Happy Birthday Darwin!

After what has been a pretty uneventful few days Brett and I have had a very productive day, first we decided that we would take in a bit of the local history by celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Shrewsbury’s most famous son Charles Darwin and founder of the theory of evolution. It is also the 150th anniversary of the publication of his most famous work ‘On the Origin of Species’. To help celebrate Shrewsbury has produced a walk around the town taking in all the points of interest associated with Darwin.

It did seem somewhat strange using a map to walk around the town I have lived in all my life! But it was such a lovely sunny day (if not a bit cold in the wind!) that we thought it might present us with a few photo opportunities.

This is a monument called Darwin Gate it was inspired by elements of the design and construction of St Mary’s Church which Darwin attended

The Bellstone was Darwin’s first introduction to science and geology.

Darwin was christened at St Chads

This is a statue of Darwin outside the towns library

When we got back I made a homemade potato and leek soup and then sat in the garden reading, it was wonderful and the sun was very warm, our garden can be somewhat of a sun trap in the afternoons. After much persuasion Brett came out and gave the garden a much needed tidy. We also planted some new herbs as only one or two survived from last year, so fingers crossed these will do better.

My herbs that have been planted today, Coriander, Mint & Basil

The only herb that survived from last year – Lavender

Birthday Fun!

Yesterday was my birthday, I had a lovely day, firstly lunch out with my husband at our favorite restaurant and then an open house in the evening with friends dropping in for a drink and spoiling me with lovely presents. Today picture is of some of the presents I had and also the hand made card my husband made me. This is the first time he has ever made a card and I think he did a great job of it!

Trying to be grateful!

I have not had the chance to blog over the past few days due to the fact I have had a brief spell in hospital, I went in Thursday night and came out Saturday and I have spent the last few days recovering. It was terrible timing as it's my 30th birthday on Wednesday (tomorrow) and I have since found out that I was meant to be having a surprise dinner with 20 close friends at my favourite resturant on the Friday night - and because I was in hospital my husband had to cancel it, so as you can imagine I have been feeling very sorry for myself!

I thought that it would be very apt to tell you about a project I started a few weeks ago. I noticed on another blog someone talking about a gratitude journal, a journal where every day you find something to be gratefull for and write it down, thus making you appricate your life more. I thought I would find it really hard but actually it’s been fine, sometimes finding more than one thing, we are not talking big things just the small things that we can take for granted, it also forces you to find something postitive about a bad day (and I’ve had one or two of them recently!)

Todays pictures are of my gratitude journal

Something New!!

I love receiving nice post especially parcels, so I was over the moon today when my parcel arrived from scrap shed. I often look at scrap supplies websites but rarely order, as I am trying to be good! But when I saw these discounted Basic Grey Collection Packs in Euphoria, Sultry and Perhaps, I couldn't help myself!

A busy few days

I have had a busy few days and have not found the time to blog, so I’m going to cram it all into one entry, sorry if it’s a bit long!

Friday - I had a really nice day visiting friends and then in the evening a group of us went bowling for my brothers 25th birthday. I was really looking forward to it as I enjoy bowling and am not too bad at it, although for some reason on Friday night I was rubbish, not only did I lose but I did it in style!! So I stopped playing half way through the third game, I couldn’t cope with anymore humiliation!
This is photo is of my brother taking his shot, all the photos came out burled due to the lighting and the movement, but I like this one regardless.

Saturday - As a last minute thing Deb invited me to go with her and Ali to the NEC hobbycraft show, we had a fab day and my experience was enhanced by the fact that I had two expert scrappers to walk around with, who could point me in the direction of some lovely things and hunt out some bargains, which was an absolute necessity due to the fact I was on a very tight budget. It worked out for the best as I didn't spend my money on anything and everything, but was very careful about what I bought.
I didn't take my camera, but Deb very kindly took some photos of a mini book that I want to recreate. It was being demonstrated on the Hobby Horse Crafts stand, the shop owner Rachel was very helpful and kind.

Sunday - It really feels like spring has sprung, we have had a few nice days recently but I have never seemed to get myself out of bed quick enough to appreciate them!! But today the sun stuck around most of the day so we managed to go for a lovely mid morning walk through the Quarry (a big park in the middle of Shrewsbury). It looked idyllic with families playing football and couples walking hand in hand by the river and lots of flowers coming into bloom, we couldn't help but take lots of photos!

As I did not blog yesterday I thought I would do it twice today. I’m sure my enthusiasm will wear off soon, so I am making the most of it! The subject of my next photo was easy, as it was right in front of my face…. Literally, the photo is of my cat Phil.

This is Phil lying in front of the computer screen while I’m working on the computer!

Phil is about 7 years old and we have had him for just over a year after we rescued him from my sisters, she was getting rid of him as he kept attacking her children! Since being with us he has calmed down loads and is a very loving cat who wants to be around us all the time (as you can see from the photo) even when it’s not very convenient! Unfortunately as he is an older cat his hair moults like you wouldn’t believe and due to the fact I wear a lot of black clothes I end up covered in white cat hairs, which is one of my biggest bugbears.

Guilty Secret

This time I have decided to take a photo of something that I have a secret love for.... magazines I know it sounds a bit boring! But I love them and would buy 2/3 a week, I mainly love to buy cooking and home magazines (oh and of course scrapbooking). My magazine rack is always over following as I really can't bring myself to throw them away.

This is how my magazine rack looks normally!

Latest selection of magazines that I am reading

Domestic goddess!!

As I have not done a great deal today, other than going to Church Stretton for a meeting, where I was not really inspired to take any photos, I thought I would take a photo of tonight’s dinner a Chicken Florentine Ring. I love to cook and see myself as a wannabe Nigella Lawson!

Lets go for it!

Well after much deliberation I have decided to go ahead and try blogging. My main reason to start, is that I like to scrapbook and I have been very inspired by a friend who is doing a 365 journaling challenge, which is where you take a picture every day and write some journaling about it. She has also decided to set herself an extra challenge by making sure she takes photos of specific every day things. I thought that this was such a good idea I have decided to copy it!!! (With her permission of course and they do say imitation is the highest form of flattery)

So as often as I can I will be uploading photos of everything and writing a few lines about them, so if and when I come to do a 365 journaling scrapbook or something simlar I will have a good start.

So here we go the first few pictures


This first picture is a layout I have done today, I am really pleased with how it has come out as I have not really done any scrapbooking lately.





This is my (messy) winter garden! I am really looking forward to the summer arriving so that we can start using the garden again. Also last year I planted some herbs so fingers crossed some of them have surived!


Including in my list of everyday things to take a photo of is, films that I have watched. So these were the two we watched last night - neither one of them was that good, but never mind!

To blog or not to blog!

I have recently set up this blog as I would like to use it as a bit of a diary, somewhere to put photos, but I'm still thinking about it!
I thought I better put something on here just incase someone stumbles across it!