Do you hear what i hear?

Ooh we're into our lists over here at HH HQ!!  (That's a mouth full!)  so, much so I've only got some old Christmas pics to show you, these are from last year at the old place, though that does remind me I've got to look these out again!
Now we're onto top Christmas songs and carols!! Ive been playing them non stop since the end of November...you can just potter about and get on with what you need to, but with a little extra music floating around the background keeping things merry and bright!
What are your favourite carols or songs?  These are mine!

• Away in a Manger
• Joy to the World
• Silent Night
• Ding Dong Merrily on High
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
• Jingle Bells
• Carol of the Bells
• Good King Wenceslas
• Deck the Halls

Carol of the Bells is utterly under rated, but is a wonderfully Christmassy song...yet don't play it when you feel a bit frazzled, it will only make you worse!                           I love this decoration, one of the first i bought with The Husband....look at all those little cards beside the window!! We always looked like we had so many, but the place was so teeny tiny....i feel so grateful that we are in a NICE WARM home now!

The Christmas Tree

A be-ribboned wicker basket filled with the presents that are for giving to others outside of our home.  Some presents under the tree and cards from kind people.  Surrounded by loveliness, chocolate...do you see the Thornton's advent calender?  The wooden one from last years sits above it next to the TV...that's the dogs one believe it or not!! Filled with little dog treats!!Its had a few more things placed under it since this picture was taken, i also stocked up on some more bows and ribbons, so i want to show off those....massive meters of fabulous ribbons tying up bags of coffee beans!! Honestly!!  I never mind tying things up with ribbon as most of it is kept in the house and the same ribbons get pulled out year after year!!

Top Christmas Books

My post about my favourite Christmas films went down so well i thought id share my favourite books, you'll probably have most of these in your library and whats even more probable is that you've got these on your own shelves or have read them anyway, but its great to settle down with an old favourite.

I'm not a child...i know, but i do love it!  And it leads on nicely to...

Who can't love this one?  I know I've chatted about it so much, but its great!  Actually, why not include The Chimes?  I love Trotty, but feel so so sad for him too.  Ive never read the rest of The Christmas Books, but i keep meaning to, one day i may even get round to the others, but for now I'm happy with those two Dickens books for Christmas! 

I simply CAN....NOT......WAIT to read this to the children at the library on Christmas Eve, much too exciting, i cant wait to share it with them, they will be so high and bouncing off the walls they probably wont listen, but still...i can dream of reading to my own children one day!! When i have some that is!!

Another lovely lovely book.

Perfect heavenly wonderful book, i remember i first read this in primary 7.  i picked it out on a library trip and loved it then...LOVED IT, I've re-read it loads since then and i think its a bit like all great books-you get something new out of it each time.

Bless, another one for little ones, but i also love to display books...remember this post here?  So i don't mind having these things about the house.  Also if little visitors pop in i can keep them entertained!

Poor little Moley, i get so sad reading about his longing to go home after the visit to grumpy old Badger.  Then the carol singers come along and he feels so sad about his little pantry!!  It is a lovely story.

How could i do this without Narnian Magic?  I love all of the books although i do have to say that The Horse and His Boy is the one i could do without, these books make me laugh and cry in equal measure, they make me see all the joy in the world, but also i still dispair in the very last book for the ones that cant meet Aslans eyes...i love these books, always have and always will.

Lastly i always read The Gospel of Luke, last thing on Christmas Eve.  I know i still have lots of questions, but i believe i will get there. 

Just look at this?!!! Aren't they practically all little ones books?  They are still great and very, very special, definatly nostalgic and very quick and easy to read!...which is always great when you have loads to do.

x

Do you see what i see?

I've been so absent...minded, but absent from blogging too for a teeny wee while but i want to show off some of our decorations.  This is the decoration i made and started to show off here.  I love it up above my first fireplace!! We had a window over our last one!!

Some twinkly twinkles!! Its much too fuzzy to see properly but quite frankly i dropped the camera and its been saved on the same setting for a while now! 

My gingery bread men!! Kept close together with a scrap of ribbon!  I love these little men!

Ahhh there you are. a stocking for The Husband, a stocking for me, some gingery bread men, candles and a garland!  Heaven! 

I do love Yankee candles and all of their lovely scents, a beautiful little tart burner taking pride of place...especially brought out for Christmas. 

And a little Bertie Rouge...for good measure!

Little Reminder for the 12th of December

Roll up, roll up for yet another Little Reminder...don't I sound organised?  And yet....!!!  Festive, yes!  Excited, yes! But not too organised myself!
Today's reminder is about airmail..the last one about airmail in fact.  Tomorrow is the last day to post airmail to Western Europe.  So get rushed down that garden path, hop over the gate, skip down to the village center and get bashing on that post office door so you can be the first in the line to get those letters posted!!
x

Little Reminder for Thursday 9th December

Toady's little reminder is about airmail!!

Tomorrow is the last day to post to the U.S., Canada and Eastern Europe for Christmas, so don't forget to post that mail!!

Another FAB Christmas book!

Who doesn't love Christmas???  Well, OK, this guy for one!!

Although he didn't like it to begin with he sure did change his tune!!

It was really exciting to hear (read) about everyones Christmas books, and what they loved reading or still read because its the most magical time of the year!!  I think (even though its for much younger readers) that i will read this again, while waiting for Little Women being delivered to my local library so i can read that before Christmas too!!  I think i may just go snooping to see if i can find if anyone else in the lovely snow capped blogland is reading!

A Pause in Advent, Peace

Last week for the first Pause in Advent I wrote about Hope. That post was a very backward looking post. I was thinking a lot about what had been in the past year. The transition from November to December didn’t really make a difference in our home. I think that’s why I was very reflective!

The decorations went up on the first of December, really because I couldn’t contain the itch for tinsel and baubles anymore. The explosion manifested itself in a whole manner of handmade things, ribbons, the big tree going up and four wreaths! It put me and The Husband in a completely different mood!

The second candle of advent is Peace. I know that it means a whole great deal in Church and in the wider world, but to me, this week has been about finding peace with what has been. Its also made the think a great deal about last week, and the hope that this coming year brings a great deal of peace in myself so that I can bring it into my home.

I want next year to be bursting with peace; I want to ooze peace and be positive, I want to actually have a go at life instead of waiting for something to happen.

This week I’ve been stringing up some handmade decorations, I am immensely proud of these despite being very aware of what they look like. They are my first makes, and although I don’t want to show them off properly here, I do want to share the satisfaction (and peace) I found in making these.

Peace can come from a whole host of areas; many things can give us peace. I hope that in the coming weeks I find peace where I can and in general try not to stress myself out! (Which is incredibly easy to do at this time of year)  I hope you are all enjoying the season, forgetting the things and people that hurt us, and finding peace in what makes you happy.
x

Little Reminder for the 5th of December

Little Reminder for Sunday the 5th of December!

Remember to get your airmail to South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, Asia, New Zealand and Australia posted away tomorrow. 
Its your last chance....so get on the ball and have it posted!!

Some more little makes!

Another little make!  Some gingerbread men, stockings and a tree or two and a little candy cane!

A smidgen of blanket stitch and some felt!  Voila..Christmas decorations.

Just need to grab some ribbon and we're off!

Believe

Oooh a little make!

Ive seen bucket loads of decorations that say Believe, and decided to make one up myself.  I'm really new to sewing, and this is honestly one of the first things I've done.  Ive been meaning to show off some little decorations I've made for a while now, and they're the first things I've ever made!

All i need to do is string them up with some wool!

My Christmas Crafting Reading

Check out this fab book!  Its packed full of the most amazing projects and ideas for Christmas.  Although it proclaims to be green, and it really is, I wanted it because it seems positively thrifty.  My little sewn decorations that I've been trying to get made up for ages came out of it, although they look really quite different, but it has baking ideas, home made present ideas, suggestions for decorations and a whole host of other things.   I only found this one as its a bit damaged and i bought it at the library sale, 50p for hardbacks!!  You really cant complain about pricing like that!

Christmas Extravaganza Weekend

In the deepest darkest hours of Friday morning we set off for Glasgow with the Mother in Law for the Country Living Christmas Fair. As always we stopped off for bacon butties at The Horn between Dundee and Perth-it is a total institution and no trip South could be complete without it!

When we arrived at the Fair we had a teeny look around and then sat in on the first workshop which was all about gift wrapping. The Mother in Law and I made two ribbons, although I'm probably going to have to take them apart and start again as they were really quite awful…I'm going to claim it was because I was too busy looking at everything.  Jane Means who runs that particular workshop charges over £100 for gift wrap classes!! Can you imagine?  I'd expect the presents to be included!!    

Picture taken from Appleby Bakery

After spending too much money and time we checked in at The Malmaison, had a quick lie down and bath then set off into Glasgow to go to Jamie Oliver’s restaurant. It doesn’t take reservations so we had a tiny bit of a wait outside, but quickly got in and was sent down stairs where we managed to get a lovely little booth. We were lucky as the booths are difficult to get, they are hidden away behind the pillars of the basement, but are glass above, so we saw lots of twinkling lights from our dark hidey hole! Unfortunately I left my cousins Birthday present at the desk where part of it got smashed. As it was all gift wrapped we didn’t see that this had happened until it was unwrapped so I felt so bad and really quite cross that I had been so silly as to let it out of my sight. Accidents happen!

On Saturday we checked out and drove into town and parked up so we could walk about Glasgow. My uncle and I nearly went to look at an art gallery, but I decided that there were too many beautiful things in shop windows at Christmas time to miss. We got a Starbucks first to keep us going-The Red Cups!! What more do I need to say?!! We then walked down the street stopping off at Whittard’s, Fraser’s, The White Company and Crabtree and Evelyn. The Husband was very ‘kind’ and kept taking the bags back to the car. ‘Unfortunately’ he kept taking longer and longer to come back, until at last I found him listening to a talking book in the car…yes, that’s right! He gave up and just stayed there.

It wasn’t the money that was spent…as always more than was meant, but the time The Husband and I got to be together. It was a really special weekend, I loved it, I loved it because it was Christmassy, because there were loads of pretty things, but also because we got to wonder around and share so many things. I love weekends away because more often than not you save and save for them, so that when it comes you can just think of doing all the things that are lovely and can help a relationship to build wonderful memories. That’s all anything really is, just building memories, working so you have time at the weekend to build memories, saving so that when you’re off you can build memories….all I want to do is build the best foundation for us, and one day a family. Until then I am quite content to share these things with my husband, and our extended families.

I hope you are getting through the week without the bug that’s floating around.
Sheila
x

Fill the house with festive scents!

While in Glasgow we got to visit one of my favourite shops, Whittards.  We used to have one in Aberdeen but it became a victim of the credit crunch and closed up shop.  It was wonderfully festive to trot inside the festively decorated shop and taste the delicious delicacies in the forms of tea, hot chocolates, coffees and chocolates...they truly are yummy!
So for now i will be drinking up the copious amounts of mulled wine tea we bought up (among other things) as not only is it heavenly, but its aroma permeates the whole house and leaves us all feeling all the more festive for it as well!
x

My favourite Chrismas films

There are a great many things that happen in the run up to Christmas which each family claims is a tradition and makes them know that Christmas is coming.  Mine is that I need to look out certain Christmas films and start watching them way...way ahead of time.  These are probably only a small selection of films which I 'approve' of during the festive season...as quite frankly there are a whole host of others including Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang and Narnian classics.

These are in no particular order and just added to this list as I saw fit, however you have to agree, if there were a proper list this would have to be at the top!  Everyone knows and most likely loves this film.

 

I adore this film, over the top and just the way I like it at Christmas.

The Polar Express is great, I even bought some little bells from the Haddo Christmas Fair last weekend and claimed I could hear the ringing as it was Christmassy!  The Husband didn't know what the heck I was going on about!

Perfect, perfect, wonderful Christmas film.  Truly a snoozey Sunday in December film.

Tim Allen, what are you doing in this list again?  Oh yes, I remember!  This film made Christmas when I was growing up.  Its one of the first Christmassy films I remember watching after my own parents divorced and I remember quite liking that you got a wonderful film where a Mummy and Daddy didn't live together in it!  I do love all of the films where things are picture perfect, but you have to admit that would be an unattainable goal for little souls to get their heads around...I much prefer films where things go a little wrong and people learn to love their lot.

As everyone who knows me will be aware I adore A Christmas Carol in all its guises, but I couldn't possibly list all of the 'nod to Dickens' films there are.  So the one that I just have to watch is this.  Sheer childish indulgence!   

How do I love thee?  I saw this three, count it three times in the cinema when this came out.  I cried non stop the first time with one of my college friends.  In happiness and sadness.  The second time with my boyfriend of the time....Yuk-he didn't get it and no wonder I use the past tense, and the third time with my brother.  Poor Big Brother, dragged along because his little sister wanted to go!  An amazing film, with an amazing cast, I can not picture Christmas without it.

Elf....need I say more?

One from when I was little, still giggle at the thought of a department called Patch instead of dispatch!

Ahhh, heaven!  The first time I saw this it was the newer version.  It was Christmas Eves Eve and I was glittering up pine cones in front of the fire on the big fluffy rug...eeeek, must have been the time of the year which meant I didnt get told to do that in the kitchen!  It is a great film and one to be watched because of the cast alone....trust me.

Ive never seen the original and so I can only say that I love this one, the little girl is so adorable and I love the thought of being able to ask Santa for a baby!

Great film just to see the beautiful locations, and the little tent in the little girls room.

Heaven in a box set if at all possible!  There you have it, I like it over the top, sugar plum sweet romantic.



Country Living Christmas Fair 2010

Aren't I a lucky chick?  The lovely people over at Wilderness Cottages were giving away tickets to the Country Living Christmas Fair in Glasgow and I phoned up and got two sent to me!! Quick and easy as that!  The tickets are reasonably priced anyway, and I get a discount for being a subscriber to Country Living magazine too, but as the big blue shop says 'every little helps'!

I am beyond excited to be visiting there the weekend after next and have turned truly evangelical about the cause meaning that I have got my Mother in Law as well as my Aunt and Uncle coming along too! 

Last year The Husband and I went for the first time and traveled to Glasgow and back in a day.  We had to go down on the Sunday as I had booked tickets for a wonderful performance at the Music Hall in Aberdeen called Carols by Candle Light.  It is such a lovely show, but this year I don't think it's running.  Luckily I've got some tickets to see Scrooge which I am over the moon about.  I always read A Christmas Carol every December, so to see a great production fills me with glee!  So with Scrooge being on the Saturday and The Husband exhausted at the thought of the drive to Glasgow we've decided to go to the fair on Friday and have a short shopping spree around the town before driving back home.  

I am so super excited and you know what?...... We've now got a teeny bit more money left for the fair because of those free tickets!! Yes, just enough for a coffee and a small cookie I hope!!  Roll on Friday the 19th!!

Secret Spaces

The Christmas drawer…

A secret spot for hidden goodies.

It brings calm knowing I have already bought some things for Christmas.

No matter how small, they are hidden away.

Waiting to be brought out and wrapped up tightly in tissue paper, wrapping paper, ribbons and bows.

Only to be seen again on Christmas morning.

 

Brought out and read until Hogmany.

Then put on the shelf.

Security in a box!