Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Snowy Weekend

We had our first snow of the winter yesterday evening, not too much but just enough to make everywhere look very festive. Seemed to be rushing around all weekend trying to get ready for the big day, only got fruit to get now and thats it! Drove to local farm shop today, about 10 minutes away and there was no snow, we had got stuck getting off our drive!

Soph's spent the weekend decorating gingerbread biscuits and swiss rolls. The ginger bread has all gone and so have the mini logs, think we'll keep the large one for Christmas Day.

My Birthday Treat

Well today I'm another year older and to celebrate my Sister-in-law bought john and myself tickets to the Black Country Museums Christmas evening. So on the coldest day of the winter yet we wrapped up snug and warm and made our way to Dudley. It was a lovely evening, we watched the Black Country Pantomime, looked inside numerous cottages, all with lovely coal fires blazing and people in Victorian costumes. The snow unfortunately had to be man made! We have only had a few flakes here the last couple of days! Lots of carol singers and plenty to eat and drink and plenty of visitors, you should have seen the ques for fish and chips!

There's going to be a lot of singing in the Robinson household over Christmas, the kids and hubby bought me Singstar Take That and Abba for the PS3! None of us are very good singers so this should be fun! I had lots of other goodies but haven't managed to take any photos yet.


Went to do the Christmas food shop today and couldn't believe it when I got to the checkout, £190 and no meat or fruit and veg,I'm going to get this Monday (it's so cold in our workshop nothing will go off in there!).

Oh Christmas Tree!

Well we managed to finally get the tree up this afternoon. Even Jack managed to help as he came home from Uni a day earlier than he said (what a nice surprise that was!). John wasn't at home to help us, he went Karting to Rednall and came back with a bottle of Champagne, he finished 2nd overall and not one of us was there to cheer him along :(

Still got more decorations to put out and the lights outside (hopefully we can get this done before the snow comes which they have forcast for round here tomorrow!) then it's just the food to concentrate on and I haven't got a clue what to buy for Jacko yet!

Christmas is Coming!

Still haven't managed to get the tree down from the loft yet but hopefully that should be remedied later today. I have however managed to pop a few Christmasy items about so it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Still got a few items to sew together, mainly clothes for me and then my machine can be tucked away for a while. Made my wreath to go on the front door yesterday afternoon, I gave up buying a bought one quite a few years ago, seemed stupid when we had a garden full of greenery. Be back later in the week with pictures of our tree.

I have received this award from the lovely Amy. I have to list 5 things I like doing and pass it on to five friends so that the circle grows! Well here we go
 

1. Sewing!
2. Spending time with the family.
3. Going for a walk on a cold frosty morning.
4. Baking. I love homemade cakes!
5. Shopping, girls love to shop!

I'd like to pass the award on to


Funkymonkey
Swirlythoughts
DollyDollop
Country Cottage Chic
Mary Poppins


Don't worry ladies if you haven't time before Christmas I'm sure we can wait until the New Year to find out more about you!

Christmas Stocking Swap

Yesterday I received my parcel from Silkie Sue. It was full of wonderful Christmas goodies. I saw some of her felt decorations on her blog and thought how good they were and she had sent me quite a few. Stanley has to be my favourite, he's sooo cute! I got lots of chocolate, some apple tree decorations, a tin of sweeties and a wonderful toilet bag made out of CK cowboy fabric. It is so wonderfully made and will hold all my make up in one place now, (i have two small bags sat on my dressing table). I must say a big thank you to Sam as the gifts I received were wonderful.

Here's a few photos of what I sent to Sam. I do hope she likes them.

If you pop over to my flickr (link at the side you can have a look at a few more photos).

A Big thank you to Bekimarie for organising the swap. Looking forward to the next one!

New Curtains At Last

It seems to have taken forever for me to get Soph's curtains finished but here they are at last. I didn't know how the beads would work on the pelmet but now they are on there I quite like them. I hope Soph will when she comes back.

Our First Christmas Card

Our first Christmas card was delivered by the Postman today. How are some people so organised? Mine are either still waiting to be made or I have bought a few and they are still in the box waiting to be written.

Whilst I was shopping the weekend I treated myself to this Yankee candle, Golden Spiced Pear, it smells wonderful, and the two tealight holders too. I also got some pot purri and filled these wellington boots which also stand on the window sill in my kitchen. At least the kitchen looks a bit Christmasy!

I've just managed to list a few items for sale on Ebay, some shoes and boots Soph has hardly ever worn. You can take a look here if you want.

Thrifty Christmas

I need something to finish off my Mother & Father in Laws Christmas present, I always make them a Christmas cake, (I make 8 cakes altogether to give as presents) but I like to give something else with it. They have had a new bathroom fitted recently so I decided to embroider a new towel and face cloth I found in my bag of bits with a holly motif. I put this on a set of plain white towels for myself last year and popped them in the bathroom on Christmas Eve and made it look quite festive.

Embroidery machine in action

The finished items

I always buy the kids a jar of sweets to pop in there stockings, they may be 18 & 19 but they still have a stocking left in their bedroom by Santa, instead of buying this year I decided to use some of the jars I save for my jam making and fill them with a mixture of there favourite sweets. I t worked out much cheaper and I had enough to do jars for my Nieces too. I was quite pleased with how they turned out and think I may use this idea for Birthday gifts next year. We have an old fashioned sweet shop in the village who sells lots of lovely sweets and chocolates, your always spoilt for choice when you go in so I can fill the jars with every ones favorites from there.

Sew

Yesterday was another day spent sewing. I have managed to finish off a few presents and try a few items from CK Sew. I made the bag a couple of weeks ago. Now I have made it I think there are a few things I would change, I do think that if you are a first time sewer the instructions aren't that clear. I don't like hand sewing so decided to quilt the hot water bottle cover by machine, bad move, the machine didn't like doing it nor did I! I have ended up and a mixture of different sized stitches and then found it quite hard to sew the whole thing together. Think this will have to be a present for Mom, as everything is beautiful to them! Next time I think I will make the hot water bottle cover out of an old woolly jumper and see how that goes. I haven't put the loop fastener on as by this time I had lost all patience with it.

Doggy Treats

Yesterday morning when I looked like I'd been dragged through a hedge backwards and the house was like a tip cause I decided to make my Christmas cakes first before I got showered my friend popped round for a coffee. No one ever seems to call in when everything is spick and span only when it looks like a tip. She bought some of my bunting and one of the Christmas aprons I had made she also asked me if I could make one of these

I hadn't got a clue what it was until she said it was a dogs bandanna! I would love to hear what my Grandad would have to say about how they dress dogs up nowadays. So last night I sat down and had a go at one myself. She wanted it in Christmas fabric with her name embroidered on. It was a bit fiddly to do the name as the piece of fabric she chose was quite small and only just fitted in my embroidery hoop, but I was quite pleased with the finished item. The green one was my trial run but it looks ok so I will let my brother have it for their dog.

Busy Busy Busy

What a busy weekend we have had. On Friday evening we went to pick up Sophie from Uni to come home for the weekend. Has we were over in Birmingham and the weather wasn't raining for a change we decided to have a look at the German Market. It was so busy but we still managed to have a good look around. There were some lovely stalls selling crafty items. I bought myself a crocheted brooch and of course we had to try some of the wonderful food on offer. I wasn't so keen on the Frankfurter hot dog but I did like the fried pork in breadcrumbs that we tried.

Saturday afternoon Sophie and I went to the local Churches Christmas Fair. This was also very busy, we got there a little late so most of the good stuff had already gone. We both bought items off the jewellery stall, some were second hand some new. I had these gorgeous ear rings and brooch for £1!!

Saturday evening we went to the Cinema to see New Moon. Sophie had seen it On Thursday night at 12 O' clock but couldn't wait to go and see it again. I really enjoyed Twilight and was hoping this was going to be as good and yes it was. I won't say anything about the film as it will spoil it for those of you who haven't been yet. I need to read the books as Soph says they are better than the films.

Sunday we went Christmas Shopping to Merry Hill Centre, even Hubby came along and I can't believe that he never moaned once, this is a first for him as he hates going shopping any time of the year and always leaves it up to me. Perhaps he his mellowing with age!! We didn't get many Christmas presents but we did manage to get a light fitting for Soph's bedroom and some lovely twig lights with pink butterflies on from BHS. Hopefully by this weekend the room will be complete and I will show you a few photos.

Well a busy day ahead for me, got to try and finish off my Christmas Stocking swap, I seem to have forgot the important thing, the Christmas stocking, so off to find a pattern and have a go at one.

Oh by the way, how do you all move you photographs around once you have uploaded them to blogger. I used to drag mine around but can't seem to do that now.

Daffodils for Christmas

I can't believe that the daffodils in the pot in our front garden are so tall and are in bud. Looks like we could have daffodils in flower for Christmas if this mild weather keeps up.

Managed to get a few more things finished off today. A couple of embroidered tea towels which a friend ordered a while ago but I've only just managed to get round to completing and an embroidered Birthday card ordered by the wife of a Wolves supporter.

I hope the recipients all like their gifts.

I have even managed to cut out Soph's curtains so hopefully either later tonight or sometime tomorrow I may have them finished (at last!).

Getting Christmasy At Last

Make up brush roll for Niece

Well it's took me a while but I have finally started to make some of my Christmas presents. I seem to spend more time reading books and magazines for ideas than I do making the things. I have joined in a Christmas swap so I think that has made me get a move on as the dead line is fast approaching. Once I got the sewing machine going I couldn't stop and have made quite a few items (can't show photos of everything as the recipients may be reading!). I've also nearly finished the decorating in Sophie's room, only the curtains to make now and decided how to fit all the junk back in in a neat and orderly way! She has so many clothes still left here she'll never wear them. Looks like a few journeys to the charity shop. Oh that reminds me I had some lovely embroidered items from there last week that I will have to photograph and show you at a later date.






Christmas Doggy Bunting

Pencil Roll for my Niece


Guess which book I was taken from?

Have listed the bunting in my Folksy shop pop over and have a look if your interested.

Bits ans Bobs

Well it seems ages since I managed to post. I have been busy organising things to decorate Sophie's room whilst she is away. They only do 10 week terms and before I know it she'll be back and the room wont be finished.

I have got my partner for the Christmas Stocking Swap, it's the very talented Sam from here. What wonderful drawings she does, mine would have to be of stick men! I now need to knuckle down and think what I am going to make for her.

I need to start to use up some of my stash, it just seems to get bigger and bigger, I have all these ideas but not enough time to sew them. Last night I managed to finish off a few padded hearts that have been hanging around for months and I made Jack a wheat bag out of my stash too. I think his uni digs are going to be quite cold this winter, it's a 9 bedroom Georgina house in Lemington Spa and the only form of heating are electric radiators (oh my god! the bill!).

Off to visit Soph tomorrow at uni so I'm off now to make her a chili and an apple and Cinnamon cake to take with me. Soph isn't the worlds best cook yet, we know when she is having her dinner as our phone keeps ringing and this little voice says, How do you cook this Mom? I'm sure she'll get there eventually, I think I was like that when I first left home.

See you soon XXX

Flower Power

Managed to do a spot of sewing over the last few days. My Nan wanted a bag like the one I made for my Aunt Pats Birthday so I decided that theis lovely Pansy fabric I had in my stash would be just right for her. It's her Birhtday in a couple of weeks time (83) so for the first time in a while I have a present made in advance. I always seem to leave things until the last minute and end up running round like a headless chicken. Now there are only the two of us at home I'm sure I could be a bit more organised!

Yesterday I went shopping at Leamington Spa with my friend Siobhan. When we dropped Jack off there a few weeks ago we had a quick look at the shops but I wanted to go back when I had more time to have a browse. There are some lovely shops (sorry but I was having such a good day I forgot to take any photos!) I could have spent a fortune. I only bought a few things but got lots of ideas for Christmas presents and things that I could make myself.

Yesterday was a good day I also made a sale in my Folksy shop, the first for a while. There's not much in there at all now so think the sewing machine will have to come out today!

I have joined in this Christmas swap have a look and see if you want to give it a go.

Another Day Of Packing!!

Tomorrow is the day I think I have been dreading, we take Jack to drop him off to Uni and then there will be only John and myself at home. How do you cook for just two? What do you talk about when the kids have gone? I'm sure we'll both get used to it but it will take a while.

Last night I went through my stash and found some brown and cream suede material, Jack's bed linen is brown and cream and I wanted to have a few cushion to match, (I looked in town but they were too girly). I decided to try a Union Jack design like I did for Soph. I was quite pleased with the result, think Jack liked it too but lads never say much when you ask them do they!

Well off to pack his food up now, can't have him going hungry can we!

They've all flown the nest now!

Sophie's new room

Yesterday we had to drop off Sophie at Birmingham Uni. She was sooo excited about her new adventure (just like when we used to go on holiday when they were little she had been counting down how many sleeps left before she went!).

When we walked into her room I thought oh my God how are we going to fit all this in such a small space (she took enough clothes to dress an army), but eventually we did and it looked lovely.

I'm going to miss her, she's been at home now since May. Today the house seemed so quiet, and this weekend Jack's going back to uni too!

Pink & Green

I have spent the last few days shopping with Sophie to get all she needs for her room at Uni. Her colour scheme is pink, all shades of it, with a hint of lime green thrown in. We managed to get all she wanted, but I must say I don't think I want to go shopping for the next few weeks.

I had started making a Union Jack cushion after seeing them in the shops to put in my Folksy shop but as soon as Soph saw it she claimed it for her room, it was pink and green. Looks like I'll have to have a go at another one now.

Well Done Soph!!!

Just got to blog about this, I've been sat waiting for the phone to ring since 9 o'clock when my little girl went out to collect her A level results. Well she's just called to say she's past, ABC were her grades, so now she's off to Birmingham University to study Environmental Management. All her hard work has paid off. Now her Dad and me need to do some hard work to pay for it!