Cards. Gift Boxes. 2nd Pub. Sick.

HO HO HO!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

So... was Santa good to you this year? Or have you been good enough for Santa to be good to you? Apparently, I haven't. My husband told me on Friday, that we will go shopping on Saturday for my Christmas present. You could just about shovel my jaw off the floor. I told him, not to worry. If he hasn't bought me anything by now, just let all my scrapbook shopping (and other type of shopping) throughout this year be my Christmas presentsssssss. Now all I need is an apology, because everytime I had charged something "big-ish" to his credit card, he would frown and question me. So he had better take that back... cos now, those WERE my Christmas presents. I think I like it this way. Wouldn't that be Christmas all year round for me? LOL....

This year, I was very disorganised for Christmas. I did not plan to have parties at my place, I did not have many Christmas pressies to buy, and yet.... I left these to the last minute. I made myself make some Christmas cards this year. If you only knew how card-challenged I am, you would know that this is a great commitment. I bought these Delish papers to make Christmas cards... just a few, so I can now say that I've made Christmas card in my scrapbooking history. I didn't get to making them until the Wednesday. I only managed to make 6, and then in a hurry to send them off... I put all of them in envelopes and sealed 2 of them (I don't even know why I sealed them cos you don't really have to as they are only cards) without taking photos of "proof" that I made 6 cards! Anyway, I quickly removed them from the remaining 4 envelopes, and here they are...


Then I fell in love with these AMM Occasion-alls Christmas papers... I had to have them. Inspired by their ad in CK, I covered these papier mache gift boxes for 2 teenage girls, daughters of Jenny and Lyndon. I bought 2 tops for them and squeezed them with some tissue wrappers into these gift boxes. I'm amazed how they manage to fit... but according to the current fashion world, just about every single boutique sells clothes that are meant to fit young girls who are 10 sizes too tiny... and apparently that is normal. I bet one leg of my pants won't fit into this box. Anyway, these are it .... and they absolutely loved the boxes... and their gifts too.


Friday before Christmas, I received my subscribed copy of For Keeps Creative Scrapbooking Issue #50. This issue, they have the Introducing segment featuring,.... yours truly. kekeke.... A 2-page segment introducing scrapbookers who haven't been published in their magazine before. I was quite chuffed .... until I saw what happened to my canvas when it got photographed.


Wanna play Spot the Difference?

I'm a bit disappointed. Maybe because I have waited a while for this to be published, and it was going to be an "introduction" to the scrapbooking community that I exist. And now, what they are going to see, is a layout / canvas that didn't look quite right. I know there is nothing that can be done right now, so I'll just cover my face with a brown bag everywhere I go from now on. Sigh...


On a another note, there was a 3rd layout published in the same issue. I have loved this layout since the day I created it, and I still do.

In the health department, I pride myself for being a half healthy person. I don't normally fall sick easily. 2 days before Christmas, I got struck by tonsilitis. My whole throat was filled with pus spots, my glands were swollen. Where on earth am I going to find a doctor who can see me on this friggin' Saturday???!!!!! I left a message on my doctor's phone Saturday morning, hoping they might be opened that afternoon so I can get some antibiotics. No luck. I met a friend to drop off some things for her, who happened to have a course of Amoxycillin (a repeat prescription of antibiotics? ... hmmm). I discarded my morals and took them off her hands. For once, I thank this dodgy doctor.

And as if taking antibiotics throughout Christmas wasn't good enough, I was struck by some kind of tummy bug on Boxing Day. I swear to heavens, I wanted to live inside my toilet. I went so many times, I had nothing else to pass. And because I was in so much pain from the stomach cramps, I couldn't eat nor drink. And that also means, I don't have anything to pass! So I was just visiting the toilet when the pains strike .... every 1/2 hour. I had a dinner party planned and my husband had to go out to do the shopping, marinated the meats, get the house ready, ... while I laid in bed in agony. Finally at about 4pm, I dragged myself out of bed to start making the salads. Feeling a bit better but still weak, I did the little that I could. Only when guests started pouring in at 6... I started feeling better. Thank goodness, I survived the night without having to run to the toilet every 1/2 hour.

In any case, the dinner was superb..... a grilled butterflied lamb leg which everyone absolutely loved, barbequed Hoisin sauce-marinated pork belly (compliments of Ruey), teriyaki chicken kebabs, wasabi potato salad, prawn & avocado salad (with a yummy thousand island dressing), and Greek tomato salad.... and a Honey semifreddo for dessert. My husband was just over the moon that everyone loved HIS dinner. Yes, he is a crowd pleaser... and loves it even more when the crowd sings louder praises than he can hear from the voices in his head.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas. We did (well, apart from the sickness I copped). Here's to a few quiet days before the New Year gatherings start again!

Happy Holidays.