Wednesday

Morning, all, and welcome to Wednesday.  It's dull but dry outside and I'm feeling hot in my snuggle hood.

Yesterday morning started off awful - heavy rain and some wind.  I ummed and ahed about going into town but decided I would because I really needed to collect that framed picture.  If you get wet, it's not the end of the world, after all.
However, the rain stopped, the sun came out to play and it was a lovely morning.  

So in I went.

I picked up the framed picture - they have done it beautifully and I will definitely use them again,  I'll show it when I have my decorations up as it's festive.

I popped into Franklins because you have to, don't you, and bought a couple of balls for some Christmas gifts I am making.  Yesterday was hand and wrist warmers, this year it is Sophie scarves!

Then I walked back through town, stopping off at Lakeland (poly bags) and on to John Lewis where I got my perfume.  I was a bit cheeky and when the lady asked if I wanted it gift wrapped, I said 'yes, please'.  Buying a Jo Malone perfume is a bit of an occasion, after all.  Now I am all set, perfume wise, for a while.  And, yes, they are expensive, but they last and last and a little squirt is all you need.

I had a look at their Christmas area while I was there but it was smaller and not as exciting as last year.  Everyone feels the pinch nowadays, even posh shops.

Once home, I dumped my bag and set off again because I wanted to look in Home Bargains for some specific things.

One was this - a proper, decent sized, sturdy, coir, Christmas door mat.  I have some of those thin ones but they don't really do a proper job, do they?  These (I got two) will be inside, by the front and the back doors and they may just possibly be there before December 1st because I love them.

I was also looking for festive wrapping paper but didn't like what they had in.  I will need to look in Home Bargains and Matalan, I think, maybe tomorrow.  I want to start wrapping and I'm pretty much out of Christmas wrapping paper.

I do like to be ahead of myself and, when I was teaching, I aimed to get everything bought and wrapped by the end of the half term break because the half term leading up to a school Christmas is absolutely crammed.  Mum used to laugh at me for that!  It is just a habit.  
Mind you, I will have an easier ride this year.  Dave and Anna won't be around so I'm going to Beth's on Christmas Day.  Yes, I will provide stuff, etc, but it will be less work for me.  
How do you organise the whole gift getting/wrapping /etc?

Back to yesterday.
Then I went over the road to Aldi and bought some Christmas things for the reverse Advent for the food bank.  I'm a bit annoyed with myself - I got some boxes of mince pies without checking the date so will need to donate them in the next few weeks.  Oh, well, they won't be wasted.

Here's one of the finished blanket squares.  I do think it looks nice but I doubt I can do more than one a day and, probably, less than that.  So it is a proper project and the challenge is to have the blanket done and dusted by the end of November.

That is do-able, I hope.

Today is a lazy day in.  There's a load of washing (and then ironing) to do and I want to do a bit of dusting and sweeping but, after that, the day's my own and I will chill, read, knit and crochet.  

I love my life . . .

Have the best day, everyone.  Stay warm and cosy, whatever you do and wherever you go.  See you tomorrow.  xx