Monday, December 27, 2010

ロンきま特製 花カレンダー2011

 今年最後を飾る!!!カレンダーです。

 お待たっせしましたぁ~!!
 今まで撮った写真で、イギリスの花で(厳密に言うとイギリス産でないのもあるけど)、2011年のカレンダーをつくってみました。
 どの写真も愛着があるんでねえ。一枚を選ぶのはけっこう大変。。。でもなかったか。ま、おはつにしたらこんなもん。


 1月 雪うさぎ うさぎ年やし、ぴったしかも 実は「白川郷」3匹には意味があるぅ
     3匹の姪っ子がからんでます
 2月 スノゥドロップ ファーマーズマーケットから。
 3月 水仙 リバーサイドから
 4月 桜
 5月 すずらん
 6月 薔薇
 7月 ラベンダ
 8月 南仏のひまわり畑「夏の野外オペラ編その2
 9月 アスパラガスの花「アランデル」編より
10月 紅葉してる「つた」
11月 枯葉よぉ。
12月 雪に埋れるナナカマド 最新のを入れておきました




1月・雪うさぎ




2月・スノゥ・ドロップ


3月・白鳥と水仙





4月・さくらのじゅうたん













5月・すずらん

6月・バラだしピンクだし


















7月・ラベンダーとベンチ


8月・南仏のひまわり畑



9月・アスパラガスの花





















10月・つたの紅葉 





 
11月・紅葉の落ち葉



 









12月・雪化粧のナナカマド





 今年もいっぱいご愛読いただき、ありがとうございます。新しいとしも、また新たなテーマ目指して成長する??「ロンドンきまぐれ便り」を応援くださいませ。2011年もよろしくね。このカレンダを「読者」の皆様に愛をこめて、くぼみずほより、特別年賀状とさせていただきます。
 みなさま良いお年をお迎えくださいませ。

© Mizuho Kubo , All rights reserved…December, 2010

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Nothing like a hand-made gift! {even if I do say do myself}

Argh! {Secret Santa} strikes again! The fabulous girls in our {D.I.G} got together and decided for some insane reason to do one this year. Tell me, why do I always say yes? Be honest, seriously, what pray-tell can you buy someone for $10, err that isn't... TOTAL SHIT!?

I was lucky enough to pick up a decent S.S. present for {D.I.G Mum} by buying a gift pack and separating the items, but I wanted to do something for her girls too!



So after having one of those internal arguments inside my head {I know I'm not the only one that does that} I decided that it was my mission to make "2nd hand", "re-purposed" and "re-cycled" gifts COOL and TRENDY!!  


 {gift for daughter number 1}
"faded florals" quilted carry bag - "I this myself! :P"


This 'faded florals' quilted carry bag was an idea I nicked from {Australian Homespun - Bag Boutique Magazine}. Sorry, I did search high and low but found no decent links. 

I re-purposed two old dresses, a skirt, a pillowcase and some scrap quilting material I had left over. In reality this carry bag was intended to be larger according to the pattern but I was making this for a little girl, so I thought this size was better. 

I also did a few things differently to the original bag pattern, like:
  • I free-hand stippled the bag and straps. 
  • I used thicker wadding instead of batting as that was what I had on hand.
All up it cost me 0.70c and {a lot of love} to make this bag. 


I think the little bag is gorgeous, but I'm biased... ;) [just so long as she doesn't look too closely at what a dodgy job I did!]




 {gift for daughter number 2}


Re-purposed skirt and made a gorgeous little dress, for a gorgeous little girl!






I  just Re-purposed a Just Jeans skirt to make this dress. Very simple principles, similar to the {pillowcase dress}. Just hope it's not too big/small for her!


Aww look a fancy schmancy artistic view of the dress ribbons ;)


{gift for daughter number 3}
Re-purposed a pillowcase to make a pretty little top, for a pretty little girl...


I made two gifts for {daughter number 3}. Firstly a {pillowcase dress} top, yes a top. I think the dresses are cute, but for younger toddlers I find them a pain-in-the-arse. The little tops look so cute with a pair of little white shorts and some sandles.






Secondly I also made {daughter number 3} a little {Itty bitty dolly's quilt and pillowcase} out of scrap material I had left over. 


So cute, they should be illegal!



Well in the end all that matters is some special little girls feel extra special that "Mrs. Claus" hand-made them a gift each...




Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A Chryssie Carol

Ok, so I had this grand idea for a post! A massive gripe about Christmas, lots of spoilt little brats, along with parents buying their kids love out of guilt. I was inspired after reading a great post by aussiebum mummy.  

Oh yeah, I had it all mapped out in my head and my post started with an awesome 'photo-shopping' of our tree and the kids, got part way through, [oh, and of course I forgot to SAVE IT!!!] the editing software froze on me!!! The horror! OMG I was on the verge of tears!  Lots and lots of swearing! I figured if I didn't at least do a screen print, none of you would believe how awesome it COULD have been! 

 
*SIGH* I guess you will have to use your imagination: Picture Miss 18/12's legs dangling out from under a parcel and master 9 looking sad calling for 'mummy'. Of course we can't forget the essential bitchy and neurotic pattern lady in the corner saying something catty that's along the lines of "Well, my parents spoiled me at Christmas and I turned out fine!"

Would have been awesome!!

{Now lets just pretend that the photoshopped picture worked out and you were in histerics because it was just so darn funny!}

So back to the point of this post, spoiled little turds and annoying parents who flake out on parenting and opt for the 'quick fix' of LOTS of unnecessary, expensive presents.

What better place to start than with my Christmas memories from when I was a child... 

{queue Ghost of Christmas past}


No wonder she drinks...

I remember waking up early, I mean REALLY REALLY EARLY!! {In fact I still do!!}
I remember eating lollies, chips and rumballs for breakfast! {as far as I'm concerned it's not Christmas without Rumballs!}
I remember playing cricket with my brother down behind my grandparents house
I remember my Dad always drinking beer and making rude jokes
I remember my Dad and brother fighting over stupid stuff
I remember my Grandma getting tipsy
I remember the tree in all its 4ft something glory
I remember seeing family
I remember feeling sick because I ate too much pavlova {hehe STILL do that too!}
I remember making gifts for my family, as dodgy as they were! {I still make presents, heh, they're still dodgy too!}
I remember we always had the same bar-be-cue, with the same salads  
I remember not being much older than a kid myself and celebrating christmas with my first born

You know what I don't remember.. 
{{ THE STINKING PRESENTS!!! }} 

The only thing that I remember out of ALL the presents I received over the years that was so awesome, was my first BMX bike which I begged and pleaded for, for a whole year! [yes I was a tomboy, heh still one of those too!]. It was my first 'non-hand-me-down' bike and I was in grade 7. Though I'm STILL waiting for that freakin pony I asked Santa for.  

{queue Ghost of Christmas present} 

Anyway you get the picture, it was never about the presents, kids don't remember that shit! It's a part of it but certainly not the important part. It's about being with family and tradition - more importantly wasn't some special person born on this day? Umm was it Santa? Nah that doesn't sound right... Umm, oh, that's right, Jesus! 

I mean that's the main reason we celebrate Christmas right? Now I'm not entirely sure, but from what I read at Sunday School I got the impression that this Baby Jesus wasn't a spoiled little brat. *shrugs*

What will the kids of today remember? Mum and Dad fighting non-stop about bills and credit cards being maxed out because too much was spent, on crap! 

{queue Ghost of Christmas future}


She doesn't even have to say anything and she still comes across bitchy...

 What's wrong with spoiling our kids? Nothing at all - do as you like, but don't come crying and whinging to me when they expect everything under the sun and are ungrateful little shits. Or worse still when they grow up, and then rely so heavily on material things to make them happy. I'll be all like "HAH! I told you so!". :P

We're all guilty of doing it from time to time, but how about we keep Christmas special!?! Maybe you know there are a few too many toys under your Christmas tree, perhaps donate one {or three} to your local charity or to children in foster care?



Wishing everyone a safe and merry Christmas for 2010! 







Dedicated to my father John Bentley 
26.09.1938 to 04.02.2010 
{Missing you heaps at Christmas time!}



124 ご近所のクリスマス風景

 やっと、お、今年のクリスマスライトまできました。
 雪とクリスマスしかないみたいよね、この12月の記事。




ショーウィンドウのサンタ。
スカートが動くのよ
  ことしもメイドンヘッドのクリスマスライトが11月終わりに点灯されました。
ま、去年とおんなじだわ。ショッピングセンターの中はちょっとにぎやかかな?



メイドンヘッド・ショッピングセンター内
















 そのあと、ロンドンに出ましたら、やっぱ、ロンドンは華やかよね、と思いました。オックスフォード通りやボンド通りはほぼ去年と同じ。リージェント通りも2年連続同じ。ちょこっとだけ違ってたけど。そのあと、ウィンザーとイートンも見ました。




ウィンザー


Oxford Street


傘とプレゼント

百貨店のウィンドウもクリスマス

レトロな飾りつけ
テディベアが気に入って

ちかちか変わるんです


左と比べると
 
デベナムも負けずに





 大きな通りでは、ライトや幕などが飾られて夜はちかちかしてるので、きれいっちゃ、きれい。





Bond Street

去年と同じ、リボンですけど

ドルチェ・ガバーナ

サザビーズ

Regent Street 広告が入ってます


くもの巣のようなネットは去年と同じだけど


カーナビー・ストリート
宇宙のサンタ


コベントガーデン付近


実はパディントン駅構内のホテルの飾り




ちょっと暗いけど
  うちの近所の民間宅もそれぞれちょこちょこクリスマスしています。ドアのところにリースをかけるだの、窓に電気のつくライトをちかちか入れるだの。地味だけど。











 アメリカの大邸宅がやるような、家中ライトでかざるっていう家もリバーサイドの方ではたまに見かけます。バスで真っ暗闇突っ走ってると、わかる。でも、写真は撮れぬ、って感じかな。


 メイドンヘッドのハイストリートでも、毎週末、クリスマスイベントをやっており、ファミリーとか子供向けで、先週は、山羊が来てて、今度はトナカイがきてました。去年コヴェントガーデンでもトナカイを見て、「なんだ、トナカイか、珍しくもねえ」なんて、思ってしまうわたしはすでに田舎人になっているのでしょうかね。


山羊、だよね?



















ヒイラギの籠が素敵



カントリースタイルでいいなあ


リースの後ろ上の籠に入ってる
とうもろこしも色づけしてあるの
 

  地元マーケットの12月ってやはりクリスマスしてる。
 いつもセンスのいい、花やさん。 
 手作りリースなどなど
 おばさんいないときにこそっと撮ってしまった。何も買わなくてごめん。






 








 



 週末行ったギルドフォードのハイストリートもちょっと入れておこう。
 やっぱ違うよねえ、ハイソな街の飾りつけは。住人はたいしたことないよ、って言ってたけど。

てぃんくる・ティンクル・りとるすた~

フラッシュなしやけどきれいでしょ

星と時計

4時くらいだけどもうこんな

小さな路地もおしゃれ


ジングルベル~

こちらはイーリング・ブロードウェイの近く。いろんなとこ出張行ってます。
 
木に燈された灯りが、
ヤドリギが光ってるように見える?
















© Mizuho Kubo , All rights reserved…..…..December, 2010


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