Happy Birthday

to me!  Yes today is my Birthday and I'm 42 years young.  I'm spending it quietly at home - it is my day off - fighting off a cold. 

As it is my birthday, I thought I show you a layout from my 40th Birthday celebrations.  I was lucky enough to enjoy a private capsule on the London Eye with my close friends and family, with champagne and canopies served.

This is the photo that they take during your flight.  As you can see we all crammed in.  If you lift the photo, it tells the story of the day.  My husband organised that whole day as a surprise - I was told the day before I was going on the eye but thought it would be just my family and certainly didn't imagine it would be private capsule!  Although I didn't realise until after the day, the management of the whole thing had  proved quite stressful for him.  Not least because it couldn't actually happen on my birthday because of various guests being unavailable - I of course did not know this and was a little peeved not to actually be going out on my actual birthday.  We were also meant to meet up before hand at my brother in laws flat for drinks but he managed to book a business trip to New York, meaning hubby had to do some last minute re-arrangements to find a suitable meeting venue.  All this done without me finding out!  

In the end everything was fine - it was a lovely, lovely day.  The weather was perfect - blue skies and you could see for miles.  However I don't think hubby will be organising another surprise soon!

Getting Active

This time last year I joined Weight Watchers on-line and successfully managed to lose about 1st and dropped a dress size.  My enthusiasm started to wane around September and a few pounds have crept back on.  But of course a new year means a new start!  This time I am not just focusing on weight loss but also getting more active. 

New trainers have been purchased and I having trying to walk at least twice a week!  So far, so good.  I am enjoying getting some fresh air, daylight and thinking time!  For the last two weeks the weather has been cold, but dry and bright.  The real test will be when the weather is not so good.

10 things

10 random facts about me!


1.  I am addicted to chocolate - Dairy Milk is my fave.
2. I cannot drive.
3. I went to teacher training college but work as an accounts administrator.
4. I sing in a Choir.
5. I'm clerk to the governing body at a local infant school.
6. My favourite TV programmes include Spooks, House, Holby City and Lewis. (do you spot a theme!)
7. I have been married 16 years.
8. I love musicals - "Joseph and his Technicolour dream coat" is my all time fave - "My Fair Lady" a close second.
9. My favourite colour is Blue.
10. I have a younger brother.


To enjoy more "10 things" pop over to Shimelles.

Carnival Days

Back in the day when brown wall paper was fashionable and "Sindy" was the only doll to have, my family became involved in the summer carnival in the town where I spent my childhood.  It started when our next door neighbour persuaded my Mum to let me enter the "Carnival Princess" competition.  This mainly involved wearing your best frock, smiling nicely and walking up and down in front of the judges in a straight line.  Although I wasn't picked to be the Princess, I did get to be crown bearer - that's me in the photo below carrying the cushion.  What the picture does not show is that the Princess had a whole entourage of attendants which all had to be dressed in pretty dresses and accompanied the Princess on her carnival float at the front of the procession.  And that's where our involvement started - Mum volunteered to help out getting all the little girls ready and so began our long association from the carnival.  For many years we helped decorate the float - a mammoth task that happened the evening before the parade and sometimes went late into the night.  Whilst I was little I made many appearances on the float, in many different costumes.  As time went on, Mum actually became part of the committee which organised the whole event and I even joined during my sixth form years.  As far as I know the carnival still happens and mum and I often talk about our "carnival days".

This memory was bought to you as part of Sian's "Story Telling Story".  You can find more great stories here.

I was a recording star!

At the last Christmas party at work, we were asked to think of a random, little know fact about ourselves.  These were all collated and then over the meal we all had to match the fact to the person.  As I work with my brother in law, thinking of something was quite difficult, as I knew I would have to go back over twenty years, prior to knowing him.  Then it came to me - I once was a recording star! 

Yes when I was about seven or eight my primary school made a record and I sang in the lower junior choir.  I don't remember much about the day, apart from that it was during summer as it was a hot day.  We recorded it at a school - but not my school - it was one of the villages near by.  I can even remember the first few bars of the song we sang!  I think we actually sang two, but only one made the cut. As to why we made it, I have no idea but can only imagine that a parent must have had connections with the industry, as I think it was quite unique for a school to do such a thing back in the mid 1970's.  Sadly as we do not own a record player (does anyone!), I cannot play it for my family's enjoyment.


Anyway, no-one at work worked out that I was the recording star and I think many of my work mates didn't believe me.  However whilst searching through some boxes in the loft for something else this week, I found the record!  It will now be taken to work as proof, as my name is on the back of the sleeve along with all my fellow songsters!


I hope you enjoyed my story and if you want to read some more, pop over to Sians blog and find out who else has a story to tell.

Time to confess!

Yes my name is Lynn and I am a magazine addict!  I just love them.  The ones above are some of my recent purchases in the craft genre but they don't have to be craft related.  I love fashion, gossip, home decor even health and fitness!  In fact I could happily waste a whole morning in WH Smiths, browsing their shelves.  So why? What is the appeal?  With the craft ones, the inspiration they provide is an obvious draw but to me it is more than that.  I love their glossiness, and clever layout.  I love that you can pick them up, with a cup of tea in one hand and no matter whether you have 5 or 55 minutes you can find something to read, something to grab your interest.  If I look back I think my love affair may have started with Twinkle (remember?) when I was little and it has continued.  However it really became an addiction once I had children.  In the baby years book devouring was not possible, as the moment I started to read, tiredness usually took over and baby brain meant keeping hold of the plot was difficult.  However a magazine was just enough to feed my need for words! 

Whilst I'm seem to be an expert in buying them, I'm not much good at taking full advantage of the ideas and inspiration they provide me. When I'm them reading my head is full of potential projects but then they get forgotten almost as soon as the magazine is put down.  So this little lot are coming on holiday with me next week, along with a notebook to jot down all my ideas.  I want to return from holiday refreshed and full of future craftiness!  Well that's the idea - I'll let you know how I get on at a later date.