Saturday 31 January 2015

The bears have arrived

In all the excitement of yesterday, poor Simon's birthday sort of got put on the back burner, but he wasn't too put out.

We went yesterday lunchtime to pick up the bears. Our neighbour came with us, as I didn't want their first journey in the car to be in a crate ... I didn't need to worry, Molly slept all the way home, and Bertie ... well, Bertie needs to see what the world has on offer.
Once home, they explored and played, until they were exhausted, and then just slept where they dropped. 



They slept so well at night in their crate. We didn't hear a peep out of them, and then this morning we were greeted with such happiness. Oh I'm just so in love with them. 

Its very much a learning curve for us; its been a long time since we had a puppy in the house. Yes, my darling Eddie thought he was still a puppy, but at least he knew when he wanted to go in the garden lol. 

I love that they always find each other and sleep like this .... I know, it probably won't happen for long.
Right, better go as I think I can hear them waking. 



Thursday 29 January 2015

Project Life - week 1

I'm still working on just creating a one page spread for each week, as I did with 2014, starting on a Monday normally.  But as I did then, if more happens in that week, or I have more memorabilia to include, well then it's likely to go into a double or even more.  

Week one for me, always starts on the 1st of the year, even if it's midweek. This year it fell on a Thursday, so a short week, as ending on the Sunday as normal. As the saying goes about this week .... short but oh so sweet.

So here its all about meeting the bears for the first time, and how although we had planned on getting just Bertie, at Simon's suggestion, we also asked if we could also have his sister.  Luckily for us, the answer was yes.
You'll also see my belated Christmas present from Simon. I'm slightly miniature obsessed and I have a little shop already, which I got before I started caring for Mum & Dad. It then got put on the back burner, so its still a work in progress, and is being kept at the little house, but, I've always wanted a proper dolls house .... so here it is. I'll share it's progress with you as well and that of the little shop. 

I will give you a heads up though, we're picking up the bears tomorrow, so I'm sure my blog will be filled with photos of them, I've already warned my instagram friends lol.  
We've been counting down the days for weeks now, and I can't tell you how happy and excited this morning felt, changing the number to 1. 


Monday 19 January 2015

Me on a Monday

It was a puppy proofing, mantle painting, crop attending type of weekend.

With the bears arriving at the end of the month, its time to sort out a smaller area in the garden for them to explore. Plus, hopefully this net will keep the foxes from coming onto the cleaned decking.
I'm also giving some furniture a makeover, and my plan is to paint our kitchen cabinets this year, so I want to try some different paints out. To be honest, this one I won't be trying again. Or maybe its not good for 2 thin coats.   
As I didn't stay long at the crop this weekend, I just took my hexies .... I'm slightly obsessed with these at the moment. 

So there it was, my weekend .... A quick wave to Sian, for her great idea of me on a monday and I'll leave you with a little picture of my bears. I'm counting the days till they're here. I'm so very lucky that I can see them each week.
 And yes, both are in that basket ... you can just see Molly's head in Berties back by her collar. 

Tuesday 13 January 2015

Title Pages

And we're off ......

Off to a flying start that is.  I shared with you my plans in my last post, and while looking back at them realized that I set myself up for failure with having so many ideas on the go at once. So with that in mind, and the fact that I hadn't as yet chosen my own word of the year ... I've now picked it.

Yup, I need to simplify my life ... and by that I mean stop the worrying over silly things. I need to make our home and life work for me and Simon.  De-cluttering and organisation is a major task for me this year, and I think all that falls under my word. I really need to get back to basics.

So I followed Caroline's  idea and put my word in the front of my planner.

Actually, I'm really loving the planner and using it as a creative tool and brain dump, and to help with project life.

Talking of which, I have completed my title page for the 2015 album, and almost week 1 too.

Now, I said earlier that I picked my own word for 2015 ... well, Simon and I always pick a word together too. And really, there could only be one word. AWESOME!

Mainly it came from the Lego movie and the song, "everything is awesome", which we watched over Christmas and couldn't stop singing lol.  So yup, we're hoping this year will be an awesome one for us.


Surprisingly although I did more altering on this page, it came together pretty quickly - I changed a word on the bottom card, from "me" to "us" with painting over it and then using alpha stickers, and sewing shut one of the pockets with sequins in, so they don't fall out all the time.  But my favorite is the quote card that came in a previous Studio Calico kit and I always kept it out ready to use on a special layout or spread and I feel like it pretty much sums up how I feel.

"because when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing"

I'll be back with a later post on how I'm using my planner and also my week one of project life ... can you believe we're already in week 3! 


Tuesday 6 January 2015

This Year I will .....

I've set myself some goals .... If I don't, I tend to faff and time just runs away from me. Now I'm not saying this is going to stop me faffing and personally, I think that if Faffing were a sport, I'd have won the gold medal for it.

Its a work in progress plan, and I'm also hoping that I'll be adding to it; but I thought if I at least share my goals with you, it may somehow keep me on track.

So right ... here we go, oh and I apologize now, its a wordy post;

Creative Plans 

DO SOMETHING CREATIVE EVERYDAY
Try and keep up to date on PL ; longest to be behind … 2 weeks
Scrap Italy and Birthday album
Silver Anniversary album
SCRAP MORE ; and scrap older photos ... don't beat yourself up with rushing or being up to date
LEARN TO CROCHET
Organize my desk for house/planner etc.
Quilt and hexis
SORT OUT A WORKING CRAFT ROOM, ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!
Make at least 4 cards ready for birthdays/anniversary a month
Get planner organized
Check out my classes on Big Picture
Sort out my Pinterest boards
Have a “crop” bag at the ready
Get some kits together to be able to scrap whenever
Get inspiration book organised 
Send photos to print from Photobox
Sort out a Project Life area
Sew more – complete dressmaking projects and also Sewing projects for our home
Do a quilt square a month

Those were my creative hopes for 2015; now onto what I'd like to get into the routine of sharing on my blog;

Blogging Plans

Project Life spread
Scrapbooking share - try and join in with a few more challenges
Little House updates
How I'm getting on with this being my year of de-cluttering and organisation
Sewing projects/Quilting ventures 

Now each month I'm hoping to do some decluttering and sorting out of our home. These will often go into the next month, and the one after that, no doubt. But again ... I hope to share my plan for that month with you all at the start of each month, as a way of also keeping me on track.

JANUARY – main list

Major clean after decorations down and put house straight
clear out kitchen cupboards; check dates etc.,
Start on the dining room makeover
o    New covers for chairs
o    Empty and sort through sideboard
o    Remove all books from cases and have a good clean and sort through
o    Paint Fireplace
o    Paint Sideboard
Organise "household desk"
Write up calendar
Write up and decorate Filofax
Sort out 2015 budget and files
Clear/delete and file emails from machines
Start sorting out photos
Download and clear off 2014 photos from phone
Get a blogger planner in place
Make up a decluttering and organization planner in place for this year
Puppy proof the house and garden

Right, I think I'll leave it there as yes, I've faffed with this post for too long lol. 

While writing this Mr Postman knocked on the door and handed me a parcel from Studio Calico ... and the gorgeousness inside has made me very happy ... So, that's another tick for one of my lists ... get my planner organised.




Thanks for reading through all this x




Saturday 3 January 2015

A Wonderful Month

December really was a fabulous month.
And not just because certain puppies were born.  But it was one of socializing with family and friends; It included a family party at the Little house, a dinner at the Livery Company and our good friend Mary's (who's hubby was our best man) turned 50.

But wait, I hear you say ... Puppies were born! .... Err, yes, slight change of plan.  We went today to meet Bertie and well, fell in love with his sister too ... so at the end of this month, beginning of next, Bertie and Molly will be joining us; and I couldn't be more excited.

I'm thinking that maybe Molly is going to be a Daddy's girl 

And here is Bertie getting a bit squished x

Its certainly a great start to the year, and I have some ideas mulling around in my head with ways to make sure I blog more ... and also, I think I'll share with your some of my crafting  and decluttering plans next time, that way it will also keep me on track. 

Right, better get back to my puppy training books I think x