Happy New Year...

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year...

Hope 2010 brings you all what you want it to...

Refection on 2009

On a down note, as you all know I lost my dad after a short illness at the age of 68, four of Stevens friends aged between 15 and 21... and a few other friends or friends of friends, in all not a very good year for loosing loves ones and friends. So what I would say to you all, is appreciate life and make the most of having your friends, family and love ones around you, as you never know what is waiting round the corner...

On a 'UP' note, my daughter got engaged to Matt, Steven turned 18 and had a lovely party with family, friends and even he's school teachers and assistants came along... and he went on a couple of holidays with he's school friends over the Island of Wight and Butlins in Bognor Regis... we did a couple of short breaks away to Wales and Dublin.... and of course Sam and Matt sneaked getting their house in, just before the end of the year...

Now what were my aims for 2009 that I set in January? well I think one was to (try) find time for a relaxing bath at least once a month, well I only got to about March with that one, BUT things have looked up the last few months as hubby has been working local, so have managed, drum roll please..... 4 baths in the last 2 months, da dah...

and as for the 52 Q&A, well, did cut a load of tags out, but got to be honest and only got to week 8...

As for Gina's Christmas challenge, that one started OK and which also got to March, so got 3 gifts made, but again other things took priority, like my family...

...but when I actually did some crafting I did use up some old stash like CC blog challenge.... OK OK and I have bought new stash to replace it...

So what are my aims for 2010? well you're just have to watch this space........

What have I been working on....

and it's not crafting...






Well it's all done and dusted, my daughter and fiance have

a house....


We all viewed it on Friday 20th November...

then while Clive was away in Birmingham at a train exhibit on Saturday 21st, I made an offer for the house, and after a little bit of haggling they accepted... (well that will teach Clive to leave me alone for the day, lol)...

But of course Clive, Sam and Matt have been working, so who's been left sorting out the solicitor's, estate agents, financial adviser, getting a survey, people in to check things out but on the 22nd December, it was all worth it, as Steven and I collected the keys, yes while the other were working...

To say I was in state of shock was an understatement, as I had hoped to push it through quickly as wanted to save on stamp duty that is due to go up on the 1st January 2010, but was also frightened they would back out the sale, as already lost 2 in the last 12 months.... but to do it all in 32 days, WOW no wonder I had a sore throat with all the phone calls...

It needs a bit of work on it, like replacing the NAVY bathroom suite and tiles, and the kitchen are the original cupboards.... the decor is not too bad, but Sam and Matt can sort that out, it will take time, (and money) but will make them appreciate things and make it their home, rather than just a house...

The kids didn't know I had picked the keys up, in fact they didn't even know we had exchanged let alone completed. (one advantage of Steven not being able to talk and spill the beans)...Clive and I decided, we would tell them when we were all together, and the earliest that would be would be Christmas Day in the afternoon, so that what we did. We put the keys in a cracker (it was just making sure they had the right cracker) and watched their faces when they pulled the cracker for the keys to fall out, they were speechless, lol...



Matt was in shock and Sam just said 'does that mean we've actually got it, it's really ours?'......



and yes it is....

from my daughter....

she knows me so well, lol.....

but I soon let her off, as she had arranged with my auntie who had been visiting her son in Americas to buy me some stash, (and as you all know I'm in need of more, lol)...



I had some lovely presents, rose wine, (oh dear cannot use rose for cooking, oh well will have to drink it), bubble bath, body lotions, lots of sweets and chocolates, a family photo shoot, money, new jarmys saying 'grumpy but gorgeous' (another from my darling daughter!) DVD's and CD's to name a few, so had a fab but busy time...

It did feel funny sitting down to Christmas lunch without dad, and making and writing a Christmas card to just my mum. She wasn't too bad, had her moments which was understandable, but we would remember the good times of Christmas's pass, of when dad climbed in the box of steven's see saw one year, and it collapsed with him ended up lying in fits of laughter on the floor, yes it's good to remember the happy times...

I hope you all had a good Christmas and those without their love ones, can remember the good times of when they were around..

MERRY CHRISTMAS

sorry if I've not round to saying it to everyone,

MERRY CHRISTMAS

hope you all have a fab day and Christmas...

sparkles and hugs to all....

I day to go.....

...

OH MY GOODNESS....

I've got a FAT book, on my goodness, what a shock, I don't know what to say, for once I'm speechless... I don't feel I deserve one of these..

For those that don't know what a FAT book is, it's made up of pages from lots of different people and bound together into a book, I cannot believe it, I've even got a page from Sophie, Alyson's lovely daughter...

I will do a slide show of it, but still cannot believe it, I want to say a BIG FAT THANK YOU Alma, Alyson, Ann, Carole, Donna, Gill, Jackie, Jan, Jenni, Margaret, Sall, Sue, Susiej, Suzie, Valeria and a extra special thank you to Sophie, Alyson's daughter, and of course Gina, who I guess organized it (seeing it was her that posted it to me, lol)...

Thank you so much ladies, I still cannot believe it, hopefully I've thanked you all personally through emails and PM via do-crafts, as I wanted to know how shocked and pleased I am, thank you all so much, I will treasure it, thank you...

hooray....

As I've not only made, but wrote and posted my Christmas cards...

Well the ones that had to be posted, OK expect one, sorry Susan and Graham, but look on the bright side at least I realized I had forgot to put a stamp on it before Steven put it in the box, otherwise you would have had to fork out to get to see it, saying that it would be worth it, lol...

But don't panic it will be posted tomorrow, as came home and put a stamp on it ready (sorry)....

The house is all clean and tidy, so maybe think about the decorations over the weekend, but need help to get them out the eaves of our attic, as the little door is at the top of Sam's attic stairs. So will need someone to pass the boxes too, and as the eaves are not that wide, need to slide in and pull the boxes towards me and pass them out to someone, lol... now you know why I have not rushed to do them, lol...

I've still got close family cards to make, but am hoping to do them over the next few evening, saying that, not tomorrow as out with the girls, 4 of 'us' mums go out for a Christmas meal, (it's normally 6 of us, but the others are unable to make it), and to be honest am looking forward to it, as could do with some eating, chatting and the odd glass or two of wine....

Sue, hope you get your decorations sorted this weekend too, maybe get your son to get them down from the loft, and sack your hubby, lol...

Can I slip in a little moan, why is when you've been in all day sorting out the housework and seeing a plumber about the shower in the wet room, (it stopped working earlier in the week), I pop out for half an hour to collect Steven off the school bus, to have a couple of parcels delivered or should I say not delivered as I was not here, so now have to go and collect them tomorrow, arhhhh for having to venture into town... OK, sorry moan over.....

Only 9 days....

arhh I'm sure my blog Christmas tree is counting down in double quick time, is anyone else finding this?

I've still got cards to make, write and post, presents are all bought, but not wrapped or delivered to people, no decorations are up and as my blog tree tells me it's only 9 days to go...

It's been busy here with one thing and another, had Steven's Christmas show today, which was lovely, tomorrow he has he's Christmas dinner, pantomime and on Friday the Christmas party and finishes at 1pm, trouble is he came home sneezing and with a runny nose today, so not sure if he will even be going to school tomorrow... I've dosed him up with calpol and am keeping my finger crossed for him, as it will be a shame for him to miss out on all the fun...

Yesterday was another sad day, as I was at yet another funeral of one of Stevens friends, she was only 15, that is 4 friends we've lost this year, it seems so wrong, that I'm worried about making and writing Christmas cards, yet these young people will not be here to celebrate it, why is life so cruel...

On a happier note, I hope everyone are keeping well, and are all up on all the preparations of this festive time, (wish I was, lol)...

Motorbike Action Group...

Well it was that time of year again yesterday, when the bikers come together and have a big ride along Portsdown Hill and down the Eastern Road to the Mary Rose school, bringing money and presents for the children of our school...

We had a total of 141 bikes turn up and I lost count of all the Santa's and reindeer's, it was a sight to be be seen, all those gleaming noisy bikes and my poor fingers, Steven would not let go of me. I had to prise us apart so I could take a few photos, trying to explain I cannot take he's photo while I'm standing next to him holding he's hand, lol...

Here are the pictures I managed to take...






and as you can see, he managed to grab hold of a few friends hands for security, including a man in red, (think he was hoping he was going to be given the present Santa was holding), lol...

A BIG THANK TO ALL INVOLVED, as it was little emotional yesterday, as it was Steven last official MAGS Christmas visit, we will be most welcome next year, as guests, because of course Steven would have left the Mary Rose school and he'll be doing something completely different (of which I'm still working on)...

but on the brighter side, we hopefully have their Easter run to look forward too, if they are kind enough to carry on....

Pinched from....

susiej...

sorry hope you don't mind Sue, I loved your 'count down to Christmas' tree so much that...

I pinched the idea...... from Sue's blog here

hope you don't mind, lol...

Cannot believe

how fast this year is going...

Right update on my Christmas preparations...well I (thought) I had coloured all my stamped Christmas images, but I was wrong, as when I was trying to finish the matting and layering of them onto mirror card, came across some that I had forgotten to colour, lol but I looked on the bright side, and I now have some stamped images ready for next Christmas, hahaha

But the ones that were coloured are all matted and layered now and have chosen some card blanks (yikes didn't realized just how many I had, 2 draws full) some of the colours are not Christmas colour, but will aim to use them up next year, as hope you make a box of general cards, so have some spares all the time...

Tonight am hoping to finish some of Christmas cards, as really must think about the ones that have to be posted, and of course as tomorrow is Sunday, and as you know I usually spend that evening doing the weekly ironing, menus and shopping list for Mondays trip to Asda...

Christmas presents, well have started them, last Tuesday went shopping with my daughter to Southampton, (also took my mum and auntie along for the ride), we did pretty well, splitting up, then meeting up for lunch, then splitting up again. I managed to get all that was on the list for there.
Then Wednesday took an hour off doing the business bookwork, and popped to Makro's and Salisbury's... then on Thursday, met up with my daughter in North End in her extended lunch break, (as they owned her an hour) and we did a little more shopping then...
Yesterday Steven had an inset day off school, so took him out to buy Sam's, Matts and he's nana's Christmas presents, and of course, stopping off at a Swiss Pattisserie for a well deserved cake and coffee...

I think a quick trip to Chichester next week, (lakelands) should mean all the present are sorted... I still need to get in the loft well the 'eves' as have had an attic conversion, so we have no loft storage space left, only some in the eves, and see what wrapping paper I have left from last year, and if I need to makes some tags...

Yearly Newsletter, well did write a few notes down for Clive to start to make into a Newsletter, (he's one and only job for Christmas, lol) as some of them will need to go with the cards that I plan to post next week, (IF finished, lol)...

Food Shopping, not even thought about yet, let alone started...

So in all, I feel as if I've actually done quite well seeing this time last week, had not even finished colouring the stamped images (OK not counting the ones for next year, lol), and had not even thought about what presents I needed to buy, let alone buying them...

Blog award....

I am lucky enough to get this lovely blog award from sue bubbles who was pass it by Donna...

This is what she said about me, lol... Not forgetting the lovely Maria (who taught me how to do these natty hyperlinks!), a good friend and a great mother, and above all......a BRILLIANT stash shopper... ha ha ha!
thank you Sue, it's a privileged to except it...

All you have to do to accept the award is to copy and paste it onto your blog and pass it on to 5 bloggers who make you smile :)"

So here is my list in alphabetical order...

Alyson as I just love looking at her lovely mini books and challenges, she's an inspiration to me, also the work of her daughter...

Diane who's layouts are fab, also did you see her stall she did for Hearing Dogs for deaf people, it was out of this world...

Donna who for a New Years Resolution is going to be a better blogger, not that she know that yet, lol...

Gill another cuttlebug owner, I love looking at her work and reading about her family and that special boy of hers...

Sue C I love seeing and reading about the antics of her scrapbook club Scrappkatz