The last day ...

... of January! No, not today, the day of writing, but the day after my birthday, Monday. The first month gone ... the year is flying by already!  

Paul had hossie in the morning to have his plaster changed. He's now got a lovely neat and tidy blue one! I finally got to have my eye test that was due in September. I'd made a conscious decision to wait a further 3 months and have them tested after my birthday. There has to be some advantage to reaching 60 and free prescriptions and eye tests, as well as 25% off new specs for over 60s at the opticians I use, are just a couple *grin* Test showed I didn't need to change specs if I didn't want to but bored with ones I've got so ordered new. Dropped prescription into chemist on way home .... no fee to pay - yay!  

While I was out I shopped a little ... a very little! I found a half price jewellery making kit and a couple of tops for £5 each. Can't complain at that but I've not tried them on yet so no idea if they fit or not. I also bought some wild rabbit from the butcher in the market place so will be cooking that at some point soon. Not had rabbit in years and can't say as it's ever been a meat I've particularly liked but rabbit stew can be boring (sorry Mum). I've Googled and found some more adventurous recipes so will be giving one of them a go. In buying the rabbit I may also have found a butcher I can get marrowbone from ;0)

Tuesday - the 1st day of February and ... a Dad day. Had a visit with an Occupational Therapist. Carers feel that there's more equipment he could use to help him - mainly to help him if he's having an exceptionally bad mobility day. Not sure he'll go along with it but seems they think that a wheeled commode/shower chair could help. Shower chair bit ... not a problem as it will just replace the one he uses already but the commode bit? Well, that's where I think there could be a problem. Anyway, one is going to be supplied so will see how he gets on with it. Not sure he understands exactly what it is but he'll work it out eventually.

He's broken one of his new hearing aids (not a year old yet) and the replacement, while that is being repaired ... one of his old ones ... seems to have had the same treatment 'cos that's not working after a week of him using it as a temporary measure. Wearing them to bed and putting them in the wrong ears might have something to do with it - oooops!

A few more errands, shopping delivery and dinner prep - please Paul, get your hand back 'cos I don't like cooking :0( - and I was worn out. 2 days of busy, busy so Wednesday was going to be a relaxing day. Well, that was the plan and I guess it was except the doorbell kept ringing! Normally there's nothing but it was one of those days when you just sat down and got comfie and it rang ... and it's how the day went on from early morning to mid afternoon. OK, so it was my fault - *lol* I'd been on a spending spree but most of the purchases I'd made should have gone through letterbox - or so I thought. Wrong! Some were just that wee bit big and wouldn't go. So, a few packets later and I thought it was done. All expected had arrived and then?  The doorbell rang again. Hubby saying "well, if you didn't order stuff it couldn't be delivered" but this time it wasn't anything I'd ordered.

It was a beautiful surprise from a lovely friend who has a lot going on in her life - more than anyone should have - but still managed to find the time to order ..... a bouquet of flowers and a box of strawberry creams for my birthday! Thank you Trace - you're one amazing lady!

and that brings me to Thursday and a story to tell ...

Thanks for dropping by .....

Still failing but ...

... it's been another busy week!  It's also been a very lucky one so far and today is the 6th anniversary of the day I stopped smoking!

As the last post says it was my 60th birthday on Sunday. We've never made a big thing of birthdays and this one was going to be no different. We couldn't go out for a meal because of Paul's hand being as it is. He's not allowed to use it any more than he has to and getting in and out of cars is an impossibility so, stay at home we did. All the family called at some point throughout the day bringing gifts, cards, a few laughs and total mayhem *LOL* 

I had a lot of cards, including a fair few from crafty friends and I'm posting a few of those daily over on my crafty blog.

I was spoilt with presents.  Chocolates, vouchers, CD, MP3 player, smellies and flowers.

Hubby bought me a Kindle.  Don't yer just like his gift wrapping - *lol*  Mind you, it's better than I was expecting 'cos until the day before it was still in the Amazon box it was delivered in ☺  He spoilt my photo opportunity as I was sure that's how it was going to be given to me *hehe*

I was given a beautiful little owl ornament from the littlies and their Mum & Dad ... just love it! Look at the detail.  Amazing.

That was Sunday and it's continued .....

Thanks for dropping by .....

Yet more birthday cards.

.... another couple.

Jackie

Jan

Enjoy!!

More birthday cards.

... and another couple from the selection I received.

Elaine.

Greta

Enjoy!!

Birthday cards.

Here's another couple from the beautiful selection of cards received from friends for my 60th birthday.

Cally 

Decoupage easel card

Debs

Enjoy!!

A BIG birthday 2!

I thought I'd show you some of the beautiful cards I received for my birthday from some of my crafty friends.  Can't give you any details on what was used (well, some I could as I recognise odd bits used - lol!) but these are being posted just for the inspiration and enjoyment.  I'm the lucky one as I'm sitting here surrounded by them and, as usual, they look so much better in real life!  I'm not going to post them all in one go but a few each day so here are the first couple ....

Lynn

Jennie

Enjoy!!

A BIG birthday!

Whose?  MINE!  When?  TODAY, 30th January.

The first day of my 70th decade and the first day of the rest of my life *grin*

Thanks for dropping by .....

Hmmmm! ...

... Monday posted, today's Saturday! Big failure and it was started with all good intentions but it's been a busy week.

Firstly, hubby made it home in time for tea on Monday. Pea soup went down a treat and the banana and pecan loaf? Delicious! Soooo much better than the muffins so will be looking for a different muffin recipe to give them another go with different ingredients. Hubby in severe pain and it's back to the beginning, where we were last year, after his first hand operation. 5 weeks in plaster than up to 9 months, or thereabouts, recovery. Time will tell if this is any more successful than last time but they've tightened up ligaments so there should be less movement on the thumb. Unfortunately it meant they had to cut up the arm to find them - eeeewww!

Tuesday was a normal visit to Dad and in the evening I was out with my old workmates, who are also friends. Several of them I've known since I was 19 years old.  We all worked for the same firm and were made redundant in 1993 but we've met up every 5 to 6 weeks since then.  A couple now bring their spouses with them so we've regularly a group of 10.  The first meet after Christmas is always around the time of my birthday so this one was in 'celebration' (if you can call it that), hence the balloons on the table. Lovely meal, reasonably priced, great atmosphere and it was busy!  We've already booked a table for our next meet.

It's hard work choosing from the selection offered *LOL*

My mate Cally.

Wednesday and I finally got the Moraccan shepherds pie made!  It was Amy's (youngest grand-daughter) birthday and she was the grand old age of  5!

Chillaxing day for Thursday and Friday made another visit to Dad.  It's  his birthday today, Saturday, but I was booked for a stint of babysitting ... having Zac while his sisters went to celebrate Emma's (middle grand-daughter) 9th birthday!  She shares her birthday with my Dad, her great-grandad.  She was born on his 80th birthday ... and yes, I did say her 9th - *LOL*

  Well, it's cold indoors - and Mummy and Daddy abandoned me!

Well, that's this week over and done with and now going to open a bottle.  Not something that's done often in this house but then it's not every day you see the end of a decade!

Thanks for dropping by .....

Busy birthday week.

Three birthdays this past week. Youngest grand-daughter was 5 on Wednesday. Middle grand-daughter is 9 today and Dad is 89 today. 3 cards to be made quickly as, with everything else going on no time to spend on making them. To the rescue ... Kanban Wobblers! Not what I class as crafting but none-the-less appreciated by the recipients. Dad's made him chuckle so job done! At least they're not cards that can be found in a shop.

Amy's card

Emma's card

Dad's card

Enjoy!!

ProMarker storage

UPDATE: I've put this update at the beginning as it's important and it should have been mentioned in the following post but a commenter has brought it to my attention (thanks Sonia) and I'm going to shout this .... PROMARKERS (& Copics or any other alcohol based marker pens) CAN BE STORED EITHER HORIZONTALLY OR VERTICALLY!  It is only waterbased markers, like Aquamarkers, Marvy Le Plume etc. that are better stored horizontally ie.  flat, on their sides.  I queried this directly with Letraset having read this so many times that ProMarkers had to be stored flat and being sure it wasn't the case.  On 7th June 2010 Martin Gibbs from Letraset replied to my question as follows .... " It makes no difference which way you store ProMarkers.  The confusion probably comes from the fact that the water based AquaMarkers are best stored horizontally"  The Copic site actually state the same for their pens and both Letraset and Copic sell storage for their pens which allows for them to be stored either way, which is not something they would do if they should be stored flat.  I hope this clears up any misconceptions and confusion and if still unsure of what I've said then please contact the respective manufacturers and ask the question, as I did, to have your mind set to rest.  Now, on with the post ...

The following was an idea I saw on a blog some while ago. Unfortunately I can't remember which blog so can't point you in it's direction but I thought I would show you my adaption of the idea. The original idea uses a much larger box, with 3 sections (holding around 240 CDs I think), which is ideal for a full set of ProMarkers however, I don't have a full set and at the moment have sufficient quantity for my needs. As such I went on a hunt for a smaller box and found one on eBay. One section only and it holds up to 91 ProMarkers - at a squeeze. I have 84 ProMarkers, blender pen, gel pens and fineliners in my box as well as a colour chart.

The boxes are aluminium DJ CD cases and come complete with the index cards and sleeves. The one I found suitable for my needs is one that holds 120 CDs ... this one. 

The sleeves hold 7 ProMarkers each and I've put a slip of paper with a colour sample and it's name in the back of the sleeve. The colour chart is kept in the lid with a list of the colour combos for skin, hair and colours that blend well together. The dots on the top of the ProMarkers are just punched dots, coloured and stuck on with glue dots but it allows me to see the rough colours at a glance (not true colour as they're not coloured onto the card I use). I also try to keep the colours in the order they appear on the colour chart I printed off of the Letraset site.

It's small and compact enough to sit on the top of the CD tower that holds my clear stamps and is easily portable.

UPDATE #2:  I now know where I saw this idea originally.  Thank you Nicky, of Stiggys Cards.  You actually helped me at the time as I asked you for measurements of your box to work out whether this one would work for me!

Enjoy!!