Christmas Holidays, Shopping, Cake and more!

Can you  believe the Christmas Holidays are only a couple of days away?  Has there been a time-warp or something strange going on?

There's lots of dashing about here in Ireland, picking up last minute presents, then panicking a bit more and picking up some more totally unnecessary gifts.  This happens every year without fail.

A few photos from my own Christmas Countdown Craziness over the past week:

We did a quick run up to Dublin, stopping at Avoca Handweavers and were met by these cakes.  Oh, so good... we had the cheese cake with salted caramel topping.  I'm recreating it for our own holiday dinner for sure.

There were ditzy frames and baubles..

And Christmas tins of all shapes and colours

Having had enough of that, we adjourned for drinks, I ,for one, had a really amazing Mocha Coffee:

The next day we met friends at Wexford Opera House for lunch which was super nice.

And they have Purple Carpet in the Opera House!!

  Imagine my surprise coming down the stairs after lunch to see wall hangings based on the Irish artist Mainie Jellett:

I was very proud to see these as we are in fact related, sharing a great grandmother I think.  I like to feel the artist gene is somewhere floating around my brain, I just need to tap into it!!

And this is a dress I will be wearing for a birthday party we are going to this Saturday night.

Friends,  this dress has BATS on it!!  BATS! I will definitely get my darling hubby to take a proper photo and I will post in my next offering:

And on that note, a final photo of our little altar in our sitting room where we attempt meditation and quiet-time at least once a day.  I do believe it's good for the soul, good for balance, basically good for what ails you:

Wishing all my special Blog visitors and friends the most peaceful of Christmases, with much love and laughter and good times.

Thank you so much for dropping by this year and I will see you soon in 2015!!

Love and Hugs, Siobhan

The Cold and Eerie Month of December

December 2011 has begun in a cold, stormy and windy fashion. This time last year I had crashed the jeep on black ice (yikes) and one day last week, on my way to work, on a very small country road, I passed three car accidents and one overturned jeep in treacherous conditions. I don't think we Irish are very skilled at icy roads!

Anyway, a few photos from around home and what I've been up to so far this December.

This has been a familiar scene everyday:

Pleeeeease take us for a walk!

Which of course I do, no matter what the weather. Because I love them so much! I try to take the camera and snap a few shots, in between throwing sticks and chasing them around.  These are few things I photographed:

Red berries

Holly Berries

Blackberries!

The berry photos were all taken a couple of weeks ago (very late blackberries and fairy-blasted no doubt) and there isn't a berry around today. Sure sign of a very cold winter!

Lovely pheasant - doesn't she blend in well?

And busy bird-feeders!

And, after all that, I come in to sit before our wood-burning stove and dry out the boots.  I wish I could have pretty, flower covered, clean boots, but these ones really earn their keep!

Then there was a spot of baking, as that's something I love to do when it's cold and wet outside:

Dulche de Leche Brownie ingredients

The finished article! Notice the gooey caramel and slightly underdone centre? Yum!

Drunk with a cup of hot Earl Grey Tea.

So, that's been my December so far.  Christmas is coming swiftly.  I want to wish all of you a peaceful, happy and lovely Yule holiday, and I hope that you get everything that you wish for.  Thank you so much for visiting my little blog all year and thank you for your lovely comments - they mean so much.

Merry Christmas  and a wonderful 2012, from me to you ~Siobhan xox

Happy Christmas!

Wishing all of you a most magical and wonderful Christmas.

And I hope that 2011 will bring you everything you wish for.

Love and hugs,  Siobhan xox

(and yes, that is me, about 3 yrs old with my very best friend, Maggie)

Easy-does-it December...

I knew that December was going to be a rocky month - astrologically speaking and it has proved true.

Ireland was deluged with Arctic snow and sub-zero temperatures the first week of this delightful month, which may look fairytale-ish, but when you live in the country over here, the roads aren't cleared and you're pretty much stuck. I ventured out in our jeep,creeping along (I'm a real scaredy cat) and suddenly it took off sideways down a road and crashed into a stone wall. Yikes. Big hole in the door and cracked bumper and a driver (me) with a serious phobia now of driving on snow and ice. Sigh.

This was followed by a co-worker who wouldn't come in during the snow, so I had major overtime and stress and super tiredness set in. I'm not so nice when I'm tired!

So, we're at the 15th of December now and I thought I'd post some pictures of life here in Ireland, no crashed jeeps though!

Our wonderful fireplace and stove that has kept us all snug as bugs during this freezing weather.

The books that have kept me entertained, and sane, during the snow-in!

The lane to our house, so beautiful, so dangerous!

Mega-icicles hanging from our bedroom window. Shiver....

One magical night-scape, a waning moon and a shining star (or planet)

Phew...I hope your December has been better than mine so far.  Stay safe and enjoy the run-up to Christmas.  Magic is truly everywhere.  ~Siobhan xox