40 days left. I can't believe it and I'm starting to get that real child like excited feeling.I really enjoyed reading all of your lovely comments on the giveaway post and I have to agree with each and every one of them. There are just so many things I love about Christmas, mostly that I get to spend a handful of completely uninterrupted days with family. No work, no phone calls, no emergency emails. It's pure bliss.If I had to say one thing I didn't like about Christmas it would be the shops. They seem to start into Christmas just a wee bit earlier each year and the adverts on television really seem to be aimed at every one's panicky side, don't they. I love Christmas but for me, Christmas shopping is something I do when I'm wrapped up warm in all my layers and scarves with a cold nose and the steam rising off my breath. For years past when I would be working in the run up to Christmas, its also something that I now think I should be doing in the dark in Belfast, able to see all the Christmas lights fully lit.Anyway, you're not interested in all this. I'm supposed to be drawing the winner of the giveaway.I always use Random.org (I like a bit of randomness too) and from 33 comments, Random picked........ number 27.
Congratulations to Oddsox, the winner of my Christmas Giveaway*. As soon as I get Oddsox full postal address I'll begin stalking her parceling up her winnings and get them sent off as soon as possible.*The title "Christmas Giveaway" does not mean that there will not be a further giveaway before Christmas, though I may have to call it "Christmas Giveaway, The Prequel", prequels are all in at the minute, aren't they?
The very lovely Belinda at Shop Handmade UK has organised this monster sized giveaway. You could be in with a chance of winning one of two prize packs worth over £200 each contributed to by thirty two lovely and talented designers! You what, repeat the last part! The 32 designers part? Oh right, the bit before that, sorry....One of two prize packs worth over £200 each. Better that time? Brilliant!
You can check out the competition page to see details of all the designers involved and individual photos of each item included in the packs. There's a bit of everything, jewellery, knitwear, stationary, toys, home wares, clothing, cards and furoshiki wrapping.
Just think, one win, your name pulled out of the proverbial hat and you're sorted for Christmas. Not only that, but you're sorted for a handmade Christmas.Of course, you could always just keep everything for yourself!! Do you think you could rawk a pretty pink pinafore dress from Les Petits Anglais? You'd try? Fair enough, to each their own and all that. I'd suggest giving that one away to a little girl, just my opinion of course, you can keep all the rest to yourself. Of course you're just dying to know what my part is in all of this aren't you?I contributed my large Red Pendant Necklace. A one of a kind no less!
So how do you enter?Simple, just sign up to receive the Shop Handmade UK Newsletter at the bottom of the competition page. That's it. Plus by signing up for the newsletter you'll get updates about great designer's sales, discounts and giveaways.You do have to be over 18 to enter and be resident in the UK.
Its almost that time of year again, there just isn't any avoiding it.I've spent the last couple of weeks rearranging furniture and generally clearing all the junk out of my that accumulates during the year to make space in my living room for my Christmas tree. I don't live in a huge house and permanently vacant corner for a tree so it has to be created every year.Its a good weekend's worth of work just to put up and decorate our tree and that's before I even think about doing anything with the rest of the house so I like to get the organising and rearranging out of the way nice and early so that I can enjoy decorating my tree because, you know trying to shift a bookcase and throwing your back out when your plan was to have a wee glass of wine and hang a few stockings can really put a crimp on a girl's Christmas spirit. Yes that actually happened to my mum and whereas my solution to the problem was to start earlier hers was to buy a 1 foot fibre optic tree that sits nicely on top of the bookcase.So I'm feeling all Christmassy and I want to share my Christmas spirit (not the mulled wine variety) and what better way than with a giveaway.And its a pretty good one!
Everything is handmade by yours truly. If you win you'll receive a set of two of my prim style Christmas trees, a set of three gingerbread men tree decorations, a set of three mini I-cord wreath tree decorations (complete with hand knit berries) and a hanging star gift bag, big enough to hold a piece of jewellery or a handful of chocolate coins (I'd recommend filling with chocolate coins). As if that wasn't enough, there will also be something edible included in the giveaway, maybe not a reindeer that poops jelly beans as cool as that is, but something yummy just the same.The giveaway will be open until midnight on Saturday 14 November, I'll then draw a name on Sunday and pop in the post on Monday so you have it in plenty of time to decorate your home and tree.Easy peasy, and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. Tell me something you like, love or loath (we'll work on your issues at a later date) about Christmas!You can get extra entries into the giveaway by doing any or all of the following;- Subscribe to this blog here;
- Become a fan on Facebook;
- Tweet about the giveaway and include @SeetheWoods in your tweet;
- Blog about the giveaway and link back to this post (not the main blog url)
That's a total of five chances to win this giveaway, just remember though that you need to leave a separate comment for each entry, the more times you enter the more chances you have of winning.And because we don't have the sole rights to Christmas in the UK (actually I think Disney might own those) this giveaway is open worldwide. You've no excuses now, get entering!
I'm actually not going to bother with a menu plan this week. The weather is a bit all over the place and last week's plan was bumped mostly for salads and nibbly food so I think I'll just do the same again this week.There's plenty in there as I went on Wednesday and did a big grocery shop so we still have plenty of salad supplies and loads of fresh veggies in the fridge. Although, that's perhaps half of the problem. It easier to get by without a plan of any kind when there's a ton of food in the house.I also have some minced steak in the fridge so I'll fit in pasta or something similar this week or burgers, as I say I haven't really decided yet. Its been quite muggy here because of the rain but the temperature has climbed again the last couple of days so I may cook in the crockpot more often than not this week.I'll hopefully feel more like planning proper meals again next week.To make up for the lack of foody loveliness I'm having a giveaway over on See the Woods Designs. Feel free to pop over and throw your name into the hat.
Kristen is very kindly hosting a giveaway for me today over at We are THAT Family, but you'll need to be quick, the giveaway ends on Thursday.I'll be giving away one of two identical bags. The bags have been designed exclusively for the giveaway and won't be available in the shop.
All you have to do to enter is have a look in my folksy shop and head over to tell Kristen what your favourite item is.Easy eh?Now GO, RUN, QUICKLY. You'll kick yourself for missing the opportunity.
Houston we have confirmation.The cat is a girl.The husband took a deep breath and went outside to check.I asked if he was sure.He looked insulted.The weather here the last couple of days has been out of this world. It shortly after 9am at the minute and absolutely cooking outside. Which is exactly where I am by the way. Sitting on the deck with a good cup of coffee, I actually put the percolator on this morning. So I'm sitting on my deck with my lovely laptop, my coffee and kitty purring away happily beside me.Cat sounded far too manly for a girl and I'm pretty sure we have a pet cat now. The husband's even in the garage as we speak building her a little outside house thingy. Is it still a kennel if its for a cat. I should really buy a book shouldn't I?My mum's complete inability to read the size of something clearly printed on the side of the box continues. Yesterday she arrived home with a "paddling pool" for Toots which turned out to be an above ground swimming pool. Seriously this thing is huge, it covers her entire deck and we can all fit in it. Not that we all tried mind you.Also, she didn't buy a pump to inflate the thing. Have you ever got high huffing on kid's inflatables. Anyway, one last minute, blue in the face, completely knackered run to Argos later and we had a fully inflated pool and no serious cases of oxygen deprivation.My dad also dug out the old swing ball. People outside the UK might know it as tether ball, I'm not sure.Now swing ball might look like a nice innocuous child's game but that's where you're wrong. At least if you were raised by my dad, you are. You see to my dad, swing ball is a vicious blood soaked battle and his early teachings wore off on both my brother and I.Toots looked a little concerned to begin with when confronted with this side of her mother. Teeth bared and angry glare on her face as she smashed the ball back at her own dad, who in turn hammered the ball right back at me.My dad was never a big fan of the whole "kids should always win" idea. As far as he was concerned you had to WANT to win and be willing to fight for it. It's a fair point really. Imagine your kid grows up and wants to become a surgeon. Is it ok for them to step up to the table every day and have patients die left, right and centre as long as they at least tried. Not really.Anyway, most games of swing ball between my dad, brother and I usually ended with either the ball flying off the end of the tether or one of us breaking a hole in the centre of the plastic bat.Good times.I spent yesterday afternoon making some new jewellery for the shop
I wanted something nice and light and summery for myself, so I decided to make a few extra at the same time. I seem to get stuck in the rut of always wearing the same jewellery, but yesterday in the heat I just couldn't do it. I'm planning on putting the finishing touches to a few things for a giveaway today. It won't be here, but don't worry I'll tell you where it is once its up and you can run over and get your entries in.First things first though. I'm off out the garage to make a new scratch post for kitty.See you all later.
