Tuesday 11 December 2018

December 11th and the Slightly Naff Purchase

When I told son and DIL that I'd bought a slightly tacky Christmas decoration and they would probably love it, they wondered what it was, and when I described it they said they'd bought something very similar from a car boot sale too - knew it would suit them!

Wouldn't have looked twice at this Christmas canvas picture if I'd seen it in a shop but it was at a Car-boot sale for £1 and the lady selling said it just needed batteries and I had a plan.


I took a photo of it with the lights on..................maybe it should have more lights? Possibly the reason someone got rid of it.


Then  loaded onto memory stick and took it into Boots, printed off a few which will be turned into Christmas cards next year.


I might pass the picture to the charity shop  now I've got the photos or just keep it lit up on the shelf for Christmas or give it to son and DIL to start a collection..

Just looked to see how much they are new.............good grief............some are £10!

Diary Notes
Sunday was a good morning in the kitchen (It's all very well gadding about taking photos for the blog and keeping busy but it doesn't leave time to do anything at home!)
 I'd bought local bacon and chipolatas from the Co-op, so spent a while twisting all the chippos in half to make mini sausages and wrapping them all in a third of a slice of streaky bacon. Then I heated a bit of honey in the microwave,stirred in some whole grain mustard, left it to cool and spooned over the sausages and bacon in a oven tray. Popped the whole lot in a freezer bag and then into the freezer. One job done for Christmas day. Wondering if I should do another lot for the 3 vegetarians although veggie sausages and bacon always look pretty awful.
Next I mixed up some fruit cake mix for 3 mini cakes for the hampers. I like the idea I found for decorating them which involves tri-coloured glace cherries and pecan nuts.
And while the cakes were in the oven I also cooked some chicken thighs  for my lunches this week.
While they were cooking I made my favourite "make early and freeze" dessert. It a Chocolate Meringue Gateaux - suitable for vegetarians and gluten free but very, very bad for for people on diets! (the recipe's on the recipe page somewhere), I've got a medium sized Christmas pud in the cupboard, bought last year and unused but still in date so that's dessert for Christmas Day sorted.
Finally I did the tomato, garlic and ginger soup that I was asking about (Jack Munro's Hot Nurse ). I keep waking up snuffly and thinking it's a cold coming, so far it hasn't come to anything but I'm hoping the soup will stop it in it's tracks.
(Tried the soup...........think I over did the ginger! ..........Phew)

Another book read in December thank goodness. Nicola Ford - The Hidden Bones. First novel by this author, who is an archaeologist  and the story is set around a Dig, missing finds, murder and secrets hidden for 40 years.She has a follow up due in May, I shall make a note to check the library.

Keep forgetting to welcome new followers as I see numbers have crept up to 444. Hello and hope you enjoy reading. Do leave a comment - sometimes I get time to reply and other days I don't so apologies for those days in advance!

 
Back Tomorrow
Sue


27 comments:

  1. I’d have swiped it too. Blooming lovely.

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  2. Morning Sue, what a great idea for next year's Christmas cards!

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  3. How creative you are to take pictures for Christmas cards!

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  4. I like it. You can't beat a snowy scene. Great idea for next year's cards. X

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  5. My taste is obviously slightly naff, it makes a beautiful Christmas card! Well done for spotting the potential. It could almost be my village, except our church was demolished in the 17th century, there are no pretty cottages these days, and I am usually the only person out walking, apart from that though! I am off now to check out that soup

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  6. What a great idea for Christmas cards. The prints look fantastic. I’m going to look up that soup recipe as it sounds delish. When I was little it was always Heinz tomato soup when Ihad a cold. I still associate it with feeling poorly. Your Christmas preparations are really coming along. I wish Icould say the same!

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  7. Lovely photos for next year’s cards and I would give DIL the light up picture to start her collection.

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  8. I've copied the Jack Munro recipe to eldest daughter and a friend who is full of cold (still, after 5 weeks of it!) so let's hope it helps them.

    You are very organized with your Christmas kitchen baking etc, and like you, I try and use the oven for cooking several things together/in succession as the blardy thing costs so much to run (top oven just about had it - that's what comes of having to settle for a cheap cooker).

    I actually quite like your light-up picture and think it makes a great Christmas card - never thought of making my own but perhaps I will next year, using some of the better photos I've taken. I've only made calendars before.

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  9. Your photo was a good idea.
    I finished and sent my cards yesterday and wrapped a few presents.
    It's looking as thou it's going to be a nice day.
    Hazel c uk

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  10. I have rather a weakness for those pictures, although I've resisted buying one. Nowhere to store it, anyway. This year, at the garden centre, I saw light-up *cushions*! Now there's a novelty I can do without.

    Brilliant idea for the cards!

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  11. I like the snowy scene and your idea to take a photo for next year's cards is brilliant.
    The soup sounds like it would be a good lunch for Roz seeing as she is outside all the time at work. I will go and look for the recipe.
    Hugs-x-

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  12. Great idea for the Christmas cards, one tick off next years list xcx

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  13. Joining the chorus of bravos for seeing the potential in the lighted landscape. And bravo, too, for being so blooming productive in getting your Christmas foods sorted.

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  14. I love the card! What a great idea! I might just have to try something like that. The book sounds interesting. I'll have to look it up and see if I can find a copy here or if it's something I'll have to pick up the next time I'm over. You have been busy with the cooking! I'm a vegetarian but the rest of the family aren't. I don't like the whole 'fake' sausage and such. One of the reasons I don't eat meat is because I don't like the taste. Can't see eating one of the fake ones lol.

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  15. I love it! I've never seen a canvas like that. It makes a lovely Christmas card.

    You are smart to have things made in advance. We do everything on the day of, which is insane. I need to change that.

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  16. I love it too Sue. It'll make lovely cards for next year.
    Shall also try that soup = I always get left with tomatoes at the end of the week.

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  17. That book sounds like one I would like - Thanks!

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  18. I am one of your newish followers.
    I so much enjoy your posts.

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  19. Joining in with the congratulations on spotting the picture's potential. As a veggie I quite like the cauldron "sausages" but can definitely do without the fake bacon! So I'd save yourself a job if I were you.

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  20. Great Card! Love you idea of the soup...Going to look it up now!

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  21. Great picture! Great cards!

    I should have kept a running list as you've mentioned them, but I didn't. Would you do this American reader a favor and do a post listing what you have put in your hampers? Please and thank-you!

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    1. If you click on Christmas Hampers on the label list on the right then all posts with mentions of things made should pop up.

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  22. I think it is a lovely photo and will make super cards.
    xx

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  23. Brilliant idea with the picture. I'm sure there's somewhere that can turn photos into jigsaws too, maybe it's Vistaprint, so maybe you could send people matching Christmas cards and jigsaws next year :-)

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  24. what a fab idea, I have one of these pictures ! going to have to take a pic now.

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