Christmas Decoration

During our walkabout around the city malls with my son Jonathan, we took several number of the Christmas decoration pictures. We enjoyed the scenes and for a moment thought that we were really in fairyland. Well this is the holiday season and we might as well go out there and enjoy the atmosphere before the holidays are over and life falls back to a bored monotonous routine.

      

An added Elf on the Wreath Gives a Magical Feel

      

This Wreath looks Simple and Traditional

      

      

      

Japanese Christmas Charity Bazaar

Today I am going to write about my Christmas activities. I love the month of December and the magic it brings. These few weeks have been busy with the sales and Christmas shopping. There are a lot of bargains in the malls and everyone is spoilt for choice. I attended a few of the Christmas bazaars organized by all the different associations. There were many stalls selling all sorts of things. I especially liked the Japanese association charity bazaar, they sell nice beautiful patchwork items and they were all reasonably priced.

There was a Japanese Kimono fitting where you can dress up in a kimono and had your picture taken. I had mine taken just to see how it feels like to be all dressed up in a kimono. It was real tight at the waist but then I enjoyed the fuss the Japanese ladies rendered. They were so friendly and soft spoken.

Wonderfully Made Draw String Bag Which I love!

Patch work Items I Bought at the Japanese Christmas Charity Bazaar Recently

Myself in a Beautiful Peachy Coloured Kimono!

Christmas Cookies

Christmas Cookies

The first time I tried to bake some cookies was when I was 12 years old. I remember baking cookies with only basic ingredients like flour, egg and butter. That was why Scottish Shortbread has been always on the list and also Shrewsbury biscuits. We make do with what we could find in the kitchen and the cookies baked very well. When Christmas day came, we then invited some of our friends to the house and we would serve them the cookies we baked. Recently I bake some of my favourite cookies and it still tastes as sumptuous as ever... Yummy… Hmm…

Baking Spritz Cookie with the Presser

Some Coloured Sugars and Hundreds and Thousanth to Decorate with

How it looks like Eventually!

 Delicious Baked Spritz Cookies

Russian Tea Cookies Made into Star Shape

Christmas Memorabilia

Christmas memorabilia, there are many new ornaments on the market today but the few that have a great impact on me were these three little things. These have been in the family for so long that Christmas would not be the same without these on the tree.  The  gnome were made in Japan. I still like the silver bell and you can see that it has withstood the test of time all three ornaments, the one in the market today is fragile and their workmanship is not lasting.  

Treasured Ornament, Gnome

Made in Japan



The Silver Bell that is still my Favourite till Today

Christmas Tree

I have been thinking what to write; since we are near the holiday seasons, I will write more about it and then runs up to Christmas, how we spend the time getting ready and feeling all excited. Wait, maybe I will write something from my childhood days, I can remember some events very clearly. During those times we had the most memorable moments of our life. Preparing for Christmas when I was a little girl was a very exciting time. A week before Christmas mom would start to look for a Christmas tree and then my dad will be sent to cut the tree from near the seaside. Then we will plant it in a big biscuit tin, I, my sister Veron, Josie and my brother Laurance will be watching my dad doing it. Mom’s favourite was the Poinsettia plant; she always had it in the garden. As we grew up we actually had a real coniferous tree in the garden in front of the veranda, we used to decorate it with the Christmas ornaments and just so we can enjoy the view as we gathered on the veranda for the family Christmas dinner or activities.

Coniferous Tree Surrounded by Poinsettia Plants

During the Christmas Seasons we Decorate the Tree

Another Christmassy Plant

Home Sweet Home

This is my kind of a hideaway, where you drive by rows of sweet smelling pine trees and kind of approaching your holiday home but in this case is my family home, chalet styles. It can be quite humid in this part of the world yet evergreens grow abundantly. Here, it is a bit quiet except for the occasional passing of the long trailers on the highway, about four hundred meters from where we stayed but well hidden by tall ravines and trees. Land aplenty and one can plant and do as they like in their own backyards so to say.

Front Gate Approaching to Home Sweet Home

Lush Evergreen

Even the Grass is Special With Yellow Flower

Bougainvillea Plant

This creeping Bougainvillea plant is in full bloom and it has been in the family garden for as long as I can remember. My mum likes to plant bougainvillea, I remember at one time when I visited her the rage was to have as many varieties as she can get her hands on.  There were names for each one of it. I still see some in the garden today but the plants have gotten old and thus some creep on the ground and others were stacked up to hold it in place but they still were a beauty to behold as they never failed to flowered.

Bougainvillea Plant has wide varieties and they are popular ornamental plants in areas with warm climates. They are thorny and woody. The flower is small with bright colours. It makes an excellent landscaping decorative plant because of its drought tolerance nature and they tend to flower all year round in equatorial regions.

 

Bougainvillea in Full Bloom

Red Variety Bougainvillea

Bonsai Bougainvillea

 

Edinburgh, Scotland, Waverly Hotel

I have visited England a few times and it is still one of my favourite cities. I enjoy the bed and breakfast stays and also the traditional breakfast served like bacon, egg, sausage and juices. We usually go during the winter season where it was not so crowded, especially the train stations. Scotland will be top on our list to visit when we are in the UK. Bed and Breakfast at one of the oldest hotels, The Old Waverly. The breakfast is traditionally English and you can sit near the window overlooking Princess Gardens and directly looking at this huge Gothic monument named The Scott Monument.

The Old Waverly Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland

Full English Breakfast Served, Lavish Spreads

Poinsettia Plant

I lived in a tropical climate country and it is warm the whole year. One of my favourite plants is the poinsettia plant or scientifically named Euphorbia Pulcherrima. This plant originated from Central America and thus requires much light to grow. From young I am exposed to these plants which are green for the best part of the month and it will suddenly turn reddish nearer to Christmas time. The poinsettia plant is a telltale’s sign for me when the Christmas season is near. This almost automatic clockwork where it was green for nearly ten months and turns reddish just before Christmas tells me that the holiday season is near. The poinsettia plant is exposed to sunlight everyday and it receives natural rainfall, thus growing poinsettia in a tropical country is easier than in cold country.

Poinsettia Plant with green leaves

The leaves have started to turn reddish

The Poinsettia Plant can Grow Really Tall











Oodles Of Noodles

One of my old time favourite meals is noodles; I like fried noodle and noodles with all sorts of accompaniments. These are few of my favourites.

This version of dried fried noodle tasted delicious with barbecued pork

This noodle is tossed with delicious sauce and sliced fish topping

Another of my favourites, wide flat noodles with thick gravy

Reader's Digest DIY Manual

For as long as I can remember we always had readers digest book to read while growing up. My father subscribes to it. I also remember reading Time magazine and The National Geography. I guess we were very lucky to have a father that was interested to read all these exciting magazines and unknowingly my interest in reading books was nurtured from there. I remember very well this particular reader’s digest Complete ‘Do It Yourself’ Manuel for house maintenance. As children we like to flip the coloured pages and dream about the beautiful houses and gardens we see on the pages. Thus this Complete DIY Manuel holds special memories of those not so long ago time!

The Readers Digest Complete DIY Manuel

Colouful Pages of Garden and House

Buchanan's Black and White Scotch Whisky Mug



I was so excited when I found this Mug at the family home, I grew up with it. This mug and other wine glasses were my mum collection from my grandfather, her dad. He used to work with Harrison and Crossfield as a storekeeper in the 1950s.  More so as when I googled and found out that the popularity of the Black and White Whisky Brand extends beyond the whisky itself because mugs and glasses with the original ‘Black and White’ dogs printed on them have been sold at auction for prices exceeding £2000. Black And White' was originally produced by the London based whisky blender, James Buchanan. Because the whisky is of the scotch variety, it is fitting that James Buchanan chose a Scottish Terrier and a West Highland Terrier to front his brand. This motif has existed in the company, since the 1890s. It was truly a nostalgic kind of feeling that you get just by looking at the mug, it seems not so long ago that time just flew by. 

Buchanan 'Black and White' Scotch Whisky Mug

Black and White Scottish Terrier Motif



  









Fridge Magnet Frame

This frame was presented to me by my sister Josie. It was suppose to be my Christmas gift from her. I remember she asked her colleague to make it for me and such thoughtful act really touched me. I like the workmanship because it was refined and attractive. I mounded some of my fridge magnets onto it otherwise it will be on my refrigerator door. I wished it could have been bigger so that it can accommodate all my collections. It was very thoughtful of Josie to have it specially made it for me, as now whenever there are guests in the house they admire the frame.

Fridge Magnet Frame

Patchwork

One of my favourite past time is doing patchwork. I only embark on it when I need a new table runner or cushion cover. I like the pattern to be simple and pleasing to the eye. I used to make big project but I find it to be time consuming and now only do small projects. Recently I have been making this table runner with my 5 x 5 inch charm squares; it was arranged in a simple geometrical order. I think it looks nice. I also went on to make a Christmas bed cover although this was an impromptu act; it was just because I have got the materials and the urge to do it. Patchwork can give you great satisfaction when you can finally let out a sigh of relieve that all has been completed and now you can look forward to displaying it. Great feeling!

A Runner for my table or Armchair

Christmas Patchwork

My Collection of Charm Squares

Time Capsule

I have created a time capsule for my son Jonathan when he was nine year old. I thought at that time it would be fun if we opened it at a later date and see what he has put inside the box. I actually bought the pre made time capsule and on it you can have an imprint of your hand or whatever you wish to write before the plaster dried. I think we have done quite a good job with it. I cannot remember what was inside because he is now 16 year old and I think we will not open it until he is married and has got kids of his own. That will be fun. You can also do it yourself with just a metal box and it must be seal completely to keep air and water out which can affect the contents. It does not need to be buried but store it above ground. It is like a time machine and when you finally opened it you will be glad that you have made that connection to your past.

Pre Made Time Capsule

Photography By Jonathan

My pastime when I was young was to take photographs. I remember the cameras we use and the quality that came with it. Nevertheless, we enjoyed those times and because of that I had a good collection of old photographs.  My son Jonathan takes these nice pictures and I like the setting and background he used. All pictures were taken in the family garden.

Taken at Dusk

Fruits Season

In our family garden were fruit trees , when the sun is up in the sky and you happen to walk on by and cast a glance upward the trees one would be able to see the magical picture of its fruit dancing in the sun. For most people they see fruits that have been packed and sold in the supermarket or they would have been plucked and ready to be sold. I guess I am lucky to be able to see a real star fruit tree, jack fruit tree and citrus fruit in the garden.

The Star Fruit

The Jack Fruit Tree

Lime Tree Planted by Laurance

Top Hits from The USA

These old Vinyls were in the family collections of old records, I recently found out that my mum throw a few valuable Vinyls like when I went back to look for The Led Zeppelins LP and The Shadow Apache LP, I could not find it and when I asked my mum she calmly told me that she had thrown it away because the cover has been infested with red ants. Well, as the saying goes you will not miss it until you have lost it and  here hold true .

Mum's Favourite, Hank Locklin Sings Happy Journey