Help For Heroes

DH & I are hosting a small shindig tomorrow afternoon to celebrate this age milestone of mine and instead of people buying a present I asked them to make a donation to Help For Heroes. Of course, they are under no obligation whatsoever to mark my birthday in any way.
If you would like to make a donation to the “Help For Heroes Fund”, here’s how to do it:
Via their website: www.helpforheroes.org.uk and follow the links to make a secure online donation.
By cheque (payable to Help For Heroes) and send to: Help For Heroes, Unit 6, Aspire Business Centre, Ordnance Road, Tidworth, Hampshire, SP9 7QD.
At any branch of Lloyds TSB: Sort Code 30-90-21, Account Number 03524452.
Many thanks in advance and a BIG thank you to those of you who have already made a donation.
An extra thank you to Nana Flo for finding out the info!!

A Lucky Girl

I though you might like to see the beautiful present I received from my DH. Bit of a worry to see how dark the hairs are on my arm when photographed using the Macro setting!

My Life Began Today...

Today is my birthday and I am 40!!! I'm supposed to be the baby in the family so how can I be 40??? Perhaps not unsurprisingly, I don't feel any different to yesterday when I was 39 - except that today I am now the owner of a very smart new watch and the Postie brought a fab load of stash in the UKS Birthday Swap and 2 gorgeous mini-books made by my fabulously talented sister. Bit miffed when just 2 cards came in the post though...there's no pleasing some people, is there?
I took the dog for his evening walk - it was drizzling and there was no-one else, man or dog, to be seen on the Common. The dog had a great time exploring the newly cut grass and I had a great time singing out loud along with my NanoPod. I didn't have to care that I might be out of tune because there was no-one else to hear me and the dog didn't seem to mind!!!!
A good day.

New Shoes

I had a real "Mummy Moment" today because we took DS to get his first pair of proper shoes ... tiny size 5F T-Bar shoes from StartRite in blue suede ... so cute!!

Scrap Your Day - May DLO

I've been organised this month & the DLO for May is done and here it is.

Scrap Your Day

It's that time again - 25th of the month - so time to get snapping away at the minutiae of life. We has quite heavy rain this morning but luckily by the time I was ready to take DS and the dog out, we'd got to a dry spell. I did have one small moment of panic when the card full message came up on the camera but we're all sorted now. DS is having a nap, DH is expected home in the next couple of hours and dog is wandering around a little lost (he hates it when DH goes away).

60th Birthday Album

I finished my portion of the LOs this evening for the 60th birthday album - the Berlin Airlift. Here it is. Rubbish scan, sorry!

Vote Jodie

Vote for Jodie, the lass from Blackpool, in the BBC's competition "I'd Do Anything". I think she'd make the most realistic Nancy; at least she looks like a woman, whereas the 3 others who are left look like mere girls. Vote Jodie!!

Time Flies

Once DS had gone to bed I'd planned an evening of scrapping, with one eye on the series finale of Dirty Sexy Money. DH is currently abroad on a business trip and won't be home until late Sunday afternoon.
Here's what happened: DH rang when I was in the middle of my supper, then I sorted out the laundry & stacked the dishwasher. Then I read my emails, had a quick look at UKS and started sorting some photos for the GoGo GetAway classes. Before I knew it was 10pm! Just time now to tidy up the kitchen, coax the dog outside for his last whizz of the day and a read before bed.

1-2-3 BIA Swap on UKS

This is another swap I'm taking part in. You had to include a homemade element (felt flowers with stitching), use of techniques (I did inking & stamping) and interactive elements (I did a secret page & a page with hidden journalling. It has to be posted by 11 June and I hope I get something decent in return! I used BG's Blush range of papers.

Birthday Book - Part 2

I couldn't all the pages into one post so here's the rest of them.

1968 Birthday Book

I made this mini-book for my BF’s DH’s 40th birthday in June. It’s been a work in progress for many weeks! I tried to keep the pages fairly masculine, as this guy is very much a kind of “can do/let’s get it done” kind of guy. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.
The topics were chosen for their interest value alone, apart from the TT page – that was suggested by BF when I was stuck for a topic to fill the penultimate page; he’s a biker!

Children Are Funny Creatures

When DS got up from his nap he sat on the floor in the lounge & looked at his grandparents as if he'd never ever seen them before. He sat in one spot for a good 10 minutes just looking at one and then the other ... and he never sits still! It was really quite funny and his grandparants thought it was very cute the way he was examining them!

Wednesday

I finally have my hands on my Lidocaine patches - yay!! I won't start using them until tomorrow because they are "worn" in 12-hour stretches...watch out for the updates.

DS has been able to play in the garden today and was happy to play with the empty laundry basket for ages. No need to buy expensive toys for children! DH managed to persuade his parents to come over for a visit...they're going back to Derbyshire tomorrow.

Yet More Scrapping

I'm finally getting to grips with my scrapping "to do" list - here's a DLO about the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

Prescription Update

My prescription is now in the hands of Boots and I should be able to collect it tomorrow after 12 noon. However, the doctor has only issued enough for 10 days & has not set up a repeat prescription so now I have to go & see him on June 3rd to go through this all over again...at £7.10 a time!

Completed CJ

My Friends CJ came home today from the All My Own Photos CJ on UKS. It looks pretty good but for now you can only see the front cover ... I'll add the inside pages once the recipient has seen it!

Playdate

DS had his 1st Playdate this afternoon with a lovely little girl called Izzie. We met her & her Nanny at Sing & Sign a few months back. It was comforting to see that she isn't walking yet either; she is about 2 weeks younger than DS.

60th Birthday Album

Along with mum & sib, I'm doing a third of a mini-book about 1948 for mum's sister's 60th birthday, which is at the end of June. I was allocated the birth of Prince Charles as one of my topics ... here it is. Not the best scan, I'm afraid.

Yesterday's BIA Mini-Book

Here it is; the blue scalloped pages open out & there is space for hidden journaling & photos. Hope they like it!

Scrap Your Day Project

Here is it - so much easier to photograph a DLO in natural light!

Saturday

It's been a funny old day. DH & the dog went off at short notice with SIL to Derbyshire because MIL isn't too good apparently & FIL is very upset. I'm not expecting DH home until around midnight.
A plus point for me meant that I've got loads of scrapping done! DS very kindly had a big sleep this afternoon (to make up for the one he didn't have this morning) so I was able to make a 6x12 BIA mini-book and, even though I say so myself, I'm really chuffed with it. It's going to be a present for my aunt & uncle. After my supper I managed to finally add the journaling to the April DLO of the Scrap Your Day project & I've also completed 5 small SLOs for DS's Godparents' albums.
The mini-book & Scrap Your Day project need photographing in daylight so I'll add images of them tomorrow. Right now I'm off to watch CSI: New York with a cuppa for company.

Going To A GoGo

The Scrapagogo ladies set a pre-weekend retreat challenge to make a "passport". It's basically a mini-book with space for class details, photos and stuff like that. I'm in the yellow team so I've incorporated yellow into the colour scheme, along with green. Yellow & green are Scrapagogo's logo colours. Just a name badge to make now.

Filling The Prescription

So I popped into Boots this morning ...what a waste of time! I took the information leaflet with me and explained that I wouldn't have the prescription until late on Tuesday and all the girl could say, having checked with the Pharmacist that they didn't stock it (because it's expensive!!), was "telephone before noon on Tuesday & let us know the amount you require and it will be here on Wednesday." I won't know what the quantity will be until I pick up the prescription, which will after noon ... why can't they just order one pack in so I don't have to wait even longer and then order more if necessary? There won't be any point in contacting the GP's surgery because you can never get a straight answer from the receptionists, if you can get them to answer the phone in the first place! Whatever happened to good customer service?

Adventures With The NHS

Today was the day I finally got to go to the pain clinic at Charing Cross Hospital. Having never been there before, I was expecting a building in the style of beautiful Victorian gothic - how wrong could I be? It's a hideous monstrosity! Anyway, I was there by 10.50 and found the clinic at 11.20 (for an appointment time of 11.30) and I was seen at 12.35!! The doc disagreed with the consultant at QCCH over the treatment plan so the upshot is that for the next 3-6 months I'll have a wear a drug-infused dressing over the offending area and wait for it to slowly disable the trapped nerve endings!! There's a bit more ... CC Hospital doesn't issue the prescription for these because of the expense, £75 a packet apparently, so I had to come home via the GP's surgery to hand in a letter requesting that they issue the prescription. And when can I pick up the prescription? Anytime after 4.30pm next Tuesday! And what's the betting that Boots pharmacy doesn't have it in stock...

Biting & Hair Pulling

DS has started to try & bite or pull hair when he doesn't want to do something, usually when he is required to lie down while his nappy is changed. How do I deal with it and how long is this phase likely to last??? Apart that those 2 small things, DS is as adorable as ever!

UKS Scrapping

I've finished the All My Photos CJ and have returned the last one I had to its owner today. Somehow half the group seem to be way behind so goodness knows when mine will come back. The Recipe Card Swap seems to have shrunk - this month's subject is Regional Food. Rather than do pie & mash or something with winkles (!) I've done a recipe on 1950s London Pie and decorated the back with an image of the 1951 Festival of Britain. Next month's swap will have a new host so we'll see how we get on. (I would like to point out that the recipe card looks a lot better IRL!) Along with mum & sib, we are putting together a book for Auntie I's 60th birthday - its all about 1948 and I got the following allocation - the Berlin Airlift, the formation of the State of Israel & the birth of the Prince of Wales. My book for BF's DH's 40th birthday needs finishing...

Windsor Castle Military Tattoo

Last night we went to the Tattoo in the grounds of Windsor Castle and had a brilliant time. It was organised by the Royal British Legion in honour of the Help For Heroes Campaign and Her Majesty The Queen & HRH Prince Philip were the guests of honour. DH found some parts a little jingoistic but I thought it was fantastic - I did have to remind DH that I was raised on events like this throughout the summer months of my childhood!

DS at 16 Months

Somehow DS has got to 16 months old today - it is hard to believe because it's true what they say about time flying when you have a child! He is now constantly on his feet and loves to explore everything & everywhere. I'm pretty sure he'll be walking soon so we have that lovely event of buying his first pair of proper shoes just around the corner. He's also ready for his first haircut, he's beginning to get the most beautiful curls!

Interesting Day

It's been a day of many layers today ... a tiny fledgeling Sparrow somehow managed to fly into my office and get itself trapped in some bubble wrap at the side of my desk. At first I thought it was a mouse behind the desk because I could hear its frantic flapping but couldn't work out what the noise was. Thankfully mum & I were able to release it safely into the garden but it sat on the grass for ages before it was able to fly off. Even then we weren't sure that it had scaled the height of the garden wall because we're pretty certain we saw it behind a bush late afternoon.

Sunny Days

The weather is gorgeous this week so we are spending as much time outside as possible. The local park works out at an hour's round trip door-to-door so it's an ideal walk with the dog; he usually finds some other puppies to play with!

Grandad Paddy

We have a friend who is a Chelsea Pensioner and he came over today to spend the afternoon with DS and then stayed on for his supper with the "grown-ups" (Mum is visiting us this week). DS absolutely loves him and spent the whole time chuckling. Because the weather has been so great today we were able to spend time in the garden and have DS in just his nappy & a t-shirt.

Out & About

We've been off visiting today - firstly BF & her family and then SIL on the way home. It was a bit of a long day for DS but he went to bed still smiling, even though he was half an hour later than usual.

BF's DS broke his leg just over a week ago, poor mite, but he seemed to be coping extremely well and moving around like a crab! DS took advantage of a nappy change at his Auntie L's to make a bid for freedom and spent a happy 15 minutes bouncing around her kitchen on his bare bum!!