Farewell Student Days

On Monday I handed in the two bound copies of my MA Dissertation. They look ever so smart. Dark green with gold lettering. I could have just gone for comb binding but wanted something that would last and I never intend to write something as long again in my life. (14, 989 words. Limit 15,000. But that doesn't include quotes and bibliography which bangs it up to about 17,000)
I went for the cheapest place I could find, ordered Tuesday and arrived Friday. They didn't send a confirmation even after my rather panicky email but maybe that is because they were working hard on my magnum opus. If you need something bound then I would use ithesis again.
So that is it. 15 months of dissertation and 5 years (almost) of being a post-graduate student (again) over.
It feels strange not thinking "what should I be reading now?"

However I have been saying I will do "x,y,z" when it is handed in and now it is so I have to do them. Some fun things like... seeing if I can ride a scooter and then going on a CBT course (or is that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?); learning to play the ukelele that I begged for as a Christmas present...

And some less fun things like... going through every cupboard and decluttering. I may have some craft bits to sell or pass on as freebies so watch this space.

I managed to squeeze in some celebratory scrapping

 

using Simple Stories papers and stickers along with some other bits and bobs (like a Pink Paislee paper I think, and Authentique sentences). The thickers are not all that they seem. One of those letters used to be a number 9, one the letter "b". And see how many old school crafting things I used up? 5 brads (that is coloured paper fasteners to normal non crafters Ruth)

Here is the story in close up

The photo was taken at Manor House Wildlife Park near Tenby, around the gorilla enclosure. But why take photos of monkeys when there is my own wildlife about? (OK so I did snap the big hairy ones too but am not sure if any of the shots are good enough for the album). The photo on the next layout came on the same (hot) day.

I have been looking forward to documenting this for ages. The kids still talk about how nuts I was for taking a photo of a zebra's backside. The background paper is Basic Grey Basics and the rest is all MME - apart from the moustaches and the green which are Echo Park. Using the 'tache paper was a personal challenge. Doesn't say much about zebras but the colours match. I used my ever so nice but slightly difficult to use in a straight line, alphabet stamps, a whole heap of different letter stickers and some Card Candi to finish it off.

And if you were wondering ....

 here is the answer