All is calm

This is my last post before Christmas and all is calm and ready. My darling husband had this festive scene painted for me for my Christmas card. I love it and will frame it afterwards

Such a perfect little festive scene.

I have opened most of the windows of my vintage advent calender

 and I noticed something very unusual....yes there is a number 25 to open on Christmas morning. In my whole life I have only ever seen one other with a number 25...years ago when my dear bro and I shared a bedroom as little ones. I can remember he had a calendar which looked like a clock face and I was so jealous of him having a window to open on Christmas morning .Now I have my own one, 50 years later and my granddaughter can help me open it.

Daisy and Co arriving tomorrow afternoon and on Christmas Day I will be cooking for 8 members of my precious family.
The mince pies are baked..don't worry there are more than 3!

Some of the presents are already under the tree and Santa will be popping down the chimney with the rest.

 Our Christmas cards are hung from the banisters. They contain lots of goodwill messages from dear friends from all over the world. Our family cards are put on the sideboard in the dining room.

There are many retro things I enjoy at Christmas, including Babycham! My Nan first introduced this to me in the 70s.

Meanwhile Billy is just enjoying things the way he loves most...dozing on his green chair

in his usual pose, captured years ago in a print by my dear blogging friend Jane

The weather looks set mild for Christmas...this was the view yesterday in my garden.

 And yesterday evening the lights down at the ponds glowed in the twilight

This morning an overnight visitor is guarding our presents.....

yes dear Bear, my son's dog is here...and Billy has now retreated to his upstairs apartment ie our bed...LOL! 

I obviously can't send all my lovely blogging friends a Christmas card so I decided to give you a virtual one, here on my blog. It was inspired by the dear painting my Hb bought for me and those lovely blue skies. It is the last Christmas card for 2016 from me.

The sentiment says everything.

The scenery stamp is by Inkiliscious. I embossed it then coloured using distress inks. The dies are a mix of Spellbinders and Joanna Sheen. The sentiment stamp is from The Snowman set.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

A vintage journey winter magic

Emerald  Creek Dares Winter Wishes

Fashionable Stamping 2/3 anything goes

Fussy and fancy 3/3 angels/fairies or winter

The Ribbon Girl 2/3 any image

Happy Little stampers anything goes with dies

Crafty card makers 3/3 Christmas with a twist

Stamping sensations 1/3 floral fancies

The paper girls 1/3 anything goes

Simon Says stamp Wednesday make it sparkle it's hard to see but my gold and white card both have a sparkle IRL. As does my blue gem.

Cute card Thursday 1/3 anything goes

That's Crafty 1/3  anything goes

Whether you have large family gatherings or just a simple Christmas with a couple of loved ones or friends may it be Merry and Bright.

I love Christmas poetry so I'll close of with one of my favourites;

The merry family gatherings –
The old, the very young;
The strangely lovely way they
Harmonize in carols sung.
For Christmas is tradition time
Traditions that recall
The precious memories down the years,
The sameness of them all.

 Helen Lowrie Marshall

Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks so much for all your wonderful support of my many Countdown to Christmas posts this year and for all the kind comments you left. I so appreciate them.
At Christmas all hearts really do come home... even if they are no longer of this earth and are watching you from above 💓 Cheers Nan xxx

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x