Christmas Update....

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Well Christmas is over for another year and I hope you all had a super lovely break with your family and friends. Mr P and I spent it together just us. We were tucked up in our little house for 4 days cooking our own turkey and enjoying having some time off together doing nothing.

Part of me feels very selfish for doing this and not spending the holidays with our family (although I am off to visit mine on Thursday for a Christmas/New Year celebration) but for us it was a lovely way to close off what has been a year of ups and downs....

For those who are new to my blog a quick recap (cue blurry dream sequences)

This time last year we had just found out Mr P had cancer. At this stage we didn't know what type, what kind, how bad, any prognosis etc etc. Needless to say that was the most stressful Christmas ever. We spent it at Mr P's family home in Cornwall and it was lovely but for me the horrible thought that this could be the last one (yep I'm a pessimist in these things, in my family good news stories of the Big C variety are non existent) weighed heavily on my mind at all times. Despite all the fun stuff - and we even had snow and a white Christmas - the fear of what lay ahead was always present, I can't help it I'm a worrier...

Roll forward 12 months and Mr P is very much still with us, he has for all intention purposes beaten his cancer. Yes he still has regular checkups, no he's not yet discharged completely from the hospital but they are just monitoring him. There are no scheduled plans for any more treatment and he is as far as we are concerned, fixed. Or as Gordon Ramsay would say "Cancer. Done!"

This Christmas there are so many things that are new and exciting and positive...we are now engaged after Mr P's super romantic proposal in Paris, we have less than 3 until we fly off to Whistler for a 2 week skiing break (yep be fearful Canadian skiers this is my first ski trip you have been warned) and we are planning on getting ourselves a little kitten when we get back to add to our little seaside household. So life is amazingly good and I am so incredibly thankful as for a twist of fate it could of all been so different....

So back to my original train of thought, while I do feel selfish this year for staying home, being just us, it was also just the most perfect Christmas, being just us. I adore this man I am not ashamed to say - although after my last blog post about Star Wars notebooks the same cannot be guaranteed from Mr P ;0) and I am really looking forward to New Year's Eve, not because I enjoy going out on New Years (I don't I hate it, but Mr P is playing with his band and I love watching them!) but I can't wait to see the back of 2011 and say you may have started off sucky but damn, you ended really bloody well!!

So Happy New Year to all my readers, I send you best wishes for the start of 2012 and to all the exciting things that a new year brings (and yes I include new Filofax diary inserts in that!)

Lxx

Notable Obsessions....dum dum dum da de dum da de dum

Me in Vegas with Darth Vader and Boba Fett

So as you may know if you read my blog I am a little lot obsessed with stationery - Filofax, Post Its, notebooks, pens, pencils...the list is endless. Maybe it is because I am a September child when going back to school meant new stationery and my birthday so therefore presents! Or possibly I'm just one of those geeky people who loves paper more than anything, I mean choosing nice cards and gift wrap is a key part of the gift giving process don't you agree?

Anyhoo for Christmas I was very lucky and received a fantastic gift from my bestie M the Moleskine large Star Wars notebook...

I had been coveting this and it's sister version since I saw them seeing as I am a) the biggest Star Wars nerd (and my gorgeous fiance bought me episodes 4-6 on Blu Ray for Christmas as well - geek heaven!!!) and b) I love Moleskine notebooks. Look how gorgeous they all are:

Image from The Paperie

The large book that I have is just slightly larger than a personal Filofax size (or is 13x21cm if we want to be precise) and looks like so:

Side by side with the Personal Deco

End to end with the Deco

Underneath the Deco (yep it is gratuitous Amethyst Deco shots once again!!)

Note the Star Wars book is still in its shrink wrap!

And here in lies my dilemma....the sad, tragic nerd that I am I can't quite bring myself to open the plastic wrap for fear of damaging the notebook (tragic I know). I'm currently debating buying another one from The Paperie (AMAZING site - if you haven't checked it out you should do so and no I don't get paid for saying that I just find their site full of the most gorgeous items - be warned though it is very difficult to leave without spending a fortune - my current basked total that I'm browsing is £67!!!)

In that basket I have a duplicate of the Christmas Star Wars notebook, one each of the two Star Wars designs in pocket plus a Lamy Safari pencil in charcoal, a Lamy fountain pen that is on sale, an Emma Bridgewater notebook that I'm planning on using as a journal in 2012, some notecards and a Moleskine Style Journal as I want to try and improve my work outfit co-ordination in 2012 (more on that and general 2012 resolutions, Christmas updates coming soon dear neglected blog readers).

Anyway (as always I'm rambling!) is it total madness to want to order these notebooks and keep them in pristine condition and not use them? Am I actually going bonkers? What will I be saving them for? A world apocalypse? Not sure they will actually be that useful unless there is indeed a sonic pule all money is rendered useless and the geeks take over and rule the earth...maybe then they will be key bartering goods that will secure safe passage in the new apocalyptic landscape....! OK not so likely but it could happen (or maybe it is too much Big Bang Theory and coffee....)

But for some insane reason I just can't bring myself to strip the plastic off this stunning Star Wars number in case they sell out and I can't get any more, I mean it is limited edition and I am OBSESSED with Star Wars....is a notebook in the drawer really worth 2 in the hand????

So dear readers what should I do? Should I order a "spare" to use so that I can keep one pristine? And if I do use one what should I use it for? It needs a noble purpose I can't just use it for shopping lists (wouldn't be able to tear out any of the pages for a start!!)

Would I look deranged if I use a Star Wars notebook as my wedding planner journal? (Will Mr P actually want to marry me if I do???) Can I justify the spend on buying more notebooks I may never use but just keep "safe"? After 4 days indoors over Christmas break maybe it really is time for me to leave the house.........

Help!!!!

Lx

December already?

I've been a very lax blogger again work/study and for a change lots of social life things have taken all the time out of November. But I'm very excited to have discovered the Blogger app on the iPhone! Blogging on the move when I have a free minute GENIUS!!!

So a wee update on life at Chez Louloudorset recently...

I've been to Alton Towers, seen Stephen Merchants stand up tour, been considering my set up for 2012 and which Filofaxes I'm using for why - I feel a change is needed for my work and study management. Plus of course we are planning a wedding!!!

I've sort of started my Christmas shopping and its only 41 sleeps until we fly to Canada for our skiing holiday (eek)

With an assignment due in on Monday and full weekend of school starting the next module on Analysis and Decision next week it's a hectic time!!

However there have been several things that have got me through the month...

1. My new Clarks knee high, flat brown boots. Super comfy, really practical, look gorgeous and as they came in wide leg fitted perfectly around my chunky calves - plus I got cash back of £7!!

2. Top cash back - I'm new to the whole cash back idea but it's amazing! Getting money back on things I was buying online anyway = genius!!!

3. Rimmel 60 second nail polish. I hadn't tried this until last week and it's amazing. It really does dry that quick and even through because I'm wearing a dark plum colour it needed 2 coats it looks amazing. Mega bargain too!!

4. My new iPhone 4S. I'm still in love with this upgrade. The screen is so much clearer, the processing so much quicker and I love Siri if only for the comedy factor hehe

5. And finally my new study area that Mr P set up for me in our spare room and where I will be spending the entirety of this weekend!! My gorgeous girlie noticeboard helps keep me inspired and having all my study bits all in one place is so much easier than having to cart them around the house all the time.

So everyone ready for Christmas??? My next mission will be to convince Mr P it's time to get the decorations out of the loft - not sure I'm going to win that one yet though.....

Lx