One little word review

Well it is that time of year when you get reflective and look back on the year. My word for 2011 was ACHIEVE and I thought I would check back to what I had hoped to Achieve back in January and see how I did.
So from my post in January:

The first thing has to be my degree - I should finish my last module in June of this year.  Yes I achieved this and finished my degree - graduation ceremony is scheduled for April.
Next I want to achieve a weight loss - I am deliberately not specifying how much, but I do need to lose some and feel more healthy.  - had some success and have lost half a stone, still some more to go
Tied in with that one I want to achieve a better fitness level - the gym didn't work out for me, so am going to try walking more and using the Wii Fit. - oops not so good with this one, maybe I am just not an exercise person!!!
Craft wise - I know I will not achieve much scrapbooking until my degree is finished so am not going to stress. - have not stressed, but have been so laid back I have not actually done any scrapbooking yet, but there is always 2012.
I would like to achieve at least one crocheted item this year and to continue with my knitting and felting. - done better with this one, have crocheted several items and also knitted a couple of things as well.
Faithwise - I have started doing the E100 reading list and I want to achieve the completion of this. - managed to complete this as well.


Well I don't think I did too badly this year. Now my word for next year is.....


haven't actually decided on one yet -watch this space.


If you chose a word how did you do and have you chosen one for 2012?

All Ready

It has been a busy couple of days getting ready but now the house is clean (well cleaner), food has been bought, cakes made - we are now ready for Christmas Day.

It is handy having a tall son when there is cleaning to be done.

We did some baking today

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas.

Projects for 2012

It's that time of year again when lots of new projects are being started, or about to start, and of course I get enthusiastic and sign up for lots of them - well New Year is all about good intentions isn't it.

So far I have found two. The first is JanFox Designed 52 playdates - an art journalling one.

The second is Creative Colour Challenge over at Louise Gale's blog. Every month a colour challenge will be posted.

I am sure I will find a few more. What projects have you found or have signed up for.

Off to the ball

Eldest son is off out to the 6th Year Snowball tonight. I can't quite believe that he is in his final year at the Academy.

Christmas Canvas

I haven't managed to do any real crafting this Christmas - had plans for JYC, but heavy colds and sinusitis got in the way and I have not really felt like doing much. I did however manage this canvas. I had bought the material with great intentions (as usual) and ended up glueing it onto paper on a canvas and adding some embellishments. The title is die cut and then gone over with diamond glaze to give it some depth.

I do like surprises and this week we got a lovely surprise - some good friends sent us these lovely flowers.

Pause in Advent No 4

Today is the last Sunday in Advent, next week is Christmas Day itself. Our Advent Box today at church contained a Wise Man and a Shepherd from our Nativity Set - to remind us that Jesus came for all people everywhere and also for the outcast and the lonely. The wise men came from the East and the shepherds were outcasts in their day, yet both were present to see the Son of God come to dwell with us. Who are the outcasts in our society today - remember that Jesus came for them too.

Also at church today we did a version of  Deal or No Deal - the TV show where contestants chose boxes which contain prizes. In our version each contestant chose a box number then before opening it they were offered another prize - they had chose either what they could see or what was in their box. The prize they were offered was always better than what was in the box. The point of this being that God will always offer us something better than we can find elsewhere. His deals are always better than those of the world - especially at this special time of the year we should remind ourselves that the baby in the manger is the best gift of all.

Jesus Is The Point

Another great offering from youtube.

A Pause in Advent - 3

Today's Advent Box contained a kaleidoscope! One of the lovely old-fashioned tin kaleidoscopes - which are actually very hard to find today in the toy shops. When you look through a kaleidoscope you see many different coloured patterns which are changing, you can't really describe them to other people, they have to come and see them for themselves. So it was for the shepherds out in the fields that first Christmas. Yes the angels visited them and told them all about what wonderful thing had happened, but they had to go and see for themselves. They had to go and visit the stable and see the baby Jesus for themselves. And so it is for us too today. We can listen to other people tell us of the marvels and wonders of God and of his love for us, but we really need to see him ourselves. So this Christmas find time to kneel in wonder at the manger for yourself, to reflect on what the coming of Emmanuel - Christ with us - really means for your life.

A Pause in Advent 2

Today's Advent Box in Church contained a surprise - a chocolate egg! Not what you would normally expect at Christmas time, we normally have chocolate eggs at Easter time! The first Christmas brought many surprises. Mary was surprised when the angel visited her and told her she would have a baby. The wise men were surprised to find the King born in a lowly manger. The shepherds, outcasts of their day, were surprised to be included in such a wondrous event. Christmas and Easter are linked together, the baby born in the manger was foretold as was his sacrifice for each one of us. We need to remember that God often surprises us in many ways and that the cross lies behind the manger!

This post is part of A Pause in Advent over at http://trocbroc.blogspot.com/

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

This was shared on Facebook but I thought I would post it here too.

It must be December

because we have got out our Advent Tree, Santa and Rudolf! For the past few years we have had a knitted Advent Tree and each day we pin on a decoration. This is the tree awaiting its first decoration..

and these are the decorations

Rudolph and Santa

The boys of course also have a chocolate Advent Calendar each.

Do you have an Advent Calendar of any kind?