Two more sleeps

I can't believe there are only 2 sleeps until Christmas Day. I think everything is ready. Cards written and sent, presents bought and wrapped, holiday food all bought and reindeer food all ready for scattering on the lawn. Going to hopefully make mince pies tomorrow with the children (as has become the tradition on Christmas Eve), track Santa on NORAD and of course leave the customary mince pie and drink (sometimes milk, sometimes beer and sometimes wine) for the big man.

Only thing spoiling the season is that we have poorly people in the house again. Wayne & I stayed up Friday night to watch The Thomas Crown Affair on TV which didn't finish until 1.20am. Half an hour before it finished Lara woke up and started being sick and did so until 4am. Needless to say none of us slept. Steven has a sore throat and is definitely not 100% but is soldiering on and Christopher woke up this morning with a sore throat and feels sick. I've got another sore throat too! We were supposed to be going out to look at the lights in a nearby town tonight and then to KFC for tea but that has had to be cancelled. Really hope everyone is better by Tuesday.

Friday was Mojo Challenge night. We got to lift the mega talented Keisha Campbell a Garden Girl for Two Peas as well as a DT member for Making Memories. We decided to give our LOs a Christmas twist. Here's Keisha's LO and here's mine - Lara as usual. (New Year Resolution : Scrap more photos of the boys)

Oh nearly forgot to say, Lara's party was a huge success and here's a few of photos from the big day.

Amazing What Some Buttercream And Betty Crocker Ready Made Fudge Topping Can Do

Well, after yesterdays trauma of baking the cake I have now spent the morning decorating it! After piping copious amounts of butter cream and Betty Crocker's ready made fudge topping on it and adding details with ready-to-roll regal icing it now looks fab (If I do say so myself)! I am actually really pleased with it - although I dread to think what it will taste like.

The decorating wasn't without problems though! It took ages to get the butter cream to the right consistency, I used the wrong size nozzle to start with and then my piping bag decided to split! Luckily my Mum came to the rescue with some Lakeland Disposable Icing Bags. They were great and did the job. So here's the finished cake all ready for the party. (Must make mental note next year to get Mr Tesco to make the cake)

Last night's scraplift on Mojo Holder was a lift of a LO by Jane aka Emnol . I used photos of Lara with her Halloween Pumpkin. Here's Jane and my LO

So very busy

Sorry, I've been so very busy recently that I've not had chance to update my blog since the beginning of the month. It's Lara's birthday on Sunday and what with organising her party and getting ready for Christmas I just don't know which way I'm turning.

This afternoon I've been baking the birthday cake. I have never baked a birthday cake for the children before preferring instead to buy one. Anyway, I had a mad-brain idea a few weeks to make the cake this year and bought off of Ebay one of those pre-formed cake tins in the shape of a dog.

So I set about making the cake this afternoon. Firstly I should say that the cake tin called for 1kg of cake mixture! 1kg!?! My little electric mixer really worked hard, so much so that it overheated. Anyway, cake mixture got mixed, eventually, cake mixture was put in cake tin and tin was put in the oven. Well after the stated 25 mins it still wasn't cooked. After 30 mins it still wasn't cooked. After 35 mins it appeared cooked only to be put back into the over for another ten minutes when I discovered the middle wasn't cooked! Finally it was cooked right through but when I went to get it out of the tin it had stuck in several places and has had to be pieced together. I'm sure when I've covered it in butter cream tomorrow it will look fab. Although what it will taste like I don't know! Christopher walked into house, sniffed the air and said " Ewww what's that smell? Smells like burnt toast!" Aghhhhhhhhhh, having convinced myself it would be OK I'm now having doubts, but can't face making another one so it will have to do. I'm sure the teeny tiny party guest won't complain. But the words 'Never again' spring to mind.

Despite being so busy I have managed to keep on top of my Mojo Holder LOs and did one last night which goes on the web site tomorrow. Last week we scraplifted Julia (hippo2go). Here's Julias and my LO. I loved Julia's LO. I'm not sure if the patterned background is fabric but if I had had suitable fabric I would have tried to incorporate a fabric background in my LO, but I didn't, so I couldn't. My LO was of the gorgeous trees and grounds at Wrest Park. I have so many photos from our afternoons spent there.

My LO on Mojo Holder tonight is called 'My Nosey Pumpkin'. That's all I'm saying so you'll have to pop over to Mojo Holder later to have a look.

Pinch Punch First of the Month

Pinch punch first of the month ............... but gosh, was I a bad blogger last month? Over a month without a single post! Life just seems to have got in the way of blogging and I've hardly been online at all over the last few weeks.

I'll start with Mojo Holder. I've done 4 LOs since last blogging.

Mojo #36 I didn't manage to do! I was really disappointed because it was lift of a Jane Dean LO. I really admire Jane Dean's work but life just got in the way and I couldn't complete the LO on time.

Mojo #37 was a lift of a great LO by Nura Keif . Nura's LO is on the top and mine below. I've scrapped this picture of Lara dressed as an angel before with these papers but love the papers so much I thought I'd use them again. The papers are Scenic Route and the scan doesn't do them justice - they are really gold and lush IRL.

Mojo #38, a lift a page by Carrie Harville. I used Scenic Route papers again and scrapped photos of Steven rolling down a slope at Wrest Park. Don't know why but whenever the children see a grassy bank they have to roll down it!

Mojo #39 was a page by Terrie Farrell . I tried to use some older supplies on this LO so pulled out some Urban Lily papers that I've had for a while. I will be on a serious stash-diet in the New Year.

And finally, Mojo #40 which only went live last night was lift of a LO by Anita Mundt. I've wanted to scrap this picture of Lara on her first ever trip to a beach for ages (well since the photo was taken four years ago actually) and this gave me the opportunity.

Apart from the Mojo Holder LOs I've not done much scrapping but I did put this LO together at my local crop. I really, really, REALLY like these BasicGrey 'Mellow' papers. they scream 'Autumn' and had to use them straight away.

What else is new? I've signed up for Shimelle's 'Journal your Christmas'. I have no idea when I will do this or even if I will do it, but it seemed a good idea to sign up at the time!

I'm taking part in the UKScrappers advent swap again this year. I opened my first parcel today - and nice it was too - but I'll leave photos of that until another day.

I promise to update this more regularly this month - wouldn't want you logging off.