Monday was a very busy day with work and I also snuck an hour to go and have my hair trimmed!!!!  Today I can show you some of the things I got from my wonderful family for Christmas!  I also got some toiletries and my perfume but books were a large part!

I saw this on the Waterstone’s website and it is about all our Christmas traditions and where they actually started. 

Eldest and Fiancé gave me this Snoopy calendar and you all know how I love Snoopy.

Youngest bought me this book about the film, which we have still not seen yet!!!  We are all big fans of Queen but trying to get all five of us around at the same time just impossible at the moment.  I think we will have to get the DVD when it comes out and have a movie night at home, which I love anyway!!!

DH bought me the above Cook Book by Tom Parker Bowles and Fortnum and Mason.  Mr Parker Bowles is the Duchess of Cornwall’s son and is a food critic in the UK.  I will let you know when I have cooked anything from it.

DH also bought me the Agatha Christie book below.  I love her books and although I read this years ago thought I would read it again.

I also had book tokens from DH’s Cousin’s daughter for whom I made Joe’s Baby quilt, below, which was absolutely wonderful.

So after Christmas DH and I went to Nottingham to return a few things (!) and I got to spend a happy couple of hours in the big Waterstones shop in Nottingham. 

Here are the books I bought.  A.A. Milne is known for the “Winnie The Pooh” books but he did write this mystery book so I thought I would read it and also Michael Bond writer of the “Paddington Bear” books also wrote a mystery book so again I thought I would give it a read.  I then chose a couple of books of authors I already know, Chris Carter and Jessica Fellows and two books which look very good.

DH bought me some lovely gifts but this was my favourite as a reminder of our Wedding Anniversary trip to London.  The small basket is from Fortnum and Mason similar to the one I bought DH and the sheep is to remind me of the hotel where we stayed, The Goring.  I love it and it now sits on my desk.

I also had a huge surprise from our good friends Sue and Molly in the US.  They kindly sent me some absolutely wonderful Christmas gifts and we were blown away by their generosity.

A parcel from the US.  Our Postman was quite excited about it!

Treacle of course was extremely interested in the gifts especially as I am sure she could smell they came from Molly.  Sue and Molly sent me this wonderful Wooly Airedale sitting on her Snow Sled.  I have seen these on Sue & Molly’s blog and have loved them and now we have one. 

As it is from Molly we are calling her Molly and she now sits on my desk too.

Molly also sent Treacle her favourite Cheese N’ Bacon flavour filled bone which Treacle also loves although we are going to save it until she can go outside with it as, unlike Molly, she makes the most horrendous mess with them!!!!

Sue & Molly also sent us the most delicious smelling soap which you could almost eat!!!  It is now residing in my travel bag for when we go away.

In early December Sue and Molly shared a post about her Mom’s wonderful creativity with her pen and ink ornaments which she made and which Sue has now here.  Well Sue and Molly sent us some of them for our Christmas Tree and I am so honoured that she did.  Here they are on my desk and I have carefully wrapped them in acid free tissue paper ready for our tree later this year.

One of them is Snoopy, how wonderful is that?

Sue & Molly also enclosed a lovely hand-made by Sue Wooly Mat which my Snoopy desk calendar is now sat on. 

I have already sent a big Thank You to Sue and Molly but wanted to show you all my wonderful gifts. 

New Year is always a time of reflecting on the year just passed and the year to come and I can honestly say that 2018 was the best year for our family in a long time.  I hope that 2019 is going to be the same as last year but of course you won’t know that until you get to December 31st!  I suppose it is a good job we can’t see into the future otherwise you might not get out of bed!!!!! 

I, again, have not made any Resolutions because I only end up forgetting about them half way through January, which of course we now are !!!!  However my aim for the year is Hopeful & Happy again and I am going to try to go through the year like I did last year with less stress and being organised which definitely helped me last year and I think went a long way to making it a good year.  We have things planned to do this year in our home and social things too as well as being with Eldest, Finacé, Youngest, DH & Treacle.

Quilting wise I have a few things planned and some Christmas things I didn’t get done for last Christmas but will mean I am ahead for this Christmas to come!!!!  I will show you the projects as I do them.  I started on Sunday with Treacle’s new quilt, the material above.  I wanted a bit of chain piecing to do and have cut her quilt out and started to plan it so that will be my first project for 2019!

I did forget to tell you that I got a trophy at the Swimming Club’s Presentation Night!  No I haven’t taken up competitive swimming again (especially as that was probably a contributing factor of having my hip replaced last year, all the years as a child I swam competitively!!!!!)  I got it for most voluntary contribution to the Club!  So I get to keep this trophy for a year and my name is engraved on it!!!!

Sorry this was a long, picture heavy post!  If I didn’t show you today I would forget!!!!

I hope you are having a thrilling Tuesday.

Hugs, Susie xx