It's frosty out, and christmas has been and gone (well, almost - personally I try and milk the christmas holiday for all it's worth) We spent the New year with friends, playing games, drinking ... well tea actually, whilst wearing PJ's! I know, shameful right? though I did feel very smug the next morning when I thought of all my poorly hungover friends ;-) Before I take down the decorations and face the year ahead, I thought I'd share a look back over this last month. Here is ... our christmas story.

"Really?? you're making me wear this?? I'm so ashamed."

To my lovely readers. Before I say "toodlepip" and disappear into the bosom of my family for Christmas, I just wanted to say thank you, for following me this year, for engaging with me and sharing your thoughts and sometimes your friendship with me. It has given me great pleasure, and I look forward to all the adventures that may come next year. Try not to get too stressed over Christmas. If you're lucky enough to be with loved ones, hug them a little tighter, laugh a little louder and make the most of having them all in one place :-) 

Merry christmas!

Much love, Jodie May

xx

"Ok, this is a step too far ... it doesn't even fit"

Hello my lovely festive friends. It's a matter of days before Christmas, are you excited?? I cannot wait. When it comes to Christmas I'm a 5 year old in a 35 year olds body ...  and I still put a mince pie and glass of milk out for santa (and he still eats and drinks it!) This month I've been crafting away and transforming our little cottage with handmade decorations. Here are some of my crafty goings on in the last couple of weeks ...

When it came to decorating the house, I wanted to add more lights to our little mole cave. Do you recognise this branch? this was sitting in the garden in the summer. So I had an idea. I gave it a shower (be gone bugs!) then once dry I gave it spray with some fake snow ... I then wrapped some battery-operated LED fairy lights around it - they came on a copper wire which blended perfectly (£3.99 from Wilkos)

I'm always getting stuck for gift ideas, and often find myself in that awkward situation of seeing friends last minute, yet I have nothing to offer them. So here are a few foodie goodies that have saved  the day in recent years. Presented in brown paper and tied with ribbon, they make a lovely last minute gift, and they'll never know you whipped it up last night ;-)  x

Remember how earlier in the summer I showed you how to dry Hydrangeas? well here they are in all their glory. This weekend, I spent the day with my lovely friends, in a quaint, picturesque cottage in the English countryside. My ladies and I were getting together to make Christmas wreaths, while our menfolk stood around the fire pit in the garden, supping ale whilst cooking us a scrumptious paella ... I think we got the better end of the deal, don't you? ;-)

Here are a few more ideas for handmade gifts. Some of these projects take a little more time than others, but all of them guarantee a lovely gift, and when you've made them once you'll make them again and again. If you're not a 'crafty' person, please don't be put off ... many of the projects I share on this blog, are things I've only tried once myself, and if I can do it so can you :-)

I've been a champion of the potted christmas tree for as long as I can remember. My mum always preferred artificially ones when I was growing up, due to the 'needles getting stuck in me slippers!' but as soon as I had my own house, it was real living trees from the get-go. I not only name my trees, they are also addressed as one of the family .... "you alright Maud? not getting too warm in that corner are ya dear?" Yes I know I'm a big softie / crazy person but it makes me happy knowing this little tree is alive and kicking, and it makes me equally sad to see a strong beautiful tree adorned in all it's glory, only to then notice it's a ghost of a tree which has been cut off at the base  ...  and will soon be chucked out with the rest of the rubbish in a matter of weeks.