Surround yourselves with love.......

For most of us Christmas is a time when we celebrate; the birth of Christ, time with our family and friends, the end of another year, a break from work or routine. It's a time when we are hopefully all happy and surrounded by love.
Love doesn't have to be related only to those who are near and dear to us. Love can be cooking a meal and searching our recipes and ingredients, preparing our homes, writing letters and Christmas cards to those we haven't spoken to or seen for a while, buying or making a lovely gift for someone, meeting with friends and going for a memorable walk (or walking alone), having time out to do things that you love to do. Going to special events and getting dressed up in clothes that make you feel good.

  This was a lovely shared lunch with a group of home schooled families.

 Hama beads provide much scope to realise your creative potential.

 I love this crochet scarf that I started when the weather turned cold and haven't taken off since!

 Candle making!!! Ummm it's back to the drawing board there I think!


I have a frantic time every year at this time whipping up ginger cookies and wrapping them in cellophane to deliver to friends and neighbours. I don't expect anything in return, but I come away with a real sense of joy when I turn up on someones doorstep with my little bundle and am able to say 'Merry Christmas', such a simple gesture but it means so much.

 A beautiful gift from a special friend and her lovely family.

 Pretty flowers I've been working on......


This year I thought I would make some fudge for my neighbours. I followed the recipe carefully, it seems until the last step, which indicates 'whip vigorously'......unfortunately as a result of overlooking this vital step I now am left with a very large toffee (not good for the waistline). It can be sliced but seems to be so sticky that it joins back into a slap once you have done so. (Not good for wrapping!). I had a plan B which seems to have failed too. I thought I could melt some chocolate and dip little chunks of the toffee into the chocolate then let them harden off, then I might be able to wrap them. But no, this failed too as water drops got into the chocolate and then it also became a large sticky clump. Not winning here....I had transferred the whole lump of toffee to my chopping board and now it seems that it is refusing to come off in once piece so I shall have to leave it there until you (my friends) call by to sample my wares.
Bugger that means I still have more somethings to make, to wrap to give away. I shall have to start all over again!


Anyway where was I before I got caught up in all that sticky toffee talk?......Oh yes, surrounding yourselves with love.
So I went for a little trip around my house and it seems that this is exactly what I have been doing over the past year....do you recognise any of these little lovelies?
Enjoy!

 This one has appeared on the bathroom wall! No comment!!

Thanks for looking and Merry Christmas to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx