Back to school

Going back to work has seriously intruded into my blogging time.  We've only been back a week and already we are counting the days to half term!  I normally only work 22 hours a week over 2 full days and 2 half days but I have ended up working every day.  I'd only been back 2 days and I offered to come in and do overtime.  I think they may have put something in the coffee to brainwash us! 

 

First week back is always the same.  Talks from the Head welcoming everyone back, congratulations on exam results, trying to guess when Ofsted will visit (we are due an inspection), every job given to us secretaries is 'urgent', a fire drill and the inevitable girl who finds it hard to go from a small village primary school with about 100 pupils in total to a large secondary with over 1000 students.  On Wednesday a little face peeped over the counter of reception, bottom lip trembling, tears in the corners of her eyes. "Could you ring my Mum please?"  The receptionist asked why she wanted us to call.  "I don't like it here, I want to go home."  Whilst we all melted inside at her sad face, she was told to go back to class, we were sure that by break time she would have found a new friend to spend time with.  A message was sent to her Head of Year and Form Tutor to let them know that she was a bit 'wobbly' and that a little TLC and gentle friendship encouragement may be needed, but we haven't seen her since so we hope she has settled in a bit now.  One out of 160 new Year 7s isn't bad going I guess.

 

So, yesterday was the Eclectic Keepsakes crop for September and you may be wondering how many completed projects I came home with.  I mean, I was there about 5 hours so there must be something to show for my time.  Mustn't there? Um.  No.  I had planned to spend the morning of 'free time' to get all my scavenger hunt photos in their mini album.  But then I popped into the kitchen to make a cup of tea and saw these

Wow!  Raspberry cupcakes.  Clearly counting as one of my 5 a day fruit and veg portions.

So a cup of tea and a catch up with Denise, noticing that Eileen was back from Scotland for a visit (the lengths people will go to to come to an EK crop), chatting to Sandie about her recent blog post ...  Open my bags, get the album out along with the photos, start trimming and sticking and then Karen said 'Oh, look what I have got here'

  An airmail package with an Arizona post mark!  Addressed to Karen, Denise and Me.  Happy mail indeed!  A quick photo opportunity and then we eagerly ripped the package apart carefully opened it.  A note from Deb saying that she wished to share some craft goods that had belonged to her Mum.  How sweet is that?  No photo of that note as I think my eyes may have come over a bit blurry at that point.  So we emptied it out to share - goodness there were a lot of things there

 

We divided everything by three and each went back to our desks with the thoughts of how blogging and crafting has put us in touch with such kind, generous and lovely people.  Which also meant it was time for another cupcake to compose ourselves

 

How gorgeously pretty are these?  And you know one of the extra benefits of sitting next to Denise?  Chocolate gives her migraines so I 'had' to help her out with the chocolate seashell on top of hers ;-)

 

So by now it is nearly lunchtime and all I have to show for my morning is 2 empty cake cases, an empty mug, a lovely lot of new crafting embellishments and about 10 scavenger pictures in an album.

 

Karen had designed a beautiful mini book for us to make in the afternoon.  It really was a work of art and when I have finished it - it will look like this

 

Actually, mine's not far off that and I do have all my pages inside and I could lie and tell you that this was my finished book

But if you look closely you will see pictures of Karen's daughter meeting the Silver Fox of the Great British Bake Off - Paul Hollywood, and I'd have to admit that this was Karen's original that we were copying!  So imagine this one, without the TV celebrities, and all the little extra tags and inserts and that is what mine looks like.  Each page has a gap at either the top or the side to slide tags, journalling or extra photos into and mine is literally at the 'bare bones' stage.  Cover and insides intact and attached but waiting to have all the extra bits added.  (I hate half finished projects so promise you that I will have my version available very soon.)  (Sunday Lunch may be Sunday Dinner today!)

Back home for a quick shower and change of clothes as friends were coming to pick us up for early evening wine and tapas at a local restaurant.  Followed by watching the catch up version of Strictly Come Dancing.  Overall, a pretty good day!  Hope your weekend is shaping up nicely too!