Home for a Holiday

To Write - "Christmas is all about getting. Getting all you can while the getting is good." Sally Brown, Peanuts.

It's all about far too much food and having a huge pile of presents to open. It's about having the shops full of tinsel before Halloween is even over. Hmm... I think I may have missed the whole "spirit" thing somewhere along the line. "Good-will" is a nice idea in theory, but just applying it at Christmas? I don't believe in that.

Forget all the fictious clap-trap and try and be a good person all year round. You don't need to believe in Christmas Sky Fairies to live a peaceful life.

To Photograph - I shall ignore the Prompt and give you instead this pretty picture of a robin in our snowy garden this morning:




Ribbon and brad by Stacey Towers

Weekly Challenge - Pumpkin 2009

I went digital this week. Doing the Holidays in Hand thing has really put a crimp on my paper mojo. So this is:

1. A scraplift. I've chosen to scrap this layout by Debbie on UKS. (if you're not a member you won't be able to see the Gallery, sorry about that!)
2. Stitching - digital stitches.
3. Scraps. Well, that one is a bit tricky as a digi, so I've chosen to use Scrap Girls freebies as they are all individual pieces and aren't part of a set or a kit.

Thanks for the great challenge ladies!

Stitching - Stacey Towers
Gold Leaves - Bon Scrapatit
Everything Else - Scrap Girls Freebies

The Day After The Night Before

Feeling a little fragile today, but luckily nobody will be expecting much at work as we're all in the same boat from last night. Today it is threatening to snow, in fact, WorkJohn looked out the window, said "The sky is all pinky, it's going to snow." and then Lo! and Behold! It snowed. A pre-Christmas miracle! Well, that or an extratropical cyclone? Whichever, it was impressive.


To Write - At the moment we have no reason to have traditions concerning Santa Claus. However, when I was little Santa had no chimney to climb down, so he'd use his Magic Key, come in the front door, nip upstairs and put my Stocking at the end of the bed, go back downstairs eat the mincepie, drink the port and take the carrot for Rudolph.

I am rather concerned that this Prompt mentions "other Holiday Visitors". What else is supposed to come down your chimney? Aliens?

To Photograph - As nobody comes here every year you will have to settle for this picture of the view from the office as the snow started to fall:


OK, it's a bit of a fake as I used the "Let It Snow" app!

Work-Do Day

To Write - I can't really write on a public blog what I'm most excited to give! The person might see it! I can write that I was excited about the Secret Santa that we had at our Work Party today. My colleague seemed happy with the Jeep I bought him:


and I had fun with my Santa Marionette:

Once again, I am tradition-free when it comes to parcel wrapping. However, John is very good at the bows-and-ribbons thing, so since I've been with him I try harder with my parcel wrapping.

To Photograph - Oh, good grief! Another day when I've already taken this picture, see The Fifteenth for close up parcels and above for photos!

To Do - Prepare for tonight's party!

To Make - Merry! Again! ;)


Our deely-boppers play Jingle Bells!
Ric rac by Stacey Towers.

The 15th

To Write - I think we know me well enough by now that all I have to say to this is "Huh?!" I hope that Vicky remembers to make the mince pies, I hope that the turkey cooks, I hope that my Mother eats what's put in front of her, I hope I can eat chocolate without too much parental disapproval.

When I was younger I hoped for Lego and hoped that I wouldn't have to kiss Auntie Olive with the scratchy mustache (although I still hoped for the money I might get from her). These days I hope for Lego knowing I'll never get it and I am secure in the knowledge that Auntie Olive isn't actually an Auntie after all and I don't have to kiss her.

To Photograph - *insert photo of well-cooked turkey here*

To Do - Get hair cut, buy vegetables, make a Christmas playlist that is suitable for my parents, although not suitable for John's as it includes tracks by Elizabethan minstrel Dante Ferrara, and let's just say he's a bit bawdy at times (I've included track 29...)

To Make - Merry!

Took another pictures of the updated presents under the tree for this layout.

Lace by Stacey Towers.

New Stuff!

Yesterday's layout:


Not brilliant and not really good either. I didn't have anything else to photograph for today and this didn't come out too well. Even tried cutting it away from the background for something a bit different, but because I laid it on the bed and then took the shot at an angle it looks badly distorted.

I'm also getting a little fed-up with these papers, but I tied myself to them at the start so that the "album" would co-ordinate. This is clearly one of the main issues I have with the December Album Projects as a whole!

Decision Made

I'm going to have to quit the Sarah's Cards kit. It's a shame because it's always so good and has opened my eyes to different paper companies, but I've had three problems with them this past couple of months and I just don't want to be worrying about it every time I place an order.

Back in October I ordered some extra cardstock and only one piece arrived. I finally manged to get that sent on to me, but then the November kit arrived minus the Design Team leaflet, which includes a Kit Contents List. Not such a bad thing, but when I finally had a copy of that I discovered why that months kit wasn't as good as previous months, there was stuff missing.

This time I was missing a piece of card, a sheet of journalling tags and a die cut sheet. Have tried emailing, private messaging on the UKS forum and phoning. Nothing works.

If it was just that I was complaining about I'd be miffed, but I wouldn't be angry. However, this third problem is the one that as tipped me over into quitting the kit. Two and a half weeks ago I placed an order in their Sale and it's not arrived. I've certainly been charged for it as my bank statement makes that clear, but no product has arrived.

Of course, it's probably been shipped and is lost, but there's no way to track it. As far as I'm aware they just send them out in the regular post, which means they aren't tracked. This is what I find odd. They might be a small family-run business, but they're still a business and as such should be able to compensate their clients if there's a problem like this.

On the other hand, if I can't get hold of them, how are they supposed to help me? What kind of business is impossible to get hold of? Not one I want to give any more of my money too, that's for sure.

I will now be spending my money at ModScraps, Scrap Shed, Indigo Mill, and Gotta Craft. The last two named do kits (as long as you're quick off the mark!) and that's where I will be going in future. Gotta Craft were the company that introduced me to Wild Saffron by K&Co!


Ranting won't make her reply to me, or my stuff show up, but it makes me feel better.