Merry Christmas Card Love

I love Christmas cards. I buy them. I collect them. I'm a sucker for vintage, for pretty, for classic... I guess I'm a sucker for them all really. Just look at the cute kittens in the ice skates... or the cute Robins on the branch... Unfortunately I hardly ever get around sending any cards though. I know, it is a shame isn't it? I want to change that. This year I sent just a few. I also just received a few. Maybe technology, e-cards and text messages are taking over but receiving a pretty, handwritten and signed Christmas card in heavy weight paper is the best feeling ever. The fact that someone has made the effort to choose a Christmas card for me, write in it and then walk to the post office to mail it to me - that makes me feel so loved and special. Therefor I have made myself a promise to put Christmas cards on the top of my Christmas-To-Do-List for next year. Nothing feels better than making someone happy. And what use do all these cards make if just chucked into a box? No, they need to bring a smile on someone's face (part from me once a year when I flick through them...)

So with a glimpse of my precious Christmas card favorites, me and the kids are on a jet plane to Stockholm, Sweden. We are looking forward to a big adventure and will see you again in the new year. A big thank you for all sweet comments, for hanging around, for engaging and supporting me in my blogging. Thank you for shopping my patterns, encouraging me to keep on designing and I'm so grateful to be a part of this community we have. Happy Holidays my lovelies. See you again soon.

Kärlek
Annette

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Packing, prepping, sweating, fixing...

Travel fever. Do you suffer from it? I do. After all these years with travels all over the globe, I still get incredibly jumpy the last few days before departure. My head stops working and I enter a "I can't do anything" mode... The list is so long and overwhelming, there are so many things to do before locking up the front door... and even though I make lists, I seem to not be able to tackle it all in one go. I sit, glued to the sofa, and stare at the most ridiculous shows and programs as my body turns into a freeze.

It is not until a good 24 hours before leaving the house that things really happens. I get frantic and accomplish more things in a few hours than in the whole week passed. I'm in the frantic phase now... Getting so many things done. Ticking off those things from my list:

- Paying the last couple of bills
- Call about the letter from the tax office
- Call about the letter from the insurance...
- Setting up the cats in the laundry room with cozy chairs, fur, crochet blankets and all...
- Making sure I have enough cat food
- Getting travel documents in order
- Wrapping the last few gifts
- Packing the kids stuff
- Folding the last run of laundry
- Wiping down the bathrooms
- Booking the shuttle to the port in Miami
- Emptying the fridge
- Taking out the garbage
- Bringing compost to the recycling
- Going through my emails
- Checking my Etsy Shop
- Preparing this blog post
- Charging everything that needs to be charged (including me...)- Making sure we have the night light, Ping Ping, chargers, passports, camera...
- Do my last day at work... Just a few more hours to go...

Well, we are ready. We ARE ready. We are READY! WE ARE READY! Not really, but we will be. I always pull it off in the end. Just got to make sure all kids are with me at 4.30 in the morning when we leave for the airport. Passports and money. Anything else can be purchased or fixed as we go I guess. Oh, I better not forget the memory card for my camera. Or the charger... Ear phones. Travel socks. Turning down the heaters, unplugging all electrics and of course, leaving the key for Madame to care for the cats. Oh, and lets not forget to breath shall we... Oh my gosh! I just remembered - What WiP shall I bring!!!??? The stress level is certainly high here...

PS The pattern for the Pine Tree Wrist Warmers will be released in January.
PS 2 I made the Christmas Greeting Card at Picmonkey.com. Great and fun free editing tool online. :)

Kärlek
Annette

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Four - Preparing For A Christmas On The Road

The fourth candle is lit and although the house is decorated from head to toe in Christmas spirit, we will not be here for the holidays. Jay is already far away across the Atlantic (read here) and me and the kids will also be back on the road again for the holidays.

On Christmas Eve morning we will get up at 4am to catch a super early flight to Stockholm, Sweden. We will arrive to the summer house just before Christmas lunch with my family. Everyone will be there, only Jay will be missed and thought of as we open gifts, indulge in a traditional Christmas dinner and sweets until we all can fly high over the roof tops with big fat bellies! But even if Jay won't be with us for the classic Swedish Christmas, we will be reunited soon after.

A few days later we will fly to Miami to meet up with Jay and his brother's family in Coconut Groove. The kids are super excited about this part as it has been so many years since we visited the US. Christmas gifts this year are small and fit into an envelope rather than big wrapped up boxes; a sum of cash to spend on whatever they want in America. All agreed upon many moons ago. You can only imagine their excitement, right?

After a New Years Eve spent in good company there will be The Big Family Reunion. Jay's Grandma Flora turned 100 years old just recently and we have managed to collect a good 30-40 family members to celebrate this special event, people flying in from all over the world. We decided on a Cruise to Bahamas. A great place to gather all the people involved in one same place, entertainment available for all age groups, restaurants, shopping and our own cabins if need be to withdraw from the craziness. We are so excited. And my preparation list to be on the road and pull off all this is long. I better get started...

Note: The handmade Dala horse is a favorite ornament, received from blog friend Clare at Selfsewn. Her great talent is hand piecing patchwork quilts. She is A M A Z I N G.

Kärlek
Annette

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My Christmas Bed

When the bed sheets are changed into Christmassy red ones, preferable with a plaid pattern and purchased at IKEA (Who doesn't love IKEA??? -  put your hand in the air! I see NO hands... Twink...), then you know Christmas is already here. I love how changing bed sheets with seasons can make all the difference in the world...

The mornings have been absolutely glorious lately (between 7am until 7.20am) and one sun rise after another has really blown my mind away. Thursday morning I dropped off Jay at the airport as he is going back to Mustique in the Caribbean, to work during the holidays. Last year we had the great privilege of coming with him and it was one of our most fantastic adventures (see this, this and this blog post...), but this year we have other plans and that includes me being a "Single Mum" for a good 2 weeks (take a deep breath...).

The first thing I do is to invite Emmy Bo to sleep next to me in the big bed. And she jumps on the opportunity. And just to let you know, I did invite Luca Bo and Nelly Bo too, but they have reached an age when they prefer their own nests... I know... Kids grow up. They actually do.

Emmy Bo is a snuggle kind of girl, and often I wake up at night with her little legs wrapped up in mine, or toes touching toes. It is a good feeling. I'm really enjoying her "sleep overs" as I know they will soon come to an end... She is the youngest. I watch her leg sticking out, her hair being tossed over the pillow and how she holds her Ping Ping in a sturdy grip throughout the night. This is special. This is a blessing. Moments like this are to be treasured forever and ever.

Kärlek
Annette

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Crochet Gifts

Lately I've crocheted lots of Pine Tree Wrist Warmers just because it is such a quick and fun project to make. I came up with this pattern last fall already, but I never came around to complete it... But now I got the Pine Tree Wrist Warmer bug! The pairs are piling up and have become my favorite crochet gift of the year. These Pine Tree Wrist Warmers were gifted to my closest Swedish girlfriends here in Switzerland, wrapped up in cute gift bags together with a mini bottle of champagne and a pretty snow globe with a Swedish cottage inside. I have to say it was spot on a gift success!

The pattern is a work in progress and if I'm lucky I might be able to release it before the holidays starts, but I can't promise anything. I would love for you all to try this pattern out to make some "last minute" Christmas gifts. They are whipped up in just a couple of hours. Such a super cool little WiP.

I have great plans for 2017 and my crochet designs. 2016 was a crap year (pardon my language) for pattern writing. Many of my half finished patterns will be completed in 2017 and added to my Etsy store, and many more ideas are brewing in my head. These last couple of months I feel like I have done a big U-turn with My Rose Valley and I'm really getting back into my happy place, just like it used to be. It makes me incredibly happy and I just want to say THANK YOU to you all for your continuous support and encouragement.

Today I have a long list of "Have To's" to accomplish as we only have one more week to go before the holidays start. First up is the recycling station followed by house chores and last minute Christmas shopping, dropping off kids at friend's houses, mail a few last Christmas cards and when all that is done I'm hoping to squeeze in some crochet time or pattern writing time. Another pair of Pine Tree Wrist Warmers is on my hook in bright Christmas red. I know the perfect person to gift them to.

Kärlek
Annette

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Third Of Advent

It is time for candle number three... I almost forgot. I'm sick with a cold. Again. Yet another weekend spent in chills on the couch with knitted socks and crochet blankets wrapped around me. I hate colds. I really do. They put me in a funky place. I had so many plans for this weekend, and nothing got done. All the energy just poured out of me. I have hardly been able to do the most basic things expected form me. Well oh well, tomorrow comes and maybe the cold will be gone.

When I light that third candle I notice my Amaryllis is in full bloom! Happiness occurs. I suddenly feel warm and gooey inside. Happy Third Advent! Things can only get better. :) I think I'll make myself a hot cup of milk, cuddle up for the X-Factor final with my littlest Emmy Bo and hope for Saara Aalto to win. What are you up to this December night?

Kärlek
Annette

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