What a Wonderful Day!!!

Today we went into St Helens to get Paul's Christmas Prezzie. 

He wanted a new Tattoo, so he got one.

I love it.....It took 4 hours.

While he was getting that done, I took advantage of the time and went shopping and got what I wanted for Christmas. Decorations for the house. Yes, I told Paul in all honesty I wanted to get a Tree(I really want a fresh cut one this year- but will settle for a nice artificial one if needs be.)...and decorations to go with the few we brought from the states. (and a box of chocolates under the tree Christmas Morning.-No joke- That's REALLY what I want)

 This is what I got on my shopping spree....

 My lovely, lovely red glitter and white glitter icicles. The carousel is from our venture into town last week- another charity shop find for only £1.50. Lawd, I LOVE Charity Shops!!!

 I think the garland is gold...or silver, I can't remember and you really can't tell from the photos or the light.( Okay-it was bugging me that much that I just got up off the sofa and took the bead garland into the kitchen where the is actual BRIGHT light and the light colored garland is GOLD, not silver.)The reindeer, however, IS silver, as are most of the little assorted ornaments in front of it. They're actually white orbs, silver pine cones, and tiny silver giftboxes. There's also a Santa and Snowman Salt and Pepper Shaker for the table- or the kitchen. LOL or just to decorate something else. You know how I am.....

 Red and silver- my favorite Christmas Colors!!! I do like a touch of gold, tho- especially if they have a sprinkle of color on them, too. And let's not forget the silver combos behind them.....shiny silver, matte silver, and silver glittery ones.

 Jingle Bells!!! I LOVE Jingle Bells on a tree! Also  some holly and ivey decorations on the Red Ornaments. Glittery banded  gold ones too.

 No tree of mine is complete without Candy Canes. Unfortunately for Paul, these are the plastic ones that look like glass...not the sugary ones he and my kids like to sneak off the tree and eat- altho they threaten the little ones with  dire consequences if THEY try to snitch them off the tree. (Don't worry, I'll be buying some REAL candy canes(Usually about 4 DOZEN) to put on it too for that very purpose.) LOL. I'm not a Grinch or Scrooge.

 Glitter for finishing up my Chrsitmas Village. Having to start from scratch with just a couple of pieces we brought with us from home. And if you remember, a few months ago I found three new houses for it in a charity shop that just need a bit of sprucing up......I still havent quite decided if I want to just leave them colorful or if I want to do them in all white with the glitter as glistening snow. Both would be really nice.I may take a survey on it on my FB page to see if anyone can help me make up my mind. I gotta do it soon, I know that much. Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away!!!

Please leave a comment if you have an opinion on the matter!!!

I got all this for just under £20 and I found all this in the very first shop I went into.

Of course, they didn't have twinkle lights or some nice green garland, but I figure I can pick those up in a couple of weeks. Maybe I can find an inexpensive artificial tree in a charity shop to use for my window wreaths or swags for our windows and windowsills. I love being creative!!!

Well, it took me about an hour to get all this bought and walk back up to the Tat Shop....btw- it's called Skin Kandi..... and then I just went back and read my new Stephen King novel while "Cherub" finished up Paul's tat.

I'm reading Doctor Sleep and it's the sequel to The Shining. I rarely have time to read anything anymore(except for a bit of FB and a couple of blogs I'm obscessively dedicated to,) and it was an absolute joy to just be able to sit and READ straight thru for a couple and a half hours.I got halfway thru the book and so far- I'd defo recommend it.
I was going to take some photos while I was out and about- the sun was shining and it was lovely when we left home in Manchester and when we first got to St. Helens, but when I walked out to take some photos and do my shopping- it had clouded over and started sleeting, of all things!!! It's a shame too- because they had a little Christmas parade thing going on and Santa and his elves was out and about handing out treats to the kiddos that were in town centre that day.
Oh well, my gear isn't weatherproofed and it wasnt worth ruining it for a few photos of the goings on. There will be other opportunities in the coming weeks, I'm sure.

Anyway, then we went and visited with the in-laws a while, then trucked up to TESCO to get our groceries. While we was there, we got our turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, you heard me right, After 3 years not celebrating Thanksgiving, we are going to invite a couple of friends over and do Thanksgiving Dinner together. 

One of them is a fellow American from Ohio. Lisa, who has been in the UK for over 10 years, hasn't had a Thanksgiving dinner in the entire time. She always goes home for Christmas, but not Thanksgiving.  So this year she suggested that she and I book Thanksgiving and Black Friday off work and cook the big dinner together. So we did. Lisa doesn't cook much, so I will be doing most of the actual cooking stuff, but she's going to get a lesson is a few dishes PLUS she's bringing the appetizers and some extra booze.

We're planning on her coming over early, then us watching the Macys Parade together while we're cooking.(Hopefully we'll be able to get it SOMEWHERE on the telly or the computer- and if not- then we'll just put on the yule-log on the telly and listen to Christmas music...or some Classical or something. Maybe Manheim Steamroller.)  At any rate it will be fun just having a Girly day in together.

Our other guest will be Steve, a Northern Irish Lad who will be celebrating his very first Thanksgiving EVER! He and Paul have to work that day, but they will be ready for dinner once they finish up with work.

We would have liked to be able to invite a whole group of work-mates over, but our postage stamp kitchen just won't allow us to entertain like that quite yet. Not a sit down dinner. Maybe we'll do a drop-in type deal around Christmas for the rest of the gang.

Anyway. That's what we have been up to today- and it was absolutely PERFECT!!!! I really want more days like this.

Bits & Bobs.......

*Christmas decorations are already being hung out on the streets of St. Helens.

They could have waited ONE more weekend, but I suppose I should be glad they waited THIS long. Chrsitmas stuff has already been out at home for a month or more, I think.

*Talked with my daughter this evening for a while. She says true to form, the temps are in the lower 30s now. I told yall, back home we have three weeks of Spring- three weeks of Autumn....the rest is either blazing scorching summertime, or freezing bitterly cold wintertime.

*We got about half our Christmas shopping done today. The Stateside family's are ready to go to the post office the week before Thanksgiving....Or the day after Thanksgiving.

*I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving again.  We was supposed to be visiting home in the states for Thanksgiving this year, but due to a couple of events, we've had to postpone it til after the first of the year. I'm not sure if its going to be around my birthday-or a bit later-towards Mother's Day. We will have to see. But now, a new work mate from America who's been living in the UK for 10 years has had an idea that since neither of us can go home for Thanksgiving, she and I should take off Thanksgiving and cook Thanksgiving Dinner together!! She's coming over at 9AM- we're going to do a bit of the cooking a couple days before-hand, but then do the last minute dishes(Like the turkey and dressing and potatoes and mac and cheese pie) the day of. We're planning on watching the Macys Parade, and  having the yule log on the TV later in the day. We're also going to SKYPE our families at some point and have a chat with them as they're having their Thanksgiving Dinners! Lisa's family is Italian-American and mine are Southern-American.....Lawd it's gonna be fun.

*Paul and I have been sick this week. I have been out of work with some sort of nasty bug since Tuesday. Paul came home from work yesterday and is in the first day or so of it.We absolutely HAD to go buy groceries today as we were almost completely out of even the basics so we got everything done in about two hours and then came back home and practically collapsed from exhaustion. I'm hoping we're well past it come mid-week as we're supposed to be house/doggie sitting for the in-laws next weekend while they go visit their eldest son and his little family in Scotland. Andrew, Marina and Maddie have just moved into a nice big 3 bedroom house with a nice garden(yard) and I know everyone is excited for them!!

*Flat Stanley Christopher made it to New Zealand and is having a BLAST with Countess Kerry and Wayne. He's sending posts regularly and should be headed home in a couple more days!! Such a Jetsetter, Our Flat Stanley Christopher!!!

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That's about it for this week. More later on!!!

St Helens- Last Weekend in October

And so it begins........

Naughty Boys!!!

What are they...10-11 maybe? Naughty Boys!!!!!

And how the HECK did they get up there and be lying on top like that??????????

Kids!!!!!! Tsk!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing Weekend.......

Have had an AMAZING weekend!!!! First the pub Friday night with some wildmen.........I'll have to post those photos later after I get hubby to show me how to download them off my dang phone. AGAIN.

(Why, oh, WHY cant my phone have an SD card that I can remove and download photos from like my cameras do??? Can someone in the mobile phone industry get to work on that , please?)

Then into St Helens for the Autumnal Kickoff of Festivals beginning with the World Market!!!

Got some amazing shots you can see here....

Flat Stanley's visit with me is coming to an end tomorrow. I'm sending him back to South Carolina tomorrow around lunchtime and I'm gonna MISS the litte fellow! However, he's taking along a secret way of using the Tardis  after he gets home so he can travel to different places and it seem like he hasn't even left the classroom!! Remember- the Tardis is a TIME Machine!!!  I'm looking forward to seeing him post on his blog where he goes and what he's going to be doing in the future!!!

I Can See Clearly Now, The Grime Is Gone.......It's Gonna Be a Bright, Bright, Bright Sunshiney Day!

The window cleaner came today. Great Job- and reasonably priced. 

AND they have a repeat customer list- so every two months it gets done automatically!! 

Before:

And After:

It doesn't take much to make me happy, does it? 

Clean windows that I didn't have to climb a ladder to do myself!!

Yay!!

OMG....I'm totally exhausted!

Flat Stanley Christopher is wearing me out! That child LOVES having his photo taken....and he can out-talk me. I don't mind tho. He's a real blessing. I may not be able to have my loved ones over here, but I can show them a lot of stuff thru Flat Christopher...and who knows, maybe someday they will be able to come over for a visit as well!!!

I'm enjoying every second of this precious time with our little Flat Stanley-Christopher!!! And we have some surprises planned in the coming months for Round Christopher, too!

(Hint-Flat Stanley Christopher found Paul's Tardis!!!!!) :-D