ATC (January)

Well I've made my first ever ATC



it was number 1 of 4, which are all here...



but WHY you ask?

Well at Christmas I was very lucky to receive my first ever ATC from susiej, she also sent them to a few others, so Sue asked if we wanted to do a swap, just send one out a month, so thought yes I could manage that... They're are 14 of us now, and most of us are first timers....

Each month, one of us will set a a theme and send them onto another person on Sue's list...

Sue set the January theme which was SNOW and I sent my first ever one to Donna...

OK think the corners are a little too rounded, but it was my first attempt... and I can only get better, lol... and look on the bright side, I've done some crafting, even if it's just a few inches worth, hahaha...

I've not received mine from my swap partner yet, but will add it here when I do...

New Award...

Thank you Gina for this lovely award...

I must name 3 things I must never do. and pass it onto 3 people...

So here are my 3 things...

1... I must never stop buying stash...
2... I must never forget to take my mobile out with me...
3... I must never support Southampton Football Club...

and I now pass it onto....

Sue, Alyson and Jackie....

Sizzix sale...

Well what a palaver that was, over Christmas the Sizzix site started their BIG sale, where dies had up to 85% off.... so as I had got some Christmas money, thought I would see if they're were any I needed...
The site was soooooo slow, but got there in the end and placed an order....

But it seems that what you paid for, was not a guarantee that you would receive it, as they were so inundated with orders the site could not cope with saying what was sold out and what was not... it caused quite a lot of upset on different web sites on some people not getting anything they had thought they had ordered...

I was one of the lucky ones and only had 5 items short, but below is what I did receive....





Then I was emailing Sue about wanting an alphabet that would fit on notebooks, she advised me to look at the Decorative strips, so yes you've guessed it, another trip to the Sizzix web site (thanks sue)... but luckily this time the site was not so slow....
of the 2nd order I was just 2 items short... and as you can see, I managed to get a few alphabets strips and some cute little cars, lol...





Finally here is the few items I got with some of the sale money they owed me, so in all I did get some good bargains, just a shame it's so much hassle in doing it...




NOW would I do it again?????


YES but only if the prices were good and had dies that I really really need, lol...

Will take some photos of the way I store them in the next few days, as on scrap booking section on do-crafts we were discussing how do everyone store their dies....

Christmas Dotee's...

Sue from do-crafts very kindly did more dotee's this year and now I'm a proud owner of 2 Christmas dotee's for my tree...







Thank you so much Sue, I love them both, thanks...

Crafting, what's that?...

....what a draining week, it started off with snow again, so I had trouble getting Steven down the road for the school transport. Not only did we have to walk in the middle of the road (which totally confused Steven, it's a thing we DON'T do), but also it resulted with me, holding him up with my arm and elbow under he's armpit, which meant I've been in pain all week from my shoulder, down my right side and into my spine and hips, as my body is just not used to taking that sort of weight in that position..... and to cap it all, one day the bus didn't even arrive and as people know who has a special child how they are likely to behave, I did take him into school myself, but the drive was a nightmare, but on a up note he was perfectly fine once he got into class....

but on the brighter side to the week, I got my second sizzix order, the post started arriving again, the dustbin and recycling were emptied and the builders, double glazing men were back in the offices, so manage to get myself 3 appointments for next week with them (OK not sure that is a bright side, but it has to be done) and got 2 this weekend, which as hubby is home he can sort them out....

BUT... the highlight has to be that Man U and Liverpool are out the cup, lol (sorry sue, but Leeds is my childhood football team, hehehe)...

Hopefully things will be a little easier with Steven next week, as hopefully back to a routine, life will be busy as usual, the normal household and business chores, appointments with the builders etc. also got the chance to spend the day at school with Steven (not sure how he will see that!), the hairdressers, (the roots are showing badly) and also need to get back into looking into Steven's transition, so have arranged to go and look at our local college enrichment classes, ready for the BIG meeting the following week...

So in all, a fun and games week, but at least it keeps me out of trouble, and as for time for crafting, Crafting, what's that?

Question?....

How on earth do you fit a fridge, freezer, oven, sink and units in a space by 93" x 87" and with 2 doorways and 1 window....


ANSWER with great difficulty...

(hubby and I have been trying to do just that and not getting very far)...

Handmade Christmas Cards and presents I received....

Hopefully you have a slide show below of the cards and presents I received from my crafty friends.... I was lucky enough to receive 2 from Jan (thanks Jan), as the first one seemed to have gone missing so she sent me another lovely card, only for the first to show up last week, lol.... So I'm a proud owner of 2....
and the green sewn snowflake has not got a name by it, as it came with no writing inside, so would the proud owner please tell me who you are, so I can thank you....

I just want to add a BIG Thank you to you all, for my lovely hand made Christmas presents they are all fab, which I really appreciate and will treasure, thank you...

PS you might have realized Sue's 2009 dotee is not shown, but she's now tucked away with dotee 2008, but I did take a picture of them on my tree at Christmas and it will follow soon...

Assaulting the pavements, lol...

Well hubby has not been able to go to work again today, as our road is just a sheet of ice, and he's needs to go by car as buses and trains don't run to where he is working at the moment...

So he thought he would try and find our forecourt, pavement and car by clearing away the snow and ice... he then asked if I had any spare salt to put down.... so I gave him our salt grinder, lol...



but I think it's going to be a long job, lol...



I think he's made a good job of it and also cleared our elderly neighbours path too, so I made him a hot drink as a consolation, lol...

also I'm pleased to see he's still got a sense of humor, as no work for 2 days, means no pay...

Snow day...

We had a lovely lot of snow last night around 5-6", Sam was not too pleased though as I said Steven wouldn't be going to school, and Clive also didn't venture to work, as where he is working we heard on the radio that a lorry had jack knifed and the road was closed, (luckily no one was hurt).... so Sam phoned the practice manager (hoping) but was told they were still open... had to laugh though as no dentist had made it into work, just the practice manager, Sam (a dental nurse) and a hygienist, so they closed after phoning and canceling the people who had not already phoned to cancel, so she had half a snow day....

Had to laugh at Steven also, as he kept looking out the back window and was not impressed... I had hoped to take him out for a walk in it, but both Sam and my sister who had to walk to work in it, said it was too slippery, so we stayed put in doors watching DVD's...

Clive took the opportunity to go round and do some work on Sam's house... Sam also went round the house to help Clive for a bit before coming home, so then I took the opportunity to get Steven out in the garden, as still fresh snow and not slippery, but not only Steven was not impressed with the snow but he's not one for going out into the garden, but with Sam's help of taking photo's did manage to get a few photos....





and I even managed to get Steven to actually hold some snow, the idea was him to throw it, but he just dropped it, lol... do you like he's new hat, Claire (he's sessional worker) bought him and a matching scarf for Christmas, it's got the dangler ear pieces, lol...



I have also taken some photos of the garden in the snow, hopefully will do a slide show of them very soon...

Best laid plans....

are not always worth doing as it is other things that I cannot change get in the way... LOL....

This morning I thought I would quickly nip to the gym as always feel better after doing an hour there, to find that they've change all the machines since I was last there (nearly 4 weeks ago), so only did half an hour on the cross trainer and that was after asking someone to show me how to start it, then did 15 minutes on the power plate... Ive booked an appointment with an instructor to log me in and show me the new machines on Thursday...

I came home and had a lovely hot shower, did a few chores then settled down to start the paperwork, did quite well, and had hoped that tomorrow I would make a dent in it, but was told on when picking Steven up from the mini bus there will be no school transport tomorrow. It seems Portsmouth City Council has taken to heart the prediction of the severe weather warning, so have decided to NOT do any school transport tomorrow... So unless I take Steven into school myself which I did do until 2 years ago, he will not be going into school tomorrow... At first thought I would see what the weather was like in the morning, but to be honest as it's so cold out anyway, I think I will keep him home, so the paperwork will just have to wait another couple of days, lol...

As you know I do the weeks menu on Sunday to what meal we're having, to have hubby phone to say he would be working late, so instead of French style sausage casserole, Steven and I would have salad and baked potatoes.... (I always have a quick back up meal in case it's needed, lol)...

Last year I bought a little magnet white board in the lakeland sales, it was originally for Sam for when she moved out, but seeing she's still living here and that as it has four sides, I thought I could make use of it. So I've got one side for the business, one for Sam's house, the other for Steven's transition and lastly one for this house.... slight problem, it seems I have so much to do, I also needed to write things on a separate piece of paper, of whats need doing everyday, so not maybe such a good idea as I thought, lol...

WOW, maybe the weathermen have actually got it right, as one minute it was raining, then sleet and now heavy snowflakes, and that all changed in a space of 10 minutes, it's looks pretty out there, but I will not settle till hubby is home safely... Sam's already home as she only works till 10.30 on Tuesday's...

I hope everyone else is safe and snug at home........

Where did the time go?

Cannot believe Steven was back to school today, and me back to clock watching, where did the last 2 weeks go too...

He was 'so' excited when he saw the bus coming down the road (me too, as was a little bit cold waiting at the bus stop) he was so pleased to see some of he's school friends and Sharon the lovely escort....

Me, I came home chatting to a plumber who lives a long the road, asking him if he could come and look at the bathroom in the other house, (feels weired being a landlady)... also asked him about builders as Sam and Matt would like the wall knocked through from the front room into the dinning room and doors fitted...

I then got the nice frost free car out of the garage and drove to Asda to do the weeks shopping, then home via Homebase and Sainsbury's, put all the shopping away and sorted the meat out, by cutting it all up, weighing and putting into bags and in the freezer, (makes life easier, as can grab what I want, when I want)...I then started on the phone calls to the council, builders etc... (maybe not so much fun being a landlady after all)....

Then I actually sat down for half an hour and had some lunch (one of my aims) and put the TV on as had an email earlier from Gina to say they were doing a craft outlet show on QVC, and yes ended up buying (another) Christmas delight box, well have used some of the first one I bought when it was a TSV some time ago, and it was a bargain at just £20.... honest it's worth a look, it's a never ending box of goodies and delights... you would not be disappointed...

I managed to run the hoover through before going to pick Steven up off the bus, he seemed to have had a good day, but was little pickle when he got home right up to the time he went to bed, but for the first time in 2 weeks I think he is actually asleep before 11'0'clock...

Tomorrow have the paperwork to do, for the business, this house and now of course the other house, and I hate paperwork... but on the upside, am hoping to take photos of all my handmade Christmas cards and presents I had....

My aims for 2010

Right I don't do resolutions, as to be honest I very rarely can keep to them...

but if I did it would be TO GIVE UP SMOKING.... (as seeing I've never smoked, will be an easy one to keep, hahaha)...

So instead am going to try and do some aims every month, did try this a few years back, but didn't get far as like with everyone else, life sometimes gets in the way of things, lol....

Right here goes, in no particular order...

MAKE MORE TIME FOR MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS.... by meeting up, chatting on the phone or via emails

HAVE A BATH AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH... don't laugh or screw your nose up, it's just I always jump in the shower every day, because of time.

DE-CLUTTER THE HOUSE AND GARAGE

DECORATE THE ATTIC... and make into a craft room, when daughter finally moves out...

USE UP OLD STASH... by doing some crafting at least once a month

START MY CHRISTMAS CRAFTING EARLY... by doing something every few months

TRY AND EAT BREAKFAST OR LUNCH EVERY DAY... and that's not half a dozen packets of crisps, like I normally do

SORT OUT AND PRINT MY PHOTOS... even if it's via the computer sites or shops

LEARN TO DO A SLIDE SHOW... for my blog

LEARN SOME NEW TECHNIQUES... to use on cards and scrapbook pages

I've a few 'must do'... Steven's transition to sort out and of course the business paperwork has to be kept up to scratch and now helping Sam and Matt with their house...

so think this year will be yet another busy one for me, oh well at least it will keep me out of trouble...