Merry & Bright

Posted on December 23, 2021 by The Little Room of Rachell

Shall we play a game? It’s called spot the sprout on the Christmas tree! And no, he hasn’t got his googly eyes yet, because I need to get some glue. I’m very reluctant to use superglue because of all the people I know, I’m most likely to end up in A&E over Christmas with my fingers stuck together…

Fortnum & Mason, London, Christmas window from 2017

And here’s the first large amigurami I’ve done in years! He’s been fun to make. I particularly like his bowtie. Thanks – heaps of thanks actually – to June of Planet June and her absolutely marvellous tips on invisible finishes and securing features. She has such a clear way of explaining things and brilliant tips.

So how are you doing? Are you feeling all prepared and calm, or is it a bit frantic and you’re frazzled? Christmas is such a weird time. Such a lot of build up and things to do, when in essence it’s a few days with family and friends. But it can easily become a juggernaut. Anyway I hope you’re well and you can spend some time with people you love, or at least whose company you enjoy.

We’ve just decorated the Christmas tree while listening to Motown and Jamie Cullum Christmas songs on Spotify. We each sipped a glass of champagne which always makes the tree prettifying into quite a lovely thing. I always, always forget about some of the special decorations and so it’s a really nice surprise to see them again.

On Sunday we visited Waddesdon Manor NT (Website here) for the annual light-trail, Christmas market and in my case; Bailey’s hot chocolate and a peanut butter brownie. Yum. During Lockdown people who would usually have volunteered in the property started to knit and crochet wraps for the tree trunks along the Carriage Drive. Apparently this really helped with feelings of isolation and missing normal activities. This I was really glad to know, the volunteers are always super when you visit. I took some pics to share with you, although there were many, many more yarn wrapped trees. I kept thinking no wonder we had a yarn shortage!

I liked the dangly ends and even Someone said it’s a good way to get out of the darning

Such a foggy day but it added to the atmosphere, although I wasn’t so keen when the moisture made my mascara drip down my face and onto my mask. I looked a bit alarming in the light!

Spectacular light show and music in front of the manor, it’s in the style of a French Château

I will be crocheting over Christmas, either more sprouts or I might allow myself to break my own rule about finishing all my WIPS. I may begin making something new. It *is* Christmas after all. I have new yarn which I’m itching to get out of its crinkly paper bag.

I shall love you and leave you now. It’s time for dinner and maybe another glass of champagne later. Maybe a slice of Stollen too. Oooh I do quite like Christmas. Have a merry one. If you aren’t feeling it this year, then stay cosy if you can.

Taking Stock – December

Posted on December 19, 2020 by The Little Room of Rachell

Making: knitting a chunky yellow and grey cowl

Cooking: chicken, bacon & puy lentil soup. I’ve had a run on making chicken soup; one week with noodles, another with diced potato. So good to leave in the slow cooker to cook, while I do other things. Ready to dish up when it’s dinner. Easy and tasty

Sipping: Brewdog’s Zealots Heart gin

Reading: A Literary Christmas – a lovely collection of writing and poems put together by The British Library. It was delivered last night

Waiting: for Christmas dinner! My favourite roast ever

Looking: at all the lights on houses, trees and in gardens. Love them!

Listening: to a beautiful song on the radio: Love is a Compass by Griff. It was used in a Disney Ad. The cute ad gave me tingles!

Wishing: for a dry afternoon / evening as we’re going to walk a Christmas lights trail

Enjoying: my new Let’s Knit and Inside Crochet magazines, a real treat. I also bought some new wool at my lovely local yarn shop, to knit another Edenvale Cowl. I wear my other all the time when walking. The chill wind can’t get me!

Appreciating: this year’s quiet build up to Christmas, it feels a lot less frantic

Eating: mince pies laced with cognac, brandy & port

Liking: some of the new Christmas songs, others are dreadful, naming no names (Robbie Williams!)

Loving: HFW Refried Beans recipe from his Veg book, I made them to go with tacos last night

Buying: crunchy veg for a Red Cabbage, Apple & Walnut Winter Coleslaw. It will go perfectly with cold cuts next weekend

Managing: to avoid wrapping a single present, it’s always the same every single year. All in a rush at the last minute!

Zoom in to see the water droplets on the branches

Watching: The Prom film on Netflix tonight

Hoping: still the same as everyone else…

Wearing: a furry polo neck top and nightwear, it’s earlyish

Following: the news…dithering about Tiers / Christmas….

Noticing: people wearing funky masks, a guy had a great Movember type one on yesterday, I told him I liked it, of course. Maybe he grinned? So hard to tell. He did thank me

Sorting: baubles, on Tuesday, when we bring the tree in to decorate

Getting: excited

Bookmarking: recipes for January. I’ve found this Slow cooker Honey Mustard Chicken recipe on BBC Good Food and these Tesco Midweek Meals

Coveting: new clothes! Haven’t bought any this year as not being about to try them on doesn’t work. I’m reluctant to spend lots of time queuing in a PO to return online items which don’t fit (might be repeating other TS posts?)

A carousel 2020 style: sanitiser, covers on some horses to distance people and spaces to queue on ….

Feeling: relaxed

Hearing: birds tweeting in the hedge outside my bedroom window

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Tell me a few Taking Stock type things of your own, please? It’s always good to hear from you

Taking Stock – December

Posted on December 28, 2018 by The Little Room of Rachell

Making : oat cakes to go with the cheese mountain

Cooking : marzipan fruit cake

Drinking : Taittinger

Reading: One Day in December by Josie Silver

Wanting: another long walk, after an extended lunch with family yesterday

Taken at Upton house, a National Trust property

Playing: with my new iPad!

Deciding: To eat lots of fruit and veg today

Wishing: that you all have a lovely Crimbo limbo

Enjoying: time with family

Waiting: for a few new series to start on Netflix and Prime: Grace & Frankie, The Grand Tour

Liking: Our Christmassy house; lots of twinkly white lights

Wondering: which case to buy for my iPad (it’s 6th generation 2018, any recommendations?)

Loving: the Corinne Lapierre felt embroidery kits which I’ve been given for Christmas

Pondering: whether to try a little crochet (I know, it’s banned)

Considering: feeding my sourdough starter. I think I’ve made three loaves in four days, but it has been appreciated

Buying: nothing at the moment, after all the Christmas shopping – presents and food – if we haven’t got it, we can’t have it!

Watching: The last episode of The Kominsky Method on Netflix. Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas are funny together

Hoping: they commission a second series, there’s only six episodes

Marvelling: how I have lost my capacity to drink anything other than a couple of glasses; having done dry October and then nothing alcoholic again since the last weekend in November, until Christmas Eve

Cringing: at loud drunken people

Needing: a tissue, I’ve got the sneezes

Questioning: my mind is a relaxed blank

Smelling: Nothing, see above!

Wearing: sleepwear as I’m dictating this to my iPhone first thing in the morning, still in bed

Following: nothing particularly, screen time has been minimal this week

Knowing: I think about going back to a text-only phone then remember I’ve just been given a lovely new iPad!

Blenheim Palace at Christmas

Thinking: about putting an audiobook on next

Admiring: this father

Sorting: things to go to the charity shops

Getting: rounder! That’s the power of Christmas

Bookmarking: actual books

Coveting: some Simple facial wipes, used my last one

Opening: kitchen cupboards and finding chocolate and nuts everywhere

Giggling: at Albert Finney in Scrooge

Feeling: happy

Snacking: “Please take it away, I’ve eaten enough!”

Helping: with the washing up

Hearing: birds tweeting

Mixing: socially

Worrying: –

Slicing: vegetables, later, for a stir fry

Celebrating: Christmas, with family

Forgetting: nothing, I think I covered it all

Winning: at Christmas, It’s been a really lovely relaxed week

Pretending: I did cool auntie dancing yesterday

Sneaking: Rocky Road last night while watching TV

Embracing: my nieces, even though they were aghast at my auntie dancing

I hope you’ve had a really nice Christmas and things are going well with you

And that’s a year of Taking Stock:

Bright lights

Posted on November 10, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

Fortnum and Mason
The Royal Academy has Ai Weiwei’s stunning Tree installation in the courtyard, it’s eye-catching when walking past the arched entrance at night

Selfridge’s, Oxford street

London is full of light now the Christmas shopping season is in full swing. I grimace in September when the first Christmas cakes and mince begin to appear in the supermarkets. Who wants to eat cake that’s sat in a warm shop for months? I tut loudly, a strong English expression of outrage, during the first weeks of October at all the decorated trees and lights. It’s far too early! It gets earlier every year! But in November when the daylight begins to fade around 3pm and the sky is often a dull grey, the lights are magical. London looks so pretty at night when the shop windows and streets are twinkling merrily with lights.

You won’t find me using a Santa mug, playing Christmas carols or wearing festive PJs yet, but I have bought a new roll of sellotape, sourced Advent candles for Mum and I and bought a few presents. You have to buy things when you see them, don’t you? I’m definitely not feeling Christmassy yet, but I do love all the lights.