These are all your Christmas presents. Where shall I send them?! Shameless excuse to use one of my lovely Prima photos really!So it's the festive season. And the only shop I've been in other than my local hardware store and butchers is Hobbycraft. I don't even usually go there, but I was passing, in need of felt, and sometimes needs must.
This Christmas, because I've not done ANY Christmas shopping (two presents were purchased with actual money some time ago for my better half and daughter - I can't crochet new walking boots to replace the old ones what have died) I feel decidedly smug. And relaxed.
Alright, I have been up until 04.30 the last three nights on the trot making things last minute, but that's my own silly fault for not being as organised as I could be and for taking on a pair of additional projects as requested by my lovely sister at this time of year. I could and should've said "certainly, it'll be in the new year though" but as usual I totally underestimated the amount of time everything else would take. I learned a lesson off of Kevin McLoud (Grand Designs), he said that when building a house or undertaking massive renovations, set your realistic budget, then double it. Then set a realistic TIME budget, and treble it. You're more likely to be only slightly over budget then. I'm starting to realise that all these things I make, do and mend are mini house renovations in their own rights.
But it really is a total revelation. I've been no where near a town centre, out of town shopping centre or any other dreadful haven of unnecessary and thoughtless present acquiring, and it's totally changed my attitude to the festivities. I used to love Christmas, you see, but the last probably even as many as ten years, I've grown more and more disillusioned by it and more and more like my Father - the ultimate in "bah humbug". But this year, I'm loving driving around doing my job in the nights, in the frost and snow, looking at everyone's pretty lights and enjoying the real Christmas spirit.
What I don't love is that D(readful) F(urniture) S(uppliers) and other such horrendous poor quality sofas designed for disposability and with no regard for environmental impact (don't get me started!) have taken OFF the Christmas adverts that they've been running since October instead advertising their "Pre Christmas January sale". For goodness sake, trying to catch a programme or two and getting assaulted by the advertising people at every turn.
After my weekend working last week and numerous complaints (granted mostly from me) about the strong but low winter sun blinding the family in our south facing living room, and taking inspiration from the lovely Danielle Proud's book "House Proud", I decided to make a lovely blind for my living room. I cunningly uses one of my good friend Marie's old bed sheets again, well two actually, one for the main body, and one for the lining, a piece of left over faux suede from my re-upholstering of my sofa bed, and some gorgeous peacock feathers bought for me a while ago by my Step-Mum. I adore peacock feathers, I have a little sort of flower display of them, so I pinched three and turned them into a blind.
It took me a day, but I'm thrilled with the result, and it's beautifully finished (if I do say so myself), highly functional and really, really pretty.
Well, I didn't think today's blog would turn into a rant, but hey, it's been a while!
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