Christmas Eve! and tree trimming part 2

Happy Christmas Everyone.............

'Its Christmas eve and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse'.......

Its Christmas eve and I am in the middle of the normal last minute placing of tags on gifts, finding the presents I have hidden around the house and trying to find something good to watch on tv. All our Christmas food is out and chestnuts are roasting in the oven...... I wanted to take this moment to show you the rest of my Christmas tree decorations and thank you all for your lovely comments on my parents tree.....

Last night I captured the view of my living room from where I was sitting, I always sit in the same corner of the sofa so enjoying this cozy view.......

I had been planning to decorate my tree for a few days but my gas fire broke down and had to be cleaned, I was worried soot would go everywhere so delayed the tree trimming. A week before I went on a shopping trip to B&Q where I bought lots of new baubles...... I wanted to create a simple country cottage effect, so I didn't use many of our old vintage baubles. That is my mums woolly hat next to 'Toffee' the bear....... he lives in the corner of the chair and as you can see watched over the whole proceedings.......

I tried to pick items that looked good together, I especially like the woody aspect, it reminds me of a log cabin somewhere with tartan blankets and hot cocoa! The little robin and deer baubles have a stitch effect, I was hoping to make some fabric decorations like them, I ran out of time maybe next year.....

'The stockings were hung by the fire with care in the hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there'.....

I just love the cozy atmosphere the tree creates, It will look very bare after christmas, although I keep the lighted twigs all year..... I kind of achieved the look I was going for, I am extremely pleased with the tree, I would of liked to add a few more decorations to the rest of the room, I had planned to make some primitive gingerbread, but I am happy to gather and create the decorations over the years.......

This is one of my new favourites, a chocolate glass bauble with gold glitter........ simple and elegant

I thought it would look nice if I kept the decorations to a few colour tones. Silver,gold cream and woodsy. The heart in this photo is quite lovely, I think it will be one of those baubles you keep safe and always treasure. It is porcelain with small crystals, I bought two.............and they are my favourite!

I quite like rustic/primitive items and this little snowman is so cute don't you think? He looks like hes made of wood but hes made of a resin, quite effective though........Gold glitter reindeer, I had to have a few sparkly items on the tree, woodsy is fine but a girl needs some glitter too!

In the woody collection I got these open wrapped baubles, the same idea but shaped as bells, and glittered cones.......

Although this photo was taken before the baubles were added, I wanted to show you this one as it shows the beautiful glow of the lights. Although I do love coloured lights on my parents tree, in my house the white lights do look so pretty! Its nice to have the best of both worlds, old traditional family cozy colour and the simple elegance of clear.......

I have been writing this between wrapping presents and now christmas Eve is coming to an end!

I hope you have a warm and happy Christmas Day............... Wishing you all the very best for the New Year,

Blessings to all

Priscilla x

Christmas Tree Decorating Part 1.....And Nice Matters Award

On the 10th December it was my 29th Birthday and as always a few days before we put up our Christmas tree and decorations. This year I have two trees to decorate, my own and my parents. Every year my mum and myself decorate the Christmas tree, it is a tradition I really enjoy especially as years go by I have a new fondness for the vintage baubles in our familiar box of decorations. I am so pleased that through my blog I get to talk about our traditions and decorations, as it is something I hold very dear in my memories. This year I thought I would take a few photographs of our favourites to share with you all as I know many of you also enjoy the beauty of vintage items...........

This year we are decorating a new tree, we loved our old one but thought it time for a change. The new tree is a Canadian spruce, tipped white at the tips and adorned with red berries. The post man sent me two trees when I only ordered one, so my parents now have a new tree also!

The first job in the proceedings................. bring down the box of tree decorations, I have been placing many of these baubles on the tree since I was a child, most of them are from the 60s-70s.
Here are a few close up shots, the gold glass bauble in the centre is one of my mums favourites, I remember it receiving pride of place on the tree!

These pink glass baubles were treated with such care, As a child I always knew which items were precious! Most were delicately wrapped in tissue paper, or carefully placed back in their box until another year..........

Here are another set that are going on my parents tree this year, my mum bought them in the 70s. The baubles are frosted white with pale lilac, and the others are frosted with white glitter. I never really noticed until recently just how beautiful these baubles are...........

A few of our Favourites

And this red one? My Favourite bauble! Every year I would place this glass and fabric bauble on the centre of our christmas tree............ I think it used to drive my family crazy, as I look at it now it is so plain in comparison to others we own.........but it was always special and I gave this one pride of place. As I was decorating my parents tree I was wondering If should take it with me to my new home.....but decided its place is where it has always been, although this year not at the front of the tree! ha,ha

Doesn't this clear reindeer look lovely amongst the new tree? His antlers, tail and collar are glittered, again another that lived in tissue paper!

Little Robin Red Breast has also had a place in our home a long time, he now looks right at home in this new tree,
I d like to show you my new collection of glass figures from Thomas Pacconi, I am a huge fan of qvc the shopping channel that's where these came from. My mum gave me this new set from his range, they are miniature figures and baubles. I really like Thomas Pacconi items, they are very similar in style to Christopher Radko............ They come in a gorgeous wooden crate, with a certificate and plastic to shoe you where each figure lives.

They are hand blown and hand painted, I think they are just very sweet, I will have them a long time.............

The christmas tree is almost finished, just needs another string of beads to place around the top. I think it looks cozy with colour lights and I know white lights are sophisticated, and I do love them.....but sometimes you just need a little bit of colour! This is my mum and dads tree, I will be showing some photos soon of my tree and decorations, I have gone for a more woodsy look..........

I wanted to say thank you to Linda at 'Somewhere In Time' for awarding me with the 'nice matters' award, I am truly honored. I can not imagine what I did without my blog and all you inspirational ladies, What a lovely award to receive! Nice does matter and I will be passing this wonderful award along soon. Thank you again Linda, you are a lovely lady and I enjoy reading your blog also ..........

Love

Priscilla x

Christmas Cake......Church Fair

December the 1st.........

This morning I took the cake I decorated to the church hall for tomorrows Christmas Fair............ As I mentioned in previous posts I was asked to decorate the cake for the 'Guess the weight of the cake'. I am new to the church dramatic society and was very flattered to be asked. The lady who baked the cake named Joan gave me the cake Thursday night! I must say I thought I was going to have a little longer to decorate.........ha,ha

Originally I was going to decorate with Santa's washing line, hat , socks etc. Then on thinking about it decided that a more traditional look would suit the occasion. On my last post I talked about a Christmas tea cup that I love, I thought the Christmas rose design would look lovely in sugar flowers

Here are some photos of the cake been decorated..........

On Friday morning I gathered my decorating equipment and started on the flowers for the cake, with the china saucer as a design guide! I use metal or plastic cutters to cut the shapes but cardboard templates can be used and cut out using a knife. The petals and holly are on florist wires. I didn't own a holly cutter so it was a nice excuse to buy one! ha,ha

The yellow tools are used to shape the petals, the paint brush is.......A rolling pin! The berries were fun to make, there is just something wonderful about red berries and green holly............. such a traditional Christmas image. The white paste is ready to make the petals for the rose.

Once all the petals and holly were made I dusted them using powder food colours, this part of making flowers is the most rewarding, once colour is added the shapes begin to come to life. By this point it was the middle of the afternoon, my mum stopped by bringing with her a very appreciated iced bun and doughnut! We had tea then she spent the afternoon with me as I carried on working.......... This allowed mum to take control of the camera!

As I began to wire

the spray together

mum snapped a few

photos,

Florist tape has been

used to tape the

wires together.

Please don't mind the

mess on my table I

always feel I need every

item I own right there

next to me! ha,ha

The spray began to come together, it was about 4.00pm, my how time flys when your having fun..... and how I wished Joan had given the cake to me Monday like planned! I still had the cake to marzipan and cover with sugar paste, add ribbon and place the spray on the cake.........

Now too many holes in a cake leads to a lumpy cake! So what to do? Fill the holes with marzipan until it looks like a foreign cheese!

Here is the completed cake once the marzipan and sugar paste have been added, I finished the cake at 10.30pm Friday night. I am pleased with the way the cake turned out, I hope we get some good ticket sales at the fair, Ill let you know how it all goes!

I arrived at the church this morning and helped with the toy/book stall, there were some really nice things, I nearly bought some vintage tree baubles! there will also be a Santa's grotto, cookie/cake stall, brick-a-brack and a tombola. It was a great morning, I am looking after the weight of the cake and book stall.

I can tell you the cake now weighs.............6lb 9oz

Shhhhh don't tell anyone! .........

Happy December 1st, see you again soon

Priscilla x

Whats On Your Coffee Table?...join me in tea and cake decorating

As I have been surfing around blogland recently I came upon many ladies displaying their coffee tables for all to see! Cindy over at My Romantic Home began the idea and she has some wonderful things on her coffee table...... Its been a good while since I last posted and thought I would take part...........

When I moved into my new home, one of the main things I wanted was a coffee table.......the main reason for this was a gift given to me by my grandma. A Yankee Candle tea light holder and Tart Burner. I work as cake decorator and love any items with a food, tea, cookie theme! I adore this gift and thought it would look lovely on a coffee table. I have only just added this to the table for Christmas as it did not suit the fall displays.


Each little cake is a tea light holder, they remove from the black stand. Strawberry scented tea-lights came with the pack, they were so sweet and juicy smelling! Yankee candles are very true to life! They have now gone and I am currently using a Christmas Cookie Tart Melt in the burner............. Pure cookie goodness!

This little tea cup is really something special. This china cup was given to me from an elderly gentleman I know, he knew I was moving house and gave it to my grandma to give to me as a gift. Fred knew I like tea themes, and told me this cup has been in his house a long time, it used to belong his wife who died ten year ago. It has the beautiful Christmas rose decorating it, which is extra special as I just love christmas........ I find the set very beautiful, I have been waiting for a time to share it with you..........


Also gracing my coffee table are magazines.............. I have a habit of collecting any I can! I keep them all over the house and I am known to keep a huge stack of cake decorating magazines next to my sofa, bed side table, and coffee table! At the moment I am having a ball as all the food stores are giving away their free Christmas monthly 'store magazine' I have to say some of the free magazines sometimes have better content than bought ones........ The one in the photo is from good house keeping I decided to treat myself, its quite good, some nice recipes and decorating ideas.




The magazine in this photo is 'Cake Decoration and Sugarcraft', I have been collecting them since 2001. I try to get the Holiday editions and usually get the monthly also. I love browsing through this magazine, lots of ideas, recipes, competitions.
Christmas Cake!



I have been asked to decorate a Christmas cake for my local church Christmas fayre 'Guess the weight of the cake'. I am looking forward to getting creative for a good cause, I also belong to the church amateur dramatic society and its through them I was asked to do the cake.


I will be browsing through many more magazines and will take photos of the cake as I am making the decorations and decorating it, at the moment I am collecting ideas. I am liking the idea of Santa's washing line, stockings, Santa hat, and his red jacket, a Christmas ribbon around the cake and tiny icing snowflakes dotted on the cake............ The fayre is on the 1st December so I will be here very soon with how to decorate.......

Have a wonderful week, see you again soon

Priscilla x

Bonfire Night...and Goodies In The Post!

' Remember Remember The Fifth Of November
Gun-powder, Treason and Plot'

Halloween is all over and all the excitement that surrounds it had died away.....However it is never long to the fifth of November when once again the streets are filled with the sounds of bangs and whistles and the night sky is filled with brilliant colours.......

'Bonfire Night' or 'Guy Fawkes Night'

Usually on this night my family and myself get wrapped up against the cold, dad takes our fireworks to the bottom of the garden, whilst mum and myself watch in the kitchen door way as dad lights the tapers to the fireworks. We all watch in awe as the rockets, spinners, and other bright packages shoot off into the the sky! We enjoy pie and mushy peas,home made parkin (ginger cake), marshmallows, chestnuts........Although this bonfire night we had made no plans, no fireworks and dad was working late. Mum and myself went to do our normal weekly food shop and bought a toffee apple, and some chestnuts that we planned to roast over a fire at the weekend.......

Then at about 8.00 pm we looked out the kitchen window to see a neighbours house behind ours letting of amazing fireworks! It was a freezing cold night so we watched the distant display from the warmth of the kitchen....... Mum told me a story of how she had once tried to roast chestnuts in the oven but had forgot to pierce them! As she opened the oven door they bust out and shell went everywhere, including on my mum........ Usually we roast them outside in an old drum......where my dad always takes position as the chestnut chef! ha,ha
So we decided we would have another go.... they turned out perfect, even better than in the fire, but we wont tell dad. Ha,ha Mum made sure she pierced the shells this year, and we added sausage rolls to the night.

It was a really wonderful evening and none of it planned......sometimes it just happens that way.

Halloween Goodies In the Post!

I wanted to share with you some goodies I received through the post before Halloween from my good friend Linda over at Somewhere In Time . I was visiting this wonderful blog when I noticed Linda had some photos of Candy Corn, as we began talking Linda offered to send me some as I have always wanted to try it, and can not get it here in the uk. I was totally thrilled as I opened the package to find other sweet goodies in there also! Sugar babies are very yum, sweet and chewy. The boxed candy was licorice, a very similar candy to one in the uk called Licorice torpedoes, I enjoyed them all very much! It was lovely to try candy I had never seen let alone tasted, I wanted to keep the candy corn around a while just to look at it! ha,ha..............but alas this little candy is quite addictive! My family enjoyed it with me too,

Linda also sent these cute Halloween socks! and this sweet little Halloween card as I love vintage Halloween items. I cannot express how overjoyed I was with this surprise parcel.......... thank you again Linda. I am pleased through our blogs we have the chance to meet many wonderful people, to share our interests and our friendship ......

I was hoping to update you on the play Arsenic and old Lace that I appeared in, Although I have only one photo of me in the the play! so I am going to see if I can get my hands on some more photos before I post. Hopefully I can post them very soon.......

I hope you all have a wonderful week,
Bye for now
Priscilla x

Happy Halloween......come on in! Join the Party

A house with a Pumpkin counjures such a scare!..........Do you really wish to know who lives inside there?

Come on In, mind the cat, the nights stll young, so take of your hat.............

Hello my Pretties, i'll be your guide, dont be afraid, step right on inside.

A candle I carry to light the way

Have a good time........ I do hope you stay!

The house has been 'waiting' as I expect you know.........To celebrate Halloween and bask in its glow.

Make yourselves comfy, take a look around, don't be scared by the sights and sounds!

Trick or treat I hear you say,now let me see what I have hidden away......

A piece of cake or a pumpkin Patch?

No, No you stay seated i'll be back in a dash

Please won't you stay seated the night is not yet through,

I have many a spooky tale I wish to share with you...........

W IS FOR WITCH
I met a wizened woman As I walked on the heath, She had an old black bonnet Her small eyes peeped beneath, Her garments were so shabby She couldn't have been rich, She hobbled with a crutchstick, And I knew she was a Witch.

She peered at me so slyly It made my heart feel queer, She mumbled as she passed me, But what couldn't hear. I smiled at her for answer And wished her a good day She nodded and she chuckled And she hobbled on her way.

And so I got home safely. I didn't drop the eggs, My nose had grown no longer, My legs were still my legs, I didn't lose my penny 0rtumble in a ditch - So mind you smile and say 'Good Day' When you meet a witch.

ELEANOR FARJEON

This halloween party is almost over, the candles are growing dim,

All the ghouls are leaving,

But oh, there's just one more thing.............

I wish you all a very safe and Happy Halloween............

'Best Witches'

Priscilla xxx