Happy New Year 2015

During 2014 I have felt somewhat like a wooden puppet where I was not in charge of controlling the things that happened - like somebody else what the puppeteer of my life. Being treated to the best experience of my life (so far) going sailing for 5+ weeks, holiday in Florida, an MS attack and permanent conditions caused by the MS.... the list goes on - but that is life.

Pinnocchio in the photo was purchased on the local market in La Rochelle, France - a city I visited while being on board the S/Y Oceans of Hope. He is one of those items that I have purchased seconds after spotting them as I simply had to own him - did not haggle about the price (15€) as thought that was a bargain for something that just screamed my name. He reminds me of so many things: Disneys Christmas Show aired every year, a company Christmas party with an Italian theme where musicians were playing the Bella Notte song (Lady and the Tramp's entry in the Disneys Christmas show) and a lot of us started to sing Pinnochio's song "I've Got No Strings" when the musicians had played the last note of their song.... so many more things pops into my mind and makes me smile.

The market booth were I found him had him in 3 different sizes and I purchased the smallest one. I wonder what Pinocchio means to the French as the story is originally Italian? Strings.... ropes..... sailing - hmmmm just occurred to me, that sailors are a kind of puppeteers trying to navigate the ship via ropes and sails to make the best of the weather conditions... ahhh the infamous wandering mind at play now.

I am posting this when the bell of the Copenhagen Townhall strikes midnight - ringing in the new year. Albeit the world become more and more alike - I mean you find H&M, MacDonalds, Starbucks etc. all over the world - we still have the different times zones making us a bit different due to geography - happy that something never changes - and still happy to welcome a new year and a new beginning.

Happy New Year

Snow....

We got snow - not much.... just a little and the first drizzled down on December 25th.

Just catching a little late Christmas spirit close to where I live

Candles

Candle holders comes in various shapes and sizes in my home, as the long winter nights call for candles to be lit. This is just one of my window sills this winter. Candles are a big tradition in many Danish homes as we relate it to hygge - follow the link as Holly has the best description of hygge, that I have ever read.

A Danish weekly newspaper had an article about, why the candle wick does not burn down(?) As in burn away before the actual candle is burned down. Now that captured my attention as it is those small things that can make you go "Huh! I've never thought of that!"

The Old Days Are Gone

I have been collecting the annual Starbucks' holiday season mugs for some years now so was somewhat disappointed when my local Starbucks did not have it - when I inquired about it in the store they looked at me as if from another planet?? In the photo above you can see what this year's holiday season paper cup looked like - a bit boring if you ask me. A bit odd though as I have spotted the 2014 edition of the mug on the internet, so why did they not carry it in the store?

Instead I found these two holiday mugs - now they look christmassy and could be looking really great on the paper cups.

The Great Christmas Knit off

Five days of Christmas holiday (3 public holidays followed by a weekend) calls for a lot of Christmas movies in my world and every year I can add some new titles to the list. Cuddling up with a god Christmas book is also a favorite thing to do - was shopping on the internet for Katie Fforde's new Christmas book, when I discovered this one: The Great Christmas Knit off by Alexandra Brown.

Was a wee bit disappointed when I saw that the book cover was a less colorful version, that the one on the e-book - the red cover is totally Christmas..... but that was the only minus about the book.

.....and some people have a cup of tea when they need cheering up, but I find there's nothing better than the comforting, repetitive click-clack of the needles and the feel of the wool looping over my index finger to make everything feel alright.....

Sybil has been heart broken since being left at the altar by her fiancee that suddenly takes a fancy at her twin sister instead. She has since been in a knitting frenzy to stay mentally healthy but when a "cock-up of the century" occurs at her job, she decides that it is time to take a few days off to visit her friend, Cher. She needs the change of scenery.

She is immediately enthralled by the the village Tindledale (which seems to come right out of a Dickens' story spiced with a dash of reference to Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy and Benedict Cumberbatch) where she encounters Hettie's House of Haberdashery. The haberdashery is in financial problems and it lights the creative sparkle in Sybil who dreams of making a living using her creative skills so she offers to help Hettie.... by knitting Christmas sweaters (!!??!! now that really made me smile).

Amazing how Christmas sweaters are considered as kitch in some places, and a natural element of the holiday season in other places - we all remember Colin Firth in his Christmas sweater in Bridget Jones' Diary :) This is good holiday read.

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Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays

This is what my scoring board looked like a while ago - could hardly see the white board due to the red and white creations on top of it - Scandinavian colors - Danish colors.

Getting them organized and counted.

Looks familiar? Inspiration is here, though smaller size this time around.

A lot of cutting and gluing - punching with a snowflake punch - bakers twine and alternative use of red gift wrapping paper on simple white cardboard paper. I have had the red gift wrapping paper for almost 10 years and used it to the very last scrap on this project - just wish that I could get something similar again as simply love this type of paper.

Have had feedback already - and know that several of them are now hanging on various Christmas trees. Got the idea to make this "ornament" last year, when I made some of these as money gift holders and the receivers said, that they could be used as Christmas decorations. The money gift version, however, did not have any colorful paper on the back side but found that necessary if to be used as a hanging ornament.

Did not write a message inside, but attached a handwritten note with all of them using a stamp from Birdie Brown - Santa looks familiar? Well that is because I used it on this project. And yes, the note is blurry to protect Torico's design.

Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays

God jul - Glædelig jul

....both of the expressions are Danish for MERRY CHRISTMAS

Must admit - considering the number of green doors in Nyboder, there were not as many decorated doors, as I had hoped: maybe 1 out of 10 were decorated despite that the windows next to the doors often revealed, that the house was full of Christmas spirit already. Tried to capture some of the atmosphere and could not help thinking how the area must have looked like 60 or 70 years ago during this time of year.

Glædelig jul - God jul

Countdown to Christmas

One more workday then 5 days off for Christmas - love it!! I took some photos with my phone the other day when going shopping for groceries.......

.... and I now have this crazy idea, that I hope I get to do on Wednesday, since this year I will not be traveling for my work during Christmas: This door is one of many just like this (wooden door painted green) in the neighborhood Nyboder, close to my home - Not all doors are decorated for Christmas, but I will take a walk around and take photos of the various decorations and see how different the people behind the doors have decorated their doors.

Because I Can.....

... bring a little joy to someone.

About a week ago, a friend shared a request for Christmas cards on Facebook: Christmas cards for a a six year old girl, Addie, who is suffering from a strange sickness causing her brain to shrink, so this is most likely her last Christmas.The news even reached us, and last week the Danish edition of MetroXpress had an article about Addie and her situation.

So in the true spirit of Christmas, this card is now en route from little old Copenhagen to Addie.