The up side

There is a good side to having a significant birthday - you can get all the people who are most important to you together for an evening - so that's what Ivan (Mr Bicknell) did - he very kindly organised a meal at a very lovely local gastro pub - and with the sad exception of Sue, J and Bex, the gang was assembled.

Grown up conversation - well, that's all there is when you're old!

God - am I really married to a 40 year old? Yep, 'fraid so....

Annie and Rainer - also perplexed!

Michelle can smile - she only just turned 30- but Ned, I wouldn't look so smug - you're next!

Lynda - this is what happens when you have been 40 for a couple of years - looking forward to it!

40



It's finally happened and it's hideous

So, it has finally arrived - the end of my 30's, how did this happen? I still feel relatively youthful, I don't look toooo bad and mentally I am about 15 - but it's true - I am now 40. Tragic, rubbish, hideous. My lovely students made me feel special though - particularly Ellie and her amazing cake baking skills - the girl is worth her weight in gold! G and Jenny gave me lovely cards and there were presents and a big balloon too! See - it's not all bad being a teacher! The delightful 1st years left a card on my car saying I looked great for 91 - cheeky, but I may as well be........



Meaningless rubbish.....

You know how sometimes something captures your imagination? Well, when waiting for my blog to load a couple of days ago it did that weird stripy thing that sometimes happens when it is kind of trying to catch up on itself, if you know what I mean - and well, I love a stripe just as much as I love a bird, so I thought I'd try to capture it with the magic of print screen and miraculously, it worked! My point is - you can find something fab anywhere!



Something lovely!

Still working....hard.....

Just noticed that Deborah is following a collage blog, and I was just at that moment looking for interesting collage to put on a powerpoint I am working on for Wednesday - yes, boring, so this was quite fortuitous and they happen to be of birds - so of course I was attracted to them! They are from www.acollageaday.blogspot.com

chairs

chairs by gayle bicknell on Polyvore.com

BTEC/foundation project 3

Still working hard! Really! New BTEC/Foundation project is all based around the humble chair - SO, which one suits you?

Kate Spade

I am currently working very hard (honest) at researching interesting info in a bid to inspire and inform my second year lovelies and came across this in the process - it made me smile and this week has been a bit strange for me, so I appreciated it! I am also doing all the things I am not meant to - I am using THE MAC - Ivan's (Mr Bicknell's) pride and joy, drinking coffee - forbidden as it has a strange effect on me, watching crap and mindless T.V. and let one of the cats sleep on my pillow last night (err, O.K. maybe not MY pillow...) - well if Ivan (Mr Bicknell) will go climbing! Actually he has worked VERY hard this week and as his stress levels rocketed in Russia and his current masterpiece appears to have been a bit of a drag to complete, I don't begrudge him the time out out at all and, - HA - it also means I can use THE MAC!

http://www.katespade.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=11029218

A work in progress - not only climbs - but paints those that climb! Clever, and to think all I do is make pretty pics of birds......!

Jenny.

Not only did young Jenny Pond (really wish her first name was Amy - would be funny huh? - if you don't get the ref, then shame on you!) come to Russia with us and take great photos and come back and crack on with what looks like a very good skirt project (no pressure the rest of you), but she toddled off to London fashion Week and checked out a few shows - shame on me for really not bothering - but having watched the new reality/documentary/drama on Premier model agency this week I am right off the fashion world (yes, I know I teach fashion - whatever!), and not only did she find the time to do this, write up about it on the textilesrus blog - look right and check it out please - it really is very good - she only made a short film too! OMG, what a star!