Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas Countdown Continues

Our countdown to Christmas continues… We ended up not going to Salisbury Cathedral for the carol service this year. We had planned on going, but in the past few days we have been having plumbing problems and we were waiting around for the plumber to let us know when he was coming. It was kind of up in the air. Also, Brit Boy was finishing up his studying, and that was most important for him to finish, so it was a nice weekend around home.

Our shower has been working and then not working. We get scalded one moment and then we freeze the next and it is just all messed up. Sometimes it decides to be merely a trickle, so it's time they finally authorized a repair. We have had a leak also. It’s been really fun ;-) Thankfully the plumber is going to pay us a visit today. Woo Hoo!!!!! That’s our Christmas present for sure :-)

Since we couldn’t venture too far away, we ended up just chilling out around home. Periodically, Brit Boy took breaks from his studying and we watched Christmas movies or watched music videos on television while we danced around. We enjoyed those study breaks! We love to do our freestyle dancing and then we dance together all elegant…it’s funny. Then I do my Beyonce dance :-)

Later in the afternoon on Monday, Brit Boy finished his final paper and turned it in. And as a bonus, we got our call from the plumber soon after so the day turned out good in the end. We were free to head out. We went into town to pick up some ingredients for my baking and for our Christmas Eve nibbles. We fully expected the crowd that met us, but it was wild in there!!!! :-) We bought my baking ingredients, and some cheese and dips and veggies for our Christmas Eve hanging out. Then I saw them and I was in love ……







These cute little journals/notebooks are my new favorite thing. Usually I always take a detour to the stationery aisles wherever I am. I love pens and journals and notebooks…gotta do the writing thing :-) But I haven’t hit pay dirt like this in a long time. These lovely little books are made of recycled materials, so that’s very good. I just love that the outside and inside are very organic-looking with a bit of flower power on the outside :-) The lady at the checkout was oohing and ahhing over them too, so I wasn’t alone in my love. The best part is that they were on sale. I got two of these mid-size books for £1.75!!!! So a deal on top of everything . Yay!!!! Okay, enough of this notebook swooning! :)

When we got home, I figured that I should go ahead and do the baking so I wouldn’t be rushed. But mostly though, we were just greedy and ready to eat. LOL. I decided to bake us a batch of red velvet cupcakes like I did back in the spring, but with these I sprinkled them a bit to add a festive flair.





We stuffed our faces with a couple after they cooled off and I iced them :-) And then today, we have had one…they seem to get better, like most things after they get a chance to sit. So we are happy people right now with cake in the house :-)

Oh, an update on our shower problems. The plumbers arrived as I was writing this. They just left and they said that we need a new shower. They patched up the leak, so that’s good. I guess that after Christmas when they get the order in, we will get fixed up. So it’s very dodgy showers for a bit longer :-) It's all good though. No sense in sweating it. Hopefully Santa will bring us a new shower for after Christmas.

Anyway, we plan to enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve tomorrow with a few drinks, some finger foods, and cake…what could be better! :-) Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

30 comments:

Unknown said...

Have a very Merry Christmas Dori along with your family. God bless.

((HUGS))

Jodi

Dori said...

Jodi,
Thank you and you and your family have a Merry Christmas too my friend :-) God bless and lots of hugs back to you too.

Anonymous said...

Hello Dori,
Warm wishes! Those cupcakes are beautiful and very tasty I'm sure. :-)

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas Dori... I now have a hankering to bake :)

Karrine
Her Blog D

The Silver Age Sara said...

Oh my gosh, red velvet cupcakes! No one in Vermont knows what Red Velvet cake is but to me (being from the South) it means Christmas! I'd love to have one.
I'm in love with journals too and the one you found is beautiful.
I'm so glad your plumbing problems are fixed in time for the holidays. All in all it sounds like a wonderful day for the two of you with fun study breaks and laughter and music and dance.
Enjoy your Christmas.

Courtney said...

Those journals are very pretty, Dori, I too love that they are recycled!! What a good find, and at a great price too! (a pound is like double the dollar isn't it?)

Also, your cupcakes look very yummy! I hope that you all can get your shower fixed, that can't be much fun!

Happy Christmas!

Mizé said...

Hummm. the cupcakes look really yummie!
I was passing to wish you a Good Christmas!
Cheers.

HEALTH NUT WANNABEE MOM said...

mmmmmmmm! I want some of those cupcakes and I love those journals too. You and Brit boy sound like you have so much fun together!

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry to hear about the shower. You are a braver woman than I. I hope the new shower arrives early!

Your cupcakes are gorgeous! They looked so yummy, now I want one.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

The Fitness Diva said...

OMG! I want, like, 4 of those cupcakes! Yum!

You guys are definitely doing it up right!

Just one more thing for you to enjoy this holiday! ;)

The journals are nice. I love notebooks and things to write in!

Have a Merry! :)

Hey Shae! said...

Merry Christmas! The cupcakes look delicious.

Martin MY said...

You are very organised.

Happy Seasonal Greetings from Bulgaria. :)

Lisa @ Serah's said...

Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Unknown said...

Hope and peace for this holiday season and for a fantastic 2009!

peace,
mike
livelife365
Happy Holidays!

HEALTH NUT WANNABEE MOM said...

Have a wonderful Christmas!!!!!! Wishing you the best!

Lidian said...

Dori, Have a wonderful holiday! I went to Salisbury Cathedral once, it was really beautiful (went to Evensong, too)

j said...

Mmmmm, Red Velvet cupcakes ...

I hope you had a very merry Christmas (or are enjoying the tail end of the holiday). Best wishes for 2009!

Anonymous said...

May the holiday season bring you peace and joy.

Ivanhoe said...

Just stopping by to say hello and hoping you had a wonderful Christmas :o)

Anonymous said...

I missed the Merry Christmas but I wanted to say Happy new year.

I love journals and pens. Since I was a child I have always asked Santa to place these items in my stocking. Now that I am "Ms. Santa" I just buy myself these items every Christmas! One of those make you feel good things.

I look forward to coming over more in 2009. The end of 2008 through me some punches. I will be making all of my post on the "Cricket" blog. "A Day to Share with Tammy" is going into retirement.

Keep in touch.

Unknown said...

oooohhhh! What great looking cupcakes! I pray that your Christmas was blessed and abundant1 Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

Nice blog. I like the journals too. Looking at the pictures of cupcakes made me hungry. haha Hope you had a great holiday!

Unknown said...

Hello Dori I hope all is well with you.

You have an award waiting for you on my blog Jodi's Journey

Have a blessed day Dori!
Jodi

Dori said...

Jacqueline,
The cupcakes turned out great. I hope you had a great Christmas! :)

HerMedia,
Merry Christmas...cake is the best isn't it ;-)

Mountain Woman,
It's the same here...I'm introducing the red velvet magic here too. LOL. Hope you had a great Christmas! :)

Courtney,
I'm in love with journals. I hope you had a great Christmas :)

Mize,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! :)

Health Nut Wannabee Mom,
I'd love to send you some cupcakes :) Yeah Brit Boy and I dance like fools sometimes...LOL.

Anne,
We are expecting our shower hopefully in the next week. So in the meantime we have been making more time and taking baths. Love the shower though...you don't have to get up so early :-) Thanks for the good vibes. I'd love to send you some cupcakes too. They are our faves. I hope you had a Merry Christmas :)

Fitness Diva,
I'll send you some right over from the next batch ;-) I'm so glad to find so many notebook people out here in the blogosphere :)

Shae,
Merry Christmas :)

Martin,
Happy New Year and all the best to you :)

Lisa,
Thanks and Happy Holidays to you too :)

Mike,
Happy Holidays and a wonderful 2009 to you too! :)

Health Nut Wannabee Mom,
I hope you had a great Christmas and a Happy Birthday and that 2009 is the great for you and your family :)

Lidian,
Happy New Year to you and yeah Salisbury Cathedral is a magical place :)

Jennifer,
Thanks and I hope you had a great Christmas and I wish you a wonderful 2009! :)

Dori said...

Pam,
And I wish the same for you my friend. Much peace and joy to you as we go into this new year! :)

Ivanhoe,
Our Christmas was great. I hope yours was great and I wish you a Happy New Year :-)

Tammy,
And a Happy New Year to you too! I just love finding my journal and pen kindred spirits :) I am just like you. It is one of those feel good things :) I hope that things are leveling out for you and I look forward to visiting back and forth a lot in 2009. I will definitely be visiting your new spot a lot. I love it already :)

Regina,
Yep, I wish we had some more. LOL. Love those cupcakes. I hope that you had a great Christmas too and I pray that you have a blessed and Happy New Year :)

Loislane26,
Thanks for stopping by. I'm enjoying those journals, wishing I had more cupcakes and getting ready to say Happy New Year! I hope you had wonderful holidays :)

Jodi,
Thanks so much. I will drop by and pick it up. You are great! Happy New Year! :)

Roz said...

Those cupcakes look de-li-cious! Is there a recipe for them somewhere on the Internet? My daughter and I love baking and trying new recipes! I'm a notebook and stationery freak too - I recently bought a notebook with an inspiring quote on the front that has become my motto for 2009 (see http://lifeinaustralia.today.com/2008/12/31/sydneys-spectacular-new-year-fireworks-display/)

Happy New Year,
Roz

Dori said...

Roz,
Yep, the cupcakes were a hit around here. We ate them up and wanted a dozen more. LOL. I'm sure that there are many copies of recipes for red velvet cakes on the internet. They are rather popular in the southern US where I come from. Just do a search for red velvet cake and you will find one...probably one even better than mine :) I have had the cake made by many different cooks and everyone's is different and so tasty. I love to experiment with it. It's a very rich cake. I hope you like it. I'm so glad there is someone else to add to the group of journal and stationery lovers :) Your new notebook sounds great. I love things like that that inspire. Happy New Year to you and thanks for visiting me.

Roz said...

Thanks for letting me know about the red velvet cupcakes - I hadn't heard of them before, so I thought that they were perhaps your own invention! I found a recipe for them on the Internet and my daughter was very excited to see on one of the photos just how red they are!! I will have to buy some red food colouring first, though! Talking of stationery, there is a great stationery shop just around the corner from Leicester Square tube station in London, next door to a photography gallery, which is also worth a look. I used to love browsing in there, as they have some lovely notebooks and the Quo Vadis diaries I wrote about on my blog.

Best wishes,
Roz
http://lifeinaustralia.today.com

Sarah said...

Funny how of all you wrote of in this post, it was the short bit about the dancing that made me want to comment. It just reminded me of a happy memory I had forgotten... of when I and a significant other would go to stores late at night when I got off work & often end up doing ballroom type dancing together. I love to have random/silly moments with people like that. No matter where life takes us or how relationships go, it is nice to know I can look back & remember that and smile. Thanks for the little unexpected reminscience :)

Dori said...

Sarah,
You're so welcome! And thanks for sharing your memories with us! :)