general stuff

seasons greetings

Well, we're in the last few days before the school Christmas holidays start so I wanted to wish you all happy holidays before I disappear for a week or so. Our tree will go up once the children are home from the last school day and then we'll start our celebrations. I hope that you all have a very merry week whatever you are celebrating and a happy start to the new year.

Amy helped me put together this little video – she has provided the lovely singing on the backing track.

 

 

 

Keep warm, keep safe and enjoy your week, see you soon xxx

crafts & knitting · general stuff

Christmas Jumper Day

Thanks for all the kind comments about Amy’s singing in the previous post – she is suitably embarrassed and actually not giving me too much grief (which might have something to do with me reminding her that I could have published the picture of her sitting on her potty in just a princess crown!)

Anyway, on the Thursday before last when I was sat in the audience watching her sing in the school talent showcase (and feeling that unique-to-mums emotional mix of pride, weepiness and nerves) there was a little part of me that wished it was possible to be in two places at once. I had been really flattered to be invited to a very exciting event taking place in London at the same time – the launch of Christmas Jumper Day hosted by Debbie Bliss and Trisha Malcolm, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue
Knitting, at the Save the Children Living & Giving shop in Primrose Hill. Fifteen other knitty bloggers did make it there and had a great time knitting up Debbie’s cute egg cosy patterns, you can make your own from the free pattern here.

Since I wasn’t able to be at the ‘knitterati party’, I promised that I’d give the campaign a mention here, afterall who could resist the chance to wear a fun Christmas jumper to raise money for a very worthy cause?

Here are the details:

“On 14th December,
more than 250,000 people (and counting!) will be wearing a festive
woolly to school, offices and workplaces all across the UK, with
everyone taking part donating ยฃ1 to Save the Children.

Think fluffy nosed reindeer and cross-stitched snowmen! Anyone can
take part โ€“ you can decorate an everyday jumper with tinsel and baubles,
rescue an old one bought in a moment of festive joy, or even knit one
if you’ve got the skills โ€“ it’s completely up to you.

Money raised from Christmas Jumper Day
will help bring life-saving care to some of the worldโ€™s most vulnerable
children. In the world’s poorest countries almost 7 million children
die every year from easily preventable causes like diarrhoea and
malnutrition.ย Simple solutions, like vaccines and mosquito nets, save
lives โ€“ so your knitted jolly jumper could make a real difference.

We want to spread the word far and wide to get as many people as possible involved in a day of jumper joy on 14th December.”

 

So dig out your winter woollies – or whip one up if you have time – there are even some free patterns provided by Debbie Bliss and T Bramsden.

Please join in by donating ยฃ1 and wearing a woolly on Christmas Jumper day and urge your workmates, housemates, in fact anyone you know to join in too and lets all get in the Christmas spirit on Friday December 14th.

Thanks x

…………………………………………………

Edited to add: The Save The Children website seems to be down at the moment – it is now back up.

Their facebook page is here.

general stuff

singing

My daughter is nothing like me. For a start she can sing, I mean really sing, in a voice that is clear and true and that won her first prize in a talent competition at her junior school a couple of years ago. My voice on the other hand defies description (and not in a good way!) She also is brave enough to stand on a stage a sing solo in front of a large crowd and not just that, but put in an animated, confident performance rather than just standing there. The mere thought of being up on a stage brings me out in a cold sweat!

I have been thinking of her all day today because this morning she was singing solo in front of her whole school house in an assembly and tonight she's back on stage with a group of friends performing a selection of songs from musicals and films. Last thursday she was singing solo in her school talent showcase and between now and Christmas she is on and off stage for various recitals and concerts.

I am so proud of her and I know she'll be mortified but I can't resist sharing a clip of her from when she was little – she's always loved to sing!

 

 

 

Of course now she's a teenager she will make me pay dearly for publishing this clip. It's worth it though!