A couple of things i made earlier........

Every year I write a 'lessons learnt' note to myself as a reminder of how to have a smoother running run up to Christmas. Like many  hundreds of others I have spent many Christmas Eve's painting, sewing or embroidering and then wrapping and generally getting annoyed at myself for not having tackled some of this sooner. 

I store this note to myself, along with this years present list (as a reminder of what i gave) and the Christmas card list , in the box of Halloween stuff in the attic, because if I put it with the Christmas decorations then its just too late.

Things on the list.....

1. Start making cards/presents in November.

2. Wrap fudge as soon as its made so you don't eat it.

3. Wrapping takes half a day - don't leave it all till the last minute.

4. Aldi's version of Baileys is just fine.

For some reason, I have never managed to achieve Christmas preparation completion, and i hope i don't speak too soon, but this year has been the best yet.

Every year i make a wreath for the door. I left it a little late this year, next year, i'd like to have it done even before the tree goes up. No berries on the holly this year so I added the toadstools. I like them.

Mr Thrift Bee insisted I dug up the parsnips to day, to ensure that 'if they looked like the elephant man, we would still have time buy some supermarket ones' Dear God man, even ugly homegrown vegetables taste better than supermarket ones.

I think you'll agree though, that my slim and tall parsnips are the handsomest in the land.

Thanks to those of you who commented on Pine Cone Bob at the end of my last post. He came about after I had made my snowflake. I made several of them and they all sold at the flea market last weekend.