RED January - How did I do?

Well not quite the 100% achievement I was aiming for scuppered by a nasty migraine which knocked me out for several days early on, then a few other foot niggles prevented quite as many determined efforts as I had wished but broadly speaking I did OK I guess, and held myself publicly accountable via my Instagram account.

So managed 25 days out of the 31 for a minimum 30 min walk each day which is certainly better than if I'd not signed up to this challenge.

Also my red laces look kinda cool in my grey trainers!

Tax return done - not a happy bunny

Sad me - whoever said tax doesn't have to be taxing was wrong!! And I am an Accountant by profession I might add!. 

I just spent the next part of an hour online with HMRC challenging why my online tax return did not then equate to the sum I owed them...finally figured it out and all to do with prior year adjustments on the current years tax code that were not picked up by them last year???
How is this my fault?

Sadly I had to hand over the larger sum of money and not even a limited edition Lemon Drizzle Kit Kat could numb the pain.

Off to bang my head against a brick wall :(

Mind The Scrap Cybercrop

I do love a Mind the Scrap Cyber crop which the very lovely Emma runs every 3 or 4 months. This weekends one was Harry Potter themed, but that just acted as a starting point for the links to the challenges which could all be interpreted even if you had never see the films. 

Here are a few of the pages I created over the weekend from the 19 challenge prompts. 

This first one is probably one of my favourites from the weekend made using Vicki Boutin Art Crayons, a circle dotty mask and some stamps.

Close up of the inky bits

I've gotten a little obsessed with triangles on my pages lately too - this next one is one of three I made over the weekend featuring triangles - one of which is for next month's ATDML virtual crop day so I will share that then.

And one more so I don't bore you all to tears, this one was a scraplift of one Emma shared which I used to kickstart me when I sat down yesterday to play along.

2019 Reading Challenge - Book Club 4/52 - Their Lost Daughters

DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evansof the Fenland police are stretched to the limit as they try to bring the perpetrators of a number of shocking crimes to justice.

Missing girls, found bodies and evidence of an illegal drinking club run by a shadowy group of men and then the  team come across a sinister former hospital called Windrush which seems to house many dark secrets.


Full of twists and turns, this is a crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the shocking ending.

I have read a couple of previous books by this author known for her crime thrillers and found them quite compelling and this one so far does not disappoint. Another book where I almost missed by stop on the train as I was too engrossed! Cannot even begin to fathom where the twist is coming from on this one where I am just under half way through!

ATDML January Gallery

One of my first layouts in 2019 as one of the ATDML design team, a position I have now held for over 9 years I am proud to say. This one was a relatively simple design with just three rectangles of pattern paper behind my matted 5x5 photo. Then I added several clocks of a variety of sizes from the Simple Stories paper, layering some with foam pads and  then added the fabulous Bramblefox "20Ninteen" perspective for my title. The red hearts are also from Bramblefox and the other small red elements from my stash. 

Once I had added all these elements I realised the layout needed something else so I drew around the rectangle of paper in black pen, added the black drawn border, trimmed the white card background a little and mounted on black. Still then not quite what I had in mind I added the gold flecks of ink and the gold stars and enamel dots to a couple of the clocks to liven up the page a little. Finally I was happy and given it was a layout about NYE it needed some sparkle.

2019 Reading Challenge - Book Club 3/52 Talk to Me

Book 3 this week was recommended by a friend as a lighthearted romance with a slight paranormal twist. I would describe that paranormal twist as mild if at all really (I fully expected vampires but alas there were none in sight!!) but this was indeed a lighthearted romance, albeit it had me close to tears twice which I think speaks volumes about the strength of story telling on behalf of the author.



Book Blurb says:
Getting what you want isn’t always what you need.

Austin is rebuilding his life after a car accident shattered his leg and his self-confidence. He wants nothing more than to gain his independence. Figuring out why he now hears voices would be an added bonus.

Laura can’t fathom losing yet another loved one. The death of her brother and business partner still has her reeling, although it seems he might not have completely given up the ghost.  When Laura plays the reluctant heroine to Austin’s caffeine emergency, they form a bond neither of them was looking for. 

Worth the read if you want a l

ATDML Alphabetical Challenge B

Time for the second Alphabetical Challenge over on the ATDML Blog today with the letter B which I illustrated with my January DT kit featuring (rather helpfully) Bo Bunny Winter Wishes papers so there was my first B ticked off.

I also focused on the colour Blue and there are Banners under the photo which is Black (&White).  How will you rise to the challenge to scrap using the letter B prompts?

2019 Reading Challenge - Book Club 2/52 - Sweet Little Lies

Week 2 of my 52 week book reading challenge and this one had been on my Kindle for a while and I hadn't got around to reading it last year with other books grabbing my attention more. How I wish now I had read it earlier - what a gem of a book.

SWEET LITTLE LIES follows a policewoman in London whose personal life collides with her work in a dark and dangerous way. Cat Kinsella is called to the scene of a crime: the body of a young woman has been found not far from the pub that her estranged father still runs. This book had me turning pages and frequently experiencing the "just one more chapter then I'll sleep" - sign of a good book. I hoped the book would turn one way, and then it turned another - really, really good read.

RED Week 1

Successfully completed week 1 of the Run Every Day (RED) challenge albeit with walking and not running but I am pleased with the progress I have been making and whilst my foot injury is making itself VERY known after each walk it's worth it for the feel good factor afterwards. On to week 2 we go :)

New 2019 Reading Challenge - Book Club 1/52

After a successful Book Club challenge last year (started by a friend of mine to read 52 books over the course of the year) I thought I would strive to achieve this again in 2019.

So I have started the year with a nice easy romance by Nicole Snow who I read a couple of books by in 2018. I am just over half way through this and am enjoying it so far. 



Whilst it is a romance book, with a couple of naughty scenes in it, the story line is strong enough that it isn't a "roll your eyes to the back of your head and sigh REALLY" romance book - at least I don't think so. I mean you do kind of know what is going to evolve between the main characters, that bit isn't rocket science, but still worth a read (and free on Kindle Unlimited too).

Here is the book blurb from a fellow reader which I think sums it up better than described on Goodreads.

Olivia (Liv) witnesses a hit right in front of her at her sisters house and runs for her life. Her father places her in the care of Enguard security (more specifically Riker). Riker has a 12 year old daughter Emily who he'd protect with his last breath, family is everything to him. So Liv is placed in his care as his "fiancée". Trying to integrate a woman into his household while protecting her is a major challenge.

ATDML new Alphabetical Challenge for 2019

A new series of scrapbooking challenges is starting over at Created by ATDML blog today where twice a month a letter from the alphabet will be used to prompt a layout. Go take a look and see what they have in store for the letter A which I illustrated in the layout below using predominantly Prima papers and elements from their Flirty Fleur Collection  I used ACETATE to apply watered down distress ink for the painty background , AQUA blue as my main colour  and then a Thickers ALPHABET for my title. 

This layout also fit the bill for one of the For The Love of Pretty Paper (FTLOPP) Winter Olympic challenges they are running over on Facebook. This challenge was  to include a technique that takes time and the inky background plus fussy cutting on this one certainly counted.  I do love a scrapbooking challenge and making one page which rises to more than one challenge makes me a happy girl! I have a few more pages to do to complete the latest FTLOPP series but managed four more today on my last day off before returning to work tomorrow. So that's me signing off for the night. God Bless x

RED January 2019 - Goal for the month

I have signed up with MIND to RED January  which standard for Run Every Day. I can't run at the moment due to an injury but I will be walking every day, where I hope to do at least 30 active minutes a day, only resting a day if my foot injury really plays up.

Made a good start today with a leisurely hour long stroll with hubby and the boys over the local park which certainly blew away a few cobwebs and was a great start to the year and this challenge.