Last week's project...

- was to paint these book cases we have finally managed to get.

Even though we have already finished some of the bigger projects, we haven't yet managed to personalise the rooms.

So that's my goal for this autumn (and yes, I know I haven't managed to follow my Christmas 2015 plan 😏) - and I am really excited about it.

First I gave them one coat primer, and after sanding it down two coats white glossy paint. 

After my lovely Hubby put them up for me, I could finally give our living room the first personal touch - and unpack yet another couple of boxes which wasn't so bad either 😉

So here is the final result and I am really pleased with it - suddenly it feels like we are on the right path to creating a lovely corner to spent a cosy evening with a good book or some knitting in the cold winter months.

Gitte x

OK - I know...

- I am NOT really very stabil doing this blogging thing. It's like sometimes I have the time and energy and loads of things to write about and sometimes I don't. I guess I'd rather write about something that I'm really excited about or nothing at all.

So here I am - back on the keyboard because there is infact something I am really excited about. 

PATCHWORK...

For a while an idea of making the girls each a patchwork blanket for their bed has materialized in my head - so today I have spent a fortune on fabric for two similar, yet different blankets.

For Freya in blue, red and pink tones

For Matilde in blue and orange tones

Most of the fabrics are from "Tilda Fabric" and they are all bought in Panduro Hobby.

To be honest, most pachtwork I don't really get or like - although I admire all the time and effort people put into these projects.

But nevertheless I am going to try it myself - and please don't think I am going to make some crazy patterns with all kinds of shapes and sizes... Believe me I'm not!

I am going to make the blanket in squares, probably 5x5 inches, finishing of with a border and backing it with one fabric. Most of the work will be done on my sewing machine, although I will have to do the quilting by hand i the end.

I am very excited about getting started on this project, so step one will be to cut all the squares before lining them all up making the pattern I want.

More to follow...

With this I wish you all a fantastic day.

Gitte x

Happy New Year...

- I can't believe it is now 2015.

And after a lovely Christmas holiday with the girls and both mine and my husband families, I am - once again - looking back on December with the feeling that there was so much I didn't get to do. 

Like finishing our nephews stocking (he's 3 next year), make the meringue christmas tree with licorice and raspberry decorations, send out the Christmas card to actually arrive before Christmas, do my Christmas Journal (I haven't really started yet...), make my own gift wrap etc. etc...

I absolutely LOVE Christmas and there is sooooo much I would like to do, so this year I plan to have Christmas all year - not with christmas decorations and mince pies in July, but to prepare one Christmas thing each month so I can enjoy it.

This means when we once again reach 1 December I have time to do all the baking and cooking I enjoy - with my girls of course.

So here is the list:

January: Johannes' stocking

February: 2014's Christmas Journal

March: Gift wrapping

April: Gift tags

May: ???

June: Make Christmas Cards

July: ???

August: Prepare advent calendar for the girls

September: Prepare 2015's Christmas Journal

October: Buy Christmas presents

November: Christmas Candle decorations and write Christmas Cards 

December: Enjoy baking and cooking and post the Christmas cards and wrap the presents :-) 

How do you find December - do manage to do what you planned?

So with that I wish you all a Merry Christmas :-)

Gitte x

Despite the mess...

- we still managed to squeeze some time in to do Christmas Baking with the girls - twice :-)

First time was on Thursday, where they made some "peppernuts" with Granny (pepper, because it's one of the ingredients and nuts, because that's how they are shaped). And as a demand by my little girl it had to be nursery's recipe we used.

Peppernuts or "pebernødder" as they are called in Danish is one of the oldest Christmas Cookies dating back from the 1700's - and I think most families have there very own recipe. It is a must-have for Christmas (which is a bit of a problem as ours have already gone...) and it was one of the eatable things they used to put in little cones on the Christmas Tree.

If you would like to try them yourself, here is what to do:

375g of butter
375g of sugar
850g of flour
3 eggs
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cardamom
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1-3 pinches of white pepper

Kneed it all together until you have a uniform ball of dough. Take a piece of the dough and roll it into a long snake-shape about ½ inch thick and then cut into ½ inch pieces (see 2nd picture of the girls). Roll each piece into a ball and bake for 10-12 mins. at 200 degrees.

If you would like them really crunchy, put then all back in the oven once it has been turned off, whilst it is cooling down.

I really hope this makes sense :-)

Happy Baking

Gitte x

Time to JYD...

- so going down town earlier today I was on a mission to find something I could use for my Christmas Journal for 2014.

Since I haven't managed to do one for '12 and '13, it's very important for me to get one done for 2014 - but I am also aware that there are lots of other thing going on, so I have set up a few criteria:

• I have to use a finished book - i.e. a notebook or a folder.
• I need to find a set colour scheme.
• Most of my embellishments etc. have to be pre-made.
• It will mainly be a photo journal with a few comments supporting them.
• I aim to get each day done the following morning.

I knew exactly where to go. We have this great store called "Søstrene Grene" where you can get anything from interiors and toys to candles, napkins and crafty bits and pieces at very reasonable prices.

And they didn't disappoint - and this here is what I found:

So now it's just getting started :-)

Have a fantastic day.

Gitte x

I just can't wait...

- to get started on our new cushions after having partly bought and partly dug out these fantastic fabrics.

I simply love the colours - they just seem to make me happy which can never be a bad thing :-)

I made the embroidery of the reindeer earlier in the year. I've made embroideries since I was a very little girl and always loved it, but haven't really found the right purpose for it - for me it's something my grandmother put on her wall. So I'll try to incorporate it in a cushion, maybe in some kind of patchworky pattern (which is new to me) - maybe it will work, maybe it will not...

 

The painter has started today, and I am already much calmer :-)

Have a great day!

Gitte x

Ready for...

- the painter to start. 

My lovely hubby has been working all weekend to get ready for the painter to start his work tomorrow, and last night at 9 he was done - only to to realise that the drain for the shower was blocked. After three hours of trying to unblock it, at midnight we had to call it a day...

Oh the joys...

But back to the important bit - WE ARE READY - and here are a few pictures to prove it :-)

Living room:

 Hall:

Oooh - I have also been fabric shopping, but more about that later. Have a lovely day :-)

Gitte X