk as in pairs we surveyed the people int he park with questionaires, tally sheets and lots of different coloured pens, noting sex, age and use etc. I am glad the weather was nice. So nice, in fact, that we headed off to Salterns for lunch. It will; probably be the last time we can sit outside by the marina this year and, truth be told, it was actually a little too cold today to be honest, but we toughed it out! 

 

The desserts were so pretty I just had to take a picture of them I am afraid.

 

 

 

I have new scrapping to share - a new collection called Winter is Here by Eudora Desigsn

 

 

Thanks to the gorgeous Alice for being such a beautiful subject to scrap.

 

Today I am thankful for

sunshine

productivity

a beautiful place to live ... I don't think I could live away from water really.

 

 

 

 

UKS word file

Welcome if you are visiting here for the first time in order to collect the word file for points collection on UKS.

Apologies if you are a regular visitor and are thinking 'what the heck is going on!'

 

I couldn't attach the word file directly in the forum but you can download it here

 

If you are a new visitor do have a look around and come back and visit again. The blog is updated every other day (sometimes every day!!) and is a collection of scrapping, both paper and digital, general musings, photography and often weird and wonderful stuff spotted in the big wide world of the web!   If you click 'main' under the header at the top of the blog it will navigate you away from this specific page to the newest page ont eh blog. The side bar has topics and albums to help you look round too.

 

Download Word results sheets 2018

A busy few days

Life has a much gentler pace these days and sow hen things get a little busy - you notice it. And it only has to be a little busy.

Things that I would fit in after work suddenly seem to fill the day! Daft really.

The weather has been so changeable too. Yesterday we sat on a bench at Lake Pier eating our lunch in the sunshine. Today has been cold and very very wet. Tomorrow - heck who knows!!!

 

I went to a card making class today which was great fun and something I haven't done in years and years. I made three cards and learnt a  new use for the long abandoned perfect pearls.

Yesterday was also a frantic TV day as I hadn't realised series 13 of Gray's was on Now TV and it was only on for three days by the time I looked so I binged watched the series. I do love Grey's.

 

For no reason other than I could I made another page for the California Disneyland album - a double ... so unusual for me.

 

 

 

 

I loved the fact the characters were so accessible at Disneyland compared to Disney World.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a new class - great fun
• sunshine - though I wish the weather were a little more predictable
• Nigel's patience. He is a saint ... believe me.

and today's offerings - just great photos from some awfully clever people. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somewhere so bizarre

It doesn't matter how many times we visit - Poundbury is still one of the most bizarre places we ever visit. We headed out there today in the cold sunshine and it struck us again. It is in the heart of Dorset, a county renowned for its small thatched cottages, it's old history, the country feel, the eclectic mix of houses. And then there is Poundbury, right next to the county town of Dorchester. It is like walking on to a film set - it is often empty, there are no markings on the roads, the houses are of mixed styles but styles that just don't seem to go with the rest of Dorset. There is a grand square dedicated to the Queen Mother and some truly impressive but totally out of place buildings.  It is all clean and pristine which seems to add to the not quite real style. The web site says the following ...

Poundbury is an urban extension to the Dorset county town of Dorchester, built on Duchy of Cornwall land according to architectural principles advocated by The Prince of Wales.

The Prince has long been concerned by the quality of both the natural and built environments in which we live.

In 1989 His Royal Highness published the book ‘A Vision of Britain’ which set out his beliefs in certain principles of architecture and urban planning.

These principles reflected some of the timeless ideas that have enabled many places around Britain to endure and thrive over the centuries.

Poundbury is the living embodiment of these principles.
In 1987 the local planning authority, West Dorset District Council, selected Duchy of Cornwall land to the west of Dorchester for future expansion of the town. As Duke of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales took the opportunity to work with the council to create a model urban extension to the ancient market town.

In 1988, The Prince of Wales appointed the well-known architect and urban planner, Leon Krier, to work on an overall concept for 400 acres of land of what would become Poundbury. Krier’s challenge was to create an autonomous new extension to the town within the context of traditional Dorset architecture, using the urban design principles described in A Vision of Britain, often now referred to as the Poundbury Principles, architecture, mixed housing and favouring the pedestrian over the car to create a more humanising environment.

 

If you have visited Disney then I suggest the closest thing you will understand is that it is a bit like the town of Celebration ... although since we first started visiting  in 1996 it has developed into a far more real town ... a lot more 'real' than Poundbury.

 

Anyway some pictures of the grand square

 

 

 

 

Our reason for visiting today was to go visit the amazing Christmas store they have which is wonderful but not quite as lovely as last year. Even though I am a huge Game of Thrones fan the Game of Thrones room was a little 'unusual' to have in a Chrstmas store, complete with dragons and the Iron Throne. 

 

 

 

 

and some pretty things

 

 

 

 

I also have new scrappingt o share - I am hosting one of the mojo challenges this month on UKS and this is what I created for it. Hope youw ill go over and have a go at the challenge

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely day out
• The heater in the study ... it's cold

 

 

A nip in the air

The weather is still beautiful, once the morning fog burns off, but there is a definite chill int he air. Mind you we were frozen inside yesterday. We went to the cinema to see Murder on the Orient Express, which was very good, but oh my the cinema was cold. We were both chilled. The pizza after warmed us up though! We donned warm clothes and headed off to see our local firework display last night - which was - as always - excellent.

 

Today has been bright again, but again quite chilly. I don't mind the cold though. It's nice as you can go for bracing walks and then cozy up at home. It is definitely sweater weather now. And that is the theme of the page too. It was made for the monthly template challenge on Puckleberry pop using Finally Fall by Created by Jill and the free monthly template made by Eudora Designs.

 

Make sure you check out the mojo challenges here.

This is my page

 

I also want to share a paper page made for this week's challenge on UKS. It was to scrap a loved one no longer with us and so I scrapped these two pictures of my Daddy looking impossibly young. He ran away to sea, lying about his age, when he was just 14. He found himself on a merchant navy tanker in the middle of the Battle of the Atlantic. Silly silly man. He saw things no-one should see, let alone a young boy.

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a bright and beautiful winter
• my adorable cats - they bring so much joy to us
• good films
• firework displays - though I still thinkt he sale of faireworks to anyone other than a display organiser should be banned.

 

Today's random offering - interaction with statues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely catching up day

It's been a lovely day today in every sense.

I started with a catch up with a very dear friend I used to work with - had a lovely long walk, a good chatter and some nice refreshments. Whilst it had been foggy first thing, by the time we walked along the beach it was glorious.

Then it was art and a new technique to learn - watercolours with pen and ink. Scary stuff, totally out of my comfort zone slapping paint on willy nilly ... felt much happier when it got to the pen and ink which was very fine and more my style. I love the technique but a lot of learning to do. 

 

I have new scrapping to share made with this called Chasing Dreams by Jumpstart Designs.

 

 

This is what I made and once again I am grateful to my friend for allowing me to scrap her beautiful daughters.

 

Today I am thankful for

• friendship and shared times together
• the weekend starting right here right now

 

 

These amazing illustrations by Steve Cutts as showcased on ... of course ... Bored Panda 

They are actually quite chilling comments on modern life

 

 

 

i LOVE THE DEPICTION OF TROLLS

 

 

 

 

 

 

A PHONE REPLACING EVERYTHING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note to self ... cut down ont he technology and enjoy the simple things in life.