Journals and Journalling

Thank you for your encouraging comments on my last post - cheered me up no end.

I make my own journals and notebooks. I love making them and get a lot of pleasure from this hobby. The time has come for me to now actually write in more of these journals. They're no good just sitting on the shelf looking pretty. So I've started keeping a journal - not necessarily daily - more a place to keep my thoughts and jots, and a few drawings and quotations I've found along the way.

The one on the bottom of this pile is my Christmas journal, where I keep lists of gifts given yearly, things to do, places I've been, meals I've cooked and such like.

The next one up is my Commonplace book. Here I jot down quotes or poems I've heard or read by famous people, authors, actors etc. If any of you watch First Dates on the tv, I even jot down the love and life quotes that Fred the Maitre d' and restaurant manager often says.

The third one up is the book I take to church to keep notes of the Sermon and any bible scriptures I've enjoyed.

The brown leather book is my travel notebook, which I lined with a map of the area where I live. Useful for days out and holidays - a sketch or poem recalling where I've been - to the beach - countryside - places of interest etc.

The ones on top are waiting for a suitable theme to be catered for and I have a few ideas waiting in the wings.

Bullet journals (bujos) and planners seem to be the thing of the moment (although why I'd want to plan and bullet when I mop the floor, clean the microwave and put the laundry on I'll never know)  but I can see that this format must suit a lot of people who lead busy lives.

So, for the moment at least, I'm quite happy just pootling along with my mutterings and jottings and occasional sketches - it keeps me happy.

Have a great weekend.

P x

Happy Easter ......

.....to all my lovely blogging friends near and far

Very busy week - but the books have been put away for the time being and now looking forward to a four day break to relax and spend time with the family and hopefully some sunshine!

I've been getting a little Easter display ready for this weekend and was so chuffed with my Charity shop buys yesterday - the two for £4 and brand new.

which came in very handy for these mini eggs

 
Our son and his family are over for lunch today and can't wait to see the children's faces when they spy all the goodies I have for them - spoilt I know but what are grandmother's for!!

This Simnel cake I made from the Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry show on TV the other evening - Bake off something or another. I do like Paul Hollywood - have you seen his Bread making programme? Yummy - the bread that is, but.....

And I made the crystallised primroses for the top!

More than Easter bunnies

and chocolate eggs galore,

is the cross of Calvary,

the sacrifice of our Lord

For Jesus is the reason

We all can celebrate

And come to Him to freely receive

His love and saving grace

By M S Lowndes

Lunch at our daughter's on Sunday and another Easter egg hunt to organise for the boys. If the weather's good then maybe a trip out on Monday for some lunch and a walk.

 Hope you're all having a wonderful, relaxing Easter.

Bye for now x

The Christmas gift

Not long to go now. I really love the build-up to Christmas which normally starts around 1st December with all the preparations, shopping, wrapping, let alone the school Nativities and Carol concerts to attend as well as a bit of socialising thrown in for good measure!. Do you like these candle glasses that I covered with manuscript paper?  I found them here and am really pleased that such a simple idea could look so effective. They look really pretty sitting on my piano.   The jar I filled with some Christmassy bits and holly etc and was quite pleased with the effect.

I had fun with this cloche too - I couldn't resist these lovely Nativity pieces when I spotted them.  You might remember my Jubilee/Olympic themed cloche that I put together during the summer which you can see here 

I got this idea for gift toppers from a magazine a few weeks ago. The gift tags I made using stiff card that I photo-copied some paper onto and then cut with a craft punch. Such a simple idea but very effective.

These little chappies go back to when the children were toddlers and they've stood on the fireplace ever since. I could never bring myself to light them.

The tree is up, the decs are done the pressies wrapped and under the tree.

 

There is one Christmas gift however that comes out year after year which hangs in pride of place on my tree. It's only tiny and was given to me by my late mum about ten years ago. I keep it permanently in my bedside drawer and bring it out at Christmas.

 

It's just a small red box, tied up with ribbon and on the back of the gift card it  reads:

 

 

"This is a very special gift

that you can never see,

The reason it's so special is

it's just for you from me.

Whenever you are feeling lonely

or even feeling blue,

You only have to hold this gift

and know I think of you.

You never should unwrap it

please leave the ribbon tied

Hold the box close to your heart

It's filled with love inside"

 

Mum's been gone these past six years now but special Christmas gift lives on.

 

 

 Enjoy your week

 

 

A Christmas poem - From our Happy Home

From our happy home

Through the world we roam

One week in all the year,

Making winter spring

With the joy we bring

For Christmas-tide is here.

Now the eastern star

Shines from afar

To light the poorest home;

Hearts warmer grow,

Gifts feely flow,

For Christmas-tide has come.

Now gay trees rise

Before young eyes.

Abloom with tempting cheer;

Blithe voices sing,

And blithe bells ring,

For Christmas-tide is here.

Oh, happy chime,

Oh, blessed time,

That draws us all so near!

'Welcome, dear day,'

All creatures say,

For Christmas-tide is here.

Louisa May Alcott (1832-88)

Christmas Morning by
Thomas Falcon

Snowfall

It was a fortnight before Christmas, and every one agreed that this would be a real Christmas, such as had not been seen for many years. There was a delightful cold nip in the air, as exhilarating as good news; the sky was grey and overcast, and the streets were covered with a thick layer of snow.

Few sights are more charming than that of a town covered with new-fallen, clean white snow; and how pretty it is to watch the tiny flakes drift downward through the air as if there were a wedding in the sky and the fairies were throwing confetti.

 At this time of the year the afternoons are short and the daylight quickly fades, so that the narrow streets which lead off the main roads of a great city like London assume an air more and more mysterious. The passer-by looks anxiously about him as his business takes him down some dark alley, for this is the season of goblins and pixies and elves - perhaps even the will-o-the wisps are in town.

From The Mysterious Toyshop by Cyril W.Beaumont, 1891-1976

Some quotes from my collection of favourites

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to

be useful, or believe to be beautiful"

William Morris (1834-96)

"The essentials to happiness are:

something to do;

something to hope for;

and something to love.

William Blake (1757-1827)