My Big Secret - at last the reveal!

Getting this post done now as I have a busy day ahead.

So the exciting news I alluded to a couple of weeks ago is that I am a runner up in SBM Scapbooker of the Year comp, seriously thrilled about that and the magazine is in the shops today (I will be getting it this afternoon as I have to pop to town for a contact lense check). I am looking forward to receiveing my prize.

But perhaps more exciting is that SBM has asked me to write an article for the mag, scary but great fun (I am 2 thirds of the way through!) and I will be getting paid - woohoo, more money for the *shit I got carried away and got an expensive iphone contract*

So I HAVE been crafting away but its all things that I cannot share as some is for this article and another is for a Design Team try-out, hence my blog is looking v picture bare at the mo!

Have a good new years eve everyone!!!!

iPhone

I've been very naughty and I've gone and got an iPhone. I've been wanting one for so long and when Santa decided that I had not been good enough this year, I took myself off to orange and signed a hideously over priced contract. Oh but it's so pretty and shiny and I love it already. I will never ask for anything else again - honest-

Our Christmas.

Christmas was fab! These first 2 pics from Christmas Eve and the traditional leaving out a mince pie and carrot for Santa and the reindeer. We had a busy Christmas Eve, we went to the pub for an hour in the afternoon to say hello and merry christmas to some friends, and then on to Jason's mums for a family tea. We did not stay to long there and then it was home to relax. The kids went to bed at 9pm very excited!

Hanging up the stockings!

Christmas morning and the moment Jess realised she had got a mobile! She was thrilled!

A lovely hug from Jess for the mobile

We then travelled up to Cheltenham to have lunch with my parents and my brother at his new flat. He did a LOVELY lunch and it was a lovely afternoon. Here is Jess and Joe with their google straws (that is grape juice, dont worry!!!)

We then travelled back to Bristol and dropped the kids off at their dads, Jason and I then went home for lots of cups of tea and telly.

Boxing day we met mates in the pub at 1pm, Brilliant afternoon, the landlord was playing his guitar and singing and it was a lot of fun. This pic was taken in the next pub enroute to Les and Rays house. This pic is Nicky, Me and Les, we don't look too bad considering we had already been out for 5 hours by then!

Back at Rays house, we got out the wii and spent a lot of the time jumping about like loons as these pics show. We had some lovely boxing dayish food and drinks and had a great laugh!

Today we picked the kids up and are relaxing at home, we are supposed to be going to Jason's dads for yet another family get together but I said no, the poor kids have not been home since christmas morning and I have hardly been home myself, am knackered and not really into seeing Jason's family again when we just saw them Christmas Eve, so Jason has gone on his own. Its nice to be home!

Christmassy Crafts and Baking

Its been a lovely day today, but I've not stopped. We began making salt dough decorations this morning (they are STILL in the oven hardening now) it took an age to cut out shapes freehand but it was fun, and then we made gingerbread men and biscuits. We have still to decorate them both, but thats something for later!

Jessica did this salt dough snowman for the tree! its so cute!

We then had a quick lunch of cracker, cheese, pate and some nuts (Christmassy food!) and took the dog for a run round our local fields.

Look at him, he LOVES it!

Got Craft - at last!

Yay! at last I have done some more Christmas Diary pages, I am soooo over this diary now lol but I will crack on.



Trying to simpliyfy it at the mo, being a slow scrapper a daily thing is a hard thing to acheive!! Add in a stinking cold and having to do other stuff, its been a struggle this week.



Look at Jess in her school play, she was the 'mum' and it was a comedy role, she got some laughs bless her and remembered all her lines, I almost forgot to take this pic and only just got it in!



This meal was actually on the 15th, I drank very little as I felt rough and was home by 10.15, but am glad I went as it perked me up a bit and the food was delicious!



Aint she purtty?? She told me she didn't want to go to the disco and then changed her mind on the night! Luckily we managed to get her a ticket.

So now I am only 2 days behind - thank the lord.

I am thankfully over my cold now and feel all zippy and energised, tonight we are currying it with Nicky and Alan, we were supposed to be taking the kids to the cimema this afternoon with Andy and Elaine and his kids to see "Where the wild things are" but neither of my two wanted to go and I hate the cinema so thats off lol. My diet is going a bit pants, christmas food in house = christmas food in my mouth lol but luckily its not shown on the scales yet.

Thats about all for my MASSIVE post, I have done another Layout but I cannot show you as its for something a bit special!

OMG starts to hyperventilate

I feel like poo - AGAIN, really I am sick of these constant colds, I went to the docs today to get some stuff for my constant(do you see a theme here?) indigestion and mentioned how fed up I am with it, he can't do much but suggested a blood test to check iron levels etc - I agreed but I don't hold up much hope for that really. 13 years I have been living with this now, with colds that have me knocked out every 5-8 weeks.

Went straight from docs to Asda Cribbs to do "The CHRISTMAS food shop" We drive a hr long round trip as its so much bigger and quieter than our local asda. We are only just back and I am about finished, I am already in my PJ's.

Craft wise I am on a go slow, I am still doing my Christmas Diary but I am now several days behind :( I have done a stonking LO (one of my favs of recent) but can't show you as I have entered it into something.

BIG NEWS - coming soon, I am chuffed to ribbons, but again I can't tell you!!! pah! and and and whilst writing this post, more news, that nearly had me hyperventilating!!!!

It had to happen.

I knew it would, I am behind on my Christmas Countdown. Had a really busy weekend, Saturday spent running errands and Sunday socialising with friends.

Last night I was up ALL night with chronic indegestion, and I still have it a bit now, am mostly dead on my feet. Did not feel like doing anything today but then my Dec Scrapagogo kit arrived and I couldn't resist. Managed to do 2 more pages in CC but it was slow going and I did it sat on the sofa lol.

Joe the little darling has just walked in with a mahoosive box and declared it to be his school project "When does it need to be done by" says I, "Tomorrow" says he, I think I may have cried! Anyway I have covered it in yellow bazzill (its suppose to be a golden temple) lectured him on time management and told him the rest is up to him! At first I had a bit of a strop and told him I wouldn't help "It will be your fault if we all get detention" He had the cheek to say! "No Joe, no it won't! Pah!

Up to date with CC

Got busy today and caught up with my christmas diary, done day 9 and a double sided day 10. Today is Christmas Fayre day at my dauhters school, only just realised when I got a reminder text!! Bad mum!! So I will have to brave the crowds (I hate crowds) and let Jessica have a nosy round.

Day 8 - and UNdecorating our tree

Oh dear, I am one day behind, I tried to do day 9 today, but day 8 ink hadn't dried so I couldn't turn the page and get on with it.



Last night was good fun, had a lovely steak and a natter, and no hangover today at all which is a result.



The christmas tree has been UNdecorated today, went to switch the lights on this morning and Kaput! they blew (we seem to be having a lot of things blowing at the moment, something goes everyday, so I think we are looking at a rewire, and I don't want to even think about how much that will cost!) so the tree has been undecorated and Jason is bringing back a load more lights this evening when we will decorate it again. Theres a job you really want to be doing twice *rollseyes*

Fuming! What is it with people

RANT alert

Just has some knobhead walk across my lawn, often times leaflet droppers walk directly across my lawn and go right by my living room window, it drives me MAD. Its just happened again, but this time the person wasn't even delivering anything to my door, there is no leaflet or anything, he just decided to walk across the lawn for NO reason.

By the time I got up and to the front door he was almost gone, but I did shout at him that he was a rude man, no response as he prob had earphones on - next time I will be waiting and I'll have him! I am absolutely bloody incensed!!!

Random Ramblings and a Layout

The Wii fit is telling me that I have put on 2lbs since my last body test 3 days ago - I bloody have not! It tells you off this thing and I swear one more sanctimonious lecture from the little animated balance board and its out the window! To err on the side of caution I managed about 45 mins of exercise on it this morning.

Nicky had just called me to compliment me on the light up santa in our window (she drives past my house on her way to and from work. I'm not one for a lot of lights so we just have the one and its quite sweet. She also asked if I fancied going out tonight, so we are off to the ship for their 2 courses and a glass of vino for £12, feel all excited about the prospect of an unexpected night out at short notice, love having a natter and a drink with Nicky, good job really as I do it enough! lol

Skittle is being a very silly kitty, she is walking with a limp now after her little accident 3 weeks ago, but only when she thinks someone is watching, I have been watching her out of the window and she is running about on all 4 legs, leaping about without a care in the world etc and the minute she comes back in the house shes all limpy limpy. She is obviously putting it on. I have been worried about it but she is slowly limping less.

I am still up to date with CC- I have done todays entry (well about 95% of it anyway) but have no pics as yet, so here is a pic of a Layout I did a month or so ago and forgot to post! A special note to Audrey, thanks so much for the heart stamps I won, that was super speedy delivery and they are lovely thanks, I have even used them on my CC Day 8 page, which I will post tomorrow to show you!

**********LO image removed due to exciting stuff I cannot mention!******************

Don't ask about the driving, I am NOT enjoying it, I am NOT driving well and I have gone from a grade B to a D in bay parking (yes he grades everything I do! not supposed to know that but I do!!) In fact I refused to do Bay parking today after Jason kept shaking his head and sighing at me, I told him NO MORE! I do do a mean turn in the road though!

Right I am off to make the kids packed lunches, make the kids tea, tidy my desk, and make myself look a little presentable for my happily unexpected night out! woohoo!

CC Day 6-7

Hiya, still keeping up to date with my Christmas Countdown, I daren't let myself get too far behind as I am a slow scrapper and if I fell behind it would become a chore rather than a pleasure to do these little pages. Day 6 is our tree, we put it up yesterday afternoon, its a new tree this year, we were given Jason's mums old one as she heard we were going to get a new one as our old one is too narrow and this was going spare, so we nabbed it! Its much better and more impressive than the last one. IMPOSSIBLE to get a nice shot of it though, my camera turns it into a dead sparse thing. Also our wallpaper clashes in the shots of it terribly. Ah well.

Day 7 is about our mismash of decos, just the way I like it!

We had a nice quiet weekend, on Saturday the wii was on for hours, Jason and I were playing a lot of golf - its one game I can actually from time to time beat him on!

Far too much crap food was consumed this weekend but a lot of dog walking and playing on wii sports has hopefully negated too much weight gain.

CC Day 5

Here it is Day 5 - Yesterday we took the dog for a walk in the woods at the other side of Keynsham, nice to take him somewhere different every now and then even if we are fortunate to have a great dog walking wood only 5 mins walk from home. We were all bored of going there, so we piled in the car for the 5 min drive to these woods. We just got the best of the weather as it started to rain as we got to the car.

This next one is a shocking pic of me (Jason just cannot for the life of him photograph me in a flattering way!) I was moaning to Jason that I did not want to be then only one taking pics this afternoon when we put the tree up, so he took me at my word and photographed me grating chocolate for the kids hot chocolate. "Look at me whilst you're grating" says he. So I did and managed to grate my finger into the bargain - ouch!

Freakoid Animals

These two can frequently be found like this, the cat very graciously lets Bruno groom her, she lies back like the queen of sheba and lets Bruno nuzzle her around the neck. I can't say they are the best of friends, Bruno occasionally gets over excited and chases her and Skittle will from time to time swipe at him, but at least once a day they will spend 10 mins like this having a complete love-in!!!

CC Day 3-4

Managing to keep up with my christmas countdown, luckily Jason got a frost shot for me this morning (wish I had taken my camera to the fields with me as it was beautiful in spots this morning, would have gotten a really pretty pic!)



I have been a little wirlwind this morning, I have taken dog to the fields, clean downstairs and hoovered throughout (inc stairs, I HATE the stairs) cleaned the bathroom, ironed some clothes, done 30 mins on the wii fit and then made the Brrrr page.

Its a pity after all that cleaning that the kitchen now looks like a bomb has gone off in it! Thats what crafting in the kitchen does. Can't wait for the kids to leave home so I can turn one of their rooms into a scrapbook room! Only another 5 years til I can chuck Joe out - hes had plenty of warning its happening so he can't complain!! I joke!!! (ish)

Christmas Countdown Day 1-2

Itching to craft and not making too good a job of it!

Sat down to try to use my latest Scarlet Lime kit yesterday, and just spent an hour staring at bits of paper and feeling my mojo drain away.

So I turned my attention to my Chistmas Countdown. I must admit to doing the first page about 2-3 weeks ago as I was itching to get started!! But I made it double sided to incorporate the advent house I made this year.

I've gone for the higgledy piggledy look of different sized and shaped pages, so that you can see bits of other pages all over it. Seen lots of people do this and its a look that I love, I struggle a bit as I like cleaness in my pages, but I am liking what I've acheived so far!

And under these 2 pages, you can see the start of Day 4 - which I am hoping is going to be about the weather! So I really really need frost tomorrow morning so I can get a lovely icy frost shot for it!

Today will be about out Christmas Wishes, I have asked for Jason's and he is being a typical bloke about it and can't think of one, so I will construct the page and leave a gap for his and his wish will have to fit in it lol.

Had 2 driving lessons this week, yesterday was an hour almost exclusively on the dual carriageway ring road, so lots of roundabouts and high speed stretches. This was a good lesson and I did well. Today we just drove around for an hour, normally good at that but loads of silly mistakes today, too fast round corners etc and the bloody gears in this car, I can't find the buggers! And I hit the curb at one stage!!! (Ooops) Cant imagine I will ever be safe or able to go out on my own!!!

Finished Advent Calender

Well i'm doing better than I expected. I've cleaned the bathroom and I have finished the advent calender. Here it is - its hard to get a good pic as i'm sure you know yourself at the moment with our weather here!

Hope you can see that its all glittery and when the lights hit it, it sparkles and glimmers. The pinks are not as bright as they look here, its all icy and cold looking.

Tomorrow I am going christmas shopping with Jason, not got too much to buy really, done it all online

The Weekend

Mucho fun was had this weekend.

I woke up on Saturday determined that I was going to get my hair chopped off, luckily my hairdressers had a gap and so off I went. I've had it cut like my old profile pic but a bit shorter. Its a jaw length bob and it looks great, so easy to cope with and looks so sleek and classy - am chuffed, I just need to make sure that I don't get lazy and let it grow again.

Sat night was curry and pub with Nicky (Alan once again in London, he goes there for 'the internet' apparently - hes a professional gambler, we've tried to tell him that Bristol actually has 'the internet' too but he won't listen) and Bill who is a curry monster.

Yesterday Jason treated me to lunch in the pub (he wanted to go to the pub and treating me to lunch is a good way of making me agree to it!!), which was lovely as it always is, we got talking to another couple in there that we've seen around lots lately, and much fun was had, although I know she will be waking up this morning saying to her other half "was I embarrasing yesterday?" she wasn't, but she was a bit tipsy. We did had a laugh and its nice to meet new people.

I am shattered today, I have so much to do - done the usual housework, but still to do: Clean Bathroom
Iron lots of clothes
Finish Advent calendar

I just want to sit and play on 'the internet' though.

Advent

I have been drawn in to the Tesco Advent Calendar altering frenzy.

I didn't think I would get one as no one else seems to be able to get hold of them anymore, but last night Jason found one for me in a Tesco. So for a fiver (isn't that a great price?) it was mine!

I set about it today, first job was 2 coats of white emulsion, to cover the hideous colours that Tesco deemed saleworthy.

I decided on a blue icey theme with bits of pink and glitter. Hopefully I can get hold of another calendar this year/next year and do a more traditional one too!

I started this at 9 this morning and its now 4.30pm and I have finished for the day, I am very pleased with it and it is prob 90-95% done. Just want to add some christmas embelishments to it. Here it is at the 'almost there' stage.

Will hopefully have it done by Tuesday, and it will look all christmassy and lovely!

Pink

I am finding it hard to scrap at the moment, I keep sitting down to do it and then just spend an hour pushing paper about. I did manage this yesterday, and it has pink on it - not scrapped in pink since I first started scrapping. Its not quite right, but I am glad to at least have done something!


The cat seems better still, she is now not limping at all and we have opened the cat flap for her, she is going out but only for 5 mins at a time, whatever happened must have shaken her confidence a bit!.


I have a driving lesson today, I am NOT looking forward to it. Its been so stop start that I spend all lesson recapping what I did last time and therefore I'm not progressing. I told Jason I either need to stop altogether or have a regular weekly lesson so that I can get going on it. Its getting embarrasing when people ask how I am getting on, I am competitive and if I had had regular lessons I reckon I would be test standard by now, I hate telling people I am no nearer forward than 2 months ago, they must think I am a terrible learner and I am not!


And in good news - the lovely Jason managed to fix my hairdyer, it just needed a new fuse - hurrah!

Cat update

Well we took the evil one to the vets last night. He agreed that something wasn't right with her foot, he had a good look around and its one of her toes thats causing the prob. He doesn't think its broken as he said she would be crying constantly and not just when he touched it.

So shes had a pain injection and I am told to bring her back either today or tomorrow to see how she is, if no improvement they want to sedate her so they can do a thorough exam.

I am not taking her back - I don't need to pay a consult fee to know shes improved. She is leaping on and off the furniture, only limping now in about 1 in 3 steps and even last night she was trying to get out the cat flap. Her foot looks wierd still but the vet thinks its just swelling and already it looks better and she is holding it better and lying and sitting properly now.

So all in all it was £41 (touch wood, if she still keeps improving)

But now my hairdryer is broken, I've had this hair dryer for about 10 years (could be more!) I am heartbroken. I do not want a new super duper dryer thats too heavy for my little wrists, I want my old Braun that is little and light yet powerful - I bet they don't still make it. Sigh MORE unexpected expense. Off to google it!

Oh Dear!

Today Skittle (our cat) did not turn up for her breakfast, she is a persistant little cat and meows loudly at 8.55am every morning for her food.

I was worried.

Then at 2.55pm I saw her black tail walk past the door and went to see her.... she was limping.

I have looked at her paw and something is not right, so we are taking her to the vets shortly. The vets think its good that she is eating and that she has been up on things, but bad that she is choosing to 'hide' under the bed and have asked us to bring her in. £30 for the consultation, not the end of the world - but with our overspend at the weekend I could do without it. £30 is not what worries me, what worries me is x-rays, medication and maybe even surgery. £30 I can handle, £300 not so much! And I'll admit if its £30 to just be told its a bit of brusing then also that will make me cross, vets fees are extorinate (they once tried to charge me £160 t0 make the dog sick when he had eaten some chocolate - in the end it cost us 50p - the price of some soda crystals which is what they use to induce vomiting in dogs!)

Bloody Bloody Bloody - typically it was literally only 3 days ago that I was thinking that I should insure her as we had been lucky with her so far - the dog is insured why not the cat!!???? Arggggh

Please keep your fingers crossed for me that its just a bit of brusing (yes I know I was whinging about that, but its the best option really!)

Knew I bloody hated that cat!

Here is a nice pic of skittle cuddling Jess - she love her!

lookey what I made

I am getting a notebook edge border punch for Christmas and I have wanted one for ages. Today I thought I would try and design a cutting file for the Craft Robo so I wouldn't have to wait for crimbo.

I've tried before, but I am design challenged and have always ended up cross and frustrated when I have tried. Very naughtily the punch arrived at the weekend and I have a v quick go so that I would know how to design it.

The first pic is from the punch and the second is the cutting file that I have made. Looks good I think! I kept designing it the wrong way around so that the waste was the negative if you see what I mean, but I got my head round it in the end! Nothing major design wise but for me its a

minor miracle!

Wii feet

Jason never spends any money on himself, he says he can never "Justify it" which winds me up as why should you justify it? He works hard and deserves to treat himself from time to time!

He told me in the week thats he wanted a Wii for ages and then did the whole "can't afford it" etc whilst googling the best deals. In the end he talked himself into it and off we went to get it yesterday. We got a package with the console, motion plus, wii sports, wii sports resort and beach sports. I got us the wii fit (You can't have a wii and not have wii fit!)

I do not know how we managed to leave the house last night for the party!!! It is addictive and I think I may have lost Jason to the tennis.

We popped out today to get another controller so we can compete against each other and we've spent a happy afternoon leaping about and getting v competitive! The dog is going nuts with all the activity.

Last night we went out, and it was a laugh. We had to walk home and it takes 10 mins to just get out of the venue we were at, it has a very very long drive. I sensibly decided on boots not shoes, and the bloody things tore my soles to pieces, so we stopped off at nicky's house and she lent me some fluffy socks and trainers, which were great but then tore my heels to shreds. So today I have very soorly feet!

We got home at 1am last night, to find the dog had poohed all over Jessica's room (she has painted floorboards so thats not too bad) and then all over the hall carpet. Its not fun when drunk with torn up feet having to clean up that, added to the fact that Jason flooded the toilet with the tissue and that I am phobic of flooded toilets so almost had a flaming panic attack, the end of the evening was a bit crappy (excuse the pun!!!)

DSi Keynsham

Doing the washing this morning, I stumbled across suicidal cat. She was in there with the door closed, not sure how she managed that! I had such a lot of wet washing in my arms she was lucky I spotted her! Can't you see the love radiating out of that cat? lol - she HATES me!



Got a bit of scrapping done today, yet another with November Scrapagogo and I am still in love with the border stamps. Talking of borders, Jason was given a list of border punches I wanted for christmas but being a bloke and not understanding craft shopping he was having some problems locating them, so last night I picked out 3 punches, put them in my shopping cart and then gave the laptop to Jason for paying! I am v excited about getting these punches. I am going to ask my brother and sister for one each too and then I will have quite the collection. I LOVE borders and they are always on my LO's even if I have to hand cut them!

Christmas shopping wise I only have my brother and sister to buy for now (and maybe a bit more for the twiglets) so I am doing V well and am feeling a bit smug and pleased with myself!

Looking forward to the weekend, we have the kids till 4pm Saturday and then I think we will be going to a 50th organised party, I am in the mood for a bit of a bop and being an organised party it means I might even wear a dress and my HIGH heels. I LOVE high heels and have quite a collection of gorgeous party shoes, not worn them in months, since I put the weight on in fact, but now I am slimmer I think I may brave a pair this weekend!

Give it some Welly

Well the good news is that my camera has decided to stop fart arsing about and has resumed normal (non blue tint) service. This is good as I was in danger of getting a replacement for Christmas. A replacement for something that I already owned does not excite me, so now the money is free for other things yipee!

I am having such good fun with my online crimbo presents. I got both the twiglets mobile phones, which they will be thrilled with and then I asked my mum to get them each a Polaroid Pogo a mini printer that you can bluetooth your mobile photos to. They will be thrilled! Well they'd better be!!!

Jessica is desperate for a mobile and has been nagging me for about a year now, She has been firmly told "no way" So she will be thrilled when she gets it this christmas.

Craft wise my mojo which was smoking has unfortunetly been put out and its not working so well for me now, I did however manage this today, its not the best but its not too bad. The scalloped photo frame is one of the mini border stamps that I had added on to my Scrapagogo kit, they are
FANTASTIC and I love them very much!

Thanks to Fay for this marvellous blog award, I'd just like to thank, my children, my partner for putting up with me, my mum and dad for believeing in me, the dog for his farting inspiration, and of course God! I couldn't have done it without you all *sobs*

And now I have to answer these Q's in one word only! (this is hard for me)

1. Where is your mobile phone? hallway

2. Your hair? brown

3. Your mother? loved

4. Your father? loved

5. Your favorite food? Dhansak

6. Your dream last night? Scrapping

7. Your favorite drink? Tea

8. Your dream/goal? happiness

9. What room are you in? Lounge

10. Your hobby? Scrapbooking

11. Your fear? Fire

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. Something that you aren't? Patient

15. Muffins? Yuck

16. Wish list item? Iphone

17. Where did you grow up? Tewkesbury

18. Last thing you did? Mopped

19. What are you wearing? Casual

20. Your TV? Breaking

21. Your Pets? Farting

22. Friends? Social

23. Your life? Nice

24. Your mood? Hungey

25. Missing Someone? no

26. Vehicle? feet

27. Something you’re not wearing? Tie

28. Your favorite store? Primark

29. Your favorite colour? Green

30. When was the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? 6th

32. Your best friend? Jason

33. One place that I go to over and over? Saundersfoot

34. Facebook? Crap

35. Favorite place to eat? Ship

And now I will pass this on to some fabulous people (can't do name links ) http://sarahgrantzone.blogspot.com/ (Sarah)
http://organisedmess.blogspot.com/ (Audrey) and finally
http://vickisartisticlicense.blogspot.com/ (Vicki)

Cheers!