Picture Post | Adoption Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throwback Thursday | Sisters Graduation

Hola Sparkly1s

One of my favourite photos of my Dad and Mini Greenoid

Thursday only means one thing here on Gemzicle Sprinkles... #Throwback Thursday. I say it every week but I love looking through old photos.

This weeks #TBT is more recent, just over 3 years ago.  

My younger sister Lara got the super brains in the family and went to Oxford University.  I didn't know this but, apparently, you can choose when to graduate? Have you been to uni? Could choose when you graduate? When I went to uni I just graduated as soon as I finished my course but she delayed hers as she wanted Mini Greenoid to attend.  When we found out my Dad was sick she booked her graduation as quick as possible so our Dad could attend.

I don't know if you've ever been to a graduation ceremony but they're not the most exciting of things but this one, jeez, this one took the biscuit! It was in Latin! Yeap. Latin. Hours and hours of someone speaking something about something I couldn't understand.

It was a fun day overall though.  We watched the ceremony, then went to the celebration lunch.

Link your #TBT in the comments. I love seeing them.

Unexpected Fun in York

Yesterday we decided to go to York for the day.  The reasoning behind the trip was that Mini Greenoid has a project to do for school and has decided to do it on Vikings.  I'm all for a bit of hands on experience when it comes to kids learning about things so I thought a trip to Jorvik Viking Centre would be the ideal thing to do. 

 

 

 

York's an hour and 45 minute drive away for us so its a fair way.  We had a fantastic day though and I thought I'd share some of my snaps and experiences.

 

Jorvik was good but not at all what I expected.  I've been before as a kid but couldn't remember it at all.  It's right in the centre of York (the entrance is in a shopping centre next to TopShop and JaneNorman I think) and it's a reconstruction of Viking Age streets 1000 years ago.  There's also a range of exhibitions in a museum style setting. 

 

 

 

After our visit to Jorvik Viking Centre we decided to take a stroll around the streets and I'm so glad we did.  There were street entertainers and mini festivals around every corner.  We watched RobRoy who is an amazing escapologist, some very talented people doing Capoeira, singers and dancers and Samba bands.  We strolled through the farmers market, smelled all the fabulous street food on sale from Indonesian to Italian and bought ice cream down by the river.

 

 

 

It was a wonderful, unexpected day of so much fun.  As we were leaving Mini Greenoid said 'I'm glad we came to York, can we come again?'  and that, in my book counts as a success.

 

I would definitely recommend a trip to York for any age and I think we're going to go back soon.  I just so love exploring new places. 

 

Do you know any good places to visit for a day / weekend? 

 

Hasta Luego Sparkly1s

Gemzicle Sprinkles

xoxo

 

Dad's Pandora Bracelet

I have a love of charm bracelets, in particular Pandora  I've collected Pandora for many years. I go through stages of buying loads then not buying any for a while.  I like to make up special themed bracelets such as a summer bracelet or a fairytale bracelet.  A very special bracelet that I made up nearly 3 years ago is my 'Dad' bracelet.

My Dad died of cancer almost 3 years ago at the ripe old age of 60. In the passing months I wanted to make a bracelet about all things Dad.  It was easy.  I looked at my collection and started putting together some charms that mean something to me about my Dad.  I starting browsing the internet for meaningful charms.  It was actually good fun and probably, in a way, some form of therapy for me.

 

My Dad in Paris

 

 

 

Each charm has a very special meaning or holds a fond memory.

Text Book - My Dad loved to read. Simple as.  There's also a wise old owl on one side of the books. My Dad was probably one of the cleverest people I've ever met.

Inner Strength- My heart is full of admiration for how my Dad dealt with dying.  We found out in January and by mid August he was gone. In those short 7 months I didn't hear him complain, whine or moan.  Inside he must have been completely ripped apart, he was prodded and poked and was clearly in a lot of physical pain but he had incredible inner strength to deal with it all.

Black Friday 2011 - This charm has 2 meanings.  2011 as Dad died in 2011 and Black Friday as come Black Friday you could always count on him being on Amazon looking at Black Friday deals each year.  I learned about Black Friday from him.

Aeroplane - he loved to travel.  Being on holiday was where my Dad was happiest.  As a family we have a little villa in Spain and my Dad loved that place.  In fact, when he was dying I think he had about 4 holidays out there in 6 months.

 

 

 

Lucerne Clips & Lucerne Dangle - These are the breast cancer charms. Ok, I know my Dad didn't have breast cancer but I was using my creative license.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alarm Clock - He was a lazy sod in the mornings! I remember when I was younger our house was always manic in the mornings (4 girls AND my mum was a childminder) There were kids everywhere but my Dad clearly slept through all the noise.  He would stroll down around 8:45am and slump in the chair looking like he'd been dragged through a hedge backwards.

Red Grape - He used to like the odd glass a bottle or 2 of red wine.  He'd get so drunk coz he'd drink lager then move onto red wine later in the evening. Disaster. Never mix grape and grain Dad. First rule of drinking.

Suitcase - Again, this goes back to his love of holidays. There's also a Paris label and Eiffel Tower picture on the suitcase.  For my 23rd birthday he bought me tickets to go to Paris.

Gold Heart (Christ Charm) - This is a rare charm so it's on there because my Dad was a rare breed himself.  The poor man had 4 daughters and a pain in the butt wife (sorry mum). That must have been hard work with all those hormones raging around the house.  He was completely selfless and would literally do anything for anyone - a genuine heart of gold.  This was also a German exclusive charm and my Dad was half German.

Virgo Starsign - Self explanatory I think.

Dad - My mum bought me and my sister these after he died.

Forget-Me-Knot - The title of this charm says it all really.

 

August Birthstone Flower - My Dad was born in August.  I think he spent almost all of his birthdays at the villa for the past 20 odd years.

So that's my Dad's bracelet.  I might continue it if more charms are released that I feel are fitting or I might leave it as it is.

Happy Fathers Day Dad

Do you have any charm bracelets? Do you style them for sentiment or simply what looks good?

Hasta Luego Sparkly1s

Gemzicle Sprinkles

xoxo



Throwback Thursday | Baby Greenoid

It's been nearly 9 and a half years since I had Mini Greenoid & I just had to do my first #tbt post on when he was born.  He arrived on 28th December 2004 early in the morning after a very quick, 3 hour labor.  I know, I know, I was extremely lucky with that!

These pictures were taken when he was between 5-8 weeks old. He was so tiny. He only weighed 5lb14oz when he was born and nothing fitted him.  I didn't find out what I was having so a little, baby boy was a complete surprise.  I remember being pregnant & going through stages of really wanting a boy one week then the next really wanting a girl.  I suppose I didn't really mind either way. 

 

It made me quite sad looking through the photo albums (yeah, that's right - I said photo albums, 10 years ago I still had films that I had to take to the shop to be developed, so these are all actual physical photos.) I've always been the photo taker as opposed to the photo subject and there are hardly any photos of me and Baby Greenoid.  I love this one though as we're both smiling.  Well I'm smiling, he's probably got wind.

I hope you enjoyed my first Throwback Thursday.  If you do #TBT on your blog let me know down in the comments.  I love a little story behind the #TBT & not just the picture.

Hasta Luego Sparkly1s

Gemzicle Sprinkles

xoxo