365/254 Legs.

I am writing a day adrift here.. with good reason.. it was a busy day yesterday and no time to email or blog.. (sorry Karen, I know I owe you a reply x) but we had a lot on!

It was my birthday and Col's brother was down in the afternoon as he had a showing of his film 'Last Shop Standing' about the rise, fall and resurgence of the record shop, at the St Ives Festival, so we all turned out and had tea at the Hub where JB and Ross have been working, then on to the show and out afterwards for a few drinks..

.. so where 'legs' fit into the day I'm not sure.. mine were a little light once I had downed the third Summer Berry Daquiri.. a double shot of rum and a shot of our new favourite Chambord in each one, but to be fair it tasted fantastic!   But that was about it, after the film my plan was to go on to the Comedy night at the Western Hotel but on arrival it was £12 a ticket and having had some not-that-funny nights there for Comedy before, we decided it wasn't the best spend of £60 we could think of!!  

So quick drink and home, by then Andy Murray was settling into his match and what great news he won that match overnight!

I had some great presents, loads of scrapping stuff, papers and tools (Tom my SIL likes the idea of proper tools for a present.. he doesn't get the paper thing!.. Lilly bought me sour sweets and the blingiest stash items you can imagine, all her favourites!), necklace, spa stuff, a picture and more! 

Unexpectedly mid morning I just took my phone out of my bag and saw it was ringing... my brother called  to wish me HB and I was so made up.. he told me not to talk as much as usual (!) as he was on Ship to Shore radio and would call again when in from sea!  It's his Wedding Anniversary the day after, on Sept 11th, two disaster anniversaries on one day he laughs!  We catch up on our birthdays and Christmas and despite it not being often I still feel deeply for him, maybe even more so now it is just us.. kind of acknowledging we are the only two 'alike' in our world.. yet so so different in more ways, if I am honest!

So.. legs.. a picture.. Ross and April cuddled up this eve on sofa (11th)>>

365/253 Feet.

Well it's been a proper Sunday, playing catch up on the washing and ironing, feeding those who come and go and watching some TV, mainly the F1 though it doesn't have the same buzz for me as in the days of Damon Hill! Zac and Col enjoy it though, Zac follows the technology much more than we do now, for me I think it has become rules for the sake of rules.  Love MotoGP bike racing though, so unpredictable and it seems less of a business than the F1 where you never know if it real rules or Bernie's latest plan to get viewers!

Not sure where to go with the feet prompt, apart from the fact I have had my feet up today a good bit more than yesterday! And I think I have used quite a few feet images before..so here are my favourites from previous pics..

... and Janice.. okay I will tell more about the lasering in a day or two...!

365/252 Eyes

This is a quickie, the morning after a very busy day before.. I forgot to take photos of a lovely family afternoon and evening, but  Lisa says it means I must have been enjoying myself instead of taking photos!

So.. Saturday..yesterady.. potted herb history.. trip to town, got my nails done (this has become the new fad for me, just a tidy look with gellish nails, not a big glam effect, honest, it stops me biting and is a nicer way to spend a few quid looking nice than the previous waxing which is not needed now I resorted to some laser treatment...(at long last, after much consideration and 'go on, you should's from Col)...

well, there I met an old, old pal (as in years ago, not age) I spent five years very close with from sixth form til the end of college days, we swapped letters in the days before mobile and shared lagers in the sun during 'A' Levels.. well she still lives near me and we swap ducks now and then, usually when I am a watcher and she is a proceeder (!?) in the Mazey Day schools processions...well it turns out she actually found my blog one day by accident! And she wants to come scrapbooking../ it was so exciting, so much to say and tell but I tried not to overwhelm her and hope we see her at Newlyn soon.. I know she will be so good, she did Art at school and Teacher Training and is so naturally talented..

.. then got myself some new sunglasses.. yeah I know, summer is over almost, but mine broke and I only have reading sunnies which makes looking across the sea pretty hard!.. and off to a big food shop, about the third in ten days.. barbecue and salads and lots of drinks, mainly soda and juices, but proper summery stuff.  Home, then prep for couple of hours til Lisa and crew arrived, followed closely by my ex-niece-in-law... you know how you inherit people after other peoples marriages finish, and actually it's the non relations you get on with best and are the nicest people.. well Al is one of them, she was one of the very few people who helped me with Mum, she and her kids came even when it was hard and not a particularly easy social call and helped me out when I needed to have a moment or two's respite from caring...  Well she bought her new guy and his kids, they all got on great and he and Col had loads in common, so altogether there were about 18 of us and best of all Lilly and Lyla had kids to amuse / harrass and everyone had a great time. I can't remember sitting down much but hope that means everyone was well looked after!

The only pic I took was of a cake Kate bought Zac for his birthday, we ate it yesterday.. I think the eyes are still here though!

.. oh and this morning an amazing moment, Kate and Jordan discussing eye make up,.. no animosity, no teasing or flouncing involved..a gorgeous moment I hope we get more of as the years progress.. thanks huns x

..and if I recall some sharing of a calculator and Zac helping with some Maths homework.. has the world jolted from its axis.. nah, I am just (b)logging the moments for when I feel the need to moan next time!

(and what was it I said about a quickie blog.. well it's what Sundays are for... ironing, catching up and a bitabloggin')

365/251 Hands.

I knew I would like getting the pictures for this prompt. I was heading off out in the boat with my three generations of Jones men! It reminds me of Colin's mum who used to work in a biscuit factory and even though the women were of all different ages and styles they all agreed that their hands showed their true ages.. the young 16 year old, the mum, the grandmother etc... and when I notice a person's hands I always think of that..and wonder where they would fit in the factory hands line up!

..there were so many nice shots, I had to include them all!!

  

 

So, this morning.. a quick trip into the office and pleaded our case that we haven't had anywhere near a proper amount of holidays, (who does when they run their own business) so today was one of our holidays!  Of course I still had to make the sandwiches!

We headed off and got the boat from the Mount in good time after high tide, while there was still enough water.. the sea was like a millpond, gorgeous!  

Col and Zac swapped the prop over and got everything ready, Col is just so competant with all things boating and engines, and it is nice to see Zac so comfortable at sea.. just as well mind!  The little inflatable outboard had a cough or two so Col had to play with that when we anchored up for lunch.. he just loves to tinker with engines and I have other pictures of him many years ago looking just as happy on a boat in the Maldives when working there!

Pops did some fishing and loves messing about in the boats.. the highlight of the day was spotting a basking shark alonside just beneath the Minack, and then a pod of dolphins.. they came real close and seemed to play with us, they were really good size and kept rushing up in the wake of the boat and then as if in finale one did a big somersault just in front of us.. I was so so excited, it was fantastic to see then following the noise of our engine and then soaring around in the water..and especially as our boat in not too big it even beat seeing them from a dhoni when we were on holiday.

365/250 Colour

Quickie really, just in from being outside all evening.. kids over whilst M&D went for the scan.. wow! aren't they just so clear now, even see the eyes.. but we're waiting til 'the day' to know what sex the baby will be!...

ahh, the colour these girls have brought into our lives.. awhhh...

Ross was home early, it's so nice having him 'back' after six or ten weeks of late, very late nights and sleeping in til 1pm, the effects of bar work certainly are anti-social at home!

We tease him about the colour of these very 70's style shorts.. such a slave to surf fashion, but we love him! xx

... then barbecue again and Col lit the fire burner.

(liking the new little Lumix point and press camera..beats a phone and tablet most days really!)

I snuck out to collect Kate and the sunset towards Land's End was glorious.. boating tomorrow we hope.. this is our summer / our vacation, or is that staycation!!

 

 But, me not being a big flower photographer, I do love these fuschias.. ahh the colour nature offers!

365/249 Something you Wear..

.. skinny jeans, leggings, flip flops, boots, vests, tee shirts, it's all a variation on a theme depending on the season.. but these heart ear rings from St Justin are a real stalwart for every day.. Col bought me a pair one Christmas and I lost one the first day, my scarf pushed it out of my ear!  So I bought another pair and luckily when I lost one the next time I still had a pair, one facing each way!

I must say thank you to everyone for being so nice about Zac being home, and wishing him a good birthday. I think he's had a good day, a solid sleep and then Col and I finished work early and Lisa and Co came by just as Ross got in from work, so we had a family barbecue...plenty of banter and catching up, just what we all like!  

This evening a few of us were chatting about how on your kids' birthdays Mum's reminisce about the day they were born.. I was telling them about when we had Zac, Col interrupted and told them that it wasn't actually 'that simple'.. funny how Mum's forget the bad bits, maybe it's how the species survives!!  I know for sure I would rather have them than stand by helpless whilst your kids have to do it..

So, I thought you'd be disappointed if I didn't show you a shot or two of Zac...and since JB is so quietly glad he is home to hang out with I have one of her too.. she is liking her glasses again this week and having finished work in the kitchens she can wear her wrist bands and stuff again.. the black one is Blink182 band from the Eden Sessions I think.

This is Zac, probably at his comfiest at home, at 'Jodrell Bank'.. oh that's what I call his desk set-up, all TV, screens and PCs and now a tablet and his X-box.  we bought him a great life jacket for his birthday, for sailing and even work if he wants. Col just loves state-of-the-art kit so it was nice to give for him too.

And a photo he got whilst on the Bridge in his whites.. need I say more.. that's something he wears!

365/248 Twisted.

Well the day has been a little twisted, out of the normal.. I woke about 4.15 as I promised to alarm call Colin so he would be in time for meeting Zac's flight, but he text me before the alarm to say he was up and about and I managed to sleep a little more after.

 I love to do chores ahead of a special event, kind of nest tidying, kind of liking the idea of knowing things are sorted whilst we take it easier for a few days and enjoy all being together...so Kate did the bathroom, JB upstairs and me the fridges and a 'big shop', luckily our accounts lady was in and the phones still quietish as some customers still holidaying.

Funny, the big shop.. for weeks now I have been buying less, now everyone has stopped working evenings and Zac is back so cooking for six will be about right for a while!! Ross is working at a local school so I think I'll try and organise a couple evenings a week where the kids cook, not a huge deal, just not a chore for me!

So.... we are here waiting for Zac and Col to get in..as we have been almost all day! They detoured to visit a customer in Bristol and then set about finding Zac a car, essential for his next couple of terms at maritime college.. and great to have sorted it today, instead of trying to find something from here and the car being up the line somewhere.... as for me, I was happy to be home, playing banker and getting some insurance organised by the nice guy at 'Elephant' via comparethemarket.com ,so I will get a meerkat!! 

Not sure how Zac has managed to stay awake, he left Sydney 7am monday UK time and hasn't had a decent sleep since Sunday, but I guess that 4-hour watches twice a day kind of sets you up for being ale to sleep on a clothes line!  he says its odd to sleep at home now as it is so so quiet, no humm of the ventiation system or pitch of the ship...a bit like they say about coming off Intensive Care machinery which has become comforting I guess.. random thought there!!

Todays picture is of our lamp beside the sofa.. kind of twisted.. sisters!

365/247 Outside shopping..

..someone somewhere went shopping for school uniform last week!  


Lilly went to school, not nursery, for the first time today.. their house was very quiet they say... and all the questions were at school!



Doesn't she look fab...and somewhere I have pics of Ross, Lisa and Zac the first day they went to St Pirans in proper uniform too... oh how time comes around...xxxxxxxxxxx

365/246 Ribbons

Quiet Sunday, we went out to buy a new oven, replaced a wall mounted one with another the same size, just newer and nicer.. the old one is close to croaking, the fan is very laboured and so we bought one to avoid a major crisis one day in the middle of a meal!  

It does commit us to a wall mounted one in the next kitchen but that's a while yet!  Colin teased me that we will get the extension done, but he knows to talk about it with me a bit every now & then so I am kept happy!  But we also looked at kitchens and tiles, so that was more than a pacifier...wasn't it?

These are some of my ribbons.. I have a couple of boxes of them, one is a Sanctuary Spa gift box and I love the box too!!  The featured ribbon is from a pair of Next jeans, waiting for the right layout to use those words!!

365/245 Basket.

Well I have several baskets I could photograph but they are not that photogenic, mainly storage baskets in bedroom and bathroom, not quite the presentation of the Body Shop really! At Christmas I have several with Pot Pourri and if I am honest a couple of those still hang about but Lilly likes to play with it, it's her 'Pirate Treasure 'Me Hearties!!'

Anyway I had a great day! Up early as I can be when it's for scrapbooking.. funny, any other day, weekday or weekend I am moaning and groaning, staying there too long and getting a headache for my sins.. but when it's scrapbooking I'm up and out!!

It was a revisit to embossing world today and I travelled light and took along a few pictures but lots of tags to play with!  Anyways,there is always so much else to chat about and catch up on, you can't expect to do that much do you!  These are a few of the bits I made..all I need now is to get scrapping and use them!

I also bought these little gems! I liked them when I saw the box, let alone when I opened them and saw how big and comfortable to use they were!  I am what you may call an alpha-queen (well a worse word entered my head but I said it quietly to myself and settled for queen!... there, I told you I was growing up, surely does it!) , I love all kinds of alphabets and even stretch to writing journals and printing on the computer when I can be arsed, but these suit me perfect.. they allow you to be not quite perfect at which point they look just right! 

(did you see the tenuous link just there...?)

Here's a snippet of a layout I did today using them for the first time, look at all that inking and embossed stuff in the background!