Advent indeed....

 Dear Friend,

I am far more full of 'cold' than i am of Christmas Cheer this morning.

Never-the-less i am joyful! and replete with the excitement that Advent morning brings.

 And you are so right, of course!

To be gentle with oneself and not to keep demanding more. Put less expectation on 'what fabulousness needs to be achieved'... and to actually enjoy what fabulousness is already here.

 Memories!!

They are abundant and overflowing and the regularity of Christmas is so reassuring.

You are right, again, on every level.

I have done none of my shopping - none of my baking - none of my own making.

I care not a jot.

 The Angel Costume was hung up in the School Hall this morning with her name and class written boldy.

The Advent Santa was full on the advent surprises.

I have cocktails on Saturday Night with my local Girl Friends.

My dog thinks i am beautiful, even sat here in my tracksuit nursing the stinky cold.

And i can - just about - stomach my seething jealously of your Avent Elf  House for yet another year.

(they never made another as pretty and perfect as this)

Secretly you see, we instil the magic of Christmas into them, so they can keep it going for us when we run out of steam! Clever Mummies xxx have a Gluh Wein for me?

Something's Missing....

 Fresh, Fun, Holiday Faces :)

Giving it allll to the camera

 And the Boy is working his camera smile too !

(he was such a Good Boy on our Holidays...)

So much in my life is fantastic and wonderful right now **Go Me**

But, like those moments when you just 'NEED' a piece of chocolate,

There is something missing...

You know me, i need a new challenge - an adrenalin pump....

I feel the need to sign up to a Marathon, or swim the Channel...

HHhhmmmmm...

The Art of Tea, Manchester...

MsFish

and MrsB

Tea & Food

Happiness

Friendship x

Guess Where I've Been... tee,hee...

Hmmm, Twas the weekend before Christmas...

Where is that place that i'd most like to be?
Cupcakes, biscotti and vast pots of tea.... Where the ladies dress for dinner
and the food is divine...

Where the fairylights twinkle,

We toast our friendship with sparkly wine...

Yarn wreaths hanging on doors,

In bright Candy colours...

When it comes to Christmas details,

She outshines all others...

Popcorn on the tree,

Red and White decoration...

An Elven house, with chocolate for three!

Children's morning faces, shine with elation!

Shiny balls,

and hairy balls,

Stunning Photo opportunities for me...

I want to tell the world....

I've been with MrsB x

OK, so prose is not my strength... but the JOY - these photos... this house... this family.... this lady... i love her and she completely knows why.

And i present a few gorgeous details of my brief weekend at MrsB's - as a way of inviting all our creative friends and friendly blog family, to join in our Christmas party.

Grab a cupcake and pull over the teapot... Merry Christmas and "here's to friendship"

CHEERS! *and thankyou MrsB, mwah*

"O how i long to keep the world from narrowing in on me, and to look at things bigly and kindly"

Stop Press: i am not perfect. i have failings and sometimes, i too, get tired. If you are a Mother then you know that photo above. You know that feeling of wanting to "stop the world". It can narrow around you.

Things can seem kindlier after a glass of wine but there is no truth in the bottom of that bottle.

How to view the world "bigly" without becoming overwhelmed??

Stop Press: i am not perfect, and i don't apologise.

p.s. i adore that title quote from William Morris x

Pretty Bracelet... "Five for Silver"

It's a long-ish story, but i met Billie and Jan last Christmas at a Craft Fair... Billie is so lovely, you meet her and feel like you've been her friend for decades. Jan is envy makingly beautiful. They have been friends since the beginning of time....
Their husbands run a silver business supplying the jewelery trade and Billie and Jan design silver charms that their husbands then cast for them at their place of work.
Last month i did a sale "At Home with Five for Silver and Friends" type of thing and i FINALLY bought myself one of their bracelets.... It is easier at a House Party because you can sit down with them and basically design the bracelet you want. There are so many varieties: This Bobble stretch bracelet was a bit of one off but they do chain charm bracelets and "Links" style ones.... and, once you've chosen the basic bracelet you want, you can add charms onto it from their huge selection...

This totally appeals to me as i LURVE silver and love charm bracelets.
I chose this GingerMan first to celebrate my GingerMan Xmas Decoration on SnowFish - it is one of theeee most favourite things of mine that i love to make and sell.

Then i added this green ceramic heart which is so pretty. Not at all precious but lots of fun and i can always change it / swap it if i feel like it in the future.

And THEN..... this silver BUTTON! Totally me :) my obsession with buttons solidified in silver. Joy of Joys.

It wasn't a cheap bracelet - but i wanted something quality that will last and that i can add to and change when the mood takes me. Worth every pretty penny.

I am looking forward to meeting up with them again near Christmas and finding a stunning necklace that i can maybe add silver buttons to also!?

This is their ONLINE shop: Five for Silver and this is their (empty) etsy space. If you live near Leamington Spa - fix a date to go round to Jan's if you want one too!

LOVING Emma Bridgewater....

Aaaaaahhhh - Love, love, Loving Emma Bridgewater right now, with a capital L!
On Tuesday, I drove my Mum and I up to Stoke-on-Trent which is about 2 hours from us! (not an easy drive but worth it)
I liked Emma B's stuff before but didn't own any.
Now, after a day with 'Emma', i just luffs her ..... We started with a cup of coffee and a cake in the cafe.... i know it sounds dumb but they use the EmmaB plates and mugs and napkins even in their cafe... i don't know why i thought they wouldn't??
Then we had a tour of the factory.
There were only 8 of us in the tour so it was long and we got to ask lots of questions.

The lovely gentleman above is throwing plates. I did have a little go myself! Well, you know me, they asked for a volunteer and i love to get involved...
The plate i threw is actually being used and is probably already fired! To *think* somebody, somewhere, will be eating out of an EmmaB bowl that i threw.

This lady is smoothing over all the 'seams' in the clay that happen when they come out of the moulds. Making it all nice and smooth. Every stage of the EmmaB pottery process is done by hand, here in England. You wouldn't believe how many items they can get done in one day!!

Birdie Egg cups - this load has been through it's first firing in the kiln. They will get glazed and then go through again. If the pattern is from a 'decal' (transfer) rather than hand painted then they go through the kiln a third time before they are ready for sale...... just *think* of their energy bills!? whoa!

Trolleys full of mugs - mainly the Robin design here. These are waiting outside the 'checking' area where the products are all 'fault checked' x they looked sooooo colourful all in rows.

Now, this man above is dipping plates in glaze. They have been fired and are now getting their first glaze before their 'decals' and their second glazing. He was so damn fast, it made you *wow*.

The yellow here is from using the 'decal' and will fire off in the third kiln process. You wouldn't believe how labour intensive each piece is.

I loved asking all the questions. I loved seeing each stage. I loved how friendly they were and how long some of them have been working at EmmaB!

After the tour we went back to the cafe / shop / pottery studio>>>>>>>

This was a trip i was organising for me and my mum - she turned 60 this year and we did have a big party but also, many friends and family have organised trips, holidays and surprises for her throughout the year. THIS day was my contribution.

Lots of yummy stock in the shop! Naturally all the additional products are sourced out to other companies and abroad for production. You can't blame them? It's bloo*y amazing they get to even produce their pottery in the UK anymore.

My glamourous Mother, painting her very own mug in celebration of her 60th year. She was nervous as she isn't confident with things like this - but her mug look ace>>>>>>

Obviously this is PRE-fired. We get our items back in a week or two via post.

I was making a mini-jug with just masses of hearts and spots and 'stuff' on..... well, I am not 'known' for my minimalism am i friends!? haha x I promise to show you the finished piece on its return.

And I MUST introduce Paul and Tracy below>>>>

No, i 'must' because i promised them i would! ***HELLO*** and we have them to thank for such a wonderful afternoon of coffee, cake, sandwiches and pottery painting tips. "You made it great fun guys!" x

It all seemed to end toooooo soon. So we had a quick chance to buy one or two EmmaB bits from the shop before having to hit the motorway to get home for the child.

I ADORE the new patriotic range with it's red and blue bunting (yippeeee!) and hand stamped union jacks. So i bought this hUge mug for my morning tea x

And i also bought this lovely tin and it says 'Truly Great'.

And we did have a 'Truly Great' time.

And i would recommend it to anyone.

And, right now, I am LOVING Emma Bridgewater X X X

(i'm off to write her a letter, to tell her much i love her and stuff. Sad? or Mad? x)

n.b....

P.s..... crazy people from the UK 'scene' (MrsB x) have been snapping up the cool new badges and lots of the yummy fabric! It makes me happy and proud x

Thanks guys and thankyou FOLKSY where the UK handmade ladies have been shopping...

Biggest of snogs, you know who you are....