Happy Anniversary!!!

This year saw us making it to 20 years of being together, and today is a celebration of 14 years of marriage...so, I thought I'd do something completely different this year, to celebrate another year of being with my most awesomeful Husbeast :)

I get to play DJ :)

This is our musical journey...a few songs that bring us both a lot of joy, and precious memories...

They are all rock tracks, so if it's not your thing, I totally understand, but if you want to while away an hour listening to some quality tunage...then thankyou for listening :)

This song was one of the very first we ever danced to, at the Uni Rock Disco, all those years ago. This album had just been released, and it was played a lot at the rock nights we used to go to.

Ahh...now the next song was on Husbeast's stereo the first time I stayed over. He'd got up and gone to classes, and I thought to myself "I wonder what he's listening to at the moment" so I just pressed play. Needless to say, I was blown away...and years later we saw Queensryche play this whole concept album up close and personal, at Rock City. We'd gone to see them, expecting to hear them play songs from a new album, but no...they played Mindcrime all the way through...

Another band that Husbeast got me hooked on.... Tesla... check the singers voice...just stonking!!!

Even now...after all this time, this song sends shivers down my spine. From a movie we both hold dear, and never tire of watching.... enjoy, and I defy anyone not to love this song :P

The Irons have to make an appearance... this one being from an album we both listened to a lot at the time.

Now this song has a funny memory attatched, cue house party, lots of alcohol and an extremely comedic falling down :D

This one is dedicated to you, Simmo :P

Husbeast will more than likely never forgive me from making him miss this next song when we went to see them Live at Wembley...

This next song really needs very little introduction... take it away boys :)

The following group of songs are from our travels around the world, when we both left University. Either from new albums released whilst we were away, or from new bands we discovered along the way.

From Van Halen's 9th Album, a real in your face tune...and an excellent display of Sammy Hagar's vocal power.

Now, when we were in Melbourne, Australia, we were lucky enough to catch this next band in concert. Not the traditional way though :P Fans had knocked the fences down, as it was an outside venue, so we just coolly walked in and watched them for free...

These next three songs are taken from albums we literally wore out in the stereo of our Ford Falcon Station wagon travelling around Australia... "Frogstomp" by Silverchair, "Smash" by The Offspring and "SuperUnknown" by Soundgarden.

They were nicknamed "Nirvava in Pyjamas"... 15 years old when this album rocketted them to success...I give you Silverchair...

Hahaha...best driving song....ever :P

Windows open so we could smell the sea....stereo blaring...cruising down the Gold Coast Highway... good times :D (lots of lovely shots of Chris Cornell in the video to this song ladies.... rrrrawwr)

When we got back from our travels...we had to find jobs and pretend to be grown ups and stuff, but, listening to Live music has and always will feature very heavily in our time together as a couple, and as a family.

This next band played Leicester quite a few times, and we went with our long time friend, Russ, to a lot of gigs to see them... so, this one is for you Russ....

The last batch of songs is dedicated to when our love expanded into parenthood. I will never forget watching MotorHead on the TV, being heavily pregnant and having a baby headbanging inside me...hahahaha...used to play it to him when he wouldn't stop crying too. This one is for you, Dan!!!

Whilst I was pregnant with Joel, we listened to this next band alot. I also was seriously stuck for a name for this wriggly lump I carried around with me everywhere, and oh yes....he was a wriggler. Husbeast was looking on their website one night, and the Eureka Moment happened. Joel is named after the Lead Singer of Good Charlotte :)

Saw this band at Rock City whilst Joel was a baby...was actually the first time I'd left him. They split up after this tour... and I got to see them play my favourite song LIVE :)

The next three songs are all ones we love as a family. It was hard to choose only three, but I didn't want to bore you all any longer than necessary :P

Both my boys have learned to play the drums on this Metallica track, something their Dad is very proud of....

And finally...recent tracks... from two bands that we have recently seen live, all four of us :)

You have to watch the video for this one :P It is also very apt, lyrically...for the time in our lives right now...

Thankyou for getting this far!!!

If you want to listen to all of the above songs as a YouTube Playlist... please follow this link

Sunglasses Please!!

These beauties are what I have been working on this week...

Have done around 6 hours dyeing this week, still taking it slowly....and the change of approach is really working.

I dye what I want, when I want... and it's showing in the quality of the work... well, to my eyes anyway... *GRiNS*

So...I think that my MoJo has returned somewhat :)

All these beauties are now in the shop for PREVIEW only... and the update will go live tomorrow night at 8pm.

What's in my headspace is still plaguing me though...yesterday was a *BAAAAD* day... *sighs*

But, one bad day this week is better than 7 bad days.....so I am thankful for that.

That's me looking on the bright side, by the way...

Another Investiture.....

Dan's old Scout group folded just after Christmas, but it's now started up again, with new Leaders...so he was re-invested last night...

This photo was the last in a set of 3...trying to get him to pose nicely for the camera... and I think its a great pic :-)

A truly happy face...something we don't see as much as we should !!

Clever Husbeast!!!!

Husbeast found out yesterday that he's been offered the job he was interviewed for on Wednesday!! It's with the same company that currently employ him, but in a completely different department....

He'll now be a Campaigns Officer, helping to organise and promote NIACE's 3 main campaigns, namely Adult Learners' Week, Quick Reads, and World Skills. It's only 6 months to cover maternity leave, but it gives him a whole new skillset (that veer quite sharply away from IT and web work) and more time to look for something else.......or choose the new direction he secretly craves...hahaha

So...there will be a tiny shop update tonight in celebration of this, from 8pm... and if you put enter code WHOOP in at checkout, you'll recieve 20% off...

NB This code will only run for 24 hrs...not made of money you know *WiNKS* so take advantage of it while you can.

*** I LOVE YOU HUSBEAST***