Ickenham retreat and life updates!

Ok, I've been crap at updating, sorry! Didn't realise just how little online time I would get now I've started working full time!

Ok, so first up is an update on work, I love it! The people are great, really nice and relaxed and helpful. I work in the graphics area (its one big office, but people are grouped by department, with Pete and Rory. I have my own desk and Apple Mac, which is awesome, the other day was quite amusing when they guys went on a mission to find me a pouffe (is that right) for my feet because I'm too short for the height of the desk, so need one to rest my feet on so I can be level with the screen! They found a pile of carpet swatches for me, lol! Must take a photo of it when i don't feel so embarrassed to photograph my desk like a saddo....

Had to sign a confidentiality report too, as we work on top secret stuff which is exciting! I've done a bit of branding work, some new stuff for the company like reception posters and a christmas card. Its been great fun, and I'm not as tired as I used to be which is great. So all in all I'm enjoying it, sometimes I feel very young and inexperienced, but I know thats ok...its just scary!

Then on the 5th I went away for the weekend to Watford, to the Ickenham scrapping weekend. It was awesome! I went with Juli, and got to spend some time with her, Kathy, Sam, Kate and Mindy, and made a new friend, Ann. I laughed LOADS, especially thanks to Ann and her singing when Shimelle stopped everyone from talking... Shimelle's classes were fantastic, I need to photograph my stuff but my camera battery just died so I can't. I made a patchwork quilt out of card and photos, which is now framed and ready to go on my wall, and nearly finished an album in a weekend, we only didn't because there were actually more pages than Shimelle thought, but I just finished it last night, and am very proud of it, it was a liberating class where we scrapped in a new way, not worrying about papers, sizes or matching, and just doing it!

I felt like a little kid at the crop, we had dorm rooms that slept about 10 people, a big showering area and then a huge school dinner like kitchen! Madness!

Also had fun taking photos of lights as Ann had never tried this with a slow shutter speed, whereas I am obsessed with it. So we went out and had a play with her car, using the coloured lights to photo graph! Was quite amusing, hazard lights on, reverse lights and brake lights make cool images! And this was at about 11pm in the freezing cold...in our pyjamas! Rock and roll!

This was our table, with Juli, Kathy, Judith and Sarah, and then Ann on the saturday and sunday.

All the albums Shimelle brought for the Fill My Little World class.

All the materials Shimelle supplied for the quilt class, and you can see her quilt in the background.

Some of the goodies our table had for the album.

The pizza box filled with lovely goodies for the class, loads of bazzill, pp and some Banana Frog stamps!

Some of my crazy lights pics...

Me on sat night in my PJs!

One of my favourite layouts of the weekend, everything just matched the photo so well!

Shimelle Laine!

The very fun Ann!


My fellow Prima Princesses, Sam and Kate.


Kate and Mindy:


After the crop Juli drove us to Willow Tree Crafts, and I bought myself some Autumn Leaves stamps, some pp, an American Crafts 6x6 album to do the Learn Something New Every Day class by Shimelle, and some other bits and pieces. All in all, a fab weekend!

Since then its been work work work, I try and do as much as I can in the evenings, but the journey home is a bit longer because its awkward with the train changes and stuff. This weekend involved two trips to Ikea to get "housey" stuff, like plates, jars, and other lovely goodies that we can now call our own when we go round the house!

I also had my last day at Hamleys last week, which was mental because it was really, really busy and it felt so weird after being in an office all week! I was very sad to leave, I'll miss all my friends, even though we'll be in touch I won't get to see them as much. But I did feel I couldn't take the standing and the crowds anymore, so it was nice to leave before Christmas mania.

Even heard my first xmas ad of this year the other day, good old Argos with the "I wish it could be mmas" playing, and so it begins....

Thorpe park and stash spending!

Few things to update on!

On friday we went to Thorpe Park, my bravest and longest journey driving so far! We made it in one piece without getting lost or having too many problems. It was a very miserable grey day, but the park was pretty empty so it was better for rides and queuing. We went on Stealth first, which is awesome! Steven wasn't very keen, but then it does go from 0 to 80mph in 2 secs, or something like that, and propel you up a vertical tower, over the top and back down again! I loved it!



Then we done Nemesis Inferno which is also good fun, we walked more or less straight on!



We then went to Colossus which left my head feeling a bit rattled from all the loops!







We then done X:\ No Way Out and Loggers Leap. We got a bit wetter than expected on Loggers Leap, but there was no queue at all so we went on it again right after!



We went on the Rumba Rapids then, which felt like quite a comedown after the big adrenaline rides! We looked quite funny, two people in a 6 person boat, sitting opposite each other in the rain!




I then went on Samurai and Vortex, both spinning rides. It was a shame because some of the newer rides that I've never been on before were shut for the day.






And as you can see, the rain didn't hold up! Got rather drenched, but we'd been on everything we wanted by 2pm so we headed to the car, warmed up and came home.





Was a really good day out despite the rain. Came home and done some scrapping too!



Then yesterday went to the Ally Pally which was good fun! Had a bit of a spending spree, although stayed just within my budget. Got some new banana frog stamps, some heidi swapp foam stamps, some new blonde moments, piggy tales and dream street papers, some embellies and some new journaling stamps. Think thats everything! Will post a picture later when I get the chance. And here are another two layouts I made yesterday, one just needs some spellings checked before its finished.

Some layouts!

I don't think I've posted any layouts since I started this blog, which is naughty because thats one of the reasons I started blogging!

So here are my most recents layouts for my trip to the Isle of Wight last year.

Shopping Sprees!

Well its been a busy week, preparing for work on monday. On Monday I met my friends Juli, Sam, Anne and Amy for lunch in Ickenham, my last ever monday lunch with them which is a shame. On the way back got stuck in loads of traffic so instead of taking 20 mins to get back, it took 40! Was good practise for me, and I had my ipod playing through the cassette player so I was singing to myself like a loony to pass the time.

Tuesday we braved Ikea, quite straightforward route apart from the crappy signage! We missed the entrance and ended up nearly back in my own area when we tried to just go round to get to the entrance... I was constantly in the wrong lanes because the signs were always too far ahead, so by the time I could read them I was in the wrong lane! I bought myself a lazy susan for my scrapping tote and some cute little jars for embellishments.

Just thought, I really should post some of my recent layouts...

Today I went back to Harrow to continue my shopping spree from last week! Bought myself a whole pile of jumpers for winter from Primark, they're so cheap I nearly got one in every colour!!! Found some smart black shoes, finally a size 3 1/2 which seems nearly impossible to get!

Also, please explain to me why most shops won't let you try knickers on over your own? Ok, they are worried about hygiene, I get that. But how are you meant to know what size you are if you can't test them over your own??? Maybe its just me, but I find I'm never the same size in different shops. Plus, I felt completely valid in telling the customer services this because I tried on two pairs of jeans, both size ten. One pair was too tight, the other fit fine. So how can I trust their knicker sizing to be the same????? Plus, I don't even know what their sizing is like in knickers.... this was a bit rant I had today! I didn't want to buy them, then find they didn't fit because obviously you can't return them either! i was not impressed, I was tired and ratty as it was lol.

That aside, shopping was cool although I've spent an absolute fortune this last week on new clothes for work (as I don't have a uniform now I needed to replace some old jumpers and get some smart trousers and shoes) and have the Ally Pally scrapbooking show this weekend, followed by the Ickenham weekend crop next weekend! No spending for the rest of the year I think haha! (Yeah right).