Bringing the Boredom Back

Mmm. It's the second day of the Easter holidays and the rain hasn't stopped. I'm not really surprised, though. Have you ever heard anyone say "When I was young the sun shone and we stayed out all day and didn't come home until bedtime?" It wasn't often like that  round our way. Sometimes it even snowed in April:

There was the famous Easter my sister managed to slip into her new pink shorts. But that was the year I was on an exchange trip to freezing France. With too few sweaters.

I think I've already told you about the wet Easter we spent roller skating up and down the hall. Maybe that was the same year we spent an afternoon lined up across a neighbours garage, brushing the rain water back out. We thought it was fun! Possibly the best fun we'd had all holiday.  Look, you can tell by the happy faces it was a good year.

Ah, that's entertainment. (And that's my brother and sister, who will try to tell you this photo was taken in July. But, believe me, round here there isn't much difference between April and July; so I'm going with it.)

The following year we got organised and set up a club for all the kids in the street. We crammed into my Mum's kitchen; drinking orange squash and doing - well, make-and-takes you'd call them now.

Which brings me back to today. My kids seem incredulous when I tell them how we made our own fun. We didn't need DVD's or Playstations. We would have laughed in the face of Twitter. (Maybe not. You're probably right.) I think I'm going to make them try this holiday, though. Yes! I'm Bringing Boredom Back! Turning off the television. Confiscating the computer. Bringing out the colouring pencils. We'll see how it goes.

Something From Almost Nothing..This Week

A couple more pages from my Something From Almost Nothing album for today. They started life as one sheet of Jillibean-soup paper printed with trees in the bottom left hand corner. I cut it in half for my 6x12 and that gave me one page of Kraft and one page with trees on (which was good news and bad. Good because I had two different looks; bad because I had actually only used up one sheet of paper). Moving on, I kept the plain side for using up a sheet of stickers on this page:

and I used the tree side for this page:

which allowed me to turn some of my flower collection into the top of the tree. I added some stitching for more texture and a felt owl because I've been putting a bird on each page in this album. It's just a bit of fun, this one. And, yes, I did give in and buy a 6x12 album and page protectors. (If you are in the UK I got mine from Sarah's Cards.). But now I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon experimenting with dividing the protectors into interesting shapes. Happy Sunday, everyone!

Give Me An "O", Give Me A "K"

We're all talking like cowboys here at High In The Sky.

It started when The Accountant took a phone call and came back up the stairs singing Oh, What A Beautiful Morning. I knew that could only mean one thing. He'd been talking about Oklahoma (where the waving wheat can sure smell sweet). Back in the day, you see, The Accountant had been a bit of a singer. A (school) stage star. Calamity Jane, The Sound Of Music and -his favourite, I think- Curly in Oklahoma. It turned out that the teacher who had put on the show all those years ago is retiring and before he goes he's running it again.

The original cast members decided to gather last night to watch the show and send him on his way.Someone brought a scrapbook (yes!) and it held an old ticket dated 24th March 1983. And last night was, of course, 24th March. Funny. It must have been a fantastic night, though. It's early morning now and I've already been treated to "Kansas City" and "Many A New Day". I hope he does "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" next. He used to start that one when the children were really little and we wanted them to sleep in the car on the way home from Granny's. You could almost hear the horses and sometimes you could see the stars.

 I've been flicking through the old photos; and my hand might even have reached for the scanner. But, no, I'd better not. Instead I'll show you my other cowboy. Maybe you remember the Valentine Horsey received via Deb's World? I've scrapbooked his reply. When I saw the Studio Calico kit with the roses paper and the Western-look alpha's it was too hard to resist.

Oh, Horsey. Listen. The next one's for you. "People Will Say We're In Love.."

The Pop Up Tuckshop

The Accountant is generally a happy man in his work. I don't claim to know a lot about what he does, but I believe he's really quite good at it. That's an interesting thought, because when it comes to the domestic economy he's more than happy to let me decide how much to spend on what (I know, I know. I'm not complaining).

So I wasn't surprised (one day last week) to see his eyes light up when The Small One stopped forking in the spaghetti for a moment and said:
"Why would anyone want to sell shares in their own company? Then they can't keep all the money."
He knows his job and he knows his girl. She thinks fast, so a quick run through cash flow theory and she helped herself to an ice lolly and skipped off happy. While we continued the conversation:

"Business Studies," he said "She could do Business Studies. Learn early. Make a mint. Can you imagine her project work? I think they make you form a company and sell things to your friends. I bet she'd come up with something snack related. Mmm, though most of  the good stuff is banned in school now. She'd have to go underground. Black market Bubblies and crisps on credit. Wait!" and he paused for breath.

I know! She could have a Pop-Up Tuckshop. Different location every breaktime to avoid detection. She could tweet when and where. This could be big.."

But, as you know, things move fast in the world of high finance. That was last week. This is now. And he has just announced that he knows someone opening a milkshake parlour on the road between home and school. The last time I saw them they had their heads together, wondering if she'd need to bring her own apron.

Today I'm Loving..if you are starting to love 6x12 layouts too, check out the sketches at PageMaps. Look under "Half Maps" and you can print out a selection.

A Page And A Thank You

Door shouted Sheriff Horsey from the sofa. It was Thursday afternoon and he had taken a break from the heavy business of ruling the Hobby Horse world. he was putting his feet  foot up and channel surfing in that weirdly annoying manner men use when they know they should actually be doing something more useful.

So it was down to me to get the door and, well, I'm very glad I did. Look:

My gift from Lizzie's giveaway had arrived. And how lovely it is, so beautifully packaged for Spring, with a chatty note and the gorgeous extra of a  notebook she made herself. See the little green one? Maybe she has some more in her etsy shop. It's worth a look. Inside the tissue paper I found the miniature bound book from Badbooks. Beautiful! Thank you Lizzie. I was so pleased I took a break from the ironing and had a nice cup of coffee instead.

Today I'm (still) Loving..6x12 because I've found it's a great size to use the photos from the little Pogo printer I got for Christmas

Something From Almost Nothing..So Far

A quick catch up today on the pages I've made for Shimelle's Something For Almost Nothing class. I've been doing 6x12 and I've got to say that I love it! There is something very satisfying about cutting a piece of cardstock in two and saving half for later; and something very enticing about that smaller page sitting on my desk waiting to be filled in half the time. I think I'm converted. Almost. I haven't even thought about buying an album yet. And I don't think that matters one bit. I've been thinking about sewing some 12x12 page protectors in half and putting them in my big album. We'll see. There's no need to make my mind up just yet.

So, here we go:

And patterned paper scraps next. My sewing machine decided to stop sewing on paper half way through this one; so I had to fake most of the stitching by poking holes and drawing on stitches with a brown pen. I've blurred out the photo because asking you to look at me in a bikini is completely unnecessary. The Accountant was happy enough to take a photo, though, and that's a good enough reason to celebrate life, don't you think?

Then ribbon. I'm trying to use up photos as well as supplies, so this is one from a pile of duplicates in a school collection.

And cardstock. I loved SJ's tone on tone idea and I gave it a go with this old photo. It's not a good picture I know, but it's the only one we have of the day so I've been holding on to it anyway. I did love that hat! The rest of the journaling is on the back so it wouldn't intrude.

And that's my album so far.

A Bit Of Potato Bread For St. Patricks Day

It's St. Patricks day tomorrow so I thought I'd give you my recipe for Irish potato bread. When we were younger we celebrated by colouring our beer green and drinking lots of it, or by concocting an Irish Stew entirely from Guinness and a couple of carrots. But those days are long gone and now we make do with a big plateful of this. It has to be dripping with butter to be entirely authentic. But that's ok, because I'm fairly sure that some years ago calorie counting was declared illegal on St Patricks Day. Possibly on all other public holidays as well, come to think of it. It is also best served warm and the traditional way of achieving this is to cook in batches and keep on a plate under a fresh tea towel in a low oven until you are ready to feast. We like to savour it without any additions; but it is good with ham, bacon, sausages and eggs.

• 1 lb and 4 oz cooked mashed potato
• 1 oz butter
• 5 oz plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• oil for frying

1. Put the mashed potato in a mixing bowl and add the butter and the salt. Gradually add in the flour, kneading it gently
2. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour
3. Roll out the dough on a floured surface so that it is about 1/2cm thick and cut into triangles
4. Heat oil or fat (whatever you cook your roast potatoes in) and fry until browned.

And that's all there is to it.

Mothers Day Musing

Aah, just excuse me a moment while I move my tray and grab my laptop. Breakfast in bed? It must be Mothers Day! I can't stay for long, though, because I'm due at a special party. We're combining Mothers Day with a First Birthday celebration for our small blonde scamp of a cousin, Little E. Is it really a year?

She had a few false starts (I don't think she'll mind me saying), but there was much happiness in our house some years ago when my sister found her man: the excellent Kenny-who-cooks. And further celebration from The Small One when she discovered he came with two ready made cousins. What could be better? Well, the arrival of a brand new baby cousin of course. And what a year of fun he has brought us all. I've written before here about one of his visits and I've finally got round to scrapbooking it:

My sister and I are often told how much alike we look and I think that's why I love this photo so much. Two cousins. Our boys. One so tall and dark. One so little, still, and fair. Happy Birthday Little E! Happy Mothers Day sis! Lets have a good one.

And that's what I wish for you all today too. Have a nice day.

A Bit Of Better Blogging

When I started blogging, and it's still not really very long ago, my blog looked like this:

But since then I found out more about what I think looks good and I've found new ways of doing things. I just love to learn something new; and because my most clicked on link ever was this one about bloggers block I'm guessing that you do too. So I've gathered up some of my favourite links and tips on blogging and I'm posting them today for  (I hope) your blogging pleasure:

• The link that got me started thinking about this post (and I have Cate to thank for it) is Marta Writes. If you only pick one place to go, go here! Last week she did a blogging workshop with plenty of tips and thoughts right there on her blog. It's an excellent read.
• Another great link from a new blogging friend of mine Carmen: Blogger Buster. Lots of technical help here. It's easy to follow, too.
• Fresh Blog Tips Love this one.
• Blog Herald I like his thoughts on recognising your own blogging achievements
• Copy Blogger Blogging lessons from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo? That's hard to resist
• Thou Shall Blog
• Top Ten Blog Tips Watch out! You could spend all day in here
• Blog Writing Course
• Tricks For New Bloggers

and a few other useful bits:

• Web2pdf I haven't tried this way of making your pages printable, but it sounds good.
• Photography tips at Digital Photography School
• Blog Challenge running this month at Get It Scrapped
• This book would be a nice treat Kirtsy Takes a Bow

• And finally, the ultimate bloggers Look Book Artful Blogging by Stampington Just gorgeous.

So, that's it for now. I'm going to keep on collecting and, if you like, I'll do another roundup of favourites soon. Let me know if you see anything great!

Dolly Donations - A Doll (or two) For Haiti

Last week I was sitting watching a bit of tv when a striking ad suddenly appeared. It was for famine relief and it showed a little girl sitting on her doorstep and playing at feeding her doll. It made me think about how much we all need something to love. Sending dolls or teddies to children without started to seem like a really good idea. I went to bed wondering where I could find out more. It was still on my mind the next morning as I browsed a few blogs. so I was stopped in my tracks by a post I found here pointing me in the direction of Dolly Donations. It was exactly what I was looking for! This girl sends rag dolls where they are needed most: at the minute that's Haiti, but I'm going to follow the blog so that I can see what else comes up too. The pattern and all the details on right there on her blog.

Of course I explained the whole thing to The small One and she agreed that we would have to work fast. The dolls need to be in New York by 31st March, so we cut and stitched and stuffed all Sunday afternoon and by teatime we had these two:

We're sending them off with our love and we hope they get there in time. I love the blogosphere! What an amazing force it can be.

Today I'm Loving...hunting out my Potato Bread recipe in time for St. Patricks Day. You'll love it.

A Mystery Managed

You're a blog reader, I know. Does your list have any special extras on it? A rogue blog; one which doesn't have anything to connect it with most of the others you love? I found one this week, and here's how it happened.

Just before Christmas The Small One and I were helping Granny have a bit of a clothes clear out. I was just about to suggest a cup of tea and a French Fancy; but I held up one final outfit and Granny shook her head, so I put it on the "no" pile and then I looked at the hanger. It felt good in my hand. It was heavy and slightly battered; and I ran my finger over the name stamped on the worn wood. It looked like this:

I couldn't remember ever having seen it before and Granny didn't know where it had come from; but she could see that I had taken a fancy to it and she said I could keep it. I brought it home and hung it on my coat stand and wondered where I could find out more.

It caught my eye again this week, so I brought it downstairs, opened my laptop and started to google. I found History Of Department Stores first and it's a good site, but it didn't tell me what I wanted to know; so I clicked on a link to Shopping Days in retro Boston. I was instantly charmed! If you've ever been to Boston, if you are at all interested in history or shopping, take a look. It's a wonderful example of a special interest blog created with care by a man who loves his subject. I took a chance then and there. I emailed Charles and he was kind enough to email me right back. How nice is that? He was able to tell me that Gross and Strauss traded in Boston in the late 19th Century and that their newspaper ads had disappeared by 1900. They sold fabrics and ready to wear outer wear. And he sent me some newspaper ads to look at.

Of course I was delighted. Now I know that my coat hanger is over 100 years old and was probably presented as a gift with a coat. But who bought that coat and how the hanger journeyed from New England to a little country town in the UK must remain a mystery for now. Maybe I'll never know. But I do know that I've found a fascinating new blog to visit and that I've got an interesting new scrapbook page to make. So thank you Charles. I'm looking forward to it.

It's World Book Day

Today is World Book Day! I don't think it's the same date across the world, though?  But, you know, read something you love anyway! Old favourites are always good. Or perhaps something new might be even better. Here's what I'm reading for inspiration this week:

Table Inspirations and Tricia Guild's Inspiration both came from Tk Maxx. Their bookshelf is always worth a rummage, especially if you like cookery books. A great place to look for a gift book.

And here's what I'm smiling about this week:

From the lovely Cheri (whose weekly gratitude posts are a joy to read)

And from the lovely Melissa (who posts with style and grace every time)

So, in return I should be posting 7 interesting things about me and 10 things that make me happy. Would it be alright if I said simply I'm in a happy mood today and- leaving it there for now- move on to the interesting things. Though I'm wondering: are there 7 interesting things about me you don't know already? Mmm..

1. I was a Queen's Guide. In my longest ever recorded burst of physical activity I got all the badges..camping, hillwalking, knots, gadgets, the lot. I'm guessing my semaphore is a bit rusty by now, though.
2. I've never been able to click my fingers. One of life's little mysteries to me.
3. I learned to rollerskate inside because it was too wet to go outside. For an entire Easter holiday. My Mum let us use the hall instead. Nice one, Mum.
4. I fainted during one of my A level History papers. Funny for everyone else, but not for me because the headmaster phoned me at home to ask if I had any idea why it had happened and was it hormone related. Do I have to go on? Never fainted before, haven't fainted since; and really, really don't want to have that conversation with a teacher ever again.
5. I drink way too much coffee. But I've never considered cutting down.
6. My name is pronounced "Shan" and it's Welsh for Jane.
7. When I go out for a meal I always choose a starter, but I never have a dessert. I prefer savoury to sweet. all the time.

So, there you have it. Thanks, Cheri and Melissa! Now, please, if anyone fancies a go at either of these- 10 happy things or 7 interesting ones- be my guest. Have an award! Treat yourself! You know you're worth it.

Even as It All Goes By

Not long ago my scrapping friend Helen and I were talking about blogging, and why she needed a blog of her own, really. She said she thought it was the idea of being able to record little daily details that was drawing her in. She's right, of course. It's such a perfect way of capturing those little moments, the ones you think you'll remember, but know you'll forget.

Last week, for example, I was about to open the kitchen door  when I realised I could hear a heated discussion about music practise going on inside. I was wondering if I really had just heard the words But you don't need your jeans to practise your flute  when the door opened and The Small One crashed through. She was holding the gathered remains of the top of her trousers round her person with one hand and the elastic from the waistband of said trousers in the other hand. But she managed to keep her dignity and I managed to keep my face straight as she made her way up the stairs. And soon the sound of the flute came drifting over the bannister. Obviously normal service had been resumed.

I have another birthday page today, and another reason to thank Helen. When I mentioned that birthday highlights for a 15 year old seemed to involve excellent cake and a lengthy session with Facebook, she suggested I make a layout with room for some of the favourite Facebook messages. So I have. Thanks Helen!

Today I'm Loving...Cate's blog header and this post about the changes in her children. Isn't it clever?