Alternative Advent Calendar #2

Another photo from France but this time taken by my brother, in the courtyard of my mum and dad's house.  Each year at Christmas this plant (sorry don't know what it is) is adorned with lights and can be seen from the kitchen.  I haven't been to their house in France for a couple of years now but we're planning a visit next spring to take full advantage of the French car boot sales and celebrate my dad's 'significant' birthday.

Alternative Advent Calendar

Taken a couple of years ago when MozzyMr and I spent Christmas in France this is a photo of the most boozy yule log I have ever tasted.  It was tasty nice (this was before I developed an allergy to milk *sigh*).

Day one:

Movember

Look what the clever gals in my office did for Movember!

Katrina made these pink biscuits milk free so I could have some, it would have been rude not to buy three, retreat back to my corner of the office and nibble away on them (bit squirrel like, paranoid behaviour to be honest, I'm not proud but it is what it is). 

The platters may or may not have been 'borrowed' from Hospitality Services I wouldn't like to speculate.

Sarah demonstrating a rather fine moustache here, true dat.

So there we have it, the gals raised a couple hundred quid for the charity, people ate biscuits, and sported impressive facial hair it was a good effort!

Next up on the things to do, secret Santa (£3 budget) hmmm.

The slow realisation that Christmas is on it's way....

As a kid, and on a family holiday in America my mum and I went to a craft class one evening in San Diego.  We did some rubber stamping, which for a craft-challenged kid was an easy way for me to make cards and things that looked good, back in Blighty I got into the hobby and made Christmas cards etc for everyone.  Then years later when I left home for university the little collection of stamp bits and bobs I had gathered were unceremoniously sold by my mum at a car boot sale.  Gutted.

Well several more years later I am building my little collection back up and what better starting point than Yellow Owl Workshop?  I've bought a number of presents for friends but had to buy this set for myself:

As the title of this blog would suggest Christmas has somewhat snuck up on me so this morning with a mini hangover and not a lot planned I settled down to make some cards for Christmas:

There are several more designs but I want to keep them a secret for the people who might receive them.  Other craft projects on the go: knitted petrol blue scarf, yo-yo placemats for Christmas table (yes, yes that is still on going), and Christmas gift tags.

Watch this space...



The Perils of Primark

Need I say more?

Brillant Burning Barrels!

Last weekend MozzyMr, the Brummies and I went to Ottery St Mary for the annual tar barrels.  This was perhaps my 7th time at the barrels, over the years I have developed the F.E.A.R.  The following photos are of the women's barrels (the man's barrels are the main event, there are also children's barrels, yes children's barrels) because I was too scared to throw myself into the massive crowds and potentially collide with a HUGE hulk of a man CARRYING A FLAMING BARREL OF TAR these photos don't give a good sense of just how busy it was. 

Towards the end of the evening I was getting braver, I suspect we will be going again this year perhaps this time next year I'll have pictures of the men's barrels too *whimper*.



Belated Birthday Brillance!

I warn you now some of the photos contained within this blog are just plain WRONG.

Stoofer is my new birthday chum, he was given to me by the lovely Brummies who visited at the weekend.  Fun was had by all.