Sunday 1 September 2013

Fashion for the Day


My talented daughter, Seren, has started a new blog today.   It's called Fashion for the Day as she loves putting outfits together.  please pop over and give her some encouragement.    Click here to visit her site.

Wednesday 31 July 2013

Snowman


We had snow yesterday and Seren managed to build a snowman by herself., Jon was getting frustrated as his kept breaking.So this morning Jon and Dadi built a brilliant snowman that used Seren's head as her's had broken overnight.
This page is the 12th of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus?


Happy St David's Day?  I didn't manage to get a "good" St Daivd's Day photo this year.  When posing it was silly photo day! So Cute! Seren is in traditional dress, Jon in a Wales top and Tom is in his house colour.
This page is the 11th of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Monday 22 July 2013

Project Life: Week Nine

 


Getting caught up slowly... this week included Dydd Gwyl Dewi and a quick lunch in a very windy Cardiff Bay.  Love the Lightship

To see more Project Life posts click here.

Saturday 20 July 2013

Just Dance


It had been snowing all day and the house was very cold. Seren, Dadi and Mami played Just Dance 4 to warm up.  It's amazing how quickly you get warm by dancing.
This page is the 10th of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Project Life: Week Eight

 


Running so behind on project life... OMG!  As I obly have a few swimming teaching shifts this summer I'm hoping to get caught up quickly.

To see more Project Life posts click here.

Monday 20 May 2013

Project Life: Week Seven


This week was  half term for us and all the kids were sick at the beginning of it missing out on a chance to go and visit their grandparents.  They were better by Thursday so we managed a couple of days out to the park at NISV and the Wetlands in Newport.  I played around in Picassa for this week and amde a couple of simple collages which shows the cake we made and my birthday presents which arrived this week. 

To see more Project Life posts click here.

Wednesday 15 May 2013

Belle-Vue

There's a beautiful park hiddden in the centre of Newport called Belle-Vue Park.  This layout has highlighs of our sunny afternoon there last September.  I love this Maggie Holmes paper,  I've bought 2 more sheets of it since I made this layout!





This page is the 9th of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.


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Monday 13 May 2013

Project Life: Week Six


Another review for Andy this week as he went to see Paloma Faith in the CIA.  We were naughty and had Dominos for tea on Friday night and a pic of Seren reading in new glasses.

To see more Project Life posts click here.
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Wednesday 8 May 2013

Holiday Disaster

When we went on holiday to Tenby last summer the car broke down on the way, We has to wait a few hours in a small village where the coffee shop and toilets were closed!





This page is the 8th of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Monday 6 May 2013

Project Life: Week Five


This week was my birthday week, therefore there's a few cards about my presents and the drinks we had on the week end.  It aslo includes Andy's first review of the year, a Johnny Cash tribute show and these great journalling cards from the In a Creative Bubble shop.

To see more Project Life posts click here.

Sunday 5 May 2013

REVIEW: Stars of Strictly Come Dancing - Pasha Kovalev & Katya Virshilas


 

Famous from the BBC 1 show Strictly Come Dancing Pasha Kovalev & Katya Virshilas are touring the UK again with more dates and a longer show, performing on 
Wednesday night in St Davids Hall, Cardiff.  Having been dancing since they were children they quickly became Champions in their respective fields before it was Strictly Come Dancing in 2011 that brought them together in the UK .  Joining them on the tour are Ryan Hammond and Lindsey Muckle who have recently appeared on Got to Dance.
 
From the opening few numbers which included 2 Cha-Cha-Cha numbers, one from each of the couples, you could tell it was going to be a night to enjoy.  The set while elegant and simple didn’t detract for the dancers and the lighting transformed it blending in beautifully with each dance.
 
The first act ended with a passionate Tango from Chicago performed by the whole company leaving the audience excited about the second half.
 
Mike Newman was the perfect host, keeping the interaction with the audience light and humorous all night as there was plenty of opportunities for audience participation through the whole show including a very revealing Q&A section where you felt like you were getting to know the performers.
 
Highlights from the second act included the opening Dirty Dancing sequence and a gorgeous Viennese Waltz to A Thousand Years, from Twilight.  I really enjoyed the Jive to Footloose from are Ryan Hammond and Lindsey Muckle.  There was only one disappointing part of the show and that was that we only had one dance where Pasha was shirtless, the Pasodoble where he displayed his stunning cape skills.

REVIEW: Rent 20th Anniversary Concert



A Monday night is not always the best night to go out but tonight it became the best night out I have had in a long time as I went to see Rent 20th Anniversary Concert at St David’s Hall in Cardiff.
 
Rent is a Tony Awards winning rock musical based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme. Set in New York City portraying the story of a group of friends struggling survive under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.
 
Despite the many technical problems that blighted the first half the cast did not once let this affect their performance.  I can’t single out out one person from the cast as each one portrayed their part stunningly well and from the very first number their performances gave me chills.
 
My favourite songs in the first half were It's OK, Over the Moon and La Vie Bohème. In the second half I really enjoyed Take Me or Leave Me and Seasons on Love. The emotion portrayed on stage throughout the whole performance told the whole story without the need for a full set. You really felt that the whole cast were performing their hearts out for our entertainment.
 
One night in Cardiff is nowhere near enough, hope you come back soon for a repeat performance.

Wednesday 1 May 2013

Blues Brothers

This layout is of the boys in new Alvin and the Chipmonks T-shirts that they loved.  The design on the t-shirts didn't last long as they came off in the first wash in the machine. 



Also, this week I played with my new Amy Tangerine Stitching template to create the clouds and the sun.  Love it!



This page is the 7th of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Monday 29 April 2013

Project Life: Week Four


As usual, life get is the way of scrapping but last week I managed to sort out some pics for Project Life.  Here's Week Four, the last full week of January where we had a lot of snow (well a lot of snow for Wales not so much for other areas). 

To see more Project Life posts click here.

Tuesday 23 April 2013

REVIEW: An Evening of Movies and Musicals, St David’s Hall



After a sell out concert in April 2012 and part of the nationally acclaimed tour An Evening of Movies and Musicals returned to St David’s Hall on Saturday Night. 
 
With a slow start the highlights from the first half included the Siren Sisters performing Sisters and Swinging Rascals performing Hello Dolly. Peter Karrie also showed why he is a Welsh favourite with an outstanding version of Papa can you Hear me.
 
A last minute stand-in Jamie Owen was the perfect Host but he was under used and it would have been more interesting to learn more information about the performers and why they had chosen to perform the particular songs they were performing on the night.
 
The second half moved much quicker beginning once more with outstanding early performances from the Siren Sisters and Swinging Rascals.  They were quickly followed by the very talented Bridgend and Vale Stagecoach group performing Suddenly, Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors.  Peter Karrie wowed once again with This is the Moment from Jekyll & Hyde.
 
A surprise highlight of the evening was Nathan James one of the contestants from last year’s ITV show Superstar, he received a standing evation for his performance of Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar. 
 
The show also included outstanding performances from John Owen Jones (whose joy to be on stage was catching) and Ruthie Henshall (especially performing All That Jazz) the evening was a resounding success.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

Monday 22 April 2013

REVIEW: Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Bristol Hippodrome



Priscilla Queen of the Desert follows the story of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus travelling through the Australian Outback searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they had ever dreamed of. 
 
The audience loved the show which is filled with feel good music such as Venus, Go West, Girls just Wanna have Fun and Boogie Wonderland but for me there were 2 best songs of the night, Venus for the awesome dance routine and costumes and True Colours for the beautiful harmonies by the lead actors – Richard Grieve, Jason Donovan and Graham Weaver.
 
Richard Grieve was outstanding as Bernadette giving the character some depth when the script did not and Ellie Leah had the audience in stitches with her portrayal of Shirley.  But staling the show tonight was the young boy who played Benji and his portrayal of a young boy who finds out his father was a drag queen and accepts his for it.
 
The set constantly changed throughout the show ranging from very bare with a rotating outline of a bus that made you feel a little dizzy to full-on showbiz glitterati with props galore and too many drag queens to count.  And I mustn’t forget to mention the awesome band under the supervision of Musical Director Richard Weeden which maintained the hyped up atmosphere all night.
 
If your looking for a good night out I would definitely recommend a visit to Bristol to see the show as Priscilla Queen of the Desert is at the Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday 27 April 2013.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Olympic Rings

After doing a review in the New Theatre, Andy took the kids to see the olympic rings in Cardiff.

 
This page is the 6th of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Godspell Costumes

This is Seren in her costumes for Godspell with CentreStage Cymru.  The show was amazing  a real professional performance even though they were all amateurs.  Can't wait to watch their next show, Whistle Down the Wind in October.

 
This page is number 5 of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Snowy Cones

Last summer we tried a snowy cone at Bridgend Outlet Designer Village.  The kids loved it and and demolished it in 5 mins!



 This page is number 4 of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Friday 29 March 2013

Starlight Express at Bristol Hippodrome



On Wednesday night I had the opportunity to see Starlight Express at the Bristol Hippodrome, the only catch was that I had to write a review, here's the review:

Starlight Express is a rock opera that depicts the story that all boys dream of - train sets coming to life. We follow the chances of several of the trains as they move through the heats to the finals of the world championship. 

The whole show doesn’t stop from the opening scene to the finale helped by the fact that everyone on stage is on roller skates.  The vibrant music and costumes with amazing lighting transformed the bare and simple set from a high octane nightclub in some scenes to a desolate wasteland in others. One thing I would ask for is more tricks and flips from the skating professional that performed occasionally.

Kristofer Harding was magnificent as Rusty conveying a whole range of emotions throughout the show, as well as Mykal Rand as Electra who seemed to light up the stage whenever he came on.

My favourite song of the evening was Freight with all the trucks singing in beautiful harmony (must be the Welsh Male Voice Choir fan in me) followed closely by Starlight Express which was beautifully sung by Kristofer Harding with raw emotion. U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D. sung by Ruthie Stephens as Dinah was another comedic highlight as well as One Rock ‘n’ Roll too many (sung by Greaseball, Electra and Red Caboose).

If you get a chance go and see Starlight Express as the moment I would highly recommend it, it’s at Bristol Hippodrome until Satuday 6th April 2013.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

Thursday 28 March 2013

Seren's Summer Show 2012

Seren loves her dancing and musical theatre classes and always works really hard in the classes.   Each year they put on a show and here are a couple of pages showing her outfits and being backstage at the show.  As the pages are about the same event I kept the design similar but since there is about a month between the two pages they will not end up next to each other in the album.
 
 
These are pages 2 and 3 of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Monday 11 March 2013

Inspired by Shimelle.com

I love watching Shimelle's videos, they are so inspiring and easy to follow.  This page caught my eye as it mentioned Project Life but in the end I just copied the layout Shimelle had done rather than the Project Life page and love the way it turned out.

Smore's Layout by purplecrafter.com



Thank you Shimelle for all your inspiration.

This page is the first of 40 pages I intend to complete before my birthday in February 2014.

Friday 15 February 2013

Favourite New TV Programs 2012/13 (Friday Five 15 February 2013)

Here's a list of my favourite new American TV series from the last 6 months:

1. Nashville - Only seen 2 episodes of this but I have loved it. Hayden Panettiere's character seems to be brilliantly complicated and I can't wait to see how this show develops.   

2. Beauty and the Beast - only a few episodes in on this one and i can tell I'm going to love it.  Always liked Jay Ryan when he was in Neighbours and Sea Patrol so I was really excited when I heard about this show, it seems the Australians are taking over American TV!!  The chemistry between Jay and Kristin Kreuk who plays Beauty (Catherine Chandler) is really intense and I really like watching them together.   I'm really interested to see how think link's with Catherine's mother and Muirfield develop, I feel there's a really long and in depth story there.


3. Elementary -  Another one of my favourite actors is Jonny Lee Miller (since his Trainspotting days - if that doesn't giveaway my age) so this was a must for me.  I love it when someone takes something old and transforms it into something completely new just by changing a few small things, for example making Sherlock a recovering addict and Watson a woman and his sponsor.  I really like that twist and thought it was portreyed really well by Lucy Lui.  All the episodes I've seen so far have been really good and can't wait to watch the rest of the series.


4. Arrow -  I have loved Arrow, from the very first episode it seems to have that Batman film action/adventure scenes as well as some really interesting characters. I love the way the episodes keep going back to Oliver's time on the island as if they are supposed to mean something. I realise that the flashbacks link in to the episode they feature in but I also think that they are there for another reason. So excited to keep watching and see where the series leads.


5. Chicago Fire - This is my favorite new show this year.  I have loved Jesse Spencer since his Neighbours days and all the way through House so was so excited when I heard he had won the lead role in Chicago Fire. That made it a must watch tv show for me plus Taylor Kinney who players Severide is pretty tasty as well. The whole firehouse team seem to be well cast and gel together really well. Each episode is well written linking the different crews in so many different ways. There have been quite a few interesting relationships starts so i'm keen to watch what happens next..


This is defiantly my favourite new show this year!

Are you watching any of them?  What do you think of my list?  Is yours any different, let me know in the comments.



Tuesday 12 February 2013

Project Life: Week Three


This week is was a busy one with Dad's Army on at the Dolman and Snow everywhere on Friday.  Jon and Dadi made a great snowman on Saturday.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Project life: Week two

Here's week two of 2013 and it was a pretty avaage week.  The kids made cakes all by themselves and we got a box set which included the Avengers Assemble DVD.

Andy has decided to start taking a picture on the bridge he crosses every day to work so I've included one this week.  Click here if you want to see more. I can see this becoming a regular feature on the Project life pages as I love all the picture's he's taken so far!


Finally, Jon made a badge in School that said Cynghorydd 3A as he has been chosen to be on the school council by his classmates.  Love the badge!

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Project Life: Week one

I've decided to have a go a Project life this year.  Not sure how it's going to go, but my plan is to go through all my photos each week and work out which ones will be a 12x12 layout and then the smaller stories will go into the Project life pages.  I'm planning to mix the 12x12s and the Project Life pages in one album called 2013.  So, here's my week 1:
 
Highlights from this week include taking down the Christmas decorations and a 4 day visit to Carmarthen to see my mum and dad, you can see that in more detail below:
 

Thursday 3 January 2013

September Catch-up

Back in September I attempted to do Learn Something New Every Day, once again I didn't get very far but here are a few pages from the early days of September.


MUST! have an early night beofre work, makes the morning routine so much easier!

An early night really helps.  Feel good tonight instead of really shattered

I really need to go to Church.  Want to find one that helps the whole family.


A good Church is hard to find.  Keep Looking.