Happy Boxing Day

OK - I am aware that Boxing day is quite a UK only concept, but it is one of my favourite days of the year.

Nij and I keep at least half of our presents to open together and we have a champagne breakfast, present openinga nd then a PJ day where we chill out, eat left overs and relax together. I totally love it.

We have had a wonderful couple of days and have both been spoilt. (I guess not having kids we do tend to spoil each other a lot) I have had so many wonderful presents - books and clothes and games and music and DVDs and jewellery and probably most exciting of all a new Willow Tree Angel (I will share that another day) and the most amazing Fairy Door (I so wanted one after our visit to Furzey) and some garden fairies for outside. It really is magical and I will share a post about it later.

We had a wonderful day yesterday at Gina's. Gina and I have been such close friends since were 12 years old and have grown up together in so many ways - not just in age but in spiritual and personal journeys we have been on too. we have shared some very special moments. She stayed with me the night before I got married, I helped deliver her first child, our wonderful godson and so on. We have spent Christmas day tigether, with 2 exceptions, for the last 20 years. We take it is turns to host the day and there have been anything from 4 of us (our smallest ever Christmas 2 years ago) to 12 of us - one of the largest. This year there were only 5 of us - Gina, her parents, Nigel and I, but it was a very special day, made all the more poignant because it is likely to be our last together for quite a while. Gina is selling up and heading off on an incresible journey. She is called to do missionary work - no idea where yet - and is unlikely to be here next year.

I made her a special spiritual book to take with her and this was her opening it yesterday morning.

 
I used a couple of other pictures (the less daft ones as we really did have a day filled with LOTS of laughter) for my JYC page for 25th.

 

We have both turned 50 now, and whilst we don't see each other that often, we are as close as ever. It is a very special relationship.

My page for today was 2 pictures taken yesterday actually.

Dawn (she of the awesome digital kits) sent the fur babies such a wonderful present. It was a fur tunnel made of leapard print fur (just like them) with one of their all time squeaky mice attached imside. They absolutely loved it and have played with it so much.

 
Fiki played so much he ended up zonked on Daddy!

 
Today I am thankful for

• All the blessings of the season. The wonderful filling of light, the sharing of time with family and friends, the generous and thoughtful gifts, the wonderful food and the chance to relax and really enjoy.

 
And so to the final prompt of this year long project.

I feel quite sad to be posting the last ever prompt. It has been an incredible journey. I have had to think hard about the structure of the project, planning 52 prompts which I hoped would inspire me and others to record a year in our lives.

 
It started as a way of getting through a year I wasn't looking forward to, and ended such a pleasure. I have had a great year in so many ways and doing this project and having so many of you along to play with it has been incredible. I feel I have made a lot of new friends (and one of my friends said I needed to check my Flickr mail and I can't seem to access it - sorry) and some of you have become such regular visitors and commenters. I hope you still come and visit when the project is done.

 

I am looking forward to seeing finished albums. I will post mine tomorrow. the last page is now done and in the album - just not photographed yet.

If any of you feel that the course was good and you would like to make a donation to say thank you then this is the link for my JUST GIVING PAGE. None of the money comes to me - it all goes straight to my local hospice - just a way of giving back to people far less fortunate

Enjoy and please, do take the time to let me know what you thought of the prompt, the whole project, the concept.

 

I hope to be running other classes - shorter of course - duringt he coming year and hope you will join me for those too.

Happy Scrapping xxx

Comments

[Val]

I have just received my first ever Willow piece well set actually, the Willow nativity set, I always wanted a nativity set but but had trouble finding one I liked then after seeing some of your Willow pieces looked online and found the perfect nativity set which I was luckily to get for Christmas.

[Pandora]

In Sweden Boxing Day is a national holiday and I've enjoyed the day off.
I won't miss your prompts. I didn't find them until May so I decided to download them all and do 52in11 instead so I have all the fun ahead of me! :-) Can't wait. An extra plus is I know what's ahead so I can plan a little in advance when it comes to choosing subjects. I'm really looking forward to this.
Thank you for doing this! I'm amazed you made it through the whole year with no misses or delays. You should be really proud of yourself. Now I can only hope you'll have something nice planned for 2012 when I'm done with my 52in11! (just kidding, but it would be great, for us - your readers and followers).
Again - THANK YOU! I also want to wish you Gott Nytt År (Happy New Year) 2011. I'm sure it will be a very blessed year.

[Susan]

I will miss looking for your prompts every week. I must admit my album only has a few pages. But it will get finished. Thank you for taking the time to do this class it has been fantastic. I love your blog and follow you all the time. Have a Happy New Year

[Julie Spencer]

Thank you for the last 52 prompts Karen - I have really enjoyed doing this project (n owhere near finished yet though!)but the fact that I can go back to it when I have the right photo at any time is a good challenge. I have loved reading your blog every week and will still do that in the future. With the full schedule you have I don't know where you get the time to do all this, organised I am not! So thank you again, it has been fun, thought provoking and sometimes tear jerking - I have done more journaling this year than ever. I look forward to the next project...

[Jules]

Thank you ever so much for all your hard work this year. I haven't done all the prompts yet, but I've saved them so they're ready when I am.
Thank you again, and I hope 2011 brings everything you wish for. x

[Rachel]

Have loved this project, receiving your thought provoking prompts and sharing your big birthday year. thank you so much. best wishes for 2011

[Photographing Mom]

Can't thank you enough for this project!! I have had the most fun doing this!! I'm sad to see it all end. So proud of my book, though. :D
Thanks again!!!!

[Catriona]

Thank you Karen.

[Sharon Speed]

I too will miss getting this prompt every week. I am way behind making my pages, but this has been such a good project that my first New Years Resolution will be to get it finished! Thank you Karen for all your hard work and keep going next year - I shall be looking our for any new projects that you do. Happy New Year.

[Sandi]

We made it! 52 prompts. I'm still thinking about this last one. I love having a "clean slate" at the beginning of a new year when everything seems possible. I'm proud of all the pages I finished--only two not yet done, but I'm a finisher so I know it will be complete this week. Thank you for your creativity, generosity and perseverance! Also, love how you did your JYC this year. I tried to do too much each day so I'm a bit disgruntled at not being done yet.
This was a wonderful class. Thank you so much!

[Calvina]

Congratulations on the finishing up of the year! I echo the others who have enjoyed reading your prompts every week of this past year. Thank you for the wealth of prompts that will help me tell my story! Always thought provoking. I hope to do mine this coming year and it is so great to have your wonderful example before me. I've also enjoyed reading about your daily life on your blog! The photos of scenery, cats, houses, and other beautiful locations have been enjoyed vicariously through the internet. I will definitely keep checking in on what you are up to! Many thanks!

[Dianne]

Thank you for this series of prompts.

[Lynda]

Many thanks Karen for all the prompts, I've only completed about half of them but have them all printed out and will complete them in the near future. It's been a wonderful journey through the year and you've worked so hard for us all. We're all extremely grateful for all the inspiration you've given us. I read your blog almost every day, I love reading about your adventures and those of the fur family.
Happy New Year to all of you :)

[debby400]

Thank you for continuing with prompts to the end and although I've only managed 19 of them, each one has been saved and I'm detriemined to finish it.
luv
Debby

[Gabi]

Thank you so much for the new prompt - thank you for the wonderful project.
I send you a private message to 4shared and hope, the download is possible. ;)

[kim]

Hi Thanks for a great project I like others have saved the prompts and may start from scratch for 2011. I have read your blog for a while now and always find so much inspiration. Look forward to seeing the new projects in the new year.
Love and Best wishes to you, Nij and furbabies for 2011 Kim x

[mary]

Thanks for the final prompt, I have enjoyed this project; although I have still to complete it, I always looked forward to the next week to see what you had for us. I always check your blog every day, and will continue to do so it has become part of my day now. All the best to you Karen on any further projects that you have planned.

[Mary Bainbridge]

Thank you Karen for a year to remember. Glad I have come on the journey even though I still have some to catch up on.

[Mary Bainbridge]

Love your JYC the fur tunnel looks super and don't the two of them love it. Does Boo join in at all?

[linda]

Thanks from me too Karen! Congratulations on your first year long class! It has been brilliant. I've got about 4 weeks prompts to complete, so hoping to get some time this week. Thanks again, and 'see' you soon!

[Birgit]

Thank you so much for the last prompt Dolly...thank you for everything you have done the last year...thank you to keep on writing your prompts..thank you for this pretty 'book of me'.
I wish you a happy new year and for the last day of december...''Guten Rutsch''... as we say here in germany :)
Greetings from Birgit

[Alison]

Thanks Karen for all your hard work and for staying with it!!! So much still to do, as I cant download the prompts abroad, but have loved the class! Im so pleased you have raised so much money for the hospice too - a great cause. Wishing you, Nigel and the furbabies the very happiest of New Year's!

[Daphne]

A big thank you for all your hard work.

[Sarah]

Huge thanks for this class. You have put in so much hard work and I really appreciate it all. I still have some catch up to do, but I'm determined that my album will be completed soon xx

[Denise]

Thank you for the prompt and as someone who has yet to start the project, I look forward to seeing each one and taking up the challenge of doing this album. For me I think I may sift through the 2010 photos and try and do a Remember This Year album. Thank you again for all your hard work!

[Helen Baker]

Thank you and well done Karen - I have my special life journey ahead across the other side of the world and will take my pages with me. Thank you for all your hard work and I can't wait to see this all finished, it has been a pleasure. Good luck with all that you do in the future.

[hannahk]

Karen thank you for thinking of and creating the wonderful 52 prompts for 2010 ~ it's been inspiring

[Bea]

Thank you for all your prompts. I am 50 this year and hope to start my book now as my 52 in 11. I look forward to reading through all the prompts and looking through your pages again. Thanks so much for all your hard work.

All the best to yourself, Nij and your furbabies for 2011 xx

[fleur morgan]

Thanks again, just catching up as i didnt do any scrapping over christmas period, sorry that its the last one, looking forward to any future classes of yours

[Bea]

Thanks again for all your prompts. I have enjoyed reading them, and plan to start on my 52 in 11/12 soon. I will take my folder on my holiday and start jotting down ideas etc in my notebook. Thanks for all you hard work, and do let us know if you plan more classes, free or otherwise, I will be interested. xx