~*~Life as Me~*~

Just a quick catch up, for journalling purposes!

Time flies when you're having fun right? Right! I was having fun and by the time I sat down at night to check emails etc I was just too exhausted or totally uninspired to write anything. So here I am, ready for another dose of wafflemania!! :)

My big and exciting news for this week is:

• Jay and Emma are getting married on 7th March 2009
• On or very close to my birthday in October I am going to become a Nan (Grandma) for the very first time! It's ok, be happy for me, I am exstatic even though they planned the wedding before the baby but hey, worse happens!
• I have finally got projects in the pipework for the website (the totally neglected one!)
• I was sent an anonymous gift of £100 in cash. It was hand delivered so have NO idea where it came from

Life is looking good right now, ok so there are some disappointements and frustrations but such is life eh? I have much to be thankful for.

The house I was going to swap to has fallen through, not the end of the world although I admit to being disappointed but I know another will come along when the time is right. So right now I am redecorating this house and determined to finish what I start! 8am yesterday I was painting my toilet room and decided to use some of the 'gift money' to buy some blinds, dried flowers and new mats so I can finish the bathroom too. Still have most of the cash left so holding on to that for now.

Conversation with Charley yesterday:

Me: Have you seen the toilet? I painted it
Charley: No you haven't, its still white!
Me: I mean the room
Charley: Why did you say toilet then?
Me: Just did
Charley: Doh mum!!
Then walked off totally uninterested to his room!

Conversation with Charley in the car on our way to the Range in Cheltenham:

Charley: I like clouds mum
Me: Yeah they are pretty aren't they?
Charley: No they are blue
Me: Oh ok
Charley: Did you know they are different shapes?
Me: Uh?
Charley: Oh mum, do you know much?

I guess I need to go back to school!! :)

At the moment his current trends are as follows:

• Sea Cows
• Cboobies (he forgets that its really called Cbeebies
• My camera - Might have to add his own gallery here!
• Cookie cutter shaped sandwiches and toast
• Dumbo the movie
• Noah's Ark pop up book
• Slippers, and not just his own

I forgot the password for his blog, so I'm adding this stuff here cos I know I'll forget otherwise!! Lol

The you tube video I posted with Kirsten singing has got a lot of interest, more than I expected so THANK YOU to those who took the time to comment or email and THANK YOU to the three people who have offered to record her with professional background systems, she is totally excited at the prospect. I believe she is going to redo the song though, with less artificial spluttering at the beginning and better light! My girl rocks!! ;)

On that note I am off to work on my to-do list, it has 33 items on it right now...and that's just internet related that i'm overdue with! I will get there though, the power of the mind and sheer determination will rule!! :)

Probably back later. Don't wait around though in case i'm not. I can be very forgetful at times!! :) Just cos I dont particularly like blogs without pictures, I'm adding these for now:

Tillie ~ The cat that sleeps anywhere, eats everything, hides and just literally lives the free life!!

Queen of the sofa!! ;)

~*~Debs~*~

November already!

This year I feel like I have been counting down the months, for one thing or another there's been something to look forward to. I browsed through my calendar the other day, which has almost every appointment, deadline, birthday, event etc listed on it, and found that I had only missed 4 dentists appointments, 2 opticians appointments and about 4 other appointments...not bad going over a 10 month, 3 day period is it? Lol

10 months ago I was at a totally different place in my life, much more fragile emotionally, mentally and spiritually. My family were much more insecure about the future and what it held and I have to say there were more thorns in my side than there are lately, but as the year has waded by I can look back now and see how things have unfolded, worked out and just plain fizzled out, almost like watching my life in a film!

Just a bit of quick, mental assessment going on there trying to sum up my year over all, and I have to say it's been a pretty good one, not perfect and not always how I expected but a pretty good one all the same, we can't ask for more can we?

This weekend has been fun. Friday night we went to the Midlands, for my cousins surprise 40th birthday party (think I mentioned that previously?), it was a lovely night but poor Charley was so ill he lay on my lap all night, some how napping through the loud music. Saturday was a day in, there was no way I was taking Charley out for longer than absolutely necessary so R, the kids and I sat and made this:

A tropical fish tank! Now how cool is that? Lol The kids loved it, Lucas loved making the crabs, Kirsten loved all of it and Charley loved the talking all the way through it and kinda loved the glueing...till it got all over his fingers!! I think the end result is pretty great eh? Going to be a shame when I have to take them all out later to put my papers back in!!

No more photos for this post, one of the kids has been playing with the delete button so the ones I wanted to share....are gone forever now.

The Christmas Calendar Project is in full swing, it will be previewed here ASAP, there is still a lot to be done with it before its ready to be freed into the big, big world. It's been a very big project to take on, it's caused many tears along the way, much frustration and HUNDREDS of hours of sheer researching to get all the extra's that it has with it. The project will not be one that should be missed, it will TOTALLY guide you throughout December, not just this year but any year so it can be either re-used or remade! I'm not sure if I will release it as a kit yet though, even though there has been some interest in the full kit form, I dont want to be hitting the postal hiccups that tend to happen this late in the day. Though it's release is a lot later than I planned, it is still possible for the busy mum to put it together in a very realistic amount of time ready for the beginning of the festive season! If you want to get in on this project, sign up for my newsletter, which is at the bottom of the homepage on my site....HERE or you can get email alerts from this blog somewhere on the left side panel over there. This blog will be the first place I announce its release and put previews of the finished project.

In my photo gallery up there, I have a few photos of some tins that I made a while back, they were just the sample stock I had when I used to make them to order in a variety of themes. The Christmas one will now be used to make a similar project to the Calendar above, only this will be made in tabbed sections. The project above is made with Basic Grey's Wassail Collection, where this one will be made using Dovecraft's Victorian Christmas range which I think is rather cute!

Both of the above projects will be full to over flowing of information all geared to preparing all we can for Christmas Day, the first however will hold so much more but the tin version will be more versatile and enable anyone to add to it as much as they need to suit their own needs. Both will include some inspiring ideas, gifts, homemade decorations, recipes, gift ideas, kids activity ideas and trust me, LOADS more!! ;)

Moving on, I was working out what I have left to get on my Christmas list, though it has grown considerably this year I am still pretty much on target with it all. In doing the above projects I have been experimenting with some of the recipes I would like to include so now I think I have mastered some interesting bakes it's time to make more and wrap them before freezing them. I'm not adding photos of them cos as I said, they are towards the project itself! :) However, there is going to be some large batches coming up that Kirsten and I have decided will be made up into gift baskets for some relevant people she would like to give them to. Is it just me or does this cold weather bring the baker out in us? Kirsten cant bake enough of anything right now, she's off on shortbread lately, next she wants to try cinnemon buns...wish us luck, she's expecting the untrained, burnt boiled egg pro to be the one to guide her!! Lol I have my limits in the culinary area but hey, if I can try it I know anyone can!! :)

Ok, enough from me now, I have a car to load, and two kids to organise ready for lunch...I believe Kirsten is making it today, probably something like cheese on toast which just happens to be her favourite right now!! Lol

Kit or Project?

I've been trying to figure out whether to put my Christmas Calendar Project on my website as a kit or a project only. Feedback would be really good!

After speaking to four of the schools I get called into to do projects with, they have asked me to put together a smaller project for the kids to make for their mum's (we're talking 8-11 yr olds) but want it in kit form. The secondary schools I get called into want the project only so the girls can do it as an after school club (lead by me) and use their own styles, tastes etc which is fine with me.

The problem i'm having is after the Ellie Wiseman's Box Book Project had so much interest, very little came of it and I dont want to be left with a few hundred pounds worth of stock that will just sit and sit. So after leaving this question on a few forums and groups i'm in, the general consensus is kits....now i'm adding the question here to see what other opinions are.

I know its always a gamble to produce a kit, and with all the kits and clubs out there why should mine be any different, well let me tell you:

* This is NOT a kit club
* It's not going to be packed with rubbish or mismatched items
* It is truly cost effective as I do not have to pay overheads such as rent on a shop etc
* The whole project can be done with all that is in the box
* There is no commitment to buy anything else from me
* Its a seasonal special that I have NOT seen anything even remotely close to
* Will have layouts and other stuff made exclusively from other well known names (sorry, cant reveal who just yet)
* If you do not like the kit and it is returned within 4 days I will give a full refund and ask no questions
* A gallery just for the Calendars will be made over on my website for all those wishing to share what they have made
* I am prepared to post worldwide at the lowest rates
* You will receive your kit within 48 hours of cleared payments, by recorded delivery (uk & excluding Sundays)

So there you have it, now what do I do? Go the whole hog and do the kit online, just the project version or even both? I think i've just confused myself!! :(

I may be back later to blog again, I have a range of stuff I want to put on here but time, energy and thinking power still remain in control! :)

~*~Debs~*~