My Time is my Own Again!

Yesterday I finished and delivered the boxed cupcakes for a friend's wedding - all 60 of them!  Plus I completed the place setting cards to match her theme.  

I have really enjoyed doing these but because of the time of year and because things have a habit of sneaking up on you as the year speeds up towards Christmas - a super busy time of the year anyway - it is a relief to finally have finished and my time is my own again.

But didn't they turn out well!  Well I think so at least and so did Jeremy (Caroline's hubby to be) when he took them from me.  They decided they wanted a tag that said 'with love & kisses from the new Mr & Mrs' - how cute is that?

Each box was faintly stamped with the Waltzing Mouse swirl stamps in gold ink as I'd used these on the invitations so it was easy to carry out the theme on everything else including the place cards.

They marry today and after a reception dinner and a bit of visiting with their guests they're planning to go home and watch the finals of Strictly Come Dancing (they're both huge fans) and then will jet off on honeymoon next week to a beautiful sunny location.

Hubby helped me in the end to get them done in time and maybe I should've exercised a bit more quality control - hhmmmm?

And as a treat for myself and for some friends I had lined up a wreath making session for yesterday evening to relax and have fun with and this was the fruits of our labour.  Each one is uniquely individual in some way and each a personal work of art!  I just love how stunning they all look.  Jilly and I have begun our own Christmas tradition with wreath making which is so lovely.

This one is Jilly's and has a very special destination to remember a lost love one at Christmas so she added some white carnations.  Isn't that a beautiful touch and the splashes of red, green, white and orange are just gorgeous.  I might add flowers to mine next year.

This is my effort although I have a big red glass hurricane in it at present so I might photograph it to share later.  After a base of conifer (Jilly's contribution) I layered up with ivy from my own back yard. I then added the red berries - courtesy of Sherilee and even added some holly & mistletoe courtesy of Gillian, picked from neighbours gardens.  Although it doesn't show it in the photo my pine cones and some ivy berries have been sprayed gold plus I baked some orange slices and then bought cinnamon sticks to share.

Then this one above is Gillian's wreath.  This was her first attempt at wreath making and I think she did really well - proving that it is possible to create something every bit as beautiful as the expensive wreaths you see in the stores this time of year.  She used up some red painted, glittered pine cones that were destined to be thrown out this year so she recycled too.

I'm thinking next year if people are happy to cover the cost of a few basic supplies such as the oasis ring, cinnamon sticks and wire that I might hire a hall and do a 'Christmas Wreath Making' party with bring and share food, Christmas music, the whole shi-bang!  And best of all everyone brings along some bit of greenery from their garden or a country walk to share with everyone else.  Wouldn't that be a fantastic way to welcome in the holiday season amongst friends?  I think so!

And now because my time is finally my own (and I am way behind on making a few things for others) I will be crafting and baking over the weekend in the hope of getting things done.  I missed a friend's birthday recently so 'happy birthday' Rosina - and I haven't been able to craft for my own gifting because I have been back to back - there's a lesson for me in there somewhere!  NO is a words that instantly come to mind LOL!

Hopefully now I'm back on track and just in the nick of time I say, tho I could probably do with another week like everyone else who's trying to finish up last minute making..

So this morning I whipped up a batch of scrummy bran muffins - 3 of which I have just scoffed dripping with butter (shame, shame, I know - back to the diet in the New Year) and hubby and I are off to run errands in town before I get back home to craft and roast pumpkin for making pumpkin pies tomorrow whilst hubby makes up more eggnog.  I think a bit of Christmas music playing in the background should set the whole thing off nicely don't you?

Hope you're getting ready for the holidays - it's just around the corner!

Blessings

Suezie

Christmas is Coming - Thank Goodness!

Thank goodness Christmas is almost here!  It's been a whirlwind of busy-ness of late and I am on annual leave as of today just so I can catch my breath and get caught up on a few of my own things.

I have had back to back weekends for the past few weeks so it's lovely to know that things are going to be a little less frantic over the next two weeks and also that I will have some time to get much needed projects completed like my friend's wedding place cards, cupcake boxes and cupcakes for starters!

Last weekend I taught a workshop to make these paper baskets with 4 pockets in each.  These are such a quick and easy idea and I haven't actually made any for a couple of years now.  It was nice to revisit this design idea.  Most of the gals were complete beginners so I kept it pretty basic but they still look cute.

Then next up is a Santa hat box idea that I made up to teach in Sunday School the following day.  The kids needed a quick project to fill to give to the residents of a care home and these were just perfect.

Here's the box full all filled with yummy chocolates and ready to go.  This project taught me a valuable lesson though.  I think next time I will teach the leaders how to make up the project and then leave them to it.  It was absolutely MANIC!  There were 4 tables full of kids and only 1 of me to go around. Whew!  Was I glad when it was over LOL.

And then because I have been so strapped for time of late I had to make my daughters cupcakes for her birthday by cheatin'.  I used purchased chocolate, chocolate chip muffins and good ol' Betty Crocker icing coloured pink and flavoured with strawberry.  This was probably just as well as Vic doesn't actually like my super fluffy frosting much so it was all good.

I used a few chocolate sprinkles as an added decoration.  I only managed to make 4 so I didn't even get to try one of these.

Anyhow that's as much as I can blog for now.  We're off to collect a Chinese takeaway for dinner and then pick up the kids to take them to the BRBC Christmas party.  

Roll on next week when everyone gets off to work and I'm left at home to get on with my own projects!

Blessings

Suezie