More Christmassy Stuff and Other Stuff

 I see that my last blog was December 11th,  so here we go on a small wrap up of some of what I got up to over the last three weeks.  I hate when I don't blog at leas weekly because it means I miss things. This month being an example of that...

Found an animal carrier for Buddy in the Salvation Army.  $10.  Made in Italy.  I then saw it on Amazon for $40 new so I was pretty pleased buying it second hand.  One of my resolutions for 2024 is to thrift/buy secondhand more: less landfill

Last blog I mentioned my instagram Christmas Tree little project.  This is Patrick and Buddy's addition to the album.

When I unpacked the Christmas decorations I found Patrick's childhood bear "George".  Buddy loved him!

Went to a gingerbread making house thingy with the Squad :) There were three prizes up for grabs and our table got two! Nicki won best "Key West" themed house.  And I won best costume lol.  I just threw on an apron over my dress and called myself "1980's mom on Christmas Day"

We drank this wine with the special wine label with Patrick's mam and dad.  They loved the label....little did they know that I had a bottle with a special label for them and Aisling later that December! No photo am afraid, sorry :( 

I made 120 "teddy beds" for my work Christmas party for dessert.

Packed nicely into three boxes!

They were a hit!

Work Christmas party

Bill and Feliz were invited to the hotel party too!

I bought special label wines for my colleagues for Christmas!

Holiday season = Baileys Coffee every morning

Christmas Day arrived!

Another lovely Christmas day hosted by us :)

Yesterday evening I prepped this baby (brisket) and popped it in the fridge for the night.  Today we smoked it for 2 hours and it was great!! We had it for dinner this evening.  And tomorrow when we go fishing we will bring brioche bread brisket sandwiches!

Happy New Year, dear readers!

Christmas Day food

Started the day off right with Christmas tradition of baileys coffee!!

Appetizers! Devilled eggs and a charcuterie board

Was very pleased how this came out. We had 4 cheeses (Brie, blue, manchego and Irish cheddar), Italian prosciutto, Spanish ham, Spanish sausage and French patê. 

And then the main! Stone crab claws!!!

Which everyone just loved!

Washed down by a bottle of veueve cliquot.

Patrick's mam's dessert - a French brandy, type of tiramisiu. Very nice indeed!

The eating continued when I went back to work and Paul made me a lovely Irish rasher sandwich for lunch:

Mmmm!!!

 

Christmas in Paradise

I'm just getting a few words down on paper to capture what is going on with me at the moment before suddenly December is over and it is 2020 - and the moment has passed.

Enid and Ciaran are here!

Christmas Eve was lovely! Christmas day was lovely!

We are just having lovely times together.

Today I am working (I've been working a lot over Christmas that is hotel work for you I guess!) and the rest of the gang are gone fishing!!! I am sad for me, but happy for them! I will get over it lol.

  

A few little photos below for posterity.

Border town USA

Christmas 2018 is likely one that I won't forget!  For all kinds of reasons that I won't bore you with I found myself spending Christmas in a hotel in the town of Port Huron on the USA/Canada border.  Well it certainly was different!

I woke early on Christmas morning (6am-ish) and spent a few hours messaging with my sisters who sent me lovely photos from their Christmas day in Lyttle Holme (my parent's house) and LPA (Enid's).

 Yours truly on Christmas day in fine festive spirit as you can see (Come on!!! I'm wearing a Christmas brooch!)

And then later that day I had a lovely dinner which came over the border from Canada.  Lol how about that for different?!  Did you know, that while very similar to an Irish Christmas dinner (turkey, ham, cranberry sauce etc), a key component of Canadian Christmas is wild rice? It was very good!

I got to know the hotel very well.  At one point I think I was the only guest there!!

So that was Christmas day...

I also want to touch on something else I got up to in Port Huron.  I went to quite a quirky bar on the 23rd.  When you ask for a particular match to be shown on the tv and the bar girl hands you the remote control you know you are on to a good thing.  When the locals come over to commend you on your song choice on the jukebox you know this place is for you.  And when you are drinking Heineken for $3.25 and vodka for $2.75 you know it's the kind of (dodgy divey) bar that is right up your street.  I'm not even going to mention the crazy wood paneling and the gold streamer, bedecked wall which I suspect was not just for Christmas.  Oh!  And best of all - it had a landline on the wall that actually rang and was answered.  Hellooooo 1987 calling, they want their landline back.

If you ever find yourself in Port Huron, Michigan and you like dodgy bars as much as I do, you simply must check out The Office bar :)

December comings and goings

A little lazy wrap up post of what's going on with me lately.

 

Thursday I strolled up to Grafton Street to collect a dress my mam had ordered for me in Marks and Spencers - technically it's my Christmas present but she gave it to me early so I can wear it to a party next week and on Christmas day. 

Thank you Enie! It's a beautiful red dress which will look fabulous over Christmas.

 

There, I grabbed a quick lunch in the M&S café.while I was there. 

Glass bottles of diet coke and coke!  I enjoyed that!

 

I have started using my reusable cup for all my coffee - especially any I buy from coffee shops (i.e. STARBUCKS) to avoid using the disposable cups which go straight to landfill. I still find it crazy that a company like starbucks has not managed to come up with a recycleable coffee cup.

 

This cup was sent to me by a facebook friend who saw an online conversation I was having about cups.  How nice was that of Jane!  Thank you Jane :-)

My tree is up!

Topped by the very last remaining barbie doll out of my collection of vintage Barbie dolls which I sold about 2 years ago. I miss those gals!  But glad they all went to good homes as I simply had nowhere to store them.  And super glad I saved this lovely lady!

Ok I don't know if it's just this photo, but in the light of the day this tree looks a little bit crooked! I need to sort that out!

 

I must say, I really like the serenity of my silver and white decorated tree up against the beautiful chaos of my Pigsy.  Quite the antithesis!

Christmas shopping

 Today I went over to the Blanchardstown towncentre and met up with mam. We spent most of our time in TK Maxx - and mainly browsing the homeware section.

 

I bought four cute mugs for myself. 

Each set of 2 was €7 so €14 in total for the set of 4.

How adorable are they?!!!!

 

And then I saw this lovely Spode bowl which matches some spoons I bought for mam last year for Christmas so I bought this as a gift for this year. 

 

Very early to have started Christmas shopping but you know if I buy one or two every month I will be well on my way come December.

 

Christmas preparation planning meeting

Mary and Kasey held a Christmas planning meeting on Friday.

It was very serious business as you can see - the Christmas china and coasters were out, and mince pies served - so that we were all in the mood and Christmas focussed.

A good plan is now in place and hooray I am on canapes.  

If you recall I posted about my plans for my canapes previously.  I am excited about them.