Much beloved & I saw in the New Year with our friends Lynda & Robert over a leisurely meal which we managed to spread out from 7.30 to 11pm with lots of chatter !We watched the Fireworks over London on the telly, took photos & sang Auld Lang Syne - well it had to be done ! So lovely to have made friends here in Wales to spend these significant times with.
I sneaked an hour whilst cooking to make a little ATC for Lynda & I to mark the turning of the year ...
So despite not getting to bed until gone 1am, by 8.15am I was up & packing all the Christmas decorations away. Four & half solid hours of wrapping, packing, running up & done the step ladder to the roof space to the storage boxes, vacuuming & cleaning later I was done ! Only the lights on the outside of the house remain up as the day was one of relentless stormy rain & gales !
The house always looks bland & stark with all the lights & Christmas-y things gone !
It has been a hectic week as we had Much Beloved's family to stay for a week - and I only had christmas Day & Boxing Day off work - so it was a manic week of caring for guests - cooking, washing up, washing bed linen & generally trying to make sure they were enjoying themselves !This afternoon I finally got to attack my craft desk - to finish the old & make way for the new !
Despite all the duties of entertaining the family, I had made sure I wrote an entry for my Christmas Journal every night. From experience I know this is the trick to keeping up ! I can always sort out pictures & memorabilia later - but if I fall behind writing my thoughts down, the project is doomed !
So I put the last week's pages together & ring bound the book - always a sense of accomplishment !And a plump little journal it is too !
And also emptied the Project Box of all the Christmas paraphernalia - so it stands empty & poised for the next projects !
So what's coming up ?
First I have ripped all the photos out of the perpetual calendar I have in the lounge - at 5 years old it was looking tired & dated - so time for a revamp - maybe not even using photos this time ! I have some lovely papers I picked up as a bargain at Homesense - so these will be my inspiration !
Next I have proposed a Journal Challenge with Lynda - inspired by the idea of a Rainbow Journal I read about in the Pages magazine - we are going to make a freestyle/ junk journal working through the colours of the rainbow & we have added in a second idea to work with in each colour just to spice it up a bit !And we have our Alphabet ATC challenge running too
So that should be enough to keep me busy for a while !
Wishing you all a safe, healthy & happy and creatively inspired New Year !
Love Ali x
Happy New Year Ali! You had a lovely evening by the sound of it- we watched the London fireworks on TV too. Lots of great stuff in your other pictures too! Have a great Wednesday, Hugs Shaz #31 xx
ReplyDeleteThe rainbow journal sounds like fun. I love ATC's also.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year. Pat #65
I love all those bargain papers. I think they will inspire you! :) Happy New Year! #56
ReplyDeleteWhat fabulous things on your workdesk, what caught my eye the most was your gorgeous journal page for christmas, it's stunning.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year
Karin #29
Also watched the fireworks. DH and I spent a quiet evening in. The rainbow journal sounds good fun. Happy New Year. Anne x #35
ReplyDeleteI am exhausted just reading this post! We take our decorations down on the 6th. I am looking forward to that empty clean looking feeling...I am on leave till the 11th so a few more days of chilling and swimming and generally doing not much except keeping up with the washing and cooking. My house cleaner is back on the 8th (In Africa we are very spoilt with home help!)
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated WOYWW. You have certainly been busy and so much planned for the coming months. Hopefully taking down our decorations today, but I said that yesterday! Ali x. #58
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Ali. Oh my word - all that activity - makes me tired just thinking of you rushing around like that. Your decorations are all down?? Afraid ours don't come down until the 6th - love to see them.
ReplyDeleteYou sound Like you had a great New Year's Eve - it's so good being with friends. Glad you feel you have made great friends here in Wales.
Have a great welsh year! Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Margaret #12
Lovely pic of you, Lynda and menfolk!! Happy New Year to you all, may 2914 be filled with love, laughter and crafty mayhem!!!
ReplyDeleteHugs, LLJ 28 xx
I can't believe how fast you work! The ATC in an hour for your friend is fantastic! Plus all those other projects you have underway! You must be getting really busy for the new year. I wish you a very happy and creative 2014!
ReplyDeleteHwee 76
x
No only late posting, but late replying. Gosh you have been busy, our decorations stay up to the last minute, so not taking them down until Monday 6th - considering they were up on 30th November - not bad.....Happy New Year, BJ#77
ReplyDeleteThat is a great ATC and I agree, it is very tiring to take down those decorations, but such a sense of accomplishment when it is done! I love journaling, but I am afraid my journals are not for public view - too emotional and honest.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year and happy very belated WOYWW!
Tertia #21