Seasons Greetings

Snowy Weather...

Hello Bloggers,

Sorry it's been ages but I have been sooo busy.

Today is the last day of school before Christmas and snow was threatening yesterday evening, but nothing stuck.... until about 4am.

This was our garden at 8am.


Thankfully school was open as the kids wanted to bring all their Christmas stuff home (and I didn't want to miss my work Christmas lunch!)

So school closed early and hubby didn't fancy risking the long drive down the A14 so we are all safe home now

The snow is slowly disappearing but it also keeps falling and more is forecast.

In all seriousness I am crossing my fingers that it is all gone before Boxing Day so we can visit family at Christmas.

We Shall Remember Them

image from here

Dulce et Decorum Est


Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.

GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.--
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

I will never forget the bravery of those who fought and died for freedom and I will never let my daughter forget. We are proud to wear the Poppy in their honour and to honour the bravery of those still serving.

I first read the above poem during my GCSE English Literature studies, it brought tears to my eyes then and it does to this day.

Decorating...

I've spent most of half term redecorating C's room and it is finished at last!!

Before

During

After

As you can see, she has gone for a more "grown up" colour scheme of cream and gold, I love pink but hey - it's her room!

She loves it and so do I!

Sleepover Swap

After some delays (cars, families, work etc etc!) Sharon and I finally met up on Saturday to exchange our sleepover swap parcels.

We met here and it is a lovely place with a lot to see and do.

I made her a customised cross stitched note book



and gave her (but forgot to photograph) a pink CK-esque mug with different types of Hot Chocolate in, some choccies and a DVD of Charlies Angels.

She gave me this gorgeous pink drawstring bag


a lovely padded heart (For some reason I can't load this photo - sorry)

some popcorn (which has been eaten already!)

these lovely cake plates


some smellies and scented candles.



Thank you Sharon, you are very kind!!

Random Acts of Kindness...

A couple of weeks ago I asked the lovely Catherine of mollycupcakes to help me with a secret project.

Not only did she agree, but in one of our exchanges she sent me these lovelies - because "she saw them and thought of me"




Thank you sweetie - you are so kind (and thanks for the help ;-))

Christmas Stocking Swap

I've signed up to this run by Becki



My partner is Vicki - Hello Partner!!! :-)

Things are a bit chaotic in the Cake household at the moment as C is poorly - off school for the first time in 3 YEARS!!! and feeling very sorry for herself.

I've managed to make the Christmas cake(s) today but other than that am feeling a bit groggy (poorly child = very little sleep) and finding it difficult to focus on anything today.


I promise I will get my a*** into gear soon and normal service will be resumed shortly....

Wedding Cake

I'm sure I haven't told you this yet, so Mum and R are getting married next March!

It's all very exciting!

I am to be Matron of Honour, Sis will be Maid of Honour and C will be bridesmaid.

Dresses have been ordered, church and reception venue are booked and we are having great fun making lots of plans!!!

To that end, I am making the wedding cake and the first part has been done!

They have decided on a traditional fruit cake for one tier and then lots of cupcakes, so the fruit cake has been made and is now maturing nicely...



Lots more wedding news will follow so watch this space...

Car Booty

A few weeks ago on a sunny Saturday, I persuaded hubby to let us go to a local car boot sale.

I have to say I don't do this very often - usually it's too early in the morning but I thought it would be good!

And it was - I got some brilliant bargains


A beach hut shaped storage jar for my bathroom - 40p


2 Christmas plates - 50p the pair



A jar of glass pebbles - 50p



A lovely embroidered tablecloth - £2


2 embroidery frames - £1 for both

11 kids books - £1



6 books for me - £2


Result!!

300 post competition winner

Thank you to everyone who left a guess about the price of my lovely tea set.



The actual price was.................................................................................................

£5.95

What a bargain!!!

And Sharon was the closest with £6 so some goodies will be on their way to you soon Sharon!