I was so happy when the news came this fall that there would be another round of Secret Santa Christmas Swap! It's really become a tradition over the years, and I'vr grestly enjoyed getting to know bloggers and quilters from all over the world during this yearly swap, organised by the Elf Mother Chookyblue - and this year her Assistant Elf Googy Girl.
Sneaking around a person's blog, planning and making a project, sending it off in good time for Christmas - and hoping the parcel will give some joy is really, really fun! (Although I guess some of us - ahem - can be a bit too sneaky from time to time..)
This year my victim of sneakyness, and reciever of my parcel, was Cheryl, who writes the lovely blog http://blissintheburbs-kayly.blogspot.com (have a look at the projects she's been working on - they're amazing!).
And this is what I sent to Cheryl :
Both parcels in their wrapping..
The ornament (mini-stocking) and a folded star (I just learned how to fold these, and they are addictive!).
And the wallhanging (a Tilda design) and the ornament together.
I included a couple of more things (a reflective badge in the shape of a sheep with a traditional norwegian knitting pattern on it, and a tiny calendar).
Thabks again, Chooky, for a great swap! It just wouldn't be Christmas without it!
It's December 25th, and Christmas Day. Yesterday we had a great Christmas dinner, a visit from Santa himself, and a couple of his helpers (an elf girl and an elf dog). The kids were in awe (mildly spoken)! After dinner the presents were unwrapped and everybody were very happy (I've spent the morning today building a firetruck out of LEGO).
Today's a lazy day. It's quite unusually warm outside, and raining cats&dogs.. But! I have a very special gift to enjoy! Just look at the gorgeous tablerunner my Secret Santa sent me!
This year Simone (www.quiltingismydowntime.blogspot.com) from Australia was my Secret Santa, and she sent me a tablerunner with cute Christmas fabrics in the center, and with ornaments around the edge.
I can't wait to come home and put it on our livingroom table!
Thank you so much, Simone! And thank you to Chooky and Googy-girl for arranging another Secret Santa Christmas Swap!
It's a short week until Christmas Eve, and the big night here in Norway (yes, we do open our presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day). I've got more or less all of the presents ready, two are missing gift wrap - and my SSCS-parcel is well hidden with the other presents.
I'm getting ready to head out to the office and get some work done today, but I thought I'd leave you with an amazing video I saw on Facebook the other day. This is an acoustic guitar-version of a song featured in a norwegian animated movie from the 70's. Quite amazing, I think.
I hope you enjoy it - and that you have a great day! (All the snow's rained away here, so it's back to being wet and dark again..)
Tonight I've spent the evening with some guys who started their careers around the time I was born.
It's kind of interesting to go to a concert, not quite knowing what you're going to. Perhaps you've heard a couple of songs before, but not many.. considering that one of the biggest hits played tonight was from 1993 (when I was 12 years old). But seeing the bands play live was amazing! It didn't matter - at all - that I knew of just a few of their songs, it's the whole experience - going to the concert with friends, having a good time, singing along to the songs you know and nodding your head with the rhythm to those you don't know - that's what counts! And I had a really good time! (So good, in fact, that I'm sitting here, writing a blog post about it, at 1AM in the morning.)
Considering that both of these bands were Norwegian, I doubt they're very well known outside of Norway, but maybe some of you might've heard about them before.. I don't know.
The first band was Return. They played for about an hour and a half, going through most of their greatest hits, and even some songs that I knew (and could sing along to). Like this one :
Let's just say that the long hair is pretty much gone by now (except from on the guitarist.. who seemed very young to be playing in this band.. I'm thinking he might be quite new - but he was brilliant!).
The second band was Stage Dolls. Now, these I've heard a bit from before - like I said earlier, one of their songs was a really big hit back when I was about 12 years old - and I still remember the lyrics!
Sorry about the quality of these videos, but the music is still good. (Spotify is probably a better choice..)
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On a side note, though..
Although I had a blast tonight, it still frustrates me how some people (not all.. but there's always some) come to a concert, pay lots of money - and then ends up drinking their minds away? When you're so drunk you can hardly walk up a flight of stairs, how on earth do you plan to get your butt home safely? And then you have the stupid drunks, like the guy who wanted to get one of my friends into a fight. Butt off! It's not his fault you're stupid, drunk and the bartender refused to sell you more beer, so that your girlfriend had to buy more for you (she shouldn't, in my mind, but what could I've done about it?). Needless to say, I'm not that happy about drunk people. I don't like being drunk - and I rarely drink very much. I can have a glass of wine or a drink every now and then - but that's it. I don't see the point in paying for a concert and then getting so drunk I'm not even sure where I end up the next morning - I'd rather be sober and enjoy the music. (Which is why I had one glass of very nice riesling at dinner - and drank soda for the rest of the evening.)
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Perhaps we should make some plans for next year, mom? According to the bands, they'll be back again next year (or, as the lead singer of Return said; first comes Stage Dolls - then Santa). ;)
Mini and I dug out the reserve snow clothes (the other snow suit was still in the kindergarten, as Mini was home sick on Friday) and ventured out. Enjoy the pictures!
