Something to brighten the day

Feeling a little blue today.  If anyone has any tips to cope with PMT that does not involve medication (EPO seems to be struggling with the workload), I would be greatful.  Today, housework seemed to help....not impressed lol!

So, thought I would finally put up my colour LO from Explore where I declared red as my favourite.

These pictures are from my school exchange trip to Germany.  Nearly 20 years ago!!!!! Ok Jayne, u are supposed to be cheering yourself up here!!!  The pictures highlight just how much I loved red back then.  And, on this trip I was quite famous for it. Especially with the item of redness on my head. 

I was going to put this on the LO but didn't feel it fitted and figured the story of the hat deserved its own LO rather than a garbled couple of lines.  That will be a good challenge for my journalling....or lack of lol.

If the colour red hasn't cheered you up ..marginally worked here!.. these may help some of you.

They have DEFINATELY cheered me up :)  Only 4 days to go.

Mission completed. LOL :)



A dash to the finishing post

 Half Page Challenge

No paper used.....at all! That is a first :)

Go Retro Challenge

Ok, I have lots of photos that are way older, but I love this one of my parents taken in 2000

 Sketch of the Week

This could yet get some journalling added...just don't know what to say yet.  The picture has been attached to the cardstock cloud for yonks.....the paper arriving in this months Studio Calico kit was like magic lol

Starting Point Challenge

This photo is actually older than the retro one. 

Above is my last minute dash to enter some of last weekends challenges.  I will definately do the rest at some point because I have several ideas for each.  Just time ran away with itself and work got in the way as usual. However, 4 LOs in a day is pretty good for me.

$%@! customs!!!!!

I got my Studio Calico kit and extras today.  Yay, I hear you cry.  And yes, it is gorgeous and strokeable etc but the joy of receiving the box was tainted by nasty customs. 

€20 they charged me for VAT!! None of my 2peas parcels have had this problem.
And it wasn't just me that was affected. 

The boss ordered 2 new games from CDWOW and they always deliver separately.  They were put together and VAT was charged!

 You see, anything over €22 (not including delivery) is liable to VAT here.  And apparently, the boss was told that if 2 parcels come from the same invoice, they can be put together and charged as 1 package. 

€31 we paid overall this morning to the postie to get our goodies.

 We reckon they were noticing the high amount of goods coming our way (ok, mostly mine...but come on...) and decided we weren't paying enough so they should have a bit of my hard earned cash too! 

RAGING is putting too polite a phrase on it.

 RIP OFF IRELAND at its very bloody best!!!

Yes, I could have left this for my Month in Numbers but too annoyed to sit on it.

But, on the plus point....I did get my goodies, and now I don't know where to start lol

The meaning of colour

I can honestly say that although I like colour decided last night it is because I was an 80's child..the era of clashing colour lol I am definately  too scared to use it.  That was certainly recognised yesterday as I discussed my favourite colour and realised that I dont really have much obvious colour in my life anymore....visually speaking anyway.

I have never put much thought into 'translating' colour even though all my hobbies require its necessary participation.  I can certainly give you my feelings on music, what makes me happy, sad etc, but colour? Not so much. After writing my list, I find it highly amusing that I have listed yellow as irritating to me, especially since Shimelles web example listed it so positively.  I am not too surprised to see this because for all that I like the sun to be out, too much of it can make me irritable and tired and since yellow is such a summery colour, it figures that yellow is not my most happy colour. 

And yes,  you guessed right, summer is not my favourite season.  Maybe thats why I live in Ireland lol. Although, I do think it is because I am just not used to sun, since I do not go on foreign holidays much.

Comparing my thoughts to the web example though, I found it interesting just how I do think about colour.  Purple is fast bcoming one of my favourites, yet I put it down as feminine which is something I definately do not class myself as!!!!. In the example, they used magic and mystery. Imagine I never associated that side of me fantasy films/books are my favourite ways to 'disappear 'for a few hours with a colour at all.

This now means that nearly everything I do is being opened up in a whole new way.  Even as I typed my line earlier about music, I started to think of albums in colour.  This will open all sorts of doors when it comes to creating, as the one thing I do struggle with is the use of colour and whether it is too much or clashes with the photo.  I forget sometimes to look at the photo, rather than the visual colours.  This is also what hinders my journalling, as in, I cant scrap that picture as I don't know what to say.  And I have loads of colourful stuff in my stash as I am so drawn to it, just too scared to use it!!!

How glad am I to be on my week between nights to start experimenting while its all fresh :)

Whenever I am asked what my favourite colour is, my instant answer is always to say Red.  I have no idea why it is my favourite.  Ok, my favourite football team play in Red ....Liverpool...and incidentally, I did pick them as my team when I was 8 based on the colour cos all my friends supported Spurs and I wanted to be different......and funny how most of my family are YID supporters now......., my favourite fruit are strawberries, which are red, my favourite hat and coat used to be red no photo to support this on the computer but I think I will definately be scrapping one in a minute........but other than that.....I have no idea..

I do not own many red clothes. I generally dress in browns and blacks, hints of green etc.  I am certainly not a  person who cares what I am wearing much, short of the hope that it fits and looks ok, so I don't give much interest to my wardrobe.  However, having a quick look... and I mean quick. My wardrobe for the WHOLE year fits into one small Argos 2 door job ...I have been told lots by the girls about their need to pull out their summer wardrobes...I look at them slackmouthed..but anyway, I am babbling lol..... highlights my attempts to bring in colour through my shirts with a flower pattern on and my cheap work tshirts which are fast catching up with the rainbow.

There is actually very little evidence of my favourite colour anywhere....wel except here but the boss picked this!

please ignore the wet patchs on the wall. i thought i had a better photo but this is what the boss took to show the assessor who is coming tomorrow to check out our flood damage.

Therefore, I am off to look at old pictures.  I know I have always liked colour but as I have got older, I seem to be more scared to use it and I am sure I was never like that before!

A Month in Numbers: July 2011

I forgot to write everything down again! And, by the time I get access to the computer, I am usually too lazy to write anything on here as I  cant always think so late in the day. Luckily, the boss bought a couple of new games for his PS3 at the weekend (Top Spin 4 and Masters Golf) which means he does not require internet access. This means I dont hear...'the game has slowed down Jayne, get off the computer.'
So, on this lovely Bank Holiday Monday yes, the sun is trying its hardest to show her head, it is just a cruel lie that she never visits Ireland lol I am sitting in the kitchen, with unlimited internet access...yay..with the calming sounds of the washing machine (!) and  an avatar version of the boss hitting a golf ball into the water (!!!!!) as my soundtrack.....maybe I should turn the stereo on!

Anyway, back to the game in hand.....my month in numbers.
Which must start off with these 4 lovelies......

..my gorgeous nieces and nephews.

I went home for a week to visit them and the sister and uncle of course....... and the camera was out in full force as is usual.  The picture above is my attempt to get a good one of them all together but as you can see, the boys were just not interested in the slightest! And #2 who was 8 last week...happy birthday :) did try her best to get them all to play ball ....

They are great kids but honestly, I don't know how my sister does it.  They have my head torn in a day vying for attention and while I know they don't see me very often which explains the desire to fight over me I love it really.....so nice to feel wanted lol the patience of a Saint does not give her enough credit. 

I had a great time though and proceeded to really test out my new IPhones capabililty in the camera department......180 pictures and 5 videos later, consider it well and truly tested :)

And, I love it.  My poor old Sony 5.1 is weeping at the lack of interest I had in it over the week. But, in my defence, it was so much easier to just pull the phone out, especially since my family still roll their eyes everytime I get click happy.

And, it only took me 3 days to remember to move my finger before I clicked lol

ok, this was on the 5th day but sssshhhhh.....

The other reason I was at home? 3 Thetford Forest gigs.

For all that I was born and raised there, I have never been to Thetford Forest. My uncle has been a regular visitor to the gigs for the last couple of years, and since he always comes with me to the Stitch and Craft shows, I gave it a miss this year :( and said I would go to the July gigs with him.

Can you see who they are?

 4 members of The Script on Thursday

 4 members of Westlife

1 Bryan Ferry.

All were brilliant...although we did find it amusing that I travelled so far to see 2 bands who live down the road from me lol although the biggest surprise for me were Westlife.  Now, I like my boy bands ....Take That anyone??? but could give or take the Sligo boys to be honest, as nice as they seemed.  But, on the night, they were brilliant.  Great sense of humour, great voices, great interaction with the crowd. I am now totally converted !

I travelled by boat to get home...the con to not sorting out my passprt yet...but really, €160 through the embassy here, when I can go up the north and get it for app €100 and get it sent to my sisters....! and it is not a bad way to travel, just long...13 hours roughly door to door.....so basically, a shift to me! But it gets to be a pain when the trains don't put on enough carriages when I am Britsh side and, again, this happened from Chester to Holyhead. They cut the train from about 8 carriages to 4....I think....all I know is that nearly everyone was going  to Holyhead and it meant 40-60 minutes stuck in a Virgin train corridor.  Now, don't get me wrong, the people I was crammed in with were great fun and it made the journey easier, but this happens nearly everytime I travel and you would think train companies would learn  by now. Especially in the summer months! O well.......!

Right, have just looked at the preview and for some reason my colours are not consistent. I am sure I can figure it out, but since I  want to catch up on Explore, I will post and have a look later.  So, I hope the constant colour change doesn't make you too seasick!

EDIT  *forgot to mention, you can find link for where all this started to the right....it will lead you to the lovely Julie who is also running Going Postal month which is worth a look :)*