Christmas Journal

Manifesto: Noun. A declaration of one's intentions.

Starting December first, I will keep a Christmas journal. In it, I will write something every
day to reflect on the holidays of my past, enjoy the holidays of the present and dream
about the holidays of my future. To some, this will be a stack of papers and trivial
scribbles, but not to me. I am taking back my Christmas, I am letting it be something I
relish and, most importantly, I am giving at least fifteen minutes every day to myself no
matter how crazy this season becomes. I hope you will share, encourage and understand
as I make something with my own hands, my own words and my own memories.

I may post some or all of my entries here. Other artists are doing this with me, and you
can see there work here. Or you may join
us.

Above all: enjoy the season. I will.

Oh and as a pre-Christmas treat I bought myself some sexylicious red heels for wearing on Saturday night
...hope I can remember how to walk in heels OK!!

I got my first Christmas card today - all the way from Kirsty who is Australia - thank you :)

I am feeling quite Christmassy all of a sudden and have managed to make a start on my Christmas Journal for Shimelle's class. The book rings are only temporary as I plan on binding it with a mix of ribbons and fibres when (if) it is finished.

OK I lied - I wasn't scrapped out - I managed one more LO which was Debbie's sketch class.

I can also post my Hidden Secrets LO now the cyber crop is finished

A quiet day today - more scrapping for the cybercrop and managed to do a couple of LOs today that I am happy with.

Kazc class was lovely - lots of flowery paper

Then Gertie's class had lots of stitching. The class was orignally an 8 1/2 x 11 but I scaled it up to 12x12 as I have been scrapping the rest of my Florida pics that size.


Tried to do the LO from the sketch (Debbie's class) but nothing is working out - I think I am therefore officially "all scrapped out!"

The alarm goes off at 8am - which is far too early given the time I went to bed last night but unfortunately I don't have the option of a lie in as Kenneth (and Jake) have a football match this morning and have to meet at the Academy at 9am - amazingly given the time they went to sleep the boys are both up, and are on the PC on Runescape - I soon put a stop to that. Don't they know there is a cybercrop on this weekend.

Robert takes the boys down to Kilwinning for their match which they win 6-3. Apparently they play really well as a team and as a win bonus they get a burger each :)

I attempt my first beaded bracelet as part of the cyber crop and thanks to Ally's easy peasy to understand instructions I am soon the proud owner of one red and gold bracelet - Kirsten helps me to make this by sorting the beads and threading a few. I am really pleased with the end result


I manage to finish off my Lippy Chick style book



...and get a few more classes done.

I like how the Mini minnie LO turned out - I used some of Kirsten's glitter glue to make the title and apart from it taking ages to dry I think it worked well.


I did Lousette's class next and although I love the photos at an angle I am not particularly happy with the end result. I made myself use the stickers I bought to match the Karen Foster patterned paper - why oh why!! Note to self...do NOT buy more stickers!!!


Shimelle's class was next - now this one I really liked. I was really pleased with the end result, which I think looks better in real life than in the photo - for a start the background is actually white!!! I made the Coca-Cola background paper myself using a text box and Loki-Cola font in word. The flag was one the kids picked up while we were on holiday and I added a Coca-Cola sticker that I had picked up in Michaels.



Finally I had a go at Gill's class which was a mini-album type thing but I decided to make it as a Christams card instead - well it was a good excuse to try out my new Autumn leaves stamps

Kenneth's Birthday Part II

Mum & Dad came down to see Kenneth on Thursday evening - another £50 added to his collection, plus some football shorts & socks. Kenneth's friend Jake came round as well. A quick birthday tea, a Celtic birthday cake, then off to football training which was shorter than usual due to the appalling weather. I can't believe they are still playing outside at this time of year!

Out for lunch with Alison & Lynn on Friday - the town was really busy for some reason - can't think why as the weather was still awful - and ended up in Fluid as everywhere else was full up.

Picked Kirsten up from school and her friend Lucy came home to play for a while before ballet which has now moved to the later time of 4:45pm now that they are Grade 1. She had to leave early though as we were heading up to Xscape for Kenneth to go snowboarding with his friend Jake for a birthday treat.

The cost was £23 for a one hour lesson and that included the hire of the ski boots and the snow board. You could hire the "proper" clothing on top of that but the boys were both fine anyway with their trackies and waterproof jackets. They both enjoyed it and "passed" level 1. They are keen to go back - at least Kenneth has plenty of birthday money to pay for it :)

After that we headed downstairs to Frankie & Benny's where the boys had Pizza and Kirsten made her usual request for grated mozarella on the side - strange child. We had really good service and all enjoyed our meal then it was time to drive home in appalling weather conditions - extremely heavy rain. We get back to Largs at about 10:45 and I log on to UKS straight away to see what I have missed in the cybercrop.

I manage to get one challenge (using bubble wrap as a stamp to make a snowy effect on these tags)...


...and one class partly done before heading to bed at 1am. The boys (Jake is staying over tonight) are both still up for some time after that!

Finally joining the blogging craze

Well I have finally succumbed and started my own blog. LOL

Really just to keep track of what we have been up to.

Today is Kenneth's 10th birthday - wow where did the time go? Some days it seems like only yesterday I was a first time mother in the hospital, mind you other days it seems like a lifetime ago IYKWIM.

Aw bless wasnt he cute!!!

For his birthday he received from us

• a new mobile phone (note the use of the word new here -
  I was determined he would not have a mobile until he
  started secondary school but I was usurped last year by my sister in law and here we are upgrading already!!!)
  
• The Simpsons season 8 DVD
• a wrestling DVD
• a set of 6 wrestler action figures (men in pants!!!)
• A Simpsons comic (Bartman)
• Sky Sports football year book 2006/07

My friend also sent her son up with his present this morning - a grabber (to be filled with toys, sweets etc, racing grannies!!! and a puzzle game.
My aunt also popped up yesterday with a card and £15

Add this to the £30 he won on the celtic supporter's bus - yes two wins - £15 on Saturday then another £15 on Monday and he is definitely in the money

I also managed to finish off a LO I have done for the Harry Potter cybercrop on UKS


There is a little book hidden under the photo that tells the story of Kirsten's dream she had last week:

Kirsten’s Dream – 15^th November 2006

I was sleeping and then I heard a “Ho-Ho-Ho”. At first I didn’t know what it was but then I remembered that was what Santa said. I went downstairs and Santa said “Hello!”

Then he said “Would you like to come back to my workshop with me?” and I said “Yes please”.

Then he took me outside and I saw Rudolph. He said “come in my sleigh”. I climbed in and we took off and we went to the North Pole.

When we got there we landed outside a wall of ice. I said to Santa “That’s a wall of ice!” Santa said “Can you see that golden door?” and I said “Yes, I can.” So Santa took me up to the golden door and opened it with his key. We walked along a dark, cold tunnel and then we came to a bright, cosy workshop. I saw lots of elves and one of the elves gave me a candy cane.

Then I saw lots, and lots, and lots of teddy bears. Then an elf showed me round the workshop and I got to see SANTA’S LIST! I was on the “Good” list and so were all my friends and Kenneth.

Santa fell asleep when I was being shown round the workshop so I woke him up so I could go home. Then he took me home and gave me a present that I put next to the others under the tree.

Then I sat on the settee and watched TV for a while because it was 6am and then my Mum, Dad and Kenneth got up. They said “Have you been up for a while?” and I said “Yes.”

Then we opened our presents and I opened the special one from Santa first because it glowed. Rudolph had pressed his nose against it – that was his signature. The present was a wee Santa in his sleigh and Rudolph toy.