Rocking My World Friday...

...on Saturday. Honestly - this time I was convinced it was Friday today so on that basis, I'm not late!

Let's go!First, thank you for all your lovely wishes for last week when I mentioned that something had happened, potentially impacting on the next day.

Well that something DID impact on what was happening on Monday but I was so wrong to think it was a negative. I can't really go into details... well I can but I like to think I'm a better person than that... a handful of you know what has been going on in our lives for the past 10 years. Some of you know more than others - I think only my sister knows everything but those that do know will know why I am SO proud of how wonderful my eldest daughter has turned out. I love all my children but she has had so much more to contend with than her little sisters and she could have so easily let it affect her negatively.

Anyway - Monday came, what we had to go through... happened. And where we thought we had been stitched up and left to hang the day before, we couldn't have been more wrong. Instead we had the help of an amazing superwoman crossed with a pitbull. As a result, it's over. I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense to a lot of you but to some it will and you will know how happy we are to find that the law isn't always an ass. Sometimes the good guys win. And we did. And everything, EVERYTHING is in my beautiful daughter's hands now. We aren't naive enough to think everything will just go away but we do have the law on our side now and so the problem becomes an annoying background buzz like a mosquito that can be swatted.

Oh - yeah, and I came out of it completely exonerated too. Not to shabby a day indeed.

Next up to rock my week (and totally shallow!) is Craig treating me to a purple fix! Told you it was shallow. We went shopping with my Dad to Lakeside shopping center the other day. Oh God I can't tell you how I detest shopping at the best of times but do it in a crowded shopping center and that's my idea of torture right there. To me, if the shopping doesn't result in purchases of paint, paper, glue or glitter of some description then really... what's the point? The internet was invented specifically so I DON'T have to visit these places. It's true. But Dad likes to go once a year and so off we went. Got stuck in traffic at the Dartford tolls, ploughed our way through crowds of manic, shouty, sweaty shoppers and had a not very nice lunch.

First off to lighten the day was youngest ratbag doing the Cbeebies Boogy Beebies dance moves past every shop that was blasting music out the door... so that was all of them. So, so funny. We were in stitches walking behind her.

Then at the end, when we finally gave in to above mentioned eldest daughter and allowed ourselves to be dragged into a Primark store that spans 3 levels (3 levels of sheer torturous realms of Hell) we came out the other side, traumatised and sweaty but clasping a huge brown paper bag that held nestled within... a pair of purple fingerless gloves, a pair of purple tartan jimjams AND a pair of purple converse-ish trainers! FOR ME! For the total princely sum of £11.50! Whoo hoo!

AND as we were heading out towards the car, gulping in fresh air like we had been starved of it (which we had!) my Dad presented me with two bars of this...
Mmmmmmmarmite chocolate. I can confirm it's delicious! Salty with a hint of tang - reminded me a bit of those chocolate covered pretzels that were out a while back. It's only half hour after consuming you start smacking your lips thinking, hmmm, I can taste Marmite. Very peculiar indeed. And I shared. Only to watch the expressions on everyone else's faces mind you! Teehee. My Dad refused point blank to even try it. Mmmmmarmite!

Lastly, I am finally starting the Art, Heart & Healing free workshop tonight. Yeah, yeah late as usual but I've been wanting to get everything else out of the way and up to date before I started.
I've seen some beautiful work, particularly from Sam, so am very excited to actually start.
I'm hoping it's going to work really well alongside some of the stuff I'm learning with the Suzi Blu class I'm doing (and also behind on - noticing a theme here?) - that's been really helpful in my drawing already.

So - what's rocked your world this week? Join us over at Virginia's in kicking the dark stuff up the jacksy and focusing on the smiles :)

Thanks for stopping by!

WOYWW? on Thursday :)

Late again but at least I made it.  Feels like ages since I've played along with WOYWW. I fully intended to upload last night but after getting the dreaded blue screen of death 3 times - I gave up and watched The Apprentice instead.

So yesterday afternoon......A pile of clothes to be mended - a certain zombietastic daughter manages to blow holes in the backside of ALL her clothes! I don't know how she does it! The clothes are on a huge pile of Scotland brochures that I didn't order - no matter what the OH thinks. Am taking it as an omen that we should book our holiday soon.

The notebook is my researching some ways to make some more pennies and the book pile is a general to be read and maybe review pile.

And yesterday evening...

...the pile of clothes have gone - I did indeed mend them - dodgily done but mended anyway.
The sparkly shoes are my youngest's - she's gone through the soles but I love them and am wondering how I can salvage the sequins.

The box is a little box of goodies that arrived from dotcomgiftshop to play with and review. Yum! Although Devvie has put dibs on almost everything in it so may have to be a joint craft sesh that one.

Fancy playing along and showing us what's on your workdesk? Nip along to Julia's and linky up - don't be shy, show us what you've got.

Thanks as always for stopping by!

Rocking My World Friday...

...on Sunday. One of these days I'll get the right day.

I've had a pretty Rocking week as it goes - had some bad news today which is going to impact on tomorrow but, after wallowing and raging for the morning I've decided to put it in a box and deal with it later. Hopefully it's a panic over nothing! On to the good times of which there have been many!

Last weekend I was lucky enough to meet up with Donna and Lizzie for a class with Jennie of Artistic Stamper at Pickleberry Crafts in Faversham - have a nosey here to see what we were inspired by. Oh wow, how much did I love a whole day dedicated to crafting? Barrel loads I tell thee. It was lovely meeting everyone and just chilling - all be it in a frantic, inky, painty, gluey frenzy.

This was my box...
Yup, I managed to get an Alice gingerbread man in there and I adore my black winged fairy. Jennie was so generous with her supplies that just kept coming and coming. And Donna - the never ending craft supplies on legs - she was just as generous - her bag, I swear it's made of the same material as the Tardis. Or maybe she just shops in the same place as Mary Poppins.

After the class Donna, Lizzie and I went for dinner. My first time at a Wagamama's and it was delish! However - fool that I am managed to order a dish chock full of seafood thinking it was a chicken only dish. *Blech* Thankfully Donna very nicely offered to swap. And I have come to the conclusion that chopsticks and I don't mix. At least not yet.

The dreaded shyness did surface (back in the cage, BACK!) but I think I am getting a better handle on it. I didn't freeze totally like I did at my first Ally Pally meet up. I hope part of me still peeked through anyway.

Next on my grateful list is my little sis. To cut a long story short - my Mum was so, so proud that my sister was doing a course to get a degree in 3D digital design. So when she knew how ill she was she made it clear that all her arty materials were to go to little sis - because she was the arty one. Sis tried to tell her that it was all on computer and that the only physical art she did was sketching. But still it transpired all the art materials did go to her... Mum wasn't being mean towards me by saying that, I was only just starting to rediscover and dust off my love of art & crafts round about that time - but why I stopped in the first place... well that's a WHOLE other story.

Anyhoo - 3 years on and both my sis and I keep an Amazon wishlist so that we can have a nosy at what each other is up to and get ideas for Christmas/birthdays without asking each other outright. Thus giving each other a nice and much wanted surprise. (Our begging lists Craig calls them but we ignore him.) She noticed I had put some coloured pencils on there recently. So after already giving me Mum's full size easel last week... she turned up out of the blue with this:
Can I have an OH! MY! *insert expletive of choice* GAWD! Now I know how much Mum loved this set. I also know how much she paid for it because she dithered for ages before treating herself. So I know what a huge gift this is and I can't believe - I still can't believe she's given it to me. She said it's been sat under her bed for 3 years and she thinks Mum would want it being used. Which it will be, I promise - when I stop getting it out and gazing at it and stroking it.

Thanks Sis - you should have wrapped it up and stuck a bow on it for Christmas - no-one else would've been able to compete!

And as if that wasn't enough I then had another full day of play on Thursday. The whirlwind that is Donna descended on our house and brought with her a boot load of yummy things to play with. We drew, we burnt wood, we coloured, we painted, we drooled over my Gauche Alchemy kit, we played with that - she gave my Mojo a good talking to and a few prods with her wood burner and I'm pleased to say it's exploding all over the place now. I can't write ideas down fast enough and I have a huge list for when I next go stash shopping!

Check out Donna's post here for exactly what we did - she's got a fabulous tutorial going on. We used a picture of Bette Davis for our inspiration. Somehow she ended up with a mermaid who sprouted legs and turned into a stunning wood nymph... I ended up with a 70's prostitute - velvet catsuit and all. Hmmm. Sorry Bette.
The picture in the middle is what Devvie did. Within half hour of being home from school she had drawn that freehand from a Stampotique stamp and wood burned it. You can seriously go off daughters can't you! She's turning it into a cover for a journal - Isn't it gorgeous?

I have now started my art journal. After seeing Donna's cram packed, bursting with colour pages I have now started. I am getting over my fear of that blank page and I have begun. I am so happy with the way my inspiration has been sparked. Donna - you are an amazing teacher with an accent you could listen to for hours (that last bit was Craig's words though I do agree)

Speaking of Craig - he's pretty HUGE on my awesome list this week. Twice in one week he has rejigged work and stayed home with the girls so that I could have two whole uninterrupted craft days to myself. To meet lovely people and to just laugh and play. That's pretty amazing to me :)

And lastly I have to mention my lovely Pheeb's for indulging my current zombie obsession. When she told me they had a spooky dress up day at school this week, she let me go crazy with the red food colouring...She tells me the kids said she was scary and the teachers said she was AWESOME! Yeah!

So come on, push aside the rubbish and tell us what was on YOUR Rocking list this week? Don't forget to link up with Virginia so we can all share in the good vibes :)



Thanks for stopping by and... if you got this far... Blimey - well done!

Rocking My World Friday...

Hello, Hello, Hello :)

Isn't it funny the things you miss when they are taken away? Like a little old blog and unrestricted, fast moving internet access, daft really! Anyway - *whispers* the PC has been playing quite nicely the last day or two. Not perfect, a speed that would make dial up look like turbo speed but working nonetheless and only crashing a few times a day instead of a few times and hour. I'm hoping we'll trudge along together until December. *knock on wood* I'm getting quite excited seeing all the PC sales starting to appear. Am hoping there will be a few  on offer come the day that my beloved whisks me off on a tour of the electronic thingamabob stores! Oh the romance!

Anyway it's Friday so time for...Well first of all it's the lovely Gauche ladies. I've got a few things going on at the moment - I wont bore you with them all now but my PC goading me into full on war which will only end one way (and it will involve a closed window!) is the least of them. So suffice to say my Mojo has upped and left me floundering a bit the last week or so - it's not that I've stopped thinking about arty crafty things - doesn't happen that way does it? My mind is full of ideas but as soon as I get 5 minutes and sit down - the noggin goes blank and all this other poopy stuff floods in.

The Gauche gals have been so very supportive, they've given me a break from the crafty side of things with them but have let me carry on with the newsletter (my baby) and hopefully as things improve, I can tempt my Mojo out from wherever it's hiding - and I'll be BACK! I blimming hope so - I've only made one Christmas pressie so far! Aargh!

So, Gauche girlies - thank you again.

Next - a couple of book surprises this week (yes they DO rock my world!) Firstly, I won Sian's Pass The Book for this month. This is a fun project Sian set up a couple of months ago. Each month she releases a book into the Blogosphere and you have to register your interest. Should you be the lucky winner you get the book, you read it, enjoy it and then do your own post asking who would like it, make a draw for a winner and Pass The Book on. Simple but fabulous!

So the book I've been lucky enough to get my grubby mitts on couldn't have come at a better time - Creative Wildfire: An Introduction to Art Journaling - Basics and Beyond I'm hoping it will search out my Mojo and give it a kick up the harse! It is a gorgeous book and am already adding it to my wishlist for when I have toset it free again. Keep an eye out as it WILL be offered to you lot out there.

Secondly, remember my last Rocking Friday post when I was raving about book trailers? Look what arrived this week...Night of the Living Trekkies

NO WAY!

Yes way!

I'll be VERY surprised if you didn't hear my WHOOPS and WAHEY's from wherever you are out there. I seriously, SERIOUSLY cannot wait to read this one. I really and truly recommend the book trailer too. (I also recommend you enter lots and lots and trillions of book comps!)

Also rocking my world this week is my little ratbag running - yes RUNNING to nursery every day this week. Not only that BUT using their toilets! She's been afraid that she'll fall down the toilet or that it will eat her or something - so although she is fully toilet trained it's only ever been the potty she'll use. So - a happy bunny to be going to school and no longer afraid of the butt munching bog monster! Woohoo! Still not to sure of our full size loo but it's a start! AND they've got her drinking milk too - they must be, like, hypnotists or angels or something.

Seeing my little sis more lately. We had a spell there where we hadn't seen each other for weeks and weeks, possibly even months - Not through choice just life  happening, time zipping past so fast and before you know it, it's been ages! We used to be as close as twins. We've caught up a bit the last couple of weeks and we've decided to have a girly day out like we used to - it's ridiculous we live so close as well. I'm looking forward to it - that's rocked my world this week .

And last of all but by no means least. I'm meeting Donna and Lizzie tomorrow for a craft class. I'm in turns both very nervous and really looking forward to it. But more on that for my next Friday post!

What Rocked Your World this week? Why not link up with Virginia and let us all know.

Thanks as always for stopping by :)

PC Pain!

This is just a quickie to let you know my PC is still playing up. It's not just playing up I think it's gradually grinding to a halt. Over the past week or so it's got worse and no manner of defragging, virus checking, cookie clearing, taking the sides off and hoovering out the innards... is having an effect whatsoever.

At it's worst it's crashing every couple of minutes, reopening with the dreaded blue screen, running scandisk, starting up and then crashing after another 5 minutes. At it's best it's letting me on sites like Twitter and Facebook all be it verrrrrrry slowly and the odd blog. Today it's having an "I'll open the page but I'll take 10 minutes to do so" day.

I'm about halfway towards saving for a new tower/hard drive. I might see if we can bring my Christmas pressie forward. If not it's only another couple of months that I'll have to put up with this.

I'm mainly posting because I don't want you all to think I'm not bothering to read your blogs. When I can, I am - I 'm just maybe not commenting. I will be having a massive catch up with you all when I get my new zippy hard drive :)

Carmen x

Rocking My World Friday...

...on Saturday again!

First of all - the highlight of my week has got to be meeting the bonkers one, otherwise known as Myzdamena last weekend. I was fine driving up to Yorkshire - I love driving so when we get to do long trips like that I really enjoy it. It wasn't until we got about 3 minutes away that the nerves kicked in... we've been chatting for so long now - I was worried we would meet, my shyness would kick in and I'd potentially lose someone I've come to think of more as a sister than a friend.

I needn't have worried...

It was just like we are on the net or on the phone.

Little & Large :PShe drove me round the bend!Ratbags Anonymous!

I don't think Gail realises what a tonic she was - the time went far to quickly, the kids stole ALL our crafty time but we did get to watch some True Blood and I was able to scoff some of her healthy meals. I take no blame at all for the Matchmakers incident! I've definitely been in a better mood since getting home than when I left.

Loves ya missus. Mwaah!

Second thing to Rock My Week not just this week but recently is discovering that books have started releasing trailers. Some of them are fabulous and better than film trailers... a LOT are very cheesy but some are pure excellence. My favourites up till now -

Honestly - if this isn't made into a film. I may just cry!

How beautiful? - I'm a marketers dream, after seeing these I was straight over to Amazon & adding them to my wishlist.

Next is my youngest ratbag starting school this week - the day after her 3rd birthday. She's finding it all a bit overwhelming, not helped with her having a stinky cold. I am finding it very hard to leave her crying at the door. But when I pick her up to huge smiles and a tirade of what she's been up to and hearing about her new best friend... I know I 'm being a softy. The elder two weren't like this - they used to run in without a backwards glance so am floundering a bit, unsure whether to loiter and cuddle or cut and run. However - it's making me so proud (and sad) how grown up she is all of a sudden. She sat for ages talking to me while I cooked dinner the other night, telling me all about her day. Mixed emotions on this rockin' event I think.

Receiving this brooch in the post - I came 2nd in Art from the Heart's giveaway a while ago and this was my prize.I cannot tell you how beautiful and tactile it is in real life - I have nabbed the photo from Marie's blog (I hope she doesn't mind) none of mine did it any justice whatsoever.  The girls have been hinting like mad but they can whistle on this one. It's mine all mine all mine.

I also came second in Greenpixey's monthly giveaway and won this gorgeous mug cozy and some treats. How lovely and snuggly is this? The colour is so autumnal! Thank you Ewa.If you fancy letting us know what rocked YOUR world this week, why not drop by Virginia's blog and link up so we can all share in the feel good look back on the week.


On another note, I've been thinking about starting to do book reviews - been really getting back into my reading lately and read some good books... it wouldn't be anything clever with philosophical looks between the lines, no long words (I don't know any...) basically just what I thought of the book and whether I liked it etc. What do you reckon? Can you put up with MORE of my ramblings? Still at the thinking stage at the moment... and you KNOW how long that can go on for.

Thanks as always for stopping by lovely people.