blog books

As I said in my previous post, I like these quiet few days after Christmas to relax, and this year also to enjoy looking through 2 new additions to my blog books, years 2013 & 2014, which arrived in the post just before Christmas.

I already have first 3 years of my blog in print,

and I was well behind, but 25% price reduction on Black Friday gave me the push and I ordered the 2 latest complete years. 

And yes, soon another year of blogging will be finished, but that will have to wait until the next "special offer".

These are the 2 latest ones.

It is nice to browse through them, reminding myself what I had been up to, places I visited.

Just some pages from the latest books.

  My blog is no longer just somewhere in cyberspace. 

I have put a lot of time and effort into creating it and so it is a great feeling to actually hold it in my hands. And may be one day, when my memory might not be as good as it is now, the books might become very useful :-)

If you are interested in making your own blog book, you can find more details on 

http://www.blog2print.com/
You can click on this link and just go and "play", create your own book online, and even save it into your account. The process of creating a blog book is very easy and there are many options to choose from, even a PDF version.
It doesn't cost you anything, you only pay when you decide to "buy" your book, which is than printed and posted to you. The book arrives from USA.
I have never had any problem with any of my 5 books.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015 

busy Father Christmas

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a lovely time!

I did intend to post again before Christmas, but life got too busy; and I also wanted to do some last minute baking.

I have been making this cake on and off since 1980 (!), ever since I found the recipe for Vanilletorte  in Burda magazine that year ( in those days published only in German).

                                                               Christmas in our house starts on Christmas Eve, 
                                                                 for me the real Christmas (true to my origins).

A couple of good friends by now, made some time ago, my Christmas wall hanging and a tablecloth come out of the storage.

We all get together in our house, and while indulging in all the goodies at the table, we are waiting  for Father Christmas. Our grandchildren are the lucky ones;
unlike their friends, they get presents on Christmas Eve at ours, and again at home on Christmas morning.

Our house is not large enough for a "proper" Christmas tree, so we have this small one in our porch; 

Father Christmas always finds just the right place to leave children's presents anyway; after dinner the children found there a bag each, full of presents. 

There were even muddy foot prints on the floor

(which is interesting, considering it was dry outside ;-)

Two excited children,

and grownups 

(DD, DH, DIL, DS & SIL).

We all got together again yesterday (Christmas Day), including our son's in-laws, for English Christmas, this time hosted by our son and his wife at their house.

They both enjoy cooking and made a wonderful traditional meal, 

including the flaming Christmas pudding.

It was a lovely day with the family, 

and after arriving home last night I even managed to watch Downton Abbey Christmas Special, the last ever episode!

Today was a quiet day, time to "recover", time for a walk.

Everyone has been commenting on the unseasonably warm weather,

but at least it has been dry the last couple of days.

I love Christmas, but I also like the quiet few days after, time just to relax and "do your own thing".

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015

Sunday baking

little Christmas baking, 

Bear Paws - named after a biscuit form they are made in ( I have only half a dozen of those, so I use some other small forms too).

I make mine with almonds and cinnamon, but there are probably as many variations as there are cooks :-)

I hope your week is not too busy - don't forget to take a break!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015

Bath Christmas market

We all know that Christmas markets look best on a crispy dry day, preferably with some snow sprinkled about.

Well, not in Bath, not this week. Yesterday was wet and blustery. Shame, because the setting, against Bath architecture, is rather special.

But the weather did not stop these children, from a local school, singing Christmas carols; and when the rain came down really hard, they just moved further under the cover and continued singing their hearts out.

So, just a few pictures from a very wet Christmas market.

The Nutcracker was my favourite, and not just mine; always busy, I could not get a clear picture.

One purchase I am very pleased with - an addition to our garden, 

a couple of metal dragonflies from Chi - Africa stall.

They will look good among the plants next summer.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015

nice things in small parcels

Don't you just love the little parcels the postman brings?

This lovely small book has come from Sweden, my order from Tulips & Roses.

Yes, it is all in Swedish, and no, I don't speak it, but it doesn't seem to matter; it is the inspiration I am looking for.

I am enjoying my wool embroidery right now and this book is packed full of lovely designs.

Also some more Appleton crewel wool arrived from Hand - embroidered to add to my stash of beautiful shades, which has been growing very nicely recently.

I love handling these soft wool threads.

This blue bird is the latest addition to my wool embroidery project.

One more little parcel - this one did not travel such a distance. 

Small book by Janet Clare, A Field Guide - a book very much "one with nature".

In her projects Janet shows us how to draw inspirations from the nature around us; colours, bees, birds, butterflies..... 

I find this a very calming book; a little therapy during the build up to Christmas.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015