Hunstanton??? NOOOOO, Skegness!

The day started well... all of us up early, in a good mood, looking forward to a great day out. We originally were going to Hunstanton, but then showed Matthew Skegness on the internet and he said we could go there instead. 

Matthew had a bath, Justin a shave, and I straightened my hair... then disaster! Half an hour before Justin's dad and step mum were due to arrive, water began pouring from the header tank out onto the patio area by the kitchen. Justin will be the first to tell you that he's useless at anything to do with DIY. Luckily, his dad isn't... 

Steve (Justin's dad), turned off the water and went up into the loft and said the fault was the ball valve was kaput. Weird it should go all of a sudden. Anyhoo... on the way to Skegness, we made a quick stop at Homebase and picked up a new ball valve, and headed off.

Skegness is brilliant! SO much to do! Unfortunately we only had about 5 hours there so didn't get to do too much. Matthew loved it there! 

First stop was Harry Ramsbottom's fish and chip restuarant. Lovely!!! Then we went into the amusements, Matthew likes the 2p falls thingies. After that it was onto the pier, then icecream - I really shouldn't have had that being lactose intolerant... I felt ill until I got into bed that night after that! But the icecream was GORGEOUS! It was whippy icecream and the cone is filled with icecream... mmmm... but I did suffer afterwards, lol. After the icecreams, it was on to the beach and we all, except Steve, had a paddle in the sea, it was really warm. 

Matthew, Justin, and Steve, then had a game of cricket. Then it was onto the gift shops to get some rock/fridge magnets etc, and along the sands back towards where we were parked, but first a drink and a final play on the sand. We then had another go in the amusements then a quick nip to the loo.... 20p it costs to go to the loo in Skegness! Silly me didn't realise that after 6pm the turnstile on the exit bit was left open, so I needn't have paid that time... 

We got home around 8.30pm. Justin and Steve went up into the loft and fixed the ball valve... which was a bit touch and go because the bit it had to fit too had corroded quite abit. After that, it was Frankie and Benny's... lovely as usual, and we got home around 11pm. Joan and Steve went back to The Marriot, Matthew watched Thursday's Eastenders, and then we all went to bed at half 11.

Today we were woken up by Matthew at half five this morning saying that the bathroom was flooded! For some reason the cistern had allowed more water in and the overflow pipe had leaked, lol... plus we saw a damp patch on the bedroom ceiling, which we think was caused by yesterday's disaster. We still have no idea why the cistern did what it did, but it didn't do it anymore.

We went to Bury St Edmunds today to visit Justin's 2 aunts, 2 uncles, 2 cousins, and Nan and Grandad. Everyone was really lovely. We'd go to one of one of the aunts and uncles bungalows... the other pair live opposite. The bungalow had a lovely garden, with a fab veggie patch and greenhouse. Matthew had a laugh with his great Uncle Stephen, and great uncle Mark's chocolate labrador. Mind you, it's the wives of those that are Stephen's (Justin's dads) sisters... 

Matthew's Great Grandad gave Matthew £20!! He's putting it in his holiday fund... next year we're staying at Butlins!

Home by around 6pm, all worn out... Joan and Steve then had to drive to Devon... 

Here's some pics!

 LOL @ my hair! 

River... not a great title for a page!

Today I made a page with some photo's taken from a day in Godmanchester (there are more to come! Well, one more anyhoo!). This is a place called The Rec to us locals. It's a very pretty place, and has lots of weeping willow trees. 

I used a mix of papers - K&Co's Mira, and Blue Awning, and a Fancy Pants Beach Bum flock sheet... some Prima flowers, and some jewels.

The colours seem to be very strong in this photo... I took three photo's of it, each with different modes on the camera, and each looked different...

Tomorrow we have Justin's dad and step mum up from Devon. We are going to Hunstanton, Matthew loves the rock pools there. Sunday we're off to Bury St Edmunds to meet Justin's grandparents for the first time - that's me and Matthew meeting them for the first time, of course Justin has met them!! :) 

Sunshine and Love. Oh, and cake!

Last night I created another page from the day out in April at Hinchingbrooke Park. I know it seems that that's the only place we go to... well we don't go to many places lol!

I've fallen in love with a camera lens... It is a Canon 85mm f1.8. If you look on a blog to the right of this page, Slugs on the Refridgerator, the lady on there uses this lens... I want it!!! Click HERE to see the lens. 
Today, Matthew is off school as the teachers are on strike, so we made a cake. It's got almond extract in it... tastes like a bakewell tart lol.

 Before Matthew decorated it...

Don't you just want to stick your finger in and get that bit of jam off?!
...and after Matthew decorated it.

  
Showing off "his" creation!

 "Oops, jam on my finger!"

Sports Day 2011

Matthew had his school sports day today. He was in the green team, and they came second. Matthew likes Sports day, apart from the skipping rope bit lol...

Below are some photos from today, and some more of my lillies, and also a scrap page of the now famous (surely!) Hinchingbrooke Park. 

 The dreaded skipping rope! 

 Matthew with one of his favourite teachers - Mrs Baldock.

I didn't know till tonight that these are lilies! (I changed yesterday's post to say lilies now.) We used to call them the palm trees when they were growing lol.

This is the lovely Hinchingbrooke Park again. These photo's are from when we went in April. I used a Just So Scrappy digital kit and printed out the elements. I do like the cute little ducky hiding from them by the bullrushes.

 

Dull and Gloomy.

That’s what today is. Yesterday it was hot – 29c! Today it is dull and gloooommmmyyyy, but still hot, well, muggy, and we have had a few rumbles of thunder. I hate storms. I hope it’s ok when it’s time to pick Matthew up from school… or he might just have to wait there, hahaha.

I decided to grab the camera and take a few shots of the garden, in it’s full gloom. My pink roses are on a bush that must be around 16 years old. It was bought as a small patio rose, lol… it is lovely. It must have a thousand flowers on it when it’s in full gloom bloom, and I love it! It will die off a little bit towards the end of the summer, but will still keep coming back right up to the beginning of January!

Underneath the rose bush is a couple of stacking pots, with Sweet Williams, and Stocks, both well past their best.

The old recycling tub now has carrots growing in it, there’s potatoes near the back fence, and some other flower which I’ve now forgotten the name of in the shaped tub in front.

Sweet Williams, Viola’s, Marigolds, and Stocks.

 

Beautiful Lilies, grown from a pack of bulbs from the 99p shop!

Rain splashes on the windows lol… just for something different!

I hope the weather is nice for the weekend. We have Justin’s dad and step mum down, so we’ll be out for the day. We’re going to Hunstanton, Norfolk on Saturday, and on Sunday we’re off to Bury St Edmunds to see Justin’s grandparents! Me and Matthew have never met these people!!!

We’ve been watching Wimbledon since it started… and now we’re going to miss both the women’s and men’s finals lol… oh well, Justin was pleased that it wasn’t Silverstone’s Grand Prix this week.

Our boy {Gorgeous}

I created this page yesterday... not one of Justin's favourites apparently, lol. He prefers them with more than one photo on. I told him that sometimes you only need the one photo to tell the story... the story being that I think our boy is gorgeous lol.

I used more of the Beach Bum papers. I just love them!

Hinchingbrooke Park Page… and the trouble with ivy.

Here is a cute lil page I created yesterday of a day out to Hinchingbrooke Park. Other photo’s from the day out are on the blog here.

I used lots of bits of the Do Crafts Woodlands decoupage collection, and a few of the acrylic stamp images.

I need to print the photo of Justin’s bum up in the air to put on another page. Anyhooo… here’s the page and a few close ups too.

 

Now about the ivy…

I have some ivy growing up the shared boundary fence along the side of my house… it’s not much, just a tiny bit pokes up above the fence every so often. My neighbour leans over my side of the fence and cuts it back to 2 inches below on my side. Now you would think that she can’t do that, as I did… so I cut some more ivy and HOT GLUED it to the fence, lol… Well when I got back from Tesco’s with dad today, it was GONE! She has allsorts hanging over the fence on our side, but I leave it alone… so imagine my shock when I do a bit on online searching about boundary fences, and find out she’s right all along!!! I cannot grow anything up my side of the fence because she paid for the fence… better no glue anymore on then!

Jack Frost

Whilst most of the country last December was under 10 foot of snow, we just had frost... but it was amazing frost!! It was SO thick and lasted for most of December. I LOVE winter, so this suited me fine...

I've been talked into helping to run a photography club for the year 5/6's at school from September... the kids have to have a digital camera, and most of the kids do nowadays. Matthew loves his. I got talking to a teacher he sees once a week about what he likes to do, and after mentioning crafting and photography. We'd print the photo's after viewing them on the white boards at school, and then get the kids to create a scrapbook of their work. Matthew will love it!

Anyway, back to Jack Frost... 

... here is the page that I created this morning. I used some Sandylion papers I've had for ages.

We had a trip out last night... 

I always ring dad, since he's been home from hospital/rehab, between 6pm and 7pm every night when I've not seen him in the daytime. Last night, I rang every 5 minutes from half six to have seven, no answer! We got a taxi to take us to dads... and fearing the worst, I sent Justin in first!!! I'm really no good in a crisis. Anyway, there was dad sat on the settee watching telly!!! 

I'd told dad to put his phone on the coffee table during the day, it's one of those cordless ones, and thought it would easier for him to answer/use instead of getting up all the time. Well the stupid thing doesn't like being off it's cradle, and won't ring!! So that was the end of that idea... dad then had a nice trip out driving us home, lol.

Fun Scrappin'.

I've been having fun scrapping more pages. I've used lots of the Fancy Pants Beach Bum collection. I really love it, bright and cheery!

 This is from a day out at Hunstanton, Norfolk, in 2009!! I used the Cricut to cut out the various shapes, and the lettering. I coloured all the letters in with ProMarkers after cutting white card.

 Glittered letters!!!!

 Just in case you missed the little heart and arrow, pointing to a protective hand...

The double layout below is from when we went to Devon in 2008!! This was a day out in Ilfracombe - where Justin left before coming to live with me in sunny Cambridgeshire, lol.

And this one is from a day out in Woolacombe Bay, again, Devon in 2008.

I still have another Hunstanton page that needs to be photographed... I forgot last night.

Here is a photo of the fabby granny stripe blanket's progress. It's very slow, lol, but I pick it up every now and again.

And as you can see, Matthew loves it too!

Christmas Eve scrap page.

I'm enjoying scrapping at the moment. Today I decided to do Christmas Eve 2010... although I still need to do 2009!! Nevermind, I will get to it... Oh I think I need to do 2008 as well actually, lol... Well anyway, back to this one. I used Nitwits digital scrapbook kits and printed off the elements that I wanted, and the patterend papers. I love Nitwits stuff! The ones used are Twas the Night and Nitwitville. (Thanks Jacqui!!)

Tomorrow I shall work on Christmas Day, and also make a bye bye happy retirement card for one of the nurses on A&E. 

 

Below is a photo trying to show the flowersoft used on the bobble and the edging - thanks again Jacqui xxxx

It's still Christmas in my world lol.

I've done TWO pages today. The first one is a simple one... I'm always saying how much I love Christmas, but never really said why, well apart from saying "oohh, I love ....." etc etc. So I thought I'd create a page saying why. It's now going to be the start page to the album.

The second page of today is of Christmas morning, and Matthew opening up his presents. 

I used a mix of papers and embellishments from various bits I've collected over the years. The embellishments on the second page are some that Jacqui sent me for Christmas.