Life lately...

Merry Christmas!

Hello! Long-time no see!

Life has been a mad whirlwind of activity since September and today is the first day in an absolute age when I've felt free to sit down and reacquaint myself with the sofa and do nothing.  (Well, almost. I'm bottling some sloe gin for a Secret Santa but that's hardly work.)

Make yourself a cuppa, pull up a chair and let's catch up a little.

In October I became an auntie again!  My brother and sister-in-law welcomed baby Zander into the world and I made him a gorgeously snuggly quilt (and began my new obsession with quilting.)  Isn't he scrumptious?  Lucas is thrilled to have a boy cousin at last, but I think he'll have to wait for a few years before Zander will want to play Godzilla v Mothra...

The Covent Garden tree was immense!

November saw me popping up to London for a fabulously decadent and boozy weekend with my lovely friend Kate.  We began with cocktails at brunch in Canary Wharf on Saturday and carried on with that winning combination all weekend.  In our defence, the weather was particularly dire so sheltering indoors was an absolute necessity. And if our shelter happened to include a friendly barman, then that was purely by accident!

We did manage to pop to the National Portrait Gallery, wander around Covent Garden, see the (disappointing) lights on Regent Street and best of all, Liberty!  I've always wanted to go there and I was not disappointed even though we could barely move in their Christmas Shop. The Narnia-esque wood panel lift put the biggest smile on my face before we even got upstairs! So many beautiful things, I nearly popped with excitement!  I managed to restrain myself and come away with just an Alice in Wonderland tea towel.  It says, "We're all mad here," which is absolutely spot on for our household!

Everyone needs a Gangsta Octopus tile in their life...

On the WI front, I've been really busy preparing for our first charity choir concert and also making beautiful things for our stall at a local Handmade Market.  I went a little crazy and crocheted thread snowflakes for a Frozen-inspired wreath as well as making sparkly snowflake garlands.

Here's our fab choir singing our favourite song, "Rhythm of Life"!


We'll be at The Royal Albert Hall in a few years, mark my words!

On the home front, we finally got the Christmas tree up last weekend and showered it with lots of gorgeously shiny baubles. The house feels so cosy with the tree lights twinkling away and all our Christmassy treasures out on show.  School finishes on Friday and I'm really looking forward to (bravely) making a gingerbread house with Lucas next week!  I may even light it...

Merry Christmas, everyone!