Dolly's Dreamings

New Release day

It is new release day at Pickleberrypop today and once again the designers have cooked up a storm.

 

Time has been precious these past few days and so I have only worked with two of the new releases this week.

 

This one called City Sidewalks from Fayette was just wonderful and perfect to scrap a photo from the most perfect seasonal sunrise in St Louis

 

 

 

and who could resist these templates and an Africa collection from Heartstrings Scrapart

 

 

 

do go and check out all of the releases and offers - some gorgeous stuff as always

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and a lot of gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving - and no, we are not American, but many of our friends and family are. We always celebrate Thanksgiving here to be in tune with them, and let's face it, being thankful is always a good thing to be. It is time to reflect on our many blessings.

 

This year we are especially thankful for

• keeping safe and well amidst the mess that is COVID 19
• enjoying so many years with Nigel's mom before we lost her and also feeling a sense of relief for her as dementia stole her bit by bit
• having 17 wonderful years with our beautiful Bengal boy. We couldn't have had a naughtier, prettier, more affectionate cat and being without him hurts every single day, but ultimately reminds us how blessed we were to have him
• still having our beautiful little girl even though we know her days are numbered. She continues to be a joy (and a challenge)
• having this year's health scares behind us and being largely pain free most of the time
• having a lovely home where we are safe and warm with food on the table and money for what we need
• being properly retired - COVID twisted our arm to give regular work up completely - and we are loving it
• the beautiful area where we live. No holidays this year but the sea is near and lots of places to visit
• our wonderful friends and family and oddly, even though we are separated by COVID restrictions, we are in many ways closer than ever
• our faith, which sustains and nourishes us
• and most of all we are thankful for each other. We are so blessed to be best friends as well as husband and wife

so we feel truly blessed.

 

 

a couple of silly pages to share- give an old woman a snapchat filter and she can amuse herself for hours.

 

 

 

 

 

and a celebration of the Big Cat Sanctuary at home that Nigel arranged for my birthday celebration with friends and neighbours

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and I pray you are blessed too xx

 

 

 

 

 

Back to feeling OK

It took a few days to get the drugs out of my system (gosh that sounds bad doesn't it!) but I feel far more myself today. I had yet another needle yesterday as it happened to be my scheduled flu jab. I know I had a different vaccine than Nigel as he had the over 65 one (lol at that!) but he had no reaction and my arm came up in a hard sore hot red lump again, but heck, that just shows my body is busy making antibodies. So hopefully I will soon be protected against the flu and in another 7 days I will be happy that I escaped catching COVID in hospital (but sssh don't tell anyone I have been coughing a lot today.

 

I have been scrapping today but I cannot share yet as they are the new Berry Big Deals for next week and oh my, the designers have excelled themselves. Watch out for them on Wednesday.

 

But I do have these to share

This was such a lovely photo of Carly and it shows the love she has for the birds and they have for her

 

 

 

This is an odd photo but is there to tell a story. It was the hotel room where I had my accident, slipping in the shower quite badly. It made me feel very old and very sore.

 

This was a challenge on UKS and showcases the beauty of the lodges at night when we stayed at The Big Cat Sanctuary

 

and finally, another challenge and story page telling of how Nigel met a genuine red-neck out in the boonies.It's not a great artistic page but to me iit is what scrapping is all about - telling a story and keeping a memory

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• feeling more like myself
• a nice walk between stormy downpurs

 

self-Isolation

I had my COVID test yesterday before my op and so we are now self isolating. Isn't it ridiculous - we usually only go out once a day for a walk, which we had already done, but as soon as we came back from the test we felt like prisoners because we knew we couldn't go out! How daft is that.

Today's exercise, because there could be no walk, was an hour raking up pine needles in the garden. I can assure you I would far rather walk - but heck - you can see glimmers of green int he lawn now. We have a lot of big pine trees in the garden and the needles are a never ending battle. We have filled the green bin - and some!

Other than that there has been scrapping.

 

The colour this week on FTLOPP was white and I was excited to try a white page. The original aim was to JUST use white but it didn't quite work out that way

 

 

 

 

This was another challenge for my team - Kira being adorable.  She is actually being a bit of a madam - I think but am not sure. We are struggling to get her to eat. She spreads the food round everywhere and just licks off the juice. And it seems like she can't chew properly. So we went to the vets. Mouth etc all checked no issue. More bloods and we spent money on special new food which she seemed to like and could eat because it is just paste. Today she wouldn't touch it and cried and cried until we gave her Felix, which she deveoured a lot of. Not nearly as much as usual, but heck. So we are not sure if we are dealing with a sick cat, a cat with something wrong or just an incredibly spoilt incredibly stubborn little madam.

 

 

I also did these pages for various challenges 

This features the terrible duo as babies - second day home and we knew we were in for trouble!

 

 

This was made for Remembrance Sunday using one of my paintings

 

and this was another team challenge - the bottom is also one of the photos taken from that day

 

Today I am thankful

• I am in the final run down for the procedure on Thursday and I will be so relieved when it is over. I am dreading the anaesthetic but need to just put my trust in the anaesthetists Then I just have the wait for the results of biopsies they will take.

 

A nice few days

Nothing much to report here other than a nice retirement life. Days are simple but very happy.

 

I finished my blanket for my cousin (won't post it here until she receives it) but I was really pleased with it and I hope she is too.

 

We enjoyed a couple of walks at Lake Pier and at Hammworthy Park and we completed a jigsaw.

I had a very enjoyable art class and have scrapped too.

This is another paper page for the 60th album of another gorgeous big cat (currently working on a monochromatic challenge)

 

This uses a Jumpstart Designs collection - again monochromatic - and a photo from our walk last week

 

and this is another PBP collaboration collection which was also for the monochromatic challenge

 

 

and finally a new release from PBP featuring two products from Lara's Digi Designs released this week

 

Autumn Sonnet by Lara's Digi World
Angel Trumpet Templates by Lara's Digi World

 

 

Today is always a poignant day around the globe.

 

 

For me this day will also always be inextricably linked with Daddy. We watched the footage from New York together as I packed his bag for the hospital.  He told me he would not be coming home again - and I told him he was being silly. I underestimated his determination that enough was enough and he passed peacefully away 4 days later.  I cannot believe I have been without him for almost 19 years and without Mommy for over 30. More than half of my life and I still feel like an orphan.

 

Take time today to hug those you love a little more closely, to tell people who matter to you how much they matter to you and to treat everyone with the kindness and compassion they deserve. I end with this image posted by my American cousin Shirley as food for thought.

So happy to see rain

OK so I know come winter I will not be quite so happy to see rain but today I am thrilled.

The heath was so dry - it was a fire waiting to happen and a good dousing with the wet stuff is perfect. So we are thrilled here.

Also happy as we have a shiny new television which is pretty awesome. It even has USB ports and we can put our holiday photos up on the big - and I mean big - screen

And also happy it is new release day at Pickleberrypop and it is Berry Big Deal day - so that is pretty amazing. I was given (full disclosure) some awesome collections to work with this month

 

 

THIS LINK will take you to the bundles in the store - they are ALL amazing

 

 

 

Fayettes bundle is so on trend - called We Rise it is abot being the positive force int he life of others and I couldn't not scrap my wonderful 'other Mom' Pauline. She has been a huge part of my life since I was 5 and continues to be so even though I am 60. When I lost my beloved Mom she became very firmly my other mom and I love her to bits and she is one of the truest blessings in my life.

 

 

 

 

 I used the bundle from Chunlin to share how special Nigel made my birthday celebrations - I am lucky he goes to such trouble - always

 

 

 

 

 

We had just one night at Pismo and so one shot at a Pacific sunset - and quite honestly it could not have been more perfect

 

 

 

I could scrap this gorgeous girl till the cows come home. She is a joy in every sense

 

 

This was just a bit of fun playing with a Pixabay image

 

 

 

 

And my how I loved those palm trees. Us at the beach - again!!!

 

 

and finally this page of my cousin's little granddaughter showcases not only two of the bundles - Fayette and Palvinka - but also one of Peartree Cutfiles gorgeous files used digitally

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• rain
• pretty things
• tvs
• people in my life who bring such utter joy

 

 

We have all had enough now

The UK is in the midst of a serious heatwave. Our temperature here has been 33 today - thats 91 for my friends across the pond. We are just not used to it here. It only dropped to 29 in our bedroom last night. Wehave no ac and it is pretty miserable. I really really didn't want to leave my cold shower this morning and I am trying really hard to limit myself to 2 a day!

Much of the country had had storms but, as yet, we haven't and we desperately need rain.

It's been too hot to do anything but I have scrapped under a fan for a while (tricky as all the paper blows!)

This was with a new collection called moo cow by Heather T at PBP

 

 

This was for a challenge on UKS using Shimelle's Little by Little and also a template by Fayette Designs

 

Paper page of Viktoria at the Big Cat Sanctuary for my 60th album

 

 

My little OAPs who celebrated their 17th birthday with cake of course.

 

 

The moment I got to feed the magnificent Ngosi - another page for my 60th album

 

 

and finally another digital page made with a wonderful collaboration collection called Shine Bright which you can get FREE with purchase at PBP at the moment

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• FANS
• Cold Showers
• ICE
• water

 

 

Another birthday

We are celebrating another birthday - this time not mine and not such a big number but still an impressive one.

It is Pickleberrypop's 14th birthday and you can buy the amazing lolly bags (goody bags) at rock bottom prices and believe me, these are stuffed with so much stuff. You get great kits for a great price (and in the interests of full disclosure I do not pay for mine) They are all just $6 each

There are so many but here are a selection I have worked with this time - You need to go HERE to see them all

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do go and check them out - they are lovely.

 

Today I am thankful for

• no twinges thus far from the teeth (had a few yesterday and confess to being scared)
• being on the CT at Pickleberrypop. They really are the best group of girls and so great to work with

 

 

Quiet days but lovely

Almost a week pain free - I am a happy happy lady

Life is good

 

Days have been quiet but lovely. Walks and even a trip into our local town (which we didn't like but we needed things)

 

I finished a huge project - a crochet blanket for our bedroom and I am really pleased with it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is the same as the red one (which obviously doesn't do with the bedroom) and I am aiming to sell it for just a little more than the cost of the wool. I am also now making one for my cousin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have also been scrapping a lot - much of which I cannot share until tomorrow but I can share these

 

me and a giant sunflower at Morten

 

 

My scrappy team mates and I on our weekly zoom call where we chat and set and share challenges

 

a whole field of sunflowers - I was so happy

 

 and another for the birthday album - pims o'clock

 

Today I am thankful for

• continuing pain free
• binge watching The West Wing
• black russians - we hadn't had one for ages - they are so delicious

 

and today's share - these are all the work of an amazing makeup artist. I can't believe they are makeup and not just phtoshopped. What talent to do this

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well I am through the other side

It's not been the best of weeks in some ways but in others, it has been the best of weeks.

I survived Wednesday. My dentist - Theresa a Westbourne Dental Practice - is absolutely amazing. She is so kind, so gentle, so caring and blooming good at her job too. The tooth under the crown had died and the roots were full of pus and infection and she does feel that might have caused a lot of the issues over the past months. She didn't remove the crown but drilled though it and took out to nerves, the pus and nuked the infection. And apart from the 5 injections, it didn't hurt. I feel bruised two days on but am this far pain-free. Still cannot bit on it - but heck, if I have to eat on one side forever I will cope! I have only had stage 1 completed but sadly, due to COVID, the next appointment is for October. They can only have two appointments a day that uses the drill at the moment. End of am and end of pm surgery and they have to wear full PPE. Pretty scary stuff. I have slight pain but it is so much better and I have a doctor appointment later today - on the phone - to discuss medication.

Yesterday I was just a little down and shocked I think so we had a quiet day and I still ate 'soft stuff' (I have been living on porridge, yoghurt and soup) . Today we braved going out and had an amazing time at Sculpture by the Lakes (Cue a lot of photos)

 

 

 

 

This was where we sat and ate lunch - slowly and carefully!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and the field of sunflowers was the icing on the cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today has been a good day

 

I have also managed some scrapping for my 60th birthday album

 

 

Couldn't resist the tile I'm afraid

 

 

 

Our lovely table with a view

 

and lots and lots of inking on this one.

 

Barb I have been meaning to answer your questions - so sorry I forgot

 

We usually break the jigsaw up pretty much as soon as we finish - we feel no attachmnet to them we just love doing them And we will often do them more than once. We never really think about who puts the last piece in. Very often we work on a side of the puzzle each so when one of us has done their side we just leave the other to it.  You also asked about the beach huts. They are really just glorified shed type buildings used for beach visits. You are not allowed to sleep overnight int hem though they do have in some instances electricity and most have a gas cylinder and a little hob for making tea etc. They are really cute but really really expensive and a long long waiting list to buy them or even lease them. You can often rent them for a few days or a week though we never have. When I was growing up my parents owned on and I was there most every day.

 

Today I am thankful for

• my wonderful skilled dentist
• pain killers
• patience
• great days out
• sunflowers - still my favourites