the week between

So, Christmas is done and dusted for another year. I got tons of fabulous pressies including a watch with changeable straps made from ribbons (a great excuse to buy more ribbons!!), a new camera - totally unexpected - and lots and lots of books of the sewing/cooking/reading persuasion. Lovely stuff! I hope to make good use of all my pressies once life gets back to "normal" - whatever "normal" might be!

I always think of this week as "the week between". It's a week that feels like we're waiting. Waiting to take the tree down - tomorrow. Waiting for the New Year to arrive. Waiting for everyone to go back to work so that the shops aren't so busy and the roads, during the day, are a bit quieter. Waiting to be able to go back to the swimming pool - the awful weather has stopped that so I'm really hoping that when I'm able to get back out, the weather will play fair and let me! Waiting for the next sewing/crochet/cooking/baking project to get started.

I have great plans for next year and am excited to make a start on some of them but, in the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy the wait!

Let me leave you with a photo of Rosie's friend Bruiser. I think we all know exactly how he feels! :oD

tablet, fudge, skirt, Jo & Ro

Strange title maybe, but the photos will explain it so that, hopefully, by the time you get to the end, it will all make perfect sense.

First the tablet and the fudge which I made yesterday. They taste very yummy - and I might need to make some more very soon! Ooops! :oD





Next the skirt that I made to wear on Christmas Day. It fits! I am soooooo pleased about that!



The pattern is one I made years ago - 10 to 15 years ago, to be precise. Well, of course, the pattern as it was cut all those years ago, wouldn't even look at me now. I really wanted to make that pattern but it's no longer made and I am no use at taking a pattern and making it bigger. What to do?

I decided to google the pattern number and see what I could find. I did that and the second site I looked at - Out of the Ashes Collectibles - had the pattern uncut and prepared to post outside the US. I decided to order it and hope for the best.

I ordered it on Saturday (the 4th) and, on the Monday, I got a very nice e-mail from Sheila saying she had sent the pattern and would I let her know when it arrived. Her e-mail convinced me more than anything that I had made a good choice!

The pattern arrived safe and well on the following Wednesday - the 15th. Great service, Sheila. Once the festive season has past, I intend taking a closer look at the other patterns on the site - don't tell Douglas! :oD

Okay, back to the photos. This is Jo as she arrived here yesterday. I just stuck the camera out of the back door and snapped the photo. It's a fab photo of her - no matter what she thinks of it!



And this is Rosie sitting on her favourite chair in the (messy) dining room.She just had a haircut last week which explains why she looks so tiny.



If I don't get back on here tomorrow, have a fabulous Christmas. I hope Santa is good to you! :o)

lunar eclipse on the solstice

We were lucky enough to have clear skies this morning when the lunar eclipse was happening. We watched it until the shadow covered it all but, by the time the shadow started moving off the moon, the moon had gone below the horizon.

Here are just a few photos that Douglas took. This took place from about 7.15am until 8am.



And yay for it being the winter solstice. The days will now get longer and, before we know it, it'll be summer again! :oD

20 Christmas Qs

I found this on someone's blog - I really should have paid attention which blog so I could acknowledge them. Thanks to whoever you are! :o)


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper.

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Artificial. We used to get a real one every year but have had an artificial one for about 3 or 4 years now.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Usually around about the 10th of December.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Some time between Christmas and New Year. I like to start the New Year with a clean slate/living room.

5. Favourite gift received as a child?
The doll's house that my dad made for me. I still have it. :)

6. Hardest person to buy for?
Douglas

7. Easiest person to buy for?
My mum. We make her up a mini hamper each year and she LOVES it.

8. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail.

9. Favourite Christmas Movie?
Miracle on 34th Street - the new version.

10. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
October - November.

11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
I don't think so.

12. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas?
Turkey and all the trimmings - or in our case, chicken and all the trimmings.

13. Lights on the tree (colored or clear)?
Coloured.

14. Favourite Christmas song?
My favourite carol is "Silent Night". My favourite song would be "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow". (Oh the weather outside is frightful, and I am so delightful! LOL)

15. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Stay home

16. Angel, star or ribbon on top of tree?
Angel

17. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning.

18. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
I try to avoid the shops as frustrated shoppers can be really rude and, therefore, annoying.

19. What do you want for Christmas this year?
World peace. Wouldn't that be the best?

20. Traditional colors (red and green) or other colors?
Red and green although we don't do colour themes really.

our tree, 2 dex and some pinnies

I took this photo of our tree on Monday and then forgot to post it!



And, of course, this decoration is front and centre of the tree. Joanna made it in nursery and it comes out every year. It's ugly and falling to bits but, it's front and centre - just where it should be.



And, because you can't show one ugly decoration without the other, here's one that Debbie made at primary school. Again ugly and falling to bits but it's sitting right in front of the telly in the dining room so, again, front and centre!



And now here are some Christmas pinnies (aprons) I've been making. I've had some of this Christmas material for over 20 years - it was flitted to Inverness in 1989 and back here in 2000! - so it's about time it got used!

I made all the pinnies double-sided - makes for thicker pinnies and uses up more fabric from my piles!

Pinny 1, both sides:



Pinny 2, both sides:



Pinny 3, side 1:



Pinny 3, side 2 - same as pinny 2 side 2

Pinny 4, side 1:



Pinny 4, side 2 - same as pinny 2 side 1

That's a lot of material - but there's still plenty more where that came from! :oD

I'm hoping to get some oven gloves made with some of the off-cuts but I might not get them done in time for this year because I also have some dress-making that I want to do. We'll just wait and see how it all works out. :o)

Oh, and another photo! Between putting the pinnies on Diana the dummy, I rested my camera on my cutting out table. I just so happened to look at what it was seeing and thought it made a really cool photo. It's my pincushion! :o)

another finish

This is another Christmas wallhanging which Joanna bought last year. I started it yesterday and finished it today. Go me! :o)



I quilted around the edges, around Santa, the sleigh and its present carriages, the house roof and the door. Santa got a big fancy pompom and, of course, Rudolph got a "very shiny nose". :o)

here's what I've been doing

We've been under a continuing blanket of snow this week - here's a video I took yesterday when it snowed solidly for about 7 hours.



So, what does a person do when it's like that out there? She finds tutorials on the web and makes things!

Here's my version of the I heart Jenny's art 45 minute hat tutorial which I found on the totally tutorials blog.





And a couple of teeny tiny matryoshka dollies I found on the sewtospeak blog.





And then this was a kit I bought in Canada when we visited Debbie back in June.



The original pattern was meant to be a square but I didn't think I had a use for a square so I changed it to a rectangle and made a runner for the sideboard in the dining room.

I'm also in the finishing stretch of a crocheted blankie for Joanna to take to her work - she works for a charity for single parents. I'll show that off when I get it all sewn up.

We're supposed to get a thaw on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I. can. not. wait! Even though I've spent my time productively, I am so sick of snow!

snow - again

This is what the back garden looks like today. Yes, it's sunny but there's no warmth in the sun so it's not going to melt any of that stuff!



I would guess that the snow is anything from 12" - 15" deep in places. Rosie - whose tummy is not 12" to 15" up off the ground - doesn't like it out there. She does go out in it and seems to stay out for longer than necessary to do the needful but she doesn't like it when she comes in and has wee snowballs stuck to her paws, legs and tummy. Poor wee Rosie!

Because the snow has been bad all over, our Singers' Christmas concert, due to be held tomorrow evening has been cancelled. There was no way it would have been safe - or even possible - to get all 22 members of the choir to the church for the rehearsal tonight and the concert tomorrow. And, to be honest, I think, even if we had made it, we wouldn't have had an audience. It's bad enough walking in the snow in the daylight but at night when the temperatures drop even further - madness!

So all that bother I went to to make my bling waistcoat and I don't even get the chance to wear it. Och well, I'll wear it on Christmas Day and be blingier (!) than any of the decorations! LOL

still got snow!

We don't usually hang on to snow as long as this - the salty air from the River Forth usually stops the snow from lying around too long. Not this week.

Here's what our back garden looked like this morning:



And this is the view of the street from the front door.





Tomorrow I have to go to the hairdresser's for a haircut. I'm going to walk because there is no way I'm driving in that muck.

Then, on Thursday, we have the last rehearsal for the Singers concert on Friday. If the snow doesn't go away before then, I wouldn't be in the least surprised if the rehearsal - and the concert - have to be cancelled! Only time will tell.

On a happier note - Happy St. Andrew's Day! I love the Google logo today!

very snowy Sunday

This was the view from the back door earlier today. Aaaaargh!