Ahh picasa....

Sometimes you annoy me (mostly for highlighting how badly I've labelled my photos) but oh how I love your collage function. Sort of. The mosaic annoys me a bit. But mostly it's all yay.

Here's why -

First up, my December Daily so far - should have waited until the 9th was done really so it wouldn't have doubled up those 2 pics but oh well. So far, I'm loving it - though I think somethings missing from the second page of the 3rd I just can't think what...

Aaaand here's our Christmas dinner! I just wanted to snap a quick pic of our dinner (we normally have family round who don't like their photos taken/would question my sanity at taking a photo of food. Mum and dad understand how odd I am.) Mum grabbed the camera off me to take a photo - I swear it's just pineapple in that glass. And it was actually mums drink, I just felt like I needed a prop!

And on to boxing day! Taz in his cracker hat/tutu. My grandparents came around for dinner. I was tempted to ask for a photo but grandad's been so ill since his op I didn't think he'd like to (but would anyway as he's lovely and never seems to say no!). I think I got his ankles in a shot though...!

Aaaand on to today. Sale shopping. Spent my Accessorize vouchers and some points on my Boots card. Don't you just love buying without your actual cash going down?! Wheelchair got a good working out! So happy with my perfume set, I usually miss all the half price gift sets of the ones I'd like to get!

Most people moan about the fact that you can't try on during Christmas/New Year sales. I love it. I never have energy to try on in the shop so love the fact that I can take them home and try them on a bit later when I've rested up, then if they need to be taken back the shop assistants don't give you 'that look' - hurrah!

Also managed my Christmas starbucks (at last!) Mmm toffee nut latte....

Am completely done in now and shall be hibernating until New Year (at least!). Hope you're all having a wonderful time this season.

xxx

Seasons greetings!

I hope you and yours had a lovely time the past few days!
Me? I had a lovely time! And so did these two - Taz ended up losing his collar somewhere outside during one of his grand adventures and Pip ended up in a turkey induced coma under the tree for 10 hours today- he let me rub his tummy. And he purred! Clearly there was something very wrong!!! He's awake now though so it's all good.
I'll let you see some daft Christmas day pics when I get back on the laptop - aren't you excited!?
xxx

Holidays are coming...

Made a brief (and chilly!) stop down the town to see the lights and, of course

cola truck!!

It wasn't as impressive as I thought (we must have a smaller truck as I'm sure there's a giant one out there...). Had the best fake snow with it though. Best as in everyone walking up the hill/highstreet (including us) were starting to think it was actually snowing. Very cool. (no pun intended!) It was so packed down there though so I just snapped a few pics as we went back to car. I feel so exhausted now though!

Also had my hair cut - why is it so hard to take a self portrait?! Other people always look so lovely! Ah well...

Sent off some more pics for my DD - really hoping I finish this before Feb!

TFL! xxx

Ta-dah!

Finally I have done it, 100 layouts in 2011! Woohoo!
Honestly I didn't think I'd do it. I know I didn't manage my original goal - 100 layouts before buying any stash...whoops...but I'm still pretty happy! I mean at least if I've made 100 layouts (and 10 projects) I'm using up the stuff I already have!
I think I might do the same next year. 100 layouts for 2012. Hope I can do it! Esp as I won't be doing a doc. 2012. I've decided to just do an album of the year. I did the same for 2007 and I was looking through it the other day and decided I think I prefer the look of that. I might do a 'focal' page for each month though. Might be good to keep track of the 'highlights' & the daft little bits that don't really warrant a whole layout dedicated to it...
Okay, I'm rambling again...thanks for stopping by!!

Both layouts made using Studio Calicos November kit 'Handmade'. The 'magpies' layout is a lift of one made by Celine Navarro from the SC design team (I'll try to put a link to it when I'm back on my computer).

Oh Christmas tree...

It's done! Hurrah! It's feeling quite festive round here now which is nice.

Have managed days 1&2 of my DD, just need some decent light to take some pics.
After checking my 100 layouts for 2011 checklist yesterday I suddenly realised I'm at 98! But what should the last 2 be? I think 100 should be of something special...hmm...
(and yes, even though I failed in my '100 layouts before you buy anything' mission I kept it going just to see if I could do that many in a year. Now I'm thinking I'll do it again next year, it's always fun filling in a checklist...right?!...)

Oh my

Wow it's windy today! And it's quite tame down here compared to the rest of the country - I can't even imagine what it must be like.
Mum put the tree lights on today and both sets have blown a bulb, of course. Do you think we can find the spare bulbs? Can we 'eck!
The photo I'm adding for today ended up with a story attached when Santa blew away! Well, not away away. He stayed in the garden. But he did take off, twice! I tried putting him back but after the second time he's now having a snooze in the shed, poor bloke!
Anyhoo, I hope you're safe, well and have both feet on the ground where you are xxx

Mini catch up

Wonderful interweb decided to give up yesterday, but I didn't really do much (or photograph much!) so there isn't really much of a catch up to do.
Maybe my title should read microscopic catch up...
Still trying to make my way through my SC kits - still on Aprils kit & add-on. Wow it's so much easier to get through when you don't order any add-ons! Might come unstuck with this months kit though as I've got 3 add-ons coming my way!!! This is why I *must* use up as much as possible!!!
Still haven't decorated the tree, there's a serious lack of energy in this house! Pip's taken up residence under there again, apparently he doesn't mind the lack of sparkle! What he does mind though is Taz's attempt at an invasion of space...should be interesting!

Blogging through an iPad?

So this could be interesting...
I got my shiny new Christmas present yesterday and just discovered that there's a blogger app which is good to know as I thought I'd be photoless if I posted through safari.
I tell you though this tiny little keypad leaves a lot to be desired!
Been having fun looking through all the apps, particularly the free ones lol! I'm loving the instagram and pop booth! Not sure the files are big enough to print off full size but I'm going to try to collage them on my laptop, fingers crossed!
Christmas/ dec daily wise, tree is up, just needs to be decorated. Hoping to get some photos sent off this week so I can get cracking on my DD pages and catch up with Doc 2011 - gotta get my magpies scrapped!
Anyhoo, fingers crossed this works!
xx

Secret Santa

Another lovely year to do Secret Santa. So far I've had some yummy bits - including these lovely die-cut flowers that Taz liked so much when he found them he started try to eat them. Wonderful. I wonder if cat drool is acid free for my scrapbooking?!

Lights lights everywhere

So today was a day of pretty lights-

possibly some of the worst conditions for taking a photo in - moving cat. moving black cat you can't really focus on anyway, cos he's black. Yet, I still kind of like it.

Why is it only acceptable to put pretty fairy lights up at this time of year?...

Dad's happy, we beat next door to put them up! It's a weird little unspoken contest they have going on. The only year we didn't 'win' was when next door actually put them up in the rain. Seriously. I mean, it's all well and good but blimmin' heck! Luckily dad's not quite that obsessive!

Hope you're having a magical, twinkly weekend too.

xxx

Present shopping and flying fur

Dec Daily December 2nd-

Today was a day of desperately needed lie-ins (after no sleep. Thank you cats.)

Body guarding - We though last nights fight was a one off. Turns out Pip's finally snapped and we've now had 2 bouts of flying fur. Sigh. I hope this is just his reaction to the rain and not a sign of things to come. Taz does seem to be giving as good as he gets though - good boy! ;o)

It was also a day of present buying. Dad's was bought yesterday, Mums today...mine tomorrow?! Who knows!?

Was nice to drive to the shops tonight though, even though I had a pounding headache, as some people have put up their lights - twinkly prettiness!

xx

Wahoo!

2 kits down...8 to go...but still, yay! As it was mostly strips it was quite simple to layer them up-

I didn't put a title on this one as it sort of goes with the one next to it and it looks a lot better in life than it does in this pic...odd...

As you can see I used up all my chunky strips and was left with nothing but a few narrow strips so...

Tadaa! A million strips of papers on the left with one all the way up the right. The layout is about he soundtrack to out loft conversion - I hid in my bedroom on the comp and scrapping the whole time (it was November and freezing in the lounge!) and if I didn't have any music on *all* I could hear was them singing (not that well...) to the radio. Which, in itself wasn't that bad but I'm not kidding you every 10 songs they repeated Leona Lewis Bleeding Love and Plain White Ts Hey there Delilah. I kind of liked them before that fortnight. Never again. Argh!

Now onto the next kit -

Umm, this one could take a bit longer...

In other news - It's December First! So what's to be included in my DD?

1) Our first Christmas card arrived - hmm...

2) Bundle in the lounge - Taz wanted to play. Pip wanted to clean himself. Taz wanted to play. Pip was in a mood because of the rain. Taz wanted to play. Pip wanted to knock his block off. Full on death roll, claws out, cat hiss, chunks of fur...noooooo!!!! They ended up under hiding under mums bed, together, which was odd. Taz gave as good as he got so that's good to know...I think...they ended up calling a truce over a bowl of milk. Sigh.

(I wanted to get some fur to stick in the album but mum cleared it up before I had the chance...is this odd?!)

3)Dad had his hosp. appointment to hopefully finally fix his neck (15 years later) but it didn't work properly. The doctor swore!

4) Mum and Dad brought their Christmas presents at Tescos - a Sat Nav for Dad, a Kindle for Mum. What about Meee?! (ooh, I'm going to have fun playing with their gadgets lol)

I'm sure there was something else...I hope I remember when I come to write this in my DD!

xxx

Santa Paws fail No.1 (and the kit killer strikes again!)

He was fast asleep on a pair of glasses and looked so adorable I thought I'd give it a try as he's much more agreeable than Pip (read - no claws). Problem I forgot, when I tried this on Pip he half woke up and it took a while for him to realise and eat the hat, with Taz - he wakes up and boom, he's awake and wants to play/eat. Ah well, we have a few weeks to try again...!

Here's my start on killing kit #2. This one will take a little more work as I had 2 add-ons so a bit more to use up! So far I've made 2 layouts for my 2007 album (...err...yeah...). Fairy cakes are really just a picture so I didn't bother with any journalling, just lots and lots of layers. That you can't really see. I really should wait until the morning to take the pics in a better light!

Here's number 2. This one has some journalling as there was actually a story behind the banana bread - I had been saying to mum how I would love to find a nice, easy recipe for it as all the ones I'd found were quite complicated. Then, talk about meant to be, the next day the M.E. association mag came and had a easy banana bread recipe! Hence 'Perfect Timing'. I can't even remember how many layers are at the bottom of this one, and still so many scraps left over! Hopefully I'll be finishing this kit soon - I think the next kit is being posted tomorrow...from U.S...holiday season so a slower post...so, minimum of 2 weeks to use up as many kits as possible...*need to make space*need to make space*