End of the year

As usual at the end of the year I like to reflect on what I have achieved during the year, so this is what I have come up with.

1. Managed to put on a stone since last year!
2. Gave up my job at Easter.
3. Learnt to play bowls and joined a club.
4. Joined the Design Collective and made some new friends.
5. Did lots of layouts over the year using some D.C. classes.
6. Made several mini books and now love doing them.
7. Did 4 shimelle classes.
8. Completed one cross stitch and almost finished another.
9. Tried out some new recipes.
10. Improved my footballing skills with Jamie's help!

I have all sorts of plans for the new year which I will set out tomorrow, until then, Happy New Year to everyone!
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More pages

Today I have been trying to catch up with my christmas journal. Shimelles prompt for the 21st was to capture what the house was like right now!

The next prompt was to list what still had to be done.

Next was traditions of hanging up your stocking.

The magic of christmas eve was next.

Then the big day.

What you do on Boxing Day.

Do you sleep well at Christmas? I know I don't on Christmas Eve!

I'm really loving doing this journal, but have decided if I do it next year I will keep to a lot less papers etc as I spend far too much time deciding what I will use each prompt!

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Some photos

Christmas dinner, very nice too!!

An essential for Boxing Day, must watch the footie!!

I hadn't told you all about Jenny and Ed's new baby!!

Sort of getting back to normal now, the food is disappearing and we had to pop out and buy some more, we kept it to simple soups and salads though. The clothes I bought in the sales were too big ( makes a change) so I had to take them back this morning, I didn't see much else so just bought a pack of christmas cards.

Yesterday David and I beat Ian and Zen at bowls, it was nice to get out for a while. In the evening we watched Bourne Ultimatum which I really enjoyed, would recommend all those films.

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Christmas Day

Happy Christmas everyone and thank you for all my lovely presents. I hope you have all had great pressies, a lovely meal and a fun time with your families.
I have just been beaten in a Poker Face game by Peter and Andrew and Ian has won a sports quiz. I am wearing a lovely necklace from my sister and eating yummy chocs from Peter.
I did forget to defrost the sausages wrapped in bacon and put the christmas pud on to steam but you can't expect everything to go smoothly and we can have them at teatime.
The weather has been awful so we didn't go out for a walk, today has definitely been a day for staying in playing games with the family. Tonight I want to relax watching Dr Who and SCD christmas special. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day!!!!

Christmas Eve

Well, it is Christmas Eve and therefore I have been making a mess getting the stuffing etc done for the big day!

We went round Jenny and Ed's for the evening and had a yummy meal which I shall definitely be copying. This was a rare quiet time during the evening when a Christmas Shrek was on.

I managed to get a quick shot of Jamie wearing his hat, most of the time he was sitting with the uncles trying to look cool!

Alex and Becca were more co-operative with the posing. They also were keen to show of their dancing skills although Alex was still upset by the results and also, strangely, because Brucie had said Frank Sinatra was dead!
We are now relaxing at home. The trifle is done, the turkey is defrosting nicely and there is nothing left to do until the morning.

Happy Christmas everyone!

More pages

Some more pages of my journal, please excuse the bad scans, I am very tired! I'm waiting to take a photo on Christmas Day to complete this one.

This prompt was about meals and shopping lists.

This prompt was about what I wanted for Christmas, I've put my wish list inside the card.

We were asked to think about something nice and unexpected we had received for this prompt.

Have had a busy week visiting Mum with pressies and getting ready for Christmas. The house is clean, the shopping is done and the presents are all wrapped so I am feeling quite calm at the moment, still time for that to change though!

Nearly time now for S.C.D. results, I still can't decide who I want to win, for me it has not been as exciting this year.

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Catching up

Day 8 of my journal, was waiting to print photos for this, finally got some scenes of christmas!

This prompt was to show what wrapping paper I am using this year.

The tree, I have lost the battle for a real tree so have to make do with a fibre optic one and a christmas flower arrangement.

This prompt was to remember childhood christmas' and how it has changed over hte years. Have put secret journaling in for this one.

How do you hand out the presents and when do you do it? That was the prompt for today.

Your favourite christmas songs was the prompt and to keep it simple.

Simple again, who do you see at christmas?

Have finally got to grips with the journal and only have today's prompt to do, feel quite pleased with myself!

Apart from this, I have been to the Farmer's Market today, fed the boys, continuously, it seemed, and watched poor Gethin go out of S.C.D. I have to say this series has not been as gripping as the judges have far too much power and make the dance off a complete waste of time. Please bring back the old format.

Should have said "Happy Birthday" to Ian. He had a good day and loved all his presents, especially the music quiz game which he won!

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Getting organised

Has been a very busy day today. I woke up with a very bad headache which went all down my neck, but still had to get up and go to the shops as we needed to sort out mum's present. After spending all morning doing that I came home and did the housework. I then had to look after Jamie for a while as Jenny and Ed had to sort out some stuff and he was off school with a bad cold. Ian and I then decided to get rid of a bookcase in the spare room so we had to put videos and books up in the loft, Ian got the decorations down and we put our tree etc up.
Made a lasagne for tea as Peter was coming and I know he likes that and finally sorted out my cards all ready to post tomorrow. Was pleased I had made quite a few although still have two more to make.
Shimelles prompt today was favourite christmas music. I have been trying to think but it is hard as I like a lot. There are lots of carols I enjoy including Hark the herald angels sing and Silent night. Other songs have to be White Christmas and most of my Christmas tape!!
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Christmas is coming!

Day 6 of my journal, good Christmas' and bad!

Day 7, lists, something I'm very good at doing.

Doing day 8 later so this is day 9, our traditions. Cute little girl in the picture, made me realise I have absolutely no pictures of my childhood Christmas'

It has been a very busy week and I've been too tired to blog. Monday I had my tooth out at last, I'm glad to get that out of the way. Tuesday we went into Canterbury for some more presents.

Wednesday we played bowls, I beat Ian 30 to 9 which was very pleasing! Then we babysat for Jenny and Ed.

Today I woke up full of determination to get a bit sorted. I took the curtains down and cleaned all the windows something I always like to do before putting up the decorations. Ian and I then wrapped up all our presents and while he was at the dentist I wrapped up his birthday presents. I also managed a great pile of ironing, so I am feeling very pleased with myself. Now I need to finish making all my cards and do some more pages in my journal.

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Star

A sunny morning by the sea!

Did this layout yesterday from a class on the Design Collective, Jamie taking part in a cross country run, something Ian used to be very good at. I'm particularly pleased with my neat sewing!

Ian and I went out for a walk this morning and got soaked, another one of my good ideas!

Watched Strictly Come Dancing last night and looking forward to the result show tonight, Matt certainly messed up big time!

Shimelles prompt today is about traditions. I've been trying to think of ours, going to Jenny and Ed's on Christmas Eve seems to have become one. We always had Christmas Day at home while the children were young as I felt it was important that they could take their time over opening their presents and be allowed to enjoy them.

I do think though that you shouldn't be so rigid over your traditions that it stops you thinking about others and how it affects them, sometimes it's nice to break away!

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Busy

Just a quick one today as I have been very busy. Did a pile of ironing this morning and cleaned the house then Ian and I played bowls in the afternoon, Ian won!
I'm trying to put together some stash to take to the crop tomorrow, would like to get up to date with shimelle's class and do a Design Collective one, hope I manage it!
Thanks for all the kind comments.
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Advent

Day 4's prompt was to do a layout about advent and preparing for Christmas.

Christmas Past

Today's prompt from Shimelle was to remember a perfect christmas and a not so good one in your past!
I do remember a couple of Christmas' ago, Peter saying "this is one of the best christmas' we've had" the reason? Andrew bought him a Tim Vine dvd and we all couldn't stop laughing, even now if people mention the ocean I have to smile, get the dvd and you will see why!! For us it is silly things like that. Playing board games together, the boys on the x box, in days gone by it would be watching Morecombe and Wise and the Christmas film as that was the only time we saw films etc. Jenny always had to watch the christmas Top of the Pops and anything with Harrison Ford in!
My childhood memories aren't so happy although Mum tried to make it a good time for us everything depended on how Dad was feeling and whether he had to work. I remember getting a bike one year and being very excited, also getting connecting toy telephones and waking Sue up by ringing her room at 3am. My favourite toy was Talkative Jane, which I had seen in a magazine in September and really wanted, Christmas seemed a long time coming that year!
Anyway, the kids are coming round this afternoon so I wont get much done today, at least I have my thoughts down ready to do my page.
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A perfect Christmas

The prompt for yesterday was to do a layout of how I would like Christmas to be. That is easy really, I am happy when all my family is with me and we are relaxing playing silly games together. Not for me big parties with lots of people around, I'm happiest with just my family.
I try each year to make puddings, cakes, mince pies and stuffings for everyone to eat, sometimes I think I should go to M & S and buy everything there, I don't really think anyone would care, it's just that I have always had a "Little house on the prairie" idea of family life, I should bake my own bread, make lovely meals with vegetables from the garden and be the perfect wife/mother, the reality, I'm afraid, falls far short! I do think we are all too greedy these days, the amount of food bought and then thrown away is criminal, but we all do it, stock up for a siege when it is really only a couple of days. So this year I will buy less chocolates etc and keep the meals sensible, but don't worry, I'm sure everyones favourite food will still magically appear on Christmas Day!
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Next page

Had great fun doing this as I love making and receiving christmas cards.

Christmas Journal

This is my first page for shimelles christmas journal, have played around with it but not sure if it is balanced as I added the star afterwards because I had seen something similar in Cath's CJ and thought it pretty, I can't decide whether to take it off and use it on another page, so any advice would be welcome!!

This page came together quite quickly if a bit wonky!

Have been down to the sea and to do some shopping this morning and now must sort out my next page. Phoned mum and she seemed quite bright again although she was talking about going out shopping which always worries me.

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Canterbury

Jenny and I went to Canterbury today to try and finish our christmas shopping. I managed to get most of mine done, just have Ian's and a bit of mums left to do. Ian decided to go and play a game of bowls instead and was pleased his team won, despite him!!
I have the next prompt from Shimelle to do, have to incorporate some thing to do with christmas cards in the layout, so looking forward to doing that. Couldn't take photos of my two layouts again as the light was too bad when I got home so will do that tomorrow.
Mum seemed quite bright when I talked to her and was doing some cleaning which was good.
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The weather

Today's prompt from Shimelle was about the weather, how typically english from an american girl!! I looked out of the window and it was pouring with rain and the wind was howling, definitely a day for staying indoors and doing some craft.
We always associate christmas with snow but rarely get any. As a child I can remember it snowing on Boxing Day and my grandparents couldn't go home till Easter!
One Christmas we bought Andrew a bike and thought it a very clever idea to wrap up a key to the garage with some clues for him, when he got to the garage it was so cold the lock had frozen and we had to spend ages warming it up so he could get his bike, our weather is always contrary!
Anyway, I have done my first two pages and hopefully will take photos in the sunshine tomorrow!
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A time for me!

Today I am starting my Christmas Journal, you can find out about it at http://shimelle.com/
We all need a time in the day to ourselves during this busy christmas time. A time to reflect on what christmas means to me, christmas' gone by, silly things, sad times, happy family times, that is what my journal will be about. I promise myself I will find 20 mins a day to do this journal, surely that's not too much to ask!
So far I have collected together all my christmassy bits and cut my cardstock, now the fun begins!