Blog Review: 2011

454 posts this year.  41,268 page views in the life of this blog.  119 followers, plus a handful of others who regularly comment but don't actively follow me.  This blog had its ups and downs, but overall, it wasn't a bad blogging year at all.
Successfully completed were:

• Yesterday & Today by Ali Edwards for BPC.  Totally loved this class.
• Design Your Life by Cathy Zielske for BPC 
• The MotherLOAD by Lain Ehmann for BPC
• One Little Word by Ali Edwards for BPC
• Project Life began on April 1st and is up-to-date and on-going

The Wit or Wisdom series faded slightly as we moved into Autumn; mainly because I no longer walk past the cafe on a daily basis.  52 Photos in Black & White was a fun series to do.

 { Self-portrait from 31 December 2010 }

In 2012, I have plans for attempting the following:

• One Little Word again.  Our new word is 'enjoy';  not because we want to be frivolous with our lives, but because we want us to grasp every opportunity, good or bad, that comes our way this year.
• Me: The Abridged Version ~ see foundation pages here.
• Family History album ~ a 12x12 album, with layouts about particular stories that need recording and divided page protectors for those photos that are neither one thing nor the other, yet still need to have a place in the family archive.  This will be a work in progress.
• Project Life will continue, but will not be blogged, unless something newsworthy happens. 
• Classes coming up include: Round Up Your Memories by Katie Nelson for BPC; Miss Smith's Just One Sketch and Ten Tips for Better Type by Cathy Zielske for BPC.
• After a year off, I plan to be back with Photo A Day.
• An explosion of Happy Mail.  I haven't quite worked out how this will work, but the bottom line will be fairly simple ~ send me an email in response to a Happy Mail post and you could receive a wee surprise by Royal Mail.
• My Months in Numbers ~ inspired by Sian and originally seen over at Julie's place.   

{ Self-portrait from 31 December 2011 } 

The boys in the family wish to have new nomenclatures in 2012:  DS will now be known as The Boy Child or TBC for short.  This may well change again in the future, as The Boy Child gets older.  DH will now be known as The Brainy One (he can't be The Doctor because Mel is already using that one). 
All that remains is for me to wish you all a very Happy New Year.
2012.  Twenty twelve.  I'm ready.

52 In Black & White: Week 52

Project Life: Week 38

The week with holiday homework.  The week with a haircut.  The week with a 50 miles round trip to collect Grandad.  The week we tracked Santa.

The week with a visit to church on Christmas Eve.  The week with Christmas Day.  The week with a hearing test.  There had been a suspicion that DS may have glue ear; I'm pleased to say that this is not the case and everything is as it should be.

That about wraps up 2011: Project Life.

December Daily: The 25th

 My favourite shot of the day.

And here is what the finished album looks like.

Christmas has come and gone.
As for me, I'd like to do this ...

~ Image originally seen here ~

December Daily: The 24th

Christmas Eve.  I was ready and organised.
Not much to do except collect the turkey and a few last minute bits.  I was so on top of things, I had time to enjoy a coffee in an exceptionally quiet Costa.
Drove a round trip of 50 miles to collect Grandad.

Went to the 4pm Children's Service in the church at the end of our road.  Oh, boy, it was so cold!

And Elvis?  With Wolfie.

4x6 Photo Love: Eleven

A whopping 11 photos to get on to a double page spread this month and the perfect solution for Elvis the Elf on the Shelf.

I use small page protectors a lot in Project Life, but I never seem to think about using them with a double layout.  Maybe I should.

Happy Christmas

~ From me and mine to you and yours ~

~ Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous 2012 ~

December Daily: The 23rd

The one about the magical refillable wine rack.

And Elvis? In the bowl on the hearth.

December Daily: The 22nd

The one where the delivery of a Christmas card from this lovely young lady gave me much cause for thought.

 Journaling idea borrowed from Ali.

Thank you, Carrie.
And Elvis? With Santa on top of the TV.

52 In Black & White: Week 51

~ DH and his lovely sister ~

December Daily: The 21st

It turned out that a second quiet day should have been on the cards.  Pity I didn't realise that until after lunch.

But then what do you get when a 4-year-old has had a power nap?  One who doesn't want to go to bed and wants to dance around the living room in his PJs to Slade's Merry Christmas Everyone!

I know that the idea is to merely capture a suggestion of motion within the shot, but I love how this looks.
And Elvis?  On top of the DVD rack.

Something For January

I've just signed up for a brand new class starting in January. I know that a few of you are already ahead of me, but if you aren't, you can check it out here.  It's called Just One Sketch, it costs a bargain £5, and the proceeds go to support GirlGuiding UK.  See you in class. 

Project Life: Week 37

The week DH and I managed to have lunch out together.  The week DS's favourite bendy-bus was withdrawn from service.  The week we went to the school's Christmas Quiz.  The week DS perfected the art of becoming a lounge lizard.

The week the trees in our road were pollarded (and our garden wall damaged, a story for another day).  The week I went with school to help out at Cinderella.  The week our friend came for supper.  The week of the Nativity.  

December Daily: The 20th

I slowed the pace right down today.  I took Christmas out of the equation.  In that, although DS was involved with Christmas-themed activities, he was involved with them at home.  I let the mad rush that is Christmas week pass him by.

Elvis spent the day with Keats.

Keats will be 50 on Christmas Day and I'll be sharing his story at some point after that.

The Spirit of Christmas

A little something to lift your heart and give cause to remember the real reason for Christmas.

December Daily: The 19th

A day which was both giving and ordinary.
Wherever You Are by the Military Wives was released today ~ I purchased it for a mere £1.49 from iTunes.  I then copied it to a CD and found the lyrics online.

The ordinary and the mundane are both still happening here.  Today's big task was to clear the ironing mountain.  I don't know about you, but I like the ironing basket to be empty over Christmas, even if the laundry basket is full.

Elvis decided to check out the tree.

December Daily: The 18th

The day we finally got our Christmas tree ~ a 6' Nordmann pine.

We are definitely beginning to look as though Christmas has reached our house.

Top row: Noel banner made from inchies (and by my sister, of course), wooden nativity picked up in Austria about 12 years ago (can't remember if it was in Innsbruck or Salzburg) and our Christmas basket.
Second row: Christmas wreath on the front door, beautiful card angels.
Third row: DS's first ever bauble in 2007, a gift from my aunt and uncle, a damaged bauble and my sparkly mirror ball.
Bottom row: Santa and carolling reindeer standing on top of the TV, jars of cranberry sauce and Elvis, the Elf on the Shelf.
We heard of the safe arrival of this young man this morning ...

Somehow, a new baby a week before Christmas is extra special.
And talking of Elvis ... he fancied a day sitting in the Christmas basket.

December Daily: The 17th

The day where the excitement of the last week of school caught up with DS.  Mid afternoon found him asleep on the sofa for an hour and a half.

The reverse side is again borrowed from Ali: shop opening fliers, advertising bumf and a tag from a new school blazer.  Yes, that's right, DS has outgrown the one he had new for school in September.

Elvis was found on the kitchen shelf, slightly squashed.

December Daily: The 16th

The one where I went to the Ball ~ DH's University Ball at the RCJ.  Very Hogwarts (and very cold!).

I used an envelope to hold part of the ticket and additional photos, the journaling and the tag from my dress.  I then stitched the envelope to the outside of the page protector.

 What's that?  You'd like to see my dress?  Oh, alright.

And Elvis was in with the craft supplies.

December Daily: The 15th

The one with a singing shepherd.  Today was the last day of term and DS took part in his first Nativity as a shepherd.  He did really well with all the singing of carols and songs about clip-clop donkey.  Once the Nativity was over, parents and little people joined the rest of the school for the Carol Service and I was truly astonished at just how many DS knew.
Wonder if he can have singing lessons?

And Elvis?  Lurking in the downstairs loo.