Ardea cinerea..

I wonder if it notices how cold its feet are...? Perhaps that's why its knees are so high up. Won't fall over because it's got very long toes. Gosh, today, I'm a heron guru! It must be a lonely life being a single, solitary grey heron. Where is its partner, soulmate, fish-flapping buddy to share all those cute, fishy stories with? It stands so still just watching, a young child could take lessons from a heron! Either that, or it's spotted me and my binos eyeing it up, though it's not exactly the singleton I was hoping for! Hey ho, it can stand all day by my big lake because there are plenty more tasty fish for me!

Birthday girls

Liz & Emma are both 25 on Saturday... !! Liz asked me to do 'one of my crazy cards' and send her for her birthday. I wanted to make them both similar cards to celebrate them being born on the same day. Two cute cards with plenty of bling and lippy! x

City girl...

What a busy weekend! Slipped down the stairs on Friday and I think I've broken my toe... hurt like hell on Friday night! Saturday I was determined to drive to London to see Liz. I only managed to hobble from the taxi into a chinese restaurant for lunch in Islington, then got the tube and a bus home. Wow... a bus... that's a first for quite a number of years...! Had a lovely long sleep on her sofa, Liz is very hospitable and it was lovely to stay with her. Her sofa is very comfy and the apartment is fab! Sunday was for a lazy start and the real test.. could I get around London? I wanted to walk across the Millenium bridge across the Thames... We walked from Oxford Street all the way down to the Thames, through Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, past Big Ben, the London Eye, the Oxo tower, St Paul's and across the Millenium bridge. The walk was amazing and it was fantastic to see so many sights, all within an hour of the apartment. I'd love to visit Tate Modern next time I get the chance to walk across the bridge... !

Thames walk...

My weekend...

dozy bird.... yawn... sleepy me!

London Eye...

What a spectacular sight... both from my side of the river and from the London Eye. What goes round, comes around... should have known better when you came around... Justin is... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKXm3Qg7sBo

Look out...

My life is a laugh a minute, (and that's a girly minute, not a blokey one!) I made a mistake, it's not a heron up that tree, nor a hawk but another bird, a kite! Wow... it's got a tail and flaps a lot and it used to be tied to a small child! Doh! It's amazing how clear life becomes with a pair of binos. I've bought this tiny pair with a bit in the middle you can twiddle and a perfect size for my handbag! I have this vision of me peering into someone's window down here and finding a guy staring back at me. I'm astonished you don't need a license for them... ! They'll be great to take to the races for totty spotting and who knows, I may even use them to look at the birds! Well, any red-blooded male would so why can't I?! x

BOOOOOOoooooooooops!

Sitting watching big, grey bird up in tree! Life doesn't get much better, hey! Counter thought... it could be watching me... mmm... need to buy binos because life lacks clarity... working and watching... I just paid my council tax and I think it's time for soup. You know what they say about all work and no play... ! Bad news... I knew it would happen, slipped down my stairs and I hadn't even had a drink... well, only my early morning cup of tea! Hope I haven't broken my toe... it's ouch ;-( Good news... new neighbours must like me because had invite this morning to the headmasters & mistresses xmas eve drinks party! Better practise my jive steps... can't with ouch toe... dam! x

ThankGit'sthursday...

It seems like the longest week in the world.... ! Don't believe anyone who tells you that time passes by at the same speed no matter what.... take trying to get ready in the morning when you've sneaked another 15minutes in bed.. time rushes by and 15 minutes having a shower and drying my hair goes by in a flash! Whereas sitting waiting for someone to get ready to go out and the time just drags... it's time to get myself a watch with 'men' time on it! There's so obviously a difference between 'girl' time... and 'men' time... !! Sat through a dull meeting trying to get through 15 pages of wibble today, yawn, had my video cancelled which wasn't a bad thing, had redesign strategy meeting which was fun and I think I had lunch.... I'm not quite sure. Going out with the lovely Tash tonight so I think we'll go to the Indian and have pineapple and chat to the lovely, young waiters... that's much more fun that staying in!

Roll on Friday! Roll on the weekend! Roll on my week's holibob too... woo hoo!

Having a Vanilla evening...

Went to Vanilla tonight for their beauty open evening. Had a bizarre drive there... only just drove up the hill at the back of the development and the wall had collapsed so squeezed past, then stopped to chat with mr bmw estate man (nice looking but as Nicky correctly pointed out, he's bound to have kids or a dog!) then had to reverse for white van man and hadn't even reached the top of the hill yet! It was pouring down with rain so went through some big puddles and a blooming great stag (with antlers!) ran across the road in front of me... what a journey. Got into Chelts and had to go through some red lights on roadworks because it just wouldn't change... I was so glad when I'd parked the car... ! A top night tho chatting to the great stretched, taut, treated and pampered then had a meal downstairs. It was packed out, very surprising for a Tuesday & Nix enjoyed it too... so her birthday treat went down very well... !

Better late than never...

Fi & Ros came on Sunday so I finally managed to make dad's birthday card! It kinda evolved having decided I wanted to include a photograph I'd taken at Westonbirt with him hiding in the undergrowth! I also wanted to use this folded layout. I think it's kinda nice and it's currently winging it's way by snail mail... only a few days late! I also made on for my little sister who's birthday was last Tuesday...! The best things come to those who wait... and who are exceedingly patient... !

Fi and Ros had a lovely time and they just loved the apartment. Ros is already a wizz at scrapping and Fi, well... who could have predicted all those years ago when we shared a room at college that later in life we'd both be spending our Sunday's scrapping! I feel so so lucky x

A J Lewis day

Wow... went browsing today... wallpaper, paint, bedlinen, lamps... I can feel a spot of decorating coming on! I just adore the new flock papers though a single roll is the price of a small island... and that's without Ant or Dec! And, I bought a short red coat... looks fab! Dave & Lynn escorted me to my neighbours drinks party in the evening and I got to meet lots of my lovely neighbours. I had a taste of jive with C for charming Chris the headmaster who lives in the corner (with his headmistress!), the one with the decking, and they have already been inside my place... apparently! I had a long chat with mr jag man who told me his life story and was with the bonnie, 4ft nothing woman with A for attitude! Bless... Lots of people who I may not see again until the next party... but it was great to take a look at another property, and one with a bigger sink in the downstairs cloaks and very interesting doors... oh to be an interior designer thingummy person... me thinks.. I may go to Jive now on a Thursday to be thrown around by my neighbours... and hopefully get invited to lots more parties... woo hoo!

Guess the fattie...?

NOT ME! One sure fire way to make yourself feel good after a binge evening on bannoffie pie. Went into W for soup and a coffee at lunchtime and who should walk across the road but these two sumo wrestlers! Not a sight you see every day so when they came into the shop I just had to get a photo. No, Nailsworth hasn't gone completely bonkers, the girls were just out collecting for Children in Need. Worth every penny I'd say, for such a good laugh... x

Time for dinner...

Thursday evening was my big night for entertaining my good friend Domique, her friend Russell (the LM, as Ginger has nicknamed him!) and his friend Big Ben... though I have no idea why he should deserve such a title! They loved my place though I'd have to say, there was a bit of an atmosphere! My friend Ginger is so right! Sometimes you just don't notice something about someone until a friend... Ginger... points it out to you. Then, it's like a thunder bolt has hit you. It's as if suddenly all their failings (Gosh, I hope she's not talking about me!) become magnified and you can clearly see what they are really like. Mmm, thankfully Ben was polite, fun, easy-going and kept the evening light and he gave Dom a lift home in his sparkly new mini... glad to see there are still some nice guys left in this world... x

Woo hoo...

It's not often that you walk into your appraisal and walk out with a bottle of champagne! woo hoo...!! Not that I can take the credit for it... but hey ho...

It's been a long day... went to Newcastle.. wey hey.. yesterday and spent the day at Coats. I must get a projector for my bedroom, perhaps it will make me sleep better!! Flying does take it out of one... don't you think...? Knackering, I'd say... so I was quite surprised this morning when I felt okay to go to work. Another day in the office and an evening with an Indian takeaway from the Passage to India... and CW! Life can change at the flip of a coin... (note to self - beware of it flipping right back!) xx

Angel of the North

Standing 20 metres high and costing 1million pounds, yes, I saw the Angel of the North. It's nothing more spectacular than a sculpture that everyone who's ever been to the entrance to Tyneside will point out to you saying 'there's the Angel of the North'. It's infinately better than many roadside buildings and as a piece of sculpture, it's a pretty amazing to be able to withstand the 100mph winds that batter its steel structure. It weighs 208tonnes and was created to take on the form of the artist Anthony Gormley's own body!! Yikes!!

Herald the heron!

And yes the photo is rubbish but it is a heron, how fantastic! I really need a pair of binoculars because there must be other birds here that I can't see with the naked I. That's my eye that's naked, not me! x

I'm back...!

And it feels great...! The swans are back too, woo hoo! I'm here in my apartment and just loving it! I've had the most amazing week with Ginger. We've scrapped, laughed, cried, explored, ignored, talked, listened, slept, left, eaten, winged, planned and just had brilliant fun. It's been a roller coaster of a week with one thing and another. Nothing is plain sailing and I'm drained really but nothing a few hours charging my batteries won't cure. I have a lot of catching up to do on here with being at the show, shopping, dodging, shmoozing and I almost forgot... I'm a US radio star! I'll write more later, but for now... take a look here... scroll down and click on the link to listen to me wibbling on with Danielle, the Craft Diva and Rayme, the Duke of Craft... he he...

http://www.divacraftlounge.com/

ps and someone stole my mobile... what a week!

saw this and just thought...

I really, really need it....

We've just come back from a shopping spree in Paperarts and managed to buy just a few more bits and pieces. Stuff we really needed of course because I just don't have the right shade of card or paper, or anything come to think of it! Some of the papers are yummy and perfect for all the homework I have to do! X

Guess who's arrived... ?!

My bestest scrapping buddy.. Ginger!


Along with her stash! woo hoo.... !!


She's taken over my studio... OMG... with her trolley, tote, boxes, bags and I just love it!

The way to a bird's heart...

This was my salad today, millet! Yes, you heard right... food for birdies...! I'm going to be chirpping all evening like an old bird.. he he! It was fab tho, as it always is. I sat outside with my 'millet salad' (I can see my bird giving me very strange looks this afternoon) which had pine nuts, spinach, feta and roasted veg and a large capuccino. A vast improvement on yesterday's lunch in Bristol which was exceptionally boring! How can a tiny bowl of millet bring such joy? x

what's on my mind... ?

work... and most likely.. more work.. sitting here tonight writing I realise that I've been absorbed by it today. Best moment of the day was catching the eye of the good looking guy in Nat West! That's as good as it gets... so much for the white rabbits and a new november. absorb... blueberries... close... drivin... expectations... financemeeting... gregshome... homework4me&ging... indianIdidn'thave... jerks... k... lovelycathymcK... miss... natwest... oi... proposalforc&c... queuein... r... secrets'nslippyshoes... tuna... understanding... valuableclue... willy-wangers!... x... y... z...