So, last postal day today and First Night Chanukah. Could things have been any better planned?!

Chanukah fluctuates from year to year, the Hebrew calendar being lunar based, and sometimes it can fall as early as December 1st, which quite frankly is a right old inconvenience.

Imagine trying to fit in lighting candles every evening, getting together and exchanging gifts with family and friends, whilst everyone is still at school, I'm on that mega work roller coaster and not to mention being organised to have presents bought and wrapped in time.

When it falls, like it has this year, when the rest of the country is festive and celebrating, it makes such a difference to enjoyment levels. 8 days of celebration ahead to be had and relished.

I even had time today after last Post Office trip of the year, to wrap the children's gifts and make their little initial notices, so everyone knows whose pile is whose. Sometimes I think this is their favourite part of Chanukah...seeing what I've come up with each year. No pressure then or anything.

Then the wrap...

I like to be festive and cohesive, without being overtly Christmassy. not an easy feat I can tell you.

However this year I had a huge pile of all my screen print testing papers that I'd kept after each printing session. Perfect! Being a hoarder I knew they would come in useful for something, quite what at that point I hadn't quite worked out.

This obviously sprung Idea 326 for 2012 of what to screen print next...wrapping paper of course! Watch this space...

8 days of Chanukah is somewhat all consuming, but when it falls in the holidays it's 8 days of fun, fun, fun!

Consequently this is a good time to sign off for the festivities and I wish each and every one of you a wonderful Festive Season ahead, whatever you may be doing.

Thank you so much for your visits and comments throughout the year. I really appreciate each and every one of them, so I can't wait to catch up in 2012 and see what the new year has in store for us all.

xxx

Lovely Surprises

I opened my Chanukah present from Tara last night and what a treat it was. As if the tin itself wasn't present enough. I'm a bit partial to tins. So that was sure to be a hit before it even began. But to be covered in the most gorgeous matryoshkas made it undeniably, unquestionably THE nicest tin I for one possess.


And as if this wasn't enough. I opened the tin up and low and behold inside was this gorgeous matryoshka pin. Now, isn't it the cutest pin EVER? (No, Tara, you can't have it back) It is already fashioned on my bag and is there to stay.

I think I've already mentioned that I'm not bombarded with Chanukah/Christmas presents. Which quite frankly matters not one iota when your one present is as gorgeous as this.

I hope you all have a fantastic holiday and are blessed with people that know you so well that they get it just as right as Tara did.

We are off to deepest, darkest Wales over New Year, so I'll see you in 2009, where I'll be raring to go with all those ideas that are being stored in my head, whilst family commitments take over. xx