Twisted sketch...

This week I made a start on my Book of Me... I know, I know, years after everyone else was raving about the importance of scrapping about yourself... but hey ho! I also decided to give 8.5 x 11 a go, and although it was quite daunting with such a small space I think I could get used to it! This LO ticks two boxes... I used this weeks Twisted sketch, and also covered the elements of the weekly challenge on UKS. I haven't done a challenge over there for a couple of years, but as it was set by the Twilight Addicts social group I thought I should play along. The theme had to be forbidden fuit, to be interpreted how you wish, and you had to include ribbon and bling. My forbidden fruit was the guilty pleasure of being able to listen to the Twilight saga whenever I want... especially whilst doing boring houseworky jobs, or more importantly to block out the noise of the kids when they are driving you to distraction!!! It doesn't make me a bad mum... it keeps me sane!

The Twist this week was to use stamps... I used the Fancy Schmancy tag stamps... perhaps one of the best buys from way back in the day when I used to buy everything!

I also did this LO using the sketch over on the Sarahscards blog... have a go and post a link to your work and be in with the chance of a prize.

This weekend we took the boys to the Manchester Museum to see Stan the T-Rex. Oliver has been a few times but Harry hasn't been since he was a baby... and he absolutely loved it! The noise of him shouting excitedly every time he saw something new echoed around the museum... it was great. Harry liked the 'big chicken'... commonly known as an Ostrich, but he didn't like the Egyptian mummy's toes. In fact these are his actual words.... 'She is caring me, I don't like her toes... I want her to put docks on'. awwwwww bless. Drew was very well behaved but not that impressed to be honest.
On Sunday Harry finally got to ride his bike outside. He has an interesting pedaling technique but true to form he will not be told or shown how to pedal properly!!! We didn't stay at the little park long as it was freezing but Oliver loved having Harry follow him round on his bike... of course both boys came off so ended up with mud up the back of their coats!!! Like I don't have enough washing to do...lol!!!

So it finally came to Sunday night bath time... all in together... sharing this photo just because it's cute!
Right... I am off to play with moon sand and dinosaur stickers with thing 2, who is currently stood at the side of me holding the moon sand case and tapping me on the head with the stickers!!!

Happy Birthday to Bear!

I cannot believe that my little ginger Bear is 3 today!!! Just where has the past 3 years gone? He wanted a bike for his birthday... a pink one actually, but we chose him a red one... in case he got fed up with the pink in a few weeks time!

He also got a glow station from Oliver and some more Disney Cars characters from Drewpot, and the monsters vs aliens dvd from Jaspa.... bought with his own doggy pennies ;)

Obviously we can't take him out on his bike with all the snow, so the dining room table is currently pushed up against the wall so he can ride it around in the house. He's not mastered the art of steering yet so I think my walls are going to suffer a little today!!!

Another fabulous person shares a birthday with Bear. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Natalie... hope you have a great one hun X

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and brrrrrrr!!!!

Ok so I've been a blog neglector again! But I am going to make an effort this year... really I am. Tis one of my resolutions for 2010!
2009 was a good year in so many ways.... Drewpot Stewpot arrived safe and well, but with him he brought a whole new load of problems.... mainly the fact that from day one he has been the most demanding little so an so! As a result a part of me kind of went in to hibernation. The part of me that dealt with the everyday stuff continued functioning, but the part of me that makes me me, stopped. As a result I did very little creating, stopped going on forums and basically stopped being me.
2010 is going to be different.... this is the year I am going to be somewhat selfish. Obviously the children are the main priority in my life and I love them to pieces, but I am determined to start doing more things for me. Which brings me on to my resolutions.

1. To play the piano everyday that I am in the house.

I played the piano years ago but had basically given it up once I left home. I decided to buy a second hand piano just before Christmas.... as you do, and now that it is tuned I am loving playing again.... although it is taking some getting back in to as my mind and fingers are clearly not as quick as they once were!

2. To scrap every week, and share the LOs.

Over the past few months I have only scrapped when I've had to, as in DT work. Even though I still enjoy it, I have stopped thinking in 12x12 like I once used to and this makes me sad. So I am going to get back into scrapping which will no doubt see the bank balance go down and the dining room become more messy!!!
The sharing part brings me back to the blog... I will try and post at least once a week, I'm not promising any more, but once a week should be doable.

3. To get back in the swing of things with online friends.

I am so lucky to have made some really great friends over the past few years, and we have shared way too many hours on the pooter laughing at and with each other and having many DC moments.
I am not prepared to let these friendships fall by the wayside due to basically neglecting to post on team threads. Already we seem to be getting back into our groove.... I like it a lot.

4. To draw something every week.

I'm an art teacher, so obviously I can draw. I used to draw and sketch all the time... BC. Now all I draw is the silly things the kids ask me to do, usually on the aqua draw or the megasketcher...lol!!!
I got some lovely pencils and cartridge paper off Santa and I am going to start drawing again...

There are obviously the usual resolutions about eating less and exercising more blah blah blah... and I am taking those into hand. Jen is my motivation.... I want to be a skinny minny too ;)

So there you go, my promises to myself for this year.

A great start to the year was getting back to cropping at Warrington. I was lucky to make it off the reserves list due to the snow... got to love the bad weather sometimes;) It was so great to catch up with friends again and to scrap outside of the house... although to be fair, not a lot of scrapping got done... but it was tres cold to be fair!!!
Yes there is a mistake on this LO... but I quite like it and I'm certainly not going to un-thread all the beads just to turn one round!!!

The second LO was just a thrown together one... I'm still not sure if I like it... I don't find Christmassy or birthday LOs easy to do... I don't know why?!?!?!

I started this LO at the crop, in that I chose the papers and the photos but that was it... does that count? I finished it this morning after using this weeks Twisted sketch as inspiration. I rotated the sketch and moved the title, but apart from that kept pretty close to the original ;) The twist was 'white' and what's more white than snow.... and at the moment we've got a lot of it!

Drewpot loved Christmas... he thought the wrapping paper was a lot of fun, and still has shown little interest in the toys he got! Oliver and Harry were very excited about seeing Santa.... and this year we got a good photo.... I'll scan and share later. They too were very pleased with their presents, but I typically don't have many pics from Christmas... will have to see what mum has on her camera! All in all it was a lovely Christmas holiday, then all ready to go back to school... one day there and then the schools close due to the snow!!! What's all that about, I'm sure we went to school when it snowed!!! It was ok the first day... yesterday was a bit strained with Things 1 & 2 constantly bickering with each other, so we shall what today brings... could be two mounds under the snow... one a 6 year old size and the other a soon to be 3 year old size.... lol!!!