Christmas in July

I know, I have written about this before on my blog, but in the States, it is a big thing to have "Christmas in July" sales and events. This is not the case in England, where people look at you, as if you are half mad to even mention such a thing. As school is shortly coming to a close for us (tomorrow is our last day, Yipee!), I thought this would be a good time to use a bit of the Summer break to begin working on a few Christmas/winter-y projects.

One, being my crocheted granny blanket, which I have yet to have the chance to begin, with all the craziness of school going on around us. But, also to possibly start a few Christmas projects early. Here were a few things I came across and I might just try to make some of these, or at the very least be inspired by them, especially the sock monkey coffee cup wrap, he has personality!

Do you begin your Christmas making projects early, or are you a last minute kinda gal (or guy)? Enjoy!

Now is a good time to start collecting vintage cookie cutters at thrift stores and yard sales. These "frames" would be gorgeous to have up all year round!

These mice would make perfect teacher's presents or classroom gifts. If you changed the colors they would even be cute for an Alice in Wonderland Themed Birthday Tea Party.

Want to make your own granny square blanket to stay cozy with when the weather turns frosty, go to Meet me at Mike's for a granny square tutorial.

This sock monkey coffee cup wrap is too cute. Perfect for your coffee lovers, any time of year.

(All images copyright their respective blogs)

A New Years Card

I have kept you guessing for the past few days and today I am finally revealing what my secret project was: a New Years postcard. Did you already deduce that? This past year, Christmas arrived in such a whirlwind and with everything that was going on in and around our lives, I had no time to send out my usual Christmas cards.  But, I was not going to feel guilty about that, I had a plan, and that was send out New Year's cards instead.

Well, New Year's Eve came and went and I began my mission, I was on the hunt for Happy New Years cards. I had absolutely no luck. What was I going to do, I thought? And, then I realized, I am from a very long line of creative and artistic people, why was I even looking for a pack of cards. I would simply create my own.

I decided, that instead of drawing one, or creating one through a paper or fabric medium, I would design one using Photoshop. I went through a series of ideas, as all creating processes take and I stumbled on one that I liked.

I used images from a vintage children's book and pieced different parts together to create my card. Using the background of one page, I removed items that I liked from others. Placing a little gnome in the corner and darkening his hat to a more Christmassy red. I put a glowing candle from the Christmas tree into his hand and placed a friendly woodland squirrel next to him.

Next, I placed "Happy New Years" on my card using pink and white as a highlighting color and the front was finished. Then, I moved on to the back, again using the same pink as on the front but with red as a highlighting color. After doing some more nerdy computer work, they were ready to upload. I have used a variety of printing services for different projects along the way, but this time I used MOO. They were a dream to work with!

Since, this was not going to be your normal "Christmas Card", I decided that I would send out postcards instead. After uploading my design, I got envelopes to put them in and even had the chance to design my own sticker book. Everything arrived in my postbox this past week and this weekend I got down to business and wrote them.

I had so much fun coming up with a design and seeing the final piece printed up and in my hands, I don't think I will go back, to buying cards again. So, look out, next Christmas I hope to be sending out cards designed by yours truly.

(Copyright, this design was created by Jennifer Michie and is not to be used without permission. All images property of Jennifer Michie)

Snow Milk

Well, I promise this will be my last Christmas related post, although I don't think snowmen are particularly related to Christmas, they exist with the snow and that, depending where you live could happen in any month!

I saw these on Bakerella's blog and I thought they were just the cutest idea! Don't you know if you came down to breakfast and saw him sitting at your place you would be delighted! I would be!

However, I would have to be unconventional with mine and have a brown snowman; I prefer chocolate milk with my doughnut holes! These are just so sweet, it would take me awhile to eat them, I don't think I could bear to touch them and ruin their adorableness!

To find out more about these "Milk Men" visit Bakerella's blog.

(Image: Bakerella)

Goose Girl & Foxy

I would like to introduce you to two very special people. I discovered them In The Art Cupboard, or they discovered me, we are still not sure which way it happened, but we are glad to have met. This is Goose Girl & Foxy. They have decided to leave the Cupboard for a little while and come and stay with me in my cottage.

Goose Girl & Foxy are very curious, I am not sure what they get up to when I am not at home. They decided to sit around the Christmas tree on Sunday and bask in the glow of Christmas lights. They begged me not to take it down, Foxy loves the glistening twinkle lights and the branches are the perfect canopy to sleep under. So, the tree will stay up a while longer.

They have agreed to travel with me when I go out and about.  I have the perfect pocket in my purse for them to travel in, in absolute style, of course! So watch out, Goose Girl & Foxy will be popping up here and there, you never know, they might get their own spot on my blog....

Follow that Star

Today is one of my most favourite days! It is Epiphany, the day of "Little Christmas", the last day of the 12 days of Christmas and most importantly the day the Wise Men arrived.

We were always given a little something to celebrate the day in my family.  One year, we received a big something: George Winston tickets to all go and see him as a family and what a night to remember that was! He walked onto the stage in blue jeans a plaid shirt and best of all: barefoot!

It has been such a crazy start up to the new school term that I do not have an Epiphany gift for Mr. Michie, so I think tonight on the way home, I will let him pick out a really yummy dessert with an I.O.U. for the weekend.

This last day of the season is one to treasure, and although your Christmas lights should come down after today, with all the rain and darkness here in England, I think mine will be staying up a little bit longer, because those twinkle lights just make me happy!

Thank You

Thank you all for your lovely comments and warm wishes to me over Christmas and the New Year.

I hope that you all enjoyed the holidays and created many happy memories to treasure in years to come! Your comments mean the world to me!

Warm wishes for a very happy New Year!

The Year in Review

As we review the year that has unfolded, I am thankful for things that have come to pass and I look forward to what will be.

A very safe and happy, New Year's Eve to you all!

(Image found on Flickr)

Snow, Snow, Snow, SNOW

Its snowing where I am today and I LOVE it! I feel like I am in a snow globe world!

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTM♥S

(Image: Christmastime in Pixieland, found on Flickr)

Santa Claus is on His Way...

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

I am going to bed extra early tonight and I will do my best to sleep if the excitement of tomorrow doesn't get to me first! I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas Eve. 

(Image from Christmas in the Country, by: Barbara Collyer & John R. Foley, 1950)

Hot, Hot, Hot Chocolate

The Polar Express was one of my favourite books growing up! My librarian in school read it to us one afternoon and I can still remember her speaking the words in her crisp little voice and then turning the book for us to see, the plastic covering crinkling as she bent the spine back and moved it in a sweeping motion across our eager faces, so we could all see the illustrations.

That afternoon, when my Mom came to pick me up, I climbed into the car and proceeded to tell her all about it. Well, elves must have been listening, because that Christmas, I received a beautiful hardback copy of the book under my Christmas tree, signed by Mr. C.

When the Polar Express movie came out a few years ago,  I couldn't wait to see it. It differs from the book in that they had to flesh the story out to make it a feature animation, but Mr. Michie and I just loved it. One of our favourite parts was this:



You can't watch this and not want to run to Paris to sip some of Angelina's rich hot chocolate with mountains of sweetened cream scooped on the top, well at least I can't watch it without desiring too!

Christmas Cards

Everyone, I have spoken with this year, has commented that Christmas has just come to fast. That, it has just suddenly appeared and there isn't enough time to get all the presents, do all the Christmas dinner shopping and even send out their annual cards.

I am ashamed to say that this year, I have fallen into one of the above stated categories. I am not sending out Christmas cards. We have had work taking place at our little cottage and the cards I bought are packed up in a box I can't get to. My new work schedule does not make it easy to get things done some days and Saturdays seem to be taken up by everything else, but what I actually want to do.

But, I am taking this in my stride. I have decided that I will be sending out "Happy New Year's" cards instead. I will design something myself and get them printed and then mailed out. It will be a little something to cheer the one's I love after Christmas has come and gone; a little gift in their postbox from me.

It is so easy to become overwhelmed this time of year with all that is going on around us. But, last year one of my dearest friends and yoga buddies, gave me a photocopied page out of a book, dealing with stress over the holidays. One, of the suggestions was that on Christmas Eve, or even the day before you pick a time that you are going to stop. And at that point, whether you have gotten everything done or not, you sit down, have a glass of eggnog and begin to enjoy what is in front of you. To take it all in, because, we all seem to work and work and then it is gone in the blink of an eye and during that time, did we even take a moment to catch our breath and enjoy it?

So, this year, I am not going to beat myself up over the fact that I have not bee able to send Christmas cards, I have come up with another solution and I am going to make sure that I take in all that the season has to offer, I hope that you do as well!

(Image found on Flickr)

Bringing the Outside In

It is always nice, but especially, at this time of year, to bring the outside, indoors. I can appreciate that it is not always easy for some of us. I live in a very tiny cottage and there is not always space to have what you want.

This idea, however, would work for anyone. I saw it on the lovely One Pearl Button Blog. Everyone has bits and bobs laying around the house they can use. It doesn't have to be an apothecary jar, it could be a giant old jam jar, or your Nana's favourite mixing bowl. It could be old plastic farmyard animals that are laying around, your children don't play with any more, instead of the cupcake toppers.

It is simply, just a little way to bring the outdoors in, to create a whimsical world and bring a smile to your face every time you see it!

Go to Alli's site for further information.

A Christmas Hat

Now, who doesn't want a Christmas hat that looks like this? What a hoot! In my Nana's Altar Society there is a very lovely woman, named Dottie, who always wears the most beautiful vintage hats.

My favourite is one she wears every year to church at Easter time, it is like an Esther Williams swimming cap. It sits close to her head and is covered in multicoloured flowers. I just bet, she would have had a hat like this in her collection!

(Image found on Flickr)

The Holly & The Ivy

 The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown

"The Holly & the Ivy" is one of my favorite Christmas Carols. Whether or not it is sung or simply instrumental.  I have kept my eyes peeled for ages to find a vintage Christmas brooch that I can wear on my Winter coat, but I haven't found the right thing yet.

In the meantime, I think I just might make one of these felt holly brooches that I found on Martha Stewart. The colors they have used combined with the trim give them a vintage 1950's air, with the peaches and golds and corals all beautifully on display.

I have some scraps of wool felt that would be just right and the perfect vintage icy blue velvet ribbon to use as a trim! This is going to be charming! Now, I just have to hunt down a few little baubles or berries or tinsel to tuck into it!

To make your own click here.

(Images copyright Martha Stewart)

A Little Pixie Dust

This little pixie elf is making me smile today. Hillary's blog always makes me smile. When I can get to my felt again, I want to try my hand at making a little version of her for myself.

I know she would cheer up any little place she rested and I bet she has plenty of pixie dust hidden up her sleeve for a little Christmas magic!

Be sure to check out Hillary's gorgeous website Wee Wonderfuls and book!

Peppermint Twist

I am longing to be crafting. I have a special little project that I need to finish before Christmas.

But with the cottage packed up at the moment, while some work is completed, I can't get to my sewing machine. In catching up with The Purl Bee,  I came across this:

What a fantastic idea it is! And, no sewing, so I can make it, if only I could get to my felt...

Click on the image below to learn how to make a candy cane garland for yourself.

A Gift from St. Nicholas

Yesterday, was St. Nicholas Day. Some of my most cherished childhood memories come from this day. We headed out into a very frosty wintery wonderlandy Monday morning to catch our bus to school. It was just too cold to be out, it was a morning to be snuggled in bed with hot chocolate and Christmas music, but off to work we went.

I headed up to my cupboard and once I dumped my stuff on my desk, I began to start taking down signs that were posted on Friday about classroom changes. As I walked out onto the landing of the back stairwell to remove my last sign, something flew up out of nowhere and perched on the ledge that leads out to the conservatory.

It was a fat little robin red breast. We chatted to each other for a few moments and with a little turn of his head he hopped along the ledge and disappeared through the elfin sized gap, where the new building meets the old and flew away.

Thank you, St. Nicholas, for you know how much I love British robins and how much more I wanted to be cozy in bed yesterday morning, that little present made me smile all day!

A Little Frosting

What could be better than real frosting piped high on a cupcake or swirled around the edges of your Nana's famous Marble Cake?

I think the next best thing could be this adorable set of frosting brushes from the lovely Sugar & Meringue! These would be perfect to decorate homemade labels for the Christmas cookies or other sweet treats you might be giving away to friends and family. Enjoy!

(Click on the image to go to her site, where you can download this set. Tag used in first image is a Pugly Pixel Freebie)

The Little Things

I opened my e-mail yesterday and a note from my adorable sister popped up. She had seen something and said to me that this looked like the kind of thing I put on my blog.

Well, I clicked on "The Little Things" and watched it and watched it again and she was right! I just love the polar bear! But, even more, I love her thoughtfulness! What did she send me? Just watch below:



I wish that polar bear would visit this week and tip a little box of snow on us, I could really use a comfy, cozy, hot chocolate drinking snow day!