And this makes 30 ...

... thank goodness for Sue Cummings Designs; her Merry & Bright Daily Downloads #3 and #4 are both available now in the oscraps store. Yipppeee!!!!

click here for further details
click here for further details

How many posts this month ...

... well, not quite 30. In fact, I believe this is my 29th post for November ... not bad, but there was a little bit of cheating. Well you can't blame a girl for trying now, can you?!?! It seems strange to think that tomorrow is December. DECEMBER!!!! I swear the last time I checked my calendar it was still only August.

Anyhoo, Christmas is rapidly approaching. All the shops are playing Christmas songs, every other advert on TV is for perfume and nearly all my favourite digi-scrap designers have released their Christmas stash ... oh what fun it is to play!!!

Reasons to be happy ...

... my beloved Chelsea beat Arsenal 3-0 (away from home!) today ... and ... I had some time to play with Sue Cummings' Merry & Bright Daily Download #2. Yeah for rainy Sundays!!!

click here for credits

Merry & Bright ...

... I know it's still only November, but with Sue's fabulous Merry & Bright Daily Download kit to play with, everyday feels like Christmas day!!! Here's a quick page I created with daily download #1.

Click here for credits

And here's a sneaky peak at daily download #2. Hopefully I'll have time to play with the papers tomorrow morning.

Black Friday ...

... don't worry, I'm not depressed or anything like that! For the uninitiated, in the States the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. There's some debate as to why it's called that, all I know is it's a HUGE day for sales!!! Pretty much every store I've checked out today has some sort of sale going on and the deals are pretty impressive too! Over at oscraps the discounts range from 10% - 50% depending on designer.

By far the best deal I've seen today comes from Sue Cummings Designs ... check this out for an amazing deal:

Merry & Bright Daily Digital Kit for the Holidays!

Do you like opening presents? If you do, then this is the kit for you. Similar to a grab bag you will not know what you are getting with this kit ... each and every day will be total surprise!

Here's how it works: purchase the "kit" from Sue's shop at oscraps and every day between 28 November - 31 December, Sue will add a new product for you to add to the kit. All you have to do is go to your order history and download the new download for the day. You'll get a new digital download everyday for 30+ days! By the end of December you'll have over 12+ papers, 100 wordart & elements, 10+ quick pages and lots of other projects!

So what are you waiting for? Fa la la la lah, la la la lah!!!!

Thanksgiving wishes ...

... Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates this today!!! Hope you all have a fabulous day surrounded with love & laughter, food & drink and best of all family & friends.

My latest discovery ...

... is a magazine called Photoshop Creative. I picked up the latest edition (issue 55) when I went to Tesco today. I don't recall ever seeing it on sale before, but then again it was in the "men's interests" magazine section alongside the computer, fishing & techie type magazines!!! I was a bit shocked at the price (£6!) but figured I give it a go ... and boy-oh-boy ... I've read it from cover to cover and I'm just bursting to give some of the fabulous techniques a try!!! I know I won't be able to use all the techniques featured because I have an older version of Photoshop (I use Photoshop 7.0), but I'm gonna have fun seeing what I can create with my new found source of information / knowledge.

Can't blame me for trying ...

... it's amazing how quickly time slips by. Before you know it, it's the end of another day already! There's not much happening here at the moment, I'm just getting back into a daily routine of job searching, cleaning and digi-scrapping. I have to say though that I'm really looking forward to Friday because there will be TONS of sales on at the various digi-scrapping sites. Makes me wish us Brits celebrated Thanksgiving too!

So as I said, not really much going on around here. My car has been a right royal pain in the you-know-what recently. For some reason, it doesn't like being parked up / not driven for a couple of days. I jumped in my car Sunday morning, turned the key and ... nothing!!! Had to get DH's car pulled up alongside today, just so I could get a jump start. I then went for a 30 minute drive round the Oxfordshire countryside in the vain hope that it will put a bit of life back into the battery. Truth will tell when I try starting the car again tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Anyhoo, enough of my worries ... how's things with you?

PS - Oh before I forget, head on over to the Paislee Press blog ... Liz has got a fabulous give-away going on. Go check it out!!!

I'm sooooooo behind v3 ...

... one at a time!

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I'm sooooooo behind v2 ...

... but to post these layouts ...

click here for credits

I'm sooooooo behind v1...

... I really don't have a choice ...

click here for credits

My annus horribilis ...

... if someone were to ask me to reflect back on 2009 (I know we're still only in November, but bear with me), I'd have to say "it hasn't been one of my best years". I thought 2001 couldn't be topped (in crappiness terms) but 2009 is right up there with it!!!

And yet, if it hadn't been for all the turmoil, I wouldn't have started this blog or met some wonderful new friends from all around the world over at oscraps. So something positive has come out of what could be perceived as a negative situation ... oh, did I mention I'm a natural born optimist? LOL!!!

Anyway, enough of my doldrums ... has anyone else started their 2009 review yet?

Paislee Press yumminess ...

... makes scrapping soooooo simple. Liz has posted a fun little challenge on her blog and she's created a gorgeous quick page template as a freebie too! In fact, all the products used to create my LO are from Paislee Press and better yet, they're all freebies!!!

click here for details

"Saturday, March 24,1984 ...

... Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois, 60062. Dear Mr. Vernon, We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did was wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at 7:00 this morning. We were brainwashed."

I've just re-watched The Breakfast Club and I loved every second of it. Even though it's nearly 25 years old, I can still quote the opening / ending sequence verbatim! I was a real Brat Pack fan and was totally in love with Andrew McCarthy (swoon) and I think I've seen just about every John Hughes teen angst film. The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink were my favourites, but which was yours?

It's official ...

... the countdown to Christmas has begun. Today was the first time this season that I saw the advert, you know the one I mean right? Yipppeeee!!!

"Holidays are coming ... Holidays are coming ... "

Obnoxious Posting ...

... who me? Never ... I've gotta get my post count for the month back on track some how!!!

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Catching Up ...

... as a result of the recent inclement weather here in the UK, I was forced to stay indoors all weekend ... the only saving grace was it gave me a chance to catch up on some scrapping!

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Behind Schedule ...

... my last post was on Friday 13th(!), what happened to Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th??? Well nothing (again), which is why I didn't post. The weather here has been awful and we've had our first "winter storm" of the season ... but before you get too excited, winter storms here just mean LOTS of rain and strong winds, none of the white stuff! As I sit here and type this post, the sun is making a valiant attempt to break through the grey clouds ... if it succeeds, it may actually be quite a nice day.

See that's Brits for you ... if there's nothing else to discuss, you can count on us to talk about the weather!!!

This is actually my Thursday post ...

... let me explain. I had all the best intentions to post this yesterday, but by the time I got home I was so exhausted and it was all I could do just to drag my sorry butt upstairs to bed! But why so tired I hear you ask? Well a good friend of mine (Jo) was the hostess with the mostess at a "Jamie at home" party last night. Jo invited me and lots of other lovely ladies to share some nibbles, drinks and check out a range of cook / homeware products by designed by the great man (Jamie Oliver) himself. Is was a great success ... just wish I'd taken my camera so I could show you all the goodies that were available! Instead, I'll link you through to the Jamie at home website ... this should give you a taste of evening.

What do you blog about ...

... when you've got nothing to blog about? Seriously ... I set myself a challenge of having 30 posts this month (equivalent of 1 per day), but when nothing happens in any given day, just what do you blog about? Suggestions on a postcard (or in the comments section) please!

Perspective ...

... something I've always struggled with when creating LO's, but this time I'm really pleased with the results. I downloaded NinaScrap Designs read.and.relax kit and fell in love with the patterned papers ... one of which I've used as my wallpaper in this page.

click here for details

Monday moan ...

... so how come my bathroom gets so mucky? I mean, there are 3 adults living in my home. No kids. No pets. Granted 2 of the "adults" are men (!), but seriously ... how does it get so mucky???

I do LOVE it when it's sparkly clean!

We will remember them ...

... So I'm back as promised. I'll make this short, the reason I wanted to post twice today was because I wanted to share this LO with you. Today is Remembrance Sunday here in the UK and here's my tribute to all those in the armed forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

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They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

“Ode of Remembrance” from the poem For The Fallen

written by Laurence Binyon in 1914

What happened to Saturday ...

... so I missed posting yesterday and do you want to know why? Well, there are a couple of reasons:

1. I was having way too much fun enjoying myself over at oscraps (I took part in my fast ever “chat” … boy those ladies can type fast!)

2. I wasn’t feeling too hot yesterday evening. When I say I wasn’t feeling too hot, what I actually mean is that I was freezing cold!!! I’d been sat in my little room (where I scrap / craft) all day, DH had been bringing hot drinks but for some reason the temperature was just sooooooo cold, and by the end of the chat (which lasted nearly 2 hours & was so much fun!!!) my fingers were blue from the cold. Needless to say, I wrapped myself in a blanket and spent the next few hours trying to get warm again.

So that's why I didn't post yesterday. But I'm gonna post twice today to make up for it! I'll be back later with a LO (or two) , one of which is specifically for today, Remembrance Sunday.

TGIF ...

... and very nearly DSD!!! Confused? No need ... DSD stand for Digital Scrapbooking Day ... yup, that's a WHOLE day dedicated to my obsession!!! I can't wait. The fun and games start tomorrow, but there are some fantastic sales going on right now. What to know more??? Head on over to oscraps and take a look at all the wonderful designers that are having sales ... including the AMAZING Sue Cummings' ... you gotta love discounts like this???

click here to go to Sue's oscraps store

What did you do today ...

... I got up, ate breakfast, surfed and scrapped, went out to lunch (yummy!), surfed and scrapped, watched a bit of TV, surfed and scrapped, blogged, went to bed!

Wednesday Woes ...

... why do some people have to be so nasty? I don't class myself as an "over sensitive" type of person and most things are like water of a ducks back to me ... but every so often something is said and it hurts. I won't go into details, because this isn't the right place and let's face it, how many times have you said something in "the heat of the moment", only to then regret it once things have calmed down again? I don't intend to make that mistake.

Anyhoo, I just hope your Wednesday was better than mine.

Tuesday [Chelsea] Blues ...

... a win would've been better, but I'll settle for a draw!
Come on you Blues!!!

What a day ...

... phew! I'm so glad today is almost over. It started well enough, albeit at 6:30am (had to post in Sue Cummings CT forum), then by 11am and having only been at work for 2 hours, things rapidly descended into chaos! Well OK, chaos isn't the right word, but it was one heck of a busy day. Now I'm just chillin' out & relaxing with a glass of wine.

How's your day been?

P.S. Just had to pop back in to this post to let you all know about a fabulous Oscraps blog hop that's going on at the moment ... the details can be found here & there are some AMAZING freebies to collect along the way. Have fun!!!

1st November already ...

... blink and you may miss it, the year that is.

My blogging record for October has been dismal ... I have no excuse other than "life". I guess that happens to most bloggers at some point in time, right? Well this month, I've set myself a challenge ... I'm gonna try and post to my blog EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! Even if it's just a quick note to say what's been good (or bad) about my day, but by the end of the month, I want to have 30 posts.

Wish me luck!