Tuesday, December 02, 2008

December

I am so happy to finally greet December...

Yesterday, on the first day of this new month the sun shone brightly. It was chilly but perfect. The best kind of Winter's day. I felt really uplifted and a sense of excitement about all the festivities to come. It was a good to be alive kind of day and despite my huge workload and deadlines I felt happy, and unusually calm.

This past week has seen the kittens finally enjoy a bit of freedom as they are now allowed out to roam. So many new exciting smells for them to follow and a new world for them to discover.
They are so funny to watch, particularly the tree climbing. Everyday since being 'free' they have both got stuck up trees. The neighbouring garden has 3 very tall pine/leyandi type trees. Straight long... very tall trunks with spindly drooping feathery pine style leaves. Well these trees are a magnet to the cats. Yesterday Paws was about 30 feet up. He was up there for about half an hour. His mewing was pitiful. Magic went up to join him, I thought to help him but then realised that it was only to get closer to a bird. They finally both climbed or should I say slid down to safety. I fear that this is going to be a daily occurrence and dread the day when they have put on a lot more weight and those spindly branches break!




After school the girls and I got out the Christmas box and started thinking about making some cards and tags. I had seen Clare's bauble tutorial and fancied having a go with the girls. The girls had other idea and stated making little gift dishes and Christmas cards and pictures using old Christmas cards...




I continued with Clare's tutorial and cut out 20 circles for one bauble...



The next stage I shall make a start on tonight. While all this was going on we were listening to Christmas music.. Santa baby, little drummer boy... that kind of easy listening thing to get in to the festive spirit. Whilst cutting up the old cards I remembered a gift tag that I saw on Caireen's blog which used an old greeting (a very pretty vinatge one), so I saved all the greetings from mine. I hope to stitch them on to cards or tags later.



Do check out Caireen's blog as she is posting each day of Advent with eco friendly and creative ways of gift wrapping.


Finally we lit the Advent candle and I read the girls the first chapter of this book about a boy who buys a magic Advent calender. (more info here).

Happy Advent and Happy December.
ginny x
p.s. please excuse the poor photos in this post.... black cats are hard to snap and it's too much hasseljust now to get the good camera out.x

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember reading that to the boys.

Anonymous said...

Lovely post. Have ordered the book and will start a new tradition! Loved the bit about the kittens getting stuck up the tree! It is a real pleasure having kittens around isnt it! They are fun but dont answer back and dont need an adult to caretake them 24/7!!!!! Loved the links you gave too to the gift tag ideas etc. I am in total agreement. I refuse to use anything other than brown paper at Christmas and then jazz it up in imaginative ways. My theory is that even if people do not recycle it then at least it will biodegrade easily! Will be popping back soon!!

Love Emma xxxxxx

Pipany said...

Oh it sounds as Christmassy there as it is here Ginny! Isn't it just lovely? Like the idea of the baubles and will hop over to Caireen's in a mo as I haven't been for a while. Have a lovely day lovely lady xxx

Kitty said...

Happy Advent and December to you too! x

Selfsewn said...

Cant wait to see your finished decs.
I have made six as I'm out of cards and patience!!

Hope your kittens came down from the trees!

Clare x

Anonymous said...

I love your take on cutting up the xmas cards... that's what I want, just for people to see something and then go with it in another form perhaps.. the CL fair was obviously aiming at perhaps people who weren't as creative as most bloggers, and I wanted to put ideas that were achievable for lots of different levels. I see your bauble and want to make one too - in fact I have a picture of one masking taped to the bookshelf to remind me to do it!! (sorry, long blurb) thanks Cxx

Tracy said...

Oh, I hope Paws is safely down now! ;o) It was a frosty day here...we had snow! And definitely one of those crisp, glad to be alive kind of days, like December often gives. Your Christmas festivities look well under way. Since we'll be away for the holidays, we'll not do a tree. But we have be decorating a little, and even more candles lit now. :o)Wishing you & yours a splendid advent and holiday season! ((HUGS))

Simone said...

A lovely festive post. I bet you will worry about your kitties going up the big tree next door. Have you got a Christmas tree! I bet they would love getting inside that!

Gem said...

Awww such cute kittens. I have two little ones and they went outside for the first time today because it was snowing. Missy was a bit unsure about it all but Mollie loved it. I'm glad none of my neighbours have trees like that! x

JuliaB said...

Happy December to you too! I love your kitty kats! There are some notices around my villages advertising kittens but i am resisting! x

Anonymous said...

Hi Ginny
Thanks for kind comments & it was great to meet you at the V&H fair too... I'm sure there has never been a get together of such a creative bunch of people ever before, heres to the next one.

I help out on a Sunday morning once a month with the children at our local church, the group is called 'Early Birds' (it starts at 8am) & parents sit & eat breakfast & read the papers whilst I entertain the weenies with some sort of craft project, your blog has inspired me to get them to recycle old christmas cards, thanks for the idea.
Bye for now, I've just had a thought... although black cats may not be camera friendly, they will certainly show up if it snows... let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Frances