Down The Rabbit Hole

Hello 

I have entered this, I have only missed once in 13 years, it gets harder every year with the amount of people affected.

I lol'd about this. I have done a lot of research into being more healthy this year and now and again I come across something funny, like this take on Paleo eating. Please do not take offence if you practice but this lady sums up my thoughts precisely.

My boss (a few times removed ) talking good sense. I look forward to this working in my community.

Yes please, I can't get enough of Webster's Pages this year.

I have been thinking a lot about this quote,  everything has seemed a hurdle this past week or so! Roll on holidays. 

Down The Rabbit Hole

Hello 

A few things that have caught my eye.

This blogger Ruth is walking the whole of the UK coast, impressive and inspiring. This was her take on 'my' walk by my town.

I love this glue, it is the same strength as glossy accents but less drama with having to keep pins in it etc 

This quote sums up what happened today, I think I spent so long tidying my store today as it was so busy that it rubbed off. I went into another of our stores and as I was taking products off the shelf to buy I was tidying behind me.

I did enjoy this film. It was in the special cosy cinema I talked about here, unfortunately there was a young girl on that evening as usher and rather than thinking that she had only sold 10 seats and we could sit as we chose, she seated us on order of sales so all 10 of us had to sit together with a mainly empty auditorium. The lovely elderly couple I sat next to were endearing me with their continued gasps and admonishments to the cast and then very loud whispered talks about which of Bathsheba's suitors were which 

Happy Bank Holiday!

Planner Calendar

Hello 

Last week I showed you my planner and talked a bit about how much I love it, I thought I would show you a bit of detail too. These photos show the calendar parts that I have in my planner.

I have a fold out page at the beginning that gives me an overview of the year, mainly of my pre-booked holiday from work, which I can never remember.

I have made the monthly calendars the same and just printed the calendar out and mounted it quite simply with my favourite papers.

This is the weekly view. I bought the filofax inserts as they fit perfectly. I am still tweaking how best to use them and it keeps getting better.

And, yes, the planner is now gold and not turquoise. I needed a new album for my 12x12's and project life and there happened to be a gold 6x8 sat there too on Amazon. Well that is serendipity. 

The turquoise one has gone to good use as I needed an album for my One Little Word class I am taking this year. The planner is part of the work I am doing around my word and it deserves a lovely album too. 

Thanks for coming by 

The Red Barn

The Red Barn in Woolacombe is well known in North Devon as it is just a few feet from this beach.

My favourite place in the world, not that I've been far 

My very very good friend Sue came to stay in Woolacombe with her husband Michael last month and it was great to catch go and have lunch at The Red Barn.

We had a lovely coffee, well kind of. I was late as I couldn't park as near as I hoped. Then I tried to pay with my new Ringo app. Well it wouldn't work and as I walked down to meet Sue, I still couldn't attract the satellite's attention and it wouldn't log it. I kept trying when I got there but still no joy, so I apologised to Sue and Michael and shamefacedly walked all the way back to the car to pay. Apart from being rude to Sue and Michael the walk wasn't a hardship as I had this view.

The cloud was rolling in and out under a lovely blue sky.

So I got back to the car and the app still wouldn't log the parking so I went over to the machine to pay my money and the machine wouldn't take it either.
It was free, of course, it would have helped being a tad more observant of the notices 

I have scrapped the photo I took on the way back. How we managed to forget to take one of us I don't know, we are a disgrace to Scrapbooking.

I have used Michelle's great sketch which you can find here.

It is also fitting the criteria for the UKS weekly challenge from Maggie here.

Thanks for coming by.

Down The Rabbit Hole

Hello  

A few things that have caught my eye.

This app has stopped me losing my marbles with having change, fetching change, being late etc.

I made these from Pinterest, they are delicious and surprisingly filling, if you like peanut butter, flapjack and coconut then I recommend, they have kept a week in the fridge really well and took about 5 mins to make. 

I'm thinking of reading this next, I have heard great things about the book and the film.

Have you seen the new Stamping' Up! in-colours? Susi has a great set of cards to showcase them here. I love the Watermelon Wonder, Mint Macaron and Tip-Top Taupe.

My generational view in one post, although I do let my kids out to the park with their friends. I really should make them watch Ski Sunday, Songs Of Praise, Antiques Roadshow and Lovejoy all in a row on a sunday evening without touching their phones, see how they like it. But then I would have to do it too. Sorry Ski Sunday and Antiques Roadshow, I like you now.

Planner Bandwagon

I was the one at the front elbowing to get on this bandwagon. I can't believe it didn't occur to me earlier that scrapbooks and organising could go together so well! Now for the grown-up's amongst you, you probably have had some form of planner/organiser/journal going to keep you on track. Me though, nope.

So what I had was. Calendar downstairs hung on wall that had some stuff on it, if I looked at it it was an achievement. I had the calendar on my devices, that sometimes I updated and sometimes remembered to set an alert and usually when it was really important, I didn't.

  

I had a plain kraft covered lined notebook that I kept in my bag and scrawled notes in. I wish I had kept it to show you but once I had extracted all it's keeper notes then I was happy to bin it. To be fair, it was full and well used. The notes were written here and there, sideways, in huge handwriting, in detailed notes, sketches, all sorts, it was a messy stream of consciousness. 

So when my friend Sue sent me a link to this video from Nancy Damiano showing how she had set one up, well, I was stalking anything and everything to do with planners. In the end I decided to make my own with the SS album as my base. Eventually I found a 6x8 in turquoise which is the one I thought I wanted.

Why is it so hard to buy the scrapbook albums I want?

 

It came with 10 pockets, mostly divided. I bought a filofax day to day calendar where I can see a week in one view which perfectly fit the rings. I also took the planner into Ryman and measured up their A5 paper pads in ruled and squared paper. They fit the rings, so I bought those, I took the pads apart and slotted them in. Of course, that is just the basics. I then needed to buy or collect pretties. I bought Staedtler triplus pen sets in fine and medium nibs. Highlighters, a plethora of post-it's in various sizes, including the tabs. I picked some washi to complement and stuck one on a dispenser for ease. I also picked a couple of stamp sets (although I rarely use them) including a little alphabet.

When I was on retreat I had the best time setting it up, sad I know!

Yes, that is me, scrapping paper in bed to go in the new album. I should apologise? Maybe not :-)

So there is an overview, Alexa suggested I expand on the Bullet Journal idea that I mentioned here. So I will try and do that next week and show you how I am getting on.

In all seriousness though I am so much more productive and that was important to me as I knew I could fit more things in. It's not about being busier, that isn't an attainment, it's about making the most of the time you have. 

So I am going to call it a win.

Everyday Magic: Cousins

On Easter Sunday, a lot of the family got together to celebrate my Uncle's 80th Birthday. Most of my cousins were there and it was great to catch up with them. It was also really nice to see our children playing together. First cousins once removed I believe.

Gill hid the eggs for them to hunt and they enjoyed themselves and by the end of the afternoon Ali didn't want to leave as they were having so much fun.

I have used some Stamping' Up! designer papers Gold Soiree. I really like them. Nice straightforward patterns after the Webster's I have been using for the last few weeks.

The QR Code is included so I can scan to the video directly.


I haven't done that for a while but Susi reminded me about it. Also I have fibre-optic now so not an all night job to upload a video 

I have used a sketch from my story stamp kit from Ali Edwards. The theme was Magic last month and the stamp set is great.

This is the double layout together. 

And with the 6x12 journaling in the middle.

Thanks for reading today.

Down The Rabbit Hole

Hello 
Thanks for all the lovely comments on my recent posts, I really do appreciate it and I am pretty sure I have replied to all of you. 




Here are a few things that have caught my eye.

1. I watched this a few days ago on BBC iPlayer. I was mesmerised by the end. I have seen this before in real life when I was a kid but I had forgotten what an art and craft it is. There are two others in the series, Metal and Wood so far and I am looking forward to watching them. A reality series I can get onboard with.

2. I was overly excited about Princess Charlotte and I couldn't help smiling over her alternative birth certificate.

3. Sue's Sketch Challenge is up and it's great as usual. 

4. I have been making a new patio and dreaming of this type of planting. #gettingthere.

5. I listened to this podcast which led to me joining this. 
A few weeks ago I was in a situation that made me stand still in shock with what a man who is young enough to be my son said carelessly and with no filter. It brought me up short that at least some of the next generation aren't changed in their views towards women in the workplace; I have thought about it and worried about it a lot. So, timely and inspirational, I am going to follow along and see what happens. What if...

Thanks for reading 

Cosy Cinema.

We are fortunate enough to still have an independent cinema in our town. We are a smallish seaside town and Vue or the others would never come here, in fact the nearest is a good hour away.
I love movies, I used to think everyone does but I have met quite a few people that don't as a rule. I was thinking about writing this post today about how although I think I will watch all sorts, but actually, it isn't true anymore.
I won't watch horror movies anymore but I loved them as a youngster. Pet Sematary? I loved that movie, watched it a few times, I wouldn't watch it now. 18 rated movies? I would think carefully before watching one, I can count on the fingers of one hand how many I have watched in recent years. Wolf Of Wall Street was admired rather than enjoyed.
But general family, action, adventure, thriller, military, romance, fantasy, I lap it all up. 

When I was small I remember Dad taking me to watch Star Trek, far too frightening for me 
I remember my big cousins taking me to see The Jungle Book and then being gently teased because I was crying, I was mortified 
I remember the saturday morning 'Kids Session' for 50p to keep us off the streets I suspect. There was the Pearl & Dean music, cartoons, The Red Hand Gang serial and then a movie, with great excitement if it was new. There were sweets and I can't remember their name, in a box with chocolate covering and soft centres and I could never decided which flavour to get.
I remember going to see Pretty In Pink 3 times in one week with my friend and desperately wanting to be Andie, I still listen to two songs from the soundtrack regularly! Pretty In Pink by The Psychedelic Furs and If You Leave by OMD in case you are wondering.
I remember going to see Jurassic Park with my boyfriend and taking his little brother and sister to see it.
I remember trekking across London with my best friend (it was after dark and we hadn't been out at night before) to go see Trainspotting at the only cinema we could score tickets. The Tube was covered in the characters faces and the orange advertising they used. Even now after all these years the Underworld Born Slippy music plays in my head as I think of it. That track is still listened to frequently...I see a pattern.

A local family ran the cinema for about 30 years as a true independent but ticket sales eventually meant they had to close the doors as it was so run down, it was a horrible vicious circle to see. 
A smaller independent chain called Merlin took over and renovated it from 1 big screen to 4 screens. One large auditorium, 2 smaller rooms and then what we call the Cosy Cinema, leather sofas and chairs, a proper table for your popcorn and plenty of legroom.
We know we have struck gold when the film we want to see comes up with the magic Screen 7 (I must ask why it is called that when there are only 4!) 
They have a Movie Magic card so you get money off, even more on particular days and times. And we try and go as often as we can to support them and because we love it. I would ideally go every week and just watch what was on, we used to do that as teens as it was something to do, but it isn't always possible. However we do go once or twice a month.
Last month we went to see Insurgent. I wasn't blown away but it was ok. It was in Screen 7 though so it was all the better for that.
Do you enjoy the cinema?
  

More scrapping for challenges on UKS this one was for the Simple Recipe Challenge devised by Leo. I always look forward to doing this one and it went perfectly with The Nest papers from Webster's that I have been cutting to death.

I have another question. How on earth do you peel off and place the bling correctly, if you look at mine you will see it went wrong, it looks like a tired octopus, but it looked great on the cellophane. Any tips gratefully received as I think they are lovely, and I have some more 

Awkward Selfies: Duckfaces and Silly Faces.

A few weeks ago at the end of winter I dragged the boys over to Exmoor and up the hill to Dunkery Beacon. Since I had the concussion (I keep mentioning it, I apologise, no more I promise) I felt horrible and not able to drive and as I was supposed to be going on retreat at the end of the week I thought I would get out and test the driving ability and get some much needed fresh air as I had basically been at work or in bed. Boring, to say the least.

So we drove over to Exmoor and it was fine apart from Louis falling asleep about 5 mins from our destination.

I did take the wrong path up to the Beacon which meant a lot longer route but as soon as I realised I was secretly pleased as I knew they would moan for a while anyway. I hope it is just because they are boys but maybe it is just mine! They struggle at the beginning of going anywhere and I have to smile serenely through the nonsense until they relax and start to enjoy themselves or I crack and scream at them like a harpy (seems unlikely I know...)

For Ali relaxing meant once he had finished the climb to the top; as soon as we were on the peak and going along the flat he cheered up. 
Louis was a dear as usual (I treasure that about you Louis) and as he is taking photography GCSE (where was that when I was younger, oh the career I could have enjoyed ☺️) I handed over the camera and he had a play, I was thrilled at his progress, he has really paid attention to his composition, lead in lines etc. taking detail as well as bigger picture stuff. I am so proud to see him excelling at it.

The time with them up at the top was precious to me, just listening to them and for them to have me listen, (I rush in and out a lot on them) I heard lots of random trivia and facts, Louis knew about some of the geography and Ali had obviously been in his animal book again. I wonder at how they change so quickly, how their interactions change as their age gap sometimes feels wider and sometimes narrower.

I scrapped the photos at our recent retreat for a variety of challenges set at UKS.

And the layouts all sit in the album with a 6x12 journaling page and some pocket pages telling some of the story.

I used tons of my Webster's Nest kit, sadly now coming to an end as I have used it on quite a few more layouts...I am tempted to replenish it!