Planning for the week ahead

Well blogland, I am feeling alot better! I still feel fairly run down compared to normal but compared to how I have been feeling thats just fine with me!
This bug has been just awful! My immune system isn't doing what it should at the moment. A dear friend has recommeded Berocca to me.  Has anyone ever tried this, and if so what did you think of it?

This illness has reminded me of a couple of things I already know but had pushed from the forefront of my mind:
1. Our bodies are such tender and influential things.
When I started to feel better and actually tried to eat and drink something other than water I felt like every single thing that I tasted was new to me. My taste buds were so sensitive I could really really taste things. Hash browns (that I cook in the oven usually and love as a treat for brunch)...tasted of nothing but grease :-(

Packet pasta sauce (tasted just disgusting) Coffee tasted yum, but the caffeine rush that hit my body was so strong and so much like a drug that I realised just how dangerous that drink really is!! I still love coffee and I'm not going to stop drinking it, but I will truly drink it with respect for what it is.
I found the herbal teas I enjoy to be tastier than ever and I could also feel the way the herbs were effecting me (but in a much better and healthier way than the coffee!!) So again, an increased respect for herbal teas has been remembered!
This illness has been like a detox that I hadn't planned but may be needed!! I really hope I can keep in my mind the importance of remembering that eating, drinking, (and applying skin products) are becoming part of my body. I only want the best, and things that make me feel good and well to be part of me.

2. Our minds and bodies are so incredibly linked.
I felt so low last Tuesday after another set back in our plans to extend our house.  I pretty much fell apart for the afternoon, yoga pulled me back together, but then an awful day at work on Wednesday just knocked me right back down.  I don't think its a coincidence that I was so so so low mentally and emotionally on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then I woke up on Thursday to be so ill.  I MUST take care of my whole self.

Anyway, personal rant to self over with :-) I intended to set out my goals for the week ahead in this post!
I shall split them up for this purpose but this is just to categorise them, not in any order of importance.

WORK
Walk away if I get stressed and spend 5 minutes in the basement deep breathing to calm myself, put a smile on my face that comes from my heart and go back out there.
Plan the work room space for staff efficiency (considering using half as a meeting room)

CRAFTS
Complete 2011 round up page
See if I can make Project Life work for me

HOME
Speak to Santander further and start process for mom to be removed from mortgage (if they refuse ask for details of clause to leave there)
Blog every day this week :-)

HEALTH AND WELL BEING
Do 1 yoga session outside of class
Start a nutrition diary writing down how I feel after eating/drinking (and also how I feel next day)
Reconnect with one crystal

SPIRIT
Celebrate Esbat with S
Start preparations for Imbolc
Work on/Plan pouch.

Well, thats me.  I had intended on being asleep by now but theres still so much I want to do before work! Theres a lesson there Caroline! Stop trying to do so much and you might stop running yourself down!
Night night!
xoxo

So this is how I'm going to do it...

The format of this years JYC will (as I have already mentioned) be 8x8 pages. I have a D ring Album to put the pages into. I've learned from the past two years. Year 1 was a post bound album (that required extender posts and broken nails as I tried to fit them etc!) Year 2 was held together with book rings (as I made the cover myself from chipboard). Of course the album became huge, the book rings were in time too small, so it is now held together with plaited bakers twine. Pretty but not what I visualised!
I'm hoping this year with be the  year for the correct album!!
I have already fallen out of love with my supplies (and my format) but I expected this as this is something I go through when I do a daily project like this.  I decide what I want to do, pick the supplies, love the idea in my head...and then I look at other peopkes projects! I always fall in love with other peoples formats, other peoples supplies or colour schemes and then feel let down when I look at my own!!
Because I vaguely expected this I had planned to add to my stash today ('shopping' through my own stash
for more papers), and thats what I did.
My original stash was cream, red and black cardstock.  The papers generally cream, red and green.  I added some brighter greens today and some pinks.  Just those additions added a lovely injection into my page and my working space.
I'm planning on using square photos taken on the hipstamatic app on my phone (or using the normal camera and edited using camera + or instagram).  I hope I stick to this square format of photos, but we'll see as the month progresses ;0)

I have been having issues with my blogging in 2011 and I'm hoping to use JYC to resurrect my blogging routine.  With this is mind this is how I plan to craft and blog through the project.
Each morning I will read the daily prompt on my way into work - saving the PDF into my iBooks.
                        I will blog and forum the photo of the page for the day before. (This means that unless it is the weekend or my day off my blog may well be a day behind the prompts but this is fine with me!)
During the day I will snap photos on my phone of anything in mind when I think of the prompt (and of the In Focus prompt from the day before - as they are arriving each evening )
During the evening after work I will create my page for the day and take a photo of it.

This year I finally took a bold (and distressing step) and moved out of my Craft room for the winter.Readers of this blog know that my craft room is a beautiful peppermint green shed at the bottom of my garden. Its lovely, but cold cold cold in the winter!!
So I've vacated until spring and moved my furniture and supplies into our very small living space:

The view from my scrap desk looks onto the patio and garden:

Not bad! :0)

Long time no blog!

No excuses. I've been low for a very very long time and really haven't wanted to be part of the online community in an active way. I've remained a blog reader however, and have enjoyed seeing all the projects my blog friends have done.
I'm hoping Shimelle's online crop this weekend is just what I need to get me going again!
I'm sorry I've been away so long, I doubt anyone is even reading this!!! But I started this blog for fun and for me and want to resurrect that (and hopefully get some blog friends back!)

Hello Blogland

We'll I've been in my new job for a month now. Its all still new and exciting and also very very challenging! I'm enjoying it but finding it a little tricky to get to grips with some of the personaililties I now work with! And of course as I'm the manager everything that goes wrong is my fault!!! So its been tough! Good...but tough!

A major downside to the job is the travelling :-( I've never regreted not driving before but I do now.  Although the town I work in is only 20 minutes away from my home, the bus times don't work out well. I'm finishing work at 5.30 but not home until nearly 7! Yawn! Except Mondays when I finish at 7 but don't get home until 9!! Double Yawn!!
What this has meant is that I never craft any more - sob!! I'm so drained when I get in and get changed, eat food, tidy up, that I just sit and then go to bed :-(
One of my major goals for myself is to bring back regular crafting into my daily life. It brings me such joy and I feel so sad without it there.
Thats me for now. I haven't been on the blogs I read for so long and I have missed you all alot. Thats hopefully going to change now my computer access is sorted and I can blog at lunch times again. Yippie!! Byyyyye for now x

Today I was told I had a lovely smile!

And that made me smile even more!!!
It wasn't by a hunky man sadly but by a sweet elderly lady who was new to the library.
Its amazing how a lovely little compliment like that, totally unexpected, really perked me up and made me feel good.
Lesson from today - compliment people! :0)

What a wonderful day!

I've had a fantastic Samhain today (apart from still suffering with my throat). I dressed all festively (even though I was staying at home) in black leggings, denim skirt (not festive I know, but comfy!!!) and a cobweb top :0)
I completely reorganised my craft room (which I hadn't planned but was wonderful to do as it just didn't feel 'right' in there. Then I set to catching up with my projects - which I did (yay me!!!! Photos to follow in another post later today)
Next I carved the pumpkin and as the sun set lit candles.
Then I couldn't resist a few pics!!

Grand October Plan update!!

Well, I've been a busy bee this afternoon. I've nested in the living room with Saffy curled up on a cushion nearby, logged on to the internet and done sooooo much stuff I had planned to do for months but hadn't gotten around to!! Its annoying - when you spend all day at work infront of a computer, you feel less inclined to turn one on when you get home. Even if its to do things that are nice for yourself!
Anyway to day I have:

• Made use of my 10% discount (which only had 2 days left on it!!!) and bought some yummy scented candles and oils for the house from Starchild - I can't wait for those to arrive!
• We had already cleared out the house (and in particular the loft) in September, but I hadn't noted it down. We are in danger of the clutter reappearing so I need to be quite strict with my lovely other half. We have VERY different views on what is acceptable as clutter! I don't mind pretty clutter (ie/ a basket of minibooks in the corner, a notebook and pen somewhere. But I HATE muddy shpes in the hall and the fact that he refuses to put any of his paperwork away - thus the huge stack of dusting papers on his bedside table. I have offered a basket for this purpose. It was declined. I shall get tough, and just ditch it (or at least tell him I've done that!!!) to get my point across!!!!
• I have sorted out my health (apart from the fact I have a yuck cold at the moment) by registering and visiting a dentist for the first time in 10 years (blush, yes 10 years!!) It wasn't too awful. I needed 3 fillings (which aftrer 10 years isn;t too bad I guess!) The fillings were as bad as I remembered but I have promised myself I will go for regular check ups and be very mindful of my teeth as they are the only set I have!!
• I have organised my 2 1/2 years and counting crystal study notes into folders that are well ordered and easy to refer to. I am soooo happy to have done this! I am going to decorate the folders a little bit when I get chance so they look pretty on the bookshelf!
• I have bought my ticket to Bath for the Christmas market and a day out with my dear friend. From this experience I have learned NEVER to put off buying tickets again! I had a ticket saved but not paid for that would have cpst me £14. As I left it too long I ended up paying £34 pounds for the same journey :0( I truly thought that 5 weeks was advance but clearly not (fail!)
• I have paid my dear friend for the lovely cards I bought from her (I love to scrapbook but just can't seem to make a decent card!! Maybe oneday this will come, I think probably not!
• I have planned a routine for cooking and shopping that is more organised and hopefully healthier for us. I have made the huge decision to start eating meat again. Well, I think I have!! I feel guilty at the thought of it, but my diet has steadily been declining into eating nonsense and I think I may need this focus to bring it back on track. Not to mention I have started to crave meat again.  I think I will give it a go with one meat meal a week and if that works I'll stick with it, if it doesn't I know I can happily live as a veggie!!

Well thats it so far! LOADS to do over the next two days if I want to get the plan all sorted for a fresh new Celtic New Year :0)

ps/ I've got all the Halloween decs to make yet too, so if any of you have any links for groovy hybrid or fabric decs please leave a comment or link :0)

My October plan...

I love the end of October. The Old New Year- a time to cut down the unwanted be rid of it , to work at the things you can (realistically) achieve and store things that you still want to do for the Winter days ahead.
This year I have decided to use the whole of October to plan for the Celtic New Year and The Darkening days. This year I have a plan {jumps up and down excitedly!!}
I will share my whole plan later tonight as I am currently on the bus to work so typing is an issue!!! I just wanted to share my excitement with you (and I'm pleased to say the plan is so far going very very well!!!)

As an aside here is a page I made yesterday of my friend dancing in a field this summer:









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Oh My GOODNESS... ... ...

Its been OVER A MONTH since I have blogged!
Eeeeeeeek! :0(      :0(       :0(
I have also neglected the blogs I read and upon signing into Google Reader found over 700 unread blog posts!
I've declared amnesty on myself and have deleted all of those posts and shall start again from today!
I'm also not going to do a recap post as I find they can be far too forced (mine can be anyway!!!)

So here I am again, Hi (waves!!)
Missed you lovely blog-land, and hope people haven't forgotten me!!

I've got lots of scrapping to do so you'll see some lovely pages here soon :0)

Its all been getting too much...

I haven't blogged for sooooo long. I haven't scrapped.  I haven't done anything crafty at all :0(
I've been feeling very down and work has really been stressing me out. I have not taken my own good advice and instead of letting things wash over me, I have been getting carried away - taken away on the tide of many things.
I really have felt lost :0(
But I'm feeling better (yay!!), not 100% back to me yet, but getting there.
:0)

Getting to know me...

Head over to the Mannland5 blog if you'd like to join in with this fun blog post idea.

1. Have you ever snooped around someone else's house?

Not that I can remember, it doesn't really stick in my mind, so I think not!! (Although I may be repressing guilty feelings I guess!!!!)
2. Can guys and girls be friends? ( thanks Jen!)
I would say definately yes! I have lots of male friends.  I like the simplicity and honesty you often get within a male friendship! They can be meaningful but on a different level to those you have with other women.  I would say that sometimes if the guy in a friendship has a wife or significant other with no male friends, then she can often be insecure or uncomfortable with his female friends.  This can be quite upsetting! :0(
3. Can you curl your tongue?
Yes I can! What is more entertaining is I caught my cat doing it - and managed to get a photo!!
4. Have you ever stolen anything?
*Shame* yes. But then felt so bad I put it back.  This was many many years ago I hasten to add!!
5. Would you rather talk on the phone or text?
I used to love speaking on the phone, but now I think I would rather text which I do recognise as incredibly socially inept! I like the fact that a text conversation can happen while I do lots of other things, and over quite long period of time.
6. Memorial Day plans?
No, I live in the UK.
7. What do you do to relax?
Mainly scrapbook - it helps me to find my centre and feel balanced and peaceful. 
8. Do you do anything to honor those that have died fighting for our freedom?
No, and thats awful now that I think about it :0(
 
 
Well, thats a little bit of what I'm like! I'm off to scrapbook now!

Getting to know me...

I spotted a link to this blog when I was over at SJ's blog today.  I thought I'd join in the fun:

1. Do you have a fetish?

Not that I know of!! But if I did, I'm not sure I'd write about it here anyway to be honest ;0)
2. Do you sing in the shower?
Nope, I sing when I do the house work, but I just tend to shower in the shower!!
3. Who was your first crush?
Oh gosh! That would be Stephen Ralph when I was a middle school I think. It was a really soppy mope-y time of crush too!!

4. What do you think is the best manly trait a guy could have?
Making me feel safe.  But I think one of the greatest traits a man can have is sensitivity and not being afraid to show his emotions.

5. Do you sleep naked?
Yes.

6. What do you do when (you think) no one is looking?
Twiddle my hair around my finger!! Soooooo childish!

7. What's the first thing you do when you go online?
Check my email to see if anyone has commented on my blog. Next, I blog!

8. Summer is.....?
Sunshine, cider and flipflops.

Well, thats me! Why don't you follow the link above and join in?