apologies

sorry im not posting much here lately but if you want to catch up with me on a day to day basis im more than often over at my other homey blog www.countryheartandhome.blogspot.com I started the other so that i could post on some different websites i visit where i didnt really want pics of me and the kid plastered all over iykwim.

Hope you pop over and see what ive been up to and i will update this one with more about family and scrapping soon once things have settled down a little at home - long story and involves moving within the next month!! :)

Race for Life

Ok blatant pimping here but in honor of my dad im doing the race for life and im trying to raise sponsorship from online only as im doing it with my sister who will get family and friends who are offline to sponsor her. If you would like to donate please visit my page to sponsor online..... http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/deborahnicholas

Thank you so much - it is going to a good cause and very much appreciated!!

getting back on track....

Things are starting to get back to normal around here and its Jakes birthday on saturday so lots of suprises planned :) He hasnt asked for anything in particular so is ending up with a spiderman robosapien (sp?) - he loves spiderman and robots so what could be better!! lol

I have been busy making some doorstops - sis wanted one but wasnt going to pay the £45 price tag in JL (department store!). Thats where having a sister with handy sewing machine skills comes in i suppose! lol

Bye dad xxx

My dad passed away at 2am Sunday morning. Thank you to everyone who sent messages and love this way during the past year xxx

2 days!!!

My first OU assignment is due in in 2 days!! ARgghh where the heck have the last couple of months gone!! Sorry for the short post but i dont want to get kicked out of the course on the first assignment! LOL Will leave you with a pic of a cosy corner of my kitchen where im going to go write 1200 words on the difference in chair capabilities and then make my own chair out of cardboard - sheesh, any hoops i need to jump through too??! lol
See you soon!! (i hope!) xxx

Finished dresser project

.....and i love it!! :D :D So pleased with how it has turned out, painted with Craig & Rose Pale Mortlake Cream paint and the shelves are covered with £1 wrapping paper from Primark!! What do i start on next???

New project

I was surfing ebay and came across a fab dresser that was only 5 mins from my house and pick up only so no bids!! I got a real bargain and paid almost nothing for it yet its going to be a wonderful project i am so looking forward to starting!It is going to be sanded and painted with Craig & Rose Pale Mortlake Cream paint to give a real shabby chic feel which will then house some of my more special plates, vases, cups etc :)

New look banner!!

Isnt my banner just gorgeous!! Unfortunately i cant take ANY credit for it as a lovely friend (who wishes to remain anon - i think shes scared she will get inundated with requests!! lol) made it for me. In no stretch of the imagination could i have done anything like it - give me a bench full of cooking ingredients or a table full of fabrics and i can do anything but put something technical infront of me and i turn to mush!! The banner is made using a Nitwit digi kit so thank you to them too for making such scrummy goodies!! :)

Well, i havent done much scrapping as the weather has been good enough to be out flying and taking aerial shots so thats what we have been doing. These pictures were taken in the grounds of where mum and dad have their retirement home. Its a run down old castle with would be fabulous if it had the money ploughed into it to take it back to its former glory! *sigh*The two older boys are still at their grandparents so we have had a relatively quiet week and ive thoroughly enjoyed playing 'little kid' games - you know, colouring in, racing around the living rooms with cars and general messing infant style :)

I did do one layout and ive been asked to create a canvas for my sisters newly decorated dining room so im off tomorrow to check out the decoration and work something that will go well - wish me luck! lol
Please excuse the glare on the photo, i think my camera is on its last legs as i just cant seem to get the settings right and no matter how much i fiddle with the flash etc its just not playing nice!!

and into the album they go :)

It feels so good to be putting layouts in an album again and to actually enjoy working on something! I really did think for a while there any artistic qualities i thought i had had got up and done a runner! Im off to play with some glue and scissors before it realises im back for good! ;)

We went to visit my mum and dad today for the first time since Christmas. In January they leave their home for 5 weeks and return after a well earned break and usually a hot holiday in Portugal!! For those that didnt read about my dad, he has cancer and went through chemo last year, all was well and the drugs worked their magic! He was given glowing reports towards the end of last year and then the news came during one of his appts in Jan that the cancer is back and theres nothing they can do now......he tried a new drug form of chemo but it isnt working so now he is off that and is now in Gods hands.
Having seen him today i feel a lot better as he looked really well, i had been building up to seeing a shell of how he was but he looked good, he had colour in his cheeks and laughed with us, said he wasnt that unwell that they couldnt drive down here to see us soon! Thank you to all those who are keeping us in their prayers!

oh how i wish........

These are seriously cool!! I wish we had Target stores over here in the UK!! Its probably old news now but have you seen these adorable little mailboxes for $1 ......how cute and possibly worth the airfare over to grab some!! lol

I am back in the scrapping zone! Mojo left me for a while but it has returned with a new passion and even made me want new goodies to play with, i havent scrap shopped in about 4 maybe 5 months so right now EVERYTHING out there is new!! Yaaayyyyyy!! Will upload some scrapping sneak peeks later today as im just waiting on my new white pen to do some doodles and then its finished!

We took the heli up again yesterday, this time at Finchale Priory. Anne who owns the site was so nice and explained about it now being a retirement village and boy would it be a gorgeous place to live - wish mum and dad had known about it before moving so far away :( Anyways here are a couple of pics i took of the Abbey with my canon 350d.

Have a lovely day today, its 6am here and looks as though it might actually be a nice day!

Debbie
x

and then there was 8!!

Dont get any ideas!! 4 kids is more than enough!! lol The title of the post refers to the amount of albums i have now filled, yep 8 full albums and countless others that are only semi full (those 14 dont count though so it doesnt sound so bad! lol ;)

Sharing a couple of layouts i have made over the past few weeks as i feel like i havent scrapped for ages and i feel the bug coming back to me - yayyy!!

These are some of the photographs taken over Christmas and projects designed for Make the moment last store - i was guest designer for January along with Annette :) Thank you for having me Jackie :)

That wind has a bite to it....

I swear i could have worn 5 layers and i still would have been frozen yesterday! We took E out with us while we tried the heli in the air for some aerial shots of Gateshead causeway, not too good since the signal between the heli and the camera wouldnt connect but still managed a couple of shots. I got some good shots of the scenery and E wrapped up warm - he had a field day and loved every minute of it......almost as much as DH i think, me?? I kinda came around to liking it - no matter how much i promised not too!! lolWe had permission to drive along the walkway and you should have seen some of the looks we got!! Sheesh - surely they must have known we were given keys to the gate to get through as there was no other way in and the gate was padlocked but NOoooooo, boy if looks could kill!! lol

pics as promised.

Here is the latest project i have been working on. Im struggling with a bag i bough as the handles are way too small and i have to carry it instead of slinging it over my shoulder! The colours of the fabric here are exactly what i was after so if i thought why the heck not just make one yourself! Soooo here it is.......

Still not sure if i like the orange button, im thinking it maybe needs a big cream one, or brown, or green .........lol

Girlie Weekend....

Sorry i couldnt update before now but ive been staying at my sisters since friday after a phonecall offering a kid free weekend!! Who in their right mind would decline! lol

Friday night saw us visit the cinema to see Sweeny Todd and although it starred the gorgeous Johnny Depp i wasnt that impressed and we almost walked out half way through! Fab acting by the cast but just not something i would go to see again, i love musicals but it was just kinda annoying (and yucky!)

Saturday i spent the day in the university while sis went to a tutorial for her OU course and then we went to try on party frocks and Oscar acceptance dresses........found the one i want and now all i need is to be in a movie....any Spielberg offers welcome!! mwahahhhaa

Home today and back to reality though of running round after 4 kiddos (ok 5 if you include dh) ;) So its catch up time on whats happening on the PS3 and an all out shoot em up on Call of Duty - catch you later for some pics of what ive been creating!

Catching up...

You know some times when you just need a break - well, ive been and done and had it, so im back! :)

Seems funny writing about Christmas now when it was so long ago so i will keep it short and simple - see pic below for how much the boys enjoyed it!! lol Needless to say storage space has become an issue! lol
Ethan was rather taken with Captain Jacks outfit!
Me and my little sis, she hates having her picture taken but i think shes finally realised its easier to give in than have me follow her round all day!

Im cracking out the sewing machine tonight for the first time in well over a month and im worried im not going to be able to sew anymore - does that seem wierd?!? I have so many ideas and drawings etc but actually making them into something seems is scaring me a litle at the minute! Best go make a start and i promise to post sneeky peeks tomorrow....yes i will be trying to update everyday from here on in, my online diary of sorts even if its just a hi/bye type post :)