Christmas Greetings!

I want to wish you a really happy Christmas, and I want you all to wish and push for Peace On Earth. 
This year our Christmas tree has red lights and white lights. The white lights are a set of 500 that I very carefully wrapped and arranged around the tree. Then I plugged them in and discovered that only about 200 of them actually work. So then I strung the red ones which were an impulse purchase and intended for something else. The something else idea was immediately a gonner. I was already frustrated by the lighting and still had decorating to do. Lawks, no end of Christmas spirit round this tree!

The decorations are, I admit, a bit scant; it may have started to take too long and my will to decorate was retreating. Each hanging decoration has a story to tell and means something to us. Me. Probably us, but I don't know if Mr Dunnit could actually tell you the story for each one! Anyway, the point here is that we have a well lit tree, this year giving a warm red glow. Think of it as the warmth that we would extend to you in welcome if you were ever to step through our door. It seems entirely within the message of Christmas to say - we live in hope.

Keeping Christmas real: sudden purchasing

Now that I have photo ID, I decided to visit and confirm my membership of Costco. (It's a store that sells wholesale - so in many cases you have to buy bulk or multiples). Yesterday, en route to visit my dear Mama and my lovely Sissy, I did the deed. Turns out half of Farnborough was also visiting Costco. I mean seriously, shouldn't these hundreds and hundreds of people be at work? After all, it's my day off! 
I've been to Costco a few times with my sister, so I knew what to expect, and am frankly so damn shopped out this month that I just wanted to get the Membership sorted and pick up some fizzy drinks for the duration. Well, I was immediately side-tracked. A display of large outdoor-proof baubles were in my line of vision and calling my name. I had to get a young man to help me get the tube out of the box, so my excitement must have been evident, because usually if my stature prevents ease (of anything), I don't bother!

If we're hooked up on Facebook, you know that I was so excited by them that I only managed to get as far as the car park before I photographed them in the boot of the car! Lovely, cheerful stuff. The tray of cans of coke, sack of potatoes and bottles of cider were still in the trolley at this point, nowhere near as interesting! Now, we do have a nice Christmas tree every year, but in no way could it support such big baubles; weight is not the issue of course, it's all in the proportion. So for now, and because I have to use them, I've slung them over the opening panel of the front door. They look fab (in my opinion) and this gives us the chance to enjoy them whilst I noodle over what I'll do with them next year.

Needs snow and lights really.....

Turns out that this might be the best side-tracked spontaneous purchase of the year. Has anyone ever left a big box store at this time of year with only that which they intended to buy? I expect Mr Dunnit is relieved that we haven't been in the US at any point near enough to winter to have Christmas decorations available to buy, I can easily imagine going quite over the top!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 446

Taken in the pitch dark of a very early morning.

I've got a lot to do today and was sleeping fitfully because of it, so in the end, it's easier to get up and get on isn't it. Might even finish soon enough to have a nap later, who knows! There's a variety of odds on my desk today. Look at that unplugged heat gun. That's rare. It's there as a return to the desk after a trip to the kitchen to help me hasten the defrosting of the freezer yesterday. I know. Don't fret though, I didn't go mad - the oven is untouched! The green ring bound Do It Later book is actually my 2018 diary, specifically designed for procrastinators. It's fun, I'll show you the fun layout when I get around to it. There are lottery scratch cards just under the heat gun. There's one for each person that will be sitting round our Christmas table. You never know! The white and green box is a present to me from Secret Santa. It's a string of lights; well a string of gin bottles. You will see more of them because I intend them to adorn my desk all year round! That box of ribbons is one of three that were from some of Mary's stash. I've been tidying, mentally logging and trying to absorb them into my existing storage, this is the last box. Good view of nothing really! Show me something more interesting will you? Put WOYWW in your post title and link your blog here. And don't worry if you're too busy...we know it!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 445

Wow, deskers. I mean, WOW. We are skating toward Christmas now and it feels as if there are no brakes!
I've taken a slightly angled shot of my desk - for the first time in (probably) 444 desk weeks, I cant let you see the right hand end; not because it's too messy, I can't remember ever being that proud. There are a couple of pressies there, waiting to be wrapped. 

Right there on my working space is the result of a test run with the new embossing folder - nice bit of knitting. It's a varied dimension folder, so that you only use the base shim and one acrylic plate in the Big Shot. Works a charm when you read the instructions! The oblongs of scrapbook paper folded in half are origami style gift card holders. I found the how-to on YouTube on Sunday and made 10 in about 15 minutes. Nice and easy, and I'm up early to finish them - they are gifts for the wonderful care staff who look after our sainted Mama, and shift patterns dictate that we give as we see now, and I'm visiting today. See you at your place as soon as I get back? Hope so. Put WOYWW in your post tittle and link it here. Great.

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 444

This is an automated, scheduled post. As you read this, I am either lying in a big comfy bed in Welsh Wales or driving home. I've been staying with our LLJ and will have something to say about it. That's why I've scheduled this post...my desk will be unchanged. Although I suppose there is an unlikely possibility that Mr Dunnit might have sat at it to do some crafting. And pigs, complete with tinsel halos, might fly.

It's not overly interesting in it's vague tidiness is it! A heap of started tags, a cup of tea (which has been removed) the keyboard that I use for my iPad when I've a lot to say. Under the Kraft page are two Stampin' Up! embossing folders. I had to have one after seeing it being used at the Marython, and the other is for a customer who came to the Marython and heard me threatening to order. The rest is nothing new. How long it will be before I get back to the tags is anyone's guess!
Join in will you, show us your progress towards the HoHoHo!

Keeping Christmas real :.purchases

Some time in October, we had a weekend away with great friends. We went not very far, to Lymington on the Hampshire coast. It wasn't as late in the year as we traditionally go away, but we were still able to do a bit of Christmas browsing. We found a lovey independent garden centre and spent too much time (according to the men) mooching the decorations and such.

Mr Dunnit was amused to watch me get excited over some bauble shaped drinking glasses. I asked if there was more than the one in stock. Turns out that the one I was clutching so as no to let it get away was all that could be found - they were busy and I (ok, he) didn't want me to press for searching of all their new stock and cupboards. So with characteristic graciousness, I bought just the one.

Now it's December, I can legitimately use it for my beverages. I envisioned some wonderful gin cocktails amongst other drinks, and really as my mouth is still wonky, the straw was just an added candy-cane-striped bonus. Well, I'm perfectly sure that you can already tell that it is the single most impractical decorative anything that I've ever bought! You see it pictured with Fanta in it. It's not quite a full can, because annoyingly, it doesn't hold 300ml. So I had to stand in the kitchen and suck the last inch out the can with the too short straw before going back to my comfy seat in front of the tv. And this was after some effort....brace yourself. Of course, I couldn't get any ice into the bauble glass. Even crushing the ice (which I don't like) would have caused a struggle to get it through the silly neck. And if I had done, it would have reduced the amount of liquid the bauble would hold. Worse yet though - I couldn't get the Fanta to pour from the can directly into the bauble without masses of dribbling. So I had to decant the Fanta into a small jug so that the spout could pour properly into the bauble. Bored? Yep, me too. I may have mistakenly whined at Mr Dunnit about all this effort. He thanked the Creator that I hadn't bought 8 to 'look cute' on our Christmas dining table, and swore that he would not, ever get involved in making me a drink that involved the bauble glass. Of course, I had to whine, so as not to lose face. But I am glad I wasn't able to buy more.  There will be other posts like this. I've decided that you need to know what a struggle my Christmas preparations can be!

December: Christmas: Reality

The beginning of any other month heralds some book-keeping, diary checking and generally getting an overview of events to come. In many respects, December is therefore no different I've 'closed down' the November books for the business. I've brought the calendar up to date and I acknowledge that there's quite a lot to do in terms of domesticity and turning chez Dunnit into a veritable grotto.

I can't help the onset of a slight nagging worry though. Now it's upon me and I need to write and send the cards you've all been hearing about for months (sorry), I can't shake the feeling that I may not have enough. Oh my gawd. The only way to find out is to write them and get it sorted before its too late. And so I will, but I prefer not to. I don't want to know if I need to make more, because I don't want to make more. I don't want to start writing them because it's quite a long job and I don't want to start writing them just to find out if there are enough. It sort of removes the spirit of the job, don't you think! 

Now, Mr Dunnit has come home from work and had lunch, and announced that he will have the afternoon off. (Well it is Saturday after all). He doesn't want to go shopping, for a walk, or do much that's constructive. And so, I'm going to sit with the basket of cards and do the deed. Don't talk to me about making a list, this is one thing in my life that I don't, for some reason, ever make a list for. Weird. I guess to a certain extent I simply rely on the address book. Standby then, to read a post on Monday about making quick and effective cards!