the to-do list for next year!!

well its nearly next year, and i havent written much on here over the past few weeks. Sadly not cos i was to busy with the Captain.....just cos there hasnt been that much to say! i was up to date with JYC til xmas day, but havent done any since then. i plan to do a few more pages but thats about it really.... dont tend to celebrate new years, so theres not much more to put in.
I've been reading some to-do lists of people on a forum i read and i thought i would put mine out there for next year....it might keep me on track!!!

SOOOOO......
1) Build up the finances in order to move out of current situation.
2) find studio flat to live in- late march/early April (studio to downsize outgoings and cull belongings!)
3) get better at successional sowing on the allotment
4) plant more for the freezer to reduce the need to buy vege throughout the year
5) be really ruthless when unpacking stuff in storage...i havent used/needed it for the past year!!!
6) visit some more european cities....hopefully the Captain will play a part in that!
7) see if its possible to save for a trip downunder for xmas 2010.
8) continue to learn about self sufficiency
9) make my own bread

i'm sure there will be more!. Whats on your list?

Happy New Year everyone!!.

Back up to date!

on my list of jobs today was to catch up with JYC...and i have!. am even toying with doing tomorrows this evening as i'll be with the Captain tomorrow night, and wont have any time during the day to do it.....just had a thought, i will hold off...cos i may do the Captain as the page instead of the prompt...best take the camera tomorrow night then!!.

ok heres day 4

day 5


day 6


and my cute snowman from the Rusty Pickle class yesterday.

no longer up to date!

i havent done yesterdays post....eekkkk!!, and so far today i havent done todays either!. altho i know what i'm doing for todays. still not sure on yesterdays!
However i have made the cutest xmas album this afternoon in a class with Lance Anderson of Rusty Pickle. i'll photograph it tomorrow and put it up along with my JYC pages....hopefully!!.

(the captain is on his way!!).

it's been a long day.....

Today i was assessed being an assessor to one of my candidates, which basically means my teacher sat and watched me with a learner, then asked me loads of questions!. with all this looming, i was awake at 430am stressing about how the day would go!.
Then abot 1130, when it was over i checked my phone to see the loveliest text from the Captain.....he cant wait til tuesday to meet up again, can we meet up on monday instead?. talk about instant destress!!. of course i replied YESSSSS!!!.

I got home tonight to find my first xmas card of the season, so decided to use that as my prompt for todays card prompt in JYC, as well as adding about my day and of course my text!!.

Phew!, still up to date with my JYC!!

Heres todays entry....it's on the weather. i wasnt actually going to do it on the weather cos the day was pretty uneventful.....until 230pm when i had to start my nursery and school pick ups....then the heavens opened and everyone got soaked!!. so theres a small journalling spot about the rain and then the photos of yesterday that i took!!.

Also heres todays decoration for the advent tree and a glimpse of my Baileys choccies, which i'm about to scoff!!.

Butter Tarts......and books.....

ok, a few people have asked what butter tarts are.....calories in a pastry case mainly, but also devine treats that my family only eats at Christmas time. i'll share the recipe and you can have a try yourselves....i have made them and taken them to scrapmates before!.

Canadian Butter Tarts
8ozs short sweet pastry
1 c sultanas
1 c brown sugar
1 egg beaten
2 TBSPNS butter
1/2t vanilla extract
1/2t nutmeg.

Roll and line 18 patty pans. Scald the sultanas with boiling water, then drain well. While the fruit is hot, add the sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and nutmeg.
Put a dessert spoon of mix into each patty case, and then bake at 180C/350F for 15-20mins.

One more photo to add for today.....i collect childrens christmas stories and when i was in Enfield this morning i popped into Waterstones and had a look at what they had....and came home with this haul!!. I love Splat the Cat, so am thrilled to bits theres a Christmas story to add to the collection!!.

JYC 1/12/09

todays entry....i'm currently up to date....lol!!.
and notice what i found in my pile of stash....i cant have noticed it when i was cutting up the sheet cos i'd have put it on the front!! (Santa flying a plane!!)


here for my scrapmates friends is how far i've got with my tree....just got the numbers to do and hang on, but ermmm....have lost one of the screws!!. then will decide if it needs anything else once they are on.


And finally, cos its now December....this years first batch of butter tarts....(with my sous chef!)

YIPPEEE......IT'S DECEMBER!!!....

Couldnt resist starting the photos early....dont expect it this early every day!!. altho, my aim is to uphold photos every day as much as possible!.

ok heres the advent tree from Harrods without the 1st deccie ( next to it is the ornament, well one of two!, brought from Harrods as well)....


then a piccie of the tree with the first deccie, and my choccie for today and the scrapmates advent swap pressie....both unopened....


and finally, choccie eaten at 7am-ish, and pressie opened to reveal a set of Doodlebug rubons!.....


back later with a photo of day one of JYC!