12 days of christmas (and day 334)

I was lucky enough to bag myself a place of the talented Cheryl Johnsons new online photography class - and it doesn't cost a penny. I think about 400 people expressed an interest in the course but places were limited to 100 (although this was extended to 105.)

Our pre course assignment was the dreaded self portrait. I hate photos of myself at the best of times so this was pure torture - especially when you through the word festive into the mix!

I has 2 main obstacles to overcome - one was the light. By half three it is almost dark this far north and I would have much preferred to take my photo outdoors (much to the amusement of the builders next door no doubt!) And the second was a distinct lack of festive props. All our decs are still in the attic which is where they will stay for at least another 3 weeks (shame our neighbours don't share the same philosophy - it's is starting to look a bit like National Lampoons Christmas Vacation as you drive down the street!!!!And for those of you who have never seen the film it's on the telly next week.)

So this photo was taken in the sun room while I was virtually sitting on top of the lamp - has a bit of a play in photoshop too. Not sure which one I prefer - which one do you think I should use???

Project 365 - day 333

This weekend was the annual Historic Scotland's free weekend where a majority of their properties don't cost a penny to visit. This time lat year we made a weekend of it and went to Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness and then went to Huntly, Balvenie and Kildrumy Castles.

This year the weather wasn't playing ball but I did manage to dodge the snow and hail showers to visit Elgin Cathedral. I have been here a couple of times before - and have yet to pay to visit!! The photos aren't great but the light was quite poor but I spent a happy hour wandering around and had the place to myself.

Project 365 - day 332

Is this what Santa will be bringing this year. Maybe headphones should be top of my list!!! Rubbish photo as it was taken on my phone and small child wouldn't keep still.

Muppet Mayhem

Having just seen this on the 10 o'clock news I had to share.

It is the Muppet version of one of my all time faves songs - Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. I am a life time Muppet fan (as my parents will testify - and yes I still have that manky old Fozzy bear!!)

I will watch this over and over and with Christmas fast approaching A Muppet Christmas Carol is a must in this house.

HSMSHS - English and day 331

Another prompt I struggled with but after a quick rummage through the kitchen cupboard this is what I came up with!!

Skywatch Friday.

You really must check out the stunning photo for today's guest host Alistair Spinks - it's stunning.

Mine is slightly more mundane - a shot of the of the posts from Sundays rugby tournament. Stunning blue sky though.




See everyones elses Skywatch photos here.

Project 365 - day 330 and HSMSHS

Today's word over on HSMSHS is American and I'm afraid mine is a bit of a tenuous connection.

Two fabby American magazines reached our shores earlier in the year in the shape of Scrapbook Trends and Card Trends. At £5.99 each they aren't cheap but are so packed with inspiration they are worth the extra pennies. I will be hanging onto my copies to refer back to time and again.

And as an added bonus today the first issue of Simply Handmade hit the shelves - it's been a long wait since it was first announced but it contains some gorgeous projects.

Project 365 - day 329

Another glorious sunrise (we seem to have them quite often just at the moment) - am so lucky this is the view from my back garden.

Project 365 - day 328

Tonight was parents evening for Sam at the High School.

I won't go into details except to say I cam home a happy mummy as I only heard good things about him.

My POTD is the timetable I was given by Sam of my appointments with various teachers (except the maths teacher as he appeared to have sloped off home early!!)

HSMSHS - Birthday

If it's got to be cake - then it has to be birthday cake.

HSMSHS - Scottish

An easy prompt for me today - what could be more Scottish than a thistle. This photo was taken on the Isle of Skye earlier in the year - just one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.




And the thistle just so happened to be in a field full of huge Highland Cows!!

Project 365 - day 327 and HSMSHS

I haven't played along with HSMSHS over on Facebook for a couple of weeks now - I am putting it down to a lack of time and the fact that the light is going at about 4pm resulting in some pants photos.

Although the label on these cherries say french I very much doubt they have ever been near the place - but they are sitting in my cupboard waiting to be added to my Christmas cake and pudding recipes. I really must pull my finger out and get started on the this weekend - otherwise I will be icing the cake on Christmas eve (which has happened more than once!!)

Project 365 - day 326

Not a bad morning to be standing by the side of a rugby pitch I suppose - blue skies and the sun was shining.

Kinloss Kestrels were playing Nairn at home and Cal was chuffed to bits to be wearing his brand new team strip - complete with his initials on the back. I think everyone had fun - if the amount of dirt covering their bodies was anything to go by - and Cal reliably informs me that the Kestrels won!

Project 365 - day 325

Today we went hunting for a new Christmas tree - as before we moved house I threw the old one out. We must have had it about 15 years and every time it came out of its box another branch fell off. We don't want a real tree - although they smell lovely I can't be doing with all the mess - just think of all the pine needles in my new carpets!!

We looked in the usual places - B&Q, Homebase (pathetic looking specimens even if they were half price) and Decora. So we headed out to Christies Garden Centre in Fochabers as they usually have a pretty good display and plenty of choice. Well we were disappointed - the Christmas display was smaller than in previous years and the choice of decorations was limited to twee and traditional - not the bright and funky colours we were after.

Was gobsmacked by the tree just behind the reindeer in this not very good photo from my mobile phone. The price - £279.99!!! Do they not know there is a recession on??? Who would pay that much for a artificial tree?

In the end we settled for one from Tesco - £35 but paid for with Club card points. We have put it up and it will do fine . Baa humbug!!

The official Children In Need single for 2009

Peter Kay does it again!!

Blogging for Scrapbookers #14 and day 324

Please and thank you.

Shimelle asked us to think about our pleases and thank yous - just as our parents reminded us as children!!

Manners cost nothing. If someone leaves a comment on my blog I like to pop over to their blogs to have a wee look and to leave a comment in return. You can build up a bit of a relationship this way with your regular blog readers.

And I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donates to tonight's Children in Need event. Can't believe good old Tel has been presenting this show for 30 years - and I think there are many more years in him yet. In honour of this charitable event we were subjected to a all morning to a chap playing bagpipes along with a small drummer boy and Pudsey! The first half an hour was fine - but after 3 hours I could have quite happily gone out and shoved those bagpipes where the sun doesn't shine. Maybe I should have paid in to go and play his instrument of torture elsewhere!!!

For full information about Children in Need and details on how to donate please see the BBC website here.

I bought these cute little Pudsey and Blush badges from Boots this morning - just need to make sure the boys don't get their hands on them.

Skywatch Friday

From our walk in Roseisle at the weekend - I think it is a rose bay willow herb plant which has lost all its "fluff" now. But aren't half dead plants still beautiful??



See more Skywatch Friday photos here.

Blogging for Scrapbookers #13 - part 2 - and day 323

As promised here are the up to date photos relating to my previous post. Everywhere is decorated now - although please not the lack of pictures on the walls and bare light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. A girl can't be rushed into making decisions about where a picture should be hung you know!!

My POTD is the one looking from the sun room through into the dining room and beyond. The sun room has to be my favourite room in the house.

Project 365 - day 322

As I will be doing another Christmas journal this year - to document our first Christmas in our new house I treated myself to a couple of 6x6 paper pads as my journal will only be small. I got the new Jolly by Golly by Cosmo Cricket as its bright and funky. And the new Eskimo Kisses by Basic Grey - I love the more traditional colours - but the designs are bang up to date.

Just need to make a start on it now - and decide what format as I don't want it to follow exactly the same lines as last years.

Blogging for Scrapbookers # 13

From past to present.

For this prompt Shimmelles asked us to go back and look at some of our older blog posts. Not sufficient time to go trawling back through the mists of time so chose the prompt from exactly a year go - and surprise surprise like umpteen posts last year it was all about our house!

Here is the original post. And here are the photos I used.



























What I will do today (not quite yet as it's still dark here) is to take photos to show you the same shots a year later (but not the outside one as I can no longer get into the building site at the back without climbing over a fence!!)

Be back later with a new post.

Holidays in Hand

I have signed up for another class by the very talented Jessica Sprague. I really enjoyed the previous class I did which was all about photo editing so in for a penny in for a pound (in fact no pennies were spent as this is a completely free class!)
























Every day we will be emailed a prompt page which will include:

•The date, self-explanatory. One for each day in December
•A quote - inspiring words to help place focus
•A writing prompt - this is to help spark ideas for your daily writing exercise.
•A photography prompt - typically accompanies the writing exercise, and shares its theme
•Two blank lines - Do and Make. More on these in a second.
•A "Remember" section - This prompt is specifically designed to help you recall events from your past that connect with that day's theme.

Am looking forward to incorporating this into my Christmas album this year.

Blogging for Scrapbookers #12 and day 321

As time allows.

I would love to devote more time to crafting but somehow other things seem to get in the way. One solution would be to give up work and stay at home all day everyday (not a decision that I would get away with!!) But to be honest I have been there and done that after I took a redundancy package from a previous job. I spent 2 months being a SAHM but the novelty soon wore off - with days and then weeks seemingly melting into one another. And did I get anymore crafting done? The simple answer is no - I had the time but not the inclination. I found I scrapped more once I was back in gainful employment. I have a long list of unfinished projects that need finishing - I always seem to run out of steam towards the end.

But today's picture of the day has reminded me of a big subject that I need to scrap (in fact I think I have only scrapped one LO and that was at the GoGo Getawy) My photo is of the workmen putting the roof trusses into place on the house that is being built opposite us (The recession doesn't seem to have stopped people buying houses up here - all but 2 are now sold on our development, Springfield are advertising for more skilled workmen and the men they do have are working 7 days a week at the moment.) It reminded me that I haven't scrapped the photos that I took of our house being built - I think I had some sort of mini book in mind to catalogue its progress over the months.

This is today's photo:






















And this is our house back in September last year:

Blogging for Scrapbookers #11

Tree O'Clock




We are big fans of Autumnwatch in this house - and have to admit to not really missing Bill Oddie as we thought we would. My favourite is still Martin and his hair!!




Saturday 5 December is BBC Breathing Places Tree O’Clock Day, a national celebration of trees. On this day, between 11am and 12pm, the nation is hoping to set a new Guinness World Record by planting as many trees as possible in one hour in multiple locations across the UK. The aim is to plant a million trees across the UK, beating the current record of 653,143 trees.

You can find all the information you need on the Breathing Places website. So far 253,166 trees across 67 counties have been pledged. Events are being held across the country or you can simply plant a tree in your own back garden. You don't even have to go out and buy a tree to plant as in some areas trees are being given away in order for people to participate in this.

Not sure what sort of tree we are planting yet. But if any of you do decide to join in I would love to hear about it and see your photos.

You know you want to - this is an opportunity for the whole of the country (and further afield) to get involved and do a great thing for nature.

Project 365 - day 320

Today I picked up the last ever monthly copy of Scrapbook Inspirations.

I used to subscribe to this mag several years ago when I first started scrapping but hadn't bought it for months as it was the same sort of projects and faces in it month after month. Then it underwent a revamp and I liked the new look and had just started buying it again.

That's 2 British scrapping magazines that have gone from our shelves in the couple of years since I found this hobby.

Project 365 - day 319 - Roseisle

We parked out on the Burghead side of Roseisle Forest today - so Andy could go for a decent ride on his bike. Cal took his bike too but I stuck to Shanks Pony!!! (Well I can't cycle and take photos can I????) Callum must have ridden miles as he kept cycling off into the distance and then came back to find me - and then rode off again - numerous times!

We ended up at the beach but as bikes and sand aren't compatible we turned round and headed back - pausing to watch some sort of bird of prey sitting high up on a dead tree keeping an eye out for his lunch. Cal and Andy kept in touch via walkie talkies which somewhat ruined the peace and quiet!!

And it was all rounded off with an ice cream at Hopeman - perfect.