The inaugral Family x12 blog hop

Welcome to the very first blog hop in a series (hopefully!) organised by Margie. The idea behind family x12 is to record a photo of your 'family' (this can be anything you consider to be family, parents, cousins, pets, friends etc etc) one a month for a year.

I love this idea, an ongoing record of the changes that can happen right under our noses that we often miss . Sometimes this can be good as I don't always want to be reminded of another grey hair, more weight gained or new wrinkles appearing!! But children seem to evolve quickly and I look back and wonder when and how it happened.

Another positive aspect of this project is having photographs of us all together, this is a rare experience as I tend to be taking the snaps and I also hate being in the picture (I never look good and frequently delete the ones I am in).

I actually managed 4 different family portraits this month, 2 taken on self timer, 1 taken by my son's friend and one of my shadow shots. I have chosen this picture.....

this was taken at the weekend, on self timer, at Portland Bill in Dorset. It was a gusty day stood on the rocks and my hair is totally wild and windswept, but it makes me smile!

I am really excited to see what the other 5 family pics are and will be joining in the blog hop when I get home from work. From here you should head over to Jo's blog, Captured on film, she has the most amazing photographs posted there so do take time to browse.

Here is the entire list of everyone taking part today in case you get lost, just beware we are based all around the world so an autopost may be slightly wrongly timed (including this one!)but they will show up at some point I'm sure.

Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog
Melissa http://www.melissagross.blogspot.com
Carol Ann http://scrapperthoughts.blogspot.com/
Ruth http://www.chattycraftyartypig.blogspot.com
Jo http://www.mrsbeee.blogspot.com
Sharis http://www.airbs.blogspot.com

I hope to see you again next month for the next family foto shoot!

The winners!

Firstly an apology I totally forgot that I had offered 6 people the chance to win a card as part of my number 6 post on Mel's alphanumeric blog hop here.

Finally I got round to writing out each name on a piece of paper (there were over 40!) and placing them all in a pot

then I had 2 very keen volunteers pick out 3 names each

number 1

Sian

number 2

Wendy B

number 3

Peonies and Pennies

number 4

Debs 14

number 5

Mary B

and number 6

Angel fish

Please would you contact me via email on furrypig3 (at) yahoo (dot)co (dot) uk if you want me to send you card and of course include your address!! Can I ask you to do this in the next 2 weeks and I will attempt to get them all sent out by the end of the month!

Story telling Sunday

This is my first venture into Story telling Sunday, started by the wonderful Sian, who would be at home on Jackanory reading to us all. Her story telling skills are now famous, with many others joining in via her blog each month with some fabulous fables and tall true tales. I hope I live up to the task in hand as I always love to follow as others narrate monthly on their blogs.

I would like to introduce the Magpie

source

This is a very common bird, with a very annoying cry, that is not popular or well liked as it is known for taking food (often baby birds from the nest) from others. The other reputation the Magpie has is for stealing bright, glistening objects like jewelry and small trinkets.

Now the Magpie I want to introdce you to is not of the feathered variety! Many years ago there were 2 sisters a brunette and a blonde. The blonde loved pretty things and was rather pretty herself, loving to gaze upon her beauty in a small hand held mirror. Her elder and somewhat plainer sister, was rather jealous I believe.

One day this envy enveloped her whole being and she stole away her sisters beloved mirror and hid it in the shed within their garden. The blonde sister was very sad and the whole family searched the house for the mirror to no avail until eventually the older sister confessed... she had seen a magpie steal the mirror and carry it in it's beak to the shed. The family searched the shed but the mirror was never ever found.

The elder sister was surprised that her parents never totally believed that the Magpie had flown into the house, into the younger sister's bedroom, found the mirror, lifting it in it's beak, whilst flying out the house and heading for the garden shed

source

Another item went missing sometime later ..... did the Magpie strike again or was it someone all together more sinister??? Please tune in next month for the Tale of the Magpie part 2.

In the meantime pop over to Sians to see what everyone has written about this month.

IDIC card making challenge 'Mothers Day USA'

IDIC is celebrating Mothers Day in the USA with this weeks challenge, sponsored by Robyns Fetish.

I have used the cute Chrisie Angel image available here, coloured in with promarkers on embossed white card. I have used the fabulous button Die-namics to make matching embellishments and the flower is made of 6 punched circles folded and glued together. The sentiment is just printed out on the computer ..... another very simple card from me!

I cannot wait to see what all the DT have made this week so join me in visiting their cards here.

A special celebration

Millions of people have joined in today, to celebrate the marraige of William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I have to confess that I actually did watch some of the wedding and the kiss on the balcony in between travelling. I also admit to enjoying it and adoring her very vintagey looking wedding dress, the bridesmaids looked wonderful and I can't wait to see all the pics in the press tomorrow and hear more about it all!!

Today is also a celebration for someone else, someone special called Marti. Today is her birthday, today she is facing cancer and today I am proud to be part of a birthday tribute in her honour.

I follow the blog of her daughter Deb at Paper Turtle and she asked others to try and make her mom's birthday special. I wish I had asked Deb for one of her teal bracelets to help remember but I didn't and I am sorry, but would still like to make this small contribution.

I am with family today and I was trying really hard to explain to my inlaws why blogging is important to me, why online forums and communites are necessary and how I consider some of the people I meet here as real friends (they just don't get it). I had so much support from 'strangers' online when I had a hysterectomy several years ago, support I didn't get anywhere else. Today when I see the fantastic spirit of everyone joining in the birthday celebration for Marti, I really feel I am part of an amazing community of friends.

Thinking of you today Marti, Deb and family on this special celebration xxx

Marmite Day

(taken from 10 o'clock live )

seen above Beaver Plant Shop on the Chichester bypass

Why Marmite Day you may ask... you either love it or hate it... I think it is the same with the Royal Wedding!! So are you avoiding the celebrations and the ceremony?? Or indulging in the full experience.. dressing up, having a street party etc etc???

Me, I am off out so will probably be on the road during the whole event! I feel I should be more patriotic, more excited, more involved.... it is future history after all... marraige of a probable king and queen of tomorrow. But I am not really bothered!!! Butshould you ask me about what is happening in London in 2012, wel that is a whole other blog post!!!

Enjoy your day whatever you end up doing xxx

My day in photos

windows in my day ....

kitchen window, waiting for kettle to boil

windows online


bathroom 1

bathroom 2


in the car

work room 1


work pc


reception

work room 2

work toilet!


microscope

drugs

home again

BBQ

better late than never! to see more peoples days pop over here xxx