Tinkerblue

Advent Calendar Day #16 - Gingerbread Lane at Hyatt Regency Vancouver

Kate Spade Thermos

Where was this when I was standing outside counting cars and sky train passengers for 10 hours a day?

This would have been full of hot chocolate with a lot a little bit of Baileys in it.

 

It's a lot prettier and way more fun, than the boring stainless steel one that I've had for the last 10+ years. Maybe it's time I upgraded.

Kate Spade Prize Ball Thermos $35.00

Advent Calendar Day #15 - Christmas Pedicure

For many years now Barb and I have been going to Bloom Essentials in December for Christmas pedicures. We were a bit late this year, but we finally went today.

But first we went to the Vancouver Christmas Market for feuerzangenbowle and raclette. (If I was posting from my laptop I'd add some links. I'm not. So google them).

Last year I had red toenails with white snowflakes, the year before I had blue toenails with silver snowflakes, and I can't remember previous years!

This year I have navy blue toenails, with cute little snowmen on my big toes and snowflakes on the rest.

Advent Calendar Day #14 - Mint M&Ms

In my advent calendar this morning was a pack of mint M&Ms.

I consumed them this evening for dinner along with a bottle of Dead Frog Christmas Beeracle, while curled up under a blanket reading trashy gossip magazines.

The beer I am considering giving as a Christmas present because I liked the label. I figured I should taste it first. I can't give a beer based on label alone. Can I?

Advent Calendar Day #13 - Make a Gift For a Friend

I haven't done much in the way of Christmas crafting this year. My heart has just not been in it. But last week i suddenly had this bright idea.

A bright idea that needed 6 pairs of red infant or toddler socks and 6 pairs of white socks. Who knew how difficult that search would be. I never did find red socks. I did find various pairs of red and grey, so red and grey it is.

It's not done yet. Have you worked out what it is? Come on, it's easy. Hopefully I'll finish it this week. I certainly hope so, Christmas is coming.

The last photo is another project I started tonight. It's not done either. Gotta wait for the paint to dry. Next time I get a bright idea 12 sleeps before Christmas, please tell me I'm mad.

Advent Calendar Day #12 - Watch a Christmas Movie

I have a basket full of Christmas movies:

A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Christmas Story*
Bad Santa*
Christmastime in South Park
Elf
Four Christmases
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated)
It's a Wonderful Life
Love Actually*
Miracle on 34th Street
The Holiday*
The Muppet Christmas Carol*
The Santa Clause
The Simpsons Christmas

I'm missing the Jim Carey version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Erin, do you still have my copy?). National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation seems to have done a disappearing act too.

Shazz, Kath and I watched several movies when they were here. 5 (*) in fact. 5 holiday movies before the calendar even flipped to December. Nothing like getting a jump on Christmas. Bad Santa is a new addition to my collection this year. Courtesy of Shazz. She highly recommended it. Just don't watch it with your kids.

As I did t get home from work until just after 1100pm, I wanted something short and sweet to watch while I wound down and got ready for bed.

So, How the Grinch Stole Christmas it was. The version narrated by Boris Karloff. I watch it once a year and still love it. I love the scene with the Grinch, te dog and the sled tumbling down the mountain.

What's your favourite Christmas movie?

Advent Calendar Day #11 - Christmas Pyjamas

I know a lot of people who give their kids a new pair of Christmas pyjamas on Christmas Eve.

I usually sleep in a t-shirt. But I lounge around in pj's. There is nothing better than coming home from work, having a bath, putting on clean jammies, pouring a nice glass of wine and reading a good book or phoning a friend for a chat.

These are my new pyjamas. Well, my new jammie pants. They cost me a whole $10.00. So I bought two pair. These are my untraditional Christmas pants - pink and grey. I'm quite taken with the grey lace on the cuffs. (My second pair are more Christmassy - red with snowflakes and white lace).

Advent Calendar Day #10 - Gingerbread.

I had grand plans for gingerbread this year. Bake some gingerbread, draw a template, build a house, decorate, and finally eat. But working 10 hours a day 7 days a week doesn't leave much time for baking, building or decorating.

My backup plan was to cheat. You know, buy a kit. Use a power tool, just like we did and my Mum and Dad's last year. But even that didn't happen.

Today was gingerbread day. I started my morning with a (decaf) gingerbread latte from Starbucks. Some how a slice of the gingerbread loaf also came with my order.

I stopped by the Liebrecht Lebkuchenhaus at work and treated myself to a bag of glazed gingerbread, which I am munching on right now.

My living room smells all gingerbready - the candle behind my nativity is gingerbread scented.

Oooh and I found a forgotten recipe for gingerbread trifle in my bookmarks. Mmmm when can I make that?

Advent Calendar Day #9 - Christmas Windows

I park at Canada Place and walk up to the Christmas Market, usually just in time.

Yesterday I gave myself plenty of time, and checked out the old Woodward's Christmas windows.

Woodward's was a department store in Vancouver in the 60's and 70's. Their Christmas windows were iconic. It was the done thing to make a trip downtown to check out the displays. When Woodwards closed in 1993, Canada Place purchased the Christmas window displays.

My favourite is the bookstore, of course.

Advent Calendar Day #8 - Relax, Enjoy A Soak in the Bath

I spent all day (well, 10 hours of it) standing on the platform at Braid skytrain station counting passengers.

Today was my last day on this project and I was really feeling the cold. My legs and lower back were feeling the consequences of standing on the concrete platforms.

All day, I dreamt of a nice warm bath and my bed. 230pm could not come fast enough. I was home and had the hot water running in under an hour!

I added some Candy Cane bubble bath, poured myself a glass of Baileys with a peppermint candy sipper, and loaded up on trashy magazines. It was bliss. I felt so relaxed afterwards, all bundled up in my bathrobe and Ugg boots.

Now I'm off to sleep. Goodnight.