Prizes

Way back in October I won a little giveaway, here over on Vintage Squirrel, which is a very lovely blog indeed. However. For reasons beyond everyone's control (and my knowledge) I only found out that I had won a couple of weeks ago.

I was invited to chose a brooch from the amazing selection that The Talented Mrs Squirrel makes. Quite frankly, this is An Impossible Task. All of them are beautiful. In the end, after much umming and ahing, I plumped for one which combines two colours which I think go oh-so-well together, red and tealy blue.

It arrived in a scrumptious brown squidgy envelope and when I opened it there was a packet wrapped in red tissue inside. Can you see the little personalised stickers holding the tissue together? Inside that was the treasure, and it does not disappoint. It is much bigger than I imagined. It has a dear little ribbon which I love and it was fixed to a hand-stamped brown card with all Mrs Squirrel's details on it.

Isn't it beautiful?

(Even better if I'd managed to get the blinking photo the right way round..)

Now I have the task of choosing how and where to wear it. On my hat? On my bag? Or perhaps I need to fix it to my poor old coat, just to jazz it up a bit and make it a bit less brown?

Pop over to her blog- it is a treat. And thank you, Vintage Squirrel- you have put a wee bit of colour into my grey Cambridge week.

Technical Hitch

One of my little promises to myself for 2011 was to blog regularly. Not just dip in and skim read every time I waltzed past the computer, but to spend a chunk of time once or twice a week doing a post and catching up with bloggers and reading their posts. This being possible because I have stopped my supply work and SmallerBean is going to preschool Four Mornings a Week starting Tomorrow!!! This is the first regular me time I will have had since the arrival of Small, six and a half years ago. And by this, I mean only me in the house. No children, no husband and no builders. Of course I will have rather a lot to do but I will not be interrupted constantly with requests for dressing Puppy, making drinks, sorting out squabbles and answering endless 'Why?' questions.

However. There is a problem. Over the hols our computer suffered a major illness. He (it must be a he) has been operated on and talked to and sworn at and taken to bits and reassembled but to no avail. We have lost everything from the end of August til now. BigBean is slowly managing to get a few things back but all our amazing photos from Scotland at half term have, pouf, vanished. All my emails and favourites, pouf, gone. All my supply work; newsletters, planning and records, pouf, disparru. Puff of smoke and finished.

And we are not out of the woods yet. We dare not put anything back on to the hard drive Just In Case. So I cannot upload photos (and I really really want to see our Christmas photos) and so I am reluctant to post a post. A post without a pic or two is not quite as interesting as one with some eye candy. Do you agree?

I have been given an award from Andrea, over at Fin and Gabs, (thank you lovely lady) but cannot get it onto the sidebar. I have new sparkliness that I want to show and tell. I want to keep my promise to myself about blogging. But NO NO NO! Bloody technology is not playing the same rules as me.

Normal service will (hopefully) be resumed soon. Until then, I'm back to dipping and skimming.

Happy New Year

a hIpPy haPpY nEw YeaR to EveRYoNE.

mAy 2011 be FiLLeD wiTh pEAce And hEALtH and muchest HAPPINESS.

See You In 2011, MagicBean x

Oh Christmas Tree

I think this is almost my favourite bit of Christmas. There is something so magical about having a tree in the house covered in twinkly lights (I'm not brave enough for candles) with treasure hanging from every little branch. All the memories. The magic. The smell. When I came downstairs this morning and walked into the sitting room I felt giddy with the smell and sight of The Tree. It's becoming a bit of a tradition in the Bean House to find a tree which is on a bit of a wonk. A straight tree just wouldn't be us.

This year I did a u-turn. I allowed the BeanSprouts to help me decorate it. Of course I didn't give them any of the precious glass baubles that were my grannies, or let them put on any of the more gaudy ones. Oh no. Just white and bright and silver and gold with the teensiest hint of red for me. The bottom twigs are rather well endowed but I haven't moved them- impressed eh? Before you think too harshly of me and stop reading because you think I am an utter control freak, we decorate other parts of the house and colour is allowed. In fact, the BeanSprouts have made a rather impressive string of beads which will hang in the hall with some more lights and the Christmas cards but they are not up yet.



I tried to take some close upish pictures of some of the decorations but with mixed results so apologies for some dodgy photos.

This serene angel has been gracing our trees for the last ten years or more. Wears it well, don't you think?

This is a wee holly fairy, bit tricky to see. He has a twin, the mistletoe fairy who is gazing out the window looking for love...
This angel belonged to my granny and I remember her sitting at the top of their silver tree each year. Every time I get her out she seems to be wearing a little less than the previous year. But she has to be part of our Christmas- the tree wouldn't be the same without her.

I tuck little white doves into lots of dark corners. I love them.

A string of big baubles hangs in the middle of the sitting room with more lights and a sparkling of stars.

And a bunch of this stuff just has to hang somewhere. SmallBean has learnt not to lurk underneath it...

Thank you to everyone who has read my posts and commented and become a bloggy-friend. I'm sorry I don't always reply to everyone individually, perhaps things will calm down a smidge in 2011. Not quite a blog birthday yet but it seems fitting to say these things at the end of the year. Have a fabby Christmas and an amazing New Year, lol MagicBean xxxx

Away in a manger

SmallerBean has been practising for her little pre-school 'concert'.

'Away in a manger
Ungrateful for a bed...'

She won't be told.

Splash of Colour- December

This splash of colour is not one I like. And neither does SmallerBean. The poor old girl has got chickenpox and although she's being really stoic about the whole thing, we didn't get much sleep last night. It's not much fun sharing a bed with a hot wriggly scratchy two year old. Of course she is now running around with Small having great games and laughing like a drain. I just want to drag myself back to bed and drink more tea.

The only positive thing is that it's not Christmas. And that Small has already had it.

On a more healthy note, here are some less angry splashes, the first before Smaller got the spots.

PIF Part Two...

On this post I decided to do a PIF, a Pay It Forward. Now I don't know if I was being vague or a bit obtuse or just plain blonde but I only got a couple of people wanting to join in. And one of those didn't leave any kind of details...

So. The first TWO people to leave a comment will get a little Mulberry-Dog something delivered to their homes before Christmas. The only snag being that they then have to do a PIF of their own in the future.. Get it? I don't think I can be much simpler than that. (No comments from YOU, BigBean...)

It might be something like this

or this.

Please help me here. I want to draw a line under this and get the darned parcels off to their new homes asap so I can concentrate on the next lot of wrapping and sending.

Leave a comment and some way of contacting me and if Kim is reading this, get in touch and I'll pop something in the post for you too.