Thanks Karen...

... for a lovely day's cropping. Spent Sunday with Karen at her famous Power Scrapping crop in Meopham, Kent. It's good to be back in the old scrapbooking saddle. Too many other things have been getting in the way lately, like life.

I designed a couple of classes for her using 2 sumptuous ranges of papers - Paper Girl from The Girls' Paperie range and Life's Portrait from Webster's Pages. I swear you could just throw those papers down onto a table and they'd make a gorgeous layout whichever way they fell.

Spent way too long fiddling around with the Paper Girl papers trying to do them justice and finally came up with this. The photo part is a minibook with 3 pages lurking underneath.

And then this .....

...which shows me in my wedding dress now and 21 years ago . Can't believe I can still get into it ... as the titles suggests ... " Who would have thought ... ". The black rectangular frame with the heart contains some hidden journalling underneath.

My eldest son was babysitting my youngest for me that day as DH had to work also. Quite  a relief therefore to find no ambulances parked on the drive when I returned that evening . Better still , they'd both missed me madly, told me that they been totally bored all day .... even with the X Box and hadn't discovered my secret stash of chocolate. There were no deep fried Mars Bars to be seen ( my eldest son's signature dish ) , no broken widows or any evidence of bruising on either of therm ( most sorties onto the trampoline generally end in some sort of fist fight ). Must spend more time away from home in future ... so nice to be missed.

Visuallyod

No, that's not a spelling error but apparently the term used to describe cutting edge design that aims to spot new forthcoming trends . Lost me yet ? Yeah, me too. Why don't they just call it , 'new ways to sucker money out of debt laden design junkies who have more money than sense' ? Now that would be far more honest and cutting edge.

So what's included in this new Visuallyod concept ? According to Pulse, the retail marketing people, a cushion that looks like you've stood your coffee cup on it and left a ring stain or a canvas that has various circles printed on it ... re-inventing the wheel ? I think so.

I suppose design students have to keep coming up with something new all the time so I shouldn't appear like a grumpy old woman and moan but what I'd like to see them come up with is a nice sideboard ... now I really am showing my age.

Cookie Dough Pizza

My youngest son loves cooking. Well, when I say cooking, what I really mean is combining ingredients .... well when I say ingredients, what I really meaning is cramming as many things containing chocolate into one recipe. A young man after my own heart.

Tonight's concoction is called Cookie Dough Pizza and contains ... er cookie dough and looks like a pizza. Take one pack of chocolate chip cookie dough, smoosh it into a pie dish, bake, add chocolate spread, sprinkle with dark chocolate chips , smarties and maltesers and inject with lard. No, I made that last bit up .

The boys will be tucking into it any minute now and I expect it to last about ... 5 minutes. There are about 2 dried cranberries lurking in amongst the chocolateyness. These apparently are his 2 portions of fruit for today !

Rolling Back the Years

So there I was,  parking up the car ( a moderately respectable one at last, rather than my old student days banger ) in the university car park and heading off, rather nervously, for my re-union.  As I made my way towards the registration desk, I noticed that a lot of elderly people were arriving ... must be something else going on today I thought until I realised that they were about the same age as me and we were all heading for the same event . Now that REALLY made me LOL as they say.

My flat mate of 30 years ago, Sheila,  looked just the same as she greeted me with a shriek and in a moment I was transported back in time. I can't begin to describe the feeling. The girls had all scrubbed up quite well but the guys were ... well , a little pot bellied and hairless to be honest.

After a whistle stop tour of the campus  ( remembered the Student Union bar well but didn't remember a thing about the library ) we gathered for Pimms , lunch and a catch up. Could have talked all day reminiscing , in fact we did just that. But the best bit of the day was our memory trip around Crowe Hall. I won't go into detail here but suffice to say, Sheila and I lived a charmed life for the 3 years we were university students in Bath in one of the grandest houses in the city . And here's a picture to prove it. We were lucky enough to occupy what had once been the servants quarters and had the run of the grounds and house which included the most sumptuously kept gardens, tennis courts, wild flower meadows ... not to mention the wine cellars and a galleried hall where we played the grand piano and the walls dripped with Canaletto paintings. Did we have any idea how lucky we were ?

It's now on the market for £6m , only wish I had enough dosh to put in a bid but at least we lived the life albeit for a short time. Although it's been 30 years since we last strolled around the grounds , to coin that old cliche , it really did only feel like yesterday.

Graduation Re-union

Tomorrow , I'm off to Bath for the 30th anniversary re-union of my graduation back in 1980. Have to admit I'm a bit nervous but dying to meet up with my flat-mate whom I haven't seen in , must be at least a decade. I've dug out the photos of us looking youthful back in the 70's. Husband , meanwhile is downstairs sulking. Not sure why , but I'm thinking it must be something bordering on resentment. He has to look after the children for about 48 hours and so I reckon he must be seething with rage at this infringement on his freedom ... welcome to my world. So, in more than one way am I celebrating my graduation ... once as a throwback to the heady seventies and second time around as my graduation to the world of freedom and the reversal of roles. Should be one hell of a weekend. Can't wait . Feel like I've been set free, like a butterfly. About time too.

Job Description

I drove behind a van today whose business claimed to embrace the following :

• Mail
• Express
• Fulfillment
• Dangerous Goods
• Conferencing

I'm none the wiser as to what they actually do , maybe their company name - Impulse - would give me a clue ? I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at their financiers when they presented their business plan - well what we want to do is very impulsive and besides fulfillment we want to deal with dangerous goods . I can only imagine that 'conferencing' was thrown in for good measure to give the package some credibility.

Anyway as they sped off into the distance, squeezing through the traffic lights on amber , it left me wondering how their application must have appeared to their insurers.

Q: Company Name ?

A: Impulse

Q: Nature of Business ?

A: Dangerous Goods ... oh ... and Fulfillment

So, if I were to emblazon my own virtual van with a smattering of things I'd like to describe as my chief activities, it would probably read ...

• Constant Meal Preparation
• Picking up Boys Clothes From Floor
• Ironing
• Cleaning Toilets
• Dangerous Children
• Distinct lack of Fulfillment

Doesn't quite have the same ring to it does it ?

An Education

I always learn a myriad of useful things from my fellow croppers and last night was no exception.

I now know that ...

 * An oche is the line you stand behind when throwing a dart ( thanks J and for suggesting the   perfect photo for my layout )

*  Avon do 'dial up' mascara ( now ordered - thanks S , always good to crop and shop  )

*  Key hole surgery leaves tiny tiny scars ( thanks W for show and tell)

*  Gordon Brown pales into insignificance for media gaffes compared to George Bush ( thanks for reminding me MA)

* You can go to Devon for a weekend and learn how to make a corset ( thanks G , does your talent have no end ? )

* You can't sit next to other S and get a layout done ( but thankfully no singing last night so we must be grateful for small mercies )

*  and finally that I really mustn't leave it so long until I meet up with you all again - you know who you are , no need for names !

Thanks ladies for yet another lovely evening xxx

Doing a 'Gordon'

Have just watched the infamous clips on You Tube - what a gift to the media - they must have thought all their birthdays and Christmasses had come at once. And now we have a new phrase in our vernacular vocabulary "Doing a Gordon " . How wonderful.

Has anyone been able to watch it without groaning and guffawing simultaneously ? You almost had to feel sorry for him ... but I'll reserve my pity for those who've suffered at the hand of his government.

What are you reading ?

 Much like my life, my bedside table is awash with good intentions. At any one time there is usually a selection of books I intend to read - too may good reads, too few hours - usual story.

At the moment, I have the usual self-help manuals, a cookery book or two juxtaposed ironically between something about not letting food rule your life, a piece of fictional nonsense, something to get the creative juices flowing, some sort of parental advice and one of the boy's bedtime storybooks.

So here's my current reading list :

From the top of the pile ....

1. This months' Creative Keepsakes , half read for when I need pictures in my life , not words.

2. David Nicholls' One Day - it's growing on me - found it quite puerile to begin with but then        realised it was my era - the Thatcherite 80's , so nostalgic if nothing else.

2. Quantitative Methods for Finance - a little light bedtime reading - tutoring a 1st year University student at the moment so just need to refresh my memory on simultaneous and quadratic equations - loving it , honestly.

3. The End of Overeating - a worrying diatribe on how we live in an obesogenic environment - so true .

4. Kate Atkinson's Behind the Scenes at the Mueum - sadly stalled but I was enjoying it.

5. Allan Ahlberg's The Incredible Cat - Max's curent bedtime read - anything about cats gets our vote.

6. Patrick Holford's 10 Secrets of 100% Healthy People - would like to think of myself as one of those happy people right now.

7. Sophie Hannah - love her style. Never been a crime fan before I read her. You should try her poetry.

8. Eat Me - luscious cupcakes - a real fantasy read

9. Maths for Mums and Dads - a clever little tome - wished I'd thought of writing this

10. Thinking and Speaking in Secondary Schools - co-written by Meriel Davenport - Head of Learning Development at the boys' school - an inspiration. 

Well there we have it , a heady mix of self improvement, fantasy and education. My life in a nutshell.

Futureproof your memories

Brabantia, the makers of those iconic bins,  tell me that I have to futureproof my life or something by buying their goods, or so their ads urge.

I bought one of their flip top bins about 10 years ago and it still graces the corner of our kitchen today although much the worse for wear. I nearly bought a new replacement the other day but was pulled up in my tracks at the prospect of parting with a three figure sum of money and thought fondly of my battered relic back at home, my bin that is , not my husband.

Over the last decade , our lovely old bin has been bashed and bruised by an assortment of boys paraphernalia ... footballs, basketballs, skateboards, unicycles, ripsticks, frisbees, tennis racquets, pinata battering rams, chunky tyred remote control vehicles, light sabres ... the usual boyhood array of projectiles. The bin was a good target ... large enough to be unmissable,  nice and shiny, made a satisfying ping when struck and dented beautifully. The scars are visible for all to see today , a tableau of family life in one piece of factory moulded stainless steel.

So I've futureproofed my memories by keeping the old one and looking on it's slightly tattered appearance rather fondly as a testament to the boys' youth. Sorry Brabantia , won't be splashing out on a new one for at least another decade.

Every Now and Then ...

... something happens that pulls me up in my tracks and makes my heart break.

I've been blogging lately about happy kinds of things - shopping, chocolate, the usual lightweight sort of things that occupy my time these days. Sorry to bring down the mood but every now and then something needs writing about something that needs to be done.

I was shopping today with the boys and we found ourselves in this rather seedy shop where the uniform of the sales staff can only be described as derelict grunge and there's more chewing gum than flooring beneath your feet. So there we are queueing to pay for a Skateboarding game ( in favour of killer zombies I'm happy to report) .

In front of us was someone also waiting to pay but he was swaying from side to side and was clearly very drunk . Not abusive, or loud or hideous as some drunks can be but just quietly off his head with alcohol. The kind of drunk I'd imagine you'd be if your daily liquid diet was meths. He was dressed in some rather stained decrepit clothing, a black hat pulled down over world weary eyes. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him in his life that had made him take this turn for the worse. Broken home, divorce, inability to cope with stress - the usual cliches ? Or had life just dealt him a cruel blow and given him the inherited addiction gene . And here he was in his forties , maybe younger, swaying gently from side to side, reeking of the demon drink, incapable of speech, oblivious to the stares of those around him.

What surprised me most was the reaction of our fellow shoppers. A thinly disguised mixture of irritation and disgust. I felt overwhelmed by a physical wave of pity for the tragedy that was his life. Now maybe I've got this all wrong , I hope so. Maybe he'd had a few too many beers and had just popped out for a quick fix in the video shop to while away the afternoon but I think not.

This was a tragic life, a helpless soul who'd found themselves taking the wrong turn somewhere along the line and had fallen by the wayside. It's normally the pictures of starving children, maltreated infants or forgotten pensioners that reduce me to tears but this sight made me want to weep. I couldn't help but wonder how it had all gone so terribly wrong. A life wasted. And how can we help ? Not by turning the other way surely ?

So, next time a canvasser comes knocking at my door asking how I'm going to vote , I'm going to ask them what they plan to do to help the countless other wasted lives that we see on every street in every town, some homeless, some drunk , some stoned but all lost.

God save us from another moronic government intent on the politics of the 'market', wealth creation and GNP whilst the human cost of lives spirals out of control.

What a Night !

Seems rather like a dream now - the morning after the night before !

The whole evening was phenomenal , I still can't quite believe it's true.
David kindly chauffeured me to the stage door - what a laugh ! We arrived at 3pm , took some photos of me posing outside The Royal Albert Hall then waved goodbye and went to meet up with my fellow Rock Choir friends. As we assembled at the Albert Memorial opposite the hall,  the sun appeared uncharacteristically from behind the storm clouds and beamed down on us as we lined up in height order and were put into our on stage positions, giggling like excited schoolgirls.

Filing through the stage door was an experience in itself , as was posing in the dressing room by the light studded make-up mirrors. Time for a quick run through and sound check on stage.

We sat and watched the Soldiers from our seated positions in the choristers seating at the back of the stage surrounded by plush red velvet and ornate gilded scrollwork. Then it was our turn and a quick run through our repertoire before heading back to the artist's bar for a quick energy snack before changing into our Rock Choir uniform and a quick glitter spray in the hair. All glammed up and raring to go we filed up the staircase and into our positions on stage for a night to remember.

Seeing David and the boys arrive was the high point for me and watching them spot me through their binoculars was so sweet although it was so difficult to resist the urge to wave - strict Rock Choir orders - no waving from the stage - we're professionals now !

And then finally , the announcement we were waiting for ... "Please welcome on stage .... ROCK CHOIR !!! "

It's so difficult to explain how it felt to be singing and dancing on the stage of The Royal Albert Hall - suffice to say, it went in a flash and was possibly the best fun I've had in a long time. I couldn't help beaming form ear to ear.

Time for The Soldiers on stage  - they were lovely lads ... made me want to rush out to Afghanistan and knit them all socks or something useful ! Must admit , it was very emotional singing the backing vocals en masse to their Coming Home single, not a dry eye in the house.

So , there we have it , the most extraordinarily wonderful evening amongst friends, singing happy songs for a good cause, watched by my lovely boys ... does it get any better than that ?
Well yes , as it happens , home to a waiting bottle of chilled champagne and a chance to recount and re-live every delicious moment , then up to bed and the best night's sleep I've had in a long time with the words of " Coming Home" resounding in my dreams.

And guess what ... I get to do it all over again on Wednesday at the Birmingham Symphony Hall ... oh this show biz life is SO exhausting !

Tonight's the Night

At about 7.30 this evening, I will be stepping out onto the stage here ...

... at The Royal Albert Hall in London with my fellow Rock Choir members to sing our very first BIG concert in public. Rock Choir have been asked to accompany The Soldiers on tour. I almost can't believe it , so much so , that I couldn't get to sleep last night.

We'll be singing a 5 song repertoire comprising - Valerie, Walking on Broken Glass, Dancing in the Street, Can't Hurry Love and Something Inside So Strong. And as if that isn't enough , we'll then be joining The Soldiers at the end of their set to sing backing vocals for their single Coming Home.

The boys will be there in the audience to watch and listen and hopefully applaud a bit at the end. We'll then be back on stage to sing with The Soldiers on Do I Make You Proud - hope I do make my boys sort of proud. A nice thing to put on my CV and to look back one day and say - yes I sang at The Royal Albert Hall . Can't believe it really . Off to straighten my hair , put on a bit of slap and tune up my vocal chords . More pictures tomorrow .

Utility Room

Does your utility room look like this ?

No ? Nor does mine but the photo made me laugh out loud. In the world of Cath Kidston, are we supposed to wring out our undies in a sky blue enamel tub , whilst our silk camisoles drape languidly on a cherry red painted wooden clothes airer ? The peg holder must be a snip at £29.99 but mine are dumped in a Tesco's carrier bag. My utility room is usually crammed full of grubby teenager's jeans , the odd pair of smelly trainers , some mud encrusted football boots and a bunch of threadbare Y fronts died pink from being caught up in the wash with my kids' red sports kits... oh yes , there's usually a handful of lint fluff scuffing around the floor and about a month's worth of un-ironed clothing crammed in an unsightly yellow plastic basket, wedged into the tight space above the microwave that smells of last night's curry. What would Cath say ?

I'm in love with second hand clothes

Where else would you find a brand spanking new ( labels intact ) Whistles linen coat in the most delicious shade of ballet slipper pink other than a second hand clothes shop ? And for the princely sum of £28 ? At that price I was able to snap up another bargain - a gorgeous pale blue embroidered White Stuff raincoat ( £25) and a luscious moss green L.Credi leather handbag for pennies . As if that wasn't enough, I spotted a beautiful cashmere , wool and silk long sleeveless cardigan from The White Company at a similar bargain price. It would have been rude not to have given it a good home so they're all now hanging in my wardrobe and at less than the price of one dress from any one of those designer labels.

 Just in case you're wondering where I now do all my shopping ... well that would be telling. Just lets say I pass it on the school run and regularly veer off the road at breakneck speed when passing their shop window when I see something covetable hanging in the window.

The boys are very understanding and now I only get a resigned sigh and a slightly raised eyebrow from them as they know I'm going to be in a wonderful mood when I climb back into the car minutes later clutching a new bargain.

That chocolatey time of year again

I was rather hoping that the re-introduction of chocolate back into my diet, since finishing the Lighter Life Foundation course,  would bring about some kind of anaphylactic shock , thereby forcing me to avoid it at all costs. Sadly this turns out not to be the case and I'm just as immune to its wiles as I ever was. Having said that , I've just spent the last couple of hours making up these cute little Easter packages , filled with Lindt chocolate bunnies and Cadbury's mini eggs, for my son to hand out in class on Friday at the end of term and not a single one has passed my lips. Pretty commendable I thought . Now I just need to part company with them before the lure of the chocolate takes over.

Real Food

I thought it might be scary out there in the world of real food but actually it's like having a day pass to heaven.

Yesterday I met up with my soulmates from the Lighter Life Foundation group I started this journey with over 6 months ago. I think we all looked rather gorgeous ... and a staggering 27 stone lighter between the five of us !!!

We ate the most divine lunch at Ania's restaurant The French Table where she works with her husband Fred who is the chef and OMG the food was to die for . I can only show you a picture of what was left after my trio of chocolate desserts ! Suffice to say it was nectar from the gods !

We have made a pact to meet up regularly now and keep an eye on each other's weight , any excuse really for a trip back to The French Table, as if we needed one !

Mother's Day

I never listen to those who complain about Mother's Day .. if it means breakfast in bed then I'm all up for it.
This morning , the boys brought me a fruit platter on a tray with a cute cupcake napkin and their homemade presents - the best gifts ever. Theo had made a cup and plate decorated with the most wonderful image of a tree in full leaf - it was so lovely . And Max had made me not one but two cards and written a poem...

You are the kindest mum ever
You are the most supportive mum ever
You are the nicest mum ever
You are the funniest mum ever
You are the coolest mum ever
You are the best mum in the world

Well, you can't ask for anything lovelier than that. So for all you lovely mums out there ... Happy Mother's Day.

And just to round off the perfect day , I've just tried on my wedding dress ( size 10 no less) ... not only did it fit but I think it looked better than it did on the day all those years ago - 16th September 1989. Think I scrubbed up OK for an oldie.

So here I am , sat at my computer wearing several yards of ivory silk, drinking a cuppa and uploading photos of me and my boys. Bliss !

The Year of the Tiger

We've just got back from China Town where the Chinese New Year celebrations are in full swing. There's something fantastically vibrant about the sights , sounds and smells of the place - a sensory overload almost. Around every street corner came the cacophony of clashing cymbals that heralded the arrival of another Chinese dragon. I was rather wishing that the boys would immerse themselves in the rich culture of it all but they were hankering instead for the mile high displays of neon packaged saccharine and sour chewing gum in the corner shop.

Cosseted away in the warmth of the boys' favourite Chinese eatery - the Top of the Town - we laughed our way through the culinary delights on offer, choosing the crispy duck,  squid and chilli beef in favour of the marinated pig's knuckles and jellyfish in sesame oil. Better the devil you know.

The Chinese supermarkets were heaving but we managed to elbow our way round the crowded aisles to buy assorted New Year tat such as a tin joss stick shrine, some gloriously glossy red and gold money envelopes, dragon candles, fortune cookies and something that looks as if you could either eat it or set light to it.

I couldn't resist a bag of something red fashioned out of tissue paper - not sure whether I should be blowing my nose on them or laying them on the table but they're very pretty nonetheless.

Onto the market where the ever popular £3 challenge wielded a black and red checkered belt for Max, a mobile phone pink dangly Teddy for me and ... well something unsavoury for Theo that looks remarkably like a knuckle duster but I'm pretending is a silver necklace in the shape of a cat's paw.

To the retreating sounds of the cymbals and drums we made our escape through the crowds and back to Waterloo with a bag full of booty and some happy snaps.

Who'd have thought that ...

... at the age of 51 I'd be prancing around in a miniskirt. I know , I know ... mutton dressed as lamb and all that , but what the hell , can't be many more years when I'll get away with it,  so better late than never as they say. I rather daftly chose one of the coldest days in the year to wear it - BIG mistake and it felt as if I'd gone out in just my pants and forgotten to wear anything on my bottom half, or as if I'd tucked my skirt into my pants by mistake ... there was sort of nothing there. Still , it put a smile on my face and I enjoyed it . So thank you Sarah for persuading me to buy it ... and the boots which I could happily live in they're so comfy.

Here I am with Nic, Bridget and Lorraine, my fellow UK Scrappers and Lighter Lifers. Between us and including Karen who's not in the picture but taking it , we've lost a collective 20 stone !