A little bit of manipulation

and no that doesn't mean me manipulating J! I actually mean digital enhancement :) John helping with the shelter building at Euan's 9th birthday.
I have been having some fun on the computer tonight in otherwords wasting time farting about. I have found this great site on one of my favourite blogs. Link to http://www.picnik.com/ and you can upload your photos and play about with all sorts of actions. I am a real newcomer to all this digital enhancing game. I had my first lesson on photoshop a few weeks back and I think I could be hooked! This is definitely a quick and easy way to sharpen up your photos without having to know what you are doing. The peonie above is the same picture as the post below but wow what a difference. J had a 60's effect added to his and I quite like the outcome. He will be home from Washington tomorrow which will be nice, as long as he isn't grumpy and jet lagged! Right my neck is pulling and I feel absolutely knackered so I think for once I might listen to my body and head off to bed.

A new haircut has inspired me to blog, no only joking just thought it really was time to get back on the blog!

Boy it has been a long time since I updated. Lots has happened while I have been away. Firstly we have finally heard that we are on the move! we are heading off to the Falkland Islands in January 2010 for 18 months. Many might be surprised to hear that I am really excited about this move. The kids and I went down to the Falklands when J was there for four months a few years ago and we loved it, yes it is remote, yes there is not much down there and yes it is a very long way from home but we are really looking forward to the family time it will bring us. I will have to adjust to J being home every night and possibly every lunch time :) but the chances to see wildlife and step away from the hussle and bussle of life will be super.

A photo for Hilary to show her my letters that I have in my hall, Hilary something like this even just with initials on your wall would look good. These are about 15 inches high and are all old shop letters except the S which I made myself.

Right what else have I been up to. Well lots of scrapbooking, quite a few orders, gardening, caring for my 95 year old Gran and a few other bits and pieces. My Mum broke her ankle while she was on holiday in Turkey unfortunately, but is making a good recovery. In the meantime I have stepped into the breach and have been doing the shopping and cleaning for my gran. We have had some fun taking her out for day trips with the kids. It has been a good opportunity for me to get to know her better since I think time is very precious at the moment.

A few layouts to show from last month.

My boy has just turned 9, I cannot believe it. He had a lovely party in the local Forest School. He had fun learning how to make shelters, build fires and track. As usual there was the cake request from said birthday child. I swear these get harder every year. This year Euan wanted a clone Troopers helmet and the language which came out of the kitchen was rather colourful by the end! The next morning I asked Euan if he liked it and he said he did, I checked it out and found he had already been sampling it around the bottom! Ah well I guess he was the birthday boy!

Right I had better skidaddle and go and pick up my children from school. Tesco awaits and then Brownies tonight. J is lucky enough to be in Washington this week, working he says - yeah right I say. It was good timing because my engine on the scenic gave way last week and is rather poorly in the garage at the moment. I have been told to expect a £1,000 bill so we shall see. It only needed to hold on a few more months and we could get our tax free car ahhhhhh!

A MIXED BAG!

WARNING this post is photo heavy and off a scrapbook nature so look away if you are not into paper!

Firstly we had lots of fun the other week when the kids had a few days of school because of the lovely white stuff. We headed out into the field opposite with some friends to build ourselves a snowman. Well anatomically speaking it was a snow woman with perfectly formed bosoms. It brought a smile to lots of peoples faces as they drove by and realised it was slightly more special than the usual snowman at the side of the road.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be the same for all people. We went to bed with an intact snowlady only to wake up to find it completely smashed up. Our lady had been assaulted! Ah I keep forgetting I am no longer living on an Airbase but a small sometimes small minded village. It would seem our lady caused offense! Well nothing new here then, me causing a rucas in the village again :)

Last week Ness and I got together to make some cakes for her boys 6th birthday and for J's 30 something birthday. The boys were having an outdoor forest party and for J a rugby ball was called for. I did contemplate putting English colours on it but thought my marriage might not survive if I did!

I have decided that I might start doing cakes for local people if requested. A lot of people ask me if I make them and I usually decline but I could desperately do with making a bit of dosh at the moment as the marketing is rather quiet and difficult. I am in the process of looking into food hygiene and see where that takes me. So if you are in the Wiltshire area and would like a novel birthday cake give me a call!

Next up is cookery club. Three girls and myself started this last month. We get together once a month to cook together. The idea is that we take turns in picking recipes we would like to do - are scared of doing! and then cook them together. This month is was noodles for starters and then lemon curd sponge puddings for desert. I forgot to take a picture of the pudding but they were both fantastic dishes. In March we have a pasta dish on the menu with possibly Key Lime Pie for desert. Anyone have a good recipe for either?

Felt Hearts was also in order the other night in front of the tv. I have been wanting to make one of these for a while now but just never seemed to get the time. Sod it I thought the other night and got out my mess and started creating. I was rather pleased with the result so made another to give to a friend as a thank you as she had given me a rather nice cupcake book.

Well that is about it for the news front. Here follows the scrapbook weight. I have still been trying to get caught up with the girls 2008 books. Only around another 40 pictures to go :0

Jessica Spraque is offering a great giveaway Thursday through Friday for a chance to win a place on her Digital Course. You have to post your favourite picture and explain why - mine is above I so love the look of fun and carefree play in my kids faces with these pictures. I had such fun just shooting photo after photo that day.

Be back soon with some more photos from half term love to all Helen

Scrapbooking and furniture

Over the last month I am slowly making in roads in getting caught up with things. Well I say caught up but really I mean actually just starting to attempt to catch up. Scrapbooking is one of the things i really enjoy but unfortunately it is one of those that always takes a back burner when life gets busy. I have recently been trying to get the kids 2008 albums up to date. Euan's is the first to be completed, I only have December and this January to go and 2008 is all done. I have printed Maddie's pictures and Ellie's are picked just not printed! A few layouts below that were completed last month.

Legoland
Hill Walking with J

New Teeth

One of my favourite pictures of last year these were taken at Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust in their Wellyboot Land, it was such a gorgeous day.

Euan's Birthday and his go carting party.

A very tired looking Mum and Euan

A night of Bat Watching with a bit of Deer spotting at the local farm.

School Play

I finally persuaded John that I needed a bookcase in what was meant to be the snug. Um Yes sorry love I have finally taken it over as my workroom :) Fantastic Ikea but boy can it hold some stuff. I have moved all my craft books out of the Livingroom bookcase now and have a place to put all my scrapbooks. I spent the day a few weekends ago, building the bookcase and clearing the room. Walls were retouched, skirtings washed and three bags sent to the rubbish. Gosh it felt good. I had a real purge to see what I had and what I really didn't need. I would still like to get rid of the basket on the floor but it holds all my wrapping paper, bags and puffy envelopes et cetera.

I can finally see my desk! Still a few boxes stacked underneath but I am working on them. I will take a photo of the computer area soon, I have put a few shelves up there now. What I want to do now is start to bring out and make some crafty bits to put into the space. I still have a mosaic that I started when I was pregnant with Maddie and have yet to finish. Poor John you don't stand a chance.

Right I am going to head back to bed. Not sleeping well at the moment. I think the kids might have a snow day off school today. As I type the snowplow is passing by and it is still snowing YEAHHHHH!!!!

Love to all Hx

Just before I go a before and after picture of Ellie's desk that I picked up from a friend for £20. It is very red but I love it and so does Ellie which is great. I just need to sort out a chair for her now and she will have somewhere to sit and draw.

work in progress


Finished.

It looked really nice and clear but then Ellie got home and added her bits and pieces, she is definitely the queen of tat!

Bedroom Makeover

Can't you always tell it is about time to move house when I am just about finished decorating all the rooms? I only have the hall left in this house and I have been through and decorated each room at least once!

Last week was spent making new pillow covers for my bed. I decorated the room with the help of a friend back at the beginning of September but hadn't really moved on from there. John wasn't sure about the grey on the walls when I did a test patch, I believe his quote was "it looks like the F...ing inside of a tank" to be precise. I knew that it would be really quite warm and restful and I should really learn not to put colours up on the wall and expect him to understand what I want to do with them! Still bless him he said I could go ahead but if he hated it I would have to repaint. Umm yes okay love :) The colour is a Little Green paint which I absolutely love to use on the walls as it covers really well and doesn't drip everywhere.

Next I repainted my £15 cupboard find which we have had since Leeming. If you remember it was once a really warm cream colour with a toffee coloured fabric behind the wire. Not to self next time remove wire to begin with before trying to repaint with satin finish as I got myself into a big mess. The fabric behind the wire is a Cath Kidston print, I think it is called faded rose or something like that. I also put up to metal hook racks to hang all my jewellry on as I was getting fed up of tangled necklaces.

Curtains were next.Well about five months later. I painted the pine curtain pole white which was a bitch of a job. The curtains are made out of a Cath Kidston duvet cover and some brushed heavier weight white cotton. I have interlined them as our bedroom is north facing and gets quite cold. In theory the curtains are great but unfortunately Fergus's favourite spot is to lie up against them and the radiator. My lovely white curtains now have a ginger fuzz all across the bottom!

Fed up with digging around in drawers and bags for makeup and cream, I found a lovely grey wire cake stand in a local shop I love, Old Mother Hubbard in Nailsworth. Although everything is on display and some might think it messy, I absolutely love it as everything is to hand instantly.

I plan to put a picture wall up behind the bed head of black and white pictures. I have been slowly collecting frames and I just need to get around to picking or taking pictures to go in them.

Grey Spot Pillow made of wool and the white brushed cotton of the curtains.

Cath Kidston print pillow with pink pearl buttons.

Pink Fleece Spot cushion rejigged from a blanket from Asda Home.

Patchwork Pillow from a mix of all the above fabrics.

Small heart pillow from the white brushed cotton and the grey wool fabric.

I still have a rocking chair I wish to repaint white to go in the bedroom. I have made two other pillows out of a fushia pink fleece and also left over grey spot from the duvet.

I would love to get built in wardrobes in this room along with new bedside tables. The MFI furniture we bought when we moved in was a really bad buy.

So there you have it. I have been active the last month. I have rejigged my office which I will show you soon and I have also been doing a lot of scrapbooking and other sewing.

Hope all are well that read this and I shall TRY to update again soon.