my view...

although I feel I'm on holiday all the time here, it's time to move on... and here it is... I will be moving and be able to look at this stunning view every single day... fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and very soon it will all be mine! I feel privileged to be part of such a beautiful location and I know I'll be happy there... x

what a week... !

I'm rarely stuck for words... but I guess the past few days have just been so extraordinary that I just can't write what I'd like to say easily... so much has happened in such a short space of time and I've gone from excitement to trepidation, from fear to calm and back again. I may be a piscean but I am no water baby. Ferries frighten me and floods do too now! I've never been keen on large volumes of water. Why do you think I joined a spa where the pool is all the same depth and I know I can touch the bottom!

Spending 9 hours in the car on Friday and driving through the most amazing floods was certainly a new and quite frightening experience for me. I have laughed and cried today and I'm still in shock. I know I should feel lucky, and I'm sure I will...

What started out as being quite exciting, turned into a bit of a drama and I'm so glad Rich was with me. I'd never have got through all the floods without his encouragement. Each flood seemed deeper and longer than the last and it was sheer luck that we managed to get through each one. Here is the place where the videos can be found of my latest mini adventure!

http://annasminiadventures.blogspot.com/

Every road into Chelts was blocked with traffic or closed so having tried each one and had to turn back, I ended up on the M5. 3 hours sitting between junctions and another hour on the slip road up to the Tewks junction. The sight of the flood just before the army barracks was unreal. Cars strewn on the grass verges and the sides of the road and as they gave up the ghost, so people ran into the flood to push them out of the way. Of course, there was no way you could turn around to go back either, you just had to follow the line of traffic in front and hope.

The Evesham road was worse for the fact that it was now quite dark and every flood of water was longer and people were stuck trying to push their cars so blocking the road ahead. After another nerve racking assault on more stretches of water with currents and waves this time, I realised we were almost home and I'd never been so glad to get back. Of course, the 4x4s at the end of the village meant just one thing. There was no way I was going to get any further.

I had mixed feelings about having to abandon my little min at the end of the lane. Glad we were close to home but not happy about the large expanse of water between us and the house. That was a frightening experience and another first for me! At the point where the brook runs across the village the current was pulling us both and with my clothes soaking wet then I was just hoping that we had reached the deepest part of the flood. It was a surreal experience to be wading through water up to my bum, drenched by the pouring rain in the dark. You could only hear the rushing water and there were no lights or anyone around in the flooded homes at the end of the village.

Today there are still abandoned cars as you drive into Cheltenham and the mere sight of a puddle unsettles me. And the water has been turned off because it's contaminated, possibly off until Wednesday. JOY! No hair washing, no drinking water, no dishwasher, no shower, no hot water, no washing machine...

But hey ho, I'm still here and I'm sure I'll get over it and thank goodness my new place is up high!

Surprise yourself today!

Every so often I do something that is breathtaking and brilliant! I surprise myself with my decisive skills and leave others stunned and amazed. Today was such a day. More later.. x

The BEST places are never far away...

Who'd have thought it? That Ginger gets everywhere! I found these fabulous framed gingerbread people hanging around in Hobbs Bakery. Aren't these the best notices to help us distinguish whether it's a door for girls, or guys?! I love them and love their humour almost as much as I love Hobbs in Nailsworth. Fantastic choices for a real foodie, really kind staff, it's a little gem of a place for a spot of lunch.



Today was a tin of sardines and their own very yummy toasted bread. Simple food served with a smile, it's hard to get out of the door without one of those enormous meringues! What more could a girl ask for I wonder?! Nailsworth also has the most lovely little card shops for inspiration, Williams Kitchen and estate agents galore! I can feel yet another forray into the wonderful world of house buying coming on!

Weather is here... wish you were beautiful...

Received a postcard yesterday from one of my favourite places. I love San Fran. My postcard has apparently been on it's way for over 3 weeks... what a journey its made and I wish I'd been part of that journey. I have such happy memories of San Fran... dining at the beautiful fish restaurant... fabulous hotels... visting Donna and her lovely studio... my chauffeur ride back to the city... going to Yosemite... Lake Tahoe... Vegas... the interesting tourbus ride... I must visit again one day... x I love receiving postcards. People rarely send them these days, yet they are such a lovely thing to do. It's great to remember friends at home when you're sitting on your balcony overlooking the ocean sipping a cocktail...mmm... or just sitting on a bench somewhere watching the world go by... x

Scrap Saturday...

Ginger is here to stay... well, not forever, for just a few days scrappin! Had my dose of Curry's and BT too! 82 minutes til BT decided I was worthy of an answer... and Currys are just the most impossibly rubbish company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. Both need scrappin!
I'm just having a break from the second mini album of the weekend... phew... Tash's is almost finished... Naomi's is in progress... they are fab! Apart from that then I haven't set foot out of the house today. Must take some photos...

That's what friends are for...

Making you smile and have wishful, holiday moments. I received this delightful little parcel and look what's inside. When I go away I'll have a wizzy new radley cover for my passport! Thank you so much lovely Amanda, I love it! Who said Friday 13th was unlucky?! x

Sundays are for sharing with friends....

What a flirty hat... it gets about a bit!!

Me & Top Totty!


Here's Fi & me on Minchinhampton common...

Ellie and me...

Tell them you love them today...

A friend of mine lost something today that she can't replace. Something very precious and personal, that's where I've been. It's easy to take so much we have for granted, it's only when something or someone is lost that we can really feel the true depth of that loss. I feel tremendously lucky today. I am still able to tell both my parents that I love them... x

A Mother should know...

I went to visit my parents today and my mum said 'Would you like a biscuit?'... then out it came... 'Do you like bourbon biscuits?!' I had to explain why I found that so funny and needless to say, I had shortbread!

What every girl needs...

Tea and biccies... butterscotch limited edition ones! Woo hoo, things are looking up on the biscuit front. What kind of biscuit are you? I think I'm a bit of a jammie dodger to be honest. Quite childish and definately gooey inside. If you were a digestive, I'd imagine you to be quite sensible, but covered in chocolate, oh la la, you're now very moorish and suddenly very dunkable! If you think you're a chocolate bourbon, I'm sorry, but I wouldn't like you. Never have, never will.... why not change and be a delicious custard cream? Scrummy crispy shortcake with delicious custard cream inside... yum, I think I love you! x

Guess what...?

ABSOLUTELY!

As hard as A, Bt & Curry's

The worst companies on the planet! 87 minutes on the phone to BT today to request a connection for the apartment! 3 advisors later and they still need to call me back. As for Curry's, they are just so bad! Rant over.. no headache either, they are really not worth it.. the sun is shining and I've got a lot of cards to design this afternoon... woo hoo!

What a week that was?! Deja Vu...

It feels like I'm climbing a wall and getting stuck before I get the chance to peer over the top and see what's out there. I caught the end of a short story on the radio this morning. There were two wolves fighting, one kind, positive and friendly, the other jealous, miserable and negative. Asked which one won, the storyteller said "The one you feed'... how true is that?! Positive thoughts generate more positive thoughts, going around muttering under my breath won't change a thing. Meg Ryan got it right in 'You've got mail' and yes, the thoughts are the same, and it isn't my fault. Thank goodness I kept my diaries. Fate plays strange tricks and I could never have known that a train journey 4 years ago would be so important! Woo hoo spooky!

Give something special...

Give something that you can replace... that red stuff that rushes around your body and gives life to complete strangers. And there was time for tea and biscuits afterwards... hurrah! x

Muppets!!

Why is it so difficult to get a job done? Liz should have had a sparkly new fridge freezer and washer installed into the apartment today. That would have been too easy! Added to the fiasco yesterday with the doors, then she is so not a happy bunny. The good news is that they did come yesterday and replace the interior doors that didn't fit. The bad news is that when Liz closed her bedroom door, she couldn't get it open again! No clothes, no bed, no fun sleeping on a sofa bed in the lounge with a blanket that thankfully she'd left in the spare room! Tonight the fridge freezer, which is large enough for her to get inside, is so close to the unit that she can't open the door... and they haven't put the plug in the socket correctly so it won't work. And they haven't connected up the washer because they failed to see the bright orange connector that Liz left in the enormous gap where the washer needs to go, and they left without installing it. Oh how I love being a landlady... not!

You know what…?

I’m going to wait for Mr Darcy. The fantasy feels better than the reality at this moment… he may not have a mobile phone but perhaps that's a good thing... I won't be kept waiting and he won't let me down… x

I just love this... always have.. always will... x

reminds me of the thoughts I feel inside... you know those ones that won't be washed away so easily... the ones that make you feel alive every morning when you wake... the pieces of the jigsaw that you've given away that meant so much... the ones that make you smile when you remember the good times... the painful ones that made it so hard to walk away... the funny ones that give you butterflies... just like kisses in the rain... the tears may fall but the sun still shines and that's reason enough to be happy... x

A Memorable day!

Though I wish it was for something more memorable! I got a speeding fine and 3 points today, how great is that?! Apparently picking Liz up from Evesham station last Monday after the floods I drove at 35 mph in a 30 mph zone... how do these people sleep at night?!!!! There are words... but I'll just mutter them under my breath and shout them very loudly when I'm next in my car!!

Mud, music and morrison

Yes, it's me... incognito! A girl needs a hat when there's inclement weather about and she needs to look her best! Sassy hat and glasses, the way to get yourself noticed. Pity we couldn't find the car when we left.. doh... how blonde is that?! But, all in all, the best fun-nite and the perfect antidote to the London experience!

The night is still young... we managed to stop at Tippets for a few drinks, miss the pouring rain and just arrive in time for JM! Fabulous...

Everyone's favourite tracks including Wonderful World, Pieces don"t fit anymore, Undiscovered, If the rain must fall and my favourite 'You give me something'... he's such a talented young guy, completely genuine, great voice and vocals... it was such a brilliant evening.

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

Pink top, blue top...

Golly, how many blogs does one girl need?! My work blogs go live in the next week or so, which means there will soon be two more annablogs! I already stay up late to write this one, with two more on the go, plus the online video diaries we shot today, I can see me having no sleep at all! I'm excited though, I love blogging and it's more fun than I've had for ages! Pink top, blue top, pink top and we're not talking biros here, that was just my quick change wardrobe! Thank goodness there aren't any cameras in the stairwells!

The upside... the downside... what a journey...

Don't you just love moving into a new place?! There's something really refreshing about starting from scratch and making choices about how you want to live. I have to say, Liz has done a brilliant job choosing some fantastic pieces of furniture including wardrobes, chest of drawers, mirrors, lampshades, fantastic canvas, mattress, sofa, sofabed, shelving unit for the lounge, table & four chairs and a doormat!

There's a sofabed in there somewhere! Just a small really cheap one for the spare room. The place is going to be transformed and I am happy because Liz is happy!

Living in London has its downside! Liz parked her car just for an hour and came back to find it had disappeared! It's an odd society that feels the need to be so mistrustful. There's no leeway, no second chance, park your car in the wrong place and the council comes along and takes it! It's a horrible feeling when you have no idea of the pending consequences. Here's the depot where I sat waiting for Liz to pay her £200. A few scratches later she emerged in sponge bob, happy to have retrieved her car, lesson learnt! London life is so not for me!

London beckons...

Packed up the cars and headed down to London today for the BIG move! What a loooooooooooong day it turned out to be and I have never spent so much time and energy around IKEA! 4 trolleys later, 1 more in the boot of my car and all on 12 small meatballs and a few Swedish fries! It's a great apartment though, much larger than I expected, which sounds kinda odd but as it's a new build, I didn't get to see it beforehand! The 3rd floor is great for the view, but achingly painful when it comes to unpacking and moving boxes. Though Liz in her random kinda way, didn't have many boxes. Lots of bags, lots of random stray items and more clothes, shoes and bags than she'll need in a month! And, there's plenty more where that came from!

Music is in my soul

I found this great image... it reminds me that music runs through my veins and is part of my soul. So many tracks and so many memories, some happy, some sad, some for loved ones, some for those crazy moments with friends. I love to hear a few bars of a song and feel that rush of emotion that makes me feel alive. I can get lost in a song and feel lost without it. Music ignites our memories just the same as if we were looking at a photograph. What are your special tracks?

New Hair Day

I've had a busy day at home working plus new hair! Mum & dad come home from Hungary today too, woo hoo! One more day in Bristol and it could be the start of another great journey. It's going to be a busy one.. a presentation with one of my favourite people, KC; a meeting about creating bios and pod casts, mmm; and a finance meeting where as usual, I will be the special guest! There'll be no attributing those hidden costs to my name when I'm attending!

Keys...

A tenuous link perhaps... but clever! She's a great artist and today is all about 'keys'... the ones I will pick up on Saturday! Today I took ownership of an apartment in London, how cool is that?! It's been a relatively painless journey and all part of the masterplan.Origin ignited its disaster recovery plan this evening which was amusing to say the least. A useful exercise none the less and how thankful am I that I have such lovely girls on my list!

Is it really June?

Oxenton was officially under water today! How cool is this photo... the end of the lane was completely flooded and way to deep for any mini adventures! The gardens turned into rivers and the water was over 4ft high on the bend.
What is this life if full of care... we have plenty of time to stand and stare because we are stranded... ! Which idiot said 'I hope it rains soon?!'

My life is a fantasy...

Where else would you expect to see me with an iron in my hand and a smile on my face?! I love being creative and although I was masquerading as a visitor/photographer/journalist, it wasn't long before I was invited to join the class. There's something quite surreal about sitting crafting with an iron in my hand. A conflict of tasks I call it. Am I doing housework, or crafting... mmm... I think the room full of lively, enthusiastic women made me realise, it's therapy! My fantasy butterflies are suitably uncreased, having been stamped, layered and pressed with a very small encaustic art iron. I wasn't without a bit of help either. I ironed whilst Michele, from C&C, cut up my treasured little butterflies so I could decorate them with tiny gems. Perfect for cards, they would also make brilliant decorations for a handbag or a key charm. Thank you Audrey!

Me & Judy

Last night I met Judy Balchin, crafter, author and now after-dinner speaker extraordinaire! Judy's enthralled us all with tales of her great escape from hand-drawn lettering to top crafting expert, a leap that has opened doors for her and changed her life. Obviously a member of CA... Crafters Anonymous... Judy wasn't afraid to admit that she never says never when she's offered work. Her quick guide to being a top quilling expert in just a few evenings was very entertaining and I know she found some kindred spirits amongst the audience. Everyone here at the Create & Craft Extravaganza loved her and I can only say, there's another door opened for you Judy!