I don't make my own life easy - I try and keep my plans to what I hope will be manageable levels, but in reality I still try and hope I can do more than is possible. I tend to feel I have failed if all the plans in my head don't come to fruition, but this year the voice in my head will just have to shush!, as I really tried my hardest and what was able to get done, did get done. I made these little gift card envelopes for my friends, my mum and myself. Inside I bought vouchers to go on the Big wheel at the O2 for friends and some Marks and Spencer Vouchers for the Teacher and Special Needs Assistant. I think they turned out lovely.
At the beginning of December I bought lots of jars in Ikea and made spiced Pears for gifts. I packaged them with boxes of crackers, some blue cheese and the jars, along with a pretty tag that I rustled up and the gift went to friends too.
The die is the Spellbinders snowflake die....
We had a big bake sale at the primary school and I made these christmas cupcakes with lovely snowflakes on the top for the sale. The day I went my box of gifts arrived from Florida and inside the box, not wrapped was this cupcake carrier box and I was so happy to give it a first go and so many people asked me where I got it. Now it's honesty time again - I hate buying baked foods from these school sales - I have vision of the cakes being prepared with dirty hands, in dirty kitchens and I can't shake the thought when I am there. So I put my cakes into the sale and then bought a bag of them back! LOL Sorry but I am honest!!!!
On my list of things to do was to try and make the Pioneer Woman Cinnamon rolls, and one night with lot's of excess energy I tackled the recipe, it's a bit long winded, scalding milk, waiting for it to cool (ie, plonk pot into the snow outside the door when it's -10!), mixing it and waiting for it to prove again. I made 8 trays of them, and when the snow was thick on the ground and people were fed up with days of staying in and not going out for anything but emergencies - I wrapped them and gave them as "happy" gifts to ease the pain of the snow.
The girls had a lovely christmas - here are a few pictures....
Small bean enjoying her new colouring book...
Bailey wearing his new coat!
This photo is for Val - this is Lea sitting in the new unit that was delivered yesterday. Yes! We had no table for Christmas as the delivery did'nt make it till yesterday. Probably a good thing as we had a full days work to get the stuff changed over, into place and looking right - so I do belive in fate, that whats meant to happen does happen, but probably only for the good stuff....
If your still reading and not died of boredom - we went to the Christmas market in Farmleigh and I was shocked that the lake there was frozen solid, that is not normal here in Ireland!
Indulge me a little - I wanted to play with Bokeh images and played with my camera for a few shots....
Lea's Bike sitting there just after Santa delivered it - and below two little girls, just out of the bath and in their special Christmas jammies from Auntie Jennifer and Uncle Tim (who could not decide so sent two sets - Yah!! and so so grateful!)
Frozen solid - had to take this photo just to remind myself what the few days over Chrismas were like, cause I know we will forget, but at lunchtime this plant was still frozen solid and my car said it was -8, and the locks and doors froze while we were visiting friends.
I did my boxes of goodies this year but in the rush to get them done, and circulated I forgot to photograph them, and the dressed jars of Cranberry sauce. So there ya go - a wrap up of the season and am tempted to take the tree down tomorrow - very tempted, I keep taking an item down every time I go upstairs and plonk it in the box and nobody has noticed! Nite all and working on a few small things so might have to wait a while for the next post. Happy New Year ya all!
