Tuesday, 31 December 2013

Wishing You....

a very

HAPPY
NEW YEAR


and a
 COLOURFUL
2014
filled with

LOVE
     HAPPINESS & SMILES
CREATIVITY
SUCCESS

but above all 

GOOD HEALT
XXXX
 


Tuesday, 24 December 2013

So Here It Is....


Christmas Eve....
the candles are lit, the house is filled with the smell of Christmas, 
the Paperdolls are watching The Snowman 
and I am alllllllllmost there, 
ready to sit back relax & enjoy 
....the gifts are made....
mmmm....weeeeell nearly just a couple of small finishing touches to do....

 


The fabric gift tags I made are ready to be put on the gifts....


Most of the wrapping has already been done....
only a few more gifts to do....


And the food prepping for our Christmas dinner is also in full swing....


I started today by making fresh buttermilk pancakes for the breakfast,
and I have rarely left the kitchen all day. 
The homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is chilling in the freezer & the Apple Pie is in the oven. 
The Turkey is slowly defrosting and I have started the stuffing.  
Mr Mc has taken charge of the veggies this year.  
The table is “dressed” for the occasion tomorrow.


I just looooooove being home for the holiday.
I find traveling stress at this time of year. 
So when it came to choosing a greeting for the front door sign I made last week, 
....No Place Like....was the most fitting one for us.
Having family and good friends round the table 
sharing yummy food and funny stories is the best way to spend the holidays.  
And we are very lucky to have both this year.  
I hope you are surrounded by people that make you happy this festive season.  
It's getting late here so I better be off now to finish my last bits & pieces....
and Mr Mc just talked about going to Midnight Mass....
....it would be the first time in years if we make it tonight.... 
but I just wanted to pop in and say....


 ....wherever you are in the world....
 Have a 
  Merry Christmas  
filled with love....joy....&....peace!
xxxx

Saturday, 14 December 2013

I'm Smiling....

Hello its so lovely to see you here again.
How has your week been?  
I hope it was filled with lots of festive joy
and not to much pre Christmas stress! 
 My week has been busy with the latter
and a last minute sewing project.  
Why..oh..why do I do it every year???  
....I can’t blame anyone else.... 
....I think it’s the quiet rebel in me that makes me do that.... 
I mean as a Mum in the run up to Christmas
so much of your time is being pre booked 
....nativity plays....carol singing....Christmas parties....
time & dates dictated to you.  
Not to mention all the other prepping that has to be done. 
....Your time becomes everyone else's....
 And I think that is why I like to make something just because 
“I want to” with no “must” pressure attached.  
Silly really as it means I just have more to do in the same time.  
But looking at these cushions I know that,
for me as crazy as it sounds, 
it’s the right thing to do.  
As I am looking at these, I can’t stop smiling.


I’m smiling because....
I so vividly remember the lady at the shop
where I bought my “new” sewing machine 
telling me about the great quilting features my new machine had.  
I smiled politely thinking to myself ....me quilting.... never!!  
How does the saying go “never say never”.


I’m smiling because....
here we are a little over six years later  I love machine quilting!!

I just adore these vintage fabrics for their sweet kitsch.... 
I loved picking out the various
Santa’s, birds, letters on these fabrics
bringing them to life by quilt around them.


I’m smiling because....
something can turnout so very different
then I had envisaged yet be so beautiful.  
I loooooove playing with fabric
seeing how different colours and prints work together.
I will have to call this my stars and stripes Santa cushion.


I’m smiling because....
I wanted a complimenting contrast.  
It took quite a bit of playing around
to make all the different fabrics work.
I am a fabriholic, and all the fabrics I have used for this
 have been in my stash for quite a while,
just waiting for the right project!


I’m smiling because....
Knowing that all the pre Christmas stress will have been well worth it, 
when we are all enjoying a lovely family Christmas together!

 

I'm smiling because....
looking at Santa's cheery face on this cushion
just fills me with happiness!

 I'm Smiling because.... 
 these cushions make the Paperdolls smile 
and what can be better then seeing your children smile.

Have a joyous 3rd advent weekend
xxxx

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

decking the halls starts in our house on Thanksgiving eve with a 
classic Christmas movie and the putting up of our tree. 
It’s our tree’s 20th Christmas anniversary this year and I still remember 
Mr Mc’s shock at the then rather steep price of 69 pounds.
 I knew even then though it would workout a great investment and I have been proved right.  
Now I only dread the day when we have to retire the tree 
as the paperdolls have never known another Christmas tree in our house 
and are rather attached to this one. 


After putting the tree together we start of with the lights, 
 normally a job for Mr Mc, but he was away for a couple of weeks so it was left to me this year.  
This is followed by spending most of the evening bickering over which baubles and
ornaments are the prettiest and where to hang them.  
The bickering seems to be every year as much part of our Christmas preparations 
as biscuits & cups of hot chocolate.


I looooooove the beautiful mix of baubles & ornaments that we have gathered over the years.
    I find it impossible to pick my favorite one.



I adore the way the light makes the glass look like ice....



To many to show them all....
A couple of years ago I made the “executive” decision 
....to much protest of the paperdolls....
that our tree is only decorated with
....glass....white....silver....&....sparkle....lots and lots of sparkle


But just because there is a colour restriction....
doesn’t mean the paperdolls haven't got a say when we buy new ornaments for the tree.
 After all what is Christmas without a ....BIG.... slice of kitsch!


Even Mr Mc a fan of most things "stags" gets to have some on the tree.
And every year we have a few bauble and ornament causality's 
but to me that makes a Christmas tree interesting over the years.
A mix of old and new.
We still have a little more decorating in the house to do
 but it already has very much the feel of Christmas.
     

Have a week filled with the magic of this season and
 ....THANK YOU.... 
so much for taking the time and popping by.  
I am only too aware that in the run up to Christmas spare time is very scarce.
XXXX



Saturday, 7 December 2013

Winter has arrived....

After the storm on Thursday which thankfully we have survived unscathed, 
came overnight the winter with plenty of snow and much to the delight of 
the Paperdolls and myself turned our neighborhood into a winter wonderland.


Early Friday morning the Paperdolls where glued to the radio in anticipation 
for an announcement that the schools would be shut for the day.  
With teen Paperdoll going through her mock GCSE exams at the moment 
 if I'm been honest for her any excuse not to go to school is a good one at this time.  
But no such luck for them on this occasion, school’s were open so off they went.     
And I enjoyed a walk in the snow covered woods 
at the bottom of our street on my own.


....I just looooooove the crisp air on a winters morning....


The woods are so full of life with constant rustling in the undergrowth 
and yet they are peace and tranquility itself.


And after such a walk what could be nicer then 
a lovely neighbor knocking on my door and handing me these beautiful 
homemade cupcakes just because she had some spare.  
It really is these little acts of kindness by my friends & neighbors 
that make my day every time.


I managed to wait for the paperdolls to come home from school 
before tucking into this beauties.
Hot chocolate made the perfect companion for the cupcakes.


We all snuggled up, switched on the Christmas lights and watched 
the snow falling in thick flakes outside.  
It was a perfectly lazy Friday afternoon.     
Unfortunately I can’t afford any more of this lazy days as I’m already behind 
with my list of Christmas preparations.  
Nothing new for me, just like Christmas comes round every year 
 so does my last minute prepping stress!  
I will say bye for now so I can start catching up with my list.
Have a peaceful second advent.
XXXX