Sweet nothings

oh that festive guilt....

oh yes here it comes. every year. I'm suffering and I'm reading it in fifty other blogs too!!

I'm a creative type {no? really...}  and there's so much I want to make right now! I want to create so much for home, for my family, relatives, for the children! the handmade cards, decorations, crafts with the little ones. the baking I need to do, never mind the baking I want to do... 
I want to save money from high street blah and create fabulous cute 'things'.....all the Christmas advertising, magazines, they call me, -seriously, and I get sucked right in.  I start saying in about August how this year I will start early and make everyone things. (you'll have read it here probably) No matter how early I start, its not early enough.
then whatever I don't get time for (like most of it) hits me hard and heaps the guilt on.  big time.
and I hate that feeling.
It all harks back to the old depressed me, feeling of failing, of not living up to expectations....... so I try very hard to stamp on it .
NO guilt.  Just because I can make something, doesn't mean I have to.

I always design my cards, I decorate with greenery (ie; half the garden..) I bake alittle for desserts, and I make cookies or gingerbread things with the girls.
plus-This year I've made a couple of mini albums, and a poster or two as gifts.  made a handful of personalised stuff for each of the children.  (thats pretty good going seeing as its still only November)

I'm more creative in my gift buying  anyway.. because thats how I like my gifts - I'd rather one tiny home made, or home 'put together' gift than ten boxes of smellies from Boots thanks.
Quality of thought, not quantity of gifts.
If I really do need to present that someone with a personal gift/album/etc they can wait for their birthday.

And I will remember this year anyone who says 'oh I thought you'd of made those' has more problems with their lack of creating than I do with mine (and they will be swiftly escorted off the premises)

This Christmas is about exchanging gifts with Mr Britguy and the kids, (and finding the gift that makes them laugh, gasp, or feel thought about) Sending a special parcel overseas, sharing home made cards with everyone we care about, putting up a ridiculously tall tree and eating homemade curries on Boxing day.  Its going to be good.

It is {more than} okay

Sometimes, you want to really design, think about the whole layout, elements, brushwork, journaling...
and other times, you have this photo (or two) and you just want to run with it...

and this was one of those.  I love it.

With thanks to my mother, who creates the most amazing fairy dresses, and to Anna, who creates magic sparkle overlays for pages like this :)

Can somebody please tell me...

WHY cats go a little crazy around 11pm at night? wind up his tail is not a good enough description, this cat of mine is absolutely NUTS.

endearingly he has taken to carrying around items in his mouth. {maybe in a past life he was a dog?} socks, teddies, string, other socks....
I don't have any photos of that to share, {yet....}

but I do have pictures of Hugo's other obsession (after food, ...and socks)

Water.

this is him and a dripping tap in the kitchen {I left it dripping just for a moment for him} he's fascinated. and no, he doesn't want to drink it. just watch it.LOL

and this is him on the side of the bath whilst the girls were having a bath... again, fascinated....

{maybe in his past life he was a duck?!}

The best things in life

come by UPS!

this arrived today. my signed copy from Ali. Its AMAZING. If you haven't got it - get it!  Thick, full and deliciously new and fresh.

s i g h. BLISS

Thank you Ali:)

r is for

rational thought.

:)

Last night was the second night in a row that Miss Daisy couldn't sleep. between the hours of 2-4.30am. nice.  Shes got some cold/cough going on...
I can only spend so long attempting to ignore her, or resettle her before I give in and get up. we snuggle downstairs, she drinks juice and dozes, and I...well, there's quite a lot I seem to get done during the OMG hours of a morning.

Create a Christmas play-list on itunes. we love Ella right now...

Buy unusual gift for Mr Britguys Christmas gift #2.  honey -its something you've never had before ;)

create and print the cover for a mini album    its all blue and chilly:)

eat chocolate digestives. this is rather pleasant...

drink green tea or hot water not coffee obviously

start another mini album  thats mini album#3 this month:)

For me its all about acceptance... I struggled with four non sleeping babies and nearly killed myself in the process. I would cry for my sleep. i would think every night was going to be this bad, forever. Now I know...its not. If you cant sleep {or rather if the small person cant sleep} get up. tossing and turning will do you no favours. Hang on to your rational thoughts - its not forever, its tiring but not life threatening, you can lie in at some point in the next day or so, and hey, the Internet is a sanity lifesaver at ridiculous O'clock.

So if I'm yawning at you today -its nothing personal!

pirates and fairies.

hows that for a random title??! Cant see me ever using that one again.

That would be Georgia and friend on their way to a fancy dress party.  Lets just look at the layout and all those cute elements I used instead of discussing this party (and how freaking late it was finishing) (or anything about the amount of eyeliner black fairies apparently need to wear) shall we?

new layouts

yes thats an exciting original title there. Dont you like how I always know to keep it cutting edge here....? ;)

breaking the law and those darn crowds.

UGH. So yesterday, eldest daughter had a friend here to go shopping with. and therefore by default even tho it was only-total-idiots-or-people-who-don't-live-here-and-are-very-stupid-go-shopping-to-town-on-a-saturday the littlies and I found ourselves shopping -or making an attempt to- in town on a saturday. *shudder*
It was horrendous.
We could barely move in the crowds, and then when we did move you'd get kinda swept along in the rush and end up five stores down from where you were aiming. not good.  I really wanted to take pictures because Mr Britguy was never going to believe how busy the  stores were...except... I didn't have my camera
(see! I do actually leave home without it, sometimes)
and they have this funny/stupid/annoying law {or is it just a regulation? whatever...its you know, official} that you cant take photographs in our local Mall.  I know because I tried once and security swooped down on me from all sides and threatened to take my camera. (Wasn't even taking pictures 'of the Mall' just of a visiting relative who was inside it..sheesh.. My old photography tutor used to tell us about taking pictures there in many weird and wonderful ways, like the old camera around my neck honestly isn't on trick...but I digress) but then I thought of my phone camera and so i tried to take pictures with that. tho the shutter lag is unbelievable and these photos are crap. and Mollie wanted a random one of the weird pink Christmas Mall decoration too. useful.
but -do you see, up on the top of the escalator shot,...hahaha security men! not noticing me take photos!! I'd like to think that was a teeny tiny one in the eye for those men who were so rude last time....

photographer x 2

 

so this is Mollie and I taken by Daisy, (with one of my new filters (fall colours) on, but no other editing....)

I think, Mr David Bailey has had his day don't you? ;)

title says it all really.

Do you ever really stop thinking this?