Kool Kitty Musings

This and that....

So I've been rather neglectful of keeping up with my JYC retrospective, but it has been a bit of a busy period! LOL

Today has been a lovely day.

The Christmas cupcakes I made for our annual work wine and mince pies get together were a huge hit, and I am especially happy at how the cherry cupcakes tasted. I would love to get another batch of those made before the weekend, so only time will tell!

Then I saw that my cards were featuring today on the Crate Paper blog as part of the Very Crate Christmas feature and give-away.

I never thought in a million years they'd get picked, let alone have gained any votes from people! I am just amazed! :D

The other projects are simply stunning and I am even more sad now that I have nearly run out of my favourite Peppermint papers! I may just be trawling ebay soon looking for anyone that is still selling them as I think they are all gone in the UK. If anyone spots them somewhere give me a shout please! I will be most grateful. :D

Now, back to some Christmas journal posts. I have been keeping up with Shimelle's prompts and have also been really chuffed to see some of my entries from last year featuring there. 

So where was I up to on the retrospective...

December 9th and the very addictive tradition of buying "a" new bauble every year... or three or four... ;)

Before that the 9th was looking at having the best of both worlds and both traditions. Polish Christmas Eve, Wigilia, and a British Christmas day... well after the Polish breakfast that is. ;)

I seemed a bit more organised on the 10th last year, it is now the 20th and I have wrapping to do!

I am still loving the American Crafts gift bows I managed to snag in Florida a few years ago - still have some left and just wish they sold them over here!

The 11th was about my sparkly, sparkly tree.

Yep, I have had that sparkly tree a while - in fact this year I had to change the bulb in it for the first time ever.

The 12th featured my rather mature knitted angel - she must be in her late twenties now!

I loved the quote I found for this entry - my brother and I back in the days when it sometimes did snow in the 80s. Something tells me I wasn't too happy with his snowballing efforts.

The 13th was all about Christmas music. Last year's new addition was the fabulous album by Pink Martini that is getting a lot of playtime in Starbucks this year, it is on every time I go in... which really... hasn't been that often(!).

This year the only new additions are Michael Bubblé's new album and John Rutter's Colours of Christmas - there is something about carols that just instantly switches on the festive spirit for me. It is a fantastic CD and am sure it'll be on most of Christmas Day in our house.

Another favourite CD (along with Sarah Mclachlan's Wintersong which I can never recommend highly enough) was the Starbucks CD of 2008. Excellent choices.

On the 14th I had made better progress with my wrapping. This year I have some lovely nordic wrapping paper from M&S and from IKEA - just love it! And I think it'll be the perfect excuse for some baker's twine and ribbon usage too. ;o)

There were even gifts under the tree in 2008!

The 15th was a rather tongue in cheek reference to the "annual" gingerbread house decorating session enjoyed by Zoe, her girls, and me that was started 4 years ago and cancelled due to snow the two years that followed. This year it was held in mid November when there was definitely no snow!

...merry was a nice element of Christmas.

For the 16th it was time to contemplate and stop and breathe for a moment - and simply enjoy.

Another thing to be thankful for are friends who really know you. :)

Well I'd best go check on my tea and make a start on some Christmas wrapping!

Some more jolly moments

Well I've been rather remiss in sharing more festive pics here on my blog.

Here are some more entries from past JYC projects:

Still loving my M&S chalkboard advent calendar I bought last year. :D

When it comes to chocolate calendars, I am still rather partial to a Milkybar one!

But I seem to be managing fine without a chocolate calendar this year. In fact I am really loving some of the advent ideas I've seen on Pinterest:

Source: allsorts.typepad.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

 

Love the little pocket bunting. I wish I could sew as neatly and uniformly as that!

Source: assets4.designsponge.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

This takes it to a whole new level - how wonderful must it be to open one of those unique little boxes each day?

Source: marthastewart.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

I do very much love an advent calendar with proper little windows that reveal meaningful and beautiful images.

Source: lilybeanpaperie.typepad.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

This one gets my vintage-festive-sparkle-lovin' heart a-fluttering! Just love it.

The entry for the 6th looked at Christmas past and Christmas present, and this was my merging of two traditions, Polish and British:

Now I rather wish I'd gone and bought that set of Nativity Russian dolls in John Lewis, but they were £20...

The baby Jesus is just so cute!

On the 7th last year I was not having a stress-free time of it:

Snow = no going anywhere, never mind shopping in an actual shop! My car at that time was living under a couple of feet of snow in front of the house.

So there definitely wasn't much chance of things being simple!

On the 8th I managed to get out and about with the camera and took some lovely photos in town - I just love shop displays, I am sure in another life I would be a window dresser... how cool a job would that be?

Just delightful:

And talking of Windows... the window this year at Fenwick's, Newcastle was a sight to behold, the pics aren't too bad considering it was dusk and there was the glare of other shops on the windows:

Cinderella in her pumpkin carriage.

The white rabbit who seemed to be very late for an important date!

Plenty of choice at the Mad Hatter's tea party! Bet there was some cheeeeese cake on that buffet table.

Me and ma tried to get in on the action talking to the mirror, but didn't quite manage it!

Right I'd best scoot as I'm supposed to be out for dinner tonight!

A few more entries

So here are some more entries from past journals.

This is how it all began...

On the 2nd the theme was the weather, and it looks like snowmen were a common sight, with snow actually being a reality last year!

I love snow, as long as I don't need to get anywhere in it!

The prompt for the 3rd looks at Christmas cards. It's interesting to see how my Christmas cardmaking tastes and style changed:

From flat cards with plenty of KI...

To more ribbon and layers and pop-up bits.

Alas I am not quite at the "all made" stage this year!

Today's prompt looks at what would make a perfect Christmas:

Christmas wouldn't be the same without that essential ingredient - the brussel sprout.

And last year with all snow we were having I was hoping that it would at least be a White Christmas for once. For some reason it is all the more magical.

The Christmas countdown starts here!

So it's the first of December and the start of my retrospective look at the two Journal Your Christmas projects I completed from start to finish. ;o)

Although I'm not making a new journal this year I am hoping to really get in the festive spirit by keeping up with those who are playing along with JYC and other December daily projects.

And of course enjoy the daily prompts from Shimelle over my cereal on the morning.

Usually the first prompt we see is the manifesto page, but as I am writing this over breakfast while about to depart for some Christmas shopping, I think it's nice to look back at last year's manifesto. :)

A fine way to start the season right?

But for some pics from the past, here's how JYC started for me in years gone by:

With the ATC spinner from 7Gypsies.

And an A5 kraft binder from Paperchase which quickly expanded into two binders. ;)

Looking forward to seeing the first prompt when I get back from the shopping expedition.

Oh, and with it being the first of December, my blog has switched to Christmas mode! :D

Journal your Christmas - slight envy of the festive-green kind...

Well, quite a while I ago I decided that I'd be sitting out JYC this year. As last year's album seemed quite definitive for me - and it was completed from start to finish.

But all this talk and excitement about JYC has got me a little nostalgic. I really don't think I can commit to an album this year, I mean I still haven't made all my Christmas cards yet! But I think I will play along in a little retrospective way.

At least there's 2008:

And 2010:

...to look back on and enjoy all over again.

In fact when I made my little spinner in 2008 I had in mind that it would be something that would come out if its little box every Christmas to enjoy, over and over again.

I'm not usually one for looking back through my scrapbooks (which is odd considering the whole point of scrapbooking - for me it's the making that I enjoy more at the moment) but these two projects are ones I rather love looking back at and reminding myself just what I made and when. :)

Anyway, as the prompts come into my inbox I am planning to repost some entries, share random thoughts they inspire and some photos, and who knows the odd Christmas card too? At least I won't feel like I am missing out, but I will definitely have fun catching up with all the new journal entries from those playing along.

I may even find a nice few pins to drool over - any excuse!