Thursday 13 November 2014

Scrapbooking What November Means To Me


Still in a Project Life frame of mind here. Still thinking about individual passing days, and weeks, and the months, and making a renewed effort to get something down on paper. I'll start with the months, I thought; so I sat quietly, just for a few minutes, and considered what November means to me

Sian Fair scrapbooking November


♥ pulling out the little free-on-the-front-of-a-magazine notebook which has in it all my Christmas present lists from the past ten years. For family I fold over a flap and write underneath so they won't notice it they flip through. But sshh..don't tell..

♥ looking at whatever craft projects I have on the go and wondering if they'll be finished before it's time to tidy up for Christmas tree decorating

♥ gathering wet leaves with cold fingers, but enjoying the air and the exercise. The neighbours might think I'm obsessed with our (tiny) lawn, but actually I just like the outdoor, methodical task which gives me time to think

♥ that I-have-plenty-of-time-to-choose-cards-and-wrapping paper feeling. Some years I buy anyway, in good time. Other years I don't. And we all know how that ends

♥ repeat the above for posting to America

♥ the simple pleasure of being able to look everyone in the eye as I serve up their slow cooker dinner. Dark night? Stew is right! If I dish up casserole in July, they ask why. Because it gives me time to do things I actually enjoy.

♥ remembering the Remembering. Thinking of shivering at the Cenotaph, standing still, silent, sad, wondering about the photos at home in the shoebox, up high on the shelf where it wouldn't attract attention

♥ Grannie Fair's Christmas pudding recipe. Her mother taught Home Economics, so it's a good one. And thinking about a new story I only learned last year: Great Grannie had two good friends at Catering College and one turned out to be Delia Smith's aunt. Or so the story goes.

♥ Clothes in colours I like. Pulling on thick socks and boots and feeling right. Funny, I like the sun But I don't like summer clothes.

Sian Fair scrapbooking November


Now I'm thinking it would be an interesting experiment to ask everyone else here what November means to them too. Teenaged November, I suspect, still looks forward to Christmas parties and new clothes, same as it ever was. Now? November brings on a search for more light: daylight bulbs so I can keep on making things. So I can get ready for December...



28 comments:

Lizzie said...

November... kind of means dark, chilly and wet; on the other hand, I quite like misty mornings, so long as I don't have to go out in them! I do love the colours of the leaves just now - so many reds, yellows and golden-browns.
- also, getting ahead with Christmas Shopping. I like to get a good start by mid-November. Just now, there are plenty of parcels for the post-lady to deliver and my Present Basket is filling up nicely.
- and, making Christmas Stock for my shop. Felt journals just now, leather ones over the last few weeks... paper-covered notebooks and some more leather books planned (pamphlet-style this time).
- Hot chocolate - I love that. I had to give it up for a while, because I can't have cows' milk dairy products any more... but then I discovered that my Soy milk makes ACE hot chocolate! Happy, happy!

Enjoy your November pleasures, Sian!

helena said...

love how your page looks like you laid out some things on a rustic wooden board

nice to see some positives for November - other than the fireworks I generally find it hard to embrace the month before December - now I'm inspired to think of what the month means to me

doris sander said...

if i made a November list, i'm afraid it would be comprised solely of food. :)

scrappyjacky said...

A lot of mine are just like yours plus-
November means enjoying all the christmas stuff in shops [after hating it in Sept/Oct].
Buying far too many magazines....full of christmas inspiration.
Looking through all my christmas recipes...and deciding on some new ones as well.
Enjoying a roaring fire while sitting knitting or cross stitching christmas cards and gifts.
Preparing my christmas journal.

This West London Life said...

Hmmm, you might just have given me today's blog post. Thanks.

Maggie said...

November means birthdays to us with 3 out of the 4 of us this month. ( mine next) . I feel I should also tell you that my grandmother played tennis with Mary Berry's mother and my dad remembers her as a little girl............

8thgypsy said...

Absolutely love this layout and I must know the name of that paper!

As for November, it is all about cozy meals in front of a blazing fire together with my family, walks in the crisp air with feet scuffling through the dried leaves and warm apple pie when I need something to do to avoid sitting at my desk to create layouts for my monthly get-together with my scrapping friends. Now if I knew the name of that paper, I could throw a scraplift together in no time at all.

Jennifer Shaw said...

A beautiful page and such a terrific post to read. Totally enjoyed it. :)

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

What a fantastic background paper for your LO. The whole thing looks so right. I'm not much of a fan of Summer clothes or getting my pale skin on show. Give me woolly tights and boots any day.

Sian said...

8thGypsy -the background paper? it's from the October Afternoon Midway collection

Sandra said...

When I read your posts, I'm nearly always smiling ... You and I are so similar. Same here, I love the summer but winter clothes are certainly my preference. I think it's becAuse I'm not great at showing off to much skin,. I defiantly prefer to blend.

Mel said...

Such an autumn layout and a great excuse for a post!

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

Ah - such a sweet and thoughtful list for your November, Sian. And I LOVE the layout you've made to go with it. November for me looks very different this year. I'm so focused on my yoga training that I'm almost forgetting about the season we're in. Thanks for reminding me that it's time to take a step back and remember...

Karen said...

Ah, November! Usually it means the beginning of dark, dreary days but this year the leaves have stayed on the trees, and we've had some lovely weather. Today it snowed enough to leave white on the grass, and I began to think Christmas---I'm way behind but oddly, not panicked about it.

Karen said...

Oh, and I love the line of three photos across your charming layout!

Alison said...

You have yet again given me much needed inspiration for a post...watch this space! Xx

Lea Lacoste said...

that layout is all kinds of awesome. and don't get me started on that good life wood veneer <3!!
November is kind of weird I think. It's like the year is over, but at the same time quite not. Christmas is still relatively far away but really everyone thinks about it all the time. And you start pulling out your sweaters and boots and hats and mittens but no no it's still sunny and hot (Paris is weird this year!)

Carmen said...

I love this post so much! I love that page SO much! I LOVE AUTUMN so much! For many of the reasons you said, the clothes, the food, the colours. The temperature! Just love it :)

Carmen said...

And Halloween spookiness in the shops :P

Miriam said...

What a lovely post & gorgeous LO. I have made one to post tomorrow, thank you Sian.

KraftyKaren said...

November for me is all about finishing up the fundraising for another year and having the time to do some crafting for me, it is a month when I go into listing-overdrive, the present list, the baking list, the card list. It is a month for getting organised ready for December. I love getting the wintery clothes on, I always feel happier wrapped up in warm, snuggly clothing but I hate the weather - it means extra pain, more days of feeling bleurggh, more mornings of knowing what the weather is doing before I even open my eyes as my joints are telling me. But I do love the build up to Christmas and at least in November you can start to mention the C word without people frowning at you!!

Really lovely layout - I am thinking of doing a monthly layout in 2015.

Lizzy Hill said...

Gosh, I enjoy your posts....I sort of get myself comfortable like a good book then read & absorb. So thank you! LOOOOOOVE that page....woodwork bg [esp distressed] gets me every time! perfect colours....so evocative of autumn. As opposed to November, you understand. Since it was 38C here yesterday! Summer clothes ROCK as far as I'm concerned! Except I wish I had eensy weensy boobs so I could ditch the bra. TMI??? LOL!!!!! So, that's what November is to me - a reminder that it's gonna get HOT!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Ah - a lightbulb moment. Daylight bulb - that's what I need for my scrapping. I really must stop pulling in new supplies under artificial light - they just don't look the same in daylight.
I've pinned your page and I might do a month by month next year. Another scrap project to add to the never ending list……...

Missus Wookie said...

Oh what a lovely idea and post - enjoyed your musings as always :)

Jo said...

Great post. For me November is about hibernating, making things in front of the fire, short days and long evenings, thinking about what I want to do in the upcoming, fresh new year and the smell of bonfires :)

Anonymous said...

Love the layout, especially that background paper you've used. What a great post. I'll have to give it a wee bit of a thought. It will give me something to post other than trip stuff. :)

Melissa said...

Such a lovely look at what November means to you! For me, it's celebrating Robbie's birthday (with our trip to Florida this year in a few days!) and Thanksgiving. The leaves are falling now & I'm beginning to think about Christmas decorations.

Anonymous said...

I love November! Where we are, it's become cool enough to enjoy the outdoors--lately it's been chilly enough some days to require a jacket!

I also enjoy the anticipation of U.S. Thanksgiving, this year on the 27th, and the beginning of the Christmas holiday season. It truly is my favorite time of year.

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