That's a Wrap!

The day has come to wrap the Xmas presents. I had this idea to stamp our own paper this year and Ed loved the idea. Ed gets the last word in this matter as he is resident present wrapper of the house. Whenever I wrap anything it just looks like a bear has tried to tie paper around a spiny tree.

I bought some brown paper, some festive coloured acrylic paint and some yuletide stamps. I was going to make my own stamps out of foam card but I decided that with the time I had left, ready made stamps were the way forward. 

We had a stamp cube each and kept our cube to our own colour! Ed was green and I was bronze. I thought it was cute how much Ed enjoyed it.

We didn't mind that some of the stamps were a bit smudgy and some were laden with a touch too much paint, after all we wanted to make our own paper so it had that cottage chic flare to it. 

Ed is so good at wrapping gifts that I decided to make him take pictures of all the wrapping steps, to help those poor bears with spiny trees out there like me.  I made the brown paper rosette out of small strips of brown paper glued together and I think the paper looked super cute when the gifts were wrapped up in it. We will definitely be doing it again next year. 

Here is the start of the pile of presents that is growing by the minute as Ed is totally on a mission tonight to get everything wrapped. Instead of labels we decided to write directly on the brown paper in a green pen which has worked out really well. This paper worked out soooo much cheaper than the stuff you buy in the shops and it was really quick to do and didn't take long to dry either because we used acrylic paint. 

Only 2 more sleeps to go!

End of the World Eve.

As the world was suppose to end today Ed and I decided that we better do something pretty wicked on End of the World Eve. When the invitation to go and see The Destroyers supported by Sheelanagig at the Prince of Wales came from our lovely friend Dr When we just couldn't say no! 

This was one of the best gigs I have been too all year! Both bands were phenomenal. Sheelanagig seduced us to throw away our inhibitions and get our beery dance moves. Then the destroyers came out and it felt like we were in the belly on the Titanic dancing and  feeling joyous at the prospect of a better life in the new land. It was such an awesome night! And if the world did end today at least we partayed in style. 

Hope you all have a fun filled Friday in store and that you are not freaking out about the dreaded dregs of Christmas shopping left to do... oh and the approaching end of the world hehe. 

Xmas Stitching...

I picked up some Xmas cards today. They are rather lovely but I developed a stitching itch this evening and couldn't resist giving one of the cards a little bit of a festive make over. The  card is pretty good quality (for my standards), it is quite thick and sturdy which made the stitching a bit easier. But when I put my tree on the front it was a tugging match to get the thread through the card and the foil decoration.

It is so easy to yule pimp your cards as long as you keep to one rule, keep it minimal! I am the queen of over complicating designs but I have found that if you try to do too much detail, too close together the card will get those veins from where you have bend the card too much, and you don't want your holes too close together because they are likely to rip in between.

Once you have decided what your embroidered touches are going to be, put your card on a thick cushion and poke your needle through to create your holes. When all your holes are stabbed through start stitching like you normally would using the holes to guide your stitches. It is like a stitchy dot-to-dot. Because this is thick card I found it a bit tough to pull the needle through, but I found if I pulled the needle through nearly all of the way and then turned it like a clock hand would turn, it eased the hole a little bit bigger so I could safely get the thread through. 

I was a total rebel stitching these cards because I knotted the thread AND didn't worry about the backs of the stitches on show!!! I like leaving them peeking around the back of the card, I think it adds a gorgeous homemade touch. I am over the moon with how this card turned out, I think it just adds that personal hint that makes Xmas just that little piece more special. 

Hope you are surviving this festive season without too much stress <3

Pearls & Swine - Not Very Christmas 2012 Range.

I am very excited to feature my favourite pieces of the Pearls & Swine  Not Very Christmas 2012 Range. I have been an admirer of Bink's work for a really long time and I always enjoy seeing her kooky work pop up on my facebook news feed. What I love about this range is the fact that even though there are flavours of Christmas in these pieces you can wear them all year round. Most of my wardrobe is made of up of items that I can wear any time of year with little tweaks. So I think that these are gorgeous little investments, especially if you want something that will make you the centre of attention not only in the clambering festive season, but all year round. 

Tropicana.
Model: Jennifer Dickinson Model

MUA: Jane Armstrong MUA

Photographer: Ellie Victoria Gale Photographer

Odyssey
Model: Isobella
MUA: Jane Armstrong MUA
Photographer: Ellie Victoria Gale Photographer

Return To Innocence.
Model: Jennifer Dickinson Model

MUA: Jane Armstrong MUA

Photographer: Ellie Victoria Gale Photographer

Dreamtime Dolly.
Model: Jennifer Dickinson Model

MUA: Jane Armstrong MUA

Photographer: Ellie Victoria Gale Photographer

Sacred Heart.

Model: Isobella

MUA: Jane Armstrong MUA
Photographer: Ellie Victoria Gale Photographer

Wonderland.

Model: Jennifer Dickinson Model

MUA: Jane Armstrong MUA

Photographer: Ellie Victoria Gale Photographer

Edgar's Raven.
Model:Isobella
MUA: Jane Armstrong MUA
Photographer: Ellie Victoria Gale Photographer

Hope these have got you in a wonderfully, glittery, eccentric Christmas mood and if you have that festive soiree hurtling your way, you now know where to go for all your lavish head adorning needs.

Xmas Partay.

Yesterday was the work's Christmas party. So Ed and I had a lovely lazy day then got our party clothes on! We had a really good night, it was awesome to spend time with our friends and catch up with people that we hadn't seen in a while. I definitely am getting in the mood for Christmas now (mainly I see Christmas as a chance to wear pjs most of the time, spent time with my dearest ones and eat enormous amounts of cheese!). 

Hope you had a slightly festive, fun weekend <3

Frasier is Decorated!

Ed just kept pestering yesterday until I gave in and said that we would go and get some Christmas lights and some decorations for the tree (a.k.a Frasier). We wanted to acquire decorations that would last many years and would be little capsules for lovely memories of our first Christmas at our first home. And this is what we ended up with...

We bought this cute little toadstool from a gorgeous little boutique in Hay on Wye, I think Ed secretly fancied the owner of the shop as she had a rather lovely Welsh accent, but he also couldn't understand a word she was saying. Which made me giggle, poor Ed. The angel is made by the very talented hands of my dear mother, I love the fact that she has a slight 30s look about her.  

These baubles were a bit of a last minute make, Ed found them in the cellar. I bought them early on in the year in the sales and loved the idea that they were plain, clear baubles waiting to be made exciting. I scoured the house trying to find some pretty things to put in them and I found some sugared violet petals and salt that had edible petals and herbs in. My mum and dad bought me these last year when we went on a little outing. The jars were so pretty I didn't have the heart to use the contents so I am really happy that they have made some special little decorations.

Ed was delighted when I found some robot decorations and I decided to have some glitter skulls to add a bit of sparkle, as I don't truly appreciate tinsel if I am honest. We love our tree so much, its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Hope you are getting all set for the big day and keeping nice and snug <3 

My Mum's Christmas Magic Knitting Needles.

My wonderful mother has been extremely busy knitting away at some beautiful Christmas decorations this year! She knitted a Santa and friends to raffle at the charity that I volunteer for and I feel in love with his little friends so much I persuaded her to make some and turn them into Christmas decorations. They are just so adorable! She knitted a whole bunch so I could put some on Etsy for her (but I think I will steal a few to put up on Frasier the Christmas Tree as well hehe).

I can't actually choose a favourite out of this delightful trio and I can't wait to see what they look like on the tree. There are also some little angels waiting patiently to be photographed so I better get round to it in the next few days as Christmas is fast approaching. 

If you have fallen in love with these little guys as much as I have then there are a select few for sale on my Etsy shop Craft Cacophony. Snap them up quick so they can spread their Christmas cheer into your household <3

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

I woke up late today, because we had a VERY hectic busy day in London yesterday, and one of the first things Ed had to say to me was "When can we go and get a Christmas tree?".  Ed loves having a Christmas tree soooo much, we didn't bother last year as we were in the process of buying our flat and we weren't sure when our moving date was going to be. So this year Ed wanted to have a Christmas tree early in December to make up for it.  

This was the tree that Ed fell in love with, it is a Fraser Fir so we named it Frasier. It is a lovely, little compact tree grown in a pot which means that we can put it on the allotment after the festive season is over and hopefully Frasier will be with us for next Christmas as well.  

We managed to get it into the car without making too much of a mess by removing the parcel shelf.

Ed managed to find some of our decorations from two years ago. We thought we had more! We only had one tiny strip of lights and a few baubles. 

Here he is in pride of place in the window, ready to be decorated properly so all the other Christmas trees don't laugh at him! 

Hope you have had a great (slightly festive) weekend <3

Holiday by the River.

I know I have been super quiet this month, I have been quite busy in one way or another and the early, dark nights just make me want to hide under a rug most of the time when I am at home. Ed and I decided we needed a long weekend away from everything so we booked this beautiful little secluded log cabin in Wales near Hay on Wye (otherwise known as the Town of Books). We had a river flowing outside the cabin, which was a little scary at times with all the rain we have had over the last few days, it rose a good few feet whilst we were there!

We had such a relaxing time and I even made friends with the lovely, little local cat that belonged to the owners of the lodge. We explored the town of books which I think should be renamed to 'The town of books and antiques', there we so many exciting boutiques to search around. I nearly bought a taxidermy badger umbrella stand but I just managed to tear myself away from (mainly because my dad hates badgers and I don't think he would be  very pleased if I had a stuffed one in my home). We had the most perfect Sunday lunch at the The Felin Fach Griffin, the food there was out of this world good with an amazing selection of local cider and ales. It was the perfect get away and Ed and I caught up on some much needed R&R. 

Hope you have had a spiffing weekend and that your Monday was as good as a Monday can be <3

Save a Little 2 for Me...

I am a regular peruser of The Nearsighted Owl blog and when I saw Rachele's 'Proud of my Size Link Up' blog post I was totally inspired by her body confidence, honesty and guts! 

I used to try and diet and try to exercise more and still I would look at myself and not see the person so many others would. A turning point came for me a couple of years ago when I became very ill and in the end discovered I was gluten intolerant. This was the health mallet that helped me to put the nail in the stupid, miserable diets' coffin. All of a sudden a lot of the food I ate was completely off the menu and it was a struggle to re-adjust my whole food world. I learnt how to feed my body and heal myself back to full health and I have never looked back, well maybe the odd peek over my shoulder.   

I now realise that I am so lucky and grateful to be healthy again and I LOVE being a size 10. I have stopped buying the typical lady magazines that are full of diets, self loathing and cellulite highlighting and now buy magazines about gardening and interior decorating. No body hatred slathered in those pages thank you very much.  

I think as I get older I become more comfortable in my skin and care less about how 'media sexy' I might look. I now enjoy going on a night out with my vitals covered and some Doc Matin boots on and I don't even care if people spy an odd fat roll here and there. I still get days where I shudder at the thought of trying on my old trousers and not being able to button them up, but it is easier to manage these wobbles and enjoy a nice piece of cheese on toast instead (gluten free toast of course). 

So come ladies get in front of that camera and show the world how lovely you all are whatever size you may be <3 

Saturday Funness!

I had so much fun today! Got up in the daylight, which was just wonderful then ed, mum and I went to Shrewsbury where we had a poke around the shops and a coffee. Chilled out in the afternoon and then we went to my best friends' house and Ed and I were lucky enough to see and torment our two gorgeous goth kids (instead of god children in case you are wondering) before they went to bed. Wine was drunk, giggles and many crazy stories followed. Such an awesome day <3