"It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas"......

Christmas DVDs are out and being watched.

Festive CDs are being played and sung along to.

Cards read and displayed.

Many doors on the Advent Calender are now open.

I don't think I am supposed to have noticed that someone just couldn't wait!!

Teachers' presents waiting to be taken to school.

Nearly all the chocolates in the 'advent man' have been eaten.

And drawers now laying empty of treats.

The advent candle is getting smaller by the day.

Artificial tree decorated traditionally in sitting room.

7ft 'real' tree decorated with contemporary sparkly decorations in family room, with lots of room underneath for presents!!!

Santas hang from light fittings in flying cars.

Wooden hearts hang from door knobs.

Mantles are decorated with musical ornaments.

Stocking holders wait patiently for 24th Dec.

As does this lovely Santa who sees and knows all about how little girls are behaving, ready to inform the real Santa when he squeezes down the chimney.

What a mean mummy I am?........ It's working though!!!

Enjoy the lead up to Christmas, wherever you are.

Hey Rudolph.....

Being only too aware of how quickly these magical first Christmas's fly by with little ones, I wanted to do something a little bit special for Big Shrimp to give out to all her little friends at 'big' school. She's so excited with this being her first Christmas at school and is loving all the fun times that these final weeks are bringing to the classroom. So I've been a very busy mummy today making sure that she has something to make her fellow classmates smile....

1. Hand draw 40 (Little shrimp got in on the act too and wanted some to take to pre-school), cartoon reindeers onto brown card.

2. Stick on red stickers for noses and hand glue 80 wobbly eyes!

3. Buy 3 pots of edible glitter, meaning that when the children sprinkle it on the ground it won't harm the wildlife, as opposed to using real glitter.

4. Mix with bird food.

5. Add to cellophane bags and staple. The camera hasn't picked up just how sparkly it is!

6. Stickers added to card read....

7. Reverse sticker wishing each pupil a very Happy Christmas from the shrimps.

8. Add Candy Canes.

And we're good to go.........................

The pleasure of parcels.

Don't you just love receiving parcels through the post? It's definitely one of life's pleasures. Sometimes the parcels you receive make you gasp a little in anticipation, this was one such parcel.

You may remember in my last post a picture of big shrimp carefully decorating a Christmas decoration? We were unable to stay long enough on Sunday for them to emerge from the kiln so the owners of the Art Cafe kindly offered to send them on to us.

All week I have been waiting for the postie to arrive to see if they have been delivered and today was the day!

I was able to see this work of art, transformed from this.......

.......to this. Only another mother could truly understand how precious these tree decorations are to me. With them named and dated on the reverse, I'm sure we will delight in un-wrapping these with the tree decorations for years and years to come.

Festive fun!

Oh my goodness, I think it's time I posted again isn't it? How long has it been? I really did lose my blogging mojo there for a while but having just spent one of the most fantastic days on Saturday with my family I thought it was worth recording it here on 'Summer Blue' not only for me to look back on in the future, but to share the Christmas festivities with you all.

Now, I must admit during these cold winter months driving up to 3 hours in the dark on a Friday night, carrying all our belongings in the pitch black and pouring rain from our parking space to the cottage, then opening the door to a cold home doesn't quite hold the same appeal as it did back in the summer!! With the warmer, lighter nights during the summer, we were able to stop off at the beach on the way to the cottage and the longer days meant that our weekends were more fun filled and action packed (There is only so much you can do with a 3 & 5 year old in the pouring rain). However days like Saturday make me so glad that we are able to have this luxury in our lives and I am very grateful to my lovely husband for providing the cottage for us to enjoy and create memories.

Last Saturday, Kingsbridge Celebrated Christmas, not just with a craft market and a few carols, oh no it was an all day, full on extravaganza. A day full of Christmas experiences for all to enjoy whatever age you may be.

It all started at 11am and continued through to 7pm. Fore Street was closed to traffic and the street was lined with stalls selling everything from;

Beautiful locally produced homemade chocolates,

Mouth watering chutneys,

Homemade jams,

Wheelbarrows full of Holly and stalls selling wreaths ready for hanging...

Scrummy cakes making it hard to resist,

A Vintage Citroen van selling crepes and cappuccinos,

The shop windows were decorated for the festive season. Look at the lovely vintage sleigh and ice skates.

The shop owners made an enormous effort to dress as Pantomime characters; meet the 'Queen of Hearts'.

As did the locals, all hoping for the £250 prize fund.

Everywhere we walked we were treated to musical delights, all adding to an incredible atmosphere,

If I closed my eyes I could have mistaken this talented man for Sinatra...Rat Pack at it's best...

'Diamonds are a girls best friend' was being sung as this picture was taken.....

Even the Calypso band marching through the streets, made it hard to walk on by and not stop for a dance!!

These guys were fabulous, lovely mellow songs to ease us all into the afternoon.

I loved to see the shrimps standing there soaking it all up, they just didn't want to leave.

Even Mr SB got into the spirit of things when he suddenly found himself assisting; "One wheel Sam" on his unicycle! I think it was the bright red jacket that did it! I think next year he'll stick to something a little less conspicuous!

Street entertainers kept the children amused and left them wondering; "Are Reindeer legs really that long?!!

We spent a fun afternoon escaping the rain by decorating Christmas decorations in the Arts Cafe, ready to be kiln dried and hung on our tree.

Not only were the shrimps delighted to stumble across the 'Big Guy' but they also got to ring his bell!

It made 'little shrimps' day when she came across baby Jesus, whom she is obsessed with at the moment. We were waiting to see him accompanied by Mary & Joseph coming through the streets on a Donkey, but they were held up somewhere...probably stopped off for a quick drink at the local Inn!

Later in the afternoon, the Exhibition Hall echoed to the tunes of the fabulous 'Kingsmen' Barbershop Chorus singing Christmas carols. There were so many people I couldn't get close enough to take a picture!

We finished our day by joining in the carol procession throughout the town, ending in the town square to be met by the Silverband. Standing there looking at our little girls singing; 'Away in a Manger' made me feel proud to be part of such a wonderful community........... It was a wonderful day full to bursting with fabulous memories. Thank you Kingsbridge, if it's OK with you we'll be back next year?

Ness...

"Beacon to Fashionistas"
"Edgy, sexy and now"
"Chic and ageless"

"Individual and fun"

Ladies, ladies, ladies, what more can I say?..... You'll find my new all time favourite store online at http://www.nessbypost.com/ or in Scotland at one of the four stand alone stores. You may also have seen Ness clothing and accessories in one of the 500 stockists across the rest of the UK and if you're one of the lucky few, you may have a store somewhere near you soon. I certainly am keeping my fingers crossed that they'll open a store in Bath.

Founders Adrienne and Gordon MacAuley started the business in 1996 in a bid to; "Steer tartan away from the highlands" and they sure as hell have managed to steer it into my wardrobe, although saying that it probably wouldn't be too difficult seeing as I love to shop!!

This weekend I was bitterly disappointed to have to take back my much coveted purple tartan wellingtons. I'd been eagerly awaiting the delivery of a brand spanking new pair of size 5's in a local shop in Devon. They'd sold out online within a very short space of time and in the style of; 'Rosie' the Cath Kidston sweater (which by the way has rarely left my back since its purchase), I just HAD to have them.

When I arrived at the cottage on Friday the fact that it was pouring with rain didn't deter me from hot footing it down the hill to see if they were in the shop window. I of course used the dogs as an excuse (dog walks are a great way of getting a little window shopping in), even if I did have to drag them kicking and whimpering down the road...Mabel, a little like myself, doesn't really 'do' rain and certainly doesn't appreciate the rain making her hair go frizzy...

Anyway, back to the Wellingtons......there they were in all their glory....a beautiful specimen of a wellington...oh and Purple.....my favourite colour of the moment..... How on earth was I going to manage to wait until Saturday morning to hand over my pennies and walk away with my purple tartan wellies?

I did...manage it I mean.....my shopping addiction hasn't quite reached the realms of; 'Smash and Grab' just yet! I was easily swayed with the promise of a glass of white wine and a take away. Such a cheap date, my husband thought when he met me.....obviously thinking that I'd also make a cheap wife (cheap in the sense; I won't spend money, may I add)...blimey was he wrong with a capitol 'W'........... Especially since I've discovered Ness!

Well, you know me, by 10am the next morning there they were on my feet strolling around the cottage.......until...........I can hardly bring myself to say it.......I realised they DIDN'T FIT....Obviously I had tried them on in the shop but short of admiring these stunners, I must confess to not really doing a great deal of walking in them, well you don't do you? Now my feet are tiny (size 4 in shoes, 5 in wellingtons), but one thing they certainly aren't is dainty! Years of dancing when younger has given me an instep not dissimilar to Mount Kilimanjaro and I think that living in flip flops and Ugg boots have splaying my feet for England, meaning that trying to squeeze my feet into anything restricting is nigh on impossible.

I'd love to show you the purple wellies but I forgot my camera this weekend so you'll have to make do with a website picture of them in black....Not my choice of colour but obvioulsy that of style queen in Ugly Betty; Ashley Jensen.

The pink Wellingtons are lovely as well, look how pretty they look with the matching bag;

I can't just leave it at that though, I really must share all the pretties, so I'll show you some of the website shots just to tempt you all a little on your way for a little virtual window shopping!
(http://www.nessbypost.com/)...

Isn't this a lovely coat? and can you spot the Cath Kidston style 'Stanley' dog in the window made out of my favourite wellingtons?

Now this lovely wallet is down on my Christmas list...with the matching bag of course in the style on the right in the above shop window.

Loving this jacket and hat together...I'll take it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A girl can never have enough fabric corsages to brighten up an outfit, especially at £4.95. Lovely little Christmas presents.

Bag anyone? There are so many styles to chose from, go take a peek........... Loving the skirt as well. Shame I haven't the legs to carry it off.

I shall finish tempting you all with this little fellow in my favourite purple tartan.....Isn't he cute? Of course I haven't shown him to give any of you 'crafty' bloggers any ideas ;-)

Happy Shopping....................................