Christmas lights

I love this:

A snowy adventure

For the last few weeks I've been hearing news reports about the heavy snow in the UK. In Berkshire we had seen only a sprinkling of snow, like the kind of icing sugar sprinkling that you put on your mince pies - i.e. nothing worthy of a mention.
It was Mr Monda's birthday on Friday, so we headed up to Stratford upon Avon to the Royal Shakespeare Company to see Matlida - the musical apadptation of the Roald Dahl book. The musical score was written by Tim Minchin so we had high hopes.

 It wasn't snowing when we left home - I checked the weather reports and we looked like we'd be good to drive to Stratford. We'd been travelling for about 2 minutes when out of nowhere, thick heavy snow started coming down. I've never seen anything like it, within about 60 seconds everything was white and we couldn't see the road in front of us, it was surreal. It lasted about 10 mins, and then stopped so we pressed on with the drive.

We had dinner at the new rooftop restaurant at the RSC - excellent food and good value for money too. Then we walked over the the courtyard theatre to see Matlida, which was just brilliant. I have no doubt it will be going to the London Theatres after it's initial run in Stratford.

We were staying in a little B&B just outside Stratford, and the plan was to spend Saturday pottering about the shops and having a bit of lunch before slowly making our way home.

The only bit of Saturday that managed to happen was the 'slowly making out way home' part. I'd been checking the weather reports constantly to ensure we didn't get stranded. We were prepared for it if we did though, we'd packed some food, sleeping bags, snow boots and a snow shovel just in case.
The reports were for heavy snow from lunchtime, so we decided we ought to make an early start and get home before the snow came. We managed to get as far as the M40 motorway before the snow started coming down, at about 9.45am. The roads were still passable though, so we pressed on, but the further south we came the heavier the snow got.
It wasn't ideal or even sensible to be in the car on snowy roads with heavy snow coming down, but really thought we'd be ok.
We managed to get about half way home before we came to a complete standstill. There had been an accident up ahead, we were on an incline, lorries had jack-knifed blocking the carriageway and cars were desperately trying to find some grip - many of them slipping and sliding backwards.
The scene was quite bizarre - a snow covered motorway, where people were jumping out of their cars to help push other drivers to get them started.
We spent just over 6.5 hours in the car, doing a journey that should have taken 1.5 hrs. It was stop start all the way, driving in second gear at about 20mph and trying to stay in the furrows of the car in front of us.

I managed to get a couple of pics on my phone. This is the M40 Motorway - 3 lanes had become one barely visible lane:

This is on one of the local roads in Berkshire. It looks like it could be Canada or somewhere in Scandinavia:

 Things I have learnt from my little snow adventure:

• Weather predictions are just that - predictions. 
• Driving in snow isn't fun. I won't be doing it again unless I absolutely have to. 
• Snow hitting the windscreen at -3 degrees freezes and forms ice blocks on the windscreen wipers - rendering them almost useless.
• All the cars that were stranded or needed pushing were BMW's. I've since found out that they are real wheel drive. Perhaps they should have tried driving backwards :o)
• It might be worth investing in some snow socks for the car
• To keep a snow shovel in the car, along with a coat, hat, gloves, blanket, torch, sleeping bag, food and something you can have a wee in if needed. There were plenty of men lining the sides of the snowy motorway having a wee, but I guess like me, the ladies were just crossing their legs!

this is just the best thing ever

I love catching up on blog reading, it really opens my eyes to all the happy and wonderful things out there, like this:

 

Hurrah for Gemma Correll!

the usual suspects

or perhaps the unusual suspects!
This little bunch of bow tie kitties can now be found in my etsy shop

1. Henry, 2. Alexander, 3. Martha, 4. bow tie kitty, 5. Christophe and Lisa, 6. Jeremy, 7. Christophe, 8. Randolf, 9. Lisa

I'll have some more new items going into the shop throughout this week also - busy busy busy!

Nathan and Anna

Nathan and Anna are looking for new homes:

They're waiting ever so patiently in my etsy shop to be adopted by kind cat lovers.

Handmade Christmas

I've been having a little look into the handmade Christmas flickr group and have picked out a few of my favourites to share:

emma lamb

serendipity the pink

junkerjane

syko

Pilli Pilli

red red completely red

kitty eden

I'd really like to see some more photos in the group, so please do upload pics of your creative Christmas makes

Is it just me or has Christmas just snuck up on us very quickly this year? As a kid, Christmas always seemed to take such a long time to arrive, from the time school finished until the big day seemed like such a long time. As a grown up I'm wondering how I can possibly cram in everything that needs to happen in before the big day arrives.
Most of the Christmas shopping is done, so this weekend begins the mammoth wrapping effort. We were actually due to have the in-laws visiting this weekend for the pre Christmas pressie swap, but as the snow and ice situation up north is still pretty bad they're quite rightly staying put.
I will need to look for a courier to deliver the presents for us. Any recommendations?

Stockings up!

I was supposed to be decorating the Christmas tree tonight but I decided to get some of my new Christmas stockings into my shop instead.

I have to say, I'm a little bit in love with the ones with the robins on - and I expect that they'll find a home here if they don't sell before the big day comes.

If however you do want to swipe a lovely handmade felted wool Christmas stocking for you or yours, then you can find them in my etsy shop here
This week is all about filling up the shop so I'll be adding new items every day this week.

baaa studs

I'm feeling quite pants today. I think I'm getting a cold - my nose is certainly quite drippy.
To cheer me up I looked for this YouTube video which I saw on rude tube a couple of days ago. I just love it.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do:

where I work

Life and work got in the way, you know how it is. I just realised that I never posted pictures of my new office/studio. This is where I spend my days:

It's still not perfect - there are things to hang on walls and some more storage options needed when I can brave a trip to ikea, but it's now a workable room and a guest room - the red sofa is a sofa bed.
It is important for me to have a space where I feel like I am going to work, even just into another room in the house. It also means that this room is now used every day. Previously it was just the spare/junk room, and was used only rarely.
I really like working right in front of the window. I get to see the world going, the seasons changing (those trees outside the window have no leaves on them at all now) by and the natural light is great, even in the winter months.

I'm still busying myself with lots of making. This week I've been working on small things -  phone/ipod cosies and some chunky bead bracelets:

Handmade and Gorgeous Fair - Oxford

Are you in the Oxford area this Saturday 27th November? Then please do pop into the Handmade and Gorgeous Fair in Oxford Town Hall. I'll be there - along with some of my friends, and we'd love to see you:

The fair is open from 11am-4pm and the first 100 customers through the door will receive a goody bag. It's a great chance to get some of that Christmas shopping done. I'm sure I'll be doing some, after all, there's only 29 days left until the big day.

Reveal - a Christmas showcase of handmade craft

This year, I will be showing and selling my work at Reveal, in Henley on Thames.

I've been at Reveal for the past three years and there is always a really great selection of quality handmade craft on sale. It's a great place to pick up Christmas pressies for your friends and family so do pop along if you're in the vicinity (click the link above for more details/maps etc).

The show is open for 2 weeks - Thursday - Sunday each week, starting this Thursday 25th November at 5pm, then all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week. I will be showing/selling at both weeks.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

This morning I went to the cinema to see the new Harry Potter film - The Deathly Hallows (part one). It's become something of a marking of the Christmas season for me - as the films always come out just before Christmas.
The film itself was quite dark and very bleak at times, but despite this (and the running commentary from the kids that were sitting next to us) I really enjoyed it. It's very well made, well shot, gritty and just more grown up - natural evolution I suppose. I'm really looking forward to the next part...

Other things marking the Christmas season for me is the fairs I attend at this time of year.  I'm busy making and stocking piling my softies and accessories.
I have a pile if half made monsters on the desk here next to me and have stockings hanging up all around the room:

If you've been doing some Christmas making it would be great to see your pics in the handmade Christmas flickr group, so please do add them. In fact, if you just want a bit of festive cheer then click the link and have a look at all the handmade loveliness.

Hen

I made it back from my hen weekend in one piece. There was no tying to lamp posts involved, but thanks for enquiring after my health Lesley.

The whole weekend was organised by my bridesmaids, who know that I neither like being centre of attention or that I'm a party animal. At 34, I just think I'm a bit too old for all that. The mature affair that we were aiming for was achieved.
We spent the day at the bingo, dressed as old ladies, and the evening was a meal and a few drinks.

 me

 my mum (she is technically a grandma, so she was winning in the fancy dress stakes)

Most people thought we looked great.  The older ladies (regulars) at the Bingo were fab, and really helped us novices out with which card to play and when - we didn't have a clue.

There is also a picture of me somewhere offering a werthers original to a very bemused ambulance driver.  At this point I have no doubt he was cursing having to work late nights.

The lady who served us in the cocktail bar said that we smelled of charity shops and wee. She might have had a point about smelling of charity shops - I can't comment about the wee mind you.

where does it go?

Time. Where does it go?
I've had a manic week this week which has involved quite a bit of making for my upcoming fairs, finalising and making wedding invites, shopping for a mother of the bride outfit, buying 8 shirts for the groom and his wedding party, a trip to the hospital and a few nice orders, amongst other things.
This is another in the series of embroidered canvasses I've been working on:

Tomorrow, along with 8 of my friends I'm off on my hen weekend. Dressing up is involved, but I'm a classy lady so they'll be no L plates or tiara for me, my look will be quite a lot more mature! I will reveal all next week...

Christamas decoration SALE

For a limited time only, I'm selling my Christmas decorations at HALF PRICE. I've just listed some sets of 3, 4 and 5 decorations for sale in my etsy shop here.
Prices range from around £6.50 ($10.50) for a set of three - £10.50 ($17.00) for a set of 5. Go on, grab a bargain: