Where I've Been, Christmas Festivities And Arts & Candies

 

I've been mainly at work, shopping and celebrating Christmas with my family. It's been a bit of a hectic one this year, no wonder I feel exhausted now.

For starters, I've been attending my Teaching Assistant course whilst doing my placement in a school all in the middle of their Christmas plays and shows, their classroom redecoration and festive arts and crafts. So much glitter was used I actually left a trail of it in the carpets when I walked around to do other jobs like photocopying (sorry mr caretaker man!). Then at my course we had a last-lesson-before-Christmas party where everyone had to bring food (I took chocolate dipped strawberries, the Iceland Italian platter and garlic and pepper chicken bites, they all went down well), I handed out a Christmas card to everyone which I don't normally do as I usually don't have anyone to give them to and I also won the 'Star of the week' medal which I have to try not to lose for two weeks now. So far so good...

Then onto work. I absolutely love fancy dress and any excuse to dress up I will take and run with it. We had a whole week to dress up if we wanted. I was going to stick with the one outfit but I got a little carried away... I had planned to just be a Christmas tinsel fairy all week but instead the week (and a bit) went a little like this outfit wise (and I say outfit, not costume because the clothes I made my costumes up from were actually my real clothes and not fancy dress... is it bad my normal clothes are already 'costumes' ?!):

Tuesday: An Elf (black skinny jeans, two layered green tops, a red 'skirt' ruched at one side, red ballet flats with red bows, an elf hat complete with faux ears and red rosy cheeks)

Wednesday: Tinsel Fairy (winter themed headband from my bridesmaid outfit, white slip on shoes I added glitter to, white leggings, a white tutu, wings, silver and white tinsel wrapped around my waist like a belt and an outrageous silver 'mirror ball' sequined dress)

Thursday: An Angel (gold tinsel wrapped around my head like a halo, wings, a skin / gold sequined long vest top, white leggings and rather a lot of gorgeous chiffon fabric wrapped and draped around my body to look a little 'Greek Angel')

Saturday: A Snowman (white cord jeans, grey 'Ugg' style boots with a silver star-burst pattern on the back, a white vest top with a cream jumper over it, a navy hat and a cute peach and silver scarf - I also cut out three navy 'coal' shapes and pinned them down my jumper)

Monday / Christmas Eve: Mrs Claus (red long sleeved top, white leggings, Text Santa hat, same tutu as before but with the Elf red 'skirt' layered over it, a black belt and my knee high black leather boots)

I really wish someone had taken proper pictures of my outfits so I could show you. I only have these of my fairy outfit:

Head piece

Glitter shoes

Tinsel fairy outfit

 

Everyone seemed to like my outfit changes and they made quite a few customers laugh so that's good. One customer even commented about how they remembered seeing me dressed as an elf earlier in the week and had come back in to see what I was wearing that day (it was the snowman). It's nice they remembered me.

Then of course we had Christmas, which I don't want to comment on too much as it didn't go really smoothly on the big day and quite a few arguments were had, as well as being sick. But the good things I can tell you are that after the meal we all had a good evening playing games and watching tv (Doctor Who and then a few films). We even had a few drinks which we normally don't do. 

I haven't really taken any Christmas pictures but I do have a couple of pictures showing some of the presents I received and of my cat Tim. I may take more pictures and add them. I know I have a turkey one on my phone somewhere.

Anyway, here are the few I have:

Lady Gaga perfume set

We handmade our own labels (Yes, the pom pom pile is also a label)

Pet present labels - silver paws with red glitter hearts

Tim checking out the presents

The turkey

Mmmm gingerbread!

Part of my Christmas present exchange with Miss Candy (of Arts & Candies) were these gorgeous gingerbread lady earrings that she sent me along with a Lush Bathos, Yankee Candle melts & candle and amazing fruity and herbal teas! (More images to come). I sent her a box full of cupcake goodness. I love these earrings, I wore them on Christmas eve with my Mrs Claus outfit to work, on Christmas day and Boxing day. I had lots of great comments about them and some people even said they wanted to eat them!

Another amazing gift I want to show you was given to me by my boyfriend (@61Neal on Twitter). It's something I had been wanting for a very long time and that I have been struggling to save up for.

He got me this:

Wow!

I'm SO happy with this, I still can't believe he just bought me a sewing machine! I've been so excited about getting one so I can make more things for Arayha's Boutique and now I finally can. So expect some great things being put up for sale in the New Year.

Well, as soon as I get the hang of using it...

First stitches. I was so scared I would break the machine

Going well and testing a few stitch options out

My sample, it's a bit rubbish but I will get better!

I don't really know how to end this post as I've rambled on quite a bit but I hope you've all had a great Christmas. What did you do? Did you get any surprises or have anything funny happen?

Festive hugs from and excited sewing elf

xx

Today It's All About Textures!

For some reason today I just started taking photos on my phone of textures that caught my eye as we went out to buy pet presents (yes our household does that - no outfits though).

Here are a few things that caught my attention:

1). Crisp frosty leaves on the ground (it's a bit blurry as I took it through the car window just before we set off). I've noticed leaves a lot over the past few days. It's strange just how fast the year has gone. I want to get a close up shot of a really frosty one.

2). Not snow but the remains of the frost we scraped off the window. Isn't it pretty. Such a delicate texture.

3). The lock on my bag along with some piping. I love the texture. It's cold to the touch but somehow looks warm and soft.

4). The contrast of different parts of my bag. The lining is rough but pretty, the zip is cold and sharp and the outside is soft and smooth.

5). The fur trim on my hood. It was dancing in the blasts of hot air from the heater in the car, it reminded me of frosty cold sea anemones (I still can't pronounce that word properly, it's a tongue twister).

We went to Pets At Home (a pet supply store) and bought Tim our cat a new bed, a catnip gingerbread man chew toy and catnip bubbles. We bought my sister and her boyfriend's dogs some chewy treats and then we popped into Asda Living (Asda supermarket minus all the food haha) and bought two giant rawhide bones for their dogs and also a sparkly Christmas deer for our room.

I cooked a roast for our tea and while that was in the oven I created a little Christmas corner in my bedroom with the sparkly deer and my mini white Christmas tree covered in candy coloured decorations.

I can't wait to decorate everywhere and make it all really festive, I love Christmas.

Wrapping paper at the ready!

xx


PS.-    I also took a picture of this Ice Dome yesterday, which has encased some moss... how amazing!