Christmas is coming......

I've been a little preoccupied of late.....planning and organising for our super duper, fabulicious news which I received back here.......the most wonderful of wonderfullest Christmas surprises for my Angels....so I haven't really had the time to pop into my blog and record the things that are making me happy just now.....although, as its a s u r p r i s e I can't really put anything about what I've been up to on my blog anyway.....just in case one of my delightful Angels just happened to check up on my blog and all was exposed just a little too early.....but it is good.....it is worth the wait....all will be revealed s o o n....I promise.

But now it's December, the magical big C.....Christmas can full-heartedly be talked about. Every year for the last 12 years (bar one) I've made advent calendars for my four Angels....I prefer handmade and customised calendars to the commercialised shop-bought a-choc-a-day type of calendar.....I include little pressies, sweeties, and a chocolate coin or two, but also items to evoke the Christmas atmosphere......little bundles of cinnamon sticks, tiny parcels of cloves, small sprigs of christmas tree, holly and ivy, a decoration, maybe a christmas poem I've penned....you get the picture.......

Big Lad's Advent Calendar 2010

What started out as a special little treat for two Angels, has now turned into quite a major undertaking, not to mention quite costly......it requires quite a lot of planning in plenty of time for the 1st of December, and even though I try to make at least half of the items, that still leaves half to buy.....and since I have four Angels it all adds up quickly......and we haven't even got to Christmas proper!

And so it is for two reasons this year......all the planning and organising for our Christmas surprise, and the cost.......that I sadly decided to forgo my handmade calendars and give my Angels a much cheaper and quicker alternative......a-choc-a-day advent.....Sorry Angels......but I promise it WILL all be worth it!!!

I actually thought the Angels would quite like the change of calendars this year......a chocolate every day for 24 days......but although they were obviously happy they had advent calendars, it was Little Lad who voiced his (and I suspect everyone's) disappointment at not having one of Mummy's special calendars.....it really tugged at my heartstrings......initially, because I hadn't stretched myself just that little bit more to find the time and the money......secondly, because it made my heart sing that they did actually prefer mine.....and lastly, because in just a few days I can at last reveal why our Christmas is going to be so special this year.....yay!

But while I haven't been thinking about and planning and organising advent calendars this year, I have been  thinking about.....and making.......lots of teeny tiny hearts......

Now I've not yet crocheted a blanket....it's on my wish list of things to do.....I will get there eventually......so I can only imagine what it must be like to sew all those straggly little ends in.....just the thought of all those little tails on my hearts filled me with dread.....

But needs must and all, so I set to and threaded, weaved, and snipped till all the teeny tiny hearts were tail free.....

Such a colourful little pile of strands.....not to be wasted mind.....I'm saving them till the spring, then I'll pop them outside on a warm, calm day for the birds to help themselves.....a little helping hand with their nest building.....

So now tail-free, they need to be made into something pretty.....

Ooooohhh, I know......lots of little strings of bunting.....

....just perfect for Christmas decorations and presents.....

Happy Advent!

-xx-

Roses......

in November......how can that be? But it is......the last day of November and I have two roses in my garden at present.....this unbelievably mild November weather, and the plants just can't decide if it's autumn or spring.


This yellow rose is usually a one-hit-wonder.....it blooms just once in spring, and then it's done it's dash for the year.....but here it is, firmly making a stance and putting out a second flush.....all of a single bloom......

or does it think it's spring already.....and this one single bloom is the best effort it can muster?


And this tiny little red bud is on a tiny little plant that always seems to have black spot......but it nevertheless always produces two or three of the most exquisite blooms of deep red, it's petals as deep and lustrous as  velvet....now it barely has a leaf on the plant, but here it is bravely offering up a tiny red bud.....

To be honest, I'm quite liking this mild weather too.....the heating doesn't have to be on full blast just to stay warm, so saving money (always a good thing)......the school runs are bearable without the freezing cold, snow, lashing rain, blustery gales....and it's only 22 days until the shortest day.....yes quite likeable indeed!

-xx-

Home Sweet Home.......

I'm absolutely loving our new front door mat......

It makes my heart sing when I arrive home and see this delightfully pretty sight.

I have quite a "love/hate" relationship with our home.....I absolutely L O V E how our home WILL be.....onnnne day.....but I HATE that we have lived here for almost 10 years now, and still nothing is finished, and still most of the rooms are in a very sorry state.

But last weekend I purchased this most homely of homely door mats......and I totally rejigged the layout of our lounge (and tidied as I went) .....and what a success it was.....we all LOVE it, and it feels so much more cosier for the winter months......most definitely not a layout for summer!

I also totally cleared the whole length of our kitchen worktop and tidied the windowsill .....what a difference......hope it can stay that way....ha ha......just got the big central island to tackle now in the kitchen.

Just these few little things done, and I'm falling in LOVE with our home again......a little bit of Home Loving, so I can Love My Home....it really has made the world of difference to how I feel......I wasn't wanting to be in the lounge at all, and now here I am, in the middle of the day cosied up with the fire on (not that I like this old gas fire.....it will be replaced onnne day....but it does give a warming glow) typing my blog......

It's such a dark, blustery day today.....just perfect for cosying up in our new cosy rejigged lounge recording some of my current loves....and.....

Loving My

Home Sweet Home

-xx-

Goodbye October...

After quite possibly the worst October in my life....it really was PANTS......a new month is finally here......Welcome November!


And what a good start so far.....the sun is shining, the autumn leaves are looking glorious...

...and my laptop is up and running again.....for the last two weeks I've had computer problems.....but a trip to the Apple store today (2nd in 4 days....their customer service is excellent though!).....and all problems are resolved and repaired, and my laptop is now running brill again....yay!!!!


But it really is quite shocking how dependent we have become on technology....I felt quite lost without a working computer in the house....I couldn't catch up on my favourite blogs, I couldn't write my own blog, I couldn't search the internet, my Angels couldn't do their homework.....but thankfully, all is restored to order once again.

The holly trees are absolutely loaded with bright, shiny red berries.....

I hope that doesn't mean a hard winter is in store for us again.....if so, it would be the third winter in a row.....think it might be time to think about escaping the winter for somewhere warm and sunny.....in my dreams anyway....he he he.

And even my marguerites are still flowering their sweet little hearts out....

But best of all, the super, duper, fabulicious news I received a few weeks ago is still on-track.....things are being organised, with lots of happy surprises and memories in the making.....I can't wait....but all good things come to those who wait....so I'm trying to be patient......while keeping busy getting things ready.

November IS going to be a good month!!!

-xx-

The Best News......

A few weeks ago I received some super, duper, fabulicious news.....but I also received some potentially terrible news......I was told my Dad thought he had the big C..... cancer......well I have just found out that it was a bit of a storm in a teacup.... thankfully there is NO cancer......and my wonderful Dad will, with the grace of good fortune, be with us for many more years to come......P H E W ! ! !......that's a H U U U U G E relief!

And then we've had good news of my friend M's husband, who has been in hospital for over three weeks...after a battery of tests, it looks like everything is OK......and he is home again.....PHEW!!!....another HUGE relief!!!


Things really are looking up.....life really is good!!!

-xx-

Birthday Bunting & Cute Cosies.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!......It's my very good friend M's birthday today.....but sadly she's not the happiest of people at the mo.......her husband is in hospital and she has worries on her mind.....so any little minute I've not been keeping her company, I've been secretly whipping up these little treats for her new kitchen.......birthday bunting for the pantry....

and cute cosies for her new egg cups......

They're only little things, but I hope they brightened her day a little......and maybe bring her a little joy and a smile when she sees them each day.

I hope with all my heart, M gets some good news from the hospital tonight.....it would be the best birthday present ever for her.

Happy Birthday M!

-xx-

Special Day......

Today is a special day.....I decided I had earned some ♥Treat ME♥ time, and had planned a day of mooching round some pretty little shops, with some serious coffee indulging and relaxing in a nice cafe, thrown in for good measure.....


But things don't often go exactly as planned......the day started off brill, with some super duper, fabulicious news......can't say any more now, but all will be revealed eventually......but then took a sudden turn for the worse, with some potentially terrible news.....but I'm trying not to dwell on that.

As my very good friend M was unexpectedly at home.....due to very unforeseen weekend happenings.....we decided to go out together to keep our minds occupied and away from our troubling situations.....M treated us to a delicious lunch......and I treated myself to this simply gorgeous cup and saucer/plate combo made by Maling, which I found in a charity shop.....perfect for my "time out" cup of tea and cookie or cake......

Then these goodies found their way to me.....

The book looks wonderful, with lots of little projects to make.....I can't wait to try some....usefully divided into seasonal sections.....

And this PINK ♥ bowl is perfect......just what I needed as my largest Nigella Lawson "egg" bowl was accidentally broken recently .......

I also bought some sweet pink flowers for my bedroom....

And to finish off the day, we had some delightfully delicious cupcakes made by Big and Little Misses on Sunday......

It turned out to be quite a PINK day actually.....not at all how I had planned the day.....but still lovely just the same

-xx-