Catching up......

 January and February have flown by and March seems to be doing much the same. I have been busy but only doing the same old same old, nothing terribly exciting or photo worthy. For the last 5 weeks we have been rehearsing our Ward Roadshow which Chris and I wrote about 15 years ago and re-vamped as it fit the theme of 'The Rings'. We always have such fun writing them, my husband is hilarious. I direct them and Chris usually performs in them. It was quite hard to do it on my own last year as Chris went to Australia for business on the day of the performance so couldn't join in as he usually does. Anyway we were back to normal this year and Chris, James and Xenia were all involved in performing and the competition was on Saturday. It was such enormous fun and although we were first on so had to warm up the audience they soon did and it was fabulous. We did a great performance and won the competition. I am so pleased for everyone and all their hard work. We had a bit of a panic when we found some of the props had been left at the chapel but there was an emergency run back to Southampton and we found everything. Thanks to those who did that for us. Saturday was the first time that everyone was at rehearsal at the same time and our pianist was ill so a new pianist took over on Thursday so she had only played twice with us and was magnificent.

Some of the cast at our dress rehearsal

Emily, Xenia and Kirsty

Kirsty, James and Emily

Christmas makes.....

I made our advent calendar many years ago, then lost it for a few years so made another better one, which meant of course that I then found the original as you always do. The early days of the month of December I always put the more secular decorations, then the items representing the Shepherds and Kings. The Donkey, Bethlehem, the Star and Baby Jesus in the manger are always the last four to be put on the Tree.

After 25 days

Close up of velcro backed felt decorations

More close up's

More secular decorations

Representing the Kings and Shepherds

Church Christmas Tree Project

I volunteered earlier in the year to take charge of decorating our Ward Christmas Trees and I really enjoyed making the decorations for them. On the main tree I wanted a red and white theme so several women from the Ward helped sew red and white felt hearts which we will add to by embroidering them next year. I found a dry couple of hours one Saturday to use my band saw to cut tree shapes from some MDF I already had. Later I drilled holes in them, sanded them painted half red and half white, varnished and decorated them. I decorated the tree at the end of November so it has been looking great all month. I was very pleased with the result and it went well with the red and white embroidered tree skirt that we made a couple of years ago together. The other tree was decorated in a 'Country' style with felt hearts and bird houses and gingham baubles. Soon be time to take them all down again!!!!

The final effect

Some of the decorations

MDF shapes

Two coats of white paint

Starting to decorate

Nice but still needs something....

Add ribbon and ric rac

Red and White

Easy to make gingham baubles

For the rustic tree

Made these a couple of years ago with friends

Ready to make baubles

Two coats of red paint

I love gingham

This will only blog sideways, it's upright on the computer

Fun with Natasha at the Christmas Fair

I love going with Natasha to help her at Craft Fair's. We did a Christmas one on Saturday morning over at Romsey and will do another one early in the new year.

The Raffle prize contribution

Patchwork Quilt Service Project

We had a fun day on Saturday at Portsmouth Chapel doing a service project making Patchwork Quilts to be sent to Cambodia and Africa at a later date. We had people designing, cutting, pinning, sewing, ironing (that was me!) Then we had a lunch of homemade soups and bread and cake of course, after all, it WAS Relief Society!!!!! Now we are going to make some more in our Wards next year.

Ready for action

Tools at the ready

Designing

Designing

Ready to put together and finish

Refreshments

More refreshments

Even more refreshments

The finished articles

Festive Gifts Fair and other surprises......

I seem to be all about the shopping at the moment its not ALL I do I promise. Xenia and I did however go to a gift fair at the N.E.C. Birmingham last weekend. I haven't been for quite a few years so I decided I would go this year and press-ganged Xenia into coming with me. Chris was travelling up to a railway one in a different hall so it was a chance to all travel together. My favourite stalls weren't actually there but I did manage to pick up a few things. Xenia and I were done in about an hour so we had to wait quite a long time for Chris to be finished. While Xenia and I were eating our lunch we got rather a surprise as a lot of Stormtroopers and Darth Vader came out of another building and lined up for a photo outside our window. We soon joined them, Darth Vader does turn up in the most unexpected places!!!

It was a bit of a hike from the car park but we finally found the right hall.

Lunchtime already

I was only taking a photo!!!!!!

Lunchtime entertainment

Very friendly Boba Fett

Astonishingly kind Darth Vader

Stormtroopers offering to carry my bag

Two quite friendly Stormtroopers

I'm afraid my children can name all these characters but I can't...

A new film idea.....Batman and the Stormtrooper?