It's a blue day ...

... I've been tagged! Val, my friend and fellow Sue Cummings CT member, tagged me with the challenge of creating a blue layout. Now for some this may have seemed a little daunting, but for me it was simple. Straight away I knew what I wanted my LO theme to be ... a dedication to my beloved Blues ... aka Chelsea FC!!!

click here for credits

Here you go Val, hope you like it! Thanks for the challenge.

Tuesday Tedium ...

... I think Tuesday is my least favourite day of the week. It's just a kinda "nothing" day ... nothing new, nothing exciting ... just nothing! I know I shouldn't wish the time away, but roll on Friday. It's a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK and I can't wait! I haven't scrapped in over a week and I'm starting to get withdrawal symptoms. I've got a couple of kits from Sue Cummings that I've downloaded and are just waiting for me to get creative with, I'm gonna lock myself away and scrap to my heart's content. Sheer bliss!!!

Sunday Stroll (down memory lane) ...

... At 9:06pm last night, my mobile rang. It was the call I'd be anticipating all day. The next 2hrs 45mins were spent chatting, reminiscing, laughing and even crying, as Teressa & I caught up on over 20 years worth of memories!

We'd both been 11 when we were enrolled at Our Lady's Convent High School boarding school in Alnwick. That was back in 1982. We came instant best friends. We were inseparable ... I was Teressa's shadow and everywhere she went, I went. We slept in the same room (at times), we sat at the same table during meal times, we walked to & from school together, we studied together, we even got suspended from school together!!!

In 1987, Teressa (& the rest of the "gang") left school to go out into the big wide world of college, university & work. I stayed on at school for a further 2 years, completing 6th Form. We promised each other we'd stay in touch, we'd write (before the days of instant emails), we'd call (before the days of mobile phones), we'd visit each other (before the days we could drive) ... we'd do all we could to stay in touch. How then, did we lose touch?

Since leaving school, our lives have gone in different directions but there are still some spooky similarities. We both applied to join the RAF (Teressa joined up ... I wimped out). We both met our future husbands whilst they served with the military. We both got married. We both drive silver coloured cars. We both worked in customer service. We both got made redundant recently. We both LOVE card making & scrapbooking!

There are some striking differences too. The biggest being that Teressa is a mum!!! She has two beautiful girls who are as cute as buttons. She's so grateful to be a mum ... she's battled through some pretty intense situations in her life, but she's come through them all, stronger and more determined than ever to enjoy life.

The call ended just before midnight, but I didn't sleep very well last night. I was like a little girl again at Christmas time ... so excited, my mind still buzzing from everything we'd said and thinking of all the things still to say. We've exchanged mobile numbers, email addresses, Skpe & Facebook names. With all these methods of communication at our fingertips, we have absolutely NO EXCUSES for not staying in touch.

I found this photo of us together, wearing our lovely navy blue A-line skirts and white knee high socks. I'd taped the photo into an old exercise book and written a note on the page to say who, when and where. I carefully removed the tape (as anyone who scrapbooks will know, Sellotape is evil!!!) in order to scan the photo. Imagine my surprise then when I turned the photo over ...

Thank you Teressa for being my best friend at school and for being my friend again now.

Friday Frenzy ...

... OMGosh I've just found by BEST FRIEND from school on Facebook!!! I've been registered on Friends Reunited since 2000 / 2001 in the hope of find Teressa, but with no luck. Then a friend of mine badgered me into signing up on Facebook, which I did, but didn't really get to grips with, so I de-activated my account. Then, last week I heard that my old school was having a reunion, but it was too short notice for me to get there ... BUT ... I logged back onto Facebook to check out the photos that were posted [following the reunion] and there she was ... Teressa Woodhead (nee Maudling) staring back at me and better still, getting in touch!!!

Ain't technology grand?

Another Quickie ...

... Forgot to mention this earlier in the week, but Sue Cummings has released some new goodies over at oscraps. I haven't downloaded them yet, but plan to at the weekend ... then I gonna have me some well deserved scrapping time. Click on the images for full details.

Hope everyone's having a FAB week ... any plans for the weekend yet?

Sunny Sunday ...

... summer has returned, albeit probably only for a day or two! It's a beautiful sunny day here, but have I taken advantage? Have I heck!!! For starters, I was way behind on my CT commitments, so I decided this morning to buck up my ideas and actually get some scrapping done! What do you think?

click here for credits

click here for credits

The other reason of course is that yesterday saw the start of the new football season ... yippee! Chelsea's opening match was against Hull City and although it wasn't a push-over, Chelsea won 2-1 in the end. Come on you blues!!!

Friday Frolics ...

... Just wanted to stop by and say "hi" to everyone. I've had a great first week back at work! The team I'm working with are so sweet and they've made me feel right at home. There are definitely going to be challenges ahead, but that's what I'm looking forward to. How's your week been?

I'm hoping to get some scrapping done this weekend ... so I'll pop back later to update you all! In the mean time, hope you all have a fabulous weekend, wherever you are!!!

Wednesday Wander ...

... Things are going well on the new job front! Getting back into the "9-5" routine is taking a little while and by the time I get home from work, I'm too tired to do anything else at the moment, so scrapping & blogging are taking a bit of a back-seat. I'm hoping to get "creative" again at the weekend because Sue Cummings has released some new goodies at oscraps!

click here for details

click here for details

Aren't they gorgeous!!!

Here we go ...

... the start of a new week and the start of a new job! Woo-hoo ... wish me luck.

It's a blue day ...

... COME ON CHELSEA!!! The FA Community Shield belongs to Chelsea (again). The score was Chelsea 2-2 Manchester Utd at full time, but Chelsea won on penalties!!!

Sunday Startle ...

... Where does the time go? Seriously, the days, weeks, months and years are just flying by. Somebody once told me that time appears to go faster the older you get, and I think they were right. The reason for my thought is simple ... you see today is my 16th wedding anniversary! Yeah for Iain and me. Still love ya babe!!!

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Oh and another thing, the football season has kicked off again ... yippee! The Premiere League doesn't get under way until next Saturday, but today sees my beloved Chelsea take on Manchester Utd in the FA Community Shield match ... COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Saturday Sashay ...

... this is gonna be a real quick post from me today. I just wanted to show you a couple of LO's created for challenges going on over at oscraps.

This LO is for the Members Spotlight Challenge which this week features my friend and amazing scrapper, Ona (known in the forum / galleries as wombat146). Here's my "lift" of her fabulous "Wonder and Delight 2" LO.

click here for credits

The LO below is for the O'Stash Recipe Challenge. The recipe this month requires the use of at least 50% "negative space", a solid colour background, a photo action, multiple flowers, a ribbon and a round cropped photo! Phew, that's quite a lot to fit into 1 LO!!!

click here for credits

OK so that's all from me for today. Hope you're all having a great weekend, wherever you are!!!

It's London Baby ...

... Yeah!!! Despite the constant light drizzle, yesterdays trip to London was great. We were total tourists ... visiting loads of famous landmarks and taking LOADS of photos (200+!!!). Here are just a few of my favourites:




This was taken just after getting off our "flight" on the London Eye and show Deborah, Bob & Iain posing in front of the Palace of Westminster (aka the Houses of Parliament).


View of Buckingham Palace taken from The Mall.


Guarding Liz ... er, excuse me ... guarding Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.


Dali sculpture outside the London Sea-Life Aquarium.

This last photo was taken at Ella's Bakehouse in Covent Garden Market ... just look at all the yummy cupcakes ... I was in heaven!!!

Marvellous Monday ...

... yeah, I got the job!!!

Monday Moan ...

... still waiting for news about the job ... arrrrggghhhh!!!

Whilst I'm waiting, I've decided to be a "tourist" and I'm off to Oxford (today) & London (tomorrow). So I'll catch you all later. Have a fun Monday wherever you are!!!