At last the rain has stopped here in Co. Durham. The garden is waterlogged but its nice to get a little sunshine and fresh air. Enjoy it while it lasts!

This little vixen has been visiting for a number of years now. A neighbour of ours started leaving tit bits for her during a harsh winter and it has continued ever since. She comes each night at the same time and sits in the middle of the field behind our house and waits for something to be put out for her, then off she goes. We don't know where she has her cubs and I have never seen her bring her young with her. So I presume she must travel quite a distance each night. I only hope she is still hunting naturally and not relying on these tit bits to survive.

I have been looking for a glass spaghetti jar for sometime now to store & display my cup-cake cases in. However, everyone I saw was too small or made from plastic. By chance I visited "Aladdin's Cave" and found the perfect thing. I think originally it must have been a laboratory container and someone added a sweet jar lid. I quickly agreed a price, rushed home and gave it a good clean. It looks very impressive and blends in with my other glass items.

Happy Easter.

Theres been lots going on this Easter. We started with a cup cake competition for charity at work. One of the girls I work with has a little boy who was born with a cleft lip and palate. The treatment they have had has been fantastic so she tries to raise money for the charity CLAPA. We decided to have a cup cake competition and my theme was springtime cup cakes. We raised £300 for the fund so she was delighted.

My niece came for the weekend and we decorated the window again and made an Easter wreath. We also had a Easter egg hunt in the garden, two eggs still missing!! Then we had another trip to Beamish and fortunately there was some new born lambs for them to see. Quite a nice weekend was had.

This year I wanted to create a heavenly window display with white feather boas and angels. However I can not find the box in the loft with my angels in. So I have had to change my theme and go with a red and white window. The pictures don't show the feathers very well but they are meant to look like snow and I've added a couple of reindeer. I have trimmed the vase with candy canes and i have them counted!

The tree is decorated with all white, silver and glass ornaments. I need more twigs and foliage and silver spay to finish the fire place.

A glimpse of the reindeer walking through the feather snow.

I have been looking for some of these old style paper snowflakes for ages. I have seen them on the Internet but didn't bother buying any. I'm pleased I didn't £1 each in Wilko!

They look nice in the conservatory and move under the heat of the radiator.

This star I bought a few weeks ago in Ikea, it is the smallest one they had and its quite big. Ive put it in the bedroom window.

As Jasmine will be here for a few days next week I have treat myself to some Christmas cake tins £4.99 in the Yorkshire Trading Co.

When I was little the decorations went up in a night, this year has taken me days and I still don't feel "done"!  I do work full time and have been on nights for three weeks so its been a busy time.

 Next week I have a weeks holiday so hopefully will get finished. Lots to do, pantomime to fit in, make a gingerbread house, ice the cake and have a crown fitted at the dentist. Best not to think about it, make a list and get on with it! 

I have had a go at making frilly flower heads similar to a poppy. These could be worn as a broach or attached to a hair pin and worn as a hair decoration. They were quite easy to make just a little care needed as to get the irregular edge you need to singe the fabric over a candle.

I probably should have taken an individual picture to show them at their best, but they really are effective. You could even use them to decorate a gift instead of a bow. I have added different centres some have tiny beads sewn on, some have pearls and some have glass buttons. Quite nice to look at. I think so anyway!

Winter Wild Life.

Last year I happened to look out of the kitchen window and there was two cock pheasants sitting on the summerhouse roof. By the time I got the camera one had jumped down. It was lovely to see.

This little fox has been visiting for about the past four or five years. She is difficult to see in the winter unless there is snow on the ground, but in the summer evenings she is often seen just sitting with her tail wrapped around her waiting for food. One of our neighbours has been leaving food for her so she comes back most nights. I am surprised she has survived as many a night the fields are lit up with the lamps of people out shooting and hunting with dogs.

My garden last winter not sure when exactly but I think it was in December.

Not a good picture but here are a couple of Roe Deer in the field. My camera cant bring the pics any closer, again the deer have been seen around this time of year for a few years now. I am also worried about their safety as again the people with guns and dogs have been known to go after the deer too. Why? It is such a pleasure to look out of the window and have such a treat it really makes my day especially in the cold long dark days of wintertime.