Pull up a chair...this is gonna be a long one!


Mid Summer Scrapping Event with Donna and Lance!


Pull up a chair...this is gonna be a long one!



Wow what a day - I'm shattered but in a nice kinda way! Today was our Mid Summer Scrapping Event and it was BRILLIANT - a full on scrap fest at rocket speed. We were treated to Donna's Hybrid album and Lance's Pop up ball album designed by the talented Karen Burniston. Everyone seemed to enjoy the classes and there was such a great buzz in the room!



We had the best time with Donna Downey and Lance Anderson this week. Strangely, it felt like we had our American cousins over to stay for the week as they seemed so at home with us and the kids. Donna and her lovely family came for dinner and a crop on Thursday evening and her kids and my kids just gelled instantly, especially as they bounced on the trampoline until around 10.30pm.






We had such a giggle about her Burger King incident. Of all the things to happen to a visitor to Dublin! This will be on her blog sometime soon! Last night we bbq'd with their family as the weather miraculously turned good enough to eat al fresco. She's such a funny lady with a great knack for telling a story. Must be that Blarney stone! It was a lovely relaxed evening - really enjoyed it!

We had a near miss though yesterday - around 5pm I had a call from Lance to say he had missed his flight because Aer Lingus aka Aer FUNGUS had tried to screw him on the baggage charges to the tune of $1,000 - eek! So by the time he had argued it out they closed the gate and he missed his flight. A frantic hour later and all was sorted. He caught the ferry from Edinburgh to Belfast and I got him a last minute room in the Europa Hotel (he loved the idea that this was once the most bombed hotel in Europe!) and Carrie's kind hubby came to the rescue today by making a long journey to Belfast to pick him up and deposit him in Dundalk where he was ferried by Ed to the event just in the nick of time. What a drama but all's well that end's well!

So here's some photos of our day with Donna and Lance...












Tonight after the big event Ruth and I took Lance on a whirlwind tour of Dublin - quite surprising how much you can see in 30 minutes. He had a funny incident as he stopped outside Christ Church Cathedral to have his photo taken by an old woman who didn't know to use a digital camera. He took lots of shots around Dublin as we drove through the streets. When we got home we had a nice relaxed dinner while Ed and Lance watched the footie and afterwards Lance kindly gave me a one to one lesson on how to make the pop up ball album - what a treat!

So it's all over now and we are so looking forward to welcoming them both back to Dublin sometime soon.

Thank you so much to everyone who supported the event and to all the behind the scenes help! Roll on next time!

Busy Busy week!

Nothing like a busy week to get things done eh! I am meeting myself in the landing most days! So much happening this week, most importantly Lance and Donna are coming to town to teach us on Saturday at Mid Summer Scrapping Event. I have been in crafting overdrive finishing off projects before school hols. So far I've made 2 class projects for Craftzone, 4 minialbums, 1 16''x16'' canvas, 5 (yes 5!)30x40 framed scrapbook layouts for teacher presents, around 10 new layouts a CJ entry, Donna's Hybrid Album for Saturday's class and a few other bits as well. Not to mention event planning, new tyre changes, dentist visit, teacher appointments, playdates and general hum drum stuff of daily life. Next week I sleep for a week!

Here's some of my latest work;
Sarah is Lucy's montessori teachers and she got married last year. I have been asking her for a photo for the past year so I could make her a gift. Finally I got some this week and they were beautiful photos. Her wedding album was like a hollywood actresses's portfolio - amazing! I enjoyed making this for her and I really hope she likes it when I give it to her on Lucy's last day on Friday.


I decided to make her a mini album from these photos she gave me - in matching papers. I have to say I am in love with my bind it all - getting loads of use from it lately!







I'm not generally one for scraplifting as it never feels like my own work. However I saw something in Scrapbook Inspirations last month from Shimelle Laine and I thought it was just beautiful. As I have the very same journaling tags she used I scraplifted and let Eva do her own journaling for it about our recent trip to Disney. Quite happy with how it turned out.



TFL

Happy Father's day!


Lucy painted this little rock for her daddy last week in montessori and I thought it was so cool. It's her last week there and we will be sad to leave as she and her big sister have had a great time at Little Einsteins!

Are you a Paraskavedekatriaphobic?

If you are then you should stay in bed all day as it's Friday the 13th!

Nothing major (thankfully!) happened today - school run, birthday party blah blah and then the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty which caused no end of a hoohaa in the media today. I'll say no more except ....so what happens next guys? What's the plan? hhmmmn???

Tooth Fairies and a new chapter!

Well the day has finally happened...my baby has reached a new chapter in her life, albeit a few years later than most of her peers. She's finally gone and lost her first tooth and I was there standing by with my camera to capture the magic moment. Well it wasn't hard to guess as it was hanging by a thread...
Going...

Going...

Gone!


Check out Audrey's blog where she was inspired by this event to make the most beautiful fairy door...

Mini Marathon day!



Well we did it - we crossed the line and it was a great experience from start to finish. Myself, Niamh and Sheila walked for ARC charity - a breast cancer support service and it was a great feeling to pass the line. So many great women walking, running for their special causes - well done to everyone. If you would like to support ARC, a fantastic and invaluable support service for survivors of breast cancer, you can do it easily on line here on Niamh's charity website.

On our way around we came across this sign and we made Niamh stand in front of it for a photo op! Who knows if she was the intended recipient but what the heck - she deserved it!

Heroes...
We just heard this weekend that my cousin's organs were successfully transplanted and a 58 year old is now enjoying a new lease of life as a result of my cousin and his family's generousity. So the message is carry a donor card ;-)

Giraffes in the sunshine!


Wow what a beautiful weekend of amazing weather we have had. This could well be our only summer and if it is well what the hey - it's been fabulous! We've spent every waking moment in the gargen this weekend; playing, scrapping, swimming in the paddling pool, bbq-ueing, trampolining, generally having a ball! Long may it last!







On top of a great weekend of weather we have had a great weekend of talent. Britain's got talent has captured our attention and hearts over the past few weeks. Here's my favorites;