LSNED day 27

We took Nicholas back to university today.  So I saw his house that he is sharing with 3 others.  It is really nice.  Nicholas has  the attic room, and has quite a stunning view over Bath.  I learned that I feel a little bit envious of him!  It is so exciting to be sharing the house with others just like him, and Bath is such a beautiful town!  (Top picture is of us just after eating a bacon, egg and sausage roll at the little snack bus in a layby just outside Salisbury!  YUM!)

LSNED day 26

  We went to my oldest school friend’s 50th birthday party this afternoon.  Here she is with her daughter.  We had a really super time, and it was lovely to see her family again. 

LSNED day 25

Another spiders web I am afraid!  I tried some more pics again this morning, as I was watering the garden, so wetted them with my hose!  Poor spiders!  Anyway this ties in nicely with what I have learned today:  That it is a very good year for spiders and daddy long legs!  Good for the birds too!

LSNED day 24

Today I have been learning how to use my macro lens to take photos of spiders webs!  Here are my 2 best ones out of about 50 deleted.  I sprayed the web with a very fine mister, but really left it too late in the day, I should have had more sunlight.  Oh well, I will try again tomorrow!

LSNED day 23

Today I have learned how to plug in a printer (LOL!) and how to use Windows Live Writer for my blog posts. I am cheating a bit here with an old photo because to my embarrassment I haven’t taken any today.

LSNED day 22

Here's a better picture taken on Wednesday!

Sorry about the poor quality of this photo! I might take another one tomorrow in the light. Perhaps my lesson should be to not take photos after dark! The flash on my Nikon is USELESS! Anyway this is a 'before' picture of my 3 dresser drawers. I had an 'aha!' moment today on my Organise 101 course (http://www.simplify101.com/). Aby suggests a very tiny project to use as a learning tool, but I thought I could do the whole of my dining/draft room! After reading lesson 3, I decided to tackle these 3 drawers. They house mostly stuff that I never use! How silly is that! They are right behind me when I sit at the table to scrap, so 'prime real estate'! So they are going to emptied and reorganised with scrapbooking related things. Watch this space for the 'after' photo!

LSNED day 21

Today I learned that it is not that difficult to put spare photos away once I have used them for scrapping! I have this Creative Memories box that is in categories a la Stacey Julian's 'Photo Freedom' system. I spent time setting it up, but I just haven't got inot the habit of putting the spare ones back after I have chosen which ones to scrap. So tonight I spent an hour or so putting all the little piles of photos away. It feels really good!

LSNED day 20

Today is Worthing Pier day! Fun and frolics on the pier. Actually it was a bit disappointing, and the sun was not out. But as you can see from this pic, plenty of people on the pier.

Today I learned that during WW2, part of the middle of the pier was demolihed to make it harder for the Germans to land! We also found out that there is a nice little kiosk on the pier selling coffee for 80p a cup - not bad!

LSNED day 19

Today I learned that I can make a cake! (But I can't make flapjacks, they were burnt!!) Thanks Deb for the inspiration. You have some lovely pictures of cake on your blog, so i decided to make one as DH was finalyy getting some decorating done!

LSNED day 18

Today I learned that it is not so easy choosing wallpaper and paint! I think we have decided on this pale cream wallpaper for the wall behind the bed, then I need to choose paint to go with it. My 2 friends have been round for coffee this morning and both agree that the paper goes well with the curtains (they are in good condition and I did make them - so want to keep them if possible) . So I do feel more positive, so will go and buy it this afternoon!

LSNED day 17

Today I learned that there is nothing like a cup of tea, a weightwatchers chocolate bar, and a scrapbooking magazine to revive me half way through my housework! I am trying to forge a new routine now that I am working 2.5 days per week. Thursday afternoons will be my shopping and housework time, so that I can play on Fridays!

LSNED day 16

Today I learned that if you keep doing a little bit of gardening regularly, it doesn't get out of hand and become overwhelming! Mum has been helping me over the winter and this summer. I guess we garden for about 2 hours once or twice a month. Even that small amount of time has kept the garden reasonbly tidy this summer! (I am not very pleased with this photo, unfortunately the sun had gone from the garden by the time I took this - and the grass needs cutting - that's DH's job!)

LSNED day 15

I am learning a lot about being part of the team at work. Lucy the adminstrator left on Friday, and tonight we had a leaving do for her at Judi's house. I am constantly amazed at how close knit the team is, yet welcoming to me and other newcomers!

Here's Lucy looking at her scrapbook we made for her with photos of the building and the team. She loved it!

LSNED day 14

Today I learned that it is not so bad to say NO! Burnice and I have been going to Crawley crop for quite a while, and we do enjoy it. They really are a very nice bunch of girls. But, it is getting a bit expensive now it's run as a Stamping Up crop, and it is a very long way to go on dark Monday evenings. So we decided to say we won't go anymore. But, we were nervous about saying it!!! But everyone understood, and they said nice things about us, so it wasn't so bad after all! Here's the LO I made tonight. Gorgeous colours!

LSNED day 13

Today I learned that unless we actually get in there with our paintbrushes, the bedroom decorating will not get finished!

LSNED day 12

Today we visited Sammy Millers Motorcycle Museum in the New Forest. I learned that there is nothing to compare with the design and beauty of these Vincent motorcycles built in the1950s. The quality is second to none! There was a whole line of them - worth £000,000s.

LSNED day 11

Today I learned that I am still fascinated by Family History. I have had a subscription to 'Your Family Tree' for some time, and the last one arrived today. I was reading it while I ate my lunch, and was really inspired! Just got to find the time to do some now!

LSNED day 10

Here's another lesson I learn every year about this time! My big cedar tree has these little brown flower thingys, and every Autumn they open up and let out clouds and clouds of pollen! Look at the seat of my bench! Everything gets covered in this yellow dust. It makes such a mess!

LSNED day 9

Today I learned a lesson I learn every winter, but don't do anything about! If you want nice boots, you have to buy them early! SO today I bought these from M&S. Aren't they lovely?

LSNED day 8

What a great day! Today I learned that is really nice to meet up with forum friends, and even better when it involves my favourite craft shop! (The Craft Barn in Lingfield, Surrey)

Here are some of my team, the Scrapettes, on UKS. From l-r, Karen, Sara, Pat, Geraldine and me. (Sorry about the shadow on Sara's face!)

LSNED day 7

Today I learned that I really can't do without my 8 hours sleep a night! We were up late on saturday picking Lucy up from Gatwick at 11pm, so didn't get a good night's sleep. Better get some early nights this week! A reminder to a lesson I have known for some time really - but needs to be reinforced every now and then.

LSNED day 6

Today I learned that I have loads more plastic carrier bags than I thought I had! I decided to spend my 15 mins of organising in the porch, sorting out all the bags! I keep this one full of carrier bags to take to the supermarket with me, but lately they have all had holes in them! So I got them all out and checked them. There is also a pile of them in the larder in the kitchen so I consolidated, and found I actually do have quite a few without holes in!

LSNED day 5

Today I learned all the different ways of using cordinations paper. We had a little challenge at our crop in Brighton to use this paper in our page of the day competition. I chose some pale paper with an aqua core. The bit behind the snadcastle is embossed with my cuttlebug, then sanded to show the core. The scalloped edge is torn along a scalloped ruler. I did also try a piece I had scrunched then sanded, but I didn't like that so Itook it off. I might add 2 more circles of pp along the top. This Lo is to go in the album I am doing for Lucy to give her when she is 18 in December.

Here's a close up of the embossed piece. I quite like this.

LSNED day 4

Today I learned that it is not necessarily a good idea to go to a brand new supermarket. Morrisons has only just opened in Worthing this week, and it was packed! 5 deep at the checkouts! But I also learned that it will be cheaper than Waitrose! (But maybe not quite so nice!)

LSNED day 3

Today I learned that Autumn is only just around the corner! Very windy and rainy at the moment. And as I got my crocs so dirty yesterday I wore some of Lucy's old trainers, and I learned that the wind whistles through the mesh that they are made of!

LSNED day 2

This afternoon we took Merlin for a long walk round Ferring and stopped at the Bluebird cafe on the seafront for a mug of tea! I learned that there has bee a cafe on that spot for 85 years!

September 1st

For September, I am following Shimelle's class, Learn Something New Every Day (LSNED)

Today I have learned how lovely it is to have Maurice back after 2 weeks! (even though he has emptied his bags all over the floor!