ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 30TH OF 2023

 Good morning lovely people

tis Friday time for

Can you believe we are already on the 30th post of the year, my news feed this week has been full of all things autumn, but surely summer isn't done with yet?

Needless to say after the excitement of a couple of weeks run up and post wedding, this week has been decidedly work orientated.

Last weekend we set about completing the stairs, they have been something of an epic task because we've made some seriously big changes, but the task has taken much longer than we expected if I'm honest.  So last weekend was the big push to get it finished (nearly almost).

We installed the bannister, filled holes and repainted it, touched up paintwork, decided where the pictures were going, reassembled my heart wall. 

We worked tirelessly on Friday and again on Saturday, leaving only one job to do on Sunday - fit the stairs carpet.  Something we have never done and to be honest something I never thought we'd do, but we've done everything else on the stairs ourselves so we thought we would finish it off in style. 

To say I'm pleased is an understatement. I've ordered stair rods to finish it off which arrived yesterday (so another job to do).  I've also got a quote to put on the wall and a little bit of quadrant needed and then we will be at the 100% mark. 

I've already had the "and how are you going to hang your stair garland" question but to be honest, the original bannister was not a favourite of mine and I'm sure we will find a work round nearer Christmas. 

As for the rest of the week it has been very much focused on work, with lazy evenings at the end of mentally busy days. 

I had a catch up with my Mum at the weekend and the honeymooners returned late on Sunday and we had a good catch up on Tuesday.

We were in Morrisons last night and I spied some bargain flowers which had to come home with me, the sunflowers a definite throwback to the wedding a few weeks ago.  

I hope you've had a lovely week.

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 29TH OF 2023

 Good morning lovely people tis Friday time for 

Well I'm sure you will have caught up on our escapades at the weekend as said 22 year old married the love of his life in the most beautiful of ceremonies. 

But let's start with last Friday, both me and hubby were off so we headed to the venue to assist and help on the preparation.  

We sorted table decorations and aisle decorations and sorted a giant flower ring and worked diligently until the whole room was sorted, it took us some hours.  

We then headed home and sorted out the sweets for the sweet table, initially with pretty papers on boxes before I changed my mind and started sterilising jars instead and then in the early evening we headed back to the venue to get things sorted. 

My now daughter in law arrived (as she'd been working all day) and was very emotional to see everything ready, she was really pleased and hadn't really been able to visualise it. 

The day of the wedding said 22 year old had stayed overnight with us, the first time he had since officially moving out when they got their flat back in February. 

We had an incredibly leisurely morning, he went shopping for a few things, collected his best man, visited both his Grandad's graves, dropped things at the venue and was still all ready for 1.15pm when the videographer turned up. 

We headed to the venue not long after, caught up with lots of family and then the ceremony itself. 

At this point, the nerves hadn't kicked in.  They had a violinist play their favourite music (Linkin Park, Bring me the Horizon etc) and then the bride arrived. 

I don't think I've ever been to such an emotional wedding, we genuinely were all crying tears of joy, the whole service was beautiful and soon they were posing as man and wife for their wedding photos. 

Here they are with my niece (the chief bridesmaid/maid of honour) and my niece's other half who was the best man. 

The weather was appalling but we had photographers and videographers who were used to fighting with the British weather and genuinely just made the most of the gaps in the clouds. 

Photo of my first cousin on the right, her daughter on my left and my Mum

The happy couple

Me and the hubster, we polished up OK

My fascinator genuinely didn't last very long

and the wedding cake

My sister, my Mum and me

My niece and my sister

We had the very best of days, so much love and laughter. 

We enjoyed a cream tea, then in the evening their was a hot buffet and a DJ with my sister and my new daughter in law dancing the night away with my niece and her other half. 

We finally headed home early into Sunday morning, got home, changed and ate warmed up pizza in bed as we genuinely couldn't remember eating that much during the day. 

Sunday my niece and sister came over for a pancake breakfast. 

We saw the newlyweds a couple of times before they headed off for their honeymoon in Cornwall.  

And we've been recovering from it all week, I hadn't realised just how stressed out I'd got before the big day, but it really was the very best of days. 

I hope you've all had a lovely week. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 28TH OF 2023

 Morning all

Tis Friday time for

So as promised last week after our hen and stag weekend at Center Parcs we headed straight off to join the original holiday we had booked at Scarborough.  A mad dash home, a quick washload, a repack and we were on the road again and in under 2 hours we were in our next location with the most beautiful view over the north bay at Scarborough

The view the other way

Our holiday let the week a lovely apartment overlooking the north bay, we were up on the 4th floor, so the stairs all week kept me active (I don't do lifts).  It was a great base and unusually for us rather than heading out in the car everyday we left the car where it was and utilised the remainder of the week to explore Scarborough. 

Scarborough was my childhood holiday as I had a great Aunty who lived there.  

On the Tuesday we headed out and ventured to Scarborough Castle up on top of the hill, putting our English Heritage membership through its paces. 

We enjoyed the history given via the audio guides and wandering the site with fantastic views of both the south bay and the north bay. 

We had blue skies and wispy clouds for the day

Then we headed into town and then wandered back up the hillside taking a shot of the Grand Hotel, when built the biggest hotel in Europe.  It is still a stunning building but reviews for it these days indicate it is a far cry from its original self.  With 4 towers representing the seasons, 12 floors representing the months of the year and 365 rooms representing the days in the year it is beautiful.  It also had an underground train line to deal with all the washing apparently. 

Wednesday was gig day we decided to head to the towns art galleries.  First Scarborough's Art Gallery proved a treat, with lots of artwork including some mixed media.

I loved this wreath

Probably one of the most fun pieces this one was called 'Hello', the fabric at the back had been 'snow dyed' 

Then we headed next door to the Woodend gallery which although small (and predominantly apartments) still provided some eye fodder and a lovely cafe to sit and enjoy the surroundings. 

Then off down the hillside to find the Rotunda museum, originally created to house lots of pieces of the natural world, the building itself it beautiful. 

Back out and we hadn't realised the bridge over the roundabout was actually pedestrian

and we found another cliffside tram, although this one wasn't operable - it was a cafe instead

We headed back to the apartment and got ready and then headed out to a lengthy queue to watch Hollywood Vampires.  I had to giggle when hubby brought me my drink, as you will probably know I've been teetotal for years, so the idea that someone considers water liquid death seemed somewhat amusing. 

We enjoyed the support band 'Those Damn Crows' a Welsh band going on the dulcet tones of the lead singer.  Then the main gig

Lead singer Alice Cooper, with Johnny Depp and Joe Perry playing guitar and Tommy Henriksen they were exceptionally good live and we enjoyed the gig even more than we thought we would. 

Thursday and another wander around Scarborough this time Peasholm park, we enjoyed the ravine walk up to the top of the park

and the blue skies and trees

then we headed into the main park for the Naval Sea Battle 

I remember seeing this as a child, so it was a novelty to attend again as an adult, hubby was bemused. 

The boats appear radio controlled, but do actually have crew inside them. 

It was fun to watch and brought back some childhood memories. 

Friday and our final day at Scarborough (and another gig).  We decided to walk from the north bay to the south bay along the marine road, there are markers along the way providing history of Scarborough that proved interesting.  I don't think I'd appreciated that the two bays weren't originally linked but a roadway was created during the Victorian era to join the two, which we enjoyed walking along. 

We found some bits in town before heading back along the same road finding this bathing sculpture at the end.  There had been a few pieces of information during the week about the bathing huts that they used to wheel into the sea and then wheel out again due to the insistence of modesty for bathers.  

Then back to the apartment for a shower and to get changed and then head out to gig number 2, Tom Grennan with two support bands.  'Flawes' were excellent to listen to but 'Matilda Mann' seemed a little insipid, just not our taste in music.  Tom Grennan however was an absolute ball full of energy and provided great entertainment.  The only element that 'spoilt' it is that the demographic for the gig appeared to be (and I don't like stereotyping but here goes), middle aged Mums who were quite honestly so very very drunk, there were a few blokes there and a number of families but the drunk mum brigade really weren't attractive to watch, the gaggle in front of us were drunk before they sat down possibly not helped by the venue selling full bottles of wine.  Thankfully it didn't spoil it too much but if I'd have laid odds on the most badly behaved audience I probably would have thought Hollywood Vampires, apparently those that attended that were there for the music alone, whereas Tom Grennan had the drunks - weird. 

Our final morning and the sun was shining, I have seriously missed this view all week as you can imagine but it was nice to have a send off like this, the weather broke on the way home and we got caught in a couple of torrential downpours. 

Said 22 year old and his fiancee came to visit and catch up on Saturday and use my cricut machine so it was lovely to have a natter and some company for a few hours.  Saturday night was spent dosing the last night at the apartment had been overly warm which we hadn't enjoyed if I'm honest, so we'd had little sleep. 

Sunday was a getting the washing sorted day, although I'd got it all on the airers by Saturday teatime anyway I wanted it dry and away before recommencing work on Monday. 

Hubby was at home on Monday as normal and I was in the office, the rest of the week has tripped along at a merry old pace and I find myself back at Friday again. 

Hope you've had a lovely week. 

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY (SATURDAY - SORRY) - 27TH OF 2023

 Good Afternoon I'm over a day late, so sorry but time for 

So apologies for my tardiness but I've had a mighty busy week, we had a weekend away last weekend and then straight into a few days at Scarborough (should have been a week but the weekend last week interrupted that) I'll cover last weekend in this post and this week in next weeks as I doubt very much that we'll do much this week given we are back at work and we are very tired. 

There is no sense to the order of these photos - but I'm going to go with it. 

Last weekend my niece organised a joint stag and hen party at Center Parcs before the big day.  

This is the stag party, said 22 year old, his best man to the left and his Dad to the right, this was before they headed out for a game of pool and some beers at the pub on Saturday night as part of the 'stag' day. 

This is what they did earlier in the day - paintballing which they all enjoyed but had the bruises to show for it in the days after. 

On the other hand us girls enjoyed a lovely spa evening on Saturday

They boys enjoyed squash

Here they are at the paintballing arena again, I'm going to have some fun scrapbooking these. 

We did a family quiz on Saturday night, the hens came 12th, the stags (which included my sister to balance the numbers came 3rd winning a £15 voucher). 

The bride and groom to be before we headed out on Sunday night for a meal

The boys playing pool

and squash 

Meal out my niece and her other half (the maid of honour and bestman). 

The bride and groom to be

Badminton with little enthusiasm although you can't tell it from this picture

My niece had done 'hen do' party bags, I loved the scrunchies

Here we are before enjoying the goodie bags

She'd also organised a craft activity, so we sat sewing for a few hours

The youngsters enjoying the new phone slot at Center parcs

Quiz night, best man and my sister

Hubby and said 22 year old looking very serious lol

Bride to be and my niece

It really was a wonderful weekend to spend time together before the big event, I have so many positive memories that will be heading to a scrapbook layout at some point. 

I hope you've had a wonderful week too.