Today started off on a good note with a hearty breakfast of porridge, followed by a pot of tea (the teapot, incidently, was a present from me to Fergal, (but really from me to me!!); it is enamel and not only gives me delight to look at it, pours beautifully too! I’m so looking forward to picnic-ing with it)

Paper, paper everywhere… (as usual)

My middle boy, (who tends towards the cute side) was telling me how he would just love a hot scone with jam. 

So how could I resist such a plea? (don’t they look “perfect”? And tasted rather good too!!)

James’ baptism is next weekend- I’m crocheting a quick little cap; and the shawl: I’m keeping that to have something for Ginnys Yarn Along on Wednesday. I had to deviate somewhat from the plan (was there a plan? Really?) 

These little fellows are flitting to and from our window all day…

Our smallest cutie spends his changing time transfixed by the movement a few feet away:

two more sleeps until Christmas morning…

We are still locked in this frozen beauty of a landscape

(The ancient gate next door with the makers name “J O’ Rooke “inscribed onto it)

I think I am sorted, have everything I needed to get, just need to start wrapping tomorrow!

Today was spent organising, tidying, eating mince pies and these incredibly gorgeous scones with friends…

that’s what Christmas is all about…!

Just back from the most beautiful walk down the boreen beside our house…

(This was taken just outside our gate, the little house has been abandoned for years)

The sun was setting as I walked, would have made the most beautiful photograph… (no, I won’t start whinging again…)

I came home to fresh scones and hot tea… perfect on a day like today!

Can I tell you about the most gorgeous (FREE!!! Even better!!) online magazine: Rhythm of The Home

It is jam packed with crafts, recipes, stories and other complete delights, so well worth a look, the December issue is out now!

I completely forgot as usual, and Beloved Husband didn’t. As usual. 

Flowers, cards and a sleep-in by myself for an extra hour (don’t children make you appreciate the simplest of things?!) 

As it happened, we were going to Fanore in Co. Clare with some good friends for the night. So as it progressively got wetter and wetter, off we went, packed with our dinner marinading, fresh scones, jam and wetsuits (we knew it would be irrelevant to our children as to whether there were storms, freezing temperature or pouring rain. If we are beside the sea, they will get in for a swim)

And there we were, deep in the Burren with purple-y hills stepping down to the sea, enjoying some great conversation washed down with pots of tea and nice things…

Then we walked down to the empty beach when the rain stopped for a bit and while all the children threw themselves into the sea with excited abandon, I photographed these extraordinary skies and wild sea…

…and then back for more buckets of tea and scones and jam in the camper van while five children watched a dvd on my laptop “upstairs”!

The next day, in the pouring rain, all my boys went swimming in a (warm) sea (I wilted in the camper van hence the lack of photos) and then spent some glorious few hours talking more crochet and crafts and all the new delights we are adding to our Nest in the coming weeks… (I got a sneak preview as we were holidaying with one of our new “makers”, and boy, am I excited!!)

…before we travelled home to our little yappy dog, four thousand cats*, one hen, three chicks, two ducks and a rather handsome rooster. We brought some of the sea with us, though, and that night we feasted on freshly caught mackeral and potatoes from the garden…

Ahhh yes, I think we are slowly perfecting the perfect holiday formula  

(*perhaps a slight exaggeration…)

So this is my (somewhat paltry) offering this week:

 And with some scones I made for Fergal and his work colleagues…

And just so that Andrea is assured I was being creative and artistic enough in between producing ‘heaven in a jar’, one of the paintings I’m making- this will be ready to personalize and customize with a name (and date or other info) as an original painting or as one of a limited numbered print. 

More details yet to be done, I’ll show you the finished one next week!

Enjoy the weekend!