Christmas Lace Notes
My Christmas thoughts: traditions, films, family and a little festive making.
Newest notes first
When the Holly Withers: Navigating Bad News and Sadness at Christmas
Christmas is often painted as a time of unbridled joy, where every twinkling light promises warmth, and every carol carries a note of hope. But for those bearing the weight of bad news or sadness, the…
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Creative Christmas: Making, Mending and Meaning
A celebration of handmade gifts, gentle crafting rhythms and the quiet joy of creating There is a moment each year when the evenings draw in, the kettle clicks on, and familiar thoughts begin to wande…
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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Lace-mas
There’s something quietly magical about this time of year. The clocks have gone back, the evenings stretch longer, and the world outside feels as if it’s drawing breath before December arrives in all …
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Feast and Folklore - The food and traditions of the christmas table
There’s something truly magical about Christmas Day in the UK - the twinkling lights, the festive cheer, and, of course, the sumptuous feast that brings everyone together.
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Flavours of Christmas: A Feast for the Senses
Tastes and smells can invoke memories of Christmases past . From the first bite of a mince pie or the smell of a Christmas cake cooking, we are drawn back into our childhoods and thoughts of those we …
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To everything there is a season ... a time to mourn, a time to dance
A few weekends ago, we went to the Chatsworth Christmas market. It's been a while since we have visited a Christmas market, and the Birmingham one is a shadow of its former self, so we thought this mi…
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A Sweet Slice of Christmas: Iconic Sweets of the 70s and 80s
The Christmas season is a time for traditions, and for many of us in the UK, those traditions include the unforgettable holiday treats that filled our stockings and our hearts in the 70s and 80s. Thes…
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Is it too early to talk about cheese?
When it comes to Christmas, few things bring as much joy as a delicious cheese board or a thoughtfully selected cheese gift. Cheese adds that perfect, indulgent touch to holiday gatherings, whether it…
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It's The start of winter and a girls thoughts turn to ....
Just last week I was talking with a colleague about how time managed I am. I have to be. Working for an agency with numerous clients I'm juggling the need of my clients, the agency and myself, each an…
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Sprouts and thoughts on those who aren't with us
It’s not the most inspiring view but it’s the view from my kitchen window as I prepare Christmas lunch.
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Let's track Santa with NORAD
For over 70 years, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defence Command) have been tracking Santa Claus each Christmas Eve, as he travels from the North Pole to all countries of the world on Christmas Eve.
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The trouble with Father Christmas/Santa Claus
Amongst other things, he was known for his habit of secretly giving gifts and over the years following his death in 343CE, his name gave rise to varients of Santa Claus from such things as the Dutch; …
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You can't tell me when it's Christmas
Uncle Reg, Mum's stepfather, loved pecan nuts. In a world where things were still seasonal, they would appear in the shops around the 1st of December. My Grandmother (Mum's mum) would always make sure…
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Advent Traditions
Yesterday I looked at what Advent means , building on my blog from last year about what makes Advent Calendars so special.
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Why Advent?
Advent marks the weeks before Christmas and is a time of anticipation, preparation and reflection leading up to Christmas Day.
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Why are Christmas movies so comforting?
In the 20 years since Love Actually was released, I've rediscovered a love of Christmas movies.
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Is it still worth sending physical Christmas cards?
I’m down to just three physical Christmas cards a year now. Gone are the years when I would make 20th or so cards.
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Schrottwichteln or Scrap Gnomes
Today, was a Spa day, a present from work for our team after completing a massive project.
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It's that time of year again
UPDATE - want to search for a Christmas movie and see how I rated it? Then use my new spreadsheet with all the movies watched, to date, and my ratings, along with links to find out more. Go to the spr…
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New Year, New Resolution
The idea of making New Year's resolutions goes back to ancient times when people would make promises to the gods to improve their behaviour or to atone for past misdeeds.
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Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail too
As a kid, we would sing the Wassail song as part of our school Christmas concerts. Even so, I've never been wassailing ... Probably because there wasn't much call for it around Wimbledon.
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Boxing Day
This year, with Christmas day falling on a Sunday, we have Boxing Day yesterday and an 'extra' day off today.
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Folk Stories for Christmas
The Christmas Spider is a Ukrainian folk tale that tells the story of a poor family who couldn't afford to decorate their Christmas tree. One evening, a spider crawled up the tree and began spinning w…
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A Tale of Christmas Present
So, I've previously talked about the Christmas presents past , but now that Christmas day is over, I can talk of the presents made this year.
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Christ is Born in Bethlehem
Once again, Desborough & Toller URCs published an advent booklet with a reading for each day, written by a member of the congregation.
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Jolabokaflod: The Icelandic tradition of giving of a book on Christmas Eve
Jolabokaflod or the 'Christmas Book Flood', is an Icelandic holiday tradition in which books are given as gifts on Christmas Eve and then enjoyed that evening, and the rest of the holiday season.
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Marley's Ghosts
Last year, I wrote three short pieces about Christmas. I wanted to share these again.
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When food is linked to your memories
So, the food order arrived at 9am this morning. A la Margot Ledbetter. In a van. Christmas was delivered.
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Nothing says Christmas like a German Market
My first visit to a Christmas Market, in Germany, was in 2006 when I was in Munich for work.
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So, as each of them are craft worthy, I plan through the year to make something special.
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What's Christmas without a Murder or Two?
As the Christmas Movie watching countdown continues, this girl's thoughts turn to what classics I want to watch between Christmas and the New Year, whilst I eat my body weight in chocolate and knit my…
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The Snowflake Project
I dived into my stash and found some white yarn that was sprinkled with glittery thread, from Poundland, of all places and on a visit to Faith and Fabric , bought a beautiful ball of pale, dusty blue,…
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Why is an Advent Calendar so special?
There was a shop called 'The Library & Music Shop', so called because it sold books and music ... I know, and they had Medici Cards. The Medici Society was founded in 1908 as a publisher of art prints…
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It's not Christmas without a movie
UPDATE - want to search for a Christmas movie and see how I rated it? Then use my new spreadsheet with all the movies watched, to date, and my ratings, along with links to find out more. Go to the spr…
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A tree is a tree, is a tree, is a tree
As a child, I would go with my mum on Christmas Eve to the greengrocers and buy our Christmas tree.
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Ghosts of Christmas Food Past
So, when I was able to order early, this weekend, I was reminded of how my mum paid the milkman a pound extra each week so that at Christmas she had a 'hamper' delivered with special Christmas food.
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