All the C's!

Todays post is one which includes all the C's...

Charity Shopping ;0)
I was thrilled to go on a thrifty mooch with a good friend yesterday.  Charity shopping with company is my idea of fun.  What's even better is that we have such differing tastes that neither of us want the same things!  It's quite funny, each of us hold up things to the other and then curl our noses and both burst out laughing!  We both came away with a few things - so very different from the other's collection of treasures.... So my hoard this time:

Some star baskets... these were a bargain £1.50.  I want to spray these white and put them on my Christmas mantelpiece standing up like this.  I love sets of 3 stars of reducing sizes and this will be an affordable way to get that look!

 

A gorgeous vintage floral tray and glass bottomed trinkets with floral embroidered lids - I love them and they are soooo my kinda thing.  I was very happy to find them and although £15 I've decided to label them my Christmas present to myself!!

 

This little fellow was a mere £1.  I love him and he'll make his way into my Christmas decorating.

 

Around 6 months ago I bought another single book end with a girly type bambi deer on it.  Now my cute stag has a partner!

Chutney - my last batch for this year!  Hooray!  This one is mainly tomato and courgette based (thanks to Grandpa for supplying the HuGE courgette / marrow!)  It's called Mediterranean Chutney and is not one I've made before.  I had the ingredients though (mainly from relative's gardens) and so had to give it a whirl!!

The very colourful raw ingredients (I'm glad I've finished cutting onions in large numbers for another year!)

 

It's always amazing how much the ingredients reduce down...

 

All ready for labelling & getting creative with the decorative lids!!

Crumble - apple crumble in fact!  I used the very last of the apples from my mum's trees for a crumble for our pudding this evening.  There'll definately be two happy boys in this house tonight!  I'll warm it in the oven at tea time and it'll brown a bit more then but already it looks yummy!

Crochet
I'm so pleased with my progress on the crochet learning front.  A friend lent me this book.

It was fabulous in getting me over the confusion I was experiencing in following different patterns. I really needed straight forward instructions to boost my confidence!  So I've managed to crochet these:

and these from the wonderful Lucy of Attic24.

 

The pale green, cream and blue are the colours of my lounge so I was thinking they could stay up all year round!!  The bright colours I love the most though.  They are wonderful jewel like tones and look nicer in reality than I have been able to photograph I'm afraid. 

 

 

I'm not going to do 2 sided baubles as per this pattern though.  To keep them a little more frugal I'm crocheting one side according to the pattern and then use felt and embroidery to finish off the back and hide some of the workings.  I think that'll work and I'll show you them when they're properly finished!  I'll then get twice the number of baubles out of the yarn.  I'm loving these though so can see me whipping a few up for presents.

But my favourite C?  Christmas!!  Getting a bit excited now.  Well, a bit is a little of an understatement actually.  I can't wait to start decorating but we have some lovely guests staying this weekend.  Normally, the decorations go up on the first weekend in December in our house.  I've set aside all next weekend though to do it.  It's a full family affair and decorating the tree especially is one of my favourite things of Christmas time.  My gorgeous children get so giddy over my collection of decorations as they pull them from the boxes (in another lifetime pre children I collected interesting baubles as a passion) and also as they remember their own homemade versions. 

I LoVE it.  I'm really proud of them and their enjoyment in doing things rather than having things.  I have to admit I have to let go of my need for the perfect tree and instead let them share the joy of hanging the decorations themselves where they choose.  I'm getting better at that.  Instead I revel in their excitement and exclamations.  That's the magic of Christmas time for me. 

I have a couple of crafty Christmassy things underway but will show you them when they're finished!  Welcome to my new followers and to all the visitors to my little blog.  I hope you have a lovely time starting to decorate your homes and that you are beginning to enjoy the essence of the season.

J9 x

The wonderful Annette from My Rose Valley is having a fabulous giveaway - pop on over and take a look at her colourful and creative blog!

Today I'm linking up with these fabulous parties!

Happy Simple & Sweet Fridays

Home Sweet Home

A Return to Loveliness

Share your Cup Thursday
Sunny Simple Sunday
Thrifty Things Friday