My Month In Numbers - January 2011

-5.....degrees, a cold cold night

1.....Birthday to celebrate

and 1.....litter of bunny pups (not sure yet how many babies we have)

2.....holidays planned

4.....trips to A & E - 1 to my local hospital with an eye bleed, then sent from there (after 6 hours) to Midland Eye Hospital (all day) followed by a trip for a tetanus injection after one of our bunnies took it upon themselves to bite me and a visit after my GP sent me with a foot injury.

5.....portions of fruit & veg eaten every day

6.....stripes crocheted

9.....lb's lost

14.....LO's completed

15 1/2.....hours spent in A & E

16.....days at work

Holiday Plans

My 'little' Brother is getting married in the Summer to a lovely lovely lady who was born in Lithuania.  She has some family living in the UK and also some in Lithuania.  As it is like a tenth of the cost to get married over there they have decided to get married in her home town of Radvilliskis (in the centre of the country just above the word 'Lithuania'):

The nearest airport is in Kaunas (about 2 hours away) which would leave us with the hassle of getting to the Town plus all the dresses, suits etc being flown over as excess baggage & heaven forbid they ended up on the wrong plane or left back in the UK.  Therefore we have decided to drive the 1,500 miles.  It can apparently be done in 2 days according to my Brother.  Well I am certainly not doing it in 2 days!  We are therefore making it a 3 week tour of Europe.

The planned route:

Day 1

Travel Day - Ferry from Dover to Dunkerque, (sailing Midday) drive through France & Belgium

5 hours drive, 2 hours on the ferry then 2 1/2 hours drive

Spend the night in Bruges, Belgium

Day 2

Bruges, Belgium

Day 3

Travel Day - Belgium & Holland

2 hours drive

hoping to see lots of these on the way:

Spend the night in Amsterdam, Holland

Day 4

Amsterdam, Holland

Day 5

Amsterdam, Holland

Day 6

Travel Day - Holland & Germany

5 hours drive

Spend the night in Hamburg, Germany

Day 7

Hamburg, Germany

Day 8

Travel Day - Across Germany to the port of Keil (sailing 4.30pm)

1 1/2 hour drive

Spend the night on the Ferry to Lithuania

Day 9

Travel Day - arrive in Klaipeda, Lithuania & drive to Radvilliskis

3 hour drive

Spend the night in Radvilliskis, Lithuania

Day 10

Radvilliskis, Lithuania

Day 11

Wedding Day

Radvilliskis, Lithuania

Day 12

Radvilliskis, Lithuania

Day 13

Travel Day - across Lithuania to the Capital Vilnius

3 hour drive

Spend the night in Vilnius, Lithuania

Day 14

Vilnius, Lithuania

Day 15

Travel Day - Across Lithuania to Neringa (Coastal town on the Baltic Sea)

3 hour drive

Yes this really is the beach!

Spend the night in Neringa, Lithuania

Day 16

Travel Day - Across Lithuania to the Port of Klaipeda (sailing 8pm)

1 hour drive

Spend the night on the Ferry to Sweden

Day 17

Travel Day - Arrive in Port of Karlshamn, Sweeden & travel to Denmark

2 hour drive

Spend night in Copenhagen, Denmark

Day 18

Copenhagen, Denmark

Day 19

Travel Day - Across Denmark

1 1/2 hour drive

Spend the night in Odense, Denmark

Day 20

Travel Day - Across Denmark 

1 1/2 hour drive

Quick stop here (sadly can't find a hotel here or we would have had an overnight stay):

Spend the night in Garde, Denmark

Day 21

A visit to the place where those little coloured bricks are made and the first theme park!

(However, it is dependant upon 2 little horrors behaving themselves)

30 mins away

Spend the night in Garde, Denmark

Day 22

Travel Day - Across Denmark to Port of Esbjerg (sail at 6.45pm)

1 hour drive

Spend the night on the Ferry to the UK

Day 23

Travel Day - Arrive in Harwich, then home

5 hour drive

Spend the night tucked up in my own little bed

This is the plan at the moment but it all is dependant on getting the ferries we need booked with the main one we may have trouble with being Esbjerg, Denmark to Harwich.  We can't do the trip the other way round as there are no ferries available from Harwich to Esbjerg on the dates we need to travel.

Most days are short drives with the largest being from home to Dover, Harwich to home and Amsterdam to Hamburg.  The first day will be the longest time but in 2009 we went to Bruges and were booked on the Midday ferry and actually got there early enough to travel on the 10am boat and were checking in to the hotel before 3pm UK time.  We plan on booking the Midday ferry this year but try to get the 10am one again.  There may not be spaces on a Summer ferry (we went the beginning of October last time) but we will just have a couple of hours in Dover if we have to wait.  

All the ferries sail early evening (earliest being 4.30 from Keil when we are staying 65 miles away in Hamburg) so there is no need to rush.  There is also plenty of sightseeing stop time available on travel days.  

We have thought about an extra night between Amsterdam and Hamburg but are unsure of where we could stop that has something of interest for 3 generations (kids who will be 8 & 9, my Dad (a grump pensioner) and me).   Any ideas?

Now I just need to save those little pennies up!

Sadly scrapping purchases are having to be reduced which is why the Scrapagogo subscription has been stopped.

The Proud Parents

Over Christmas & New Year these two had bunny cuddles:

They cuddled & cuddled.  This morning Smokey & Snowball are proud parents to a little baby bunny! 

 Mommy has been a little temperamental the past few weeks.  Biting the other girl bunny she shares a cage with, not wanting to be picked up and finally lunging at me last Friday and biting me.  This was so not like her.  So last Saturday we separated the girls and built her a nest box and filled it with hay.

Last night she had pulled a ton of her fur out and 'feathered' her nest.  This morning Freya came running to me to say there was a baby.  She had given birth to one pup on the cage floor.  We donned rubber gloves and put the baby in the nest.  An hour later she was in the nest box.  When I checked shortly after she had covered the baby with her fur.  Don't know if there are other babies that she had given birth to in the nest and covered them as I don't want to upset her by messing with them.

And so we sit and wait to see how many babies we have.

Mini Stash Bust Challenge

My scrapbook stash is well & truly taking over my craft space.  I know come the next few weeks when the shops get new CHA releases in stock I will be going 'I want I want I NEED!' and no doubt will be purchasing a few new collections.  However, with scrap kit subscriptions and buying new ranges I just can't scrap quick enough.  With working, kids, life & health the time I have available for scrapping is just not enough (I'm a wannabe scrapbook addict).

I need to get round to using some of these kits up.  I currently have 4 scrapagogo kits, 5 Sarah's Cards kits and 3 Studio Calio kits untouched plus a further 12 kits partially used.  Then there are a pile 21" high of papers brought separately (yes, I measured them).

I have thought long and hard and I have cancelled the scrapagogo kit as I really can't continue spending this much money each month and kits going unused.

Therefore, to decrease the stash I will make LO's with all of that month's kits plus use up at least one old kit in its entirety.  I may not be able to complete the challenge this month but from February to July I WILL achieve this challenge.

Here is another LO to show you made using the November Sarah's Cards Kit:

My Little Brownie

Photos are in the basket, ready to order then scrap.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday?

Morning all, had a look at most of those lovely crafting spaces last week and such crafty talented people you all are.  Been a funny sort of week, really busy yet I seem to have achieved nothing.....well typical week there then!  This is my desk this week:

Messy, messy, messy.  Papers, cardstock, embellishments & glue every where!  I enjoyed Mondays crafting session and can't wait to sit down, with no kids, no distractions and repeat it all over again.  Looking at what I have to do for the few weeks we are looking at a week on Friday :0(

If you want to join in and show blogland your craft space visit Julia and pop your name in to Mr Linky.

Here are another couple of LO's I did Monday with the January Kit from Sarah's Cards - 'Real Belgium Waffles':

and 'Homeward Bound'

Both made using photos from our trip to Bruges in Belgium in October 2009.

Have a great day x

Couple Of LO's & A Card

Completed a couple of LO's with the January Kit from Sarah's Cards tonight.  Lovely blue/green colours and two very different LO's:

Also helped Freya make a card for her Nanny with a previous Sarah's Cards Kit:

Look What Came Today.....

.....January's Kit from Sarah's Cards; Happy Together by Fancy Pants.  Lovely!

Along with a few extras - Matching thickers

and some lovely rub ons:

and glitter cuts

and finally a nice coordinating chalk eye:

Changed my day off this week as I have a Doctors appointment this morning so plan to get scrapping with this kit this afternoon.

Missing Mojo

Started this LO Wednesday night using the December Calico Kit with add on papers.  On Thursday and Friday night I have come back to it, looked and thought 'what on earth do I do now?'  Obviously it is clearly not finished but I really don't know want to add next.  

Mojo, where have you gone?

Making Cards For Men

I don't make that many cards compared to the amount I made about 10 years ago but everytime I sit down to make a male card I struggle.  Little boys, no problem but teenagers and male adults just can't get going.  This week I have made 2 cards, both for the same person.  First one I managed to leave on the train along with their present and have made the replacement one today.  Light was awful Thursday night and I was in a rush yesterday morning so I didn't manage to get a picture of the first but here is the second card:

Could really kick myself for leaving the bag on the train but with handbag & crutches to struggle with I just left it.  Bag has not been handed in sadly.

However, I hope person who has got my bag likes my handiwork.  All I ask in return is you open the present and use the digital camera to take a picture of the card and email it to me.  It will be much appreciated.  

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday?

This week we have the first shot from the new location of my craft desk.  Didn't get anywhere near getting the decorating done before my desk moved.  Only managed to remove the fitted wardrobes, hence the lovely 80's wallpaper.  Just check it out!

Haven't actually done any crafting here yet despite the desk being here for a month now.  Life has just got in the way.

Pop on over to Julia's if you want to join in or see many many more craft spaces.

Have a great day & happy crafting x

Lovely Little Deliveries

Wasn't the best of days on Friday as everything has just seemed to go wrong, one little thing after another.  It wasn't helped by the fact it was Friday, my non working day and I was at work!  My mouse wasn't working, my computer kept freezing, left my lunch at home....and on it went!  However, when I got home I came back to a super lovely extra large pizza box all the way from the US; the absolutely stunning January Studio Calico kit, Who's Who:

I also had my usual add on papers.  These are the patterned papers from the four add on kits that can be purchased separately each month:

And this month I also purchased one of the add on kits: Betty Crocker:

I added another 3 mists to my collection:

Warm Calico                         Apple Jack                      Calico Cream

I also took delivery this week of a wonderful scrap sketch book; Scrapbook Page Maps 2.  

Its a lovely colourful spiral bound book with over 100 sketches.  The best bit is there are some tear out laminated cards at the back of the sketches than are already punched so you can take the cards with you to a crop if you don't have room to take the book.  Thank you to my fellow scrappers at Bromsgrove crop who brought their copies on Saturday.  First thing I did when I got home was pop over to the Amazon website to order my own copy.  Really lovely book that I know I will get many great LO's from.  It really is good value for money and recommend you have a look at a copy if you can.

Fellow scrappers Deb, Libby & Jackie all brought their copies and we all scrapped 'Ted'. Click on the names to see their pages.  This is mine using the Scrapagogo December kit; 'Miss Cutie':

I also completed some pages in my JYC album (finished off at home as I had left my journalling paper at home) and this page, 'Meeting Santa' where I used the September Scrapagogo kit

Aim this week is to carry on with my JYC album and I will be back later in the week to show you my progress.  

Hope you all have had a great weekend so far & enjoy what's left of it. x