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Brrrr it's cooooold here.  After the warmest January on record (allegedly) it's now the turn of the coldest February. Heavy snow forecast for Wed night/Thurs morning. Do you think I'll get a day off work?!  I've got the gas fire roaring and I'm toasty warm but on the way home I was really cold on the train. Usually, and I'm sure all commuters are the same, I like to sit in the same place on the train, more or less, and that is the place where there is no underseat heating because I find it too hot. But tonight I actually changed places to get a seat that was a bit warmer! That's how cold it was LOL. 

I realised something today that deserves a celebration:  I am up to date with my Council Tax for the first time since I was made redundant 7 years ago. The mind boggles but I'm proud I did it!  My finances are finally coming under control thanks to my new job and increased earning power, and that was the main reason for leaving the hospital.

Ooh silly me, almost forgot what I got in the post today!  I put an order through to Mel at A Trip Down Memory Lane and it arrived so quickly, I'm most impressed. It's my first stash order in a looooooong time.  I got some Phresh and Phunky Basic Grey papers, some black cardstock, some adhesive, some gorgeous rub-on flourishes and some rub-on stitches too. And my favourite, some Heidi Swapp Journaling Spots. In my parcel Mel's mum (thank you!) added some pretty narrow ribbon to colour coordinate with the papers. What a sweet gesture!  I'm so looking forward to doing some scrapping!

Off to bed in a minute - I'm really looking forward to snuggling under the duvet tonight :)

For iPod users...

Did I mention these Gelaskins a while back? I'm sure I did. I found these FAB iPod covers online, and I have applied to be an affiliate. Hope you will all find them as gorgeous as I do. Some of them look like vintage scrapbooking papers!!

Not a quiet Sunday....

How busy have I been this weekend?  This morning I didn't get up that early, but I have still got such a lot done.  First I spray-painted the nasty gilt and black gas fire a nice matt black, so it looks more like a cast iron stove. I then started on the nasty coffee table that Wayne's mum was going to throw out. It was a kind of sponge-painted blue/gold/black affair, but now it is a lovely off-white (still with the dark glass top though) and a lot more suited to our interior. The next step will be to paint the mantlepiece the same off-white because at the moment it has a very reddish varnish on it and I have hated it since we moved in!  I also want to change the ceiling fan, because although it is fantastic in summer, it also has 3 horrible glass lampshades and a nasty gilt finish to the metalwork. Then I am buying wooden venetian blinds for the windows (I took the nets down because the cats kept scratching them, but now people can see in...), changing the horrible green velvet curtains to something nicer, but not sure what; covering the sofas with a set of white tie-on covers I've seen in La Redoute; changing the rug, and, last but not least, pulling up the carpet and sanding down the old Victorian floorboards, which I then want waxed but not varnished. I can't wait! Oh, and I think I might paint the chimney breast a vibrant cerise or something, just to add some colour. Not sure if you can imagine all that, but I think it's going to look cool. We've been here 2 1/2 years and I've done nothing so far, due to lack of funds.

So now it's 11pm and I still haven't finished clearing up. I want to get it all done before we go away next weekend, so I have a lot on my plate!

Oh and I'm uploading my latest LO - one I did of my OH and the way his brain "whirrs"... you can see it in my photo album.

What fun!!

Oh my lord, what a fun time I had last night. I haven't laughed so much in absolutely ages.  Some of my online scrapbooking friends decided to have a little "party" at 10pm last night. We rendez-vous'd online and all entered a private chatroom. When you logged on you were given a number for an identity but you could change it, so at first we all entered our nicknames that we all know each other by. As the conversation went on, someone changed her name to a famous actor, I decided to become George Clooney, someone else became Victoria Beckham so I decided to become David and so on and so forth. The (very witty) conversation was obviously based on the characters we portrayed. I remember there were a few characters from Celebrity Big Brother for a while. Anyway, as the conversation progressed, someone became God so she could tell us she could "see" us all being naughty. At this point I decided to become Jesus (no offence intended at all), and asked "Father? Is that you?". Well, all hell broke loose (literally!) and we were all crying with laughter. I could hardly see the screen and DD was getting seriously worried about me. I guess you had to be there to see the funny side, but it was priceless. Such hysteria after a long, hard week of work....

So anyway, this morning I was up bright and early as I had to go to the bank and a few other things. I met my ex-colleague Leslie while I was in there, and it was nice to catch up. I took my time - had a croissant and a caffe-latte with a shot of "noisette", sat and read a magazine etc - and got back in time for a very late lunch with DD which we ate in front of "The Break Up" with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn.   Actually, it's gorgeous weather out there so I'm heading off out again in a bit.

I just wanted to record that I feel so much happier knowing my finances are slightly more under control, and I have just been able to book our return train from Paris, so we are all set for our trip to see my mum next weekend. Woo hoo!

Jane Bown

I discovered the photographer Jane Bown last year because she was one of the people who took portraits of the Queen for her 80th birthday, and I was so impressed I stored her name away for another day.  Well today is that day! I must get this book for Claire (and me of course).  The way this woman approaches photography is just the way I see it. I'm not so much interested the science of photography - I just love people and faces.... The subject matter is what is most important to me.  I hope to improve my photography by using her experience.

Woohoo! I'm back!

You might have noticed I've been away for a while. Well, I haven't been away as such, just incommunicado due to a few banking problems. I have a new card (that is neither Visa nor Mastercard) so I have entered the details into my Typepad account and I have access. For now!  We'll see when they try and bill the card - it may not work :(

Anyhoo, I'm a very happy bunny at the moment because I got a very unexpected bonus yesterday!  Wow! My bank account hasn't been this healthy in a WHILE!  I need to pay off lots of urgent bills and buy my ticket to France, but now I'm going to go on holiday and have a well earned rest with my momma and my wee girlie, and not worry about how much money I'm spending while I'm away. Don't worry though, I will not be going mad - it's just a relief not to have to count every single little penny and worry that I'll run out and get stranded!

Well, must run.  Cheers to you - I've missed y'all ;)