Time

Already into February! 

And yet in some respects, I am not too sorry.

Winter certainly does feel like a time,

 to hibernate in the comfort of your home!

It's so good to see the morning & evening light increasing,

 as I dislike going to work in the dark

 & returning in the dark.

A pet hate is also having to de-ice the car early in the morning.

causing the fingers to go numb,

 regardless if you're wearing the thickess of gloves.

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But, dispite these aggravations,

I do believe in the quotation that my daughter has,

 displayed on a wooden plaque.

A Happy Weekend to You All!

After the Thaw

Although the snow tried to linger,

a bit of rain & the snow went as quick as it came. . . .

The trees stand high & tall in total bareness once again. . . .

A Winter's Day

Woke up to Snow. . .

A total disruption to the day. . . .

Not only at my home but all over the country. . . .

The weather created many pretty pictures,

 but the cold was gripping with a very icy chill factor.

Christmas Greetings

Wishing Each & Everyone of You

A Truly

 H A P P Y   C H R I S T M A S

Festive Preparation

All decorations finally in place, my tree this year though is my version of a 'twig tree'.

Normally produce this every year although usually by the dining room table.

The twigs may come from my garden after a massive prunning session,

 or from fallen branches  discovered on a favouite walk.

I then spray them with silver paint & once they are assembled

 in a vase, they are then decorated with white lights & small decorations.

It does look quite effective & the arrangement can be made as big or as small as you like,

which ever suits your needs.

Other items are now in place with further table runners/mats changed for that Christmas theme.

Cards are now arriving which are finally gathered & hung for displaying.

The house is finally starting to resemble some order once again.

after the chaotic mess  from wrapping paper & boxes of cards seemed to dominate many areas. . . .

Most gifts are now wrapped, just one more present to buy. . . .

Nearly there. . . .

Sigh of Relief

Finally, getting organised with Christmas preparations.

 Just enjoyed a lovely week off from work, although it went far too quickly, 

 but time used mainly  to bascially catch up with myself.

The Xmas decorations I displayed, above, are nearly all my own work except for the santa.

I made a table runner using techniques of patchwork & quilting. Then a cross stitch christmas hanging, a few years old now but I was please with the effort I had put into this.

Finally, 'Noel', the centre of a cushion I had made, using cross stitch once again.

The top cushion is one that I kept for myself,

& the bottom cushion I gave to my neighbours,

but knowing how much they enjoy the festivities of Christmas,

especially with their famillies & friends, I knew this was appreciated.

SEASONAL   GREETINGS

The Festive Mood. . . .

Starting to sort out the Christmas decorations.

The first to be found is the cross- stitch creations.

The centre Christmas Tree was a present for myself  from one of my Niece's a few years ago.

The framed stocking was one my daughter made when she was about 10 years old.

They both come out every year.

I taught both my daughter & my niece how to cross stitch,

so both projects have significant meaning.

The other Christmas stockings are projects that I made.

The fully embroidered stocking is specifically for the tree.

It's quite tiny & it was awkward to make.

There is a series to this but never gone back to make the rest yet. . . .

Most projects have to be quick to make these days.

My niece's Christmas Tree featured again.

 The bear has been used many a time for presants. . .

Countdown

The countdown of Christmas has now begun. . . .

Although, this year, I've not even given it alot of thought yet,

 and I am not as organised as I should be.

But, I now have a week off  from work,

so maybe, I'll get myself sorted. . . .

Over the years, I have preferred to make some of the Christmas decorations.

The Advent Calendar above was made when my daughter was 2 years old.

She is now twenty-two.

The tree shape was made from a corduroy fabric, while the pockets were made from Xmas prints.

The numbers, I worked in Cross Stitch, & then handstitched in place.

Each year, I would put a small gift into each pocket, not always chocolate, maybe a hairslide, etc., although, the 24th number always had a small amount of money.

Needless to say, this became a tradition for our Christmas's.

My daughter may be older, but she still expects to see it hanging somewhere within our home, even if the pockets are left empty now. . . .

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S E A S O N A L   G R E E T I N G ' S    

A Resting & Relaxing Weekend

Taking time to rest & relax. . . .

Been a hectic & demanding time. . . .

Definitely in need of this weekend. . . .

Enjoy your weekend. . . .