ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 19TH OF 2025

 Morning lovely people tis Friday time for 

Well I'm having to prep this post before I've technically finished my week, so apologies for that, but needs must. 

I have been catching up on my scrapbooking recently, as some of you may know it ground to a halt after my Mum passed away last year and I genuinely struggled to get going again.  However, with the great craft room sort out and hubby's gentle encouragement I've finally started making headway through a fairly epic pile of photographs if I'm honest. 

Here is what I've done recently with a kit I put together, with a colourway that I wouldn't normally choose myself if truth be told, but it was fun to work outside my comfort zone.  These go back to 2023

Stag and hen weekend at Center Parcs

The start of the stag and hen weekend, when the quiz is always critical 

Trip to Stafford a couple of years ago. 

A date night when we were in Stafford. 

and another 

More pictures, this was when my Mum gate crashed the stag party when the girls went to the spa, she hadn't long finished chemo and didn't feel up to it. 

The first none castle based Shakespeare at Stafford, it was good just not as good as the Bridge Theatre one, that one takes some beating. 

On our way to the restaurant at Center Parcs

When we first got to Center Parcs and Mum's mobility scooter wasn't ready so they loaned us a wheelchair, it was hard for me to see my Mum like this, even though we knew things were hard, she loved feeling independent. 

The other thing I was grateful for this week was the amarylis gift that I got provided with at work, we'd ended up with them in centre and one of my colleagues passed it to me, I thought that I would have a go at growing the bulb eventually, little did I realise it had already been potted and because it had been put in my warm utility room it had decided it was time to grow so when I went out there the other week it's flower head was peeking out the side of the box, it genuinely made me laugh and think of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors.  

So I got it out of the box, watered it, found an plant pot (albeit that the outer pot is designed for a much bigger plant) and popped it in the window and it has loved it ever since.  

I've genuinely no idea if it will come back again (I need to check them out as a bulb) but it has been lovely to see it happily enjoying it's window position and has definitely raised a smile. 

I've also loved reading recently, it has been such a joy to escape into a book if you know what I mean, both me and hubby are having a fab time reading currently. 

I hope you've had a grand week too. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 6TH OF 2025

 Morning all tis Friday time to spot the positive moments, silver linings and the things that made us smile in the last 7 days, time for 

So last Friday, I had a lovely catch up with my friend that I hadn't seen in an absolute age it was good to touch base with her. 

Enjoyed book reading and with the six nations being on this meant I could do a little more scrapbooking. Layouts completed recently going back to early 2023. 

This one was a hard one to do, just before my Mum had her hair shaved off due to her second lot of chemo and her hair was coming out by the handful, but she was determined to be around for her grandson's wedding and so despite saying she wouldn't do chemo against she endured. 

What my Mum loved the most, family around her kitchen table

Mum when she got a new hair do

Family celebrations for birthdays. 

On Saturday we headed to York for their annual ice trail, me, hubby and my sister, we had a lovely day running around the city looking for the sculptures. 

Here are just a few of the 30 sculptures this year

I loved the bell with a bell on top

We stopped to look at the sculptures next to the Minster that are being made and had to giggle at the 'hidden' face on this one, my sister spotted it first and literally laughed out loud. 

This was my favourite, they always make a stunning job of this jeweller's shop

Photo in front of the neon sign

This one was fun

and a photo of me and my sister on the Paddington bench

We stopped twice for refreshments, the first time we had a pistachio mousse and chocolate cake which was lovely. 

and we had a second stop for a cuppa which was very much needed. 

We managed to find 29 of the 30 sculptures, one we think had been moved from its intended place.  We also enjoyed a wander around some of the shops.  A fun family trip out and 17000 steps on my Fitbit

Sunday was as you can imagine a day of rest, we enjoyed watching Maverick and I started to catch up on the Great Pottery throw down, I've loved all of the challenges up to now. 

Monday and back to work, but I was grateful I was working from home as it meant that I got a fair amount done.  I caught up with some of my family online in the evening and I booked a wreath class for me and my sister.  

Tuesday is the day I really struggle it is in effect my Wednesday but after a long working day on a Monday due to compressed hours, by the time I get home on a Tuesday there isn't a lot left, so I was grateful for a quick tasty tea.  We also managed to pop out and pick a few bits up from Ikea and stopped for a cuppa and a muffin.  

Wednesday was my last work day of the week, a very busy day and lots of deadlines, but achieved them all just in the nick of time so we will take that as a win. 

Thursday, slow start as no alarm clocks, caught up on the washing and the sun was shining, I know it is cold out but seeing a bit of sunshine in my books is good for the soul. 

I hope you've all had a lovely week. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 27TH OF 2024

 Morning all tis Friday time for

It is time to clock the silver linings and positive thoughts in relation to the last 7 days. 

Well last Thursday we had a 'doing' day, it wasn't technically planned but it was productive, we managed to defrost the smaller of the two freezers, the one that always ices up too much if I'm honest, we'd struggled with one of the drawers recently and knew it needed a sort, but had to run the freezer contents down sufficiently to be able to do the job, an hour with the hand steamer and it was done and I reclocked what we had in the freezer to aid meal planning, so a job that definitely needed doing. 

Friday wasn't great weather wise, but we decided to venture to Canon Hall it is some years since we last went, when our son was young it was a place we ventured to often either for the farm with all its animals, or the Maize Maze which we used to go to every year, which alas they don't do anymore and on one occasion for him to see Barney the Dinosaur, I remember him being very unimpressed. 

We however had gone because of a costume display that they had on, however I did have to stand and admire the pottery display including this 'monk' jug

there was also a display from the students at the local college 

before heading into the main rooms with pretty ceilings

and finding costumes from the film the Duchess worn by Keira Knightley

and this costume from Queen Charlotte worn by the young Lady Danbury

this dress from the film Dangerous Liaison

and a few others from TV and film, they were all beautiful with such attention to detail.

Saturday the weather wasn't great, so we pottered around the house, hubby had come down with some summer cough type bug which making him feel rubbish, so a slow day overall. 

Sunday and we headed out to YSP, the weather was forecast as potentially rainy, so we had sausage sandwiches at home 

We walked down to the lake

grabbed a selfie 

before heading to a new exhibition by Bharti Kher called Alchemies some of the artwork outside

were huge

before heading into the underground gallery to see the length of glass bangles

the growing artwork linked with potential predictions from 2010 to 2039 when the artist will reach the age of 70

the rest of the weekend flew by, we enjoyed the new Ghostbusters film, although it wasn't as good as Afterlife. 

I started the working week coming down with hubby's lurgy, which is still lingering albeit that we are now on Friday, the cough is nothing but frustrating and I've had a number of fairly sleepless nights if truth be told. 

Yesterday my first day off of the 4 day weekend that I now enjoy I had a thorough clean through the house, got top side of the washing and sorted a craft desk (or two). 

I wrote out the birthday cards for July albeit that some are going to be late (and some very early) and got those sent off. 

And I photographed some scrapbook layouts that I recently completed going back to autumn 2022.

these were from the Center Parcs visit for my 50th birthday

this one whilst cathartic to make also makes me sad, I miss my Mum so very much, that smile and passion for life, her enthusiasm and love for all her family shone through on a day to day basis. 

I've been thinking about my Mum a lot recently, I think it is part of the grieving process if I'm honest, little anecdotal tales from my childhood, little glimpses of the past, all quite vivid in my mind.  I've started to write up her memoirs albeit that she only reached the evening of the night before she married my Dad, to say I'm frustrated with this is an understatement! 

I remember when I was younger that she got hold of a library copy of a Beatrix Potter book from a friend of mine, it was a book designed to create the characters using materials such as felt and fur fabric that she had out on loan for ages and ages before someone eventually requested the book and she had to give it back, in the time she had the book she made several of the characters I can't remember whether it was Appley Dapply or Hunca Munca that she made, but she definitely made Pigling Bland and after some searching of the internet I found someone selling a second hand copy, it has arrived this week and I took great delight yesterday cutting out some felt in readiness for making Pigling Bland again as a homage to my Mum and her absolute love of all things Beatrix Potter.  Hopefully I will be able to share it with you once I've completed it. 

I hope you've all had a lovely week. 

Hugs