I've Started so I'll Finish.....

Eventually!

I seem to start with all good intentions and then time passes by too quickly and things get brushed to one side, do I stress about it?  Never, what's the point?  Along will come a rainy day and those half finished projects will be picked up and a little bit added to them, some might even get finished and they are always something to plan and think about during long days in the office.

So this week I started photographing lots more of my day after I saw the Ali Edwards Week In My Life.

I noted the time I left for work:

Alfie checked that the coast was clear and it was safe for me to leave the house:

The view of my overgrown garden from the front door:

The walk to the bus stop:

Arrival at work:

So that was my Monday taken care of.  I did take some on Tuesday and then I forgot to take any more, maybe I'll just do a day in my life every Monday :)

I thought I'd show you a layout I did at the weekend, Maddie's 9th birthday.......8 years ago!

It wasn't until after I'd uploaded the picture that I realised it looks like I've put a carrot in the top left hand corner!

I love this picture of her on the bouncy castle.

I'm off work until Monday afternoon and I have some great plans.  Tomorrow I'm going the the Vintage Festival on Southbank and then I'm off to see Paul for the weekend, it's been too long since my last visit.

Have a fabby weekend and don't stress about those works in progress you might have lying around.
Jo xx

Catching Up

This morning I finally had a bit of time to craft and I caught up....a bit....on the Explore class.  I made my playbook:

I managed to get my favourite things on the cover...cherries :)

So after a little bit of crafting I headed over to my mum's for a BBQ to celebrate my nephew George's 2nd birthday:

He is such a cutie but, how about this for a cheesy grin:

Beautiful Bella, my niece.

Now I found out this week that I had received this:

from Gemma and I am honoured and delighted to accept it.  I now have to share 7 facts about me, it was hard though just to narrow it down to 7! :)

1. I have only one phobia, I hate receiving post!
2. When I was younger I trained with the Olympic swimming team and had coaching from Duncan Goodhew.
3. I love to make people laugh and would really like to write a book or a sitcom.
4. I have an IQ of 197 but I can't spell :)
5. I love a dare...saying no more :)
6. I love the rain, I love watching it, walking in it and listening to it.
7. Even with my rotund (yes I know it's shrinking) frame I can do the splits and get my feet behind my head :)

Now to pass the award on and these are all lovely ladies with great blogs:
Alison at Life in the Slow Lane
Sandra at I Love....All Things Pretty
Lynn at Crafty Pin Pin's Corner
Winnie at Winnitude
Ali at An Altered Life
Fiona at Staring at the Sea
Michelle at Scraps of Me

Now I'm off to scrap and watch TV.  I was meant to mow the lawn today, which is a foot high, but as I've burnt out the motors of two mowers and my mum's is locked in a shed with a missing key I'm taking it as a sign to just let the grass grow :)

Have a great weekend
Jo xx

Explore

Well, I've signed up for another Shimelle class.  I always do because they are fun, good value for money, with no pressure and you can keep going back to the forum for reference.  All the class notes in one place is good for me because I can be one for putting something somewhere safe and never finding it again :)

The class is called Explore and, although I haven't had time to fully read the prompts, I knew there was a self portrait involved.  So, I woke up this morning and thought I would take said portrait.  Yes I know, stupid time of the day to do it when I'm trying to get Maddie out of the door for school and me out of the door for work but I thought it's the one time of the day when my make up is on and my hair is brushed and not being torn out of me head as it can be during the day when I'm dealing with, shall we say, awkward clients :)

So here's the first attempt:

Now I thought the picture of me was ok but then I noticed how dirty the mirror was.  So with the dog jumping up and getting excited and Maddie complaining we were going to be late I did the only thing I thought necessary at the time.........I cleaned the mirror:

Much better I think.  I shall read the rest of the prompts tonight and see what else I can do, I hope none of the other prompts will involve me doing housework!

I also have a layout to share.  I did this at the weekend for the House Challenge on UKScrappers.  We had to use a sketch and a juddery or not too good a photo:

Now I love this photo of Maddie, I love the look on her face and her bunches but I'd always dismissed it as "no good for scrapping" because of the awful shadowing on it.  I'm so pleased this challenge came up and I knew immediately the photo I would use.

She was sitting on the back of a horse and cart that travels between Brewers Quay and Weymouth and she thought it was great.  I used the papers and embellishments from this months Gotta Craft kit, absolutely gorgeous.

Right, off to do dinner and read my prompts.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

Busy Doing.......Nothing!

I can't believe that it been two weeks since I last blogged! Unfortunately I can't even put it down to being a social butterfly and having lots on because, when I look back, I haven't really done anything.  Time just seems to be flying by so quickly and I'm really not a fan of that :)

I did do something yesterday, I went to visit an old friend, a very dear old friend and we had such laughs.  Catching up over coffee with her and another old friend was a great way to spend the day.  I did a layout of the three of us ages ago using a photo taken back in our youth, seems like only yesterday.

Today I had a fun, crafty day and came up with this layout for the weekly challenge over on UKScrappers.  The challenge was: something old, I used the flowers, something new, the papers were new from the Sarah's Cards kit I got yesterday, something borrowed, I used the sketch from page 103 of the Page Maps book and something blue, the paper.

I love this picture of me and Maddie taken at the foot of Portland Bill in June 2002.

Every day, even though she's 17 now, she'll come and give me a cuddle and tell me I'm her best friend and I really couldn't ask for anything more.

Typing this post has made me realise just how much I've missed blogging and I definitely won't be leaving it so long next time.

Hope you've had a good weekend.
Jo x

A Challenge

This week is my turn to set the weekly challenge over on UKScrappers.  If you want to have a go then here is what you need to do:

As it's Independence Day, in honour of our American friends I would like you to scrap one photo of one thing....animal, mineral, vegetable or person!

Children are getting ready for the long summer holidays, everyone seems to be planning days out and it's such a busy month I feel like I'm going round in circles so I would like to see some circles on your layout.

I sit at my desks all day drawing sketches and patterns when I should really be working so I would like you do include some doodling on your layout.

Finally I love a bit of stash busting so let's see some eyelets or brads on your layout.

Here is the layout I did:

Maddie in the garden just before her 4th birthday.  I thought the papers from the Sarah's Cards kit were perfect.

Let me know if you have a go so I can see what you've come up with.

Today I am off to spend the day in Windsor with Paul and I can't wait.

Happy Monday
Jo xx

Another Busy Week

This week has gone so quickly and I think that's because it's been so busy.

It was Maddie's 17th Birthday on Thursday.

The only picture she let me take on the morning of her birthday!  In the evening we went to my brother's house for a BBQ, it was a great night.

My sister Jess decided to have her picture taken with everyone, here she is with my brother Jon.

With my nephew Egg (I shall tell you the story about his name another time!)

With the birthday girl.

With my sister Jemma, highlighting her large chin, and my nephew Archie.

She didn't manage to get into this picture of my mum and nephew Jack.

We had such a fun night and I really have to thank Jon and his wife Lisa for a really great night.

Now a layout to show you.

One of my favourite photos of Maddie at Chesil Beach.

Today I'm going to meet up with some friends from my Tour Managing days.  We're having lunch in Wimbledon Village.  Sunday I'll be back at Wimbledon because Paul's bringing a coach party down for the tennis and then on Monday I'm spending the day in Windsor with him.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend.
Jo xx