I'll be standing in line...

The line for the Christmas panto tickets will be round the building, so I'll have to get there early.  The tickets for Christmas Eve sell out very quickly, and if you have a lot of tickets to buy its even harder.  So instead of opening up my advent calender on December first, i will shoot out of the door and head right on into town.  It also means that I'll be there early enough that it wont be horrible trodding around town collecting parcels and ribbon.

Oh to dream...

I love looking through catalogues, brochures and magazines in the run up to Christmas.  I love the over-the-top fuss of them all.  The Fortnum and Mason one (in the picture) is brilliant! Its not something i buy into once the catalogue's been put down, but its lovely to fall into all of the images.  Its the same when you look through Country Living, Good Housekeeping or Easy Living, all of which i adore-but they are made for selling, so i don't see anything wrong with pouring over the images.  Its a very good method of escapism, and something to do wihle sipping a cup of cocoa.

So far....

So far I’ve done some baking-the first this year-and its some lovely Christmas sugar biscuits. I have bought most of the presents I’ve been intending to buy and feel really quite pleased with myself. Mr Tesco has sent out club card points and we’ve doubled them up so we can spend them in the clothing section.

We’ve been (I should stop making out TH has been doing anything, or else when I get crazy as I’ve laboured away making Christmas single handed you’ll all wonder why I'm so ungrateful!) buying up Boots the Chemist presents in carefully planned batches so as to make the most of any free points and free three for twos! It’s been a bit planned out, but unless you have very time or money rich I think that’s the way it needs to be to stop you going crazy.
Well done to those of you making lots of presents, it’s something I always say I’ll do, but never have attempted yet. I really don’t craft all that much either so it wouldn’t save me any money as I don’t already have stocks and bundles of anything in particular in the store cupboard.
I printed out the Cherry Menlove gift checklist and have checked off quite a few boxes, the presents to be sent off are waiting by the door for TH to take away in the car to send away, and it’s only really the cards that are left to do and post.

I think the old adage about asking a busy person to do something is quite right, as i've never been this organised before.
Please don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty to do, and i’ve been buying things up since last Christmas. I've been saving money and saving up any points shops offer all year through-so this isn’t about ‘money’ or being ‘smug’, however I am genuinely pleased with myself for not running about like a headless chicken this year. I don’t want to panic buy and load up on a lot of overpriced rubbish I'm not happy about giving. I want to be able to buy second class stamps and not send things super-express-fast as you can Mr Postie-postal service, and to that end I'm very happy. I'm calm, able to spend time watching Christmas movies under blankets. I'm able to walk the dog on the long pretty walks we love best, I'm able to see the lights get switched on in the village, I'm able to spend what money I’ve saved going to the nice coffee shop in town, or doing any thing I want to do.

I hope everyone is feeling quite pleased with themselves and ticking off those boxes!

Haddo Christmas Fair

A little while ago now TH and i headed over to Haddo as they had the annual two day Christmas Fair.  Last year was the first time we went and we had taken TH's Mother and I'd met up with my friend Holly while they sat in the tea room keeping cosy.

This year was quite different as TH had just come back from Vietnam and kindly decided to take me as he was away right after our anniversary, Halloween and bonfire night.  We met up with my Uncle and Aunt although we hardly saw them as we decided just to stay for a little while.  It was lovely getting TH home to have a little wonder about, a short walk and a cuddle up on the sofa.  We had a little walk around the house and down the Scots Mile to the pond, then back to the car park.  We had a quick look into the antique shop, but the place was so jam-packed you couldn't really pick a thing up...well, without the fear of someone bashing into you and the piece going flying through the air...

We did pick up a couple of things in the fair, there was some soap made by a charity called Inspire.  All of the soaps and the beautiful pictures that decorate the packets are made by children with learning disabilities.  I got for TH, and some for little bits to add on to presents for various people.  We also picked up some lovely chocolates, fair trade and hand made locally, as well as a gorgeous hat and glove set.  There was a giant poster at that stand as the woman who made them had them featured in one of the early Harry Potter films!

It was a lovely, lovely day, but the best thing about it really was when i could take TH home, and know that he was mine to keep at home for a long, long time!!!



A Pause in Advent

I remember doing A Pause in Advent this time last year, and here we are again.  Thank you very much Floss for getting us all thinking about it again.  Its so crazy to think that it was twelve short months ago when we last did this!

Last year I stuck with tradition and spoke about whatever would be spoken about in Church at the lighting of the candles.  You can read about it here if you would like to.  This year I'm going to talk about tradition and what we're up to in our small corner of the world in the lead up to Christmas.  

So far we've not been particularly Christmassy-neither of us are big fans of Christmas cake, and so i make a Madeira closer to the time and decorate that, therefore that's not a job i need to think of just yet!  The things-commercial as they are-that have signalled to us its Christmas time are things like adverts (Cola, Irn Bru and John Lewis), the smokey smell in the air, and the lovely Yankee Candles I'm finally allowed to fill the house with!  The traditions that we will be following this week will be the putting up of the decorations-something we do on the first of December.  We pull out our many decorations and our own advent calender and start making the house glittery, bright, more welcoming than normal and altogether like a scene in a Christmas movie!

Cuddle up, sit back and watch

Oh Mr John Lewis, you always do make me weep with your Christmas adverts.

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa..

I should maybe just send you the CK catalogue...

as i like quite a few things....

but some presents are really for the house...

or to be taken out and used at very specific times....

OK, some things are just plain old pretty...

or quite a treat...

or indeed, a place to place a treat....

can you fill some presents too?

and socks this cute are certainly allowed to go under the tree...

as its always good to get cosy warm presents!

Christmas 2011

Christmas has been a bit of a slow starter this year, when i think back to last year i was so much more organised!  Its all a bit scary when i think of the lists of things to do...

But the word 'lists' is really quite right.  Lists are what i use all of the time, woe betide the person that moved my lists....everything depends on The Lists! 

So pulling everything out, all of the books, all of the magazines, all of the old lists...everything gets looked over.  I feel like Santa Clause what with checking my lists twice.  However its the only thing that works for me, and I'm not about to change that method.  So for a little while now the place will be messy...slowly the mess will be put into piles of mess, then order will come.

I hope you are all much more organised than me.

x

Time to breathe

Its been a long time coming, but i can finally breathe.  I'm starting my new job soon, but for now i am without work, and i couldn't be happier.  I am in a very lucky position where i know I'm starting soon, but I've got time to tidy up, redecorate and make things beautiful, and make beautiful things in time for Christmas!

 Im finally starting to get the festive feeling and get back to looking at everyones lovely bloggs. 

x

Inspiration

Inspiration....

little ideas to keep me more than busy...

Some simple, and some a little more difficult (well, for my skills and attention span!)

Up at the top of my list of things to do is making proper Christmas cookies

However, its also just lovely to look at the ideas....and buy the products in shops and add special little touches myself.

Do you think edible place cards would ruin our appitite?

YUM!

x

I am reading..

I am reading The Fry Chronicles right now, and loving every second of them.  I do have a dictionary by my side, as without it i have to admit I'd be a little lost from page to page.  However, i do love Stephen Fry and i do love biographies.

Stephen Fry is one of my hero's, please don't think i love everything he has ever done, or find him without blame-but i do love that he is utterly bashfully British and intelligent.  QI is one of my favourite shows, and i am pretty sure to tune into anything that has him in it. 
I'm not going to write a review for this book-oh goodness, that would be a little too difficult, but i will say that it is such a lovely read, and i am so happy that i have picked up a copy of this brilliant book, its now the putting it down that's the difficult bit.....

Three years ago today

Three years ago today I was woken up bright and early by a text from my fiancé. He told me he loved me and he couldn’t wait for later.

Three years ago today I crept through the hotel suite and woke my best friends. I jumped into the shower and welcomed the beautician and hairdresser. Three years ago today I sat in the middle of the suite feeling very happy and pampered.
My best friends gave me some little presents, first from themselves, and then from my Husband to be.
I was helped to dress and helped down the stairs of the hotel. I was helped into the car and waved to everyone who came to take a peek.

Three years ago today I walked into Church and down the aisle towards the man I love, adore and call The Husband.
When we walked back up the aisle I felt like I could breathe again.

Everything Alice

I got this book a little while ago, probably one of those amazon emails came through the inbox telling me that it was similar to some other things I adore and I caved. Either that or those crafty elves did it a bit too close to payday for me to think it over and decide I could probably get it from the library.


Read the blurb and it definitely whets your appetite:
Enter the magical world of Everything Alice, where nothing is quite as it seems! The tales of Alice in Wonderland provide the inspiration for a charming and original collection of 50 makes, ranging from a hand-sewn rabbit toy and pompom-decorated slippers to a paper craft party invitation tea set and cut-out-and-keep dress-up dolls. Who wouldn't be seduced by a red polka dot frilly apron to wear while baking cupcakes fit for a king or a heart-shaped pin board to house precious keepsakes, all designed and made by Christine Leech and Hannah Read-Baldrey. This book is the creative must-have for any Alice lover, whatever their age.

I am mostly interested by the felt slippers; they are amazing and remind me of little Elvin shoes. The red velvet cake look lovely and I cant wait to get baking, as red velvet cake is something I’d heard of loads, but didn’t have a clue what it was!
There truly are some great ideas, and every person that has either peeked at my bookshelf and enquired what this was, or has looked over my shoulder at it has fallen in love and I'm happy to be the envy of all with 'my' new ideas!
The book is just gorgeous to sit and stare at and utterly adorable. Although I shouldn’t be spending money right now as I need to be buying Christmas presents, it has given me plenty of little ideas. I love books like this in general and I am very happy to add it to my collection.

Reading by the fire

Darker evenings, warm fires, cool clear nights and hot chocolate.  The chair by the mantle is never empty; the nook by the lamp is even more cramped than normal, overflowing with books.  Books that are planning ahead for Christmas, books with ideas for one pot meals, books about warmth and comfort, all looked out and very well thumbed.  Books to shelter within and let me dream. 

Ode to bloggyness

I love that within this blog I can write about things this family does. I love that it, over time, captures what we’re up to and what’s going on. I like that last year I wrote about wanting to move to the country, and then, by the end of the year we had done so. I love that I was so enthusiastic at this time last year. I saw the dark nights as something to escape into. I wrote so very much, and yet this year….

I haven’t found ‘it’ so far. I'm not particularly looking forward to those snugly dark nights. I didn’t really blog about the Summer, or the Spring, or anything at all. And every so often I think…”well, what would be the point of having a glum blog?”, because nothing seems to have had me very excited.

This seems to have plodded along and I haven’t really done much about this. Sometimes we’ve been up to things and I’ve just not had the time to blog about it, but mostly I haven’t got much done at all. I've plodded along feeling like this and its only now that I look back at last year I see that I'm so different.

 

While I'm finishing up at work-because of the new job-its still quite stressful, and I think that the moment I leave it’ll get better, however why wait until then? That’s like bumping your head first thing in the morning and then being grumpy all day long…well NO more.

The camera is coming out, and I'm finding beauty in everything. It’s that or eternal gloom, so I'm making a stand!

Autumn in the country

Rolling fields and mellow sunlight.  Clear sky and flocking geese.  Autumn is about renewal to me. 

I know that Spring should be that time, but Autumn always seems to bring something new to me.  Its the start of the academic year and i guess I've been institutionalised, but that's not all.  All the animals are busy, they are making ready for Winter and getting their homes cosy.  I'm busy doing the same thing here. 

The big blankets, throws and cushions are all coming out.  Wellies are constantly at the front door, as well as the dogs towel.  The changes in the home are being echoed through-out.  I have got a new job...very exciting!

The environment was previously working in wasn't really any good, so i have finally packed in the part time jobs, in the library and in the shop, and got myself a full time position in a school office.  It means that for the first time in ages I've got weekends to myself...and you know what weekends are going to be packed with shortly?  Christmas Fairs!  Yeah, i think I'm finally heading in the right direction and i couldn't be happier!

Trodding on...

Trodding on the squishy mud....

squelching my way through the feilds with the pup to the shoppy.....can't wait for those elusive crisp autumn days!

x x x

CL Fair...waiting game

So I've presented the facts...I've said "isn't it a good idea that we head to Glasgow for a lovely shopping weekend?"

Ive then just not mentioned shopping and have attempted (rather unsuccessfully) to make out like he was always going on about Glasgow.

Ive said that we can take the train, I've said that we can do things he likes...but all of this to no avail.

I have (thus far) been unsuccessful in convincing TH that it is a good idea to go to the Christmas Fair and do all things Christmassy.  He does not want to soak up the glee of the event.  OK, that's probably a wee bit unfair.

 He doesn't want to be pushed and prodded, elbowed and shoved by lots and lots of women.

He doesn't want to be one of those men that follow the women folk around the shops...and i can see his point.  The only thing is that we are so very far away from Glasgow that its really not a day trip, and if it was it would be such a long long and mostly unpleasant day to squeeze such an extraordinary amount of 'fun' things in, that invariably, it becomes the most un-fun thing you can think of.

But just look at all of the lovely pictures and adverts mean to entice folk like us.....

Look at all of the idyllic scenes we...ahem, i always want to buy into...

 I think that I'll be trying to convince very busy friends to come on jaunts to the other side of the country with me...

Yes, i think I'm about to start the persuasion game all over again!

CL Christmas Fair 2011

 Mr Postie brought me the most interesting mail today...the most exciting mail i have received in an awful long time indeed.  Mr Postie brought news of The Country Living Christmas Fair which is taking place in Glasgow between the 17th and 20th of November.
Along with pictures of the most beautiful products imaginable came news of a new VIP ticket....well ladies, did my ears prick up at that!

 Apparently there are tickets available (at quite a cost-£49.50) which means you get to spend any free or down time sipping delicious tea from Brewhaha-a Glasgow based company which i have had the pleasure of sipping on a previous occasion- whilst sitting in a comfy snugly lounge.  Caroline Zoob is giving away some super cute festive bunting in a gift bag along with some other free goodies, including a book, a CK book bag and gorgeous hand cream...now once you add it all up the actual cost of a ticket would be cheaper....however if i was never intending to buy these things anyway....let me think, let me think.....

All i need to do now is convince The Husband!



Um.....darling....