JYC 2009: 11th December

11th December, in my book, is far too early for putting up Christmas Tree's and decorations, so that's exactly what I've made my page about.

JYC 2009: 10th December

Oh how I love to gift wrap! I find present buying painful at times, but get over that pain when I start buying the gift wrap and ribbons.

JYC 2009: 9th December

Yep, I've skipped the 8th. The page is ready for photo's, I just have to select some and print them off. It's on the list to do and once done I will post the finished page.

So, on to the 9th. If we ever have traditions, we have them at Christmas, this years journal for this page looks at how we break up our presents for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Sorry the picture isn't the best. I'm experimenting with scanning them. So far I'm not convinced.

JYC 2009: 7th December

Day 7 - Lists. Who doesn't turn into a listaholic this time of year? I'm a self confessed listaholic anyway, but at Christmas it seems to take over! Happily though when I sat down to do the journalling on this one I realised that I haven't got much to do at all. I think that along with my journal I'm keeping it simple - or maybe, just maybe, I'm getting the hang of it and not letting it get to me.

JYC 2009: 6th December

I've strayed away slightly from the prompt for today's page. The prompt was to look at two different Christmas's, but I decided that I'd look forward to new memories and the excitement of that thought.

JYC 2009: 4th & 5th

I'm fairly up to date with completing my pages this year. Getting photo's of them and uploading them however - not so up to date.

4th December: Perfection.

This year, in line with my simple is best approach, I decided to list the things that make Christmas Day perfect for me.

5th December: Countdown

As last year was the first time I had ever done an advent anything I've used this years page to mark the children having playmobil advent calendars. Oh how they love them! Oh how I love them - advent without the sugar rush. I feel this could become a new tradition, especially if they get a say in it.

JYC 2009 : 1st - 3rd December

Last year was my first JYC and I loved it. I've never been a very festive person but doing the journal helped to change that by making me think more about and become more involved. As a result I have joined in again this year, and as you know my supplies have been ready in a box for a couple of weeks now.

I decided to keep it bright and simple this year, using white cardstock as the base for my pages. I'm finding it hard not to stitch, stamp and distress the pages, but I am loving the simplicity. It's given my journal a completely different feel from last year which is what I wanted to achieve. I've also kept up for the first three days....

Here they are then, my first three pages.

1st December: Manifesto

2nd December: Weather

3rd December: Cards

At first I was going to buy my cards this year, then make them, but when this prompt came out it made me realise it wasn't worth the stress of trying to find the time to make cards this year, so off Rosie and I went yesterday to the local Oxfam and got all my cards. They are now written and waiting to be posted, with the exception of one of the cards which I have used on the page.

Thanks for stopping by to look at my pages. I'm off for a think about today's prompt now.

Santa's little helper and some prep

Ah, the school Christmas Fayre. This week the school is having a "Santa's Little Helper" Day where the children can go into school in their own clothes in exchange for a little something for the Christmas Fayre. Now what sort of a Mother would I be if I let my kid potentially be the only one in uniform all for the sake of a tombola prize? Is this the ultimate guilt trip? Cunning, very cunning. I've given in and made these earrings rather than see my little lad walk dejectedly through the school gates because his Mum was mean. I hope whoever wins them likes them. Maybe I should go and get myself a ticket and see if I can win them back. Then again, I may just make up a second pair for myself as I rather like them.

This is the other crafty thing I have done today. Lovingly and patiently, whilst Rosie was making me "cups of tea" I sat and cut up a sheet of American Crafts paper to make some embellishments for my JYC album. I can't wait to get started this year, less than 24 hours to go!

Lists....

Oh heck, where did the time go!

I have been striving to be more organised, but the last few weeks it all feels as though it's gone very pear shaped on that front. December is about to kick in and I really need to pull my Christmas socks up (I don't have any actual Christmas socks though should you be wondering)

Right, first up I've just submitted my first set of DT work to Steph over at Indigo Mill. I was lucky enough to have the Snowy White Snow kit to work with. Here's a little sneak peek where I have also used some Prima Sultan centres. You'll find another one over on the Mill Pond and more will come over the next few weeks.

Next up - JYC 2009!!! Are you ready? We start tomorrow. I have a box ready to go, my extra page protectors have arrived so I just need to slice up that cardstock. I can't pre-plan much more than that as I discovered last year.

What else - oh yes, my crafty Advent box. A group of us on UKS are doing a swap this year, and I think just about everyone has their box of goodies ready to start opening. I found myself settling into a little routine last year around this. This years will go something like this....school run finished, print off the JYC prompt, make a coffee, open my present for the day and read the prompt. How does that sound for a nice start to the day?

I'm off into York tomorrow - assuming the weather is kind to us, to get some more Christmas shopping done and spend the evening wrapping the kids presents. I think I'm going to need more Christmas wrap though!

More Christmas prep....

Yep, more Christmas prep - all for Journal Your Christmas of course, although we have done more Christmas shopping over the weekend. I've just made my first order from the states with this set from Shabby Chic Crafts. Hope I've done everything i needed to and they arrive OK. Can't wait to see them in the flesh!

Planning Christmas...

I'll say the "C" word out loud. I'm not proud!! Yes, I have started my Christmas shopping, I have (in my mind) planned out my Christmas cards for this year so that I know what I'm making. I'm keeping simple, a bit of embossing and matting. Just got to get the supplies.

I also have started collecting my supplies for Shimelles Journal Your Christmas class this year. Oohh drool.... some lurvely American Crafts Merrymint. This little selection arrived the other day and it's now in a box marked JYC 2009. I have my album already - American Crafts D-ring 6x12. I did 8.5 x 11 last year, fancied the challenge of a different format and as I've never scrapped 6x12 before I thought why not?!

In addition to getting some JYC supplies together I've also booked tickets to see Humpty Dumpty at York Theatre Royal.

"Humpty sat on a wall then had a fall.

Not much of a plot even by Kaler’s standards - or is it? Let the team that brought you the acclaimed Dick Turpin stretch your imagination to Herculean proportions with a brand new hilarious version of this classic nursery rhyme.

Will the orphaned Humpty find a mother?

Can he protect the tiny Kingdom of Pantoloon from the evil Eggula?

What happens when our Panto Heroes are forced to venture into the real world?

Book now for the panto event The Sunday Times consistently rates one of the top five attractions to see anywhere in the UK during the winter season. "

Sounds good! Well, we think so anyway and judging by the number of tickets sold already, we're not the only ones.

I think that's enough of Christmas for now, especially as it's beautiful and sunny outside. Makes it feel wrong to talk about it.