Saturday 29 December 2012

Love Actually, Actually.

As I watch this film (that in more frivolous years I loved) with one eye, whilst I catch up with a few things online, I couldn't help but think about what Hugh Grant (erm...The Prime Minister) says at the beginning of the film.

That really Love is all around...

My family.

My friend that got married this year and couldn't be more loved up.

My other friend that got married this year and is so happy enjoying her first christmas together with her husband.

Two colleagues that celebrated a year of being together today.

A colleague that has just moved into a really nice house with her children after a difficult year in a bad flat.

A colleague that recently got engaged and three other colleagues that are marrying in 2013.

Two colleagues that happily moved in together.

Friends and family that have celebrated 25, 30, 40 and 50 years of marriage.

So despite all the hard and difficult things that we all face (and those that I love and care for have faced too much of that this year) it is still there if you look for it and I am grateful to still be able to see it. 

image from google images

Come on 2013, what nice things, what lovely things do you have for us?





Friday 28 December 2012

Project Life: JYC styleee.

Firstly, I would love to take the opportunity to wish all of my lovely readers, subscribers and followers, season's greetings. As we turn into the new year I hope you all have the year that you wish for yourself. I am hoping for a bit of peace on the home and family front and a bit of an adventure on the work front.  

Well it took me forever to suss out how to record December, the season, this year. Through November I was convinced that I would complete project life and a fabulous Journal Your Christmas scrapbook. But by the end of November I realised that if I made a book I would scrape through project life. So I decided to amalgamate.

The first spread.








The second spread.







I have five more spreads completes to take us up to Christmas Eve (and with a bit of light, the camera and the album in the same place in the next couple of days I will share) and I imagine there will be a couple more from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I will add in what we do at New Year (supper and a movie is on the cards, I know, steady on gal) and call it done for 2012. 

I cannot believe that I have managed the photo a day challenge and project life. I have struggled but perservered with the photo a day for the last 3 months and there was a couple of times when I got up to 6 weeks behind on project life and basically did a photo and filler job for a few weeks, but the rest of the weeks where I did keep up are great. My favourite scrapping this year. 

So I am definitely carrying on and have a few tips up my sleeve to make it even simpler and a bit different. With children of school age you have similar years, ebbs and flows, around the school timetable and events that they love to celebrate. I have captured that this year so I am going to look for other angles on our lives, more our thoughts rather than what we did.

OK, enjoy the last few days of 2012 and I will be back with the rest of project life. x




Saturday 15 December 2012

Be Afraid.

Raising money for charidee yesterday.

Watch at your own peril.



Be Afraid. from Jennie Hart on Vimeo.

I did warn you.

Friday 14 December 2012

Hello, hello, hello...

...and a very merry christmas to you all. 


I was so well intentioned that I would be all bloggy, project lifeyinstagrammey and crafty and I am happy that I have been doing all of it apart from the bloggy bit so I thought I would do a bit of catchy-uppy.

I love being so busy doing Christmassy stuff, usually it feels a bit of a chore after long working days so my manifesto this year (as I am part-time, discussed so many times ;) ) was to make it handmade, to dial it back to having a nice peaceful time and to record it in some fashion. I am so happy that I have. 

I have loved the JYC prompts, it has really helped 'frame' it all, thanks Shimelle. I have loved sharing photos through #JYC2012 on Instagram. 
I have loved baking new recipes, hello orange curd infused christmas brioche. 





I have loved making advent boxes filled with sweets and nuts.


I have loved making snowflakes and other decorations to hang in the window, on the tree and attach to cards as a gift.


I have loved hanging out with my dookie boys, watching movies and cuddling.



I have loved dressing up and serving my colleagues a lovely christmas dinner and then partying with them (although the Jaeger Bombs? Not so much.)




I have loved the little moments, Mr or Mrs Robin visiting us every day and getting braver, (hoping, they will sing soon too),


Cradling a Costa Black Forest Hot Chocolate whilst waiting in the cold.


Helping Mum make the christmas wreath (similar to the one I made for Halloween here from a UKS challenge) and seeing her pleasure that she made it.


Trimming the tree, they are all laughing at me here as I am generally happy with the colour, lights and adornments, but not the size of it. They have all agreed that in addition to the Christmas gift fund, we will have a christmas tree fund to get me a replacement tree for the one I lost two years ago *sigh*. This little creature Minty mainly responsible for it's demise due to her running through the tree to get to her windowsill.




New decorations this year, green glitter baubles and some Dorset Button style ones that are a lovely blog prize I won on Sue's blog for one of Creative Craft World's Christmas Countdown posts


I have loved the big things, seeing people, Chris & Tony (the two most nicest people on the planet) coming to visit for the day, my bestie Sue being near and able to go for the nicest lunch with, going to see a show with Louis, Farm Boy (there is still magic with an older child I am pleased to see), going to see a ballet, Roald Dahl's Little Red Riding Hood (a first for me, mum and Ali), seeing Ali sing at the library christmas fayre


It's all been good, well except the day after (and the day after) the Jaeger Bombs.

Sunday 2 December 2012

Lighting the Lights.

I am joining in with Sian's Storytelling Sunday and this is part of my Christmas journaling massively helped by Shimelle's JYC2012.


My favourite way to start off Christmas round our way. Lighting the lights in our town. Starting with a procession through the town of all the children and their (slightly giddy) parents carrying lanterns. Ali made his in class and brought it home all ready. Mum and I made our own.



The first drama was it slipping out of the string that they had tied it on with and smashing to smithereens on the pavement. Ali took it very well and fortunately he could carry one of ours.

Of course Santa came.


After we reached the War Memorial we had the countdown to switching on the lights, the lights came on and then a lovely fireworks display.




The second drama (and not nearly so bad) was recording the fireworks and being happy that this year I had my lovely phone that could do this and then realising I hadn't pressed play. There is a precedent for this when I failed to press record when Ali took his investiture into the Beavers, lesson not learned then.

Ali wanted to spend his pennies on this bonkers hat, that has mittens on the end of it's very long ears, which is pretty genius or pretty wierd; not sure which yet?


It was pretty nice that we didn't have the torrential rain of last year and was crispy and cold with a bright moon. A lovely natural light.


So the season started there really.





Saturday 1 December 2012

Yay, December.

Is it really? Great, I have been looking forward to it.

For my third year I shall be joining in with Journal Your Christmas, Shimelle's annual class that you will no doubt know about. Should you not, then please have a look here.

So today we are thinking about the season and how we are approaching it, what we are thinking about it. 
I love this part of the season; the anticipation, the slightly-out-of-breath-i've-so-much-to-do feeling. 

I like that we take time to think about it and record it as well as doing it.

  JYC Manifesto

So here is to looking for peacefulness.
What are you looking for this season? Fun, cuddles, laughter, quiet? I'd love to know.