First week of December ...

December has finally arrived, as the floods subside and the land starts to disperse the torrent of rain that fell cue cold wintry weather. Thick socks have appeared poking out of the top of winter boots and wellies and hats, gloves and scarfs are everywhere you look, including poking out of children's coat pockets and school bags.

We are joining in with the European tradition of celebrating St Nicholas day this festive season. For those who are unfamiliar with this tradition, St Nicholas had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, thus becoming Santa Claus.  His feast day is 6th of December and it is a tradition around Europe to leave your shoes out on the eve of the 5th and feast on any treats that may have been secretly left on the 6th. My husband and I are very keen to participate in this tradition (as it's something we as adults can indulge in too ~ nom nom) so our shoes were left by the fireplace in the hope St Nicholas left a lil feast of tasty treats for us. We must have been a very good family this year as we had a secret visitor and delish chocolaty treats were waiting for us on the morning of the 6th ~ yippee.
Those Europeans are very clever people discovering this lil tradition!!!

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 This weeks craftiness has been 'button' shaped.

 I bought these pretty buttons with a project in mind.

 This jacket has such sweet and pretty lining but (for me) the buttons let it down. When on, the lining can't be seen and green plastic buttons are all that feature against the main fabric. 

Bring on a quick and easy re-vamp ...

Ta dah. I love them. My jacket is pretty both inside and out ~ hoorah!
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This weeks happiness came in the shape of ...
 

A pretty pink cake with glittery bits on during a glum day at work.

Having the choice between a bag of Doritos or freshly wrapped Christmas presents to destroy.

 

Warming up in front of the fire after a brisk walk on a winters evening.

 

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 Winter

A widow bird sate mourning for her love

Upon a wintry bough;

The frozen wind crept on above,

The freezing stream below.

There was no leaf upon the forest bare,

No flower upon the ground,

And little motion in the air

Except the mill wheel`s sound.

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

 

 

Lets all spare a thought for the birds at this time of year.

With the hedgerows bare of leaves and plump berries our poor lil feathered friends are exposed to the harsh winter frost and bitter howling winds with very little to eat.

 

Meet Pudding the Partridge.

 Pudding visits us regularly and pecks on the front door to announce her arrival. As you can see from these photos, she is very tame and even lets us pick her up.

 My son and I love to stoke her gorgeous feathers ~ they are so beautiful. 

Before old fruit, bacon rind, breakfast cereal or anything else that would be a real treat to a lil cold and hungry bird goes into the bin/recycling please consider putting it outside in a sheltered spot. Bird seed can be expensive (I buy ours from the 99p shop or similar) and try hard to be vigilant in making sure it's topped up daily during this time of year. My heart goes out to those lil birdy families huddled in their nests during these dark, cold winter months ~ lets all spread a lil love to our feathered friends X

 

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My fav photo taken this week is ...

  

 

Our Bessy Bear Puppy Dogs fabulous eye lashes.

Way to go Bess!

 

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 Amongst many other, one thing we do effortlessly well here in the Cotswold's is a traditional olde English Christmas.

Bay Trees twinkling with fairy lights against a backdrop of Cotswold Stone cottages.

Christmas Court.

Who could resist a peek inside these

tiny shop windows?

Stuffed Bears are definitely not my thing but

there is no denying this is a very festive window display.

Shining through the dark along a small lane, a cosy glow from a cottage window.

Peeking through a pained glass window into a tea room with a roaring fire and a table laid for two.

A perfect way to spend a cosy winters afternoon,

cream tea for two in front of a roaring log fire ~ heaven.

 

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 Until next Sunday, bye y'all XX