Christmas market….

Yesterday Megan and I went to the Christmas Market in Bath and although I enjoyed it there didn’t seem to be as many stalls there as last year.  That’s probably a good thing though as it was very busy anyway!  We only lasted ‘til 2.30 and were dead on our feet by then so caught an early train home.  Makes me wonder how my sister-in-law and her husband got on in Birmingham which is supposed to be one of the biggest Christmas Markets in the UK ~ don’t think I could cope, especially if it was mega-busy there.  Does anyone else go to Christmas Markets?  Which was the best one you’ve been to?

 

Thanksgiving Day….

I know we don’t ‘do’ Thanksgiving here in the UK but it’s a good day to blog about the good things in life isn’t it?

I’m thankful for:-

• My family’s good health
• Roof over our heads
• Parents still alive
• Good friends
• My part-time job

{Me and one of my 3 brothers having fun}

What are you thankful for?

Christmas journals….

I have mixed feelings on this topic, I tried to keep one last year but didn’t get very far with it. Anyhow I’m going to try again this year and have concocted a journal over the past week and will just try and pick up inspiration from the various blogs that are giving out prompts.

Christmas always used to be very special to me when I was younger or even when we were in our twenties bringing home boyfriends/husbands. Then when we started having children it was fabulous to share in their joy and wonder but now I’m afraid it means very little to me anymore. My husband does not want to be bothered with it at all, my ‘children’ are now 21 and 18 and although my DD is keen on all things Christmas my DS just wants money from everyone and where’s the fun in that?!

I’m trying to get into the Festive Spirit and am hoping that keeping a journal may help. Does Christmas still mean the same to you? Will you be keeping a journal this year?

Did I tell you……

It’s been a while (again) but I’ve not been in ‘a good place’ this week and am just now beginning to feel more like myself again.

So did I tell you it was my son’s 18th birthday last week?  Why can’t I get a half decent photo of him anymore?  Oh for the days of cheesy little grins!

View Full Album

Have a look at what dropped on my doormat yesterday!!  Do I get a prize for the 1st Christmas Card??  It was from my brother in Australia…..why so early Chris?  LOL 

I was in the ‘zone’ yesterday when it came to crafting and managed to get this Christmas banner started Friday night and finished yesterday and I’m well pleased with it.  The idea came from here which is lovely blog full of great ideas.

I’m loving Google Reader and have been dipping in and out of various blogs but have been very naughty not leaving comments ~ so sorry everyone, will try harder now I’m feeling better.  Thanks to those that drop by and leave comments on here ~ it’s much appreciated.  M xxx

Down in the dumps….

A catching up post today, as promised.

I had a really good weekend as it was cybercrop on UKS and I managed to get 6 layouts done….some of which I’m quite pleased with.

View Full Album

However, the real thorn in my side at the moment is money or should I say lack there of. My husband is self-employed as a driving instructor and has been for 4 or 5 years now but we’ve never known business to be as slow as it is at the moment.

Although there are ‘signs of green shoots’ in the economic world I’m afraid it hasn’t filtered down to us yet so it will be another grim Christmas/New Year although, luckily, I have been saving a bit throughout the year which will help.

Anyway, enough doom and gloom and I know we’re not the only ones in this position, I’m sure we’ll survive somehow.

We also have another problem to solve now thanks to Dexter the rabbit! I got home from work lunchtime yesterday to find a note through my door saying that our rabbit had escaped and he was now ‘resting’ at No.1. I dutifully went over there to collect said rabbit and deposit him back in the garden. 10 minutes later I went out to check on him and he’d gone again!! Luckily he hadn’t strayed too far and so I managed to catch him and he’s now ‘confined to quarters’ until we can build higher walls/fences…..the little bugger!

I went with DH to see 2012 last night and all I can say is…………………………..what a load of cobblers!! It was far too long and full of Hollywood clichés. The acting was wooden, the attempts at humour were woeful and the special effects weren’t that ‘special’. DH said if he had gone by himself he would have walked out after half an hour!!  Have you seen it yet?  What did you think?

Sorry….

A thousand apologies to any of my followers have been waiting for my next post but I’ve been feeling a bit down recently but am trying to drag myself out of the doldrums and didn’t want to inflict my woes on you.

I’m off our with DH tonight to see 2012 (I’m in the mood for a good ‘end of the world’ movie) LOL.  DH doesn’t usually do movies but wanted to see this one……I hope it’s good ~ will let you know tomorrow when I’m going to do a catching up post.

Five of the best

Today I’m reading…

I’m eating…

I’m watching…

I’m loving this blog…

Paperview           (I’m a big fan Nancy) 

And this photo…

 

The stationery cupboard ….

Do you ever look at things every day and not even see them?  They become part of the mundane that we don’t really notice until someone else comments on it.

The grey, boring, wonky stationery cupboard at work is like that.  I usually just open the cupboard get what is needed and shut the door again but every now and then someone will ask ‘any new pictures?’  We stop and have a look at the inside of the two doors on which are stuck lots of pictures of various members of staff, some in fancy dress, some with ‘celebratities’, some with their children/grandchildren.

View Full Album

It all started with just one photo that got stuck on there for a bit of a laugh and somehow it has snowballed over the years ‘til now, when there’s hardly any space left.  Where will it all end I wonder?  Will the ‘boss man’ make me take them all down?  Will I have to take the old ones down to make way for new ones?  Who knows?  But for the time being it makes people smile……when they remember to stop and look!

Calendar girl….

Following on from yesterday’s post I can now reveal that the project I was working on was desk calendars as Christmas gifts for my family and here is the prototype….  

  

The template was bought from Peppermintcreative.com

The hardest part was sorting through the photos and trying to get a fair share of each family in there (I’ve got 4 brothers!).  Might do the same for DH’s family this year too, using photos of them.

Other than that I haven’t done anything too exciting today although I am attempting to bake a banana cake as we speak, with some over-ripe ‘nans that I had left from last week.  Haven’t baked anything in ages so wish me luck!  Will blog the result tomorrow…..unless it’s a complete disaster!

 

AND…. following on from Shim’s weekend bonus I have been messing with my blog again!!

Tis the season….

Must be the festive season because I’ve just had my first Starbucks Eggnog Latte!    I went into town with my daughter and couldn’t resist a Starbucks and muffin.

As it happened M&S have their meal for a tenner offer on this weekend so I bought two of them (well there is three of us for tea).  I do think they are good value and as we’re short of cash these days it’s a nice treat every now and then!  We’ve got mussels, chicken, potatoes, raspberry panacotta, melting middle choc pudd and two bottles of wine.  We’ll be sat in front of ‘Strictly’ with lap trays and a glass of vino ~ bliss!  (That’s DH starting on the mussels off).

I’ve started working on a Christmas project as gifts for   my family this year……more of this to follow.  Which means I’ve been sat in front of the PC for quite a while today ~ so when this post is published I’m switching off!!

 

The greatest concert…..

that never was!  I’ve just been to see the Michael Jackson film and although I’m not a mega-fan I do think he was a very talented person!! 

It was a good movie and talking of movies I’m going to post ‘my favs’ once a week as suggested on Shim’s prompt today so here goes…..

Five Fav Films…..

• Gone With the Wind
• Gladiator
• Shrek
• Alien
• Chicago

Thanks for taking time to pop by my blog!

Day two…..

of Shimelle’s prompts for a better, more informative blog!

This afternoon we had a rather nasty surprise or should I say Dexter did ~ poor fella!  Luckily Adrian happened to be looking out the kitchen window when he spotted a dog chasing Dexter around the back garden.  He went out to shoo the dog off and I managed to catch Dexter and brought him indoors to see if he was OK, which luckily he was.  After a little hug and some soothing words he settled down for a little  while on the settee beside me.  Adrian found out that the dog belonged to a workman working two doors down from us who wasn’t keeping an eye on him whilst he was working…grrrr.

I’ve decided not to go down the layout route for this project at the moment and just concentrate on the blogging aspect of Shim’s class.

Disappointed…..

I don’t know if it’s me being really thick or my stupid PC set up or tiredness or what but I’m just not getting on with the instructions for Google Reader and how to set it up.  I’m giving up for today and hopefully will have more time and patience tomorrow maybe.

Having just read the 1st prompt I downloaded yesterday.....I would like to add that my intentions for this blog over the coming weeks/months/years is to commit myself to blogging at least 3 times a week and to adding photos to each upload.