ROCKING YOUR WORLD SATURDAY? REALLY HOW DID I MANAGE THAT!

Yes I know I'm 24 hours late, don't ask me how I managed it, something to do with being off work, having 'down time' (yes I am really a computer) and not clocking the days of the week.  When I woke this morning, I woke with a start, couldn't understand why and then couldn't fathom out whether we were on Friday or Saturday I've come downstairs and found out it's Saturday so apologies for my lateness - I don't know what got into me!

Given that we are now on the 29th - this is officially the last Rocking post of 2012 and as such maybe it's time for a general 2012 Rocking Round Up. 

My grateful's for the year look something along the lines of 

• My blogging friends, those of you who happen along once in a year, a month, a week or every blog post really make me smile.  Those that leave comments make me smile even more because then I know you've visited - so I salute you my blogging friends thanks for the support through the year - you are AWESOME!
• My hubby and son - who are my constant motivators, supporters and all round amazing people.  We've had some fabulous times this year, times on holiday, days out, general time together!  I love you both to the ends of the sky and back!   Let's make 2013 even better!
• The WW group on facebook - you girls are utterly amazing, you make me laugh and cry and giggle out loud, sometimes in one 'chat' - long may it continue! 
• My family for making Christmas day special, it was a long long day (well we were cooking for 10) but with family around us for most of the day the cooking task sped along at quite a merry pace and I found it probably the most relaxing Christmas day given the cooking task (a few amendments to our normal dinner this year, included Aunt Bessie's Roast potatoes - I cheated and it was farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr better than the stress factor) and Mum sorting the Yorkshire puddings! This was the table set before they all arrived! 

• Christmas overall has been a rocking time for me, we've done so many activities again, managing most of the items on the list, from panto, to Christmas tree festivals, from Christmas markets to Kelham Island Victorian Christmas market and not forgetting our one and only visit to Center Parcs!   A photo from Christmas morning, when I look at photos like this I remember the magic! 

• Holidays - we've managed three this year and they were all fantastic, one in Penrith, one in Beamish and one in the Wye Valley all were fabulous and fun, goodness knows what we'll manage next year, but I'm just enjoying the memories!  
• Our first grown ups visit to Thoresby Hall 

• Getting dressed for dinner at Thoresby 

• Last days at school were sad and the end of an era, but the start of a new chapter! 

•  Long summer days at Chatsworth Country Fayre (we got there as they opened and left after it had all finished!)

•  A first driving lesson for said 12 year old 

•  Autumn walks with my boys! 

•  Nickelback gig - yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

•  the Olympics and our visit to Jessica's Post Box in Sheffield!

•  Baby Meerkats - sooooooooooo cute 

•  Crazy cousins remembering their youth (at the grand old age of 13 and 12 respectively). 

•  Pub lunches by the River Wye 

•  And giant meringues at Harewood! 

• Quite simply fun fun times! 
• Crafting oooh I do love my crafting, in fact I was crafting again yesterday, with my set up in the TV room there is no excuse not to craft because I'm in the same room as the boys, the TV, the Wii and now the Xbox so whilst they compete on game systems or watch films etc.  I sit at my table enjoying the atmosphere but also enjoying crafting.  This year I didn't make Christmas cards before Christmas - it turned into stressful production line of making in early December which I didn't much enjoy, so this next year will be different - why?  Because I've started them now and every time I complete a 12 x 12 layout I'm going to use the leftovers to create a card - you'd be amazed at how easy Christmas cards are to produce no matter what papers are available all you need I've found is stickles!
• Trips to the theatre, not had many but the ones we have had have been awesome, hoping for some more fun times in 2013. 
• Said 12 year old starting comprehensive and embracing the change, I don't think there is anything more stressful than a mother standing and waving their 12 year old off to big school, but he seems to have taken it in his stride, he is becoming so mature with a great sense of humour.  

And that my lovely people is that, it wouldn't be a rocking post without a bit of crafting now would it?  So I'll leave you with a layout from the last UKS Cyber crop - and now I have a hexagon die cutter I'm intending on doing this one a few more times! 

And finally Mr Linky

QUICK TUESDAY RAMBLE AND A LAYOUT

Morning all, just a quick hello to the world this morning, two Chapters of learning are calling my name, as is my breakfast and the kettle!  Well woke this morning wondering - what day is it?  No really what day?  I rambled through a few days - Is it the weekend?  Nope - Thursday - Nope!  Friday (fingers crossed) - nope!  Tuesday no it can't be Tuesday it's got to be later in the week than that - it would appear that I've now taken to wishing my life away because yes people I find it to be only Tuesday - boo hiss!

Yesterday was crazy mad, learning at home, drive to work, work crazy hours, come home, clean, make tea, sit at craft desk and move things around grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, sit in front of TV and talk performance management to hubby who look slightly bemused, bit of TV watching then bed mmmmm not the most exciting of days, but I survived

So thought I'd waffle at you (because I'm good at that) and share a layout, this one from Beamish Open Air Museum earlier in the year, we'd just had a fish and chip lunch from their Fish and Chip restaurant - a coal fired fish and chip restaurant, we'd waited 45 minutes to get to the front of the queue (which was good considering the sign outside indicated an hour and a half wait) and they were mighty fine fish and chips!  So needed the boys to pose for the camera so I could capture the moment, in hindsight a picture of the fish and chips might also have been a good idea - but her everything in hindsight!

I enjoyed this layout, using the colours that my hubby and son were dressed in as a prompt led to me using one of my favourite colour combinations.  Hope you're having a good day!

GOOD MORNING BLOGGERS YAWN...I'M TIRED

Good morning to you all, how fair thee this morning?  Well I don't know what the weathers like in Yorkshire this morning because the sun's not up yet, I'll blame hubby for being up at stupid o'clock for work and leaving me a delicious cuppa on my bedside table that I really had to drink, which in turn made me realise I was cold, so then I had to grab the spare duvet off the floor and try and warm up, then I started thinking about my Desert Island journal, that I really need to get done, then the brain was awake, then I remembered I needed to dry my work trousers and well let's say by this time despite the ridiculously early hour the last thing on my mind was going back to sleep.

So I'm sat here in my PJ's with cuppa number two of the day, with the tumbler making a crazy racket because I've got some eco-egg things in there that I bought recently to aid drying and to make the clothes smell lush on completion and with only two bras and a pair of trousers in their - they are finding the metal sides of the tumbler a little too often - not sure how impressed the neighbours will be as I've got the tumbler vent sticking out of the window oh well I can't go to work with no trousers on now can I!

Said 12 year old still fast on in bed, so apart from the noisy tumbler alls quiet here.  How's it where you are?

Oh it's been a trying week, I'm completely - excuse my french - knackered I mean really really really tired, stress my friends seems to be catching up with me, exhausting me before my day is done and then stealing hours of sleep from me in the process.  I'm now too tired to actually take in any college work and have another long day stretched out in front of me, at the moment I'd like a room where I can scream - really loudly, jump up and down and throw paint at something - anything - or maybe I just need a padded cell to rock gently in sat in the corner?  What do you think?  Do you sometimes feel you are going crazy mad?  Or is it just me, come over and join me in the mad corner can't say it's fun - but its definitely different.

OK official waffle stopping now, Carmen gave me permission to waffle but even you lot now have probably started rolling your eyes and wondering whether this is the blog for you and whether you do really need to know the content of my brain?  Mmmmmmmmmmm - quick quick, where's the crafting - ah here it is

Hello my name is Virginia and I'm a scrapaholic...

Said 12 year old next to some mighty fine artwork in the local heritage centre, I loved the bright vibrant colours so opted to use quirker handcut arty pieces akin to the artwork to create the layout, journalling running along the top of the photos

 And said hubby who needed a photo for work and because I liked the photo and the fact I could match his red work shirt with a shed load of heart related products - I did.  It's one of my favourite layouts and both layouts you'll notice don't have a bit of stitching in sight (I must have been having an off day)

So there you go Thursday morning ramble for you - promise to try and be more sensible for my Rocking post tomorrow (ahem, fingers crossed behind my back).

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY

Well it's here the final week of the school holidays and haven't they flown by, this time next week said 11 year old will have started secondary school gulp and I'll be another 7 days closer to the big 4-0 but we are not talking about that are we.

This post is about what positives, happy moments, phone calls, conversations etc you've had that have made you smile and made life that little bit happier in the last week because its

Crikey where to start?

Well first up is a grateful from when I returned from holiday which I've only just got around to photographing - this gorgeous piece of mail art from Devon - thank you sweetie, it's gorgeous and I love the sentiment.  I actually like the thought of having an inner madness if I'm honest, I'm sure I have one!

I also received another piece of mail art that the Post Office decided to add to with a circled 'P' - how rude of them, but the piece is gorgeous, this is from Vicki from the Collaborart blog.

So two pieces of gorgeousness recently.

The garage sorting out my velocity gaitors - not mean personally I'll add, my car - despite the cost these will apparently allow my brakes to continue working which is a great alternative to the - "when they split your brakes won't work" comment - I'm sure you'll agree.

A trip up Sheffield to Weston Park Museum, as usual spent more time in the cafe than the exhibits but still enjoyed walking around the exhibition about childhood stories, however, I did feel the 'hype' on their website was a little over the top when compared to the actual display but we went we saw and it got us out of the house, actually said 11 year old was more excited about the gold postbox in Sheffield for Jessica Ennis than he was for the visit to the museum (well apart from the chips and chocolate milkshake he consumed in the cafe at the museum obviously)

 As you can see - smiley happy child!

 And the display on John Lewis' just across the way!

Weird bank holiday weekend, but nice to spend time with hubby - so another positive.

A visit from a friend from Stafford and her 12 year old son, always great company, one of those people who no matter how long it is since I last saw her (and we think it's a year since we last saw each other) we just pick up where we left off.  Always good.

A days TOIL from work (because I can) meaning more time with said 11 year old.

Asda delivering food (I hate supermarket shopping).

Chats with my sister - always positive, and the cuppa tea I needed the other day when I was a bit low.

My Wednesday Whine group who are a constant source of support and really rally round when one of us has got issues which included me this week.

Starting to have a plan, it's been a while coming but it is finally coming to fruition.

Postcard from my Mum whose away on her holiday, she rarely phones me these days so it was nice to get a postcard from her.

Finishing said 11 year old's bedroom off finally, although the trip to Ikea proved costly it was worthwhile as the room now looks like a 'teenagers' bedroom rather than a child's bedroom.

Celebrity Big Brother and X Factor, I know you are groaning at me but I do like these 'fly on the wall' type series and because there's no Mr Cowell in X Factor I'll tolerate another year of this Saturday night entertainment because it makes me giggle.

Crafting, firstly an entry for a CJ that I needed to do, then starting on a birthday book for a friend and starting to formulate a plan for another CJ.

Hubby getting my chair back for my craft table now I've got a rug for under it.  It's sooooooooooooo much better.

Said 11 year old for all the help he gave me this week, we tidied the dining room, kitchen and TV room and he vacuumed throughout with great enthusiasm - always a blessing.  Let's hope it carries on.

And that my beautiful Rockettes is my list for this week, fancy joining in then grab yourself a few minutes, throw a blog post together and list your grateful's for this week head back here for a quick link up and you're good to go, that way we can come and visit your world and celebrate your positives this week.

I hope you've had a good one!

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY

Good Morning here we are again, yet another Friday morning greets us where we get chance to look back at the last 7 days and take stock and remember those elements that have made you smile, provided a silver lining - they are there every week, no matter how hard a week you have there is always something that makes life that bit better and here is where we celebrate these very moments.

So my week looks like this

Friday saw said 11 year old leave his primary school, he held it together well right up to the bell time but when he had to say goodbye to his teacher that was when he got upset and I told him to have a good cry if that's what he wanted.  So why is this a grateful, because to be upset to leave the school and to leave the teacher and say good-bye to friends shows what a fabulous school he's been to!

This is him with the obligatory signed shirt, he still looks so subdued bless him!

Then a big thank you to hubby for being happy to trim the hedge on Saturday morning, I was beginning to struggle to see out of the window, whilst I was tidying and then being happy to help with the deep clean in our bedroom - honestly it sooooooooooo needed it!

Sunday saw a day out given the blue skies we were having we had to make the most of it.  So we headed to Harewood House, a fabulous day out - and the positives apart from the fact we were enjoying our surroundings were

• We got a 25% reduction on the entry price as we are English Heritage members
• Said 11 year old got in for free because we are English Heritage members 
• Sister got in on a concessionary rate due to her student ticket! 
• Then said 11 year old managed free chips when we had our picnic, we'd taken a packed lunch but there is a unit that sells chips and he got some for free.

Here were some of the highlights - the giant - I mean GIANT meringue that he decided he wanted to have for 'brunch'! 

 And this is apparently how you eat it!

To the tiny birds we saw which included these tiny baby moorhens - bless them, tiny stubby wings and bald heads!

 Me and sister walking and talking - always fun!  You can just about see the change in hair colour that I've got!

 And finally watching these little guys being fed - great fun!

We finished off the day in a beer garden, where said 11 year old went to get a hot dog from the barbecue and came back with a 'special' which was two hot dogs on one bread bap!  Then came home and had a great evening in good company with hubby and sister - we had a great giggle.

Then next up is my sister having said 11 year old on Monday and Tuesday, she was an angel, took him swimming both days and playing tennis on Monday.  He had a great time and got some quality Aunty Mel time which he thoroughly enjoyed! 

Wednesday saw the tidying of said 11 year old's room - and again you'll be wondering why I'm grateful - well he helped a huge amount and was relatively ruthless!  Which is always a good thing so we went from this (if you're of a nervous disposition you might prefer to look away!)

 To midway through the clean - the nerf collection!

 And finally - all is calm

 Just waiting for the bedding to go back on!

 But you get the drift

 Even the cupboard is manageable!

 Which then resulted in this - rubbish and charity shop bags!

Other gratefuls include - 

• Days off work - bliss
• Scrapbooking all day on Thursday
• Summer reading challenge at the libary! 
• Hubby cooking fajitas Thursday evening
• David Tennant in Hamlet on DVD that we finally got to watch! 
• Dry days to get washing sorted
• Blue skies to make us feel positive! 

I've had a great week, I hope you have too, if you fancy joining in then put yourself a blog post together and pop back here to link up so we can come and visit.  Not sure whether it's for you - I guarantee your outlook on your week will be significantly better as a result of doing this!

I'll leave you with a quick layout

And of course Mr Linky, I hope you have a great weekend and wonderful week ahead!

HALF WAY THROUGH THE WEEK AND BREATH

Morning all tis Wednesday I tell you and Yorkshire or at least my part of Yorkshire has awoken to - wait for it - sunshine and blue sky - I've no idea where it came from but would be more than happy if it fancied stopping around for some time to try and dry the ground out - because the garden that became a jungle that became a garden is back to being a jungle again!

Ooh it's been a hard week - it has but now I'm here and all seems calm but then I've not left the house yet so normal craziness will resume shortly - of that I'm sure.  Yesterday I spent 7 hours answering 7 e-mails at work, if I carry on answering e-mails at this speed I've got another 145 hours of e-mail answering to deal with - mmmmmmmmmmmm not a happy thought!

Anyway enough of my drivel I'm here to share crafting - I am honestly, first up  a layout from Kenilworth Castle last year and said 11 year old, I was really happy with this one once it was completed despite it being a simple layout!

 Up close the title, die cuts and using up old stash stickers!

 And this one - taken an age ago before I realised how awful artificial light, red curtains and a predominantly red layout actually were!  I never liked the title on this one mmmm maybe I should have changed it.

 Last up another layout I don't like but its made and done so you get to see it, I'm not sure why I don't like it possibly the paper choice?  Not sure anyway it's one of my least favourite

 despite the stitching

 And the stamped die cuts and glossy accents.

What you'll have been able to tell from this is that I'm dredging the bottom of the barrel when it comes to my layouts - ooh best crack on with some more, think I've got some to photograph but I've run out of albums to put them in, any idea where I can get some cost effective albums that won't break the bank?

Hope you're having a fabulous Wednesday!