Last Post of 2011,bring on 2012!!!

Its seems weird to say this will be my last post.That is the last post of 2011 of course.
Its been not a very good year for me with one thing or another.Some of them remain private to me, others I have talked about because I was happy to share those things with you. Anyway, I am glad the year is over & 2012 beckons with all the unexpected & excitedly planned!!!Its going to be busy busy busy & all hands on deck to get where ,as a couple ,my husband & I want to be.
Tonight ,being New Years Eve, I should really be celebrating. Sadly I will be at work & leave Mr T on his own.No2 son is in Vienna with No1 son & will no doubt be having riotous fun. I hope to be home just a few minutes into 2012 ,but if the proverbial **it hits the fan ,then who knows?
I am not really looking forward to that part but something made me smile today.In fact ,if I was Lucy from Attic 24 ,I would say it gave me one of those Heart Skippy moments & I just had to have it. A beautiful Babushka mug slightly reduced in Past Times. Why do stores do that now? For most of the year they have been slashing prices & I have watched them go up & down & up again. Are they really supposed to do that?
Any way ,here is my mug that made me happy today.

Have a very Happy New Year wherever you are & whoever you are with & here's to a much brighter 2012!!

Oh Christmas tree....

Oh Christmas tree....
Well it did eventually get put up.It took me ages to do.I am so fussy when it comes to the lights.They have to be placed just so . Here are a few pictures of some of my favourite baubles & my little helper!

The last three are new ones we bought in the Christmas markets in Vienna.They are so pretty.I know it will take me ages to pack the tree away ,there is so much on it,but who cares?
The Christmas lights where I work this year have quite frankly been poor.What a shame.Usually there is a close & all the houses join in & light up.People travel from miles to go & see it but this year there was nothing.Not even a tree in a window.It was sad.
However , on my last night working, whilst out & about we had a little competition of our own for the annual Christmas lights.The runner up was a house in Lancing....

We felt it was suitably jolly to have the second place.
First place went to a house in Southwick!.....

There was so much going on & a real Christmas fantasy for any child that may pass.Well done to the owners of this house, you made us smile on a late`rainy night when we would rather have been at home with our families.Its a shame the pictures are poor as you cannot see everything.Not bad for a phone camera though!!I love my little Samsung Galaxy Ace!
This seems to be turning into quite a long post.I do just have to show you what happened when I tried to whip some cream up for our Knickerbockerglory puddings on Christmas day.I was left with one huge greasy mess to clear up!Yuck!!

For some reason I cant get the other picture to load ,but it shows the cream splattered all over the fridge, bin & up the walls. If it had been red ,you could mistake it for a murder scene! All I could do was laugh!! We got our pudding an hour later!!!
I had some lovely gifts from my family.They are so thoughtful .We don't go overboard in our family.I know people who spend hundreds of pounds just on one person & they really don't have the money to do it.Its so silly. We have a rule of only buying what you can afford & not to use credit cards. I love gifts that are handmade & try to make as many as I can.
I hope you had a lovely day too & wish you all a fabulous & exciting New Year.

Ooooh Vienna!

 We just got back from visiting our son in Vienna!
I am so silly though! Forgot to take my camera & my phone ,so I couldn't take any pictures.Luckily Jasmin  sent me some she took.
This is the second time we have visited them in Vienna .I had a lot of expectations! The first one was for snow...let  face it , a  week, just  before Christmas & it should snow in Vienna. No ??!!! Well it did try just as we walked to the station to get our train for the flight home!

 In spite of a week being ill with sickness,cold & sore throats & no snow, we enjoyed ourselves. We went to Hungary for a family meal for our sons 24th birthday which was fabulous! They certainly know how to feed people! I cannot eat a whole dumpling!

We visited the Christmas markets on the evening for lovely traditional crafts & yummy food & hot Gluhwein! Mmmmm . I bought some fantastic glass baubles for our tree this year & managed to get them home with no breakages.

All the time we were poorly was well spent too. I finished a present I had started for Jasmin's nephew who will be born in the spring next year.

The basket was made out of some Rico Big Cotton.It was not brilliant to knit with & kept splitting no matter how careful I was. The clock & baby Uggs & the hats were knitted out of various oddments of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino & Rialto yarn which as always gives a lovely finish.

I did find a tiny yarn shop in Vienna via an Internet search.More about that in a later post though.

Today ,now we are home, the decorations are going up! Once done I shall try to get some decent pictures of the new baubles for you to see them in all their sparkly glory.
I hope that wherever you are , you too have a nice day. I think I will just stay in my pj's & get a pot of Gluhwein on the stove to fuel my day as we get the house decked with boughs of holly!

Christmas Gingerbread House!

I have always loved little houses & now is the time to make a Gingerbread house.
If you would like to make one too you can find instructions on the link:

http://www.tescorealfood.com/recipes/how-to-build-a-gingerbread-house.html

Sorry ,it just happens to be on the Tesco website.No advertising was intended. I usually shop at Lidl!
I found a video on Utube where they may a lifesize Gingerbread House in Disneyland.Its amazing!!

Join the Flock for Movember !

Slowly people seem to be using more natural products instead of their synthetic counterparts.This means that sheep will become more valuable instead of the rock bottom prices that we have seen in past years with  farmers virtually having to pay for their fleeces to be shorn & taken away.

A public arts project run by The Eden Arts in Cumbria is bringing together people to make an art installation of their own to increase awareness in the use of Wool .Click on the link here & it will take you to the project.
They have also their own Facebook page & have joined in with Movember as have we at my work.You can see the Join The Flock FB page if you click here & join it if you like!
My efforts for Movember have been knitting beard beanies, a hot new craze that is sweeping the younger generation & females not able to grow the required tash!There have been many great displays of manliness around our office ,the best being my friend & work partner ,Sandra.

She has been raising money for the cause & will be having a count up today as we are officially now in December....eeekk!!!! Beard beanie supplied by my needles.I will update you as soon as I know how much she has raised.There have been some generous donations.