IDIC card making challenge 'Anything goes'

Unfortunately last week I failed in my IDIC DT challenge as I made completely the wrong card! I got very confused so I apologise to everyone, I was definitely having a bad week! This week is a really easy challenge to enter 'Anything goes'.

The DT got to work with images from Mizumedia Designs that are available here. I kept the card fairly simple and just used a set of 'manly' papers I already had at home that included everything on the card including the sentiment and star embellishments.

I really hope that you will find some time to join us this week in the challenge at IDIC.

Super Stressy

I have been feeling a bit down.......

so what has made me feel a bit better? Some really supportive friends and family, some who just knew from my status on FB that something was going on. I have had some 'virtual' counselling, some kind words and some brilliant texts.
Also I went out the house yesterday (though I didn't want to, I had to drop DD at a sleepover) and I saw a friend I hadn't seen for ages and we just chatted over a cuppa tea about things generally which stopped me worrying on my own!

I discovered I had won some candy in the Polkadoodles blog hop as someone hadn't claimed it, they picked another name and it was mine! Will look forward to it arriving though I have been unlucky with blog candy and have never received some in the past.... I also still haven't posted out the prizes to K and Mel from the blog hop, I have been really bad so I apologise and promise it will be sent asap!

Today I went to the Christingle service at Church with the children, I have never been to one before but have always liked the sound of the service and the symbolism. Also the gorgeous Jo talked about it on her blog here so I was inspired to go and it was totally worth it! A really family friendly service that we all felt part of and afterwards there was tea and cakes!

The good news is that I finish work on December 23rd and don't go back until January 6 so I will have some amazing time with the family hopefully celebrating the festive season. Also I passed my numeracy exam, sat the pharmacology exam and have until 31st Jan to get all my uni work in...... it will all work out in the end I'm sure!

(Yes I have just majorly edited this post as I decided I didn't want to record some of my feelings etc on my blog so if you are re reading it you are not as mad as you may have thought!!!)

Christmas films not to watch! # 18 + 19

I actually had to stop watching this film, 'a hobo's Christmas' as it was fairly awful, though I do think I've seen it before but I couldn't face watching it this time so no stars and 0/5!

I watched all of 'A Christmas without snow' but despite having the actress who played the mother in 'the Waltons' it was pretty dreadful so another with zero stars and 0/5

Christmas film review #17

Santa Jr is about the son of Santa who gets arrested when he is mistaken for the 'Christmas Bandit' (a burglar). This film is packed full of festive magic and DS and I really enjoyed it.

**** (4/5)

christmas film review #16

In 'Eve's Christmas', a woman has everything she wants, a great job, fantastic salary, and a luxurious life in a penthoues in NYC. But she has no-one to share it all with. She makes a wish on a Christmas star asking for the chance to go back in time and change things.

Enjoyable Christmas film about being able to right the wrongs, correcting the mistakes that you have made. *** (3/5)

IDIC card making challenge Vintage Christmas

I actually lost my card for last weeks challenge before I had a chance to take a photo so I failed completely! This week I made sure I took the photograph and put it on the IDIC photo uploading page (albeit at the last minute!) before it all went wrong again!

Over at I Did It Creations this week the challenge is Vintage Christmas and I have used a digi stamp from the talented Hope Jacare, she has a unique style that is perfectly suited to the vintage theme. The stamp is 'Christmas Pudding' which sums up Christmas in so many ways for me, as we always have homemade Christmas Pudding and also indulge in 'Stir Up Sunday' (see this post). Christmas Puddings have been traditional in England for many centuries so may have featured in many a Vintage Christmas!

I made this first card and tried to keep it simple with watercolour pens (I am not very good at using these as you can see!), vintage sheet music, kraft paper, gold ribbon and an old wooden button.

I loved the effect so much I made another slightly larger card as I printed out a bigger image and again kept it simple, with no bow or button. The image comes with the matching sentiment so it does make a really easy Christmas card which suits me as I have hardly made any!!!

Please come over to IDIC and join in with the challenge this week thanks xxx

Journal your Christmas day 3

I am determined not to get behind with blogging JYC or I'll never catch up with my pages either! Yesterday the prompt was all about Christmas Cards. The thoughts of others about handmade versus shop bought CHristmas cards rang a few bells.

This is my 3rd Christmas making cards, the first year I only made 2, last year I made quite a few, this year the only cards I have made have been in response to DT work, although I have made more than one with several of the gorgeous digi stamps we have been given to work with. (see previous posts and tomorrows post)

I tend to think that most people just put their cards in the recycling at the end of 12th night and I hate to think of my own work going in the 'rubbish'. So I only send homemade cards to those I think will appreciate them (or ask me where their special card from me is!!). This actually equates to a few of my family and a few crafty friends. I have never thrown away any handmade cards I have been given in the last few years as I just love them! So the majority of the 80+ people I send cards to will get shop bought cards, usually purchased in the January sales if I am to be completely honest with you!

This prompt also made me think about the old, hard covered, non festive, orange, A to Z book that I use to keep track of all my Christmas cards. A couple of years ago I bought a 'special' Christmas card book, but it remains unused. I hate the idea of discarding the book that goes back to the era pre kids, with names of people I have loved and lost, people who were part of my life back then but now I have lost addresses and lost touch. It is a historical document in my own life journey and as such is a treasured part of Christmas. I confess to having a rule that if I don't receive a card from someone for 2 years then I don't send them one the third year! I have been known to reinstate people!!

I look forward to hearing your take on this prompt about Christmas cards and have got to make my page (I have so far only made the page for Dec 1st!) but will be looking on the forums again soon as there is so much inspiration there though sometimes it makes me feel a bit inferior if I'm honest as I really don't have that talent but I am learning and loving it all!

Christmas film review #15

Home by Christmas is the story of a woman (starring Linda Hamilton) who has everything she could want, until out of the blue, her husband leaves her for a younger woman, divorces her and takes their daughter to live with them, she is mugged, loses all her money and is evicted, She ends up sleeping inher car and befreinds another 'homeless' woman and together they rebuild their lives.

This is a non-traditional Christmas film in many ways but I really enjoyed this one and it does pull at the heart strings ***1/2 (3.5/5)

Journal your Christmas day 2

Todays prompt from Shimelle is about the weather, perfect timing for all the snow that has blown into the UK in the past few days and is currently settling in Surrey. I loved Shimelle's page with the heading 'the weather outside is frightful' as this describes what was happening here last night! Bit this is about today....

I awoke this morning when DS jumped into bed with me promptly followed by a text from his school announcing it's closure for the next 2 days... it was 06.15!! Too early, but I couldn't sleep. Looking out the window there had easily been 30cm of snow overnight, the Close looked beautiful.

I started sending and receiving texts regarding work, who could get in? Was the clinic open? What was the plan? In the end I decided, as someone within walking distance, I should just head in.. on foot. There were actually several cars on the road (not sure if I would have got my car out!) and there were a few of us pedestrians braving the elements. It was lightly snowing, bright white snow lay all around and crunched underfoot and the day felt fresh and shiny. I enjoyed seeing all the local landmarks that I usually just whizz past in the car, adorned in all their snowy glory. I didn't take the camera with me but did snap a couple of pics on my camera phone which I will download/upload at some point.

I did manage to take some photographs at home before I set out, before all the virgin snow was spoilt by cats and children playing in it!

The view from the back door

The view from the front door

This was the house this morning before I left

Tomorrow is another day and I will see how the conditions are in the morning and might even attempt to drive into work... watch this space!

How is the weather where you are? I really look forward to hearing the stories and seeing the photographs about 'non cold' Christmas weather. It is completely alien to me having always been in the UK for the festivities. See you on a blog near you soon xxx

World Aids Day 2010

This is a day for me to reflect on the past, remember those I have loved and lost and to respond to the call to make changes for the future.

I have been involved in the care of people with HIV for as long as the disease has been around. I looked after my first 'AIDS' patient back in the 1980's when we really knew very little about the disease and many health care professionals were terrified as were the general public. At the time it was classed as a terminal illness and people, mostly young men, were struck down with mystery illnesses that ultimately resulted in death. At diagnosis there was little hope that could be offered to these men, women and children.

Things began to improve with increased knowledge about the disease, causative factors being found and with the discovery of anti-retroviral drugs things changed dramatically.

Currently there are 90,000 people living in the UK, though there are about a quarter of these remain unaware of their diagnosis. HIV is now seen as a chronic illness and there are a multitude of amazing drugs that can be used in combination to suppress the virus, boost the immune system and keep patients healthy and well for the foreseeable future.

But sadly people still die. In my experience this is largely due to a very late diagnosis when the disease has seriously damaged the immune system and the patient succumbs to serious infections that may result in death. I have seen this first hand in the last couple of years, one patient refused an HIV test when offered and a year later was extremely sick, tested positive for HIV but passed away in hospital.

My wish for the future is that this does not continue to happen, I hope more people will have access to and be offered HIV tests. Make no mistake the ongoing research, the medical care, theoretical knowledge and amazing voluntary groups have altered the course of this disease. There is hope for the future but people are becoming infected everyday and I see teenagers diagnosed who don't seem to be aware of this disease anymore.

I would love to see another public campaign to raise awareness, some of us will always remember 'don't die of ignorance' (though it was a bit frightening) but what have young people seen?

HIV is not fussy it will infect anyone regardless of age (we see patients from teens to those in their 70's) race, religion, social standing and sexuality. We are in a hugely advantageous position in this country as we are able to access all these services and the medication, which is extrememly expensive, those in developing countries face a very different situation.

Please think about testing, in the UK in 2010 it is much better to know if you have the infection as you can stay well and access services and prevent advancement of the disease.

Journal Your Christmas (JYC 1)

Today is December 1st, the first day of the fabulous Journal your Christmas and my first year attempting this awesome project. I was up and reading the first prompt at 6.30 am this morning...partly as I was trying to find out if the children's schools were shut (the one 200 yards away was closed but the one up the hill and 20 mins walk on a non snow day was open!)

I love this printable manifesto and the colour red is perfect for my green and red album so I will be printing this off later (along with the journal cards they are fab too!) and it will form the basis of todays page along with some of my own thoughts! (I will take a pick and share soon promise!)

Are you taking this class? Or doing a December Daily type diary? Or just scrapping/journalling as you go? Would love to see what you are creating and for those joining in with JYC this newbie can't wait to see you in class! xxx

Christmas film review #14

In the film 'Holiday Wishes' two girls make a wish and end up swopping bodies. Danny makes a wish at the same time but her wish doesn't come true ...... or does it??? A really heartfelt film about what is really important ... you might need a tissue at the end (well I did!) ****/***** (4 out of 5)