Bye Bye 2021 Hello 2022

 

Happy New Year to all my blogging chums. Hope you have a good time tonight seeing the old year off.

Looking forward to sharing more with you all in 2022. I'm hoping it's gonna be a BIG year.

Recycling Christmas - Waste Not Want Not

 I have to say I'm pretty glad Christmas is over and done with, yes I know, bah humbug and all that. I just haven't been able to feel the cheer this year, or last to be honest. Next year I think the Mr and I should either go away somewhere or have a good few family members to ours. That I hope will make for a jollier time. 

I took my decorations down today and it feels great. My Christmas cards are going to a friend who makes gift tags from old cards and sells them for charity. Our tree will be recycled, and used as garden mulch.

Morgana helping me pack away the decorations

I have kept my Christmas stamps this year as they can help charities raise money. Country Living magazine recently gave details of all the charities raising funds from stamps and other things.

I have decided to collect to help Hedgehogs. I also have a few other things on this list which I'm happy to send.

I'm also collecting ends of candles and unused wax bits and bobs, to give to a new local business that is just starting up, making new candles from old. I have quite a bit already collected because it galls me to see a ton of wax left in candle jars and so I had been digging it all out with a mind to do something similar myself. Giving to a new business is even better.

I also recycled the turkey today and made a delicious soup. Using up the itty bitty pieces of turkey, very sad droopy spring onions, parsnips that were just starting to crinkle, slighty soft celery, good crisp onion and carrot. Oh and a couple of handfuls of small pasta shapes. Are you like me and often have a small amount of pasta shapes left in the bag? I've put them to good use today.

It doesn't look that lush but trust me it was very tasty and nourishing. It will stretch for another meal tomorrow night with a cheese board and crusty bread. 

Christmas Day 2021

 

Christmas at Chatsworth

Merry Christmas One & All

 

I wish the very best to all of my blogging chums. I feel sure we're all hoping 2022 will be kinder.

And I do hope Santa brings you a little something to make you smile, that is of course if you're not on the naughty list.

The Charles Paris Mystery Series

 If you're planning on travelling this season to meet with friends or family and your journey is quite a long one, can I recommend listening to The Charles Paris mystery series starring Bill Nighy. There have been quite a few series so far and we always listen to them when we're travelling. They are funny, clever and they make the time fly past. The Mr somehow manages to download them so we can listen in the car, on demand. If you're tech savvy, which I am clearly not, you should be able to do this. I have added a link here which I hope you will be able to access to get a flavour of the character Bill plays.

And most randomly here's a very sweet image I just had to share.

from www.wherethewildis.co.uk.

Solstice Blessings

 

This beautiful image from the very talented and intuitive Wendy at Painted Dreams.

Found It

 

This is the cheery little Christmas film I misplaced, but hurrah I have found it. 

Calling all Bloomsbury Fans

Many moons ago I worked at a most remakable place, Charleston Farmhouse. My time there was very special as I worked with a team of folk who were all fabulous in their own way. One of my old muccas was Darren Clarke, here he is talking about the new loans the house has received. The farmhouse used to close for the Winter but now remains open, so if you find yourself in East Sussex anytime soon it's a wonderful place to visit.

For friends more local to me, I understand there is a Beyond Bloomsbury exhibition on at The Millennium Gallery in Sheffield until February13th.

Colourful Kitchen

 

Having decided I would go ahead and re-paint the kitchen cupboards I toyed with a few colour combos. I knew I was definitely going to use Annie Sloan chalk paint as it is so easy to use and has a great finish, especially after two coats of matt clear varnish, courtesy of Wilko. Better I think than waxing. 

The cupboards were previously painted with Little Greene paints in neutral colours, and the dresser in an olive green, but I have to say I was not impressed with the coverage nor longevity. Although I decided not to over paint the top of the dresser, to create a bit more interest.

The two samples above were Scandinavian Pink and Antibes Green. The green in reality was a bit too urgent for me. So after some more sampling I went for Tilton and Primer Red. I adore the richness of the Prime Red. you may have spotted the same colour on my bedroom chest of drawers.

It's lovely to have it all finished, which means I can now concentrate on my somewhat strange crochet housecoat. I'm becoming increasingly keen to finish it what with the chilly weather an all. Talking of slightly 'odd' knitwear have you all discovered Tom Daley's new crochet/knit site? It's fab but a wee bit bonkers, click here to take a squiz.

Keep safe and warm till next time.

This and That

 The Mr has been outside in the hellish weather doing important things in the garden, there are always important things to do in the garden, of course. I was inside busy varnishing my welsh dresser, like you do, when he called me, very excited. He had spotted a Hedgehog, (or Hogwodge as my dear friend Linda used to call them), ambling along, it's only the second one he has ever seen in his life! Such a shame the little film he took didn't turn out so well. 

image from Zazzle.

I am slowly getting more in the Christmas mood, I hope you all are too dear chums. After spotting Sue's socky delight advent calendar, I rushed to get one, I needed some new socks and these are super nice and really quite a good price. Sadly out of stock on line now, but I managed to track down a box at a local store. Hurrah.

I did have a super cute Christmas film featuring felted animals, that I had hoped to share, which I have somehow managed to delete, yes, yes, I know I'm too tidy. So instead I'll leave you with a slightly disturbing  article about strange Christmas cards. Possibly best filed under 'better not send'.