Dolly's Dreamings

well - they call it work

Nigel had to work today - just three little jobs but we had a great day. One job was at the Range - just 15 minutes but long enough for me to buy some new papers! One was in westbourne - well there is a Starbucks there. And one was in Verwood so we had a lovely time out on Cranbourne Chase - we even stopped at Knowlton for a picnic and did our supermarket shop as well.

Now THAT's what I call a day's work. Out at 10.30, back home by 2.00 and our work is done! Did I mention I love my life.

 

 

and look at me - NO BOOT!

 

 

The balcony came down well and the roof is being done tomorrow so even that is going a little better now. I will just be glad when everything is re-instated and back to normal.

 

We also worked yesterday - the other way though - two small jobs out into Dorset and we visited some pretty villages and even a Prezzo for a sneaky early dinner.  One of the villages we went to was Milton Abbas - a very special place for us as it was the very very first place Nigel took me to when we stopped being 'just friends' and started being so much more. It holds a special place in my heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did a new page yesterday from Stuck Sketches - a site I haven't played with before. It was such a lovely sketch I really wanted to have a go.

 

This is what I made - another for the WOW album and another using the great cars based Bo Bunny papers which I have loved (not a lot left now)

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a very happy retirement
• helping Nigel with work
• new stash to play with - I rarely buy stash these days

 

Oh and to cap it all - yesterday was THE DAY - the day Game of Thrones was back with Series 7 - and I LOVED it - such a great opener.

 

 

and this just made me laugh out loud

 

 

 

watery today

Today is a watery day. There was wet stuff falling from the sky and we have seen very little of that. We need it though as they are already saying we will have hosepipe bans. And it was very little of the wet stuff.

The other wet stuff is coming later int he form of a new collection.

 

We had a lovely morning today visiting a good friend of ours (she started off life as a pupil of mine but I was very very young at the time) and we went to see her new HQ. She has set up an amazing business doing bespoke clothing with printing, heat pressing and embroidery. The machinery she has is amazing and we had a chance to see it in action (I was so terrified to press the 'go' button!) It is an amazing business she set up and I am in awe of someone changing their whole life, taking risks to follow their dreams. She deserves it to be a huge success. You can see her exhibiting and selling at the Poole Boat Show the following weekend.

 

Now the other wet stuff

 

Dawn Inskip has a new collection out today - Ocean Bundle

 

I had such fun with it

 

This page is from our second day at Discovery Cove where we had such a wonderful time. It was even better than the first visit as we BOTH did the dolphin swim and then just enjoyed this special park.

 

 

And this one celebrates the aquarium at our hotel at Disneyland which, of course, contained Nemo (and Dory but she was shy and didn't photograph well)

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely brave go-getting friend who is such a good friend to both of us
• watery fun

 

 

 

 

 

Mardi Gras

I have to say - if I am brutally honest - I am glad not to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. We don't like huge crowds and that would certainly be a feature. Whilst it would be kind of fun to see the parades and floats and the carnival atmosphere, I know I would find it reasonably intimidating to be in huge crowds, and partying and drinking are not really our style. We do hope to visit New Orleans one day ... I have always wanted to go ever since my daddy told me about when he had visited when he was a young lad in the navy. He had a funny story to tell about it too. He was 17 and a long way from home. Like his older brother he had joined the Merchant Navy and was, at that point was caught up int he Battle of the Atlantic. He was walking along a street in New Orleans with some of his mates, having docked for 24 hours shore leave, when someone punched him int he back. He turned round to see his older brother Len. They happened to be int he same city at the same time - such a fluke.

Anyway I digress. It is carnival time in New Orleans and in so many other places across thew world as people celebrate Fat Tuesday, Shrive Tuesday, Pancake Day - whatever you choose to call it.

Our carnival here will include pancakes - the only day of the year we eat them - and some quiet reflection ready for the start of Lent tomorrow.

I know there is always a lot of talk about what people are giving up for Lent and, whilst I do usually give something up for Lent, I try and focus more on what I will DO for Lent. That might be a more spiritual focus of some sort for the 40 days.

However, in celebration of Mardi Gras and carnivals and masquerades I have a new page to share.

Made with

Masquerade bundle by Kathryn Estry andThe Bigger Picture templates by Miss Mel

 

This is the page I made

 

The photo is from one of the parades we saw last September in Disneyland.

 

Today I am thankful for

• our neighbour who worked for 5 hours with Nigel today to fix the floorboard problem we had. It was hard hard work and both he and Nigel struggled but all is well that ends well.
• Box sets - currently working through Ashes to Ashes again and loving it - so very very clever.

 

 

 

 

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Lovely quiet weekend

We have had a lovely quiet weekend - not doing much apart from some long walks int he freezing cold and a lot of scrapping.

I remember how weekends used to be frantic as we tried to cram everything in in those two precious days. I prefer our chilled weekends.

 

I have new scrapping to share - both paper and digital

I am all caught up on my weekly pages and this is week 4 ... I am loving doing these ... it's a bit like the photo a day that I would then scrap as weekly pages but without the stress of having to take a picture EVERY day. They are not elaborate pages but will just serve as a record for us of 2017. Of no interest to anyone but us really!

 

 and I have a new paper page to share made for a challenge on UKS to make a pocket page. It's a heck of a big stitched pocket to hold the Disneyland map!

 

 

 I had fun printing off the different elements from various scans and kits I had - recolouring where necessary.

 

I cannot believe we didn't get a new copy of the map as we exited the park - I am usually so good at that. The one I have had to use is one we carried round all day and is well loved. Still, I suppose it is authentic!

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely, un-rushed weekend
• time - don't ever knock it
• Some awesome new digital kits you will see int he next week or so that I have been working with

 

Fiki is currently experiencing a major Mommy crush ... he is just on me all the time. I love it!  (I think he is cold!)

 

 

Scrappy Sunday

Lovely scrappy day today and as well as making pages I also printed off a lot of word sheets to put in my new storage boxes.

These were £1.99 for three at Lidl and are quite large and very useful. I bought 6 of them to add to my craft storage.

 

 

and this was our fraps - love the version of his name! And obviously mine isn't a frap ts a green tea lemonade... he needs to speak more clearly me thinks.

 

 

and a random picture from the walk along the river

 

 

New scrapping to share for the WOW album - I have now filled the first album and am on to the second. It WAS a big trip

 

 

Radiator Springs Racers was by far our favourite page possibly in any theme park anywhere

 

I am glad I took a photo of the sign at the ride entrance as it worked well as a page title

 

 

 

 

The papers and embellishments are a mix of Bo Bunny, very old Basic Grey  and things printed from a digital kit about road trips by Fayette Designs .

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely day doing nothing special other than having a nice time

 

 

 

A Momentous Day

Today the president of one of the most powerful countries in the world changed. I do not pretend to understand politics in the USA. Goodness me - I don't pretend to understand them in my own country let alone another, but I did like Obama. I liked everything I saw and heard about him and about Michelle and I am sorry to see them leave.

 

I will refrain from any form of judgement on Trump. Who can possibly know what he will be like at this stage - but I don't warm to him like I did to Barak Obama. I know politics isn't about 'warming' to someone but as I said, I know nothing about politics. Nigel is sick of explaining Republican and Democrat to me. I think the bottom line is I don't really care about the politics.

 

Once again the inauguration is on Nigel's mother's birthday - she is an incredible 92 today.

 

We enjoyed a lovely walk along the beach - it was bitterly cold but beautiful and sunny and we have now completed all of our chores - the shopping is done, the house is clean, an amazing stirfry was enjoyed and we are good for the weekend. Funny though - every day is like the weekend now. I do so love it!

 

I have scrapping news today. Dawn Inskip is very proud and super excited to now be one of the 4 designers making up the M3 (Mixed Media Monthly) team at The Lilypad –  and her first add on packs went on sale today

 

 

 

and you can find them in her store here

 

This was what I made

 

 

It is also the last chance you have to snag the Pickle Barrel Six Packs.

 

This was the final one I worked with this month - This Year I will by Created By Jill

 

 

and if I do half of these things I will be proud ... picture was taken in November last year - I think it is the most recent one I have

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• another beautiful day
• being ready for the weekend
• a delicious stir fry - it was so yummy

 

and finally - some amazingly clever art to end with ... talented people with pieces of black card and famous landmarks and the like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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All shining brightly

Yesterday we bought a new light for the kitchen - maybe not quite the solution we wanted ... in an ideal world we would have liked downlighters set into the ceiling butt he thought of having the floor up in the spare room and en suite (above the kitchen) was not appealing ... and Nigel fitted it today and wow. Having lived with a single bulb pendant light for the past 21 years which means in several areas of the kitchen, including the sink, you are in your own light, this is so much better. In fact it is a little too bright for eating and we eat at the table in the kitchen most days and so Nigel is also going to fit a dimmer switch - good and bright for preparation and clear up, nice and subtle for eating.

In the past few days we have spruced up the kitchen a treat. Just everywhere else to do now. In fairness it is just paintwork to touch up so not too bad. The rest of the house was decorated to within an inch of its life over the past 7 years. 

I have new scrapping to share today made for a UKS challenge and using my bargain back of Bo Bunny I treated myself to.

 

 

The lovely map paper already has the wheel and the Diesel corner piece so it was perfect for the topic of Radiator Springs.

I slit the steering wheel so the picture slotted in underneath it (though I later covered that up so it was a little pointless). I used a bright yellow mount to pick up on the bright yellow pump and also mounted the journalling block and some of the embellishments on the same colour.

The big sign that forms the title was also a Bo Bunny piece but it had different writing int he middle so I covered it with a strip of white and then added cut out letters. On reflection I could have printed it but heck - you live and learn.

Most of the embellishments were from various digital kits that I printed out and cut out.

 

 

 

 

 

It was a fun page to complete.

 

I have also done a mess of digital scrapping as I have another photobook to make and am trying to complete the right number of pages before my pre-purchased credits run out.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely lunch by the lake
• a bright kitchen in every sense
• Kita being sick free again.

 

 

 

 

Brrrrr and wow

It was a glorious day today - so bright and sunny but Oh my goodness cold. However, when we stood int he sun you could feel the warmth of it. It just wasn't enough to take the freeze off.

We had to call in to Nigel's mom and so after we decided to go to Bournemouth Beech and ride their 'wheel'

 

Ok so it was not quite the London Eye. It was much smaller and much less beautiful but it was a cute ride and a very clear day. Jolly cold up there though

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we walked along the prom and it was heaving with people - I guess everyone was celebrating the Bank Holiday and the last day before work resumes ... well not the last day for us, obviously LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were also just taking down the huge Hannukiah too

 

 

we were so cold we had to stop for lunch to warm up!

 

I scrapped the last Scrap Like You mean it re-boot today too

It is another page for the WOW album - well actually the second WOW album as I have filled the first.

 

 

 

We loved this statue at California Adventures ... the perfect parallel to Partners

 

 

I found some very old letters that perfectly matched the metal of the statue so I was quite pleased with that.

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely treat out - something different. I am trying to do something new each week so that is this week done!

 

 

It's Christmas

Wonderful day today. Long long lunch with old friends (old as in we have known them for years not old as in past it!) The six of us laughed and laughed, the food was delicious, the bubbly gorgeous and the company fabulous. Such a nice day

We also put our tree up and Fiki was at it as soon as he was allowed back int eh room. Mmmm - doesn't bode well for the longevity of the tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside lights and tree too and an oddly bright blue sky!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orinoco found the room we laughingly call the gym - it has a bike, a rowing machine and an abs thingy and I am surprised he could find them under the dust - they haven't been getting a lot of love!

 

He was lifting liquorice allsort weights!

 

 

Today I have a page to share I made a while ago but never shared on here

 

 

It was a challenge to scrap something unforgettable - the gift of having VIP seating for World of Colour was unforgettable and we were so grateful to the cast member Katie

 

 

 

 

She was such a lovely girl and it was such a special thing she did

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely time with friends
• Christmas trees
•  lights at Christmas
• Fiki - but I won't be if he has my tree down

 

 

 

 

 

Well that was interesting

Picture the scenario - a two cat household.

One cat repeatedly being sick.

Vet visit and traumatic blood test and then the instruction every owner dreads ... we need a urine sample please.

Now maybe dogs are easier but a cat won't wee when watched and so you have the lovely non absorbent litter and have to wait and then syphon it up.

2 cat household remember.

2 cats who will NOT be separated!

 

So Kira was confined to the kitchen with non absorbent and the tiny litter tray and Fiki has the run of the rest of the house and the litter tray we normally use in our downstairs loo (nowhere else we could put it)

She threw up her breakfast as soon as she ate it so I kept popping down to feed her tiny portions of fresh chicken and asking her nicely to please go for a wee. The pair of them spent the entire morning on each side of the kitchen door howling! I swear you would have thought I had beaten them! Howling like mad. 

 

Nigel came home at lunchtime and I swear as soon as he walked int he door she went and performed for her Daddy. And he hadn't had to endure an entire morning of howling.

 

The good news is the vet called and said the bloods showed that her white blood count was up but they drilled down deeper than that and it seems it may be parasite related. My cats have never had fleas in 14 years (probably as they are indoor cats and no contact with others) so it is possible it is worms (unusual as again they are indoor cats) but we have now wormed them and they are assessing the urine for protein which will then indicate kidneys or not and we will take it from there.

 

Let's hope it is worms and we can deal with it - however I fear it may not be. We also have to go back for another blood test as the lab didn't test for thyroid issues. Deep joy.

I just hate it when they are not well. They cannot tell you what is wrong. It's horrible.

 

I have a new page to share today, made amidst the howling, which was kind of fun and using complimentary colours.

 

 

It is very dimensional in real life with lots of the printed elements on foam pads.

 

I even dug out my old lettering delights to do the title

 

I had fun finding and printing out the little bits and pieces last week. I have been going to do this page for ages. .

 

 

I also have news of a bargain in Dawn's store Baked Goodies Collection full of awesomeness

 

 

 

and this was my page - it did make me giggle

 

 

Today I am

• still thankful for vets
• thankful for non absorbing litter ... I think

 

 

 

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