Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Christmas '08!

My Dad!


And Rufus!

Okay, here's my Christmas post, as promised! 
I went to Michigan this year to spend the holiday's with my Dad. He's got a dog called Rufus, a black Lab and German Shepherd mix. I remember the day we picked him up (three and a half years ago now!!) - cute little thing he was too, and he's still just as soppy now! It was a lot of fun going back to see them both, and I had a great Christmas! For the first few days I was there, and for most of my visit, it snowed A LOT, which I LOVED!!!!
Below are some snowy pictures - Dad shoveling the driveway for the tenth time, and yes I did help too!! Rufus, bounding around in the snow in the backyard!...


Dad and SNOW!


SNOW! And can you see Rufus back there?!


Before my arrival, Dad invited friends over for a little Christmas party on the Tuesday as I was back, which was a lot of fun getting ready for and the evening itself was very enjoyable!
I got to talk to Dad's friends Bruce and Larry about some similar interests and our views on the world - it was a relief to talk to some like minded people! Conversation flowed effortlessly, people were enjoying themselves, everyone was relaxed with smiles. Larry's Girlfriend Jane was amazing on the piano, and played for us all.. it was beautiful!
Above is a picture of Dad as we were preparing all of the goodies to eat, Rufus of course hanging around for any scraps! Below is the set table - although this doesn't show all of our creations and this photo doesn't do it justice! Dad and I spent the night before deciding which cracker should go with what topping - and how much topping was needed - there's nothing like some taste testing!!!





Since I was last in Michigan, which was two years ago, Dad had gotten himself a Piano. He'd talked about doing it for so long, and while I was living there too, so last year when he told me he had finally purchased I was thrilled!! 
There wasn't a day that passed where Dad didn't have a seat and practice, and it was so good to lean back and listen to, I throughly enjoyed it! He's getting pretty good too!!
So, above and below are some photo's of Dad on the Piano!


When I arrived at Dad's I was totally thrilled to find he'd gotten a Christmas tree and decorated it ready for the holidays!! It looked great - twinkle lights and all!
While I was there, he brought out the snowman I had made at school so very many years ago, I must have been under 8 years old or younger! Dad and I thought he looked rather dashing sitting under the Christmas Tree! And three silver painted pine cones, which I also remember from my childhood, to keep him company!

Mr. Snowman and Silver Pine Cones!

Ready for a game!

Christmas day soon arrived, I realized the last time I had been in that house for Christmas was when I was 8 years old!! It was a lovely relaxing day too, Dad and I made our Christmas dinner of Chicken, roast potatoes and parsnips, broccoli, stuffing, brussel sprouts, and cranberry jelly - Yum! 
With full stomachs and a food coma on the way we relaxed in the heat of the wood fire, and a little later played a game of chess! And even if Dad did win - I like to think I gave him a run for his money!!

Dad's picture of me by the fire!



When I remember the neighborhood from my childhood, there weren't so many big houses at the end of the road between school and my own home, but over the years these developments popped up and around. Some fetching a million dollars or more, which surprises me.. cookie cutter houses with a massive square footage...
One of these houses near Dad's never fails to impress on the Christmas cheer! And although it's not a million dollar abode - I'm sure their electricity bill gets pricey!!!! Ha!! It is great to see though, and right at the end a road, you can't miss it!! Merry, Merry Christmas!!

It was a great holiday, and with lots of laughs - including one or two when we took Rufus on a walk in the snow, with it still coming down on top of us! Dad and I got thigh deep in the stuff!! Rufus had to jump out of it just to fall right back in! Time to turn back to home! Soon we were covered in snow - or at least I was after Dad pushed me into too!! 
Oh! Lots of fond memories!!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Santa, Stockings and Sewing!


Me and My Dad


My Sister, My Mum, and My Brother


Well, it's about time I posted all my news about Christmas and New Years before the holiday's are really over!! So here goes, btw.. this will take a few posts!

I may have mentioned this before, but this past Christmas was the first year my whole family wasn't together. And as this had to be decided a few months ago now (due to plane tickets etc) I had time to plan a little something extra for my family, a little idea I had.....
It was that I would do something that would bring us together, or connect us in some way, where we could still feel together. Remind us all that we were a family and that oceans couldn't stop that.

So I set to work. And played Santa! 
Shown above are just the front panels of the stockings, made out of my favorite Lulu DK fabrics! I picked fabric which I felt was right for each person too. Templates were made for everything so all sizes matched. And each little Felt person carried the characteristics of it's soon-to-be recipient! (Dad's also included Fred - when we were kids, it was the name given to the one little hair left on his bald head!!)
Then the felt figures were lightly glued on, and detailed with embroidery threads and moving eyes! The first initial of each person was also added to the stockings.
The back and front of them all were their Lulu DK fabrics, and then each were lined with a Donghia white linen. On the tops, I added white felt edging and a tab to hang them from! And for a little something extra I sewed on an assortment of solid and frosty white buttons, with sparkly silver thread.

I was really pleased with how they turned out, and seen as how I made them all with just a needle and thread (and pricked my fingers wayyy too many times!!) I was pretty proud of them too! I only hoped they would receive a warm welcome from my family!

Each (other than my own!!) was stuffed with little goodies, and a bigger present (if it fit! - otherwise I was wrapped to the side). Everyone also got a giant Hershey's Kiss and a Candy Cane!

Now of course, I would have loved to post the blow by blow of the process as I went through it before Christmas, but it would have spoiled the surprise if they all saw it here first!! I did enjoy those many evenings of listening to Christmas music on the radio and sewing away... It got me in a very festive mood!!

Below you'll see the finished products!

Finished! My Dad and I on the Mantlepiece on Christmas Day!


Finished! My Sister, Mum and Brother, just before I packed them up ready to be sent to England!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

I'm Back!



Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Holiday!
I'm back in NYC after visiting my Dad in Michigan for the week, I had a really great (and white!!) Christmas, and I've got lots to share about it all!! As well as finally being able to share with you what's been keeping my hands busy over the few weeks leading up to Christmas!

But for now, It's an early night tonight as I was off to catch a plane this morning at 3am!!
I wish my holiday could have lasted longer, but I'm glad I had my furry adorable Oscar to come home to!

Updates, pictures and stories soon!!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Window Watching..



New York City is well known for their Christmas Store windows, which take months and months of planning and a lot of hard work... but they always come up with something new and worth a look! Now although I haven't had the chance to check them out myself yet, but on cruising 1st Dibs (which I lovvee! And which is actually based out of the same Chelsea building I work in!) I found a great spread of photography showing off these famous windows! Check out 1st Dibs for a browse yourself, as well as the usual treasures on their site!!
Here, I've posted my favorites... but my most favorite are the next two images with the woman walking the snail, and the next two windows - one of which, with a woman sitting on the moon. Even for just these three windows, it's worth a trip up to Bergdorf's!!


Bergdorf Goodman


Bergdorf Goodman


Tiffany & Co.


Bloomingdales & Saks Fifth Avenue

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Twinkle Twinkle...



Ah, Twinkle lights.... and since I found the picture of the dog covered in them, it seems tree's aren't the only thing people like to cover in lights!! Courtesy of Flickr, here are some great photos....
Love the one below with the cat!!.....Oscar, where are you??! I've got some twinkle lights for youuuu!!!








Let It Snow...



I LOVE snow!!!! Today, New York is facing it's second (as far as I've seen!) sprinkle of the wonderful fluffy stuff.... I think watching snow fall is one of my most favorite things.

New York looks so beautiful when it snows too...glowing in the street lights. So I thought I'd post a few beautiful pictures of the city in snow! I'm sure there will be more of these from me over the next few months - after all, the serious snow probably won't arrive until after the holiday's, as usual!
And as I'm spending this Christmas in Michigan, where it's hard to escape the snow! I'm hoping for a throughly white Christmas too!!

My Dad has a wonderful German Shepard/Black Lab mix Dog called Rufus, and I'm seriously considering taking inspiration from the above image and covering him in twinkle lights!!!! Ha!!!


Madison Avenue


Central Park


Lower East Side

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Hippo!!

I just heard the best and funniest Christmas Song!! So of course, I have to post it!!!



'I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas' By Gayla Peevey

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Treetops Glisten...



For my Sister, Kathryn. Because no one loves this movie as much as she does!

Bryant Park, NYC



This is my third Christmas in New York City now, and every year I always, without fail, have to go up to Bryant Park to wander around the ice rink and the little stores camped out just for the season.
As this is my last weekend before I'm off to Dad's for the holidays I had to go and check it out! Above and below are a couple snaps I took of my visit. Hot coffee in hand, I got soaked up in that wonderful Christmas feeling and hummed along to the Christmas tunes flowing from the little shops..

I have a soft spot for Bryant Park. I sat on one of their green chairs in the early Spring of 2006 on a weekend visit to New York. Although I had it in mind before that I would move here, it was in that park at that moment, looking across the square of green while the buildings towered around it on all sides, giving that patch a sense of protection, that I decided NYC was going to be my new home. A month and a half later, I was here...

Maybe thats why I go back every year, not just for the Christmas cheer but to remind me of where it all began, and how far I've come... Bryant Park always makes me smile, at any time of the year. 

I watched 'The Bridges Of Madison County' tonight, a movie which I love, and makes me cry! But there was a line that Robert (Clint Eastwood) said that rang out to me, and I'd like to share it...
"Change is one of the laws of nature. Some people fear change, but if you can look at it like something you can count on, it can actually become a comfort"


Friday, December 5, 2008

Two weeks and counting...



I can't believe Christmas is only two weeks away now! When I was little, it couldn't come fast enough, now it comes around wayy too fast!! 
This year things have unfortunately changed in my family, and for the first time, in my lifetime, we won't all be together for the holidays. You see a big fat ocean lies between my Mother, my Brother and my Sister in England, and my Father and I sit on this side. Fortunately however, at least all of us will have some family. I'm jumping over to Michigan to spend it with my Dad and his dog Rufus, and probably a whole chunk of SNOW!! I haven't been back there for two years! I can't believe how they can vanish so quickly...

But... I LOVE Christmas!!! And I adore Christmas music!!! 
So, the above song is Judy Garland, singing 'Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas', which I just love. It must be one of my all time favorites, so beautiful, so classic... it makes my heart melt..

Then there's this one, Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' is to keep my lonely heart cheerful...and for my Family, who could do it better than Bing Crosby? 'I'll Be Home For Christmas'... if only in my heart.




All three images from Living Etc.