New Years Eve

Not much happening here on New Years Eve.  We managed to catch up on household chores and then took Max for a nice walk.  

I set myself a target at the beginning of 2016 to blog every day of the year and I actually achieved it.  Admittedly on some days there was little to report or show but I proved I could do it.  Next year though I will try and blog regularly but not on a daily basis.  Next year I need to be more proactive on quite a few things, including the usual health and fitness business!

See you in 2017  - have a wonderful evening and wishing you all the best.

Babysitting duty

DH and youngest son went out for their annual games and drinks session with other family members and friends today.  I had the pleasure of looking after Harlee-Jay all day as his mummy was at work from 10 til 7.  We had great fun playing with the toys he'd got for Christmas, an afternoon nap and then more playtime - I'm exhausted!

Cold and frosty

Today was cold and frosty but there was bright sunshine starting to warm up the day when we went out for our morning walk.  Not sure how well I've captured the winter mist along the creek but it was a very pretty sight.

Work today for me but as it is the only day this week I can't complain too much.

At last

The sun was shining brightly today.  My dad stepped outside the boundaries of their house for the first time since Lincoln was born back in March.  My brother and I actually got him to come out for a drive to reminisce about his army days when he was based in Plymouth.  He even went for a little stroll.  We also enjoyed a cup of tea at my favourite cafe which is a short distance from where he had been based.  Wonders will never cease.

Birthday wishes

Today it is our friend Moya's birthday.  Here is the card I have made for her birthday.  I've used some retired SU papers for the mat and layers.  The flowers are from SU Grateful Bunch set and I have stamped them out onto patterned paper and then used the coordinating punch.  I then glued each of the flowers to add to the small flowered patterned paper I had already used to add more interest.  Ribbon from stash and dies from Spellbinders for the sentiment which is another SU set called Sassy Salutations.

Colourful Christmas

I had lots of lovely presents this year, once again I am a very lucky girl.  There were lots of lovely handmade gifts from friends and crafting items for me to make.   My favourite this year though was from DH who bought me a set of 72 Inktense pencils - I am going to have a lot of fun colouring in my stamp images this year.

Today we enjoyed a lovely walk in the sunshine and then late this afternoon we spent time with Harlee-Jay and his mummy and daddy who had kindly invited us to their home for a Boxing Day buffet.  Harlee-Jay looked very smart in his shirt and trousers and kindly allowed us to play with the new toys that Santa had brought him for Christmas. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I hope you have all enjoyed your day as much as we have.  We visited both sets of parents this morning and also saw my brother who is staying with mum and dad.  Then this afternoon we had the pleasure of spending several hours with our daughter and family.  Our son in law cooked us a wonderful Christmas dinner.

It was fun having time to share the enjoyment of their new toys.  Tim's dad had great fun with Logan and his Lego.

While the true meaning of Christmas is often lost in the commercialism it is still a wonderful time to spend with family but especially the children.

Let the festivities begin

We have just got back from an enjoyable afternoon/evening at Vintage Brew.  An amazing Christmas meal, great quiz inbetween courses and plenty of humourous moments.  One of the best Christmas Eve celebrations we have ever enjoyed.

Out for delivery

Last minute gift wrapping and delivering the presents to all the children and grandchildren today.  All done now so time to sit back and enjoy the festivities.

Temptation through the post

As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator you always get the chance to see any new products that are coming out.  At the end of November the Spring/Summer catalogue was available for demonstrators to view online and pre orders could be made at the beginning of December.  I browsed the catalogue on line once when it came out and then ignored it.  I ignored the pre order at the beginning of December.  However, today through the post came a complimentary catalogue for me to peruse.  How much longer I will be able to resist is anyone's guess, but I'm suspecting resistance will be futile. 

The added temptations is that for qualifying orders you can earn 'free' products.

Winter birthday

I was asked to make a clean and simple card for someone who has a birthday two days after  Christmas.  I've used SU's Best Birds stamps set and coordinating dies and coloured it in with their ink pads too.

Ideas for 2017

I did a little bit of blog hopping today.  I came across a blog called Brown Paper Bag and saw an article encouraging a year of stitches.  I'm tempted to join in with this in the New Year and learn some embroidery stitches and make my own unique piece of stitching - surely I can do at least one stitch a day can't I?

This evening I baked a couple of lemon cakes for one of my work colleagues which will be swapped on Thursday for a chocolate coated fruit log.

Last minute gift shopping to be done tomorrow and the final presents to be wrapped.  Just one more day to work this week and then due to how Christmas has fallen this year I will be off work for a week - bliss.

How can it be?

Today Logan turned six, I can remember the day he was born which really doesn't seem so long ago.  I just love this cheeky, smiley boy so much.

This year's puzzle

For the past couple of years I have started a Christmas puzzle on the 1st December,  however I have only just started this year's today.  It's called Me Too Santa and is another one that I have borrowed from mum.  The challenge now is to try and get if finished before Christmas! 

I will hopefully get the outside pieces sorted after I have done a short stint of babysitting this evening.

Nothing

This was pretty much me today.  I enjoyed a long lie in and did very little all day other than wrap up a few more presents and catch up on programmes that have been recorded over the past few weeks.  Some may call it being lazy but it was good for me to take it easy.

Santa's little helpers

According to the above I am Pixie Merry Mess, what's  your name?  I met up with friends in Tavistock today along with Harlee, it was great to catch up with them as its been quite a few months.  I also managed to get mother in laws Christmas present.  After dropping Harlee back home I went looking for another Christmas present but didn't have any success with that one -hopefully I will have better luck tomorrow.  I did pick up some more rustic looking decorations for the tree though.

Talking of Christmas decorations, just love these photos of our eldest sons children.

The new start

Begin at the beginning… and go on till you come to the end: then stop.
— Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll 1832-1898

This is how much of the the new start I got done at our craft get together yesterday.  Not a great deal done, initially I was working with three strands as the pattern suggested but I didn't like that.  I unpicked it and decided to go with just two strands which I like much more. Love the colours of this fabric which will make the design which is worked in just one colour really pop.

It's up

I had a lovely day at Scrapbook Magic wI th my friend Lynne where I naughtily started a new cross stitch design (my defence being I needed something simple to do).  We shared fun, food and exchanged cards and gifts.

This evening we have finally put our new tree up.  The one we have had for the past couple of years has been confined to the loft this year.  I wanted a taller tree to go in our room and yesterday I was able to pick up lots of new decorations which had been reduced and will go better with the colour scheme that our living room will be when finally finished.  Our old tree and decorations will come down next year and be put up in the conservatory.

With light on in living room.

Living room light off.

I bought a couple of beautiful leaded glass angels from the local craft section at Crafty Slice and ScrapbookMagic and in another shop in Mullion village I picked up three delightful owl ornaments to go on our tree.

It finally looks a lot like Christmas in our house.

Just chillin

A busy couple of days at work so this evening I'm just chillin with the latest copy of Cross Stitcher and mentally making plans for next year's projects.  The plans are going to include some finishes and also some new starts so a nice mix for the year.  Of course I'm sure those plans will change as time goes by but half the fun is in the planning!

Just love the look of those cute stockings on the front cover, in fact there are lots of tempting charts just on the cover, now to delve inside.

The making of Milly

At the weekend I  was given a knitting kit by Nathan from Vintage Brew, it was an unwanted gift to his mother and he thought I might like to knit it.  Often when I've gone there for my coffee or lunch I have either read a book or just chatted to Nathan and Mitch, now I will take along Milly to knit so they can see her grow.

None of us really think it looks like a Meerkat but we will see how it looks when finished.  On Sunday when we popped in for lunch and I was able to complete the back of the body.  It won't get worked on again now until this Sunday when we are taking Mother in law there for a birthday lunch - they are going to make her a cake which will be a nice surprise for her.

Winter sunshine

We had the pleasure of Harlee-Jays company for some of today as mummy and daddy both had to work for a while.  We had already planned to take Max for a walk round Stover Country Park.  It was little bit nippy but Harlee had great fun splashing in the puddles, watching the ducks and swans in the lake and the birds and squirrels in the trees.  A wonderful way to pass away a few hours.