Merry Festivemas

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are having a wonderful yule time and that you are surrounded by family and friends and cake and love.

5 must watch films at Christmas

I love me a good film at Christmas. Wrapped in a blanket, with a cup of tea and some lebkuchen, I cannot think of a better evening in. When the weather is truly dragging you down…..you go to work in the dark, come home in the dark and you feel like you are constantly cold and wet… you need a pick me up in a DVD case.

Already watched Home Alone a billion times? Tired of watching Miracle on 34th Street every Christmas? Does The Snowman leave you feeling rubbish about the sleet outside?

Here are my top 5, and the reasons I must watch them each and every year in the holiday season to inject some cheer.

5: The Muppets Christmas Carol

I can remember as a child watching The Muppet Show with my dad, my love of Beaker and the Swedish Chef, and his love of the drummer, Animal. The Muppets have always got a place in my heart, and I’m sorry, catchy songs and Dickens with a Muppet twist? A MUST.

4: The Wizard of Oz

A firm favourite that just screams Christmas to me. I think it used to be on the telly every year, and I can remember sneaking off to watch it in my mother’s bedroom to get an hour or so peace away from my brother. The songs, Judy Garland, the Technicolor and the message that you have exactly what you need inside yourself…you just have to discover it…..perfection.

3: The Santa Clause

Honestly one of my favourite Christmassy films ever. I went on about this film in my latest vlog. Come on… Tim Allen in a fat suit? You will never be able to see ANYONE else play Santa in a film again…

I also love the sequels….they kept all the same actors…a VERY good move for this franchise.

2: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Dick Van Dyke, a woman called Scrumptious and a flying car. Surely that is all you need to know? I love Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It is a feast of fun for children who will marvel at the workshop, Chitty himself, toot sweets and adults pretending to be life-size toys. I cannot wait to share this film with my own children when the time comes because the magic of it has not been matched since.

1: Meet Me In St Louis

I watch this every year without fail…..Come hell or high water, Judy will sing my grandmother’s favourite christmas tune. This for me is normally a solo pleasure.  P isn’t a fan of musicals and so this is something I watch purely for me. I love  sharing my love of musicals with my wonderful grandmother, and this for me is a way of keeping us close together, despite the fact we live so far apart and my time with her is often shorter than I would like.

I love the charm and tradition in this film and the true feel of family and togetherness that it promotes. If you haven’t seen it, it is at least worth a watch once in your life.

Nothing new…nothing post 2000 actually…but all worth a watch as these dark nights rob us of any time in the outside world!

What is your favourite film at Christmas?

Deck the Halls

Finally! We have had our decorations up for weeks…but now I can finally show them to you without feeling completely crazy.

We had to buy a big tree, as our little 4fter looked a little lost in our big house living room.

I was also very excited about having a mantel to dress!

I used baubles, broken down faux foliage candle surrounds from a musty box at Mama Pigeons, bits of old gift bags, real fir cones found in the countryside, heaps of beads and some reindeer (flat and glittery!).

To celebrate the new tree and the new house, we decided to buy some special baubles as well as some more regular ones. I love having ‘special’ baubles and bits for the tree….you get to relive the memories every year when you dress the tree. Some of our bits are my parents tree decs that I can remember loving as a child. I adore the mix of old and new, bought and handmade.

What is the favourite thing on your tree? Do you top with an angel or a star?

We are star people….

Last Shop Orders!

Today is the day folks!

My order book is seriously full…so I am doing a final call for christmas orders so I can ensure I can get the goodies out to you before the last post.

If you want to order anything…and I mean ANYTHING from the shop…to ensure I have time to create it and send it to you before Christmas…. LAST ORDERS MUST BE WITH ME BY 6PM TOMORROW.

18:00 on 4th of December

Click image to buy!

I know this seems crazily early, but I do make most things to order and I need the time to actually make stuff before I send it!

To push you in the right direction… here is a discount code!

HOLIDAYSARECOMING will get the first 5 people who order over £15, 15% off their order.

Click image to buy – Chicks £2, Robins £4

Remember, spend £8 for free postage in the UK, and £10 if you are outside the UK!

The Pigeon’s Nest

As all of you regular readers know, I began running my own little business earlier this year in April.

I was really unsure if it would take off, but at the beginning of September I was breaking even, something I hadn’t seen happening until I had been running for at least 12 months.

I would like to say a very big thank you to all of you who have been supporting me and giving me the confidence to keep making.

So, what have I learnt is the most important thing about being a small business? Promotion of course! So here are a few of my favourite things…

Crochet Baubles – £4 each, or a set of 3 for £10

Crochet Robin Red Breast – £4 each

Tabitha: A Microwavable Monster – £8.00

A range of Hair Grips – £2.oo each

Englebert & The Colonel: Microwavable Handwarmers – £6.00 a pair

And for you my lovely readers, the first 20 people to enter the code ILOVETHEBLOG at the checkout will get 10% their order, plus free shipping if they spend over £10!

Pop over to the shop now or visit my facebook shop!

This code is also international so my lovely out-of-UK readers can use it too! HOORAY!

A Kitchen-Table Christmas

Yeah, yeah, throw bricks at me…I’m talking about Christmas in September. I don’t even fricking care anymore. I start planning Christmas in March…it is not a dirty word in our house.

Before you trudge down to your local high street to battle other world-weary buyers on a dismal Saturday afternoon on the run up to christmas, buying yet another box of smellies from Boots… I would like to divert your attention to the plethora of wonderful and talented folks who create beautiful thingummies for all types of people.

If you didn’t know, there is a world of small businesses out there, swashbuckling with Royal Mail and the Tax Man, trying hard to reach you, yes you, with the gorgeous things they make and sell from their kitchen tables/2nd bedrooms/sofas.

You can find them on Facebook, you can find them via Twittter, you could hotfoot it to a craft fair or two before Christmas, but for your convienence, here are a few folks and their wares that I adore!

Mozzypop

Dayner runs Mozzypop, and it is her dream to run her little business full time. She creates and sources gorgeous items and sells them for really good prices. Find a perfect gift for your daughter/sister/friend (and yourself!). I have personally bought things for myself from Dayner, and I wear them all the time. She pops them in the post quickly and never fails to impress.

A set of 3 Pink toned Dahlia Earrings – £4.00Curly Mustache Ring – £2.50

Teal Faux Leather Satchel – £28.00

Lovers Orchard

Carolyn and Karen set up Lovers Orchard with the idea to offer shoppers a place to find quirky, clever or beautiful gift for someone special – without breaking the bank. Carolyn, who is an artist herself, wanted somewhere where aritsts and talented craftspeople could feel supported within the creative community. It does just that.

Ceramic glazed lip dishes by Claire Watson – £3.00

Biscuit Pots – £6.00

Train in a Tin – £9.99

Twinkleballs

Jennifer is the mother of two small boys, and she runs Twinkleballs, a bespoke cake topper business. I love her creations that you can pop into a clear bauble and hang on your tree! What a perfect gift!

Pop over and visit her website to see her full range of christmassy critters!

Mrs Mcindoe

Naomi is lovely. FACT. I speak to her via Twitter and through our blogs, and she is proper nice. Not only does she have manners and grace, she also creates the most gorgeous pieces of art that I have ever seen, by paper cutting. I have got my eye on a few of her rabbit greeting cards that I want to frame in my new home…..P loves bunnies…How about framing one of them for a christmas pressie?

Yellow Rabbits Greetings Card – £2.75

Linked Rabbits Greeting Card – £2.75

Rabbit Moon (My fave!) Greeting Card – £2.75

The Pink Strawberry

The Pink Strawberry is a little Facebook business that has been running for over a year. Facebook is truly a great way to fond Kitchen Table sellers and I love the things that this little shop posts into my shop feed! She has a sale on these at the moment… £4 each with P&P! What a great deal for a stocking filler! To buy leave a comment on the item you would like to purchase.

Pop over to her Facebook shop for more lovely bits!

Mothers & Daughters

I have personally bought from Cristine and I love her products. She makes them all herself and each batch is made with so much love and care. I especially love her travel sized cocoa butter bars that are £1 each! Such a bargain and some lovely scents. Also her postage is £4…however much you buy… so load up!Cocoa Butter Bar – £1 (I love the coconut one!)Dry face scrubs (just add water/milk/juice) – £3.50Bath Delight Gift Box – £7.00

Please support small businesses this Christmas. Buy something unique for those you love and get great service from people who care about their customers in the meantime.

What I’ve Been Making (August 2012)

I’m home!
And here you go you gorgeous lot… all the lovely things I have been working on before and during my holiday!

Lasting Till Payday #3: Buying Gifts in Advance

Ever feel like your bank balance has been totally rinsed due to a month of heavy birthday action?

Dreading November Pay Day because Christmas is going to kick your butt AGAIN this year?

Welcome to what used to be my life.

I took matters into my own hands a few years ago and now I have a running ‘Goodie bag’, where all the presents that I spot through out the year live until the birthdays and christmasses that they were bought for.

Christmas 2011 – There were literally too many things for under the tree…

Let me give you a lovely example shall I?

I logged on to E.L.F the other day to buy myself a few pretty things….and then I spotted a few other pretty things that others may like for Christmas….YES…I know it is only May…. but they will now sit there in the Goodie bag, waiting, using money from April’s payday…until they are ready to be given…meaning that November’s pay day rests a little easier.

I also keep my peepers peeled for sales. I hit up the January sales every year and I am mainly looking for pressies. Also keep your eye on Twitter…I spotted that the lovely Dayner @ Mozzypop had a flash sale last week, so I bought a few pieces for myself but mainly stocked up with people in mind for Christmas and birthdays. So not only supporting a lovely little business, but bagging some goodies too.

If you do it little by little throughout the year, it means that you won’t ever be rinsed again, and you will always have a pressie on hand if you forget somebody!

Fancy hearing a bit more? I vlogged too…listen to me say similar stuff, but also with a bit about handmade pressies tooooo!

 

A little something I don’t often wear…

I don’t often wear sentimental pieces of jewellery or clothing to the ‘office’. In my line of work I never know if I’m going to get a hug or a pot full of tea thrown at me.  Which means I have necklaces, earrings, and bracelets all dying to be worn, but I just can’t risk snapping or damaging something I love.

One thing I really wish I could wear more is a gift I got from P’s little sister this Christmas. She made it herself.

She chose the charms and the fabric for the wrist band, and connected all of it together with some gorgeous findings.

P’s stepmother is French (hence the tiny Eiffel Tower) and his sister speaks both languages fluently without an accent, which I envy beyond belief!

I really wish I could wear this more often. I love the fact that she spent time creating something just for me.

Do you have any pieces of jewellery you adore but don’t wear often?

A Week in Pictures

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! Tonight I head for the hills, laden with gifts for all of those I love. This will be my last post before Christmas, so I thought I’d make it a first…

This is my first ever week in pictures post… hope you like it!

1: A little peek of some of my creations for my first business venture next spring!

2: Desperate times call for desperate measures. Never have I needed toasted marshmallows more….

3: Our gorgeous little tree, before we packed up the presents to deliver to family and friends. (And yes, the bottle of Hendricks gin…a present from P to us both…)

4: I haven’t been lying about how much I’ve been in my kitchen. Our fridge is full of yummy gifts and VERY wilty celery apparently…

5: P built me a Bourbon Bungalow. He’s perfect.

6: Helping P’s Mum sort out her wardrobe came with rewards. Vintage costume jewellery of hers, her mothers and her grandmothers.

Hope you all have an absolutely fabulous Christmas. Love to you and yours!

xxx