Saturday, December 10, 2011

T'is the Season!

I'm a bit late doing my weekly post so it's really lovely to sit down now while the children have gone to the playground with dad. All I can hear is the birds in the garden and it's wonderful! Having two unwell small folk this week has been full on, we're all feeling a bit flat. But the sun has come out today and it's just gorgeous. Amazing how it can lift flagging energy levels!! Still, I did manage to get my hook out for a few little projects I wanted to try. The first was just a little jar decoration because I had this cute silver thread. So out came the hook and I had a little play and this is how it came out. Having looked at the photo now I think I need to put it on a prettier jar!! Then again, recycling of any type is pretty cool and my littlies think it's just lovely!

It's a good use of all the jam jars I've got stashed in the back of my cupboard! Will definitely make a few more and line them up along our fireplace.

Now that we are coming to the end of the year and it's time to think about little gifts for friends, teachers and neighbours - I couldn't wait to whip up my first batch of this delicious Christmas Rocky Road. I made it last year for the first time and it was dangerously good.Best of all it's easy peasy. Melt white chocolate, then to the bowl add chopped pistachios, dried cranberries, white marshmallows and coconut. Mix it all up, pop it onto a lined tray and press down slightly and then it's into the fridge to set. Once it's cut up and put into a pretty wee box it makes for a lovely homemade pressie. I'd certainly be pleased to receive it!!!

Although I have to say it's a very bad time of the year to be nibbling at this when you live at my end of the world. It's Summer which means shorts, sun tops and swimming togs - eeeeek. I had two Christmases on the other side of the world and I loved being able to disguise any Christmas weight gain under layers of lovely Winter clothes!I almost forgot, I also made some of these cute little bauble covers that I spied in the latest AWW magazine. It's a cute pattern by Pip Lincolne and they look really sweet - well Santa here looks happy to be on a neighbouring branch anyway!It was so nice to get these wee cuties out of the attic last week. I posted about these last year when I'd only just started doing my blog and at the time, I didn't want to take them down after Christmas! Tiny wee stockings - what's not to like? And while I'm in the festive spirit - it seemed only right to get myself an early pressie. This arrived yesterday in the post - a new cover for my phone and I absolutely adore it. How utterly girly. I couldn't decide which one I loved most so I got a blue one too!! Naughty! I'm loving this warmer weather, the garden is bursting with new veges and berries appearing every day and you have to be very quick to nab a raspberry before Miss 4 spots them. These pretty roses are neglected every year but constantly reward us with a huge amount of buds. I'd like to think that there is something in that - but I'm guessing it's a fluke and it won't get me out of neglecting the rest of the garden! Darn it. We also got our very first strawberry this week! Small but delicious. I adore strawberry season soooooo much. It's one of my fave foods ever. So it was a total shock to the system during the week to have some wild Wintery weather hit us that meant we needed to dust off our gumboots to do the school run. Miss 4 and I looked perfectly ready to deal with the puddles on the way to collect Mr 7! We even needed to have the fire on which is crazy considering today we can't cool down enough and have every window and door open. That cold snap meant it was perfect to work on my blanket. Bella had the same idea and quickly made herself at home amongst it.

Now as I keep this blog as a kind of diary for myself, I needed to write this as it has been such an emotional week. Amongst all the Christmas preparations there has been a lot of sadness. Yesterday I attended a funeral for a wonderful man I used to work with. He died in a tragic diving accident last weekend and it has absolutely shocked everyone who knew him. Eric, you were a gentle man and a true gentleman and I'm so glad I had the chance to meet you - you will be missed so very much. xx

Have a lovely week all. See you again soon.
Leah
xxxx




12 comments:

  1. Dearest Leah
    Your house is looking a lot like Christmas...I need to get my skates on and do some decorating! Alice is very keen on decorating and so she has her own little pink(!)tree in her room.We are just so so busy at the moment I feel like a crazy woman not knowing whether to turn left or right ... it's all good though :0)

    Loving seeing roses from your garden and Bella is too adorable. Happy festivities for you in the southern sunshine xox

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  2. Leah, I'm so sorry to hear about your dear friend--very rough any time, but particularly so at holiday time. Love to you, and to his family.

    More happily, I adore all your sweet christmas goodies, and I will be making your marshmallow treats right away! They sound just perfect.

    :)

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  3. Leah hola que pena pasar por momentos tan tristes lo siento espero que pronto te recuperes de este momento todo mi cariƱo y que puedas pronto seguir creando un beso Sandra.

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  4. So so much to love- those stockings are adorably cute- love the Cath K phone cover- going to have to investigate those, and now I want some Rocky Road!!
    I am sorry for your loss as well

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  5. Great Christmas post, looks like you are full of the holiday spirit! Lucky you getting those phone covers... I have had my eye on the pink one. Sorry about your friend, how sad. Take care this week, and have fun decorating!

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  6. Leah, so sorry for your loss. A life that is cut off early is so tragic. Hope your little ones are feeling better, it makes for a long day when your kids are under the weather. Hugs to you,
    Meredith

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  7. Well you seem to be a lot more organised than me at the moment, as you know all i have is some paper chains to show for Christmas, i just seem to be lacking in time, all i have is three free days before christmas to get everything done, so panic is starting to set in, but your lovely crocheted baubles are so inspiring and pretty , as are your wellies....just love em. must get me a pair of those..;)
    Take care flower
    Pixie x

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  8. I'm sorry to hear about your firend my deepest sympathies. On your other little adventures we too here in aus are having topsy turvy weather and at one stage had the cooler on and than the heater on it's quiet annoying I really wish summer would come and stay. Your little jar decorations looks delightful and must look so nice at night time I can imagine a row would just be to adorable. I had a little chuckle to myself about your Cath Kidston phone cover as just this pass weekend I spotted some Cath kidsTon merchandise in our local target and a lot of oohhing and ahhhing commenced while Mr C stood there looking oh so confused by my oohhing and aahhhing over cutely packaged soaps. lol Merry Christmas xx

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  9. Ohmegosh! It's so mad reading your posts!!!!
    I am wrapping up in warm layers and battening down the hatches against the weather, and here you are unwrapping in the heat!!
    Love everything, as always- particularly your jar decoration- so sweet!
    And may I say, I have exactly the same CK phone case!!

    Lovely to catch up again, hon.
    Why is December disappearing so quickly??!!
    Xx

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  10. Hello Leah! I´m so sorry to hear from your loss! It is so hard to loose a good friend especially in this time of the year!
    Please visit my blog, I have passed an award on to you! If you don´t collect awards see it as a big compliment to you!
    All the best for you! Barbina

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  11. Hey Leah great post, everything is so festive, but i have to say that rocky road caught my eye big time, oh my does it look scrummy, have a nigella recipe for it , must give it a go :D...then eat the lot my self!!!!!
    Have a sweet Christmas my friend
    Karen x

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  12. Love, love, love the stocking bunting! And your wellies. I need to invest in a good pair soon.

    Also, wanted to let you know that I recently received the Liebster Blog Award and wanted to pass it along to you. I understand that some bloggers prefer not to do awards, so if you don't want to pop over my way and claim it, no worries ;-) Happy day to you!

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