Its time to start making lists...

Well, Christmas is officially over now - and its that time of year whan I always think:
 'Right, things are going to change! I'm going to change. I'm going to things differently next year.' Blah Blah blah and so forth!!!!!
I don't really make New Years Resolutions BUT I do make lists!! Incessantly!! I am obsessed with lists!! Love 'em!!! I love the sense of satisfaction I get as I tick things off them!
I've got a nice break between Crimbo and New Year this year so am going to spend that time making a few lists and trying to get a few things done that I have been planning to do for months!! I'm hoping to get as much as possible done before the New Year (and then I can make my New Year's Lists ;0)
Thought I'd type a few in here so I remind myself of them even more!!!

• Tidy out my emails - in box, folders etc!!
• Tidy out my pics on the computer
• Tidy out Photoshop
• Back up photos
• Get photoshop upgrade
• Subscribe to a monthly scrap kit (any advice on a good one anyone?????)
• Organise the electric down to my Retreat
• Sort out the hall cupboard
• Revamp by blog now that Crimbo is over
• Sort my diary and calendar for next year (including monthly Craft tasks)
• Make more lists ;0)

What's all the fuss about?!?

As the BIG day grows closer, Saffy really isn't sure what all the fuss is about!!  She's been around for a few Christmases but the build up just doesn't effect her the way it does you and I (ie she remains calm, relaxed and completely non-frazzled!!!!)
Here she is while I am cooking Crimbo shortbread! I'm running around the kitch like a headless chicken (sparing a minute for a quick photie with the phone) and she is just chillin'!! Hmmm, thats all she ever seems to do!! Cat's eh?!

Another grand photo session!!!!

My journal your christmas pages are starting to get a little fragmented which I'm really disappointed at.  I'm up to date with them all but each one now is missing a photo and I can't take the photos for a few days as I am either waiting for cookery days, shopping days, or that perfect moment!! Ah well, eh?! Its important to remember that this is my hobby. I am doing it for enjoyment and no one is putting pressure on me but me!! RELAX! That is going to be my mantra for the next few days I think!!
RELAX!!!

Unfortunately for my "Thankful" page, I was feeling very UN-thankful for a lot of things that day!!! I was in a real grump with lots of silly little -well, actually MAJOR ;0) - things and wasn't in the mood for celebrating the things I usually would!! I realised this a little too late and had already started the page! Luckily I stopped myself in time and have saved space for a  lovely hubby and kitty picture on the matt on the left!!

My photo for the Perfect present is a tad boring but my other half has been keeping a sneaky eye on my pages to see what he might be able to discover so: "HA! you will discover nothing here!!!!"  Rather than being about the perfect present, this page is all about how I HOPE I have bought the perfect gift, but won't know until the 25th whether my sudden idea was a moment of brilliance - or insanity!!! Finger's crossed for me eh?!

 The Christmas dinner page has a tale behind it. I'm currently veggie (and have been for a number of years).  This year I have craved meat again quite a lot and it is getting worse the closer to Christmas I get.  I keep thinking of the turkey I only vaguely imagine and gey all yearn-y!! I haven't decided yet whether turkey will be on my menu, but know that m Aunt's tradition trifle will be. YAY!! As it is the most amazing trifle you have ever tasted (truly!!) I just had to create a page that was all pink and tasty (just like the trifle!) The matt on the right is waiting for a trifle shot once it is made!

Can anyone help???

I am hoping that someone out there may be able to come to my rescue before Sunday morning. 
I am meeting with 5 friends on Sunday and we agreed a while ago to each bring some food to share for a meal.  We weren't as organised as to actually decide who was bringing savouries, sweets, nibbles etc!!
Its a very informal gathering so I don't need to create anything amazing. HOWEVER the event is held some distance from my home and I don't drive and won't be getting a lift as the others arrive from different directions!
SO...my dilema and plea... does anyone have any thoughts of something pre-made I can take with me that will be: YUMMY
            easy to transport via train
            fairly easy to make (as I am working until 5.30 on Saturday!!)

I'd like to say a HUGE thankyou in advance to anyone who replies to this post. I really need the help as I am ANYTHING but a domestic goddess!!!

Snap...snap...snap...

I've had a WONDERFUL day off today! I took some photos of the pages I have made to date as the light has been steadily getting poorer so I have not snapped during the evenings.

This post is going to be photo heavy I'm afraid as I want to get these pages uploaded:

I will scrapbook this...

A really useful idea from my blogging class is to create this tag, so that when I am a busy bee, I can upload photos, a sketch, journaling ideas etc and then scrap at a later date but still keep my thoughts and words current.
I'm a bust bee at the moment BUT I am doing a lot of scrapping because of the JyC course - YAY!!!
I still wanted to create this tag however, as I feel I will use it alot in the future!

Saffy Saturday

This photo was actually taken on Wednesday 9th December as we prepare to decorate the tree. Saffy is now 7 and has NEVER climbed the Christmas Tree. Every year when we put it up we wonder whether she will btu she always disappoints!! It really looks like this may be the year!!!

Its all about setting yourself targets and stocking to them - isn't it........

When I started the Journal You Christmas sessions (this being my first year), I made a secret pact with myself (well, its obviously not secret now as I'm theoretically telling the world!!)
The pact was to keep up to date with each and every prompt. To religiously complete each page on the day it was set.  "This isn't a big ask" I told myself.  This is your hobby, its what you LOVE to do. Enjoy it!
But over the last few days I've been feeling exhausted after work and completing the pages was becoming difficult. I sat on the sofa last night with 3 pages half completed- which is stupid as I had done all the hard work and only had to crop and stick a few photos.  As I sat there trying to force myself to get up I realised that my pact with myself was utter stupidity!  Yes, this is my hobby, so I should do it when I want to do it! The realisation was the kick up the bum I needed to actually get off the sofa, heat a mulled wine in the microwave and crack on! All pages now present and complete in my journal and I have re-kindled my creative spark! Wooooo hoooooo!

Soooooo much to do... ... ...but still plenty of time ;0)

I still have so many presents to buy - in fact I still have ALL of the presents to buy!! I'm not too worried about it though. I found yesterdays JyC page really useful! Not only did I get some therapeutic ME time but I also managed to make lists of all the gifts I want to get for people. I made sure a blank tag was showing in the photo though to keep prying eyes wondering!!!

Finally- cuddletime!

Nearly 2 months old now, the girls came home last week. Yesterday I went to see them and could finally have cuddles - LOTS of them!!
They are so big now compared to when they were born 4 lb 11 and 3lb 11. They look different at the moment because of the difference in their weight, but you can see that once they catch up with each other they will be identical! Its so amazing to see how they react when they are out together.  They know when they are close together and seem to talk to each other in little babbles and whimpers!
Big brother and sister are as adorable as ever and beeing very very good for their Mommy which is lovely! Its so sweet to hear big sis telling the girls how wonderful it will be to share a room together!!! I'll have to remind her of that when she is 16 and they are little 8 year olds playing with her makeup!!  At the moment though they are the most perfect little dolls she could ever imagine which is adorable! Its crazy to believe that they should still be curled up inside their mommy for another few weeks yet!

Catching up with crafts

All my well laid plans kind of went out of the window this weekend. Working on Saturday (although I do it every other weekend) was a COMPLETE inconveniance when all I wanted to do was be at home in my Retreat scrapping and creating!!!
Then today plans went haywire after a few seasonal stresses caused unrest in the home!! I still managed to complete yesterdays page though.

I hate it when I feel all sorry for myself and can't seem to snap out of it.  Thats how I felt this afternoon, VERY frustrating! Still a visit to my best friend and her four beautiful children was food for my soul.
I felt so wonderful after spending time with them and having snuggles with the newest members of the family really made me feel complete again!
I came home and completed my page for the day! Finally up to date again!! Today's page is all about that great British tradition - Christmas arguments!! We ALWAYS argue when we put the lights on the christmas tree.  It is something that we can't change and I dread it every year. BUT we always make up when we put the baubles on the tree and it always looks so pretty at the end of it!!

Today I love my bed!

Saffy has discovered that sprawling out means her belly gets nice and toasty! Don't think she will be moving for a while!

Dreams of a perfect Christmas

I've been daydreaming about my perfect Christmas as part of the Journal Your Christmas class. As I sat and let my imagination run wild I realised that, actually, Christmases for the past few years have been fairly perfect! Well as perfect as I want them to be! I'm not that keen on perfection to be honest. If something is perfect then where do you go from there? Would that perfection make everything else, every other Christmas a little bit imperfect and disappointing? You could think on that one for hours and argue with yourself!!
Anyway, here is what my page looks like:

She always manages to make me smile!!

Why lie in the bed when you can lie on the top of it in complete discomfort!!

Just another day at work...

I forget sometimes just how wonderful my job actually is!
I LOVE reading. I mean completely and utterley 100% ADORE it.  And I work in a library! I don't just work in a library I manage my very own beautiful little library.
It is a warm, cosy, lovely place to work.  I feel every day that I would be happy to come in in comfy clothes and slippers - it has that welcoming kind of atmosphere (of course I don't do that as I would look very silly!!!)
People often think that working in a library must be a) incredibly boring or b) really easy. I can't count how many times I have heard people say "That must be a lovely job, just sitting and reading books all day!"  I actually thought that myself before I started my first library job. How wrong I was!!

There is always sooooooo much to do and be done. Events to plan, promotions to organise, stock to manage and display to entice people to borrow things they wouldn't normally read. I can honestly say I am never bored and am never short of things to do!  If anyone is reading this and you don't go to your local library, then shame on you!! Go there, have a look around, talk to the staff and find out what goes on. I imagine there is alot more taking place than you ever thought possible!

I have days like I'm sure everyone else does - when being at work is a complete inconvenience - but I need to remember at these times that I am so lucky to have the job I have in a place that I love!

JYC Day 3

I was shocked at how long it took me to actually create todays page! I love the design on the card I wanted to feature so much that I really didn't want the page to be overly decorative and take away from the beauty of the card. I hope I've done the amazing artwork justice! Hannah Willow is an amazing artist!Some more of Hannah's work can be seen here.

Wintertime

I love the weather during winter. It is so cleansing and energising. It feels so magical to wake up, open the curtains and see the world all sparkley and glistening with frost.  I feel so alive when I step outside of the door - as long as I'm all bundled up warm and toasty!! If I've not dressed for the weather then I really don't enjoy it as much!! I suppose this makes me a bit fickle - but I am like that in many ways I think. I'm sure that will be the source of another posting at some point though ;0)

A close friend sent me this amazing photograph in an email today. I think it is absolutely beautiful and so very very evocative. I just have to look at it and it inspires all sorts of thoughts and feelings that I can't even begin to put into words, and wouldn't even want to.

Blogging for Scrapbookers - Prompt One

I may be slightly insane, but I have signed up for Shimelle's Blogging course also!! It actually ran throughout November but because of the format of her classes all the materials and prompts are archived on her forum so I can do the course anyway!
I really am enjoying this blog, but would like it to look prettier and understand things more. I'd also like to be able to post a link to it on the JYC pages so other crafty people can have a look.

JYC Day 2

Yay!! Here is my page!! See the read more link below to see why I did it like this. I am really happy that despite being at work late I still managed to spend some quality time with my lovely man AND scrap todays page!!

JYC Page 1

This needs embellishing but I have to go shopping for some first!

JYC 2009 Album Cover

I'm planning on adding to it later in the month as I think it is a bit too simple

Journaling My Christmas - Preparation

I've signed up for Shimelle's Christmas scrapbooking class and am really looking forward to it. I tried to do something similar myself last year but I did it all by myself and it really turned into a chore rather than a delight as I had no prompts at all and that was a hassle on most days!
I'm hoping that the daily prompts I'll receive will make this years album much more fun to complete!!
I've typed myself a little action plan (how organised am I!!!!) of things to prepare before December the 1st to make things even easier!
I think I may used this blog quite alot as the prompts will be in my inbox in the morning and then I can write any ideas here during the day as I have them (may be even add sketches) and then create the page each evening.
Yippie!!

Positive thoughts...

I've got a difficult day ahead at work today and am going to try and stay positive. I know someone whose day is going to be alot worse (even if its a good day!) Returning to the grind of work after sooooo long will be hard I know xx

Samhain Goddess

Samhain Arianrhod Altar

Halloween Pumpkins

Cerridwen Priestess statue

Samhain smiles!!

First night in my Retreat

Feeling like a Fairy Princess on our four poster bed in Glastonbury

A very very happy me!!

Its amazing how the energy of Glastonbury can make me feel so wonderful. As soon as we arrived I felt great. Once I discovered we woudl be spending the night - in the centre of town - I felt amazing!!!!

Tree hugger

Well dressing 2009

I just had to have my photograph taken with this amazing Pine tree in the park at Malvern. We had only just arrived for the traditional Beltane Well Dressing day out and I was really excited to see this years wells. The sheer size of this tree struck me more this year than it ever has before. It must be so very very old. I'm sure the world around it has changed an enormous amout while it continues to slowly grow and survive in a world that no longer reveres its kind.

Inspiration Prompt - keep on trying and don't be afraid to get help

Words from the website:
"Whether we ask for it or not life has in store for us an abundance of challenges. As long as we are trying we will never fail. As long as we believe in our ability to overcome - we will succeed. Though there is one thing we should learn how to do and it is to allow ourselves to get help.
Getting help from a friend or a kind person is not failure, it is the means to success.
Every problem has its solution and some problems can be solved only by mutual work. Getting help doesn’t mean we are unable to solve the problem. It merely means we have identified the solution and it includes another person in it."

Thoughts:
Life certainly can be challenging in so many different ways. The mind and spirits ability to cope with these challenges can fluctuate a great deal. What I can cope with one day may set me into a black mood of despair - all tearful and filled with sorrow. This is just one important reason to keep my roots down and to make sure I protect myself spiritually. I no longer do my EFT to clear myself of the days unwanted memories/ occurances. I keep making promises to myself that I will as I know it helps me alot. Getting help from a friend is a sign of success, but before I can take this step I need to be able to help myself a lot more than I currently do!
Recently I did seek help from friends though. Well, I didn't seek help so much as send a plea to them: "I've done something stupid...say something to help me feel better" was the kind of thing. The trouble with pleas like this is it is not a request for help btu more me asking for help burying my head in the sand. Like a ture friend Laura didn't do that. She forced me to see the things I was doing, said things I didn't want to hear and really made me think about things. At the time it made me feel even more lost and upset, but I knew that it was what I needed to her - the truth. Its ironic how often the truth is the one thing we are all striving to escape from!

Creativity Prompt - using scrapbook sketches

This prompt included a really useful video and a download of the sketch to try. I'm hoping Kei will be able to help me with the technicalities of actually saving the sketch here!!
I'll give the sketch a go when I have some photos I think will fit it.

Inspire Me Thursday - Petals