Hello Winter!

Well I wasn't really expecting it for a few more weeks yet but autumn has come to a pretty abrupt end in the Moorlands. Winter has well and truly arrived. I knew the snow was falling when I went to bed last night but this morning the view was as green and brown as ever so I thought we'd missed it. Oh silly me, I forget were living down in the hollow so it was a bit of a surprise a mile up the hill out of the village when I hit the white stuff. Yippee!

I get very silly about snow. I absolutely love it and even though I'm now the ripe old age of 33 I still act like a 7 year old when it comes. This morning over the tops it was lying thick as a blanket covering the fields with not a blade of grass to be seen, just how I like it. The views weren't up to much because the fog came too, quite a murky, dreary old day but this is what I really love on a winter's day. I know most people like the bright, sunny, crisp winter days but I'm the opposite and long for snowy days when the sky stays low, heavy with snow-laden clouds and the promise of more to come (like the picture above). Its the type of dark day that makes me want to run home and light the fire, butter up some toast, curl up with a fabulous book in a pair of comfy socks and every now and again stare up at the window to watch the curtain of snowflakes drifting silently to earth.

Ok, admittedly today was more of a pea-souper than misty and romantic and it'll all have melted by the time I head home because it's not that cold, but its has got me feeling really rather festive. It's so soon isn't it? Where did October go and how come we're over halfway through November already ? A slight panic is gripping me which I resent because I love Christmas so much I can't bear the idea of it being tarnished by stress. But I've only got a few presents in my hidey hole and we're having the family over this year but the amount of sorting out to do is a bit of worry. I just have to have everything right for Christmas. Its my favourite time and I look forward all year to getting home feeling so cosy and pretty for the celebrations.

It's exciting having a new place to "do" though so tonight I'll be sitting down with The List and planning my attack (mostly online now I've discovered all the wonderful things my blogging friends create) to get the shopping but done by the end the month so I can concentrate on my favourite bit - decorating! I do enjoy shopping at Christmas but not Christmas shopping if you know what I mean and for once I've properly planned ahead for a fantastic treat. On 1st December I'm heading up to York with my dear friend Lucy for a trip to the St Nicholas Fayre with nothing more on our agenda than lunch, coffee, treasure hunting, mooching around the Minster and Barley Hall and some serious widow shopping. I've always wanted to go and as my proper shopping should all be squirreled away by then I can thoroughly immerse myself in the spirit of it all. Merry Christmas!

Still no housey pictures yet but so I thought I'd share some pics of things gorgeous things I had for my birthday. It was just before we moved so all my beautiful presents were packed straight away. I was so lucky, people were really kind and I had a lovey day pottering about Ashbourne with mum and went out for the most amazing meal I've ever eaten with Eechie and Lucy at Den Engel, the Belgian bar in Leek (sounds mad but its a wonderful continental bar and restaurant) . Still daydreaming about the food now...

Mum and dad bought me this most fantastic hat that I've been day-dreaming about for ages.

A lovely robin mug for my Christmas hot chocolate and a Matthew Rice biscuit tin from my darling hubby who really knows what I like. The boys gave mummy these smashing EB oven gloves and I had and the most beautiful, blue spotty mugs and a jug (perfect for a bunch of spring daffodils) from my wonderful m-in-law who also knows my sort of thing very thing very well.

My lovely sisters came up trumps as ever, Eechie gave me a wonderful Greengate apron and tea towels in this fresh, springy green and Susie sent a Hugh Fearney-Whittingstall (my celebrity crush!) book to add to my collection. People worry about getting things housey things like tea towels and aprons but for me they're perfect. I can spend hours cooing over a jug.

What a lucky spud I am!