Have you ever had it when your plans go wrong...

... and then you discover, underneath the wreckage, something better than you'd originally hoped for? My plans for a Cookie Exchange today didn't work out - some friends were working and others were going to the MOPS Cookie Exchange which turned out to be on the morning of the same day.

So on Sunday night I cancelled my Cookie Exchange....

... and on Monday morning I received two emails - the first from sweet Fleur, one of the new MOPS organisers, and the other from Florent, about our Thursday-morning lesson. Fleur wanted to invite me to the MOPS event, and Florent wanted to postpone our lesson! Serendipity indeed - I've had a lovely day!

For this cookie exchange, we had to bring 24 cookies, a copy of the recipe, and a container to take home our cookies. Lots of us, including me, brought and returned home with a bit more than 24, though! The MOPS mums had organised special Christmas tins into which we each put a cookie, and those lovely filled tins became presents for the volunteers who look after the little children while their mothers take a break at MOPS.

While we talked about Christmas traditions and our recipes, the brave Marcia was in the church office, photocopying our recipes! These were laid out, along with a front and back page, a plastic cover, and some pens, in another room. When we'd chosen our cookies, we went through and collated our recipe books, and then wrote messages of encouragement and Christmas blessings for each other in the books - they are going to be really treasured memories!

And look - I did an almost unheard-of thing - I bought NEW SHOES this morning!

Vintage Shelf Makeover - FINALLY!

Way back in the summer, I showed you these shelves which I was beginning to strip before painting... .. and then it all went pear-shaped. Ben took an interest in the shelves, gave me terrifying and seemingly endless instructions on how to paint them properly, took them apart to facilitate proper painting, and generally left me exhausted and traumatised at the very THOUGHT of all that work (which I would certainly have done badly). I just wanted them looking a bit distressed...

But Ben likes things to look GOOD, as I mentioned in my Advent post, and somehow, possibly realising what he'd done to me, but possibly because he knew I'd do it in a way he wouldn't like, he took over the work.

Wow - I couldn't have handed over a job better if I'd tried!

And as you can see, the results are very pleasing. He chose the paint ('moutarde') and I wasn't sure about it, but I really like it now. The idea was to hang the shelves over our sideboard, to relieve the incredible pressure on the sideboard storage, and to paint them in a colour that complimented but didn't attempt to match the oak buffet itself (which we bought in a troc shop shortly after moving in).

The big shelves are mainly practical, giving us space to store glasses in regular use, but I have been able to indulge in a bit of display on the top. Ben put a little bar along the front of each shelf to stop things dropping off, but he put a bar nearer the back of the top one too. I've used it to prop up the lovely shepherd plate my friend Ellie brought me from Germany whenshe was at university there, and also a blue Denbyware plate Ben and I bought around the same time in Windsor, and a hand-decorated bowl given to me by Ben's mum. The vase on the right came from Ele at Bit of Heaven, in our bird-themed swap. Do you note the number of Eleanors amongst those kind donors?

The little shelves have quite a lot of Portmerion on them - I really do like Portmerion when it's mixed up with other things. The Turkish cofee cups on the middle shelf were given to us by my mum earlier this year - Ben has always wanted a proper coffee set!

So there are my shelves, although perhaps now Ben and I are going to have to call them our shelves, don't you think?

These candid photos show a little bit of our pre-Christmas clutter (only a little bit of it!) There are three fabric-wrapped presents ready to go to my sister and her husband, and, if you look closely, a lovely needlecase and a fabric pen which give away a few clues about my Christmas projects.

A Second Pause in Advent 2010

So Advent feels like it's really begun, now. It's been an enormous pleasure, taking out the traditonal count-down decorations - in fact when I was a bit late getting organised this year, Son 2 started complaining:
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'Notice anything MISSING, mum?'
I hastily put everything into place...The Advent wreath and candle are new this year, though. The one that features on the left here, in our Pause in Advent logo, has been getting steadily shabbier as little bits of candle wax and burnt patches have been added to it over the years. Ben, who likes things looking good (see next week's shelf post) rebelled against using it for another Advent, and went out to produce this simple but really very pleasing log candle-holder.

I decorated it with garden greenery (and of course with what Ben calls 'reddery'), some candles from the stash and the new Advent candle which is the twin of the one burning at Sarah's house in the UK - she tells me her giveaway prize arrived and has been admired by the church youth group!

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There doesn't seem to be much 'reflection' in this post - just the realisation that family traditions, new and old, provide a sense of contentment and stability, however busy or complicated the times. They keep us in touch with each other and build up the wondering anticipation of what is coming.

j

Please do go and visit the other Pause in Advent bloggers - how wonderful to have increasing numbers on board! You are still welcome to join in by leaving a comment on this post. Have a great week.

Saturday Night Humour with Son 1

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2B or not 2B?

A Tiny Festive Matchbox

Did anyone spot this little matchbox on yesterday's post? Son 2 opened up and was determined...

... to make the very tricky little Nativity Scene stored inside it.

It tool a bit of sticky-tac but we did it!

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And if you didn't see the tablecloth yesterday, you may want to know that lovely Beck sent it all the way from Australia last year...

It's December, so it must be time to...

..let the boys take over the calendar display area! He's going to be 12 the weekend after next, he's having a party at Laser Game, and he still wants to play with the Fair Trade Nativity Scene...

... awww.

That was worth giving up the display space!

j

Thanks to Beck for the fantastic tablecloth...

A First Pause in Advent 2010

Welcome to our first Pause in Advent for 2010 - the list of the other bloggers taking part is on your left, and if you would like to join us by posting this Sunday or Monday, just leave a comment here and I'll add your blog to the list! Please do go and check out the other bloggers, as it's always fantastic to read what others around the world are doing or thinking in the run-up to Christmas.For me, Advent is a wonderful way of marking and measuring-out my Christmas preparations. The house becomes full of festive decorations and activity, but actual Christmas can be saved for nearer the time, so that everything is really fresh and enjoyable for the 12 Days of Christmas (from December 24th onwards).I blogged quite a bit about this book in 2009, and I know that other bloggers have it too - it is one of those books that will mean different things to different people, because it recognises that we look all for slightly different things from Christmas. But I thought I'd start this Advent season by letting you read a bit from the beginning of the book, accompanied by a few photos of our Advent celebrations from previous years:
"But the one concern that unites virtually all the people we've talked to is a yearning for a simpler, less commercial, more soul-satisfying celebration. There is a universal wish to end the year with a festival of renewal that rekindles our faith, brings us closer to people we care about, and brings light and laughter to the dark days of winter. We want to ward off the commercial excesses of the season and create an authentic, joyful celebration in tune with our unuique needs and desires.

"But is this possible? We've noticed that many people come to our workshops with an air of resignation. Although they're unhappy about holiday commercialism - 'Why do they have to start so early?' 'Why is there so much pressure to buy, buy, buy?' - they don't have much faith in their ability to unplug the Christmas Machine.

"And although they freely admit to feeling hassled in those hectic weeks leading up to Christmas and then let down by the celebration itself, they aren't convinced that they can make any significant changes. That's the way [they feel] Christmas is for adults; stressful and ultimately disappointing."Quick note from me: I don't think I've ever felt that bad about Christmas, but I do recognise the things about stress, commercialisation and expectations!

So, to end this first Advent post, I'm going to use the Christmas Pledge from the beginning of my book:

The Christmas Pledge

*

Believing in the true spirit of Christmas,

I commit myself to

*

Remember those people who truly need my gifts

*

Express my love in more direct ways than gifts

*

Examine my holiday activities in the light of my deepest values

*

Be a peacemaker within my circle of family and friends

*

Rededicate myself to my spiritual growth

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

I bought this book with my birthday money and had a jolly good read - it was written by a fellow blogger - The Queen of Fifty Cents!I'll do a proper review of it one of these days, but if you're in the USA and like a quirky mystery with a believable heroine and loveable dogs, plus some antiques, then head over to the author's blog as she's currently got the book on special offer!

Cookie Swap!

I've had the idea for quite some time, and I've decided to bite the bullet and post an invitation on Facebook - I'm going to host a Christmas Cookie Swap!A friend organised one a few years ago, and when I re-read one of my Advent posts and saw it mentioned, I thought I just had to try it myself. So, if you are a local reader, consider yourself invited, and please email me for instructions! If you are not a local reader, I'm really sorry - I wish you could come too! I'll let you know how it goes, and perhaps you could let me know if you're doing anything similar?

"This recipe is over 100 years old..."

Or at least that's what it said on my grandma's original newspaper-cutting! She copied it out for me back in 1990, when the cutting was hardly new. So now my Christmas Pudding recipe (carefully laminated to preserve her writing) must be at least 150 years old! It still makes a jolly good pud, as I intend to prove this afternoon...