KWA rides again!

It was Joan's turn to host on this occasion and I was the first to arrive....not in this car I might add! Rita arrived in this Bentley with her husband giving her a lift. Of course we all had to get in for a photo shoot!

After a brief catch up on news, we went out for lunch to a garden centre. It was raining and quite cold but it didn't deter our spirits.

As usual, we managed to find something to have a laugh about! These mobility scooters were crying out for someone to test drive them! LOL. Who says you can't have fun when you are 'getting on'?!

Then we shopped for nic nacs and came across the greetings cards. This one made us laugh and we had to take a photo of it. It's never too late to be a child.

Back to Joan's for more foodies and photos. We had a fun day as usual. Next meet up will be in September for mine and Rita's 60th birthdays. Joan and Pam were both 60 in April.

Thanks for taking time to visit my blog.

Toots for now,

Blogger is playing up!

Good morning bloggers....I'm not sure what has happened to my blog but I am not able to upload photos or blinkies that I was able to do previously. It's frustrating me and I am wondering what has happened.

When I upload a photo - or blinkie, the code appears in the box but no pictures! Does anyone know why this is? Has it been happening to you?

Today is a holiday and I am planning to spend time at my allotment - digging up potatoes and taking the last of the rhubarb to put in the freezer.

Have a great day yourself.
Toots for now,
~G~

WOYWW - Canvases

Hello peeps. It's been a while since I joined in WOYWW as there has just been sooo much going on this summer. There have been so many preparations for different occasions - one being my youngest daughter Keeley and family who came to stay for 10 days and went back on Monday. We couldn't have fitted any more activities in if we tried. I am feeling rather tired after many early mornings and late nights but I am full of happiness and joy as I have shared precious time with my family.

Two other daughters came and shared some family time too - especially as it was Cameron's 12th birthday last Monday as well as celebrating mine and my husband's 60th as we won't all be able to get together in September and October. We even fitted in a trip to France and another trip to Eastbourne to join up with extended family members. There is nothing like sharing precious time with family.

So, in the meantime, I have also been busy creating 2 canvasses for 2 of my granddaughters - Eden and Ashley. They share a bedroom and the canvasses are to go on their bedroom wall - matching their bedding which is pink with white polka dots, flowers and butterflies. Keeley wanted to keep them simple which I did. I printed the coloured photos onto canvas paper. Ashley's photo was edited by the very clever Dan99 . He removed the little Easter chick that she was holding. I've had the butterflies in my stash for ages, so decided to use them on this occasion. I stitched the flower stem and leaves and used a VersaMagic stamp pad to make the petals.



Result...2 happy little girls! Ahhh...that makes it all worth it. http://dan99.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for visiting and if you want to check out everyone else's blog for a WOYWW nosey...hop over to Julia's stamping ground where you can add your name to the list.

Have a fun day and I hope the sun is shining for you today.

Toots for now.

My babies are in the building!

My babies are in the building and I am so happy to have shared time with ALL of my family these past few days! The fun continues today and it's been a wonderful time - especially as there have been lots of birthday celebrations so far.

Cameron was 12 on Monday, so Lisa, Michelle, Keeley and families were all here to go to Harvester and we were spoiled with gifts and surprises. Cameron LOVES Top Gear at the mo and I had a t-shirt printed with his favourite car -as well as a mug! He LOVED it.

We won't be able to all be together on my 60th in September. My husband will be 60 - 20 days after me. I had a 'Pot of Dreams' with money in for a holiday and my husband had the same in a different kind of money pot! A gift from all of our children, son in laws and grandchildren. Then Michelle announced that we were all going to France yesterday for the day. Another chance to be together but not all. Photos to come but for now peeps...it's going to be another busy day with me doing a photo shoot and curling hair, baking cakes with Little Miss Ashley, while the rest go to the cinema.

Miss Ashley! Aww... Eden and Yasmin.
The boys...Ethan, Jared and Cameron.

I am still to finish 2 canvases that I started, so Eden and Ashley can take them home - belated birthday gifts. My diet is slow going. Mainly, I understand, due to the fact that I don't have so much to lose but I find that hard to believe. I still have excess weight on my small frame for my height of 5 foot nothing! LOL. I haven't cheated on myself not one itsy bitsy time, so that cannot be the reason for the slowness. I have lost 6 lbs total in 6 weeks. I was hoping to have lost 1 stone since I began at the end of June. Am I expecting too much?!

Latest news on my mum....as you may remember, she had a fall on Monday 31st May and fractured her right hip. The same day, she had a hip replacement surgery. Well, Sunday this week, she fell and fractured her left hip and left arm too. *Sigh*. She had surgery yesterday but not a hip replacement - a metal plate. It's not for getting her mobile, as I believe she won't be able to walk again and will now be bed ridden - or just be able to sit in a wheelchair.

Two of my sisters are with her right now and I shall go be with her when Keeley and Co have returned home next week. At 96, I guess she will never be the same again. She is such a survivor but I fear that this will not be of any benefit on this occasion. It hasn't been a good year for her so far.

I am off to get ready and have fun with 'Crazy Daisy' the water hose in the garden as it looks like being a hot day here - so much to fit in.

Have a great day yourselves.

Toots for now,

PS...Hop over to Tracie's blog for a giveaway.....goodies up for grabs.

Diet?! What diet?!

Today is Day 22 on the Atkins Diet and I am really chuffed that I have made it this far. I am determined to lose excess weight - especially before my birthday in September - it's a biggy! The BIG 6'O'! Eek...how did I get there?

Well, I have been eating some lovely foods and enjoying the 'diet' - WOE - way of eating - even though I have given up chocolate and all the sugary foods that I have gorged myself with over the years.

The diet consists of 'Phases'. Phase 1 is 'Induction' - or, the beginner's stage. I've slipped up a few times due to not understanding how I can eat 6 cups of veggies in one day and it has stalled me! It may sound easy but I have to make them add up to minimum 12-15 grams of carbohydrate. Certain foods are a no, no in Induction, so it's time consuming at first to calculate all that is necessary for a maximum weight loss....but hey...who would have thought this plate of food was a healthy breakfast?!

For lunch...a ham salad...with 3 cups of green veggies....and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing.

Sugar free jelly is allowed and my portion twice per day with double cream is what gives me incentive to keep going.

To date, I have lost 5 lbs! Not a lot but I am confident that once I sort my carbs, I will be able to lose weight faster - or more evenly. It does fluctuate due to water retention etc. I know I have lost inches by my clothes.

Roast chicken dinner with ...3 cups of vegetables....

...and jelly and cream for dessert.

Diet? What diet?! LOL.

Happy eating.

KWA - Beside the Seaside!

I said that I would post more photos of my KWA (Kent Wives Association) days that my friends and I share every couple of months. On this occasion, I was hostess and we often have either a theme or colour scheme. I had both!! LOL. As I live by the sea, that is what I chose for the theme and the colours we wore were Fushia pink, Turquoise, Orange and Lime with a change into whites for the beach shoot. These photos were taken in 2008. Get your shades....there's lots of colour! LOL.

The table is laid....I punched out little fishes and dots in the said colours for table confetti.

I bought fresh seafood from the beachfront.....dressed crab, cockles, mussels and tiger prawns.
Paper napkins at the ready.

Some decorations around the conservatory....it's surprising once I had the idea in my head, just how much I was able to find in the shops.

I part filled a glass vase with sand and added shells, seaweed and drift wood that I had collected from the beach.

Music machine for some relevant music...coloured straws and coloured ice cubes.
Gifts for the girls....castle shaped bucket, spade, Margate rock, windmill, sweeties and candy floss. Pink foam shrimps in the fish shaped dish in front of the totes. Remember those?

I made bunting to hang along the wall with photos of my grandchildren on the beach and photos of myself and my sister when we were young.....and a few postcards.

Eden - throwing pebbles into the sea.

Dontcha just lurve the cozzies?! LOL. Myself and my sister.
Ewww....look at that seaweed.

Here we are on donkies...Tony and Silver....I so remember those.

You may recognise this beach hut which belongs to my father in law from a previous post.
I placed fish magnets on the side of my fridge/freezer - along with a couple of postcards and some fruit netting.

I bought each of my girlfriends a Margate rock and I unwrapped them for a photo opportunity. Margate ROCKS! Get it?! LOL.

I bought this new turquoise basket at a charity shop....it goes along with the colour scheme - filled with oranges.

Now I couldn't have a beach theme without a beach, could I? Sooo....I borrowed some sand from the local beach and placed it on large plastic sheeting on the patio. I have a length of turquoise fabric that I place around the edge of the sand to replicate the sea. Wind shields make a nice backdrop. Then I added accessories - swim ring, beach ball, bucket, spade, shells, flippers, snorkel, sun tan lotion, deckchairs and towels.

...even a picnic hamper and a fishing net.

In case you don't know who my friends are....from the left...Pam, Joan and Rita Bobita! LOL.

Joan and I used to live next door to eachother in London - 51 years ago and have been friends ever since.

We have such fun when we get together. Rita is the joker. She is Joan's cousin and I have known her for almost as long.
Pam is Joan's friend from secondary school and I have known of her since then but she emigrated to Australia for several years before returning after her husband died.

Joan and Pam turned 60 in April and Rita and I will become 60 in September.....not your little old ladies with grey curly hair...oh no! LOL. We can 'hip hop, beep bop 'til we drop' (Mrs Doubtfire).

Rita telling us one of her 'stories'. LOL.

COME DINE WITH ME!
Can you guess what was for lunch?.......Home made fish and chips with mushy peas....wrapped in newspaper! LOL....very traditional.

For dessert.....jelly and icecream....I made the 3 flavoured jelly in my clean castle bucket. Getting it out was more difficult than I expected and some of the turrets came off in my hand!

So I shoved it in my mouth! ....

...but I missed some....ooops!

Sorted!Let's face it....we are all children at heart.
Then, after lunch, we changed into our whites and took ourselves off to the beach ....it seems the flags are flying for us....

The funfair was there....

Joan making 'Circles In The Sand'....leaving our mark.

Even The Red Arrows flew over.....woohoo...they must have heard about our day together! LOL.
Just like children....we had fun in the sand making sand castles.
Ta daaa...
I love these girls...
Ready...
Get set...
JUMP!

Back at the 'beach house'....

Another KWA day comes to an end....Time to go home!

See you all again very soon.