Shadows of Christmas past....

It seems like only a moment ago I was preparing for Christmas - and now here we are preparing to welcome in a New Year.....2007!! Holy Moly. Things are still whirling in my head...I am hoping to try iron them out by next week...;)

I had a really lovely Christmas {hope you all did too!!..thank you for all the merry wishes!} with my family {but sans brother and sister in law who are in the States - boohiss} and a dear friend who I had over....I got some lovely little things, which I am looking forward to sharing soon! I have just been relaxing, catching up on lots of sleep {hurrah!!}....doing nice things like watching good films {a brilliant animation today, Spirited Away by the amazing Hayao Miyazaki} and reading good books {The Unbearable Lightness of Being which is underway....and also On Beauty by Zadie Smith which I am trying to resist until the bookclub kicks off....trying I tell you!! ;))} - seriously putting off thinking about my tax return which needs to be started asap.......putting off, putting off. That's what a holiday is about through, right? The new year will be here soon enough and all things on the big to-do list will get dealt with. honestly.

Tonight...another film, nice meal, wine, bed, sleep.....then wake up to Hogmanay. *Wishing* you all just the most wonderful night for tomorrow eve and a truly great start to 2007!!!! See you here next year - I will share some more {fun} to-dos' and grand plans for the coming months then......

Much, much love!!
Slanj to you all at the bells!!!

xxx

Merry Christmas!!....

Ah well, what do you know...Christmas is beginning to creep in after all. I feel things are almost finally ready, and the time to relax and switch off is fast approaching. First of all...I have some heartfelt thank yous to say for the wonderful little packages of joy I have received over the last week or so.....:) A stunning print from the lovely Janet whose blog I have so enjoyed discovering and reading this year!! ....Beautiful Cards from port2port sent to me by sweet Shari who is *so* very dear to me....and as you can see above, a fabulous hand printed linen bird from the lovely Mia Hansen which bears a message I really want to share right now...girls! I love them...thank you so!

Before I sign out for the next few days {I will be trying to get some good shots as promised of some more of our xmas decorations...if the light improves, so will be still around on flickr no doubt} I just want to share, remind, highlight and generally give a shout out to the Kim Family Auction....it all kicks off on the 3rd of January, and I must say I really couldn't think of a better way to buy beautiful things for a great cause... here is my little contribution....so please keep this amazing event in mind if you get some Christmas spends!! ;)

Lastly, thank you *so* much to everyone who has read, commented and contributed to this blog over the last year...I can't tell you how much it means to me to have so much support, and to have made so many friends and met so many wonderful people through this little medium called blogging.....it really has been an amazing year for me and my little business {still here, still going}, and a huge part of that is all down to you!! I wish you all the most wonderful Christmas and a fabulous New Year! ....

all my love...for merry times :)

xox Abigail xox

Coming round...

The wanderer returns, at last...;)) Things have been a tad mad here this last week since I got back from London last weekend {I had a really lovely time with Claire and Camilla btw!!}...as I have had so much to do organisation wise {it is almost Christmas don't you know!!} and work wise. I am finishing off my last order tonight....and then the only making I have to do is presents for near and dear ones.....phew

Today, we did the Christmas tree - [ it is still not quite registering with me that Christmas is almost here..I have done some {most} of my shopping, and am hearing carols in the shops...but I still feel a bit distant and disconnected from it all...] - and boy, was it a struggle. An 11 foot whopper had to be wrestled up several flights of stairs, and then chopped to 10 foot in order to fit upright!! First of all it didn't want to stand up in the pot we had....so we had to get another monster stand to hold it securely and prevent broken windows galore! It is the heaviest tree I have ever lifted, and we are all hobbling about with sore backs, bruises, scrapes and pine sap rash tonight!! ;)))).....however, it is decorated, twinkling, and Christmas cheer is starting to creep in about me.....I am going to photograph some of my favorite ornaments tomorrow and show them!! It is always such a joy to unwrap the decs and look at them each year....

Over the next few days I have a good bit of tidying up to do...and loose ends to tie up. I am heading through to Edinburgh tomorrow night to see a friend, but will be touching back in here on Saturday - as I'm sure I will have much to write and post about, festive cheer and all that.. {including showing off some gorgeous treats that some lovelies have already sent my way!!!}.......have a wonderful eve all.....
love, xox

Ad{dress}ing...

I saw on the news this evening it is only two weeks until Christmas...for some reason that kind of shocked me. I can't get my head around how fast the last few weeks have gone, and now I feel myself hurtling toward new year...2007...always a time for addressing what you have done, and what you need to do next. I am still in the midst of all the busyness of now and don't want to think about how quickly that is all approaching......

To keep my mind off that, I am so pleased that the next few days are going to be filled with such good things {and people} in the form of these two girls {three?}....I am training it down to London tomorrow {Vogue bought but not read, iPod charged} and will be there for a restorative four nights. I have been crazy busy the last few days but nipped into town on Sunday to get some things {all my clothes have pickle holes!} and as you can see {almost}, a dress. I just had to have a dress. It is my Christmas present to myself.

....So today was all about finishing off, {madly finishing off and getting everything done before I go!} and I was up early. When I ran out late afternoon to go to the post office, I felt my first bite of Winters cold....and it hailed like crazy today too. {as long as the rain stopped for a while I didn't mind!!}....I was surprised {not sure why!?} to find the post office queue to the door and several Christmas trees alight in windows - see I said it had crept up on me!!! ;))

I may pop in over the next few days, but maybe not?!! *I wish, wish, wish so many of you could join us in London!!*
hugs, xox

Free Shipping Weekend....

Hello!!..first off, thanks so much everyone for all the well-wishes yesterday...I am feeling a little better today {must be all the positive thoughts ;)} and am looking forward to blitzing all my work this weekend....

**As this is the last weekend before the final posting deadlines to America {and other far off lands!}...I am running a free shipping weekend to everyone who stops by my blog, and visits my flickr stream! Although it is only the international postal deadlines that are approaching, if you live in the UK or Ireland..the free post offer stands too! Everything just works as normal...only, don't pay at the end of the transaction, I will send you a paypal invoice for the correct amount minus shipping costs. I will be posting out on Monday!!**

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, any nice plans for the weekend? As I mentioned I am ging to be doing a good deal of work...but I also still need to make my Christmas cake {we are very late in doing this...so won't be able to feed it with brandy for as long as we usually do!!}...so I think that is a job for Saturday afternoon! I am heading down to London next Tuesday for a few days of fun and frivolity....so am looking forward to that a lot, and need to get organised too!

Have a fun weekend!!..and please feel free to drop me a line if you would like any more info on any of the pieces in the shop :)
xox

messy studio...

Sorry for being so utterly awol this week....I have come down with a hideous cold {yes, another one!!..but why do we always forget just *how* bad they make you feel?}, so have been trying to muddle though as best I can and ignoring the fact I have a very messy studio!! ;)

[Perhaps this is the worst thing about being self-employed...no-one else to do the work if you get sick??....no-one to pay you sick leave... :(]

So today I am really just stopping in quickly to say tune in tomorrow for a little holiday season shop offer...:)

Hope everyone is having a good week!
xox

Organise....

New week...! So, got up early this morning {after a goodish sleep at last, hooray!} and did a bit of organising of work in the studio, making...errands, parceling etc....it feels good to feel productive again!

I had quite a good weekend...nothing spectacular, didn't really *do* anything but did relax a bit and got through some work on Saturday night. I still have quite a bit to do before heading to London next week...although it is all manageable, then, I guess...it is the quick slide on into Christmas!?? I still have not started my Christmas shopping yet!

I found a fun link to some Japanese manhole covers {Shari..imagine the rubbings you could take off these!!}...damn they are cool. How nice is it that even the smallest detail has had such attention and consideration lavished upon it?.....check some out here and also here by clicking on the blue links ...hehe!!

Hope everyone had a good weekend, and that your week is off to a good start!?

xox