The wonderful Katie (of Wedigidareya fame and lots of other digi scrapping sites) has joined the Padders, so a convo on digi scrapping - who does, who doesn't, who wants to, what do they want to learn etc) has ensued. It encouraged me to open Photoshop again and have a bit of a play this morning. Yes I know the photo is out of focus. Try as I might I just couldnt get any decent photos of christmas this year, but to be honest putting the camera down and actually enjoying the moment was far more important to me this time round.
Forgive me if I get the credits wrong - I played with so many things this morning I may have forgotten my sources.
Template by Conny B of connyscrappings.blogspot.com
Holly element from Meryl Bartho Christmas red collection at Digitalscrapbookplace
Papers freebie from Creating Keepsakes site, Echos of Asia by Jessica Spraque
And the doodly bit was a free transparency (TLC MerryMine) which I turned into a brush.
I've finally managed to do another page - going for a bit more simple style and even printed the title by putting the cardstock through the printer. The photo's aren't brilliant as the printer seems to want to give them all a lovely christmassy green hue.
This is my boxing day table. And the story to go with it? It starts on Christmas eve when I came home from the Crib service to find a little note on the kitchen worktop propped up against two empty used glasses. 'The elves did it....'
Did what?
Thinking Laura had come in with Wayne I texted her and asked what had the elves done it certainly wasnt any housework. Laura, knowing we were going out to the pub with our friends for a drink texted back asking her father if we were drunk. It apparently wasnt Wayne and her that had left the note. Kelly and Ollie had popped in for a cuppa between Ollie leaving work and going to their party. They had helped themselves to a (soft) drink and also munched through all the sausage rolls, mince pies and shortcake biscuits which Laura and I had spent two days baking ready for the mob arriving on Boxing day! They had also looked in the fridge and decided I wouldnt have any food for them on Boxing Day.
So Boxing Day morning Martin and I had to spend doing another huge bake in. 4 hours of rolling pastry, grating cheese (and my thumb- ouch) cooking another ham (they ate the first one three days before christmas) icing log cakes and mixing bread and biscuits!
So all the family came to ours and stuffed themselves silly, giggled themselves senseless as we opened the christmas pressies, and played board games on the upturned microwave box because the table was still groaning under grub!!
I want to write a lot of thank you's but I dont have the time now so I am going to come back and do that properly, as well as write about our Christmas day.For now I just want to record all the goodies this lucky girl got.From my Secret Santa - A lovely mini album with a gate fold opening and a Lush bubble bath cakeFrom my Stocking swap - which I believe was from Lemon: Chipz anchorzA hand knitted rudolph finger puppetSome chipboard flowers and paisley shapesDouble slide holder with two micro slides in itSome scrub and moisturiser from The SanctuaryA Santa Key decorationA christmas stencilchocolate coinsAnd some Maya Road Journey tins.
In my stocking (from Laura and Martin combined)
Four pair of christmas socks
Foam alpha set
Satin ribbon (reds)
Paper mania alpha stickers (two different sets)
Papermania accent stickers (birthdays)
Wire word (Thank you)
Exfoliating body scrub and bath powders
A chocolate reindeer
From Martin
Ankh PC game
Syberia PC game
From Kelly
The secret files pc game
Wintersmith (Terry Pratchett)
From Laura
Clean and Simple Scrapbooking
Book reading light
From Wayne
A large tin of choccie biscuits
From Pumpkin
Lovely furry slippers
From Mum and Dad
Keepsake PC game
Q/K die folk heart
My SS gave me a whole little baggie full of my fav chocs - Cadbury's fudge. I luuuuve my Santa and its Christmas so blow the calories!!
This one simply wouldnt scan so I have taken a (rather poor) photo of it. Its the page about traditions and it seems we have developed a tradition of having to have bits shaved off the trunk of the tree each year. One year Martin used a chisel and sliced his thumb open, we ended in A&E. This year he attacked it with the bread knife. Luckily all the knives in our house are blunt!!
Laura always ends up decorating it. Kelly sometimes started with us but never focused until the end but Laura always has helped until it was done. This year she dragged Wayne over too, and we had music playing, mulled wine and sausage rolls.
Everything is done. I have spent the morning sorting christmas songs onto itunes so that I can run the ipod all day tomorrow. Then I discovered I have over 300 songs and only 170 fit on so I have all the songs A-J on the ipod. At least I got anything that starts with 'Christmas' LOL At 4 mum and I are going to the crib service at the small church near her, and then this evening over to our friends and out for a drink at their local pub. Martin has had to work all today so he will be tired when he gets home at half seven but I am sure still up for an evening of good company. Tomorrow after we have opened our pressies from Santa its off to my parents for the day. Kelly and Ollie are coming over early to open the presents with us and then going on to his nan's for the day. Laura will be with us until mid afternoon when she will go off to see Wayne and his family. Boxing day everyone is coming to us for the day and we are going to have tree presents and play our board games and what have you. I dont have enough chairs, plates or cutlery so that will be fun!
we got a letter from the LEA saying we had not been accepted for the foster carers program due to my anxiety. This is despite my doctor passing me as fine and despite our original application starting last May. They have said we can apply again in 6 months time.
My SS gave me a baggie full of more lush ribbon today and yesterday a bag of jelly tots. I am so enjoying this advent swap this year.
And Laura and I have spent two days baking for christmas. I saw these ginger bread trees being made on Blue Peter so we thought we would have a go. They are really simple to do. Any gingerbread recipe and then cut two christmas trees out. Cut one of the trees in half lengthways and when baked just 'glue' the halves onto the whole tree at right angles with icing.
My SS sent me some large blossoms in lovely pastel colours. I am really pleased with these because I have been admiring some of the Aussie girls 3D work, especially Carole Janson and they use lots of these so now I can play.And I got tagged by Scrapdolly.Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?Hot Chocolate I am a self confessed chocoholicColoured lights on tree/house or white?White icicles outside the window. coloured lanterns round the porch, coloured on both trees (we have a real one in the lounge and a fake one on the landing) white lights up the staircase, coloured ones on the landing, and red santa's in the dining room. Can you tell I like lights?Do you hang mistletoe?NoWhen do you put your decorations up?The first weekend in december but the tree goes up later because the central heating would kill it off too soon. It usually takes me about 3 days to do on and off because I decorate all the house.What is your favourite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?I loves me roast turkeyWhat's your favourite Christmas memory as a child:Waking up early to open my stockingHow and When did you learn the truth about Santa?I dont remember but I suspect my brother told meDo you open a gift on Christmas Eve?No - that would be norty and santa wouldnt come.How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?Angel first then lights. After that the kids do the rest of the stuff, we have christmas music on and mince pies and mulled wine on the go as we do it.Snow! Love it or Dread it?Hate it with a passion. This stems from a field study course I went on in Wales when I was in the sixth form where it snowed every time we left the youth hostel but we still had to walk over mountains in blizzard conditions. It was so cold it broke the temp testing equipment! Can you ice skate?Yes - very slowly and not often because it makes my ankles ache. We used to go up to Stretham on a Sunday morning when I first started going out with DH. Do you remember your favourite gift?No, I just love getting any pressie. What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?I love it allWhat is your favourite Christmas dessert?My FIL makes the puddings to a secret recipe handed down from his mum. It has enough alcohol in it to run a pub and is soooo yummy. What is your favourite holiday tradition?The crib service on Christmas ever incorporating the Christingle and a navity play at our local churchWhat tops your tree?An angelWhich do you prefer, giving or receiving?Both.What is your favourite Christmas Song?Bing Crosby singing White ChristmasWhat is your favourite Christmas story?Twas the night before christmas
So now I am tagging Shirleen!
my lovely SS sent me one of those fold up hairbrushes for your hand bag. My girls were facinated by the one my mum used to carry round when they were little but I never got round to buying one. This is perfect for me because it has a mirror in the handle that is protected by the brush bit so unlike all my previous handbag mirrors it may not get smashed in my bag. I finally got to do another page for my journal. Now the cards are all out of the way and posted and nearly all the persents bought and wrapped I can finally go back to doing things for me!Ok this may not look that much
but it took me all evening because the menu unfolds a little zig zag mini book filled with photos of our chrissie dinner - thats the bit that took ages - but unfolded it wont fit in the scanner so I am waiting for better lighting to take a photo of it. .
This blogger needs to catch up. Especially with my audiance growing since I have joined the Crafty Blog's site. Actually that is part of the problem, as I feel I should have something crafty to post but every attempt at catching up with my journal has been thwarted in some manner. But I still want to record what my SS has been generously gifting me. So just a couple of cards in the meantime.
On the 16th day ...a wonderful chipboard alpha, it was in a baggie so dont know much about its origin but its really lush
On the 17th day ...some Body shop Papaye Bath and Shower gel to match the Mango I had earlier
On the 18th ....lots of little shiny shiny beads
And today .... a little baggie stuffed with ribbons, in cream, white, grey and blue.
I have been such a lucky girl with my Secret Santa and am enjoying this immensely.
So to life. Saturday should have been catch up day on my journal but I still needed another 15 Chrimble cards, the room was a mess and I just didnt feel like it much. Plus the kids were supposed to be coming round Sunday to put up the tree so I spent most of the day hoovering and tidying (doesnt look like it now though). In the evening we went for a drink (or two) with our mates, and had a much needed giggle (or two). I have to say that even though the pub had its tree up there wasn't much of a christmas atmosphere - is this something I only remember from my youth or movies? I do remember we used to go out to the pub and the whole place would be twinkling with fairy lights, a roaring fire and the Sally Army would come round singing carols. Of course there was always a lot more people in them then too. Perhaps we are just going in the wrong pubs and everyone is in Weatherspoons - i saw people actually queueing to get in the Canterbury one yesterday.
The kids were late coming round to do the tree and again the spirit of Christmas simply didn't get going. I have a feeling they weren't really in the mood having been all day working on their house, and doing the rounds of B&Q, MFI etc for supplies.
And then yesterday I was a taxiservice for Laura as she had to go to uni with her work file but there was no room in the park&ride, so she came and asked me to drop her in. I ended up parking miles out of town, walking in and spending 2 hours wandering around waiting to take her home (it should only have been half an hour, and if I had known I would have gone home and come back). By the time I had dropped my application in to another school wanting maternity cover that was another day gone and nothing done.
In the evening we took my mum to see Eragon. I enjoyed it but felt the story line needed beefing up a bit, too many riding horses and scenery (beautiful as it was) shots, too many fight scenes with enemies who were not defined enough (whatever happened to white hats/black hats so you could tell the baddies?). Driving home was a bit stressful as it looks like winter is finally here, with icy roads and thick patches of fog. Still all home safe and still tucked in bed.
Well not home exactly and not all for christmas but it does feel like I have been on the road all day. What I didnt mention when I said in my last post about going to get the christmas meat and potatoes is that after, my mum wanted to go on to a lovely little fish and chip shop in Deal to have lunch (parked on the sea front watching the waves and seagulls as we munch). My dad proceeded to zig zag across most of Thanet in order to get there and not take any of the same route twice. So it took about an hour to get there.Then Laura had asked me to drive to Sittingbourne (about 23 miles away) to collect her from her 'drinks with the staff) after her day at school. I said I would find the pub and checked it out on multimap but I forgot it would be dark and I wouldnt be able to see road names. Anyway she wanted picking up at half five which meant I got all the oncoming rush hour traffic shining their lights on my rather greasy window screen, and despite my dad's best efforts we couldnt get the screen wash to work. Not only that at one point I must have dredged up some dirt from the petrol tank because the engine started to stall and overheat. There I am, lost on a strange estate, with a car about to die on me, and then I couldnt find my mobile phone (it had fallen out of my bag and gone under the seat)., only to be told my Laura that I could go home again as she didnt want collecting for another hour and a half!Luckily my future son-in-law plied me with a cup of tea, the car cooled down and sorted itself out and I drove home. Wayne had to go get Laura which considering the state she was in (a tad merry) I am rather glad about. Just wish I hadnt spent 2 hours going there and back.
The upshot is that I have only done one more page of my journal and that is a scraplift of Scrapdolly's who has apparently scraplifted Shimelle's. So no originality today I am afraid.
my SS sent to me ...well yesterday it was a set of 4 different coloured gel pens which I have already been busy using to finish off my christmas cards, and today some square sand chips from TLC which included a much needed sanding block, so I am a lucky little bunny.I am falling way behind on my journal. I suppose it must be part of the grieving process but the last two days I have not really felt like doing anything much and I am even struggling to get the last few christmas cards done. But I am going to have a concerted effort to do at least one page this evening - if I can throw off the headache I have had all day.We did do something towards christmas though, we took a trip (mum dad and I) down the coast to a farm shop we use to buy the veg for the christmas dinner and then on to a really good butchers to buy the meat. We each got a huge home made apple pie too!!And the job? Well it came as no surprise but the school has decided not to appoint (again) and from comments made to me in the interview I suspect this decision had been made before interviewing me and def. before interviewing the Thursday appointment.
I would just like to share this card with you all. Angela, a fellow cardmaker and scrapper on the Pad forum, was having a bit of a joke over some of the things she was asked to do on commission makes, so in our Pad card swap I had asked for some outrageous requests on my card. Angela came through to the letter! I think it is brilliant!!! Thank you Angela.
But how I managed this one I dont know because there are wrapped and unwrapped chrissie pressies all over the scraproom floor, and the table is covered in half made cards or cards in envelopes or about to go into envelopes.Last year I spent ages and a lot of digital memory trying to get a decent picture of my christmas tree. I eventually asked santa for a tripod as I just couldnt get enough light into the camera and keep it steady at the same time. So these 'bits' of tree are all I could really salvage. But Santa is a lovely man and he also bought me a really good camera book so this year, when the tree goes up, I am going to have another go. So the photos lift up leaving space for journalling and the brilliant brillant photo I am going to take of this years tree! We all insist on a real tree in our house, we always have (despite the dog as a puppy or the cat). Its not Christmas without the smell of pine and hoovering up pine needles on a daily basis. When I had Kelly, mum kept saying I wouldnt be able to have a real tree with a baby in the house but when we got it I took her up to it, gently applied her finger to a needle so she could feel what it was like (not hard so it didnt hurt her) and told her it would hurt her if she touched it. She not only didnt touch it but 4 years later when her sister was born I watched her give the exact same warning to Laura.
came a day of mixed emotions.
I was off for an interview for a teaching post today. I had just put on my make-up when my mum phoned. She had forgotten about my interview and called to share the sad news that my Uncle in Australia had passed away in the night. Although he has been very ill for some time it still came as a shock and rather than go for an interview all I really wanted to do was go give my dad a huge cuddle because as he said, he hadnt just lost a brother but a friend. They spoke on Skype every day and I know my dad is going to miss him. My Uncle Vic had a heart of gold and was very good to me as a child so I would just like to say Goodbye to him here and now.
Of course that is not the best frame of mind to go to an interview and although the actual question/answer bit seemed to impress the board, the teaching was pants if I say so myself. I had pitched the whole session far too low for the class (difficult to get right even when you know the class) so behaviour was off the wall. I wont know anything officially until tomorrow but I am not holding my breathe.
Still I came home and did a search on the web, to discover there is a job in a school a bit nearer going so I still have something to apply for.
Then came the really silly part of the day. My dad is a qualified electrition so you would expect he would be good with technology, and yes he is one of our silver haired pc uses, but at 76 he is getting a bit confuddled so he doesnt own a mobile phone. Mum does but if she goes out without my dad or my dad goes up his allotment she gives him her mobile so she can phone him. Bear in mind he is also totally deaf in one ear and doesnt hear much in the 'goood' one either.
So he phones me up in a panic. He dropped mum, off down the highstreet to do some shopping and went up the allotment. Mum phones but he doesnt know how to connect the call. He thinks she must be phoning to say she is home now so he goes home. Mum is not there. The mobile goes another 3 times but he still cant figure out how to connect. He then rings all the places mum may have gone. No one has seen her. It turns out she was ringing to say she would meet him at the allotment but when he didnt answer she walked up there anyway. Not finding him (because he has gone home to look for her) she walks home stopping at a couple of phone boxes on the way to try and tell him where she is. I, in the meantime tell him to do 1471 on the mobile (having to talk him through it as I am on the land phone to him). After 4 attempts (its a long number) he gets the number and rings...the empty phone box.
So this comedy of errors is my life in a nutshell really LOL
Anyway a lovely Mini Tag Book Kit from my SS today. A lush card from my padder card swappee Lyzzy and another card from my lovely mate Angela but I shall say more about that later. Oh and we went to see The Holiday last night, lovely feel good christmas film, go see and enjoy too.
my SS sent to me a packet of yummy mint aero bubbles! And yesterday a lovely shopping list pad made by House Mouse. I think House Mouse is just sooo cute.Today I have been down to the job centre to sign on for Job Seekers Allowance. The people were very nice but even in the nice new building with every reason for me to be there it still felt intimidating. As a professional teacher I am 'allowed' to only look for teaching jobs in the next 13 weeks. After that I may have to look for other jobs. Since a term is 13 weeks and jobs come up termly, not weekly I thought this a bit unfair but its one of the things you have to agree to. And I also have to make at least 3 applications a week. I tried explaining to him that in the time I have been looking (since last may) there have only been about 7 or 8 jobs that I could have applied for so how am I going to find 3 per week? He said they expect you to cold call. I explained that Head Teachers expect a certain etique to be followed and cold calling is not part of that. In fact with some Heads cold calling could actually put them off giving you any kind of job. While he agreed with me, and even looked on his computer to discover there are zero teaching jobs in the whole of Kent, he still insisted I have to sent three applications off. So I have no idea how I get round that one. I guess I will have to find out when I go to sign on in a weeks time. *sigh*
Anyway back to scrapping. Well I would have done some last night but for some reason we suddenly lost all our terrestrial telly channels. After I had pulled the tv forward, checked all the wires, unscrewed and rescrewed all the connectors, it became apparent that the Dover mask was playing up. So when Martin came home I asked him to push the telly back in to place. Thats when we lost all our sky channels! So another 90 mins playing about to discover it seems to be the video recorder - it may have lost its tuning and all the channels go through it. So bypass that and ...its 11.25 and way too late to do any of my christmas journal.
My SS sent me a bag full of foxes glacier mints. I loved all those adverts with the fox and the polar bear, took me back to a lot of christmasses past when I opened the parcel.I should have been sorting out a lesson plan for the interview I have on Wednesday, instead I got up early and did a page of my journal and then did another this afternoon. Hubby has had to work all day today and Laura was at her other half's so I have been on my own all day. I made some toffee popcorn and settled down to watch films, they were re-running Oliver with Mark Leister so got to have a good old sing song too!
Right, no idea what page number this one is. I took some photos of the cards I made and then shoved them all in the envelopes. I never thought to check if the photos were ok, they weren't, they were all blurred, which is why the LO has them all hidden behind bits of greenery.Only 4 LO's behind now.
I think in redoing some pages I have got the days mixed up but never mind Perfect Chrismas!!! And sorry the scan has come out a little dark so the shiny micro beads on the christmas ornament dont show up (after I spent ages glueing them all on)
The exclamation marks are because each tag tells of little! incidents that nearly stopped our christmas from being perfect, from the time hubby stuck the chisel through his thumb trying to whittle the trunk of the christmas tree thin enough to go into the stand, the time Martin bought home a tree so pathetic I sit and cried and he had to go out and buy a second one, to the time my SIL accidently managed to lock herself in the toilet just as we dished up a family dinner to 14. Lots of Kay & Co papers that I was too busy stroking to use last year. MM pewter christmas charms, Heidi rub ons and SEI stickers.
The Count down door opens to reveal photo of our Santa's workshop advent that has been coming out every year since DD1 was born 25 years ago. I've never seen another advent like it, you dont open doors but each day slot a little cardboard figure into the workshop scene u
ntil Santa arrives on christmas eve. The girls love it so much I have had to scan in and make a second one for DD1 to take to her own home and have instructions to make a third for DD2 when she moves out next year!
Journaling also tells how I have to buy Cadbury advent calendars for the girls, my husband AND the girl's boyfriends. As well as which we also have a felt tree with little felt objects to hang on it which I made for school but because we break up before christmas eve I never made the last 5 objects.
my SS sent me some special shrink plastic which I luuuurve and cant wait to use!!
And now I am off to get ready for my crop. Hope to have some pages to upload later.
Loads if stuff on this one, journaling to tell how Mum and I always had a day out christmas shopping together, hidden behind photo is this years christmas lists from everyone and some more journaling about how we always make a list and pass it round for each person to cross off what they are going to buy, and then journaling down the side explaining the photo. Kelly wanted a 'mum and daughter shopping day but wanted to hit Bluewater AND Lakeside in one day. This is the result!!!! Discovered 8x8 fits through the printer - trouble is it doesnt always print in a straight line. However the actual photo IS straight but its got a bit distorted by all the journaling underneath.
lots of things happened!
My SS sent me some lovely glass beads, and today a packet of toffee poppets. We used to get poppets on the way home from school, either in the train station shop or more often from the plateform chocie machine, Ahh happy yummy memories.I also got a phone call from a school I applied for ages ago inviting me to an interview next week. I have now got to sort out a maths lesson for 30 reception children.And I decided that the format of my christmas journal simply wasnt working. I am used to scrapping 12x12 - square, so the rectangle just wouldnt do it for me. So I have taken the drastic step of restarting. I am much happier with the results, I know that if I hadnt done this I would have given up. Of course it does now mean I am several pages behind but I think it is worth the bother. Plus I also found some Basic Grey Blitzen left from last year which gives me a bit more scope.
I have actually started every page but every page needs a little tweek to get it finished. I hope to get them all done and up to date tonight. This is the one for 2nd December
Journalling reads "I love those old fashioned Christmas cards with Victorian snow scenes, skaters with their hands encased in muffs, carol singers in front of bay windows snow piling up in the corners, cottages in snowy fields. In reality I hate the cold silent stuff though, and much prefer my Christmas to be rainy, dark, murky so I can enjoy curling up indoors, drawing the curtains to feel cosy and listening to the drips hitting the conservatory roof, watching the sparkle of the Christmas lights, lighting aromic candles or building a roaring fire in the grate. I love walking along wet pavements twinkling fairy lights reflecting in the puddles and decorations gleaming and distorted by raindrops on windows."
my SS is still sending me wonderful gifts. Yesterday I was facinated by this thing - a folding ruler. OK so little things please little minds but at least my SS realised that LOL
Today she sent me some microbeads, seasonal red and white ones mixed in a bag and some lovely heart shaped buttons. I love all things heart shaped. DD even had to buy me an engagement ring with the diamond set in a heart shape setting.
my Secret Santa was so genourous and sent me a bottle of Body Shop Mango Bath and Shower Gel.I can't believe I am being so spoilt and how did she know I just love Body Shop stuff? In fact Thursday is late night shopping in Canterbury and the Body Shop there are having a 25% off event for 'Love your Body' members. My yearly membership runs out next month but it has been so worth it. I have saved sooo much so if you adore BS goodies I highly recommend investing the £5. I have had that back 10 times over at least.
my SS sent to me..some Tim Holtz pastel words Doo-dads, I am one lucky girl.I also managed, finally, to get my christmas banner to work. Credits to Martha Bartho and www.digitalscrapbookplace.com for the holly elements.Today I took my mum and my youngest daughter Laura to the Christmas Craft Fair. Mum and I have been for the last four years, the first time it was packed and there were tons of lovely hand made stuff from knitted baby clothes, lathe-turned wooded tree decs to Christmas cards but we have seen a decline in the number of people going and the kind of work being exhibited. I was surprised Laura even wanted to come as its not really her bag, especially as is customary, it was blowing a terrible gale, chucking it down with rain and was fairly early (for her) on a Sunday morning. As it turned out she was the only one to buy anything, there were some lovely things but priced out of our bracket for the presents we have still to buy. Anyway Laura bought a hand embroidered baby bib for a friend who is due a little addition real soon, and a really good quality hand knitted scarf for her boyfriend's mum.We got plenty of inspiration for things we could make ourselved too, so despite the weather a successful visit.We were also going to go to our local town Victorian Street Market but by the afternoon Laura was feeling unwell with a rotten cold, mum had gone home to the warm and even though it had stopped raining I had reports that the road had not been shut and very little was happening. Maybe it had been cancelled due to the adverse weather, but I stayed in and did some more work on day 2 of my Christmas Journal.Watch this space, I need to do a little more work on it before I share, but I really am having fun with this project.
my Padders Secret Santa sent to me....A yummy mini box of After Eight mints. I LOVE chocolate!
my Padders Secret scnta sent to me...Some lovely Barn Red SEI alpha stickers
I don't know what has happened but yesterday my Stat counter dissappeared, then this morning my slide show. When I looked on my template half the code had dissappeared so I have had to start again from scratch. At the moment I am still having trouble getting the banner up so sorry back to plain old me until I get it sorted.
All over the world scrappers are posting their first page of their Christmas Journal following an online class being run by Shimelle Lain. Sadly being out of work and having to watch the pennies I couldnt afford to sign up for this class (although I would have dearly liked to). but I still wanted to join in the fun and make myself a Christmas journal. So I am going my own way, doing my own thing and hope that the end result records the true spirit of Christmas 2006 for our family.Anyway here is my first entry.
The journalling reads " Next Christmas is going to be so different. Kelly already lingin in her own home will be married to Ollie and Laura & Wayne will be living in the house they are building together, so this maybe the last teime we have our tradition Christmas. Already some of the traditions we built up as a family with the children have changed or been lost as the girls have got older. We have already decided that I will not be doing stockings for them this Christmas eve. So before everything changes or is lost I want to keep this journal to record Christmas 2006.
Today I did my first day of supply teaching. It was really hard work, although the children were lovely (although a little lively) and the plans left for my by the class teacher worked well and were easy to translate into my own style. But I had forgotten what a long day it can be, how you have to be aware and on your feet all the time. I am totally exhausted. It was really great to be back in the classroom doing what I know I am good at doing though.
Forgive me if I get the credits wrong - I played with so many things this morning I may have forgotten my sources.
