I'm making a list, checking it twice!

I love lists!, they make me feel like I'm organised (which I'm not!), they give a feeling of control over the uncontrollable.  How funny is it that as Christmas fast approaches and there seem to be millions of things to do and so little time to create the miracles the season demands, unless you are Nigella of course (I would love yo be Nigella, well at Christmas I would anyway), sorry back on track - 

it's 

funny that a piece of paper and a pen  are all that are needed to 

create that long (very long!) list that means-'I know what is required, I have it down here and I'm gonna do it!'  Now I hardly check that list again, but hey I made it, I thought about what needed doing and it helped - weird eh?!........... Probably just me then!!  On the subject of Nigella am I the only one who thinks it's strange that there is never anyone else in that house - other than the dinner guests that is!  We could all be domestic goddesses surely if we could sashay around our enormous kitchens brandishing our blowtorches while stroking our kitchenaid mixer..........I wish!!!! No kids attached to our fluffy Bunny slippers or men walking in saying ' how much longer are you gonna be there and when is tea - and where's my clean socks???!!'  Aaahhhhh a huge house of festive loveliness all to ourselves with a basement wine cellar and multiple freezers - we could all be Nigella then - actually I would need a compresser for the boobs but I'd be almost there and a face lift.........maybe I should make a list??!!!

I'd had a Charity Raffle going on for CM since October and did the draw last week, the prize was a fab 8x8 Album, Pages, Papers and Stickers and I used 'Random Org' to select the winner which was no 41.  It was won by Rich KD my neighbours Son-In-Law and I managed to raise £40 for Children's Hospice South West.  The charity was chosen as this years company charity in memory of a little boy called Joe Way, who sadly passed away at the age of four after being diagnosed with 2 different syndromes that made life very difficult for both little Joe and his family.  The family live in Cornwall and had to travel to Devon to a children's hospice when Joe was able to, however toward the end of his life this was not possible, as he could not travel that far and Claire and Matt, Joe's parents had to manage at home.  The money raised to build this Hospice will make such a difference to so many families like the Way family and would give children who have short and difficult lives a change of scenery and some smiles and fun, that can be hard to come by in their normal home environments!  It can give parents some breathing space and a chance for a little 'normality' for the siblings of terminally ill children.  I was in bits a long with many others when I watched the short film that introduced us to the charity that CM would support this year at our September Roadshow in Leicester.  The film talked about Joe's short life that was full of the love of his family, including his big sister Megan and his meeting his new baby brother Finn just before he sadly passed away in May!  His Parent's Matt and Claire are such courageous people and they have found comfort in the fund raising that they have organised for the Hospice in Joe's memory!   I guess the thought of giving other families support when going through such a difficult time helps to heal, and during such sadness a focus can help to find away through when there is the need to reconcile that question - WHY? The full story of Joe's courage and that of the whole family! is on their website www.joeway.com  - warning you will need a box of tissues for sure!!!!!!! If you are as moved as we all were then there is a link to donate from the website, it's a fantastic cause.

Couple of cards to get back to the christmas thing oh and since I started this entry this morning , I have been out and managed to get my mitts on Nigella's booky, wook yeahey praise the Lord!!! 

Chrissy shopping almost finished.........I think...........must check that list!!!!!!!

Belinda x

Fab Party with Sian!

Well I had a busy day on Saturday, Christmas Sale in the afternoon, that I enjoyed.  Didn't sell masses but it was lovely, it was the School that Sam used to attend before he went to High School and it was such a nice school then and it still is.  They have a new Head there who I met on Saturday, who is such a lovely guy and knows all the children by their christian name and is so lovely with them all.  

Followed by a trip over to Bathampton for my Unit Leader Sian's party, to celebrate her becoming a Director with Creative Memories.  The party was fab and we all had a great time, there was an inspired idea by Sian to have this amazing dress-up area with a photo booth.  It was craaaaaaaaazzzzyyyyy!  We all got into the booth (obviously not all of us together!) and had a blast!!  It was crazy and there were some very, very funny shots.

When the light is better I will post the couple I brought home, soooooo funny!!!  Food was fabby too care of Waitrose very posh and very yummy!!  All in all it was a great celebration for a great lady Sian is a very inspirational person and there were many emotional tributes on the night and several of us could have taken shares in kleenex, blub, blub!!

My little Livvy woke up  last night at about 1:30 am and was up for a while and managed to disturb Sam who starts his GCSE Mocks today.  His first one is his weakest subject - basically he just doesn't enjoy it!  He went off to school at 7:30am extremely tired and not looking forward to things!!  Poor kid!!

Belinda x

More Makes for Saturday

Couple more of the cards for the Christmas Sale.

Like a Candle in the Wind!

Well I've been trying some new bits for this Saturday's Christmas Sale, including some Candles and here they are!  I must say thanks to Mum for lending me her new stamps the beautiful Snowman one is from a set I recently got on her behalf from Dies to Die for, Mum's not into on-line purchasing ....yet!  The stamps are by a company called Darcie's and they stamp so beautifully I love em (don't worry Mum you'll get em back.......eventually!!) they come in a plastic DVD size clear storage case with some illustrated designs on there for inspiration!  I hope I have some pennies for Crimbo to order some of the other brill designs Tracy has in her shop, oh and if you've never ordered from there the service is amazing, I received my stamps next day......so quick!!!!  Other stamps on the candles are Bella  - Snowbunnybella, a teddy with flowers (not sure who makes this!!), Sugar Nellie - Maggie with dottie scarf (one in pastels & one bright!).  All coloured in with Promarkers and a touch of stickles here and there for good measure!!!

Here we go again!

Well I am doing another Christmas Fair on Saturday, so busy, busy, busy again...........  This time i've got some candles too, I did one for the first time last Christmas and I was fairly pleased with it, so..... I thought I'd go for it and purchased some nice candles on my visit to Ikea last week.  I have stamped the images and am in the process of adding colour and glitter and will attach with the heat-gun once Livvy is in bed this evening.  Neil is out for dinner with some old work colleagues tonight so it'll be go, go, go! (sounds like a rocket launch or something!!!!!!!)

I am soooooo behind with the Crimbo gift shopping this year, though this is nothing new, however, we had agreed that this year we would be more organised and get it all done much earlier - That was before we got the horrible buggy thing that lasts..........forever!!

My eldest Sam has his GCSE mocks starting next week so it's a bit of a war zone here, me expecting a tad more effort in the revision and research area, him thinking more xbox 360 than education argghhhhh!!!  Maybe I should just refuse to feed him unless he works harder (he has an appetite!) - would that be evidence of child cruelty and be likely to involve a call to Childline, and a possible holiday at the pleasure of Her Majesty??!!  Could this mean I won't have to cook Christmas lunch this year............. ummm let me weigh this up!!!!!!

Belinda x