27 May 2014

Feeling...

... yucky...


Got a stinking cold... again!

Consoling myself with this young man's beautiful debut album...

My favourite track...


12 May 2014

Word for the Week

Another perfectly timed card this week drawn from Mary's Rediscovery Cards...



I find the dark navy background rather authoritative - like the colour of police uniforms - it's not a colour to mess with!

So I've made a choice - I am taking a wee blog break... 

A dear friend from California arrived yesterday, and my time and energy will be spent elsewhere for the next 2 weeks. She last came to England 10 years ago, so I think she deserves my undivided attention :-) xx

9 May 2014

Focus on Life Week 19: Good things inside

'This is a good prompt to think outside the box...' 

I'm sure Sally is right, but I'm afraid I'm still low on energy from my week-long birthday celebrations AND tomorrow a dear friend comes from the US to stay for 2 weeks, so my thinking is neither in or outside any box - it's all over the place!!

So the best I can muster is this...



Inside these boxes are beautiful birthday gifts from dear, dear friends - I edited the photo in Picasa's sketch mode, and rather like the effect...


The expresso cup candle is jasmine and nutmeg - yum, and smells divine! And the two Kelly Rae Roberts pretties - a 'Friends' poem-angel and a 'Believe' vanilla candle. Good things inside, indeed! 

7 May 2014

WOYWW 257


This is the stash of goodies I bought here on our wedding anniversary day trip last Tuesday. 

Finally an A4 size Fiskars cutter (I use my small one almost every time I craft!), a BIG lined journal, cute washi tapes, a classic da Vinci mounted stamp, and I've opened the suffragette pack full of replica papers, posters, tickets, etc. I'm going to have such fun with these :)

Thank you baby bro Jon for my birthday pennies!!!



Scroll down to yesterday's post to see LOTS more birthday and anniversary photos! It was a wonderfully busy week, but I'm still recovering - hence I missed last week's WOYWW.

Now, I'll try and visit lots of desks gathered over at Julia's Stamping Ground... 

Wishing you a great week xx


6 May 2014

Word for the Week + LOTS of photos :)

Monday was a Bank Holiday in the UK, so here I am today bright and early drawing this week's Word from Mary Lunnen's Rediscovery Cards which turns out to be one of my most defining words. It is etched on my soul...

It is physical, yet ethereal, and so laden with meaning. 

It IS in the eye of the beholder, a thing of beauty IS a joy forever. And as Confucius said, 


Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

But I love, and live by, Emily Dickinson wise observation,

Beauty is not caused. It is.

And I saw it in every moment of my birthday and our Silver Wedding anniversary celebrations last week - enjoy!

Birthday pics
Sue spoilt me with these fun cakes
I've saved this decoration
Coffee and cake with Sue in a local teashop
Roses on the table
Birthday bunting handmade by Johanna
Meet Aloysius - my pressie from hubby :)
A calla lily in my birthday bouquet
Hydrangea plant from Tina
Family dinner: Sam (18), Nick (hubby), Jon (brother), Esther (16), Dad, me
Our gorgeous kids
Dad, me, Jon - guess who blinked at just the wrong time??

Anniversary photos
Nick and I spent the day here - shopping with birthday and anniversary money and wandering the gardens, it was cloudy but warm...
Synchronized fountains
Mr Mallard
Spalding is England's tulip capital
Odd one out - it's my favourite photo :)
Loved the zen garden...
Sculpture from old car exhausts
Fountains made from what??
Leaping metal salmon

All I could think about as we wandered around was my word for last week - Abundance - and, of course, this week's Word is self-evident in every photo!



I wonder what Beauty means to you... do tell...




3 May 2014

Focus on Life Week 18: In your hands

May's Topic is In, At and About - intriguing...

But this week's prompt stumped me for a while, as I only have one functioning hand, and that's for operating the camera!

But I realized my stroke-affected hand can hold some things...



... I can slip in a ribbon and hold my birthday balloon!



You can also see the gorgeous bunting Johanna made - it will hang over the entrance to the dining room every day as I celebrate all year long :)

And here's some more birthday photos - I had a wonderful day and thank you for all your birthday wishes!!!
Coffee and cake with Sue, who spoilt me rotten


Family dinner - Sam (18), Nick (hubby), Jon (brother), Esther (16), Dad, me

Our gorgeous kids
My handsome baby bro