This week welcomed Winter Solstice on the 21st December. It's the shortest day of the year and in days gone by much merry-making took place with a midwinter celebration to welcome the return of spring. Traditionally bonfires were lit to encourage the return of the sun and celebrations took on a Springtime theme. I like this idea. I may even hold my very own merry-making midwinter celebration next year ... I'm all up for a bit of making merry!!
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This week also welcomed my Mums birthday ~ whoop whoop.
I have been lucky enough to buy her a birthday present that she'll be over the moon with, a ring set with three Yellow Ceylon Sapphires and four diamonds ~ a very lucky auction purchase :)
Happy Birthday Mum X
I have been lucky enough to buy her a birthday present that she'll be over the moon with, a ring set with three Yellow Ceylon Sapphires and four diamonds ~ a very lucky auction purchase :)
Happy Birthday Mum X
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I'm keen to find a new crafty way to recycle this years Christmas cards. There's the good 'ol making gift tags/cards or cutting the fronts off to use as scrap/note paper but I was hoping to find a new, fresh idea for this years crop. So far I have come up with stencilling letters on the front, cutting them out and using them as personalised gift tags next year. Tracing around a jam jar lid, cutting out pretty scenes and gluing on to jar lids then filling the jars with sweets, toy soldiers, etc and using these as stocking fillers. That's it, I'm all outta ideas so if any of you clever folks have any please, please share them by commenting below. Thank you x
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It's really starting to feel that Christmas is just around the corner. This week has been time for the Sloes we picked, prepared and been happily fermenting in Gin for months to be decanted into bottles ready to give as Christmas presents.
Just the colour alone, deep deep burgundy, evokes a warming Christmas feel.
It's really starting to feel that Christmas is just around the corner. This week has been time for the Sloes we picked, prepared and been happily fermenting in Gin for months to be decanted into bottles ready to give as Christmas presents.
Just the colour alone, deep deep burgundy, evokes a warming Christmas feel.
Hopefully these will be received with joy and go down a treat.
Cheers!
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A quick crafty tip ...
The above decanter has been tucked away in our cupboard taking up valuable space for a while now, the reason being it isn't air tight. I love it but sadly any liquid we have wanted to keep in here would not benefit from being exposed to air. I've been loathed to take it to our local charity shop in order to make way for something more practical so it has ended up living at the back of our cupboard redundant. I decided the only way to be able to use it was to make it air tight and a cork was the logical solution as the hole is small and not a standard size. Cork is notoriously hard to cut to shape due to flaking and splitting.
By soaking it in hot water for a minimum of ten minutes (or exposing it to steam for the same amount of time) makes it much more pliable and easier to cut to any shape.
For the sake of boiling water and a cork our decanter is now air tight, full of olive oil and is used every day ~ true make do and mend stylie.
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This weeks bargain buy putting a smile on my face is this beautiful cheese knife.
Over the last few months I have been looking out for a nice cheese knife, especially with a view to Christmas coming. We have always used 'any 'ol knife' but I like the idea of being grown up and placing a 'proper' cheese knife on our cheese board. I have looked in our local kitchen shops and have been surprised how much a reasonably good one costs. Anything that's a decent size and stylish costs from £20.00 upwards and anything £15.00 and below tends to be very small and so blunt that cutting through butter would be a challenge let alone cheese.
Once again vintage wins the day and has come up trumps (pharp). Whilst dropping off our latest offering to our local charity shop I spotted this beautiful butter knife in their locked cabinet.
It was tagged up as silver plate with a mother of pearl handle ~ all of this for just £3.50.
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A quick crafty tip ...
The above decanter has been tucked away in our cupboard taking up valuable space for a while now, the reason being it isn't air tight. I love it but sadly any liquid we have wanted to keep in here would not benefit from being exposed to air. I've been loathed to take it to our local charity shop in order to make way for something more practical so it has ended up living at the back of our cupboard redundant. I decided the only way to be able to use it was to make it air tight and a cork was the logical solution as the hole is small and not a standard size. Cork is notoriously hard to cut to shape due to flaking and splitting.
By soaking it in hot water for a minimum of ten minutes (or exposing it to steam for the same amount of time) makes it much more pliable and easier to cut to any shape.
For the sake of boiling water and a cork our decanter is now air tight, full of olive oil and is used every day ~ true make do and mend stylie.
~ ~ ~
This weeks bargain buy putting a smile on my face is this beautiful cheese knife.
Over the last few months I have been looking out for a nice cheese knife, especially with a view to Christmas coming. We have always used 'any 'ol knife' but I like the idea of being grown up and placing a 'proper' cheese knife on our cheese board. I have looked in our local kitchen shops and have been surprised how much a reasonably good one costs. Anything that's a decent size and stylish costs from £20.00 upwards and anything £15.00 and below tends to be very small and so blunt that cutting through butter would be a challenge let alone cheese.
It was tagged up as silver plate with a mother of pearl handle ~ all of this for just £3.50.
I know I keep championing vintage but I'm always amazed at the quality, craftsmanship and style all on offer for a song. Where else could you buy such quality and craftsmanship for less than a fiver? Not only have I found and bought my sought after item but it is prettier than I could have hoped for and my money has gone direct to charity. Happy cheesy days :D
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Each year I take on the mahousive task of making our Christmas cards which usually consist of a favourite wintry photo stuck to a blank card with a few embellishments (a mount, etc).
Previous years cards have included ...
This year is no exception. I feel that, with all that our beloved Bertie boy has been through this year his long beautiful face deserves to adorn our cards.
Here is our family Christmas card this year ...
With the words to follow on the inside ...
Each year approximately 9,000 greyhounds retire from racing so thank goodness for the lovely people at The Retired Greyhound Trust (RGT), a national charity founded in 1976 who are dedicated to finding loving homes for greyhounds when their racing days are over. They work tirelessly to find over 4,000 homes for greyhounds a year and the charity strives for the day when no ex-racing greyhound is without a good home.
Please help them to make a Greyhounds Christmas a merry one by simply paying a minimum one off fee of £2.00 to buy a dog a treat or by offering any type of donation that you can spare at www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk
Please spare a thought for these lovely dogs waiting for their forever home.
Thank you.
I find it funny seeing my boys face on work colleagues desks, my husbands customers mantelpieces and friends and families homes. My one hope was that at least one person would donate £2.00 to give a retired Greyhound treats for a week ~ my wish has come true. Jim in the Isle of Sky, a 9 year old boy who has been on the rehoming list for over a year was the first recipient and I am over the moon to say that several more Greyhounds from all over the UK will have an extra happy Christmas week full of treats which will help them along the way while they wait for their forever home.
Thank you
X
I find it funny seeing my boys face on work colleagues desks, my husbands customers mantelpieces and friends and families homes. My one hope was that at least one person would donate £2.00 to give a retired Greyhound treats for a week ~ my wish has come true. Jim in the Isle of Sky, a 9 year old boy who has been on the rehoming list for over a year was the first recipient and I am over the moon to say that several more Greyhounds from all over the UK will have an extra happy Christmas week full of treats which will help them along the way while they wait for their forever home.
Thank you
X
And on that note I would like to wish you and yours a really extra special Christmas full of fun, happiness, laughter and a glut of food, sweeties and Crimbo booze.
With festive love and until next Sunday, enjoy y'all X
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