Blogmas Day Twenty Two - Cosy Evenings and Garlic Chives

 

I'm loving the long dark evenings with the twinkly Christmas lights.

 I have four sets of lights in my living room, including this tiny set off last years mini living Christmas tree, and I could put up more as there is a box still unused but enough is enough in such a small space.  I have also bought a pack of those little strings of lights with a 'cork' on top that you can poke into empty wine bottles to turn them into lamps.  There were ten or twelve in the set I bought ... I need to do a lot of drinking.

Somehow I think I'll manage.  😄😉🍷

Todays goodies are some more berry scented candles, a tiny jam and a packet of Garlic Chives seeds.  Now garlic chives are something that I have never had success with, normal chives no problem, garlic chives nope!  I really don't know why ... but I'll give them another go.

Sue xx

Blogmas Day Twenty One - Sunshine, Seeds and a Gingerbread House

 

Day twenty one of the Advent calendar openings and I just had to get a photo in that glorious beam of sunshine.  

Todays goodies were some sunny Tomato seeds ... phew I thought I was going to have to buy some ... a little jar of sunny marmalade, and from my Christmas decorations from last year recycled calendar my lovely little 'Joy' Emma Bridgewater mug.

Twinkling lights, and all things my style ... oh and another glimpse of Llama Lad.

Would you like a recipe for a Gingerbread House?

Sue xx

Blogmas Day Twenty - Musical House, Neeps and Tatties and Old Cards

 

Today's acquisitions from the Advent calendars are a little wooden Christmas tree bought during our last Christmas in Wales, a little jar of orange marmalade and a packet of Turnip seeds.  

Photo of Neeps, Tatties and Haggis from Google Images - BBC Good Food

Now I don't like turnips at all and rarely use them even in soups, but being married to a Scottish man who loves his Neeps and Tatties means that perhaps I will sow a few of these seeds.

Also on that shelf of Christmas sparkle alongside my little M&S musical house ... which is full of biscuits and just could not be resisted ... is this card, saved from last year and displayed again this year.  I just had to save it as it was from the stars of yesterdays blog post Mavis and Ginger.

Do you ever save really nice cards and re-display them?

Sue xx

Blogmas Day Nineteen - Cabbage, Caravans, Jam and Liberties

 

Day nineteen sees me with Spring Cabbage seeds, yummy ... and a little jar of marmalade, from the Christmas decorations reused calendar there is my little caravan Christmas tree ornament.  Modelled here so expertly by little Miss Mince Pie Ballerina.

Meanwhile in the living room the fake fire flickers ...

... and Ginger and Mavis stretch out in it's imaginary warmth.

It's a good job the heating is on so that they actually feel warm!!

I think the look on Ginger's face is him trying to let me know that he thinks Mavis is taking liberties.  😄

Sue xx

Blogmas Days Seventeen and Eighteen - Arse over Tit ... and Christmas is Done

 

Day seventeen of my Advent calendars saw me with a little jar of marmalade, a pack of Spinach seeds, and from the decorations calendar from last year a little empty sack, very cute but I can't think why I saved it really!

The candy canes are a real necessity, all you regular readers know how much I love a candy cane ... at any time of year.  Remember the ten boxes at ten pence a box that I bought from Wyevale a few years ago, they kept me in cinema sweeties for months. 😄

And today's little stash another pack of Rocket seeds, I think a mistake has been made there.  I also got a little jam ... and an empty box.  Another little mistake, but this time on my part.

Sorry for missing yesterday, but I had an accident on Friday and slipped on ice.  We had gone to pick up Alan's suits from the seamstress, and while we were in her house it had rained slightly and then immediately iced over.  The first person to step out of her back door was always going to go 'arse over tit' (a real Mancunian saying) and unfortunately that person was me.  I ended up with a badly wacked ankle and a twisted knee, I can now look back and see the funny side as neither Sue or Alan could help me up as they were sliding all over the place, it was like something out of a comedy film.  But not even slightly funny at the time, and still extremely painful.

It's been a good few days though, both my sons have been with their partners to pick up the Christmas hampers that we had delivered to our house for them ... they all work strange hours and it was easier this way, and of course it meant that we got to see them all.  

So with that complete now our Christmas is all sorted, the kids, grandkids and great grandkids have all got their Christmas money or gifts, all that's left to buy is a fourth birthday card for my great grandson ready for the 31st, and one final food shop for us and the Foodbank ... and then that is it Christmas is done and my spending this year is complete.

Sue xx

Blogmas Day Sixteen - Searching for Doors, Old Nightlights and Greying Dogs

 

Today's little Advent calendar goodies,  jam and a pack of Rocket seeds. It took me ages to find the little door on the Bonne Maman Advent calendar ... I mean, how hard can it be, there's only 24 of the little blighters!!   

In the recycled calendar from last year instead of decorations there were two of the jumbo nightlights that I bought as part of a £10 splurge on my Challenge blog back in February 2019 during my 'Shopping Hauls' Challenge.  These berry scented nightlights seem to have lasted well.

See the post HERE if you're interested.  

We were at Mum's yesterday, instead of taking sandwiches for lunch for the three of us, we took some soup and crusty rolls.  We also took two very clean and spruced up doggies as we had just picked them up from the groomers before we set off for Manchester.  

They were exhausted by the time we got home at teatime last night.  A bath and trim at 8am, a trip to Grannies for the day and then home, they totally zonked out once we sat down to have our tea and that was them fast asleep for the night.  Now she's clean again Mavis looks even greyer on her ears, they are truly two little old ladies ... but clean ones and all ready for Christmas.

Sue xx

Blogmas Day Fifteen - Memories and Mince Pies

 

I'm really enjoying the Jacquie Lawson online Advent Calendar this year and every single day when I flash it up I see this image on my screen, and it reminds me of the little street that my shop was on.  This is a Christmas card that was brought out one year and sold in town, and that I kept as a reminder of my pride and joy.

And yes it was a street, rather than a lane, even though it was barely wide enough for the delivery van that brought the potatoes to the Chippy Bank on the corner every other day.  I worked in the shop and we lived at the top of the street, just off The Gill car park.

My shop, which was just past the black bin on the righthand side of the photograph on the Christmas card, with my lights on ready for a days trading, and with a festoon of the town lights that lit up our little street during the festive season.  It all used to be so pretty around town throughout December, worthy of being on an Advent calendar of it's own in fact.

Today's offerings from my Advent calendars are the Bonne Maman Christmas bauble from my calendar two years ago, this years jam and a packet of basil seeds.  Shown with the last two little mince pies from this box, these are gorgeous and I'm glad I bought another box to save for Christmas ... in fact I might even buy one more box to ensure that I don't run out!!

Sue xx