It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas....

Gosh I've been a bit slack about blogging this last week so now I have to a huge post to catch up.


We've put the decorations up her at Shabby Chic HQ, when I say we, I mean that W and I started to put them up together, he lost interest after an hour and I did the rest myself whilst he complained he couldn't hear the XBox over my Michael Buble Christmas album!!


Now, I apologise in advance for the quality of the pics, my camera is really rather hopeless. I guess I could have had a new one for Christmas, but I was more keen on a fancy new sewing machine!!


The tree in the lounge:

With a lopsided star, why do they make them so heavy?

Next to the tree on the windowsill is the Nativity scene that my Mum knitted for us a couple of years ago - it was before I could knit, and even now I can I don't think I would have the patience:

Aren't they fab? My Stepdad even made them a stable....

We are hoping that Bear (one of our Tonkinese cats) is going to leave them alone as he is obsessed with wool and anything made of it (whatever the fibre) to the point where he was trying to drag my Mum's cardi off her.

He has also been hoolying around the trees in the manner of Simon's Cat - if you haven't seen the Christmas one (or indeed any of the Simon's Cat cartoons) do follow the link, they are hilarious, especially if you are a cat owner.

The "library" as we jokingly call it (it was the dining room before we had the conservatory along the back of the house and is now a bit of a none-room) looks all frosty and winter-white:

I collected fresh holly and ivy from the stables to decorate and also traipsed around the woods to find some sticks that Mr G spray painted antique white and gold for me to put them in a vase and I love, love, love them, I think they are going to have to stay after the festive season:

I'm thinking crocheted hearts for Valentines;  eggs for Easter;  flowers for summer, etc....

The snowflakes need starch really....

The tree in the conservatory is all blue and pink, but you can't really tell in this dreadful pic:

The dresser has had the treatment too:

I've also been inspired by (or is it I have just shamelessly copied?!!)  the lovely Vanessa over at Coco Rose Diaries and made some crochet covers for jars to create lovely votives:

And I have been making trees - a book page one:

 And one at my ceramics painting group (this starts out plain white bisque which you paint and it's then fired) - it's waiting for a light fitting and then the little bulbs will glow:

I've also been enjoying my Advent swap gifts from Sandie my favourite of which so far is this fab birdie paper garland:

In my sewing room so I can keep it up all year round (look at the condensation from the blummin' tumble dryer!!)

So, I think that is all I have to report for now - hope you all have a lovely week....

hugs,

S x

It's All Gone A Bit Quiet....

Hello there - hope you all OK? 


I've noticed it's gone a bit quiet on the comment front but I do hope you are all still reading? I have been really busy of late and have not had much time for leaving comments myself so I hope that is the reason things are quiet here and not because I am becoming boring!!

It's half term here and so I have been enjoying have the boys off school - on Sunday we went to Port Solent and had lunch at a fab new American diner:

We'd had a bit of a hooha before we came out as H didn't want to come - he was playing on the Xbox while talking to his friend and I was all for making him come out and have time as a family but Mr G said we shouldn't force him as he would be a big misery and it would cost more!! 

I reluctantly agreed and H stayed behind but when we got there I realised it was a mistake as I felt sad H was missing out (even if he would have moaned) and so in future I think I will put my foot down and insist he leave the blasted Xbox behind - at 13yrs old it's too young to be left out of family outings I feel, complaints or not!!

W really enjoyed it - he had a Texas BBQ Hot Dog:

And a a Chocolate Brownie Sensation Sundae (which we shared):

He then got a cooks hat and had his photo taken by the jukebox:

On Monday I had my niece and nephew as my sister has started Uni - she is doing a health science degree two days a week as she wants to be a cardiac physiologist (she originally wanted to be a doctor, but met her husband at 16 and it went by the wayside) while we went to local play centre she was prodding at a real human heart complete with torso *shudder* and admiring the medical students (who she says are hot!!)

Yesterday, pumpkin picking with Grandma and Granddad was a washout and so the boys went to see "Johnny English" at the pictures instead while I had a day of peace and spent it sewing - I've started a dress from the book "Sew Serendipity" (love that word!!) and if it looks OK when it's done I'll show you!!

Today, I saw my friend L - she and I have been going ceramics painting, you go and have a natter and a coffee and paint some blank china and then it gets glazed & fired for you to collect the following week - I didn't go this week but she had collected my dog bowl (do bare in mind I got an "F" for art GCSE!!):

I painted it with CK Stanley's!!

I had previously done a teapot:

Excuse the blurredy-ness - W took the pics!!

Even though I am not good at painting and the results are a little primitive, I love doing it so much!! It's very therapeutic and I have plans for Christmas plates for us all and all sorts!!

Anyway, that's about all I have to report for now so I will love you and leave you....

hugs,

S x