Saturday 25 December 2010

No more days til......

I cannot believe we are here already, it's Christmas Eve and the big day is tomorrow. I am all ready for the family to arrive. My daughter and her fiance are driving up from Essex after work tonight...poor girl, doctors never seem to finish early. My parents will be over in the morning and my son and his girlfriend are with us most of the time anyway! The house smells so festive...mmm and my wonderful tree is still twinkling in the corner. I have even made some of Vivienne's fudge, it is superb, thank you Vivienne for sharing it. Nigella eat your heart out..!

I have my crib up which holds some treasured wooden crib figures we have bought over the years,some
from the German Christmas markets and others from of all places, the Vatican. Their gift shops sells some wonderful crib items.






It's very hard to photograph my crib as it sits on the archway between by hall and dining room. I love it, nothing is really to scale hence the huge hay fork but it is a perfect reminder for me of the season. The wise men are not real wood, we hope to buy those on another German visit.





I cut greenery from the garden: holly, ivy and fir to add to the mood. This year I have no berries on my holly, the hungry birds have eaten them all. Never mind it has been a hard time for the wildlife this year.
I have opened number 24 of my Advent Calendar and would you believe I actually have a number 25...it's such a rarity I have only ever seen one once before. My brother had one as a little boy and I was so jealous he got the extra window. Well it's my turn now, I only had to wait 40+ years!





 (For those who have Eagle eyes this photo was taken when I first put up my calender which is why number 14 is shut. The pictures inside this have been really delightful.

























My cards are all hanging in the hall. Here are some of them. You will see that I have also hung the chocolates from here as we are not having our "chocolate tree" as we are in the middle of decorating. I am not sure that my son has spotted them yet as they all still seem to be there! Once they are seen there is usually no stopping him.












The weather for this Christmas has been truly festive, it's the whitest Christmas for many, many years. The last time I can remember thick snow on the ground on Christmas Day was our 1st married Christmas in 1981! I have enjoyed taking all these local snowy scenes.



Some  parcels have started appearing  under the tree (minus those which Father Christmas of course delivers tonight for my children)


The mince pies are made.
The fridge is stocked and the champagne is chilling as it will be such a special Christmas for our family celebrating my daughter's and her now fiance's, engagement.








I have also been busy creating an engagement card with a slight Christmas twist as you can see below - a heart with holly leaf. I had such trouble finding engagement peel offs and this was the very last sheet in a local craft shop.

I also used my trusty heart punch.




I really liked this rather funky heart paper. It was quite hard to get as this is certainly not the time of year to find heart themed paper.












I have used a photo of Milly's ring for the centre of the card. Sadly we did not get to their "engagement" lunch last weekend. It snowed so heavily that we could not make the journey.

This is the end result on the left.
I can't wait to give it to her and Tom. I am also so looking forward to seeing the ring in the flesh and hearing how the wedding plans are starting.








Billy will be getting a new collar. He is very good at not touching the tree but he so likes to give all the parcels a good sniff - this one is not even his!






I have also  received  2 wonderful parcels from my dear blogging and Etsy friend Mia.

This was the snowman scarf I won at the beginning of her Christmas craft calender which she wrote everyday from the 1st December. I was so pleased to win it and it has kept me warm during this bleak weather. But last Saturday the postman arrived with a new parcel from Finland....

Just look what she made for me........................I squealed with delight when I opened it up and found this darling candy pig inside ready to join us for Christmas. Mia knows how much I love pigs. Thank you so much by dear friend. It really cheered me up as it arrived on the day we were unable to get to my daughter's engagement lunch. How kind can someone be??

I think that is now about time to bring my final countdown to Christmas post to a close as it will soon be time to think about welcoming our guests and perhaps opening up the sherry this evening. I have got to work today until 1pm ish but I will then be home until after the New Year, bliss!

I have so enjoyed sharing this countdown to Christmas right from my very first ** days to Christmas post back in November. Thank you for all so much for joining me. I have been delighted to read all the comments and that you too have enjoyed sharing my Christmas traditions and preparations. As I am quite sure you realise by now I really do love Christmas. I am such a kid when it come to this time of the year and I cannot see me ever changing.

So I will close Jane's Journal for a few weeks. I will be back in the New Year and  intend to reopen the pages of my journal on Thursday 6th January 2011. To help to ease us into the new year I will also be holding my very 1st giveaway! Without giving too much away it involves my handmade jewellery and cards...so spread the news and do come back to visit me then.

The final thing I want to do is to wish everyone who reads my blog the very merriest of Christmases and the healthiest and happiest New Year. Enjoy spending time with your loved ones and catching up with friends. 2010 was the year I started my writing blog and it has been such fun - thanks to all of you who take the time to read it.
Here is my last piece of Christmas prose which I would like to dedicate to you all - wherever you are around the world!

Somehow not only for Christmas
But all the long year through,

The joy that you give to others
Is the joy that comes back to you.


And the more you spend in blessing
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart's possessing

Returns to make you glad.

(Written by John Greenleaf Whittier)

Merry Christmas everyone!
 
Bye for now, see you in the New Year
 
Jane x

21 comments:

  1. Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year! Loved reading that blog post about all your little traditions. x

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  2. Yet another lovely post Jane!
    Your crib is beautiful. :)
    What a shame you didn't make it to the engagement lunch. The engagement card is lovely (you really should be selling these Jane!!)and the ring is gorgeous! So much excitment for you this Christmas!
    It really has been lovely getting to know you this year Jane, I hope you and all your family have the happiest of Christmases and a healthy and peaceful 2011. I'll look forward to seeing you back here next year.
    Merry Christmas,
    Vivienne x
    P.S. What is it about boys and chocolate!!!! :)

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  3. I have so enjoyed your Christmas blog, Jane - lovely to see so many traditions recorded. I love the poem you quoted, it's so true! Wishing you a very Happy Christmas with your loved ones. Helen x

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  4. Hello Jane! Your this year's last post is full of wonderful things! Lovely card, so nice presents, wonderful photos and poems! Looking forward to see you again next year!
    xxx Teje

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  5. Hi Scented Sweetpeas,thank you so much for your lovely comment.
    Have a very Merry Christmas and do come back next year...
    Jane x

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  6. Hi Vivienne, I am home from work...yipee Christmas really is here now. I have so enjoyed our blogs and getting to know you, I never believed blogland could be such fun.
    Have a wonderful time with your family and see you here next year.
    Jane x
    PS Matt has still not seen the chocolate but Milly will sniff it out (the choc queen-LOL)

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  7. Thank you and a very Merry Christmas to you Helen. Here's to more blogging fun next year. Cheers!
    Jane x

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  8. Hi Teje, enjoy your sunshine and have a wonderful Christmas.Thanks for all your visits.See you in the New Year.
    Jane x

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  9. Jane, I think you've been the most festive, creative and energetic of all this holiday season!
    Thank you for providing so much holiday cheer- I hope you and your family have the most wonderful celebration! And I know much inspiration will be surrounding you in the new year! Enjoy! :o)

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  10. Michele that is such a kind thing to say, thank you. I have loved sharing all my Christmas preparations and traditions via my blog. The mulled wine is is warming as I type this and smells so festive. Merry Christmas , see you in the New Year,
    Jane x

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  11. Dear Jane,

    Merriest Christmas and happiest New Year to you and your family!

    We're already celebrating Christmas here, so I just sneaked out for a minute to leave a comment on your Christmas countdown-post. It all looks so beautiful in your pictures, I can almost smell "Viv's fudge" and hear Billy purring! It's been lovely to read these (and your other!) blog-posts this year, and I wish we can keep meeting each other here and mine next year too! And I am so happy you liked the scarf and oh the pig...Best time for its arrival ever!

    Please give Billy a kiss and Milly&Tom a big hug! Their card is perfect - and so will be your Christmas!

    Love,
    Mia

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  12. I love reading about everything you're doing for the holidays and the upcoming nuptuals. Beautiful card, and the mince pies are making my mouth water. Best of holidays to you and yours! See you in the new year!

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  13. Dear Mia, it's 11pm here and we are finishing off the mulled wine...so lovely to have Milly and Tom here and the ring is beautiful. They are so happy :0)
    I have loved our blogs this year and especially our Christmas posts. Have the merriest of Christmases my dear!Cheers!
    Love Jane x (Billy sends a very big purr to you).

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  14. Thank you Linda, I have so enjoyed your blog too, great to get to to know you over the last few months and I am looking forward to more blogging in the New Year.
    Have a very Merry Christmas and yes the mince pies are yummy!
    Jane x

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  15. I enjoyed going back and reading all your Christmas posts and getting a sense of the Season on your side of the ocean. It's nice to see you had a white Christmas! I'm sure it was merry!

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  16. Hi Jane great to see you here.Thanks for you kind comment. Yes it was the first real white Christmas here for many, many years. It still has not quite cleared here in Surrey but it has been so beautiful. I'm off to the sales today...hunting down some bargains with my daughter.I hope yours was a merry Christmas too over in the States?
    Jane x

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  17. Merry Christmas Jane, hope you had a lovely day and have a truly Happy New Year! 'See' you in 2011. Bethx

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  18. Hi Beth, I hope you had a great Christmas too? Ours was really super,it was so good to all be together. Great times. See you in the new year,
    Jane x

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  19. Hello Jane! I hope you have had wonderful Christmas time!
    I want to give you The Stylish Blogger Award! You are welcome to take it from my blog!
    I wish you Happy New Year!
    xxx Teje

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  20. Hello Jane! I hope you have had wonderful Christmas time!
    I want to give you The Stylish Blogger Award! You are welcome to take it from my blog!
    I wish you Happy New Year!
    xxx Teje

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  21. Hi Teje, thank you so much for that. I had a wonderful Christmas and look forward to the New Year Celebrations coming up. See you soon,
    Jane XX

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