The best laid plans..

Things aren't going to plan.  I thought it time to show you a couple of achievements from the last Crop.  Neither have any journaling on them and I'm actually thinking that they don't need it..pretty self explanatory really, huh.

The plan was that I'd rear this child to an age such as this, of innocence and sweetness and then she'd stop growing and be my forever companion.  Walking, talking and gorgeous...but not with any greater need than loving parents and some diverting friends.  But she grew up.  And unlike most plans that don't work out..I'm OK with this.  I like her even more as a young adult, if that's possible.  What I don't like is the huge number of photos I've got of her as a child that remain to be saved into some fabulous scrapbook LO. I'm thinking that Plan B may have to be - scrap faster.  She is trained to take photos and save the junk that I use on pages, so the back-log is becoming appalling.  Even her memory will be frayed by the time I get to recording some of the high points of her teens! 
So, with the next Crop on Saturday...ah well, you know.  I'll TRY.  But it would be rude not to chat too.  And certainly rude not to help out in the kitchen and make a cuppa now and then.  You get it.  Plan B needs a Plan C that allows for maximum excuses!

She thinks she's a tour guide...

It's a week since we got home.  I'm missing being on holiday, I really am. I can't think of a better way to cheer myself up than by boring you with some more snaps.  I know, but you tolerate it so well!

All of these were taken in Cartagena.  I couldn't work out from the guide whether this was looted from the sea bed or a ship...anyway, as you can see from the scuffed earth around it, this is clearly used as a public bench.  Which is probably why his eyes are shut.  We like to refer to him as 'bored of Catagena'.  There were a lot of random pieces of stone art dotted around, I guess in a sea faring port that probably isn't uncommon what with all the goings and returnings of ships.  What adventures.

I seem to be developing a 'thing' about doors.  Spanish doors mainly, it has to be said.  Speaks to the power of a natural resource like wood huh - however cracked and dry from the sun, they continue to fill the hole!  This door I managed to catch being opened...it actually opens as a regular sized door which is really charming, huh...it hides a courtyard too, but of course I was too polite (scared) to rush over with my camera.

 And here's another.  The back door, if you will, to the church in the centre of town.  I'm guessing that the right hand leaf is used more often..no weeds growing there.  Although generally the town was closed on this bright Monday, we could hear music...which was probably a treat we'd have missed if the town had been busy.  Yup, silver linings indeed.

 Now me and Mr Dunnit make a living out of wood.  He's incredibly experienced and could definitely win a competition of 'guess the tree from the leaf'.  But not this one.  But who cares..look at their magnificent limbs and of course, the root structure is fascinating. As are the 'modern' benches...piles of terracotta bricks, banded together like goods on a pallet.  Interesting.  Not entirely comfortable on the back of a pair of fat legs, I can tell you.

Bless him - I wanted him to hug the tree just like the tree roots are hugging it.  But actually, he said a better sense of proportion would be achieved if he just stood there. And so he did.  Dignity intact too, I think Mr D...you thought faster than me this time!

Have a lovely weekend y'all.  

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 203

How to WOYWW here.

About the WOYWW anniversary here.

About the WOYWW Crop here.

Oh my life.  There is sunshine on my desk.  Real sunshine that caused me to have the top half of the door open, and actually do something! 

Nothing major, just a few ATCs for samples to bandy about at a bit of a free for all type workshop soon.  You can clearly see my coaster, unused since we got back from hols - note to self, get some time at your desk!  Also, quite excitingly, the next kit from Chic Maker..I subscribed after the review.  On top of that is the cutest change purse you ever did see..bright pink silicone.  A gift to find in the recesses of your handbag!  There's a small roll of duct tape just above the notebook.  I'm very very handy I know, but it's actually because I want to use it on a card for a male.  So naturally, it's there to remind me!
Show us your far more interesting desk then, do.  Upload a pic to your blog, put WOYWW in the post title, link your blog here and we'll swing by.  Be patient..there's a lot of swinging to be done!  

She's still on about Spring in Spain....

'I'm up for a bit of gentle exploration in the sunshine' says I, so we picked Cartagena as our  place to visit. It's on the coast, which means I can still get my sea breezes fix, and neither of us had been there before.  Considering it's only half an hour down the road from the Villa, that's no brag in ten years, huh.

It's an ancient Roman city.  One which has been cared for and boasts some really fine spanish architecture.  And Roman, of course. 

Beating the bounds..well, not exactly, but we walked quite a long way around the city walls.  Much of it overlooks the port which was quiet.  But lovely.  It's a naval city, so there was some uniformed activity.  Nice!

Not even the Plaza Mayor, but still a stunning piece of colonial architecture isn't it.  Now a hotel, of course.  Note the shiny ground material.  I don't know, but am going to guess that it may be a bit like an ice rink when wet!  You can see how busy it was.  Monday, mid morning.  We made our way to the Ayuntamiento for tourist info and was told that every museum and public gallery was closed on a Monday.  This is worth knowing people, because it makes it difficult to gain access to the Roman quarter..

So well hidden amongst the regular buildings of the city that it felt like a secret, this amphitheatre is a sight and a half.  We were leaning over the top, back wall..about 5 high and a foot thick.  I'm only 3" taller than that and probably as thick, so am insanely pleased with this picture!  See the facade of the red building at the bottom?

 It's the building here, at left.  Windows too high to see through from street level which is why we walked oh, about a thousand miles round the city to the back of the theatre.  Worth it though huh!  On any other day, that strange silver bar arrangement just above the arch there is actually a proper walkway from the castle centre around the amphitheatre.  But not on a Monday Senor y Senora.  For us, not a particular problem..we're very into taking a small chunk of culture and a large chunk of coffee break involving an umbrella and a sea view. I know, shocking really. But the Romans..really, they are everywhere in Europe.  Well, they were. 
We took loads of pics..I won't bore you any more.  Yet.  They may yet turn up on scrapbook pages instead of as blog posts, that strikes me as possibly a more palatable way of getting over my holiday.  We've been home since the weekend and it's cold here.  But the sunshine is lovely, thank you.  It made me realise just how much I needed to clean the windows in the workroom and conservatory.  Ah, there's no place like home!

A Spanish Spring: Chapter one

A tale of love, truth and discovery.  Set under a fresh Mediterranean sky amongst citrus orchards and  palm trees.  
Well, OK...a tale of love - after all, I do love Mr Dunnit. A lot. Truth?  Whining that I'd rather be out in the sunshine than sitting inside hemming a pair of curtains. Discovery?  Once done, the curtains look great and the sun was still shining...and more love - he loves it when I stop whining.

So I thought you may like to see something of Spain in April.  Look back in a handful of days if you aren't interested, turns out I took more photos than I thought.  I promise, I'll only publish the vaguely interesting....probably about ten. 

We cycled along an irrigation canal for a handful of miles, flat, well used and smooth road, no hassle at all compared to the 'real' roads, I can tell you!  Of all the farming, it is the citrus that catches me - lovely bright colours and always against such beautiful greens..the orange trees have a particularly dark green leaf, really pretty with the burst of orange against it.  The smell of the orchards was gorgeous. And you can see, with good irrigation, there's no shortage of lemons...most of these were bigger than my fist and as smooth as velvet to touch.  And not one did we pinch. 

I took this from a car park..must have been a golf club - it looks tended.  The bougainvillea was sprouting everywhere, it must last nearly all year round in good care.  You can just see the ground covered in yellow flowers..they were succulents but I know not what.  And way way in the background, the tall palm trees on the edge of the beach.  Really, what's not to like!  Stand back then, fellow tourists..I have Roman ruins and architecture to come!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 202

Still away, still enjoying sun, still doing chores. *cough*
Can't upload a pic, the tablet thing has finally defeated me.  the coffee table that I'm currently sitting in front of has my closed Smash book on it and the crochet squares I'm still working on.  I think I've done about ten since the start of this trip...naturally, I intended to do more!   so gentle WOYWWer, pretend that there's nothing different about this week and leave a link to your post and Workdesk please.  I'm back soon...warn Miss Dunnit and don't be surprised if I actually visit!

Dunnits abroad

it's a promising title, huh. Hey, I should call my book that. you know, the book we all have inside us, waiting to be written ..looks as though I've made a start!

Mr Dunnit has gone to practice his golf. our neighbours are relaxing on their terraces - I can't se them, but every now and then I can hear the clink of a teaspoon in a cup or a slight movement of chair on tile. Yes, it's very quiet here this afternoon. o sounds from the swimming pool either...but that might be because the water is cold enough to induce heart failure. in my opinion.

I cant give you a run down of our touristic achievements and explorations. Unless you count trying a new restaurant last night ( the Sangria was excellent, I must say, and shed loads of atmosphere, lovely). see we came over on 'holiday' to spruce the place up a bit prior to lots of use over the next ten months, so we've actually been quite busy. thing is, you kinds don't mind washing loose covers, cushions and beach towels when you know they'll be dry in a jiffy and looking splendid and vibrant in the sunshine. we've done a fair amount of DIY and making good too...trying to decide if we can touch up the paint work for now or whether we should make a start on the whole thing....I know my preferred option. Hey, YOU know my preferred option!

I've managed to so some SMASH journalling too. Mostly because the stuff is here, I don't think it would have been missed if I'd left it at home.. I fear I'm not a natural at it, it still feels a bit contrived,I must be doing what I never did at school. Trying too hard. May not do much more...possibly because this place is so familiar, I need to take a holiday to somewhere I've never been, Oh what an idea, a holiday! I must talk to Mr D.

 

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The whole photos thing...

Today's topic is photography. I'm on holiday, which is what prompts such thought. That is the good news. The bad news is that I intend to blog as usual. That said of course, this will involve finding a bar with free Internet access...so it"s likely that you'll be reading this if I've had a gin and slimline. Or two. There may be typos. And worse, there may not be pictures. Aha, I'm getting to the point after only a handful of sentences! Possibly.

For some reason, I feel a fool using my iPad to take photos in public. Ya see, I watched the Olympics and I saw all those people blocking other people's vision and generally looking silly by using their iPads (other tablets are available) as cameras. After all, as a camera they aren't exactly discreet, huh. in an age when we use teeny everything and even 'pocket' phnes have cameras, carting a tablet round for Camera pirposes seems a bit incongruous to me. Nor do I want to be waving it about (the iPad, that is) doing the 'look at me, I'm an Apple person' either. Heaven forbid I'm mistaken for an iPad user...someone might ask me how to use it, and as I barely use 10% of its ability, I'm not the sophisticated consumer that Apple wants me to be, or that ownership of the brand apparently implies.

So photos for blog use may well be taken in erm, private moments. Thats is to say that you might end up seeing my daily domestic holiday life as a change from my daily domestic real life. Or perhaps, some food, or the odd swimming pool shot...I don't know. But if we do real sightseeing, there will be a camera and that means waiting to get home to the old PC before I can see and show. In a way, the waiting experience equals the old film and developing thing. I still get the same crushing disappointment when I see that I haven't become an ace photographer in my sleep and without effort!

And here's something else you may need to know.....me and Mr Dunnit, we have no firm plans to go anywhere or do much but walk about in the sunshine...so there may well be no real photography anyway. But if after al that, you're even vaguely interested, watch this space!

 

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What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 201

There's a page here that explains about WOYWW, and a page here that explains the plan for the fourth anniversary ATC swap. And..brace yourself...a page here that tells about the WOYWW Crop get-together.

This is  a scheduled post, for I am out and about already, and I fear that I may not get to many of you this week..be patient and kind to me, huh.

Don't be afraid by this sight.  It's taken me an age to get it this tidy and I like it. For now.  On the iPad deckchair you can see a couple of pages from an Autumn Leaves calendar that is 4 years out of date. These are the last few that continue to inspire me a little.  it was great value!  I don't know why there's a piece of card so carefully balanced on it, but in the foreground is my pin book, made for me by Wipso and Twiglet.  It's a needlecase by real name, but I use it for my decorative pins and I love it.  It's one of a few continually used, practical and perfect-for-the-job presents. The button jar isn't front and centre of my line of vision for any other reason than I don't have the imagination to find it house room anywhere else.  I think on average I use about 5 buttons a month, and all those are at Crop, likely on one scrapbook page!  

So there I am, all tidy and smug.  Show us something far more interesting would you? Put WOYWW in your blog post title and link it here so we can all see what your working space is hosting at the moment. Lovely.

The (non) mystery of the white squares...

Now, unsurprising confession: I don't chuck the hoover around the house every single day.  Why?  Are we all pristine and careful chez Dunnit?  No.  Are we all sharing the chores to the extent that I get a couple days off a week? Ha! No.  It's more straightforward than that.  I can't be bothered.  
I thought you'd like to see the losing battle.  There is nothing, I say nothing, that travels through my house like the little squares of glasseine paper off the foam pads.  I have no idea why or how the static gets them, after all, I peel them off and (I think) chuck 'em in my handy desk bin for later - much later - decanting into the recycling paper bin.  
So how come I find them...

 In the lounge?

 On the kitchen floor?

  On my unmade bed?

 On the bath mat?

They were all there this morning when I did my base chores...I noticed the one in the bathroom last night and dismissed it as a result of unpacking after a day at a Crop.  But in my bed?  Why didn't I notice it when I threw the covers back to get into it last night rather than this morning after an airing....argh.  I suspect that they are sticking to my body - lets be honest here - they turn up in my bra sometimes, so no surprise that they turn up in the bathroom really.  But the rest of the house?  I dunno.  If you visit and see the little white squares, think not of my slovenly housework attitude, but rather the message that they bear around the house.  A crafter lives here.

A lesson....

Now I don't claim to know any better than anyone else.  Oh, OK, from the insistent and stubborn way that I 'strongly recommend' that you do things my way, you may well feel that I'm kidding myself.  I get that, I understand the theory of free will.  I don't claim either, to scoff at anyone who says they 'don't have time' for something.  I genuinely don't...although I do, just as genuinely, feel that they should benefit from some of my advice:  If you want to do something badly enough, you'll find time. 
Anyone with a job and a house to run, with or without family, will know that's true.  At different times of the day and night, we are carving out some time to do something that makes us happy.  No doubt that any sort of creativity is therapy.  (Except the relentless slog of cooking supper...I don't mind doing it, but I hate being the one who has to choose all the time....!)
This is one of my therapies:

Time to visit with a friend. You may well recognise Jan.  It's been ages since we caught up and so yesterday, fresh from her trip to Wales, we took the chance.  We discussed the charity of choice for the WOYWW crop, the menu for the WOYWW crop and life.  As you would.  I was riveting company as you can see.  The lesson - quite clear and profound - make and take the time for a cuppa and a chat. It's good for the soul.  

Here's some details about the pic, in case you're interested...
I made the quilt from Jo's LilyBo instructions and Jan's remnants..I did manage to buy the red fleece lining and the wadding! I have been angsting over not having made the bag yet, and of course, Jan won't have that sort of nonsense.  She suggested it go as part of a first donation to the chosen charity.  Salisbury Women's Refuge.  Women and children often have to leave home with nothing but the clothes they stand up in.  The Refuge offers a place of safety and amongst other things, some bits and pieces to help.  I hope Jo will approve of the diversion.  Jan sleeping through my interesting news just might have offered me another lesson, but I'm too busy to learn....
Have a lovely weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 200

Read all about WOYWW here and the Anniversary ATC swap thingy - HERE

Meanwhile, there's a stunning return to form at my place.  The sewing hasn't been put away, the Smash stuff has been moved aside and the preps for Thursday's workshop have been ignored.  I'm on a deadline!

It's disappointing if you're one of our neat freaks I know, but please, I was in the middle of making a card.  Yep.  Just the one!  Apart from the stamp at right, I've used everything you can see here on the card...well, sort of. The flowers you can see are the discards - and yes, they will be going in the bin.  I do not have room to save or capacity to remember where I saved them for next time!  Trusty iPad on duty, I was listening to a play on Radio 4.  There'snot been much on recently, I may have to break down and buy something to listen to soon.  Oh lord, another lesson in downloading and the Cloud, I can feel it!

Share your working surface will ya?  We like to see what you're doing and what you've got.  And frankly, how much tidier and sensible you are than we. Me.

Put WOYWW in your post title, link it here and we'll trot round for a visit. And a rummage.

I knew from instinct...well, track record actually, that I would not receive an Easter egg or anything remotely gift related from my lovelies. And because I've been on a proper diet for oh, I don't know, my entire life, I felt it was OK to treat myself in a manner which they who do not treat me jolly well ought to. 

I nearly had heart failure when my 'Easter Egg' arrived.  It was huge, and quite possibly a little out of proportion to the spirit of the holiday, the Eggs that I was giving as gifts and erm, even the spirited act of revenge I'd planned it to be!

All this for an A4 book, some tape and a coupla teeny notebooks!

I was expecting a pizza box and this girt great packing crate turned up. Oh my..and I had to leave it there like that for two whole hours before anyone else saw it!  Inside?  The realisation of a longed for bit of stash.  A kit for Smash.  I think I'll be OK with this.  I love the idea and to a great extent the concept of all the lovely Journals.  But they aren't me and I feel the text and entries are all a bit contrived and silly when I do them (a problem I still have with scrapbook journaling).  But the Smash stuff has a reason.  And I think that's what's lacking for me in the Journal thing....I'm much too shallow to be recording my innermost thoughts and feelings or expressing myself 'through' a particular medium.  I blog!  But I have a reason to have a go at the old Smash.  Me and Mr Dunnit are going away together soon.  Just him and me.  This is unusual.  It's more years than I can remember since we've been on holiday without Miss Dunnit of course...but usually too, we are accompanied by one or other set of parents.  It's always a delight, but this time is like the line in the sand of how grown up we're getting.  So I've decided to Smash rather than scrapbook our increasing 'just us' times.  

This may bomb.  I don't know if I will have the 'be bothered'-ness to do it at the time.  And my thinking is that if I don't do it at the time, I might as well bring it home and make scrapbook pages, so we'll have to see.  I wonder if Smash was invented for those of us who can't/don't do digi, I guess you can while away an hour or so at the end of each holiday day by creating your digi scrapbook, so Smash might be directed at those of us who go on holiday and actually manage not to look at a computer for the duration! Who knows.  We'll see, watch this space and all of that.  Meanwhile..oh my, look at my lovely new stuff!