A quick share

As I said in my last post, I managed to get some layouts done last weekend! Three of them are for the 'Five Fave' project so I can't share them yet, but I can share this one!

I found that I had a lot of Shimelle's True Story collection still hanging around in my stash, so decided to use a bunch of it up! Sorry the photo of the layout is a bit wonky! The strip along the bottom is actually the branding strip on the other side, but I liked the look of it being there, so trimmed some off the top of the page to accommodate it.

This weekend I didn't get any layouts done, but I have started preparing my pages for JYC. I also went up to ExCel with Wendy and Sue for the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts show. We had a fun day out although there was not too much in the way of scrapbooking 'stuff'. The stalls that did have scrapbooking stuff were absolutely mobbed! I did manage to spend a little bit of money though on a couple of snowflake punches, some embellishments and a couple of other bits and pieces including that good old standby of sticky pads! It made for a good day out with friends which was really important.

 I am off to see my GP this morning as I have absolutely no voice and a hacking cough and have been this way for about 7 days now. Time to see if I need some antibiotics I think! Especially as Wendy and I are off to see the final part of the Hunger Games tomorrow!

Hope you have a fun week!

Five days to go!

Yes, just five days and I will be leaving my job! I can't believe that it has come round so quickly. I am out to lunch on Tuesday with a good friend from the IT department and then when I finish at midday on Friday I will be out to lunch with Yvonne and Brenda, my colleagues in the HR department for the last 7 years who have both retired now.

This weekend we have had beautiful weather in Essex - just right for going out for the day on Saturday with Wendy and Sue. I was bemoaning the fact to Hugh that I hadn't got any scrapbooking done this weekend and then realised that sometimes we need to stop the scrapbooking to go out and make the memories to scrapbook in the future!

I had a wonderful day out with the 'girls'. We visited the Beth Chatto gardens just east of Colchester.

After wandering around for about an hour we had our picnic lunch and then had a bit more of a wander. As there was still plenty of the afternoon left we then jumped in the car and drove to Flatford Mill, where we took in Constable's view where he painted the Hay Wain and had a cup of tea.

Of course we took a selfie!

Sunday saw Hugh and me doing jobs, taking a walk into Wickford where I managed to get two pairs of linen trousers and some shorts for my holiday - all TWO sizes smaller than this time last year! Slimming World is going really well! The afternoon was spent weeding the garden, a trip to the recycling centre and then cooking a roast dinner. The weekend was rounded off by some knitting of my shawl which I want to finish to take on holiday.

Waving to Sian today - haven't done a Me on Monday post for a while, but it is nice to be back and joining in again!

Hope you all had a good weekend and I will be back again soon!

What a weekend!

I have had a very stressful couple of weeks, both at home and at work, and missed my monthly get together with the girls for scrapbooking. So the outing we had planned for Saturday was well and truly needed!

Wendy had been on Visit Essex and found Bourne Mill for us to go and visit. So with our packed lunches, raincoats and cameras, off we set!

What a beautiful place! It is in the middle of Colchester, but at the same time in a very rural location! We spent about an hour here, walking the grounds, looking at the mill workings and having a cup of tea.

We were lucky and the threatening rain held off. Jules, the guide, was very chatty and informative and we learned a lot about the mill whilst we were there.

We decided to move on and have our picnic lunch at Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum. There was a lovely outside picnic area and with our coats on and the sun out it was lovely to have our first picnic of 2015. We all meant to take photos whilst we ate, but were too hungry and forgot!

After eating our lunch we set off on our stroll around the grounds.

It was beautiful. The sun came out and there was such beautiful blossom on the trees. It smelt heavenly.

 The sun reflecting off the water was stunning - I nearly captured it here!

This is a place I will definitely be going back to - I have promised Hugh and Penny we will go there soon for a walk.

This is the 'Screaming Oak' - can you see the face? No? Well here it is in close up.

I took 85 photos in total, but have got rid of some that weren't quite so good! As my Mum posted on my Facebook page:
Gillian Armstrong: Lovely pics, I can see plenty of scrapping material there!

We've got another day booked for June - Beth Chatto Gardens - and I am really looking forward to that!