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.

I've been bad Santa....

I signed up for the Stocking Swap over on UKS - and mine arrived today. Egged on by Oliver, (yes, it's all his fault), within ten minutes we had opened everything in a wild frenzy:

That is so naughty. I am justifying my inability to save this up for Christmas by guesssing (quite accurately as it happens) that there would be scrapping stash in it which I wanted for my Christmas journal, so I refuse to feel too guilty. I now have to go and confess on the UKS site where I will probably be ostracised for yobbish behaviour. Or get the UKS equivalent of an ASBO at the very least.

Talking of my Christmas journal, it has not been forgotten - oh no my friends, it is still very much on the go. Here are my recent bits:

A slightly amended front cover:

1st December:
2nd December:

4th December:

The eagle-eyed among you will have spotted the current absence of the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th of December. Fear not - they are under control. As I have said before, this journal will be a record of the entire month and the kind of things we got up to throughout this month, this year, so will include such mundane things as TV programme schedules and everyday doings. Some pages are held up due to waiting for certain items to be 'obtained'....

Well, by day 2 of my Christmas journal it had all gone spectacularly tits up.

Wednesday night was the annual carol service for the Beavers. (the cub scout sort not the long-toothed river dwelling sort, nor the ladies rude part sort either) I couldn't go due to work, so the task fell to Mark who rose to the occasion with his customary wails of horror and heavy sighs. He didn't get any photos - string of lame excuses if you ask me - and then managed to lose the programme on the way back to the car, so I have NO evidence of this event to record for day 2. For fucks sake is what springs to mind.

At least on Weds morning at the home ed group Oliver made Christingles, which I think are rather charming, now I know what they symbolise. Last year I thought they were a pointless waste of time and effort. Christ, I can be such a heathen.

THEN, on Weds evening just before I went to work, my eye, which had been a bit sore, suddenly became really sore and developed into my second corneal abrasion of the year. I managed to finish my shift, and yesterday was spent at A&E/in bed doped up on painkillers. Lovely. Today, as per the norm, it is loads less painful, but still a bit fragile and swollen.

Soooo, onwards and upwards my festive friends - today is Mark's birthday, so I will be cooking a nice meal for him later. I use the term 'nice' loosely here, as anything could happen in the kitchen between now and then. Hopefully it will be 'nice' enough to photograph for day 4...

It's starting to look alot like Christmas...

And here is our tree - it looks just the same as last year - a bright and colourful mis-match of the things we like. (The things I don't like are hanging at the back of the tree ha ha.) Still, I am not one of those Mothers who fights their children for the privilege of decorating the tree, nor do I re-arrange everything once my child is in bed. Quite frankly I don't get that at all. Surely the whole point of Christmas tree is what is symbolises - the spirit of love, joy and Christmas and all that? I know of people who co-ordinate their tree with their living room - my Mother, weirdly, is one of them. I love a busy clashy old tree, me. And this tree is old - a fakey of 12 years plus. Does what it says on the tin though.

Here is the front cover of my Christmas Journal, which I am determined to do this year:

and here is one of the other photos intended for my December 1st page:

Deck the halls......fa la la la la...... see you tomorrow....

The Festive Season

is nearly upon us (well, I reckon so anyway) the decs are down from the loft and cluttering up the back room along with the impending car booty crap. I loathe car boot sales with a passion - all that sorting, labelling, carting along at stupid o'clock to some draughty old car park on a miserable Sunday to stand hugging manky coffee whilst n'er do wells and scabby lank-haired mothers squawk at their severely under-dressed skinny offspring and unceremoniously rummage in your belongings. Can't you just sense my enthusiasm.

And so, back to festiveness. I stupidly imagined that making egg-cup bells with glitter for the Christmas tree would be a jolly nice idea for Oliver and Vanessa to make the other day. I should have remembered from last year that glitter is plaything of the devil and so the ensuing mess is still sitting on the table, spreading nightly to the far reaches of the room as Poppy comes in and paws it around just for the fun of it. I really must clear it up today.

Made this layout for last weeks SLYMI: Scrap with trees/leaves. I have scrapped a photo of Oliver on Christmas Day last year. And labelled it as 2009. Duh. I have changed it, but am far to much of a lazy arse to photograph it again. So here is Christmas yet to come ha ha.

I really want to do a Christmas journal this year, and in a burst of enthusiasm have made some jolly nice covers for it, but then have typically stalled big time and done bugger all else. Well, that's not strictly true, I have gathered two bags of Christmas crap to use for it..... I love other people's Christmas journals, and last year I did actually manage about 4 pages before it all went tits up, and when I look back at those pages, I am reminded of little things that happened last year that would otherwise be forgotten. I mean the almost pointless little things - the trip to the garden centre, the frosty morning walk to Sainsburys - photos and quips which seem a bit of a waste of time this year but next year will be invaluable memories. Right. I AM going to do it.

Meanwhile check out this journal from last year - very, very funny - and this blog which has loads of festive makes and dos and the style of journal I am aiming for.

Reproduction

Public safety warning. There now follows a lengthy airing of my views:

Since Oliver pointed out to Mark at the weekend that 'sex' was a similar thing to 'making love', (it's a long story), we have been umming and ahhing over when is the right/best time to explain the facts of life to him. (Oliver, not Mark ha ha). Oliver is only 7, but I understand that at his age, his contempories are having some sort of sex education at school. I probably would not have even thought about it yet, but in mixing with different aged kids and from different walks of life as he does, there is a danger he could get mixed messages about a subject I would prefer him to be very clear on. Also, as it falls to me in the main to teach him everything, I felt I could just incorporate it matter of factly into a 10 minute slot without preamble or awkwardness on either side. I am not sure if I leave it if it would be worse to explain at a later date.

Decisions decisions.

In discussing it (at considerable length on my part) with Mark last night, he told me to 'stop banging on about it and just get on with it.' So I did.

With the aid my good friend the World Wide Web, I explained my way through the male and female reproductive organs, the menstrual cycle, sperm and eggs and then realised I was in trouble when he thought the passage of sperm to the egg was via weeing in the mouth. Oh dear. After more explanations he seemed to think the real way was 'gross' and then fell about in hysterics at the thought that Mark and I had actually had a go at it. (once, obviously) I wound up our foray into the wonderful world of reproduction with the advice that he is not allowed to do it until he is at least sixteen, preferably as part of a relationship and under no circumstances is he ever do it with someone who doesn't want to do it with him.

In all honesty, this does feel a little young, but I am also conscious that his lack of knowledge could have left him at an uncomfortable disadvantage in the not too distant future.

Me & Vernon Kay

I had one of those 'just before you wake up in the morning' dreams the other day - you know, one of those very vivid and clear sort of dreams where you feel quite shaken by it for a few hours, as it was soooooo real. Anyhoo, this dream was about Vernon Kay trying to entice me into a torrid affair with him as he wanted me to run off and be with him. I don't mind telling you that in dreamworld, I was sorely tempted. I have spent the last few days saying to Mark 'well, Vernon wouldn't have said this', and 'Vernon would have let me do that', and Oliver refused to let me watch Family Fortunes. Ha ha.

Moving on from la la land, life is ticking along nicely. I made a disaster cake at the weekend. A simple Victoria sandwich which I have cooked many times before seemed to be a runny batter, not a gloopy cake mixture before it went into the oven, so, giving absolutely no thought to the balance of ingredients, I thought it would be a good idea to bung in more flour until it was 'cakey'. Well, it tastes like shite, and is, unsurprisingly twice the size of a normal cake. Looking at it, I have to wonder what the hell goes through my mind when I'm baking. Not the recipe obviously.

Feeling quite guilty at the thought of Mark having to endure this cake from hell for an entire week, I made a bakewell tart yesterday instead. I have never baked this before, and cannot be arsed to bake pastry blind, so it was definitely a suck-it-and-see sort of tart. The pastry was edible but the filling seemed terribly uncooked. We all, with trepidation, had a sliver for supper, and since we have all made it through the night Mark has happily gone off with some for lunch. Phew. Will use the Victoria sponge (and I use the term 'sponge' loosely here) as a door stop.

Whilst out doing the weekly food shop on Friday, Oliver said he wanted to gather together his own ingredients to make a meal by himself. Weeping inside at the potential damage to my carefully constructed shopping list, I said OK. He proudly came back ten minutes later with cress and a bag of lentils. Yum. He is so very sweet. We put back the lentils as I already have a half hundredweight at home, and decided on minestrone soup. Don't ask.

Just had the latest Cyber Crop over on UKS. I didn't really take part this time, but did do the 'pre-crop' challenge - 'Home is where the heart is':

Also have done this week's SLYMI - scrap a thank you. I have scrapped my thanks to my sister in law, Kim. Not a brilliant photo, sorry Kim, but it is the only one I have of you!

Journalling reads:

'Kim, you have such a strong and confident opinion on home education that the first time you wheeled out your soap box to preach to us about it, we were hooked.

Impressed and excited by your beliefs, we took the decision to keep Oliver out of school. For this alone, you have my deepest gratitude.

You are a constant source of support and inspiration to me, and your presence in our lives is a very welcome one.

It is wonderful to see Oliver developing into a bright, confident and gregarious child, a million miles from the shy toddler who would have been thrown to the wolves at the school gates. Thank you.'

not even

...a visit to the Dentist this morning can dim my enthusiasm for life right now.

I have (I believe) finally secured the hours I want at work and will no longer need to work on Saturday evenings hurrah! I am up to date with SLYMI, I have two layouts in the very last edition of Scrapbook Inspirations which is out this week, I have a few nights off from work now, I am keeping the weight off I lost in the summer and some, Mark and I have been getting on better than ever for some time now and Oliver and I are gently plodding through the Autumn days with good humour and bits of educational stuff on the go. This is, of course, not a comprehensive list of the highs in my life, but it is a quick resume of edited highlights.

I am to be referred on to some CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) sessions which will help me to 'unlearn' some of the my negative thoughts which have caused me unecessary angst over the course of my life. It is not counselling as I have known it in the past - this will help with altering the way I think, which will, in turn, alter the way I feel. Not rocket science, but thus far overlooked.

I have done a couple of layouts since my last post - week 38 SLYMI - scrap a lesson learnt. Here is Oliver during two half hour sessions on the dry ski slope at Warmwell recently:

and here is week 45 - scrap something you want to remember. I have scrapped a lovely pic of Oliver with his toddler curls. I showed it to him with some pride, as I like this one, and he reacted with such appalled horror and embarrassment I am left wondering why the hell I am bothering to document his life at all.

Poppy taught herself a new game during the wee hours of the morning. She sat her furry arse on my chest and purred in my face until I stroked her. If I then stopped stroking her, she licked my face until I resumed the stroking. Ahhh, lovely I hear you say. Actually, not so. The purring was at the level of a battery operated screwdriver at least, and the licking was what I would liken to being attacked with a sheet of sandpaper. I was afraid to look in the mirror this morning lest my face be covered with angry red lesions.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Bonfire-less Night

Felt like the Goddess of Fire earlier this week, as I chopped up tree branches and built me a bonfire in the dirtbowl, but in my joy it did not occur to me to cover up my twiggy offering and come last night, there was no way on earth the sodden mass was going to spark to life. So it was an evening indoors scoffing sausages and roasties and ooing and aahing out of the rain splattered windows at the other suckers braving the wind and rain. Not all bad then.

Feeling a tad guilty as I was talking to Linda last week about being over-sensitive to negativity/other people's bad behaviour and it seems she fell victim to the uber-sensitivity to OTB (other people's behaviour) at a Specials Gig. Sorry Linda! Chill girl, I may need you as a sounding board at the next crop ha ha.

Here are the pumpkin cakes I made from a recipe on Hilary's blog, but other than that - no more creativity right now....

And Poppy:

Are there more trees

...around now than there used to be? Everywhere seems to be knee-deep in Autumnal shades of leaves and the trees are not even bare yet...

Went a-scrappin' yesterday. Had a great time & managed 2 whole layouts. When I showed Mark he said, very nice, and what did I do for the rest of the day. Funny. It's a long process being a creative genius ha ha.

This:

My Guitar Hero (after the DS game Oliver is playing), a layout just because I wanted to, and this:

Week 44 of SLYMI - scrap something which scares you. Well, my list of choices stretched pretty far here, but settled for this one, which is actually a fear that I cannot run away from, and how I handle it will determine how much confidence my son will face the world with....

Scary thought indeed.

Mark is giving the pigeons a bath - don't ask - and he has been in filling up buckets with water and dettol and now the whole house pongs of it and reminds me of school and puke. Lovely.

Oliver went to a Halloween party last night, and I bravely girded my loins and threw myself into staying there and joining in, and, I have to say - it was surprisingly enjoyable. Perhaps being sociable and joining in has something going for it after all lol.

half term upon us once more...

A couple of layouts:

Week 42 SLYMI: scrap yourself 'right now'

and week 43: scrap with flowers.

Just one more outstanding and I am up to date with this, which is satisfying.

Little else noteworthy, although I have found out that Scrapbook Inspirations mag is no longer profitable to produce so the next issue will be the last. Shame, as the only other UK one is Scrapbook Magazine, which I have never really liked. I have two layouts due to go into the last SI issue, so I suppose that's something.

Excited as I am going to the Exeter Scrapaholix club crop on Saturday which I LOVE - a rare treat, a whole day scrapping with like-minded bods, drinking coffee, listening to music and chitty chatting the hours away. Jolly dee. After Christmas I will hopefully be giving up my Saturday shift at work, and so can attend every month.

It is half term this week, so the world and his wife will be at every turn with their squawky badly behaved brats, so am keeping a low profile ha ha.

Feeling Autumnal

Have nearly caught up with SLYMI, here are weeks 39 (scrap using your own handwriting)

I have taken the neat little bow idea from a tip on Jill's blog, who copied it from Linda originally. It's nice to share.

and week 41 (scrap a birthday)

What a face. Anyone who knows me could pick me out easily in this photo. Haven't changed much over the years, sulky piece.

Just had a weekend away in Dorset, on a lovely site set in woodland where all the leaves were tumbling down and squirrels were squirreling their nuts away. Whilst there we took a trip out to a National Trust place: Kingston Lacy, which was seemed very French Chateau to me, and Oliver got to try skiing on a dry slope. (not at Kingston Lacy). Lovely weekend in lovely company. I seem to manage long weekends away no trouble, it seems to be the hot country thing which freaks me out. Mental case.

My scales are showing that I am 3lbs lighter than when I stopped going to Rosemary's skinny club, so think the batteries must be shagged. Cannot see how I weigh less with the amount of nosh I have been consuming lately. Mind you, am still doing the DVDs & cross training, and my trouser belt is still as loose, so maybe my metabolism is working harder or something....? Or maybe my batteries are just shagged and I am kidding myself lol.

And finally, snaps for the cat lovers: Poppy the naughty kitten:

Lucky she didn't get trodden on, or thrown out with the recyled rubbish lol.