autumn escape UFOs and other layouts

 a double page layout with photos taken from last september

i also did another layout/pocket page for the interview

i've put them all together in the same album

i'll sit down and read them all one day!

this is one of the layout classes i did at AUTUMN ESCAPE

one of TWO Rachel Tucker classes i did

love that girl!

this is such a brilliant idea

check it out...

see?  it's like a book cover - that you change again and again!

the photos are mounted on JUMBO PLAYING CARDS

(available at most $2 shops!)

i journalled on the back of them

i had so much fun remembering the awesome time amanda and i had while she was here

------------------------

soooooo, 2 AE UFOs down, 2 to go!!!

photostory friday: back in the saddle again

it's been a fun week for several reasons:

i'm back working mornings only and am enjoying the stress less ness ness (ness)

amanda started blogging again!

sass starting blogging again!

mel started blogging again!

you remember amanda?

she was the one who flew from georgia to NY to celebrate her 30th birthday, and i flew slightly further (also to NY) to help her celebrate said birthday!

and you gotta remember sass?

she's the one mr scrappy and i went to stay the night with at the seaside after our trip to italy last year to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

and mel?

well i haven't met mel yet, but she DID feature prominently in my vision board recently

i inadvertently gave her a pair of giant toonie boobies (but she didn't mind)

the fact that these three started blogging again this week is significant, because they've been AWOL from their blogs for several months, and are my ORIGINAL bloggy friends and therefore hold a special place in my bloggy heart

so cheers to you - and welcome back!!!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

wordful wednesday: a post for auntiegwen

i made this for dinner

tuscan lentil soup (click for the recipe!)

it's a fave of miss 20's

normally when the girls take care of the dishes [read, argue for 20 minutes over them], the leftovers are literally LEFT OVER - (for a parent to eventually take care of)

tonight miss 20 was first in line to secure lunch for the next day

to make sure no-one else in the family took it by mistake

she left this note...

the funny thing is, she has no idea that FECK is one of auntiegwen's favourite words!!!

...most often used (and used often it is!) to break up the word TECHNOLOGY
as in 'techfeckinology part umpteen'

auntiegwen - we feel your presence in our home halfway around the world!

(feel the love...)

for more wordful wednesday, visit angie over @ seven clown circus

photostory friday: anniversaries and blogaversaries

i'm sure that's not a real word, and even if it was - i'm sure i spelt it wrong

so i missed my blogaversary

2 years ago on feb 9 i started this blog.

and never looked back

blogging has changed my life

for the better

in so many ways

it's inclusive, sharing, caring and well, just awesome.

since february 9 2008 i have flown to the other side of the world

TWICE

and met 15 blog friends

FIFTEEN

..and so today's PSF is a tribute to my 15 wonderful [once virtual] and now ACTUAL friends


josh and amanda
amanda's wanted to spend her 30th birthday in new york and issued an open invitation
who could resist?

my madonna concert buddy paula - at princeton

the fall leaves were amazing

new york savvy daryl

baby mumma kelcey - she's having TWINS!!!

these two are originally kiwis, but now reside in oz - so they flew almost as far as i did!

so after my fabulous 8 days flying solo in new york, i flew to KC for a girls' weekend

like i said, girls' weekend

(kristi getting to know donna a little better...)

that's debbie during the yankie swap

the very refined kristi - my FIRST EVER blog friend

zit popper queen kendra

(she's a fiskateer you know)

and here's the whole gang
sherryn, donna, lynette, melinda, debbie, candice, pam and kristi

then last year i flew to london to meet auntiegwen
she didn't listen to her mam's advice and the wind changed

and the lovely sass from the even lovelier whitstable

next trip - CANADA!
(sometime...but a girl can wish, right?)

in other news:

on tuesday i celebrated ONE YEAR at my job

my first [paid] job since re-entering the workforce after 20 years at home

...and today i resigned

...but that's ok

i've been thinking about it for a while

onto better and brighter things

a holiday in oz to see my lovely tara for one

more time to exercise (scratch that) - more time to blog!!! for two

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

photostory friday: ace cafe, auntiegwen and other things we got wet seeing in london

we only had 2 nights and [effectively] one whole day in london, so we wanted to squeeze in as much as we could.

first on our list, was meeting this lovely blogger at london's ace cafe. as previously mentioned, auntiegwen made an almost 12 hour round-trip just to have dinner with us - AND she brought us an anniversary gift!

she complains that she never takes a good photo. i simply DON'T understand why...

see? luverley

i love this kind of diner. i remember going to one in downtown atlanta before a falcons game - it's something about the square plastic tiles on the floor i think
but behave or else! (click to enlarge)

lots of old stuff on display

it was italian car night - they have lots of themed nights, not just bike stuff, but definitely things with wheels that make lots of noise

then the next day we hit the ground running for a walking tour of london, care of my sister christine, who's been living there since 1991

me loves a peaceful protest, but wonders where they put the tent pegs

what is it about old style phone booths

that brings out the crazy

"i'll take one of everything please"

me and him indoors with the houses of parliament in the background

ah - the aussie, kiwi and south africa shop

pineapple lumps and pinky bars for everyone!

i took this pic for you mel!

getting a bit gloomy

so time for lunch!

gravy on my chips?
how very english (they were yummy btw)
we had lunch here at 'the punch and judy' at covent garden
click on the pic to read its history

this is as close to the tower bridge as we got, because by now the skies had opened and we were getting wet. uncomfortably wet

i want to live in this shop

how could you be unhappy in this shop?
it was in covent garden also

admiralty arch

deciding which half price show we'd see that night
toss up between lenny henry as othello and the one we actually saw

ok, this photo is out of order - however...
it was well and truly bucketing down by this stage and THE MALL is rather exposed, and we didn't really fit under my tiny cute umbrella
but we had to have a pic outside buck house didn't we!

and THIS is the show we ended up seeing that night at the west end

avenue Q
a cross between sesame street and the muppets
don't go if you're easily offended

it was freaking hysterical

(i'm not easily offended)


AND CHECK IT OUT!
it's my turn to co-host with utah's 2009 housewife of the year
CECILY!!!
go check out her gorgeous children
honestly, with the adorable things that come out of her mouth, she could write a book!

Hosted by Cecily and Sue

To play PhotoStory Friday, check this.
Copy this code into your post and sign Sir Linky:

<center><a href="http://whatworksforus.blogspot.com/2007/06/iphone.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/whatworksforus/pfw.jpg" border="0" alt="PhotoStory Friday" /></a><br/>Hosted by <a href="http://mychaosmybliss.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cecily</a> and <a href="" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sue</span></span></span></a><p/></center>