Me on a Monday - the Malaga edition

It was an amazing weekend. Spent in warm and sunny Malaga (a city with so much  too see, very few tourists and cheap prices!) with just the best group of friends a girl could wish for. We have laughed, we've cried, we've eaten well, we've shopped, we stayed up til 4pm one night and experienced Spanish nightlife and a club and we may have also drunk a little bit too much wine!

We also admired views and took selfies....

!

Rode segways round the city and to the top of Gibralfaro (with the most gorgeous tour guide!)...

We drank gin and tonics and sangria looking over the port...

Did a swimsuit shoot!...

Visited the Picasso Museum and chilled out afterwards in a nearby cafe...

Visited the stunning Malaga Cathedral...

Had a fabulous lunch on the beach at a restaurant with no menu - just waiters wandering around with plates of food shouting out their names and you put your hand up to have one!

Watched the sun set from the roof top pool...

Tried a little hair curling....

Took more cheeky selfies...

Had the most amazing Sunday lunch in a restaurant overlooking the city and shared desserts (my preferred way of eating pud these days as you get to try everything!)...

And had time for one last group shot before heading to the airport...

I am truly blessed to know such wonderful women - all different but together such a good combination. 

This is me on a Monday which has found me unpacking and washing, organising for the week ahead and thankfully not at my desk (couldn't have managed that!) and having lunch with the hubby. Looking forward to a nice four day week.  Thank you for undulging me in my photo heavy post. Please pop over and see Sian for some more weekend updates. 

Rinda's 2015 Scavenger Hunt - The summer holidays edition (mostly!)

I'm I'm linking up with Rinda to share some of my latest scavenger hunt finds...

Number 16.  A panoramic view - this one was at the top of the Ingleton Waterfall Trail with a beautiful view over North Yorkshire.

Number 4. People playing a board game or card game.  All enjoying the warm weather a few weeks ago with The Best of British game in full swing.

Number 13.  A merry-go-round or a carousel.  This beauty was by Liverpool Docks where we spent a day enjoying all things Beatles.

Number 7.  A turtle.  This little fellow was at Chester Zoo

Number 17.  At least two people wearing the same outfit or uniform.  This was an early morning photo shoot at Chester Zoo to celebrate our Guiness World Record attempt success for the largest sleepover last September.  There were leaders and Brownies all in the same uniform :)

Number 5.  Architectural columns.  These were outside Central Library in Manchester which Alex and I visited for an afternoon in the holidays.

Number 1. A bouquet of flowers.  These gorgeous ones were sent to my Mum and Dad for their wedding aniversary

Number 2.  An ornate door knocker.  Found on one of the doors at Warwick Castle.

I still have 5 pictures to find and I'm not going to make it by tomorrow.  So I'm hoping Rinda doesn't mind if I take the liberty of extending it to over this weekend as I am away for a few nights and know I will be able to find the rest while I have time on my hands to look around...

Me on a Monday...

It was an up early kind of Saturday morning and on to the M6 for a trip down south.  Tony picked up his new car on Thursday so we had our first family road trip in it

It was a head to my parents' to celebrate their Diamond Wedding anniversary kind of weekend which involved looking at old wedding photos...

And admiring a special card...

It was an enjoy the sunshine kind of afternoon (Why did I ever move up north?  It's always so much warmer in the South!) I made good use of some down time by sewing on some more badges to Alex's camp blanket (I swear that girl saves them up for me - just as I get to the end she brings another lot home for me!!!)

Sunday dawned and it was time to celebrate.  We took the opportunity for a three generation girlie photo while we were all dressed up...

The cake was beautiful...

And there was an opportunity for an (almost) full family pic with children and grandchildren.

And the happy couple cutting their cake...

All too soon the afternoon was over and it was time to head back up the M6 and home to Downton Abbey.

One photo and twenty words

Together for better, for worse...this year has definitely been worse. But this week he got a job offer - Hoorah!

I'm joining in with Abi's meme to share one photo and twenty words.

Me on a Monday

I It was a quiet Friday evening after a very busy week at work (and several traffic jams on he M6) catching up on Bake Off and Cradle to Grave over a bottle of wine.

It was a busy Saturday morning getting college stationery and packing rucksacks ready for Alex and I as we headed off for a Girlguiding Camping Trip. 

It was a hectic kind of Ssturday evening putting up tents for 77 Brownies, Guides, Seniors and Leaders from our village at Warwick Castle before the deadline for dinner closed! We made it - just! This was followed by bowmen displays, a jester and a knight and dragon story before a big knights battle finale. Then back to camp for hot chocolate and teeth brushing. 

It was a very uncomfortable kind of night on a sleeping mat that wouldn't inflate and stuck in a cold tent but I suffered for my girls!  

It was a get up (at 6am) and count heads (I've been counting to 15 all weekend!) to make sure none had escaped from their tent in the night and head off to breakfast kind of morning. 

Then it was head to the field for a beautiful bird of prey display (the bald eagle was incredible!) and into the castle for fun in the Princess Tower, a walk round the walls and some well deserved cups of tea for the leaders. 

Alex was a star all weekend. Although their as a senior section member and not her young leader voluntary role she got stuck in pitching tents and looking after the girls. 

It was a smooth journey home kind of Sunday afternoon with girls returned to their families, not too much lost property and home to a lovely cooked meal. After a bit of catching up with the boys I headed to the sofa and collapsed! 

I'm joking in Sian's meme to share my weekend. You could head over and do the same if you like - we'd love to see you!

Sketchy scrapper challenges - all caught up!

So over the wet and dreary bank holiday weekend (well Sunday and Monday) I managed to scrap a little and catch up on the Sketchy Scrapper challenges.  They have all been made with the My Minds Eye Cut and Paste collection which was a bargain find in TK Maxx and some added bits from my own stash.  The first was May's sketch...

And I made Snow much fun.  A fab picture of Alex on her 11th birthday tobogganing at the local park.  Not totally in love with this page but glad I got it scrapped :)...

Next up my favourite layout of late using July's sketch...

We were away in the Lakes for our wedding anniversary earlier this year and we walked another Wainwright - Black Crag.  It was a pleasant sunny day for most of the walk but when we got to the very top it was blowing a gale. I had to don my bobble hat and Tony was squinting against the wind as it was drying his contact lenses!  I nearly had my phone blown out of my hand taking this selfie! Black Crag...

Lastly this was August's sketch...

This sketch was perfect to document a walk along the canal with lots of photos- we've done about three now along the Bridgewater and I'm determined to walk it all but this day we didn't quite get it right and ended up walking the Leeds Liverpool canal up to the point it met the Bridgewater!  It was still a pleasant walk even so.  Not the Bridgewater Canal...

Me on a Monday

Despite knowing it all day I seemed to ignore that fact that yesterday was Monday and so I am here again on a Tuesday.  Back to work tomorrow and the kids are back to school and college (yikes!) so hopefully some routine will sort me out!

So the weekend was a fun one and a wet one...it was a volunteering kind of Saturday as I spent several happy hours promoting Girlguiding at Manchester Pride.   Check out the bright t-shirt we got as a souvenir!  It was a real carnival atmosphere and I met some other lovely leaders from all over the North West.

Once home it was a put my feet up kind of evening so I sat in the sun for an hour and read my book (nearly there!) and enjoyed a glass of wine while Tony prepared dinner.

It was a friends to stay kind of Saturday night with Chris and his son Thomas staying over having been to a local match.  Thomas' disability does not stop him having the most amazing amount of fun and I love my two so much for the patience and kindness they show him when he comes to stay...  It was definitely a "let me chase you" kind of evening!...

It was a lazy morning and fry up kind of Sunday.  Having said good-bye to our visitors we settled down to reading, TV and scrapping as the weather had closed in and was wet and 'orrible...

And it wasn't much better on Monday!  So it was more reading, TV and scrapping with a few jobs thrown in and some sorting out of shoes and clothes (Is it just me that feels like a spring clean at the beginning of the term?) .  It was also a polishing off the CV kind of day for Alex...

So today finds us dodging showers and doing last minute prep for back to school - trying new hairstyles for her and buying a school blazer for him!  Plus delivering the aforementioned CVs in person at selected businesses in the village - we got a few "nos", a few "maybes" and one "possibility".  

And now it's off for a late lunch/early tea as an end of the holiday treat followed by The Man from U.N.C.L.E....

Hope your bank holiday was good and not too wet.  I'm linking up with Sian today and wishing you all a happy new school year!  (I know everyone craves summer but secretly I love Autumn - crisp leaves, sunny walks, finding a good tea shop for a cuppa and cake and warm cosy nights in watching...Strictly! Bring it on!)