Where are thou Mother Christmas,
I really wish I knew,
Why Father should get all the praise,
And no one mentions you.
I bet you buy the presents,
And wrap them large and small,
While all the time
The dirty swine pretends
Hes done it all.
So hail to Mother Christmas,
The uncomplaining slave.
And down with Father Christmas,
The good-for-nothing knave.
                                                                  ~Roald Dahl

Hello all my blogger friends, this evening I started putting up the Christmas tree and decorations. I was busy taking everything out and putting it up around the sitting room, and then I went to look in the box to get the remainder of the decorations and there was my wee cat Suki sitting in the box, talk about making yourself at home! She was rather comfy and liked the decorations.

So as Suki relaxed I got to work, I have nearly all the decorations up but there are a few that I want to finish tomorrow. Here are a few of the decorations in the sitting room. Here is the crib/nativity, my dad made the frame out of wood and I added the bark and mosses last year, its amazing how well they kept, isn't it, I will add some more moss, holly and ivy tomorrow.

Some santas and snowmen from over the television

The top of the crystal cabinet

Some decorations from the mantle piece

Some more wee decorations and cards

And here is my tree, I want to hide the wires underneath but I will get around to it Tuesday evening

Here is one of my favourite decorations.

I also made these two very quick decorations today made from green and red ribbon, cutting from old christmas card and pine cone.

I have my pine cones dried off a little as they were soaking wet, have you many ideas of what I could do with them???

I was thinking of incorporating them into my garland, any other ideas from ye all are very welcome. I hope ye are all getting into the festive spirit, I will wrap my presents sometime this week too and put them under the tree, it looks like I have lots of presents then :) Have you put your tree up yet? I know some of ye have as I have seen it on your blogs. Christmas blessings...

Since creating my blog I have got so much inspiration from each and everyone of my blogger friends. It inspired me to start doing some crafting and I have completed two cross stitch patterns and a rug. I am hoping to make a christmas garland next week as I have collected some pine cones for it. I have started to draw and sketch again, these are all things I loved but with work and uni I never made the time to do them. So now I have started to re-visit my creative side. As I don't have a sewing machine, you could almost say I don't know how to sew as I havent used one since I was in secondary school. I want to make so many things I have seen on other blogs, I want to learn to crochet, make some greeting cards, redecorate old furniture, my list goes on and on. You have probably already seen some of my cross stitch and other projects on my blog but for those of you who havent here they are;

I have a few more cross stitch patterns to start but as I have been busy lately I have to get around to them yet. So the projects I have completed so far were easy enough to do as they were projects which I received as gifts. I hope to buy a small/mini sewing machine after Christmas in the sales. Then I want to make some of my own crafts from old material. I have lots of ideas from all your blogs. I have also come across some wonderful crafts from other websites, magazines and even shops, here are just a few of them. I am sorry as I do not have all the links to these projects but some of them are from Prima and Hobbycraft

Some lovely simple bags for shopping should be simple enough to make!

How cute are these teddy bears, I want one! A bit more difficult perhaps.

A more advanced pretty cushion, I might leave this to the more expert crafters.  I can just see it on my bed

Now these look pretty simple & they can be filled with lavendar too as Crafty Mermaid did with her christmas presents. Oh a Mermaids Purse will like the blue and white one with Sweet Pea on the front :)

Now this wee owl I would really like to start on.Oout window shopping recently I saw it in Monsoon Accessorize & thought it looked quite simple to make :) Isn't it sweet!

A simple heart cushion from Prima

This is a truly beautiful idea check it out at Prima

Paper Dove from Hobbycraft all we need is white paper & feathers, even the kids can do it! So I might start here :)

More ideas from Hobbycraft Non-sew bunting which I can make once I get some material

This cat is just adorable and its from Hobbycraft too which has so many lovely ideas and products

These are just a few of the hundreds of ideas I have come across, I want to make one of everything I see but firstly I will have to get a sewing machine and nice material (cheap of course). But for now I will make the Dove with Feathers and try my Christmas Garland. If you have any nice simple projects I'd love to check them out. I'm sure some of you have made all these before, others may get some inspiration from these projects and websites, but whatever you do enjoy yourself making your crafts :)

I had a quiet weekend yet again, I was learning to identify wetland birds so now I know the difference between Mute Swans, Whooper Swans and Bewick's Swans. I also have learned 5 different Geese and a few Ducks so I have a good many more to go, I have sketched each of them to aid in their identification. I have yet to see some of these birds but as I am going to volunteer to do some wetland bird surveys I need to know what Im going be looking out for- haha it would help wouldn't it!!! Anyways enough about those birds, here are a few blurry photographs of garden birds I spotted out the window this morning when I was having breakfast. There were some Goldfinch, Robins and some Blue Tits I think thats what they were anyway. They are blurry as I have a very unsteady hand and I took them through the window so I wouldn't disturb them. Hope you like my new feathered friends :)

I have just received a lovely Circle of Friends Award from Karen (Kazzy) at a Mermaids Purse, her blog is so pretty with lots of adorable stuff from her home and family. She is very creative and make sure you check out her beautiful drawings.

Ok so now I have to list my  'Five fav things i like doing'and then pass it on to five blogging friends so here goes

No. 1 Drinking tea in front of the fire on a cold dark night;
No. 2 Receiving gifts of any sort;
No. 3 Spending time with my wonderful boyfriend;
No. 4 Spotting some wildlife;
No. 5 Exploring the interior of houses be it old or new.

My list could go on and on forever as there are so many things I like to do, so what do you like to do?

I have decided to pass this award onto five of my blog friends, check out their blogs;

Monika from Monichen R who is blogging from Ireland
Gosia from Pick and Post who is from Poland
Gwendolyn from Hydrangea Heaven who is from the United States
Mummy Boo Bear from Stitchery Pokery who is from the United Kingdom
Glenda from Serendipity Cottage who is also from the United States

So there are five bloggers from my circle of friends, why don't you all visit each other :)

And here is my saying for the day;

Friendships are like flowers
That brighten your day
With fragrance and beauty
To share on life's way.

So treat them like flowers
From the gardener above,
Weed them with mercy
And water them with love.