Et voila

The much blogged about Christmas Journal 2009. This is it shown closed by the way - too big for it's own bookrings if you ask me....

Have completed this layout for a challenge over on the Kaboodle blog - I am quite pleased with it although it's been photographed in a not great light:

Mark is getting on my WICK tonight and keeps on pointing out cobwebs around the house that I've neglected to hoover up. Bloody hell, who hoovers looking up? Bad enough hoovering looking down I reckon. Like I say, Miss Haversham's wedding breakfast.

Have watched 3 full series of House now. Reduced to re-watching from series 1, since my supplier has not yet supplied series 4. Oh how tragic is my life....

Another obsession

Would love to say I have been doing some dissertation or other like other brainy people and therefore have been waaayyyy too busy to blog, but - no. I have actually been indulging in my latest obsession - House. That would be the American medical drama starring Hugh Laurie. I have, sadly, predictably, fallen in love with the character - rough looking, maverick, dry, all the qualities I find attractive in a man (?!)

My Christmas journal is finished, all bar the shouting. I have no idea what that expression means. It is huge - the 2.5" bookrings cannot take the strain and I am on the lookout for some giant ones. I have recovered my urge to scrapbook (albeit slightly) and done this layout:

It is the 3rd week of the Scrap Weekly, scrap a 'bad' photo (out of focus etc, but one you always wanted to scrap sort of thing). I did do week 2, but am really not happy with it and now it sits gathering dust along with everything else in the house. A bit like Miss Haversham's wedding breakfast in this place.

Had another dream about Vernon Kay trying to tempt me away from my marriage. Give it up Vern, my heart now belongs to Hugh.

Oh the irony

Having left it til the twelfth night to take down the deccies, whilst doing so on Wednesday, snow was falling heavily outside..... just couldn't manage it a week or two earlier huh? Well, snow has wrought it's usual havoc on the UK with everything grinding to an immediate halt as soon as the first flakes started to fall.

On a scrappy note, I have to say that for the first time since I started scrapbooking, I feel like there's suddenly no point to it. My view on scrapping has been to try to capture a memories and thoughts in an attractive and creative way. This then provides me with an arty outlet and a nice hobby. Lovely. But, this week, Shimelle has started her new annual class - Document 2010. This goes along the lines of collecting together 'stuff' throughout the month of your day to day life, events, happenings and taking photos. At the end of the month you then sift through all the memorabilla and pics and scrap what you want to keep.

All well and good, but then I got to thinking: actually, Oliver is not remotely interested in the albums I have produced documenting his every waking moment. I reckon he would be more interested in envelopes full of 'stuff' and pics each month to look through in years to come. Therefore, I could keep 'stuff', take pics, put them into envelopes, bind each year into a folder of 12 envelopes for the next 10 years thereby saving myself a heap of time and money. I could bung in letters, all manner of scribbled notes and thoughts and voila. A full and comprehensive history of his life taking almost no extra time, effort or cash.

Boy I feel pretty flat now I've thought it out like that.

Scrap Weekly in 2010

Well since SLYMI has been and gone, and I got motivated to do at least one layout per week, I have been on the lookout for another weekly challenge, and have decided to have a go at this one: Scrap Weekly in 2010. The first challenge is to look ahead to 2010, so I have done this layout, which outlines just 3 things: looking forward to increased emotional stability, being debt-free by June and enjoying life with Mark & Oliver. Simples.




Also must improve my photography skills.....

well dust my baubles....

Seriously - I have dust on my tree baubles! It's been up for nearly a month. I think maybe I peaked a bit early for Chrismas this year. Got a telling off from Mark because I put all the Christmas treats out in the first week of December and by Christmas Eve all that was left was a few manky After Eights and the horrible Quality Streets that no-one wants. Between the three of us (and in all honesty I truly believe I have eaten most of Mark and Oliver's share) 'we' have polished off:

- 2 tins of Quality Street

- 2 boxes of After Eights

- 1 tub of honey roast peanuts

- 2 tubs of salted peanuts

- 1 box of Roses

- 6 tubes of Pringles

- 2 boxes of Matchmakers

- 1 tub of Mini Cheddars

- 1 tub of Twiglets

- countless bottles of wine

- copious amounts of cheese

- a fair few pizzas

- several tonnes of mince pies

coupled with the fact I gave up exercise during December as a treat to myself (duh) it is with little surprise that I note my jeans are feeling more than a little snug right now. Greedy, greedy cow.

Anyhoo, if I dwell on that too long, I will be consumed by guilt and more feckless comfort greed.

Here are a few more pages for my Christmas journal. I think I only have about 6 left to do, which is pretty good going for me. The backs of the pages are done too, although I don't bother showing those - they really are just journalling, additional info about that day, blah di blah, y'know.

And here is week 52 - the very last SLYMI of this year: Scrap 2009. Unusually for me, it is a photo-less layout, detailing the best and worst of the year. There are other things, but these are the edited 'highlights'.

I think I have used virtually the same elements on this page as last weeks. Oh I am sooo thrifty these days! (and lacking in time and imagination too....)

Here is our tree on Chrismas Eve (post Santa's visit, obviously)

And here is my darling boy on Christmas Day at the Christmas table.

He had decided he wanted Quail for lunch (as child-devotees of Masterchef would) and the little buggers didn't cook in time. Also I forgot the bread sauce (yukarooney) and Mark has intimated that since I failed miserably to deliver the perfect Christmas Lunch, he will do it next year. Be my guest and there had better be no fuck ups, I tell you. There will be no forgiveness.

skipping down to Christmas

I am getting up early at the moment and heading straight off to scrap. It's working out quite well since the schools have broken up and so Oliver is occupied with playing with friends who would otherwise be unavailable. Monday was great - The Ten Commandments was on TV so I had 4 solid hours of biblical drama to spur me on in my Christmas mission....

Before I am judged too harshly on devoting (yet another) page to a TV programme, please remember my journal is actually more of a diary of what we have been up to this December, with our Christmas likes/traditions thrown in, so I make no apology for including our TV highlights to look back on in years to come. So there. Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough....lol

Today I am housebound, since Mark put unleaded petrol into the diesel van last night, and it broke down.

Jolly good.

Oh, and this weeks SLYMI:

This week was scrap the family. I picked this photo of me & Nan, taken by Mum (I think) down on the Quay over 30 years ago. It's changed alot since then.

Finding it tough

...to keep on top of this Christmas malarkey. I really want to do my journal, but journalling something every day is tough, particularly when I don't have photos available for a few days, and no Oliver-free time, adore and love him though I do. Never even mind all the normal mind-numbing domestic drudgery, my paid job and holding together a happy home and family during this time of joy and seasonal happiness lol.

Week 50 (yes, I have completed 50 layouts this year - mostly on time too!) Scrap a recipe:

I have scrapped my Christmas cake recipe which I have made, with some success I do believe, for the last four years or so. I make one for us, and one for Mum, and a whole bottle of brandy (the 750ml size heh heh) between the two. Yummy yummy in my tummy. I hate brandy to drink, but surrounded by lovely cakeiness, 'tis rather festively warming....

Here are (yes, yes I know - out of sync, order, whatever) pages 5, 6, 9, 10 & 13 of my journal:

You will observe that Ms Allsopp gets the 10th of December all to herself, which may seem a bit weird, but I think this 3-day TV programme is worthy of some note, as she has provided me with much entertainment by way of lively debate in many different quarters since it's airing - God love her.