Goodbye to all that

Well after a truly devasting year, 2007 is one I would like to forget, since April this year, life has been well, how can I put it ? Bloody awful! Losing both parents and having hubby working away all week, has just been bad bad bad.

All I can say is that roll on 2008! We'll be moving to Edinburgh, very soon I hope and there will be a new school for Alex, working from home for me, and lots of new friends and faces to meet. I will be getting cracking with my Stampin' Up! business and continuing to submit projects to the mags.

For those of you who have left messages of support or simply drop by to read my blog, I would like to send a huge thank you and lots of love. It means a great deal to me and I sincerely hope you all have a very, very happy 2008 !!

Sam xxxxx

I Lick My Cheese...............

Actually I don't because I really HATE cheese, I actually tell everyone that I am allergic to it, for fear that they may cook it for me. I am almost scared of cheese I hate it that much. Anyway "I Lick My Cheese" is the title of a book my hubby got me for Christmas and it is hysterically funny. It's a compilation of notes that flatmates leave for each other and each note has a brief narrative, commenting on or explaining the background of the note. It's one of those books which really mean something if you have shared a flat or house with others.

When I first met my hubby he had a lodger, a perfectly lovely Irish girl. One day I was round at his house and just before we left to go out for the evening he said "oh hang on I just need to write a note" he had a chalkboard in the kitchen and he wrote "BIG tidy up required tomorrow"................. I looked at him , he said "too much?" I snorted , then nodded and he meekly rubbed it out. Now this is the man I have to tidy up after. He didn't share at house at Uni but I bet he would have been a total "note Nazi".

The book got me thinking about the weird and nutty people you get to share living accomodation/bathrooms and kitchens with when you are in Uni halls of residence. There was one girl (who shall remain nameless) who I will never forget. She is now either a genius ( I must google her) or a drug addict.

Once she flooded the corridor when she decided to do her weeks washing in her hand basin in her room. She also dyed some clothes black in the kitchen sink turning most other things in the kitchen, my wooden spoon included, black! Hey ho, those were the days................I am off to google!

Love Actually.....

Gosh I haven't posted in aages, so Happy Christmas

So what have I been up to? Panic Panic Panic, shout shout shout, bought too many presents and waaaaaay too much food. Lost half a stone, somehow in the run up to Christmas, I, complete piggo, lose interest in food, running round like a blue arsed fly ( I love that phrase), and seem to feel like throwing up most of the time, so I don't eat. What gives? I have no idea....! Anyway now I look like Kate Moss, ha flippin' ha I wish!

So just Alan, Alex and I plus Alan's Dad for Christmas day this year, you all konw why ..........................Alex got lots of pressies, and I got Jo Malone (not the person herself ha ha) and Harvey Nicks vouchers and Sing Star for the Playstation, and just for the record I CAN SING OK! and the damn thing keeps rating me BAD and AWFUL and I am so going to sue Sony- wish me luck.

Also Alan got me the most hysterical book for Christmas, called "I lick my Cheese", it's all about the notes flat mates leave it other, and I nearly wet my (smaller) pants reading it today.

Anyway I am now watching the most perfect film, "Love Actually"......................Colin Firth?? YUMMO times 1 million, so I have to go.

Cor Blimey

I am up to my eyes in Christmas preparations. This year I have left it waaaayy too late to make my cards, I am ashamed of myself but stuff it, I am not gonna beat myself up about it I don't have time. I managed to order our turkey and goose in the nick of time and so all I have to look forward to is my annual Christmas morning nervous breakdown over which bird goes in which oven - hey ho.

Made good progress today, did most of my shopping at the Trafford Centre today. I have had a good and rather pickled weekend, 2 Christmas "dos" and a rather daft spending spree on a big new telly , a PS 3 and Sky TV. This is nothing short of a miracle since Alan does NOT approve of lots of TV, so I think my Alan has been abducted and replaced with an alien. I am damned if I can work out the bloody playstation. I pride myself on my own geekiness with all things techno, but I stared at the instructions like an 80 year old trying to programme a video yesterday and then gave up. At one point I ejected a game without going through the "correct" procedure, Alan was REALLY mad at me, and he hates "games" - he deffo has been adbucted by aliens....

3 more days of work to go then I am off till the 8th Jan - yay and double yay!

Christmas Cards

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH last night I went to see Take That in Manchester. What a FABBO night, I still can't believe how good those boys are now. I thought they were OK first time round, but didn't go and see them. Last year I went to see them twice and they are back again and now they are just so damn good, their latest stuff is so brilliant, I had a great time and sang my heart out!

Back to crafting - I thought it was time to spread a little cheer, here are some cards I made for Quick and Crafty Mag last month - hope you like...

Bleeeuuurggghh!

Well I now have a full blown cold/chest thing, feeling very sorry for myself, and quite honestly I have been a complete cow all weekend. Given the events of this year, I am very much not looking forward to Christmas and I am feeling quite bitter and twisted about the whole thing. Alan and Alex have borne the brunt of my self pity/evil temper, so I am feeling rather ashamed of myself.................

Anyway, I am about to watch Cranford, God knows who will kick the bucket this week, but I have tissues at the ready. Hopefully I will feel slightly less rubbish after a good nights sleep.

Weird Night.......

Well I made it out last night and it was a weird night. We went to a social club and the place was full of women, there were 2 men in the whole room and they must have been 70 if they were a day!!

We arrived at 7:30 and the food was served at 9:00, and there was no disco prior to that, mind you judging by the age of the old dears in there they would't have like it LOL! We were all moaning about how rubbish it was and then a young chap (hark at me "young chap") came on singing some cover versions with a backing tape and a guitar. I ended up getting up and singing "Valerie" with him. Yes I am a frustrated performer! I really enjoyed it, all the gals were whooping and cheering, we all started to have a great time and 20 mins later we had to go cos our cab arrived !

Anyway I am glad I went, still full of a cold and cough but hey it's the weekend!

Not Well

I am feeling rotten, Alex had a raging temperature/cold/virus thing earlier this week and was up for 2 hours for 3 nights zzzzzzzzzzzzz............Alan came home late on Tuesday night en route to Paris with a hacking cough/cold, and now (thanks Guys!) I have some lurgy. It's my school Mum's night out tonight and I am going by hook or by crook because I have a new dress and killer red satin high heeled shoes. The shoes will be cleverly accessorised with my red nose !

On a more positive note, I have completed my first Stampin Up project for a mag, and I have placed my first order for more stamping goodies. Don't forget if you want to order a catalogue or other stuff I am very much open for business.

I have also done some cards for Sarahscards new cardmaking kit with some scrummy Paper Salon papers and her gorgeous Aunty Sarah's Bloomers, check the kit out here.

Added to that I have almost finished another project for Quick and Crafty mag, so I have been quite a busy bee this week.

Well I am writing this from my sickbed, Alan is home getting Alex ready for school so I am having a lie in (bliss!).

TV Perfection

Oh isn't Cranford just TV perfection, I love it. It is supposed to be set in Knutsford, which is just up the road from me.

I wish they'd all stop dying though, last week that poor little boy died of "the croup" and Eileen Atkins character dropped like a fly. Then this week, just as Judi Dench's character was about to get "jiggy" with Michael Gambon, he up and gets pneumonia and dies, as if Dame Judy hadn't been through the mill last week. I have been in floods of tears the last two weeks, but my goodness it's just brilliant. Top Gear and Cranford on one night, who needs to go out eh?

Trafford Centre.......................

OH gosh what a dimwit I was yesterday. I went to the Trafford Centre and it was PACKED! Apparently it was the busiest Saturday of the year. Alan and Alex came along to meet me to see a film and he had to park on Costco's car park as there was no room anywhere.

I got 2 dresses for my Xmas do's, 2 Xmas pressies and got my eyebrows "threaded". This is where they pluck your eyebrows with cotton thread. Heaven knows how they do it, and it HURT - a LOT! But now I look human again.

So we took Alex to see Ratatouille and he hated it and we left before the end. Don't you love those family days out when you organise something for your kids and they ruin it?? Ha Ha Ha!

SALE TIME

I am a long time user of Craftwork Cards products, the yummo stuff they sell really got me started on card making, and of course the fab Julie Hickey works for them and creates luvverly stuff. Anyway they have a mega sale starting tomorrow, read on.....

Sale starts 4pm Friday 30th November with over 500 items in the SALE area, loads of them 75% off!

There is also FREE P&P from Friday 30th November, 4pm through to Monday 3rd December at 4pm

find them at www.craftworkcards.co.uk

Busy Week

Lordy, I have had a busy day. Work has gone bonkeroonie, it's all exciting stuff but it has this nasty habit of interfering with my crafting - the nerve!

AND if anyone else tells me they have bought all their Christmas presents, wrapped 'em and written all their Christmas cards, I'll strangle them with tinsel! They've probably already got their sprouts on too.

I am heading off to the temple of retail therapy - The Trafford Centre on Monday to buy a frock for a Christmas "do" and I have decided I want fab smoky eyeshadow like the Spice Girls in their latest video. Every time I have tried "smokey" I have ended up looking like "I've been in a scrap" so we'll see. I'll have a mooch along to the MAC counter in Selfridges, that can be a right laugh cos they have boys who look like girls on that counter sometimes (yikes!!!).

I'll see if I can buy some pressies too. I am faced with the annual conundrum of getting presents for my "I want suprises but all the ones you get me are going back to the shops cos I hate them" husband. He is my major cause of Christmas stress I can tell you.

I met a lovely lady today called Tara. She lives really nearby and makes cards, really lovely cards they are too. She has a bloggy too here go check it out.

Right I am teeing myself up for I'm a Celeb, I wonder who will win tomorrow , OH MAAAAN! I hope it ain't Janice but since I missed it last night she may have been kicked out already!

Ohhhh my head hurts......
Yesterday I had a very productive day using all of my new SU goodies for a mag project. Nearly done and in record time!

Last night I went to a "candle party", gosh I remember the days when my Friday nights were spent at the Hacienda club in Manchester, now I am just an old saddo! The candles were great and when the candle lady left I showed everyone my SU catalogue and told them all about it. They were very enthusiastic yey!

I drank lots of wine and now I feel soooooooo yucky, Alan has taken Alex out for a few hours so I am watching an old movie and surfing the web, perfect!

Stash City!!

Gosh I have been the "queen of parcels" this week. First I got a big box from Stampin' Up! containing my demo kit, then a pizza box from Artbase and another from my gorge friend Sarah Davies from Sarahscards! This girl has twin babies and is still running her shop!!!

Also I got 2 mags from the States, I am expecting some more mags from my cousin and a yummo treat from Ebay - where the heck I am gonna put that lot?

High Chair
Awwww I sold Alex's high chair today, well being 5 he doesn't have much need for one now hee hee! I must admit to feeling a bit emotional about it when I thought about all that pureed gunk I lovingly made for him when he was tiny.

As for the rest of the day I am boring everyone stupid with Stampin' Up and I sold my first catalogue to a girl at work.

I am all up and running and it doesn't matter if you don't have a demo in your area, I can send catalogues to you and you can order from me no probs! Don't all rush at once eh???

What I am Thinking?

OK it's like TV heroin and I am hooked, I knew if I watched it I would be hooked -arrrrrggggghhh. I am a bit of a snob TV wise and I do not hold with this Reality TV malarky , quite frankly it's a waste of life just watching it (don't even get me started with Big Brother)

I am Celeb.........you know what I am saying! Can you believe that Mark has been voted out?? I reckon the voters have thought "ohhh he is going to get it when he gets out, so let's not vote to keep him in and watch the fireworks" Boy did I squirm when he was being interviewed, he was looking as sick as a parrot. Not a good situation bit of a tricky one all round isn't it?

I don't tend to watch much TV but it's been a bit of a coach potato night for me today. I LOVE "How to look good naked", I want Kwok as my best friend right NOW!! He is such a sweetie he rocks! I look rubbish naked I am signing up right now for that programme!

Living and Dreaming Stampin' Up!

Ohh it is such an exciting time, I am just waiting for my SU demo kit to arrive meanwhile I have been making some cards using the Be Happy stamp set and Rich Regals colours. Having the 4 colour sets make life so easy to create colour schemes!

Nice Weekend

Well Alan got home nice and early on Friday night which was great. We had a bottle of Champagne (hic!) I have bored the pants off him with my Stampin' Up! news.

We had friends round for dinner last night which was lovely, and today we took Alex to a party. After that we had a very lazy afternoon watching the new Harry Potter DVD - isn't J.K Rowling just a genius, she is like the modern day Enid Blyton, a total phenomenon! Enid isn't popular anymore but I just loved "The Famous Five" and all the St Claire's and Mallory Towers books. I so wished I could got to boarding school, play lacrosse and have midnight feasts from my "tuck box". Ha ha talk about ideas above my station.

Got my hair cut in Knutsford yesterday in the most amazing Aveda salon with chairs that give you a massage when you get your hair washed!!! The reason I mention this is that I am watching Cranford on BBC which was based on Knutsford, that is where Elizabeth Gaskell lived! If you ever visit Cheshire , pop along to Knutsford, it is soooo lovely.

Stampin' Up! Day

Well today was the day - the new UK Stampin' Up! catalogue is on the web - weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! V Excited. Been tidying my craft room again tonight and ripping up the hall stairs and landing carpet in readiness for our new carpet on Monday. We have lived with a HIDEOUS red patterned carpet for 6 years but to sell the house we need to "go neutral" great! We'll get to enjoy it for like 2-3 months and then have to move.

Right I am pooped with all the excitement of today, I am off for a glass of wine.

Stash Stress

OMG I wanted to show someone at work pics of my craft room today and so I showed him (yes a him) my blog (he's a computer geek just like me gawd love him) I have pics on here from Feb this year when my room was completed. I was so shocked to see how much more stuff I have acquired, it's awful. Of course I have all my Mum's craft stuff as well plus boxes of photos, it's a nightmare. I do have a friend who is just about to start crafting so she is getting a goodie box from me. I must NOT buy any more stash arrrgggghh!!!!

Well Stampin' Up! launches in the UK tomorrow I'll be checking the online catalogue tomorrow first thing - 1 more sleep to go!!!