Spending time reading...

OK, time to ‘fess up. I’ve read Twilight. When all the hype about it started last year I was missive of it – it was teen fiction and vampires… well, really! So I decided to put it off till I was totally bored or someone gave me the book to read – but I was NOT going to go out and buy it myself. So, what happened?

It all started about 10 days ago when I was really rather unwell. The children had gone to Grandma’s, hubby went to watch the rugby in town and I curled up on the couch under a blanket in a semi-comatose state. To take my mind off my aches and general misery I watched the movie ... and in my weakened state it was quite good. A bit of sucker for a romance and on-screen chemistry I was taken in, hook, line and sinker!

So, when I was in town late last week on my six-weekly visit (not local town, but big town, with more than 2 shops!) I found myself in the bookstore and looking at the novel. Everything I had heard about Twilight said the novel was better than the movie, so I bought it. And while I was there I bought the rest of the series too.

I put off starting reading for a couple of days until I had a somewhat ‘free’ afternoon and in I plunged. I found the first couple of chapters didn’t really grab me, but shortly after this I was pretty well hooked and I’ve been on quite the journey with the characters since. I’ve just finished the final book in the series – 4 books in 4 days. Hmmm. Yes. Not much jewellery work getting done at the moment!

Have you read the series? What did you think? Teen trash or a good story?

Of course I always find the time to browse around a few favourite blogs, regardless of how much time I seemed to spend this week with my head in a book, and I found this on the EP Designs blog and it just made me grin:

“If I spent as much time doing the things I worry about getting done as I do worrying about doing them, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about.”
– Beryl Pfizer

Makes sense to me!

By the way, if you want to read a lovely, family oriented and uplifting blog, pop over to I’m Still Standing – make a cuppa first so you’ve got an excuse to stay a while!

Needless to say, since I’ve spent all my week reading instead of creating, the pic above is just a simple strand of beautiful wine-red garnets - aren’t they stunning, just as they are?!

Till next
Annette :)

In readiness for Christmas

Woohoo! Only a few days until Christmas :) I have taken a quote I saw recently on the Small Business Diva blog, to heart. It stated “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot”. So, even though it meant a lot of busy days I have achieved a few things in time for Christmas....all my Christmas orders have been completed and sent, christmas cards have been written and sent(this in itself is a huge achievement - see my last post!), Christmas gifts have been purchased (thank goodness for online shopping) and wrapped and sitting under the tree and the house has had a pre-Xmas clean and the obligitory moving around of furniture ;) . Surprising the end result of having everything under control has given me a real lift, rather than the tired, run-down feeling I was expecting after all that rushing! Maybe I'm on a Christmas- high?

The children finish school tomorrow and I am really looking forward to spending a fun Christmas with them - the girls are really into Christmas and Santa and are so excited its quite contagious. My son is starting to question the whole Santa idea - he told me a few days ago "I know you're really Santa - you dress up like him and put the presents under the tree" LOL, I honestly told him that "I have never dressed up as Santa". He saw my sincerity and so is happy to go along with it for now!

I started our own Christmas tradition when the children were very little. We had a lovely Santa/North Pole style snow globe that was only allowed to be touched leading up until Christmas. Each night before bed, we would lovingly bring it down and shake it, gaze at is as the snow settled before doing it again. Then we would read one of our special Christmas books - lovely picture books about Christmas, Santa, elves and so on. Just to get into the Christmas spirit. Unfortunately, Meredith in her absolute adoration for the globe broke it last year and I haven't found a replacement. But we are still reading the Christmas books. Now that the children are older I have also started reading a small Christmas themed novel out loud to them which they seem to be enjoying. My in-laws have their own traditions which we share with them on Christmas Day. Do you have a Christmas tradition in your family?

Today's picture is a bracelet that would make your wrist sparkle on Christmas Day (or any day of the year!). Soft pastel hues of lavender, pink and white freshwater pearls, icy rock crystal quartz and pale pink rose quartz combine in a two strand twist with an adorable sterling silver heart toggle clasp.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful and loving festive season... and I hope Santa is good to you! ;)