Back to college tomorrow

I am looking forward to starting the new subjects, but it'll be so hard going back after 2 weeks off. Mind you, only for a week then it's half term!

Had my hair and make up trial on Friday - may get round to uploading photos once I'm on the laptop.

Made an owl themed mini book over the weekend to record my obsession! Loved making it, and its so cute. Inspired by an Anita Mundt project from an old SI mag, and made with Sizzix Bigz frames and Hambly overlays, Sassafrass Lass Owl stamps, and photos. Haven't taken any photos of it yet, but hope to soon.

So pleased that I subscribed to the Red Velvet Art kit club - this months is soooo great! Can't wait for it to arrive, although it'll be at least a week. Hopefully will get here in time for half term.

Ikea extravaganza

We went to Ikea yesterday - only took about an hour each way, but boy was I exhausted last night! Had thought about giving blood for the first time yesterday, but good job I didn't cos I think it would have finished me off!

John's Mum spotted this cake stand and cover there, so I just had to have that for the wedding reception. Its so pretty! Only £9.99 too. We bought loads off stuff - plates, serving dishes, tealight holders, vases, mirors, etc etc. Took an age to go round, and completly wore me out, but so worth it. Even got a few things for my craft space, and a floor lamp for MIL (John was feeling generous and paid for those too). Got to the till expecting it to all come to £200+ (we filled 2 trolleys and they were REALLY heavy) but it was actually only about £116! Bargain.

Think the wedding is going to be perfect. Looked round the church and its hall again on Tuesday evening. John had the biggest grin on his face the whole time. He said to me later that the only thing that matters to him is that I'm there. So sweet! It means so much to me that he's so looking forward to it, as over the years it was always me that wanted to get married, and he's have been happy to just live together.

Today it is 10 years since my Nanny died. I've felt so sad this week. It breaks my heart that she won't be at my wedding, but worse than that is the fact that she never got to meet my children, and they never got to meet one of the most imortant people in my life. I'm trying to work on a LO to put down everyhing I can remember about her.

Craft group tonight. First one in ages.

I'm still alive - honest!

Just been busy the past few weeks.

Finished my essays and got them in. Don't think my Contract Law exam went well - fire alarm went off after a few minutes, and my mind went blank. At the moment my average mark is 70% - just scraping a Distinction (70%+) so not sure how these last lot of assessments will affect that.

Picked up my shoes. I LOVE them soooo much. Have to practice walking in them though as they're so high. Off to look at the church hall tonight, and to Ikea tomorrow to get plates, vases, tea light holders, cutlery, cake stands etc.

Its our teams challenge on UKScrappers this week. Been trying really hard to comment on as many LOs as possible, as I've done challenges in the past and had NO comments from the team who set it. I don't scrap for the comments, I scrap for me, but it put me off doing challenges, and posting any LOs I did do into online galleries.

I'm an aunty!

John's sister Grace had a beautiful baby boy on Friday at about 11pm. He's gorgeous but huge - weighed in at 9 lb 8 oz. So the past few days have been constant driving for me to and from the hospital in Worcester, John's mum's and Grace's flat. I'm exhausted! Just got back from dropping off John and his Mum at the hosp. and given the kids their tea. Not sure when John'll be home. Oh well, maybe I'll be able to watch Casualty in peace!

I bought a tiara at long last yesterday. It's stunning. Quite a classic style - very Audrey Hepburn, thought it'd cost a fortune, but was only £55, so I was very pleased. Hair and make-up trial is booked for 1st Feb - can't wait. Fairly sure I've made up my mind how to have it. I think.

And I got a new lens - its a Sigma 70-300mm and is great for outdoor shots of the kids at a distance. Took some photos of the snow on the hills from the back garden, and of the floods at Worcester. Think I do need a tripod now though. Also a portrait lens - Canon 50mm f/1.8 is the one I've got my eye on.

Beautiful shoes and SI news (ooh that rhymes!)

How gorgeous are these shoes?! As soon as I saw them on the Benjamin Adams website I knew I had to have them for my wedding. I know they are obscenely expensive on my student budget at £200 but unlike a lot of wedding shoes I'll be able to wear them again afterwards, so its an investment. And they are soooo beautiful. They should arrive at the shop early next week - can't wait! As they didn't have any in the shop for me to try for size, he instead let me try on another pair of BA shoes - but those cost £400! They were lovely but I prefer the ones I'm getting.
On to Scrapbook Inspirations news - my LO is in there! Was terrified it wouldn't be, so when it arrived yesterday as I was on my way out i tore open the envelope and desperately flicked through til I found it. Later at college while I ate my lunch (Philadelphia and breadstick thing - I'm on a diet and its killing me!!! All my freinds keep eating at McDonalds and I'm craving French Fries) I had a more thorough look through, and on the Inspirations for February page, they've got my photo used in the LO as the no.1 thing to photograph this month - how cool is that!!

I'm very poorly sick today. This cold/cough thing is really getting me down. Struggled through yesterday having coughing fits, but am coughing stuff up today (sorry TMI!) so thought I'd better stay away(it has nothing to do with the fact that the latest Got Paint class is up. Thats just a happy coincidence).

Goodbye 2007

A pretty picture of Pilch to see out the year - one of the highlights of the year was getting my DSLR camera - and to date I've taken nearly 400 photos with it. Not bad since I've had it less than 2 weeks!

This has been a good year for me. Starting college went better than I could have possibly imagined. Getting engaged and starting planning our wedding was a definite highlight of the year. A lot of the people I care about had a terrible time though - relationships breaking down, and some really terrible things I can't even begin to talk about. My wish for 2008 is that everyone has a year to remember for only good reasons.

I've signed up to Got Paint? - Emily Falconbridge's class on BPS. Can't wait. I'm totally in awe of her amazing work - hope some of her talent wears off on me.

Had my first lot of photos for the new camera arrive today - the colours are amazing! You really don't get the full affect on the computer screen. Hope my mojo hurries back as their are some beautiful ones I'm desperate to scrap. Might even have to resort to looking for sketches on challenge blogs which I normally avoid. I always feel like it's not 100% my own work, but it seems to work for other people, so may give it a try. any suggestions as to blogs to try would be gratefully received.

Happy New Year!

A good Christmas

Except that I was ill for the second Christmas running. Must start those Vitamins! Ruth and Alex were really good, and loved all their presents - favourites were Alex's bike (photo is his face when he realised what was under the blanket Father Christmas had used to wrap it), his personal DVD player (which didn't work so yesterday we had to brave the sales and take it back and buy a new - twice the price! replacement), their (very cheap) MP3 players which they listen to constantly, and Ruth's Hannah Montana stuff and Momiji doll - she is obsessed with Japan.

I was lucky enough to get the Crumpler camera bag I'd asked Santa for, and the Olivia and Friends stamps - so I now have all 3 sets.

John enjoyed Christmas as well even though he was ill too.

On Boxing Day we took Alex for his first ride on his new bike. It is a little big for him yet but he did really well, and obviously loves having a big boys bike. Both kids said it was the 'Best Christmas EVER!', so was all worth while. Tommorrow we are taking them to Cribbs Causeway so they can spend their Christmas money. Ruth's desperate to get a Hello Kitty from the Build a Bear Workshop, (more Japanese influence).

Was very bad and seduced by the sales in the UKS sponsers shops - only spent about £15 including postage, but its money I don't have til I'm back at college when I get my next installment of Student finance.