PICTURES FROM THE ART STUDIO!

Yesterday, Fiona and I went to Castell Coch so I could take some photographs that could be used in my piece of work TRUE LOVES FIRST KISS. I will be using the photos to make a photo montage and the montage will be stuck to my painting/collage.
























The painting is loosely based on Klimt's Kiss and the montage will appear at the bottom of the canvas , the flowered area in the painting.


















































































Fiona has also been working on a piece so there has been a lot of painting going on in the house and so of course Beauty wanted to join in!


Beauty has now been relegated to the garden to do her paintings!

MY SLEEPING BEAUTY

OH.....Yes, I voted for Gavin and Stacey!

Gavin and Stacey scoops TV Baftas

James Corden wins best comedy performance for his role in Gavin and Stacey
Comedy hits Gavin and Stacey and Harry Hill's TV Burp have taken the glory at the Bafta Television Awards in London.
BBC Three's Gavin and Stacey beat the likes of Strictly Come Dancing and Britain's Got Talent to the audience award, voted for by the public.
Its co-writer and actor James Corden also won best comedy performance.

Smithy(James Corden) said there would only be a series three if there were a story to tell.
Well I definitely want to know what is going on with Uncle Bryn and Jason.
Will Gavin and Stacey end up living in Barry and have a baby?
Will Nessa ans Smithy get together?
Will Pete and Dawny live happily ever after?
And what about Doris?


Oh please, there is so a story to tell.
If they need story lines just give me a bell.

Or contact the following groups on Facebook and ask for their ideas.

Campaign for a 3rd series of Gavin and Stacey

OH!!!........WHAT'S OCCURING??

UPDATE ON WHO I WOULD BE!
When I said St Bernadette, Florence Nightingale and Princess Diana I meant that I would be them but live their life my way!
Just imagine the things you could do differently!
Unlike Pam in Gavin and Stacey I am not a BIG Camilla Parker Bowles fan.

Beauty had a lie in yesterday until 11:30am..... her child minder had the day off due to getting married so I let her sleep in. Note to the global village that is my blog-YES SHE WAS STILL BREATHING AND SHE WAS FINE!
I think perhaps her teenage hormones are kicking in early hence the need to stay in bed 23 hours a day!
Remember Fiona was about 9 when she first turned into an ogre!





























And Beauty is named after Sleeping Beauty!

DEJA VU

"Parents alive, Gloucestershire, teachers. Him geography, her history. So holidays it would be "Dad, where are we? Mum, have we been here before?"
Nina.....Truly, Madly, Deeply


Blogging has become increasingly difficult due to my dizzy spells.
I find that all I want to do is lie down, when I am standing or sitting and I turn my head I get very dizzy and nauseous. I am also experiencing Deja vu constantly and no I am being totally serious! I find great difficulty in holding conversations because when I start to think about something my mind starts to remind me that I have already thought about that thing. It makes it really difficult to keep a conversation going as your train of thought is constantly being distracted.I checked it out on the internet and it seems that the whole Deja vu thing could be caused by the fact that recently I had a massive migraine which is still lurking in the form of a constant dull headache.
Wikipedia offer a number of possible reasons and I think I go with their ideas of

'this may result from an overlap between the neurological systems responsible for short-term memory (events which are perceived as being in the present) and those responsible for long-term memory (events which are perceived as being in the past). In other words, the events would be stored into memory before the conscious part of the brain even receives the information and processes it.'

'with miscommunication of the two cerebral hemispheres and abnormally fast neuronal firing also given as explanations for the sensation.'

As well I think the whole Deja vu thing is caused by the headache I had as it has happened in the past to me, post headache.
Some have suggested that Deja vu is also possibly linked to reincarnation..... however my boring brain thinks NOT A CHANCE!
But if we had lived before,who would you have liked to be?
For me, possibly Florence Nightingale or St Bernadette or Princess Diana.....Yep, I am officially weird!

For Ariel
This is Lifehouse (and Sam and Dean of course!).

I BAKED A CAKE

SULTANA AND CINNAMON CAKE

WOOBIE

When Beauty started school a boy in her class used to wear his hat and scarf and jumper everywhere, even in summer. I remember thinking how sweet it was.....no more!
Beauty wears her hat and scarf whenever she can and gets really emotional when told she cannot wear them. On holiday in the Canaries I had to hide her hat and scarf in the lining of the suitcase!
The weather has been quite nice for the last few days but that doesn't stop Beauty wanting to go to school in a cardigan, hat,scarf and coat!
Fiona at 16 is just as bad!
She insists on wearing her coat everywhere.....I am so going to have to hide it!
I shall take it to Terminal 5.....we will never see it again!

Talking of Fiona.....she didn't have to be in college until the afternoon yesterday but she was up and out of the house by 9:15am! She went to work in the library on some of her coursework, I was very impressed.


Whilst doing research for my portrait piece I have really become interested in surrealism and the use of colour. Today I came across the work of Paul Simonon ( The Clash)and I am really impressed with his use of colour.





The iconic picture of Simonon performing with The Clash.

The 16th May Anniversary Thomas Williams Fine Art Gallery


Dolores Thomas Williams Fine Art Gallery

I think the use of colour is amazing.

WHAT IRRITATES ME?

What is worse than shopping with a teenager?
Shopping with a 22 year old!
This morning I dropped by ASDA(WALMART) on the way home to buy a soft toy to put on a basket of flowers for a funeral(would you believe I got to the flower shop to order the flowers for the funeral and I didn't know the surname of the person I was buying flowers for!), whilst looking for a suitable toy I thought NO CHILDREN WITH ME.....BRILLIANT TIME TO SHOP, so I did.
No 'can I have this? ' or 'I'll give you the money later', it was bliss. I must have spent about £30 less than usual. I managed to buy all the bulk purchases which I cannot usually manage to buy because the trolley is filled with rubbish, their rubbish.
BUT.....the unpacking is more tiring than the buying!
The recycling is the most time consuming part of the shop because if you recycle the wrong things the council say they will not take the bags so you have to get it right.
My latest crusade with regards to recycling.....coat hangers!
I am at present trying to find out if Marks and Spencer are still accepting used hangers to recycle, I will let you know when they reply.
And what irritates me most about recycling?
Shops who make a big deal about not giving away carrier bags(I use the bio-degradable carrier bags as nappy bags) but sell millions of bin bags etc in their store which are just as bad as the non-biodegradable carriers they have stopped giving away and the billions of miles of non-bio - degradable plastic that covers their produce!


More important things than my recycling rant.....

UPDATE ON CHINA

Human Rights for China - the Olympics countdown

"... by allowing Beijing to host the Games you will help the development of human rights"
Liu Jingmin, Olympic Games Bid Committee - April 2001

"We are convinced that the Olympic Games will improve human rights in China"
Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC - April 2002

As the Olympic torch approaches China for its momentous entry into the Olympic stadium, the stage is overshadowed by China's deteriorating human rights situation. This deterioration is happening not just despite the Olympics, but because of the Olympics.

Time is running out before the start of the Olympic Games. The Chinese authorities are not keeping their promises to improve human rights before the Olympics start.

Amnesty International is mobilising globally to press for substantial reforms in four key areas:

• The death penalty
• Punitive detention without trial and the prevention of torture
• Human rights defenders
• Unwarranted censorship of the internet

It is China's choice to improve its human rights record. But the responsibility is shared by the Olympic movement and governments around the world. When August 2008 arrives, Amnesty wants the Chinese people to be proud in every respect of what their country has to offer the world.

China's human rights record

Critics of the government sent to labour camps, widespread torture and trade unions banned - just some of the issues affecting China in the run up to the Games.
Find out more about China's human rights record

Tension in Tibet

Chinese police are sweeping through the homes of Tibetan capital Lhasa residents in search of people involved in recent protests in the city. Amnesty International has called on the Chinese authorities to avoid the use of excessive force in restoring order.

• Read more about this story
• Take action - send an appeal to release 15 Tibetan monks

Act now

Stop executions in China China has expanded their lethal injection programme. Urge the Chinese government to reduce the use of the death penalty as a step towards full abolition. Take action now More actions

China: Free human rights activist Hu Jia Hu Jia has been sentenced to 3 and a half years in prison. Take action now

Report

China: The Olympics countdown - crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy In this report Amnesty calls on the Chinese authorities to immediately end repressive measures against Chinese human rights defenders in Beijing and other parts of China, as well as against protesters in Tibet and surrounding regions.

• Read the report (pdf)
• Read Amnesty's press release
• More news and reports

WHAT'S OCCURRING

The above catchphrase appears to be the greeting of choice at present for my teenagers.
It has been made popular by the BBC show Gavin and Stacey(which I love) which is set in Essex and Barry Island in the Vale of Glamorgan. I grew up in Rhoose and went to school in Barry, so whilst I have quite a bland accent I do have the occasional times when it is pretty obvious where I am from. Ruth Jones who plays Nessa is a brilliantly funny actress and her accent in the show is very Barry but very strong Barry and sometimes when I say something I think OH MY GOSH.....I SOUND JUST LIKE NESSA!

It seems that the series has been picked up by an American company and will be re-made for an American audience.

NESSA-WHAT DOES THAT SIGN SAY?





THIS IS NOT A METAPHOR.....
I was awoken at 3:50am and I was being KICKED IN THE HEAD(repeatedly)!
It was the 7 year olds way of saying her sock had come off and she was showing me her bare foot to let me know. After searching fruitlessly for the said sock I found it easier to give her my own socks, within seconds she was again sleeping peacefully-strange child!

YES YOU CAN HAVE TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING!

My car absolutely stinks of fabric conditioner and it is so overwhelming that it makes me retch.
And how did that happen?
Some idiot almost ploughed into the side of my car at the weekend and I did an emergency stop to avoid being slapped by his car-the other driver wasn't concentrating as he was having a 'frank and vigorous exchange of words' at the time with his wife. A bottle of fabric conditioner shot from the boot of the car, through the car and exploded against a seat.I am so glad that I insist on seat belts at all times.
I also had the most hideous migraine on Sunday and I felt that a drive in the car might help. I felt that the cool air might help, forget the cool air - the smell of conditioner was so overwhelming that after less than 5 minutes in the car my head was well and truly relieved.Thankfully I had a bowl in the car!
A good mother should always be prepared for every eventuality.

Beauty has a found a page on the internet that lists all the Disney films ever made and each listing has a short clip attached to it. One of the films is quite recent and is about some puppies
( and I don't know what it is called) but the music with it is WE ARE FAMILY and Beauty has learned to sing WE ARE FAMILY,I'VE GOT ALL MY SISTERS WITH ME. I can't wait to video her singing it.

This one is for Anastasia,Belle,SnoWhite,Ariel,Fiona and Beauty.

I'M BACK.....AGAIN!

The computer stopped again.....
I try never to swear but £&^$*
It appears the problem now is with my router that works until I turn off the computer and then re-loads with the wrong IP address and then will not let me log on to the internet.
I HATE COMPUTERS!
That is why I only did one year of a computer degree.
I am so not technical.

BLATANT PLUG FOR AN ON LINE PHOTO DEVELOPER.....
I have previously taken my photo's to be developed at ASDA and Sainsbury's but being an unusual women, I HATE SHOPPING, I have sometimes gone weeks without picking up my photographs. For the first time I tried an on-line company and they were fast, efficient and cheaper that the supermarkets.
And who are these paragons?
SNAPFISH.

I am at present going through my old photographs and sticking them into new paper albums with corners because the photographs that were in self-stick type of albums a number had started to deteriorate because of the acid.
I am also sticking in the new photographs as I get them so after having six girls there is obviously a mammoth task ahead!

I'M BACK!

The connection on the internet was broken and so the provider had to come out and fix it.
I am impressed at how quickly they did it considering how long it took them to fix my phone when that broke!
Being minus the internet has encouraged Beauty to play more with different things and we have spent the last 2 days clearing the front garden. The sand pit has been emptied of old sand and all that is left is for me to do is to wash out the pit and fill it with the new sand that I have bought.
This weekend I shall concentrate on the back garden, I have bought plants and I shall sort out the planters today.

Beauty has re-discovered a DVD of nursery rhymes and is playing them constantly which is so much better than the mini videos that she watches on the internet. On the computer she has the ability to start and restart a video like a DJ scratching and that is starting to drive me crazy.


However, after the millionth viewing of the DVD I am sure it will 'disappear' like Westlife CDs in the past!
A PIECE OF USELESS INFORMATION .....Did you know that I know all the lyrics to the album Parachutes by Coldplay.

Belle played it constantly when she was in the sixth form doing her A levels.


She also introduced me to Eminem!

SLEEPLESS BEAUTY

I am trying to be as quiet as possible and the guinea pigs have been told that if they start weeking hysterically then their daily treat of cucumber will be withheld.
And why?
Because it is 8:51 am and Beauty is still asleep.
She is an absolute sweetheart but sleep deprivation is a very cruel thing!
Having a child with profound autism who also has sleeping problems is a very tiring thing, it is like having a baby in the house for the last 7 years.
I am way too old for this!





To sleep between 10pm and 7am is all I ask!

NORMAL SERVICE WILL RESUME TOMORROW.....

Beauty awoke at 2:10am and stayed awake ALL day, my brain feels like mushy peas!

Whilst searching the internet I found this wonderful piece of architecture.
Frank Gehry's The Dancing House is amazing.