Poncetastic the second 2021

[BeastOfBODMAS]

Thread 1 here

I’ve taken the liberty of making us a shiny new thread!

Thank you @BeastOfBODMAS!!!

Brilliant @BeastOfBODMAS
I’ve found out we have an extra guest, an American friend of DC at university. Vegetarian which is no problem as half of us are anyway so dinner is sorted but will need to plan Christmas Eve food etc.
What do you normally have on Christmas Eve?

Morning!

I'm just placemarking so I can find you all. I need to catch up with the end of thread 1 first

Ive just taken a closer look at my paperwhites, and all the baby bulbs are sprouting, and some bulbs have 3 sprouts coming out of them too so I'll have loads of flowers (hopefully)!

I bought a sparkly length of fabric to turn into a table runner, but I think I'm going to regret it as it has some loose glitter on it and I reckon we'll have glitter floating in the gravy if I do use it.

@OnTheHillNotOverIt its not very poncey but we often have a takeaway on Christmas eve from the local chinese place as they dont celebrate Christmas and so like the extra custom. Probably not much help

@Row1n surely glittery christmas gravy is a poncetastic bonus?

Saw this Christmas tree in Bristol Horel du Vin and thought of the poncetasic thread 😆

@noodledoodler that is a very good point, it may even become a family favourite!

@Row1n that was a bold move! I don’t allow anything glittery in the house or the stuff is still turning up in various orifices come July

I know! I dont know what came over me, apart from the obvious Christmas excitement. Seriously considering hiding it and buying something far less stress inducing

Well, I've pinned the roof of the mansion house, and the top of the bandstand, for my village today. Then realised, not long ago, that the top needs to be shaped 🙄, so I could have done all three pieces that were ready after all 🙈 then assembled them tomorrow.

The girls had an inset day today so they've slightly ponced the fireplace with the stockings I crocheted last year, the Santa key, their Advent calendars and my picture one, and some lights. It sounds cluttered but actually looks cosy 🥰

I still need to make my second Christmas card. Such a small job but I just don't seem to squeeze it in.

I'm going to consult my lists tomorrow & decide on a plan of action for December. I think pretty much everything needed is done, so it can be a pretty relaxed last 3 weeks of school where we can potter and craft.

I do need to make some decs for dd2's birthday though still! She likes the tree left up so I'm going to try and "birthday tree" it a bit...somehow 🤔

Oh I found you again.
I managed all of mil’s cards yesterday and have nearly finished making my home made ones.
I had some metal lampshades that I painted copper in the kitchen that I painted copper inside and out only to find that a copper lining gave a very pink light! So now have painted the inside silver
Today I need to clean sunroom windows ( we have had ceiling replaced and repastered) then I can put fairy lights up crisscrossing the ceiling and hand gnome bunting.
I am supposed to be going away for a week tomorrow to London to do shows and exhibitions and mooching ( it involves a domestic flight for me) but now I am wavering !

Gosh that was a messy post. I should preview!

Paperwhites are going very well - I think I need to put them somewhere darker. I haven't yet 'ginned' them but know I must soon - I don't have an open bottle unfortunately, would brandy do the same job!?

I bought a couple of tete a tete pots over the weekend for some variation.

I need to make the Christmas cake this week as well.

Whoops, that was the wrong picture.

Here's the up to date one.

Ah I thought they were a bit tiny!

The research on floppy stems is HERE
They seem to say any alcohol 40% diluted 1/7 will do. Whiskey is certainly mentioned

@OnTheHillNotOverIt for Christmas Eve food, earlier I was pondering grilled cheese sandwiches made with bacon, Brie and cranberry sauce. Off to look for a vegan Brie substitute!
Normally over Christmas week I veer wildly between party food, cheese and biscuits and “MUST have green stuff, give me ALL the salad “ type dinners.

Oh wow, mine are nowhere near that tall @PooterLoop I wonder do I need to bring them out of the utility room for some more light and heat!

Oh @BeastOfBODMAS that sounds divine, do you have a spare seat for christmas eve?!

All these lovely crafts ! I feel very inadequate

Spent last night with shift diary in one hand and task list in the other trying to fit in various jobs that need doing . DH doesn't like decorations going up until the 18th (and tbf I don't normally) because it's DS2's birthday then and we try and separate it from Christmas, but as I'm actually off ( did I mention for the first time in FOURTEEN YEARS) it means working before . So he got told either they go up before , or he does it his bloody self .

On an additional note , my mum isn't coming because she can't travel , so we're going to her a few days later, so I thought not cooking for as many as usual . Until DD asked if her partner could come , DS is bringing his partner, and DH has invited his brother . So that'll be dinner for ten then .

Oh @plominoagain so you finally get to relax, and then you dont with all that cooking! Can you delegate and ask people to bring a dish to reduce what you have to do on the day? Id suggest pre cooking but from the sounds of things that'll be hard to fit in between shifts etc

I have thought about precooking , but with me doing 5 twelve hour shifts up until Christmas Eve morning , when I finish at 7am in London , then have to blat back home to Norfolk and go straight to the butchers to collect the turkey , it’s a bit of a faff . I have the day of the 22nd before I leave for night duty to get stuff done , but the butchers is shut that day so I can’t even get the early bird , as it were . I am wrapping presents now though , which is usually done last minute , so that should give me Christmas Eve hours to use instead.

DH does help , but he’ll be working from 4am to about 2pm Christmas Eve, so he can’t do much of the errand running .

@Row1n

Oh wow, mine are nowhere near that tall *@PooterLoop* I wonder do I need to bring them out of the utility room for some more light and heat!

They've been in the house for nearly two weeks now, although one of the three sets I have going is nowhere near as developed. Maybe I'll have some early Christmas paperwhites and then some on Christmas too. I don't really mind. They're so cheery and brighten things up.

@Trumpton

Ah I thought they were a bit tiny!

The research on floppy stems is HERE
They seem to say any alcohol 40% diluted 1/7 will do. Whiskey is certainly mentioned

Thank you! They've definitely got potential to get leggy, I'll get the booze sorted asap.

@Row1n oh yes plenty of room for Christmas Eve sarnies but I’ll have to respectfully ask you to leave your table runner at home

Just in the nick of time I’ve finished my advent calendar. The last bit of sewing up is all acock but that’s sleep deprivation for you!