This could be my last post before Christmas

Hey there!
Merry Christmas everybody!
So I'm sitting here and basking in the knowledge that (apart from umpiring volleyball tonight), I now have 2 weeks off work. Of course my next payday is going to be pretty poor but I'm looking forward to my time off.
I have a list of things a mile long that I want to get done so hopefully I'll get to at least a few of them.
I probably will make another entry before Christmas to let you know if I achieved my goal of 10kgs lost before Christmas because I weigh in tomorrow.
I haven't been really good the past two weeks though so I'm not holding out much hope. It is so hard to stick to a diet at this time of the year but believe me, I ain't sticking to any diet from about Saturday to Tuesday. Well maybe a bit but I'm not going to restrict myself from eating Christmas cake or rumballs.... or pudding... or ham.... or Kathy's wonderful baking.
(Kathy is my Dad's wonderful partner and she is a Hungarian mumma and man can she cook!! Every Christmas she bakes me two of one of her specialities. We keep one for home and we take the other one with us to The Man of the House's parents place on Christmas Day). mmm mmm mmm

I was going to type a rant today about the 'customer service' of one of the employees at our local library but figure I won't. Let's just say that I literally stormed from the library and then had to sit down outside to calm down.
Then I went and did some more Christmas shopping for the Man of the House. It's a great feeling this Christmas to spoil everyone. I guess there are benefits to working. Of course I'm waiting for the day that my designing supports us all too ;).
Anyway, I bought him a Digital Set Top Box, a wallet and some clothes today. I think I've finished all his shopping now.
I'm still stuck on what to get Miss 21. Each year we set a $$ limit for the older children and buy several presents to that value (including on big $$ item). I've got a few gifts for her but need one more so that there won't be any comparisons of who got more than the other iykwim? I found this gorgeous handbag today that just jumped out at me - it was so her! But when I took it to the checkout I realised the zipper on it was broken. The saleswoman didn't want to let me out of there without checking out the rest of her stock but nothing there 'spoke' to me like that red bag had. So I'm still searching.

After pulling everything I have collected over the past months out of the wardrobe the other night and wrapping and sorting, we discovered we still need a few more things for a couple of the nieces and nephews so we are off to finalise our Christmas shopping tomorrow. *ugh* Not looking forward to fighting the Christmas crowds that's for sure. I also need those last few things for the stocking - you know chocolates and stuff. And the barbie clothes that Miss Five wrote to Santa and asked for. If she can't get everything on her list then at least a strike rate of one out of 100 isn't too bad!
Saturday is my baking day.
But I'll make another entry before then to let you know how much weight I've lost so far.

It's Tuesday and I am starting to breathe

Well at least a little.
The birthday parties are over, work is a little more normal (well there is that shift I was asked to do on Saturday still to come) and school is over for the year.
I am breathing a little easier but still busy.
Of course my life is never easy (LOL) and we still have things to deal with but we're getting there.

Yesterday was Miss Five's last day of preschool and her concert. It was just the cutest thing but also quite sad as preschool in Queensland is now no longer. So in a sense my little girl was making history yesterday. The teachers presented them all with a certificate to commemorate the fact. I took a lot of photos and because Daddy couldn't be there, I also shot some movie clips on my camera of her singing so we could show Daddy later.

Miss 21's parties all went well. Well as well as can be expected when you have to give speeches among rellies and as usually happens in families, someone felt slighted. *ugh* She has grown into a beautiful young woman (both inside and out) and we are terribly proud of her.

We also have one Christmas Party under our belt. I have no more to attend but the Man of the House has another three. Heaven help me! I shouldn't complain because he isn't the type of person who goes out all the time and once a year he lets his hair down. I just dread the silly season!

Design wise - I have finished my Era kit and it is up in the DSD Store. You can find it here

I really love the rich colours in this kit and I've enjoyed working on it. I am also working on a full-blown 'Bella' kit. This kit was a giveaway at one of my crops a few months ago and I'm looking forward to finishing this one up and putting it in the store.

How many of you subscribe to the DST newsletter? Did you see my coupon in there for 20% off my designs at DSD? If you didn't see it, go back and check it out.

Well I'd best finish off. My house looks like a bomb has hit it (and of course we had two lots of visitors yesterday afternoon too), so a bit of housework is in order. I also have to do the laundry and change the beds. And since I haven't been to the gym to work out for at least 3 weeks now, I have to go and do some exercise. My weight loss is going well. My last weigh-in now puts my total weight loss for the past 6 weeks at 7.2kg. That brings me to a total of just over 11kgs since August. I'm hoping to lose another kilo or so before Christmas because I'm ditching the diet for two or three days then. ;)

I can't fix this rotten thing....

(and other inane ramblings)...

I know it's been a while since I posted. Part of the reason is that I just feel embarrassed posting stuff to a broken blog and I can't fix it.
Seriously, the only thing I did was to take out one slideshow and update the other one. Nothing more - nothing less. And nothing I haven't done before. So go figure!

Thanks to those of you who have emailed me asking where I am and checking up on me.
I am alive and well but life is just so blinking busy atm. I am now working 20-24 hours a week and rushing around with so many things at this time of the year that it just gets so hectic here. I feel like I am chasing my tail some weeks.
We still have some family issues that need dealing with but they are slowly improving.
I am not finding much time to design and that is affecting my sales as well. It's so disheartening. I'm just about at a point that I want to give up designing altogether.
I'm not a 'known' designer (seriously it is hard to get 'known' these days and buyers memories are short) and although I sell at two sites that I love to bits, they don't appear to be the 'popular' sites (would someone please define popular to me).

So what has been happening with me?
*I have put up two of my older kits into the DSD Store (they've been tweaked and added to) recently - Capri and Amore Botanica.
*I have contributed to DSD's two newest mega kits - Winter Fun and December Mega Kit (you can find there here).
*I have started the Tony Ferguson diet and have lost 5kg in the past month. I have actually dropped a dress size.
*Miss Four turned 5!! My loungeroom floor now looks like Toy Kingdom and it's not Christmas yet!
*Miss 20 has her 21st birthday party tonight at our place. It's actually just the ones for the rellies. She is having one for her friends next weekend at her place.
*We have a couple of Christmas parties coming up.
*Our 10th anniversary is next week.
*Master 17 has finished school for the year already and Miss Five finishes preschool on the 11th.
*We had Miss Five's end of year dance concert last weekend and she finished the year with a High Distinction and Third in the class! I'm a pretty proud mummy.
*I am currently reworking my older freebie Era Mini Kit (the one that was pirated) into a full kit and am hoping to have that finished this weekend. I'm also creating a full kit out of my last DSD crop kit (you know the one Ang). Hopefully they'll be done soon.

I think that's about it.
I promise to try and get some regular postings going soon.