At least now they are no longer filling our days so early with Christmas Cheer.
So to start off Christmas in the Village Claudia is wearing a beautiful Christmas smocked dress
by Kath Barnett.
I love the red Poinsetta's on this dress with the brown of the cones with the green leaves and tiny gold detail to give it a Christmas sparkle.I had to buy it as soon as I saw it.
Beautiful smocking. It came with a sun hat which is also lovely but I feel gives it a summer look and so we are leaving it off for now to keep with the Christmas spirit of winter weather here in England.
So December the start of Winter, well I hope everyone is looking forward to the Christmas break later this month and relaxing or partying. If I my darling Dad was still alive he'd have been celebrating his birthday on 22nd, he was an early Christmas gift to his parents, who had lost a few babies before he arrived and survived to become their only child. My grandmother so wanted a girl that she let his hair grow long and it fell in long pale gold ringlets until my granddad decided enough was enough and took him off for a hair cut at the ages of 2.But he made up for it by making them the grand parents to one boy but FOUR girls ! and I have to confess I was the apple of my Granddad's eye.
So to all those celebrating a Birthday this month, I wish you well and many happy returns for a lovely day of joy and laughter.
Now the Photo competition came to a halt last month due to one thing and another, so let's have a last fling for this year, I will find a lovely prize for this month. So if those who would like to take part would send in their photo by the 10th, votes can be added until the 15th, then the winner announced.
One photo each please same rules as before must relate to Sasha and let's say with a Winter / Christmas/ playing theme, so plenty of scope for your imaginations.
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What a pretty dress. I can understand why you've left off the hat in these northern climes, though of course in the southern hemisphere Christmas is a very summery affair (we still had a roast and all the trimmings on Christmas day when I grew up in CT). I wonder if we'll have a chance to send in a photo in time for the competition, we're so hair-raisingly busy at the moment. We're resisting getting any decorations out - the cloth advent calendar has been hung and Dmd has lit her Advent candle for the first time but we don't get a tree (real one) until later in December as we celebrate Advent the season of waiting, anticipation and hope first.
ReplyDeleteThis time of year is always busy, years ago when my girls were small The time would go up on the 1st of December but since they've grown and have their own homes , it now goes up whenever I have the time, the latest being Christmas eve with decoration done Christmas morning! That's what comes of working right up until the day!
DeleteWaiting, anticipation and hope , a lot of that goes on round this village :)
Like DollMum's household I too here don't put up any Christmas decorations until just a few days before the event....carrying on my family's and school's tradition of Advent....BUT then do keep them up until almost the very last minute of the twelfth day as I know how bare the house looks without them.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very stunning Christmas themed dress that Claudia is wearing here! She will no doubt be THE belle of The Village girls!
There's a little story that I used to read to my school pupils that tells of this very poor child who had just started school and wanted to lay some pretty flowers at the crib scene like the other children did at the school service but her family hadn't the money so instead she picked a tiny posy of flowering weeds as she walked to school.
She hung her head as she walked down the church's aisle knowing how the other children would be silently laughing at her but when she finally looked up her flowers had changed into a beautiful bunch of red Poinsettia.... and so this is how this flower became known as the Christmas flower.
Since we downsized and it's hard to find a place for the Christmas tree that can be seen but not in the way, our decorating's got later and later but whenever it goes up it's always down by the 2nd and it always makes the place look bare for a while.
DeleteWhat a lovely story about the Poinsettia , I read in the paper that they are no longer popular which is a shame as I remember seeing them everywhere as a child and beyond.
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ReplyDeleteLovely christmascoloured dress -and it fits her so well!
DeleteIt's me and my first son who are Decemberbirthdaychild. He was born on my birthday :)
My second grandchild was born here at the 23.12. -as the family arrives for christmas. (Don't know, why they do want to be born here?)
The drama with 'the mother who really wants a girl' my father has also gone through. He told us he had long blonde ringlets, but his father didn't help him. So he got glue one day and tried to glue them flat.
In our family 3 girls are what they called jokingly the 'Pflichtprogramm' -the 'compulsary programme' :
my mother was one of 3, I'm one of 3 sisters and I myself got 3 daughters as well.
4 girls! And one boy only!
I always thought finding a wife is easier for boys with many sisters, but my brother told me lately emphatically; NO -it ISN'T :)
This sibling theme makes me write to much, so much memories - I got old now.
You know, the long-term memories obviously gets better :)
Happy Birthday Anne , for when the day arrives :) I think your grandchildren like to be born at your home , so they get to meet you first of the grand parents knowing you are the big softy :) and who tells the most wonderful tales with doll and bear! :)
DeleteYes for my family, my mother was one of 3 girls but she had 4 girls and 1 boy but her twin sister had 3 boys! , then I have 3 girls.
It's nice to have things that make our memories flow, it's good to remember and to share those memories, thank you :)
What a pretty dress Dee, it's lovely and so very Christmas-y, so just perfect for the 1st of December. My Brendan has his birthday on the 23rd and we have our 10th wedding anniversary on the 14th. I'm just so behind with my Christmas preparations though. My mum and brother will be coming over on the 24th and we are actually going out to dinner this Christmas Day, something we've never done before, and we are here at the coast for Christmas, another first! But the saddest thing for me is that this will be the first Christmas EVER that my son hasn't been with us, I tear up whenever I think about it, so I must dwell on it.....but I just cannot imagine how it is going to be. I hope that I won't be sad but I'm sure I will.......I know that he is happy though and that is the main thing, but his birthday and Christmas without him are going to be a very big challenge for me. Wish me luck!
ReplyDeletexxx
Sounds like a busy month for you Sharon with Brendan's birthday and your Anniversary , Happy anniversary for the 10th :), Lovely that your Mum and Brother will be joining you for the 25th. I'm sure you'll think of Brendan on the day but I hope going out and having a meal will help take your mind off it for a while., by next year you'll be used to him living so far away and it won't seem so bad and you have the wedding to look forward to plus who knows in a few years you may be having Brendan and his family coming to Spain for Christmas when you'll love it but also love the quiet and rest once they've all left .. lol :)xxx
DeletePS My dad was one of four boys too and my grandmother also let his hair grow into long blond ringlets!!! I have photos of him which I really must scan onto my computer, where he looks like a little girl!
ReplyDeleteThere's a theme going on here! Just shows how Mum's who want that girl try to hold on to the dream with a ringlet of two ! This actually just made me think of my manager whose youngest son ( she's got 3 boys ) as a long mop of wavy blonde hair and she says he does not like having it cut..... maybe she does not like him getting it cut...... :)
DeleteClaudia is beautiful in her Christmas dress. I love the poinsettia print and love seeing these flowers at Christmas. Just lovely! I, too, let my son's hair grow long and the inevitable hair cuts came about age 2 when the curls truly looked liked those belonging to a little girl. Dad was happy and Mom was sad though I did understand.
ReplyDeleteRick has our outside decorations up but we are putting up the tree tomorrow. I can't wait!!! :) xxx
I do love Claudia in red and this dress is perfect for her. Poinsettia's they say are going out of fashion, which is a shame. It's nice to see that mum's still let those curls grow until Dad's take a hand :)
DeleteRick is good getting those decorations up outside, I'm still thinking about getting Paul in gear!