Homemade Christmas...part 2...

I HAVE to show you what my brother and his girlfriend got me...I loooove it!

It's a vintage sewing basket...

And it's fulll!!!!

Soooo happy!

Mum bought me a little bunny vase, to go with my collection of bunny vases...

She also bought me a mini greenhouse, she found it in the sales and some lovely pink spotty pj bottoms (in fact after these 2 second hand presents everyone else gave up on the homemade Christmas idea...cheaters!)



Mum made me this yummy chocolate hedgehog cake...

And here's the plum rum we made, all bottled up and ready to give away to the friends we know will appreciate a festive slurp!

And that's about it...I have been thoroughly spoiled this year...hope you were too, whether that be with lovely gifts, time spent with people you love, or both!



Homemade Christmas...part one...crochet scarf, yoda, mice and hat...

Hellooo!  I hope you've had a merry Christmas! 

I had a lovely one, could have done without a trip to hospital with mum this morning, she's had funny noises in her ear and hasn't been able to hear properly for the past couple of days and went to the GP this morning, while I was still tucked up in bed, to get it checked out, I was awoken by a text message saying she had been referred to the hospital, she had sudden onset deafness and the GP had said she needed to rush to the hospital to 'save what hearing she had left', obviously I made her come and pick me up to go with her first, so I did superhuman speed getting up-washed-and-dressed and ate a bowl of coco pops in the car on the way.  We got to the hospital and waited for an absolute age (the only ear nose and throat Dr had had to go to A and E to treat a child) for mum to be seen, but although the Dr isn't sure what's wrong with her until they do further tests next week, he thinks it's unlikely to be permanent and has given her some tablets to try to help.  Cue big sighs of relief all round.  So yeah, apart from that it's been great!

My family were most bemused by my eco friendly, reusable, fabric wrapping methods (next year I hope I have time to decorate the fabric with some fabric-crayons we have, I ran out of time this year!)

This year we decided to have a cheap Christmas...we had to give each other something handmade, or something second hand costing £5 or less...I did handmade presents, I ran out of time to finish my mums cushion cover, it just needs sewing together, she said it was alright to stop cos I had actually made the skin split on my hand where my crochet hook was rubbing :(  I did get her all this stuff for her stocking though, from charity shops (apart from the diary and calendar, which are new things she chose) and costing a total of £5.  I made her some lavender mice so she'd have something handmade to open too.

I made my brother this crochet hat and a Christmas Yoda...he was bemused by the yoda!

And my brother's girlfriend got this Japanese Flower scarf...it's inspired by the one on Attic 24,  I used the chart that's linked in that blog post and worked out the pattern from there...I'm really pleased with how this turned out and she really liked it too :)

Did you make any presents this year?  How did it go?

Merry Christmas!

from here

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Library Love...River Cottage Veg Everyday, Queen of Crafts...

This month I had to go through the palaver of  collecting all my library books from around the house, taking them back to the library in my little shopping basket on wheels, leaving them in the staff cloakroom for a week, then bringing them back again, so they didn't get mixed up in anything or lost in the big house move...good job I work at the library and it's within walking distance really!  So I haven't really had much time for reading this month, but I have really enjoyed these two books.

River Cottage Veg Everyday - Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall

I watched the TV series that went along with this book, and was really interested to see Hugh's (who is a big meat eater) experience of going veggie for the summer (and watching his dramatic weight loss as the series progressed!)  There are lots of yummy recipes in this book, everything featured in the series and more, it's an enormous book.  The spring onion, puff pastry pie, veggie biryani, bhaji and bread recipes look particularly dribbleworthy!

Queen of Crafts - Jazz Domino Holly

I nearly left this book on the shelves, it looks like all the other new crafty/lifestyle books that are out there at the moment...but it's not, cos this one is Awesome.  Firstly, it has instructions to make your own edible glitter...if this was the only great thing about this book that would be enough, but it isn't.  There are great instructions for home made beauty stuff, like moisturiser and lip balm, that seem easy to make, lots of instructions for making jam, baking, gardening, sewing, knitting and all sorts of other things.  It doesn't have as many pictures as some other books, which made me think it didn't have much content when I first picked it up, but there are lots of projects without pictures and there are more projects in this little book than in some of the glossy, photo filled books you can get.  I also really loved reading about Jazz's WI group, the Shoreditch Sisters, who are a young faction of the WI and have tea, cake and rock and roll parties, there are tips on setting up your own 'cool' WI group or holding other gatherings too.  Jazz Domino Holly is my new girl-hero.  

Charity Shop Treasure!

I haven't done this for a while, but I wanted to share my glorious find with you...yesterday I spotted this on the rails of my favourite charity shop and it was one of those moments when you don't even take it off the hanger, just restrain yourself from skipping quickly to the till and buying it before someone else does!

I bought this quilt....

For £2.49!!!!

£2.49!!!!!  It said cot quilt on the price tag, but it would have to be for a very big cot, as it fits on the end of my double bed!

Soooo happy!!

 Have you bought anything swoonworthy from the charity shop recently?

Liebster Blog

The lovely Kay and Sime from the blog Just Humans Being have passed on this blog award to me...

Kay and Sime write a lovely blog about their living in Cornwall and their attempts to simplify their lives...they are also rebels and have disregarded the rules of the Liebster Blog award, which are thus...

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.


2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5. And most of all - have fun
 
I am following in their rebellious ways and will instead list all the blogs I really, really, like...if you're on the list then please feel free to take the award yourself (or if you believe I've left you off my list and think you deserve an award too!) and pass it on if you like!
 
 
Just Humans Being - I think I already mentioned this one!
 
Allotment 2 Kitchen - Shaheens recipes will make you dribble! Mmmm!
 
Little Eco Footprints - Tricia writes about sustainable living and family life in Australia.
 
My Zero Waste - Mrs Green's blog is the best Zero Waste resource about!
 
It's Not Easy Being Green - Shannon Marie has an awesome garden!
 
Eco Experienment - Lovely Layla discusses green issues, activism and going zero waste in her blog.
 
The Organic Gypsy - Carolyn blogs about sustainable living, her lovely garden, raw food and her cute baby dreadlocks, which I am super jealous of!
 
Dandaworld - Danda shares her eco-friendly life in Italy in her lovely blog
 
Waste AM - Joddle writes very interesting and well balances articles about green issues
 
Attic 24 - mmmm crochetty goodness!
 
The Really Good Life - Louisa writes about Frugal Living in the UK, and much more on her interesting blog!
 
Positive Ponderings - Jaclyn shares lovely recipes, crafts and pretty inspiration pictures!
 
Heathen Vegan - Jeni shares yummy recipes and photos of vegan treats!
 
Green Bag Lady - In an effort to reduce plastic bag usage the green bag lady has given away 18,446 fabric shopping bags...she is truly inspiring!