Start the week..

It did start well. Because I'm a woman of no substance at all, I haven't yet quite got around to getting a new take-me-out-of-the-house-and-earn-money-from-another-source type job. Instead probably 3 days a week I dedicate to admin and book-keeping for by beloved Mr D. In a real work environment it would probably take about one morning, but I'm nothing if not thorough! *cough*. Anyway, this current situation (notice how I use a tense to suggest that this is a situation I intend to change.....this sort of delusion is good)....this current situation means that I'm flexible. I know, it's a life skill for sure, but really I'm only talking about being able to choose my hours. So the hoover was looking distinctly unattractive this morning, as was the huge pile of laundry waiting to be ironed. So I made the bed, hustled a load into the washing machine, swept the hard floors (all of about 6 foot square!) and put the dishwasher on. Then I legged it. Went to Salisbury with Lunch Lady Jan for much needed erm, chatting and shopping. Well, actually, score one - I did chat, but I didn't shop. Well I did, but not in the same proportion as LLJ. Well, not all in the same place anyway. We even managed coffee and were still home by lunchtime. And no doubt we've both been uber productive for the rest of the day. It's the second time we've done such a thing. The first time was last Monday morning. Can you sense a pattern emerging? Maybe so - but surely, if it helps to kick start the week and makes me uber productive - it's a good thing. My life is as you know, full of good things and good people. You can think of me as the erm...Monday Fairy. *coughing again* However yours started, I hope it started right!

Ah, there you are....

Lawks, aren't you glad that you aren't a Blogger technician? I know I am - the pressure must have been appalling! Not being able to blog or comment left me with some time to kill. I was so productive. I watched new episodes of Hawaii Five-O (for the scenery, you understand) and I helped Miss Dunnit start to make a hat.

Yeah, you read that right. The Last-minute Queen bought this buckram and stuff and it's been sitting around for oh, six weeks? And she needs the hat for a convention at the month end. So I get involved or it's not going to happen or worse, I'll have to drop everything to help when it's not convenient. Which is nearly always for these hare-brained schemes. Ah well. Long way to go though as you can see!

So what did you do whilst the Blogger world held its collective breath? Something wholesome and fulfilling no doubt.

Have a lovely weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 101

Actually, not my desk, so much as a fraction of worktop and desk.... it's the corner that shows my die cutting area and how the desk joins the worktop. Desk is on big old wheels for ease of access to the stable door, if we need it. That's why my desk looked tidier last week. It was the worktop to the left. With careful scrutiny, you can see my whole system is untidy. But when I'm working, it works for me. And the reason I can't show you my desk is that I have managed to roll out a couple cards for the Midsummer Madness Card Marathon and they need to be secret. Oooooeeeer that makes me feel so important! This is afternooon sun...photo taken on Tuesday...the back of the house is in its own shadow until after lunch. But believe me, working at my desk with the top half of the door open doubles as sunbathing. Glorious spot. How lucky am I.

We're only (insert panic stricken voice) 3 weeks from week 104 and that's our second anniversary! (OK, I've stopped screeching). I must remind you please that the idea for the celebratory PiF (detailed HERE) is to have your gift ready to post...so that momentum is not lost and disappointment is not at home. I thank you.

Come on then, take five and show us your desk..we wanna see what you're working on and what you've got. Load a photo onto your blog, link and comment here. We'll visit. At some stage. There's a WOYWW button in the margin if you'd like to add one to your blog, just copy and paste the html code as a widget. Annie LaLa made thebutton for us, yonks ago. Ain't she great.

What I did at the Crop by Julia Dunnit

Well actually.....after bagging me spot and making coffee for the first few, it's fair to say that I didn't do a lot! Although I remember always having something in front of me to do...I must have been horribly distracted. I was. I remember. Firstly by what everyone else was doing, then by what everyone else had brought to do and then by lunch. Then by a really nice class that Laura taught us, followed by cheesecake for tea, made by Mary Anne. Her frustrated culinary sciences were worth it, honestly. Yum.

After that, I decided to make a quick LO.And then it was time to go home. A productive day? Not really, but still one of the best. Especially the group discussions about the idea for a Crop recipe book. I'm going to save you the detail, the noise and all the opinions until I can compose something readable. It was intense. And if I wasn't so keen to get recipes for some of the pot luck dishes that we've enjoyed at the crop, I would drop the idea. But this time, me and that old dog tenacity are on side. For a while.

Here's a post PS: Mr Dunnit has just been in - I've been doing Invoices see, and I like him to check my sums. I warned him that I'm showing this LO - he already knows that I've previously blogged the whole sordid story. His comment, dry as ever:

'oh I see, you want the WORLD to hear about this before you can put it behind you where it belongs'

I simply state again, that if I die prematurely and therefore tragically, my scrap book efforts will record my life, thus giving my daughter a valuable insight into how to correctly achieve diamonds and romance. Because she will have a LO showing every how-not-to. He's still laughing. I assume that's because he thinks he's a romantic. Hmm, may have to make a romantic-O-meter at the next crop.

Repentance and Remedies

Blind 'em with a pretty card and they won't notice you having to grovel. That's a plan!

Now look every WOYWWer, I made a mistake with the date of week 104, the second anniversary. For some of us, this has made things better, for others, as it's always been week 104, the date was never important.

BUT

picture this: you've made a lovely gift to PiF to mark your amazing contribution to WOYWW over the last two years. Then the brainless host announces that the day of the PiF is during the week that you're away..on business, on holiday, on retreat, at Her Majesty's pleasure, who knows. The point is, she's messed it up and you've made a lovely 'thing' for nothing.

BUT

Not so, mes amis. If you wanna do the PiF but can't be around to post your link and join in on the day - consider sending your PiF to me to pass on to another absentee WOYWWer. I already have a couple...I will be able to put them in the post on the day...I'm not going away for ages yet.

BUT

actually, there is no other 'but -' I just like continuity.

You can email me from a link in the left side bar of this very blog if this sounds like a solution. You know I'm all about keeping it uncomplicated, but really, you can leave it to me to make it so. Please let me know if this solves a dilemma. Or not!!

Thanks again to Shaz in Oz and lately to Wipso for effectively policing my diary skills. I really do need to get out to work so the days don't blend so seamlessly!

Ludgershall Crop tomorrow, so must now dash to do superficial housework before more grovelling, this time on the floor in front of my paper shelves!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 100 !!

Well, I'm pretty blown away by your staying power, frankly. 100 weeks of this! I hope that by the second anniversary on Week 104 that you'll have made your mind up about whether it's a keeper! There's a celebration sort of round robin PiF going on for week 104, please read about it here.

In the broad daylight of Tuesday afternoon, I took a photo of my die cutting area (the one I use, not where my Cricut lies in state). It's at the left of my desk..you can just see the elbow of my lamp which is actually poised to light my desk on demand. I do actually get off my chair to use this little area, and unless I'm very intensely involved, I keep it relatively clear. I know, you're in shock. The tins at back hold the embossing folders and my collection of nesties and other flat dies are on magnetic sheets stuck to A4 chipboard and 'filed' in the magazine holder file thingy. It's a bit Heath_Robinson, but it works well for me.

So when I took this picture, it was because my desk is covered in the PiF that I'm making for week 104. And I assumed that it would still be covered this morning. But it's not. I had to pack it up and put it out of sight. Angst, see. Mojo desertion. Fear. Terror, actually....what was I thinking, suggesting making something to send to someone. Aaagh. Share your angst do, it really is time I heard that I'm not alone, please.

And of course, share your work space with us - upload a pic of your desk so that we can see what you've got, what you're doing....it's a huge inspiration, believe me. And you may well make a friend or two. Not everyone can visit everyone...we're realistic. Rejoice in your visitors, be they one or one hundred..this is all about the shared experience after all. Oh yeah, and May the 4th be with you.

Long live the feeling....

That wedding was just wonderful; we had a celebratory supper with friends that evening (and watched it all again!) and drank a toast or two. Not least to being British..my word, there are moments in your life when you wish you didn't have to be huh - usually prompted by some media frenzy or another.....and then - enter the Royal Family, who have the sense to surround themselves with people who know how to organise a show. Good Lord, it was perfect. You cannot help but be left with a feeling of goodwill.I don't want to take the tiny amount of bunting down just now; it means the weekend is over and I don't want it to be...so despite Mr Dunnit having gone to work and Miss Dunnit hinting at getting up in time to actually do some revision...I'm still tootling about in holiday mode. Ignoring washing, ironing and shopping lists. It works, try it!