Getting in The Mood

I'm not sure if this really qualifies as an Advent Calendar.  You can already see every date, the pretties are in situ all the time and, worst of all, there's no chocolate involved.   But it comes out every year and holds some precious memories.   My late sister Jacqui gave me the idea and spurred me on by providing the backboard.   Well I say "spurred me on", it was more of an imperious royal command.   The deal was that she would make one too, so I felt compelled not to let the side down.  I fossicked about until I found all the necessary pleasing gewgaws, glued on the red cord, printed off some numbers from a font that looked suitably festive, wheedled out some teeny mother-of-pearl buttons and pearl-headed pins and proudly hung the finished article on a hook in a prominent position.   She would see it as soon as she came in the room.   She kindly cooed and loved it, but added, "Oh I didn't ever get round to doing mine ....".   Sisters, eh?!

Nearly time to bake some big cookies.

Our eyes were a bit bigger than our tummies, when it came to chosing our Christmas tree from the farm by the windmill in the village this year.   Someone else was eyeing it up and I was a bit scared they would buy it before we'd really made our minds up.   But we love the shape and with a little judicious rearrangement of the furniture, and if you breathe in and stand sideways when you go out of the patio door, it's really not at all in the way!

Like the Advent Calendar, lots of our tree decorations have sentimental attachments and will probably be pressed into service year on year until they fall apart.   Our Christmas tree will never be one of those one-colour, minimalist lovelies, with just a few sophisticated silver baubles and crystal drops!

Some of you will know what a misery I was about a recent 'craft fair' experience - well I had my faith restored on Saturday.   I had been asked to take a basket of Christmassy things to display for sale in a lakeside cafe nearby.   I made some fabric decorations, garlands, that kind of thing and put in some felt bangles and those "not cheap" lavender bags.   In between setting out my hamper and eating my yummy rustic sandwich, just about everything had been bought in a mad flurry!   There were lots of lovely compliments, which was both humbling and gratifying.  And truly surprising!

Hope you'll have a great week!