Trees, tins and fame at last!!*

(*That's Jack, not me. But more of that later! )

Things are starting to get Christmassy around here. I've being baking, cooking our Christmas dinner for the freezer and (unfortunately) shopping. But the real start to Christmas for me is buying the tree. For many years we resorted to an artificial one due to lack of space ~ and yes, sometimes funds ~ but for the last couple of Christmasses we've splashed out on a real tree. And how I enjoy the excitement of driving down to the farm to choose one! There was none ready cut that took my fancy in the barn so that meant a walk into the forest of Christmas trees to find one that came up to my exacting standards. Shame I hadn't put my wellies in the car...sea of mud just about describes it. Anyway, I finally found one that I felt I could live with ~ it can't be too broad at the bottom, due to it's position once we get it home and it has to be dense, not open. And most important of all, it has to be even all the way 'round. Yes, even though it's up against a wall and half of it isn't really on show! Picky aren't I? Do you remember that scene in 'Friends' where they're dressing the tree together and then Monica turns it around and her half is absolutely perfect? That's me! You wouldn't want to be in our house when the tree is being decorated. The air is a nice shade of blue I'm ashamed to say. It's easier to just let A do it. It's ok if someone else doesn't do it right but I'm very hard on myself!

We had an added problem this year as we only recently realised that we don't possess a practical Christmas-tree-transporting car anymore. A drives a saloon...no good at all and I drive the smallest car in the world; well, one of them. Luckily, we just squeezed it in, even though the top was tickling my face the whole way home. Good job it was only a five minute drive. So now it's residing in a bucket of water in the garage until the weekend. I've always soaked my tree for a week or so and have never experienced a problem with needle drop so I would recommend anyone to try this.
I'm very traditional when it comes to things like Christmas (what am I saying...most things!) The tree and decorations always go up twelve days before and come down twelve days after. I have put my advent calendar up though (see banner) which is a great excuse to eat chocolate everyday without feeling guilty.
I love Christmas but don't you find the anticipation and build up is the best part? After the day itself I always feel a bit deflated and sad. Never mind, another one always seems to roll around really fast.
Having been given some cash as a Christmas present I was out the door like a shot to spend it...at one of the many antique centres here. And what did I find but this complete set of Worcesterware canisters. I did have to put some to it (half actually...eek!) but I had to have it. I can't tell you how many years I've been searching for even one of these beauties that wasn't dented, scratched or overpriced, but they've always eluded me. And my next task is to find somewhere to put it...



And talking of having to have things...as soon as I saw these wonderful bit's I was smitten. You know how it is...some things have just got your name on them. This lavender sachet with the wonderful vintage Christmas image on it came courtesy of the lovely Kim...

...and the tiny skiier brooch was via the equally lovely Michele. How it's cheered up my winter woollies.

"Why are you showing us a picture of a doggy magazine, Deb?" Well, I shall tell you. I was recently contacted by The Oldies Club to ask if I was willing to take part in an article about them for Your Dog magazine. The lady that was due to take part had to pull out at the last minute and they needed someone fairly local, preferably in the county. And they thought of me and Jack. Great. But what can you do? It's for charity and a very worthwhile one at that.

I was dreading it as I HATE having my photograph taken and am certainly not one for seeking out the limelight so to speak but they were very gentle with us although Jacky (that's what I call him...it's perhaps just as well he's deaf) was exhausted by the end of it. I'm incredibly proud of him but what with this and being on the Oldies Christmas card too, I have to make an appointment to speak to him through his agent these days...

They really went to town and did a great article (we're only a bit of it!) about the merits of taking on a senior and I'm sure it will do the Oldies Club and older dogs in general a world of good. Let's hope so anyway.

You may notice I've chopped myself out of these pictures, so if you're at all curious (why wouldya be!) you'll have to go and peek at a copy of January's Your Dog, in shops now!

And last but not least, my thanks to Hen for this lovely award. I'd like to pass it on to Michele,

Jan and

Sal whose blogs I enjoy in equal measure.

The end of summer (and a blogshop!)

Sorry I slipped off the radar there for a bit but I am here...just. It's been one of those fortnights (or is it longer?) so forgive me if this post is shorter than usual. Normal service will (hopefully) be resumed soon. Anyway, apart from being just generally busy I've had a few other things occupying my time. My Mum was rushed to hospital urgently after being constantly sick and with pains in her chest. Luckily (!) it turned out to be an inflamed gall bladder and gallstones both of which were whipped out sharpish. But that sort of thing takes the wind out of your sails a bit doesn't it? And I'm a two hour drive from my parents.

She's home now though and on the mend... get well soon Mum! I've been trying to cheer myself up by watching Pride and Prejudice. It's eluded me at the car boot sales but recently...joy beyond measure! I found it for £1. Yes, £1 !! Now, call me a dashingly, romantic, sentimental old soft-heart (I'm paraphrasing Miss. V. Wood there!) but there's no better way of spending a pound that I can think of. And it's just as wonderful as I remember it the first time round. Now. Should I tell you....? Hmmm, I suppose we know each other well enough by now....here goes. I don't watch television. There! I didn't intend to mention it because it usually gets...how shall I say? A varied reaction to say the least. But hey... what the heck!

Why? Well, I don't want to offend anyone that loves their TV...in fact if you do...good for you! But we found we were just watching less and less or should I say we were watching more and more stuff we actually didn't want to watch and I started thinking 'would I miss this if I never saw it again?' and 'surely, there's a much better use of my time?' (and money) Now I don't know how we ever found the time to sit in front of it for 4 or 5 hours a night. And that's the trouble. It's habit. Or it was for us. It went on at 6pm whilst I was making dinner (watching The Simpsons...I still miss that!) and it stayed on until we went to bed. Even though most of the time we looked at the paper or flicked from channel to channel and couldn't find anything we really wanted to watch. So back went the licence and now we just enjoy what we really want by renting or buying videos and dvd's. And I miss...nothing. Well, alright..just Gardeners World. And Homer. But I can rent him! The first question people usually ask is "what do you do instead?" but it wasn't difficult for us as we're both big readers and we were keen to read more. I can honestly say it's the best thing we ever did and I can't imagine ever having it back again.

Well, if you're still with me after that (!) I'm very chuffed to say lovely Michele at Cowboys and Custard has given me an award. Thank you for thinking of me Michele, the feeling is mutual. I'm quite new to Micheles blog (I know!) but if you've been in outer space...like me obviously...and you haven't seen her blog, you must visit.

I would like to pass this award onto the following whose blogs I love...

Sairer, who not only has a lovely blog but left my first comment and encouraged me to carry on blogging when I was thinking of stopping (and makes me laugh)
Steph whose blog is always a lovely read.
Funkymonkey whose blog I always enjoy but I don't even know your name!
Catherine whose trials and tribulations with her house I can fully empathise with!
Lesley a newish blog I am enjoying and Carol who I've also only just discovered (what am I like) but has such a nice blog I'm going back through all her posts. You know you've found a good one when you want to do that don't you!
Over to you ladies...please pass it on if you wish. Apologies if your mantlepieces are groaning even more now!

The view outside my window is changing rapidly at the moment....when these start to appear I know the end of summer is upon us! It always makes me a little bit sad to see the combine harvesters in the fields...next stop Autumn. One day the wheat is gently swaying in the breeze.....

...and the next it's been annihilated and the baler is busy with what's left. Before you know it, the stubble is ploughed in and the field replanted for next year. Now, that really does look wintry.

I also went slighty mad recently and bought a new bed. (with the full backing of my husband I can assure you) In fact it was more A's idea than mine! I hadn't really been looking to buy a bed you understand but we saw this little beauty on ebay and thought 'that's too good to be true!'. So we bought it. I'll show it to you in situ another time.

Finally, it's the last few days of the sale in the shop and I'll be trying to list some clearance items over the next couple of days. Off to the Post Office now with some orders. I think I'll be running between the raindrops!

**I have today opened a little blogshop where I'll be offering for sale a few bits and pieces that I've come across on my travels. I'll try to keep it to inexpensive things...hopefully under £5.00 or so and the price includes UK postage. Just follow the links on the sidebar. Don't forget there is a wide range of homewares and collectables to be found at the This Vintage Life website**