Party Time

Our work Christmas Do is on tonight. We are also going to do Secret Santa at about 4 so I'm not sure when I'll get to post again. Didn't do anything wild yesterday, went home, got oil delivered, wrapped a few more pressies including a Card Making Hamper for T's aunt Patsy. She lives next door to us and was in bed with the flu yesterday. Hopefully the hamper will cheer her up. She's a crafter at heart, or maybe a closet crafter? The local ICA do lots of different types of projects - cross stitch, knitting, embroidery, etc and I thought she might like to give card-making a try. I had loads of bits and bought a few stamps etc to start her off.

Don't know what to get her hubby though? He doesn't drink and is a carpenter, so power tools and gagets are out cos he has most of them already. Last year we bought them a microwave between them (obviously, cos they live in the same house LOL!) but I have been seriously lacking in inspiration this year. Not to worry, there's still 3 full days of shopping left! Although I really have no inclination to go back into town.... Might get the bus in with T tomorrow and stroll around taking in the sights.....

Dad called in to pick up Eilis and I brought him to her new creche (new since july!). She was just about to go for a nap, but the girls were all saying that she was so excited all day because grandad was coming to collect her! I'd say she tells them everything...and she's only 2 (nearly 3) yet! Can you imagine when she's older?

Today's journal prompt is 'Christmas Party' or I had an alternative for people who mightn't attend a Christmas party....'The longest night' as tonight is the longest night? or is it tomorrow night? well anyway, they wouldn't be too long off each other.

I was just talking to Tina, one of my college friends. She is just home from travelling South America for three months. Her birthday is tomorrow. We're going out to Brian's on Saturday to a house-warming/christmas party. Am looking forward to it, but hope this flaming cold is getting better. Was going to have a hot whiskey last night, upon advice from Patsy, but I find they make me even more stuffy. When I'm like this, the place I like best is outdoors where the air is fresh and your nose isn't blocked! Dunno what a crowded italian restaurant and pub will be like tonight.....we'll see.

Hopefully photos of the night won't be too incriminating....watch this space!

USA or Chocolate Kimberly?

Which bickies do you like best at Christmas?

Today's journal entry is a Food Shopping List.

I've already made one for Mam for her house (as that's where we'll be for a while over the hols) and we got all our shopping done on MOnday night. Our kind neighbours minded E for an hour while we nipped off to Dunnes. The place wasn't too manic busy but I still managed to spend 250 yoyos.....having said that there was a fair few important items like jumbo size toilet roll, washing powder, and our drinks cabinet will now be sociably full.....for all the visitors we are not going to get!

It made me think back to the kind of foods we always associated with Christmas.....TK Red Lemonade & orange, USA biscuits, Jumbo boxes of Tayto Cheese and Onion, Seasons Greetings sweets from Lemonfield, or Cadbury's Roses if you were lucky. Now there's such a wealth of choice....sweet and savoury.

Did a little bit more shopping last night. Had to get some corporate gifts...well a couple of meal vouchers! We only have 4 major clients that we like to send something to, and last year was a bit of a race around town on the last day, so this year, we were a little more organised, made a list and I said I'd nip into town to get a few bits yesterday evening. No joy, I dawdled too long and it ended up that the Town Hall Theatre was closed at 7.30 (obviously no show on last night?) and the only other V. important shop I wanted to get to also doesn't do late night and was closed at 6. Looks like I'll have to make the trip again at lunch today.

We're doing secret santa in the office tomorrow, which should be fun, and our Christmas party is tomorrow night. We'll have a gang of about 20, partners and all, so I'm looking forward to it. We always try to do it at the very end, so people don't have to come back into work again and it also gets people into the spirit more I think. This year we've opted for dinner in one of the nicest restaurants in town (not the most expensive, just lovely italian food) and have hopefully managed to set aside a table in a pub for ourselves too....

Am feeling a little run down today to be honest. Had a sore throat all of the beginning of the week, but now it's progressing into a cough and stuffy nose. I really would love it to be gone for the weekend as it's not much fun being sick at Christmas. I'm not sick enough to stay at home, but feel kinda cr*ppy all the same. E has a really tickly cough and was coughing for a good hour last night which also kept us awake, so will most likely be a moody oul B today! Think Christmas thoughts, think christmas thoughts....

Last night I changed tack on Elaine's (my sister) Christmas present. She told me she wanted a book and I had great plans to make a mini book with gatefolds etc etc that would have loadsa bits. It's killing me to be honest and I feel I'm not going to get it done, so yesterday I went into a second hand book shop and bought a board book which I'm going to alter for her. I've done one of these already as a present!! and got through it in no time as you had something to work with and a limited number of pages. Maybe I need a little restriction in my life!

Also bought the newest eddition of Scrapbook Inspirations in Easons yesterday so had a nice read yesterday....some fabby ideas as usual. Also picked up a copy of Creating Keepsakes....also fabby ideas. I love Ali....she rocks!

Oh Christmas Tree.....

We finally got around to putting up our christmas tree on Sunday night. I should rephrase - I finally got around to putting up our christmas tree on Sunday night. Here it is in all it's glory. It's a smallie - artifical, but gets me more in the mood nonetheless.

Eilis got to put the angel on top of the tree this year, with a little help from TC. We were always 'star' people in our house. There was no angel on our tree, but to be honest, the star I have is way too big and would probably knock the whole thing down if I put it on top, so an angel it is. She's a bit flimsy though and you would wonder about the safety element of having a christmas tree light inside lighting up her skirt!

I was slack this weekend at getting things done. Partly because I have a sore throat, and partly because I was out on Saturday night and partly because I took on a rather tricky project. These trees are made from material stuffed with wadding, my own design, but from an idea based on a website shown on Ali Edwards site. Littlebirds is a fabby site to inspire in all types of creative bits and pieces and in November she showed some fabric trees. I think there was a little controversy, but I love them and made them and had intended to make a whole suite of them for a side table, don't you know.....but I have neither side table nor more than two trees, so maybe I'll add to them each year instead and will make provision for a table in our new house. There's another thing to add to list so tradesmen think I'm mad 'I'd like a table to display my fabric christmas trees please!'


Got this idea also from a link from Ali's site. The original is by Tia Bennet as shown on Two Peas here Isn't it the fabbiest (her's I mean). I scoured Galway for buttons. Do not take this project on without a million of them! It seems that Hickeys don't have buttons in packs anymore just little cards of them that cost a fortune! Mine would have been multicoloured except I found more red ones to supplement my own stash in Mam's button box. Credit must also go to darling Eilis for picking out 'wed' ones from my box. It's quite small and definitely needs a star for the top....maybe a star button if I can get my hands on one....for now, it will sit on my sideboard and maybe one day it can go on the table in the new house, with the fabric tree collection.....


....so I've missed a few more Journal days.....but here we go...

SAturday - Christmas Carols…..
Sunday - I believe….what do you believe? How do you celebrate?
Monday - Best Ever Christmas Gift

and Todays is Christmas ‘To Do’ List
as of NOW. I'm going to make a list, check it twice and scrap it in some way. I'm such a list person! But it also makes me feel a little better cos yesterday we went food shopping so that's out of the way, and also made an 8x8 framed LO for my sister so that's all her pressies sorted. I'll post a pic tomorrow. It's based on a LO Eva did with us at the ScrapWest crop in Ennis.