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Post by anniefb on Dec 9, 2019 19:34:56 GMT
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Post by anniefb on Dec 9, 2019 19:37:15 GMT
Thanks for the daily prompts sleepingbooty. Storing them up for future reference but I’ll be using Day 9 this weekend I think as I want to pull out some old recipes of my Mum’s. |
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Post by elegantsufficiency on Dec 9, 2019 20:04:45 GMT
So I am the only one that has never had a minced meat pie?  Just me? Ok..I will sit over here in my sheltered corner and let the grown ups talk! LOL just be careful to differentiate between minced meat and Mincemeat ! |
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Post by mom on Dec 9, 2019 20:42:30 GMT
So I am the only one that has never had a minced meat pie? Just me? Ok..I will sit over here in my sheltered corner and let the grown ups talk! LOL just be careful to differentiate between minced meat and Mincemeat ! Ha!! I am learning so much today!! ROFL |
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nicolep
Drama Llama
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Post by nicolep on Dec 9, 2019 22:56:55 GMT
😂 mom! My mom made it growing up but it was just from the jar and there was actually no meat in it. I love it! |
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Post by joblackford on Dec 10, 2019 0:56:46 GMT
Thanks for the mince pie suggestions! I will think on it, and then I’ll probably run out of time and eat the fruit mince with a spoon. I made my own from scratch so I know exactly what’s in it. I even made my own candied peel for it because I couldn’t find any in the stores. Amazon only had a few pans with the proper rounded bottom shape, and they were either $20 with free shipping or about the same without free shipping. Regular muffin pans are a cheaper, but I already have one of those anyway. Walkers Shortbread make fruit mince pies that are sold in some import stores (including World Market) if anyone is curious to try them. I’m not sure if they would activate the same bizarre hatred that the Christmas Fruitcake does among Americans though. There was a even a song about the dreaded fruitcake in the concert we went to, called the Fruitcake’s Lament. It was very funny, especially seeing the guy dressed up as a fruitcake singing it, but I love fruitcake! It took me most of the day but I finally got most of my Christmas cards ready to mail. I’m not done yet, still have a dozen or so to make. But hey, progress! And I got 16 Pea cards in the mail and the first couple of cards from friends and family today  |
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Post by joblackford on Dec 10, 2019 0:59:37 GMT
So I am the only one that has never had a minced meat pie? Just me? Ok..I will sit over here in my sheltered corner and let the grown ups talk! LOL just be careful to differentiate between minced meat and Mincemeat ! Of course, mince (meat) pies are also very good! But I’m always careful to say fruit mince when I mean that because depending on the audience it’s easy to have misunderstandings. |
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Post by Skellinton on Dec 10, 2019 1:08:59 GMT
My SO is coming back tomorrow after spending some time helping out with his family. Things are finally returning to a slightly more normal state after a messy start to the month for us. Besides prepping for actual Christmas, I've not done anything festive since late November, it seems. I'm feeling a bit off but hoping that things fall back into place as the stress of that sh*tty news and situation starts dropping. Here's to enjoying life a little! I've done a few oopsies this weekend: I opened a parcel from Sephora that was delivered to our home when it turns out it wasn't the Cyber Monday sale order I'd placed but the one my SO placed while away with his family so I found out what he secretly got me for Christmas. We aren't telling him, ok, ladies? We're just gonna pretend all is fine. I glued back the parcel and covered it with extra tape. He'll never know. It's not like he orders from Sephora on the regular. Then, I ruined my Advent calendar by knocking a steaming hot mug of tea over it. *sighs in French* And I also broke the glass on a couple of photo frames after I climbed on the furniture to dust.  Can't wait for our festive season to finally kick off this week, I tell you... Since we'd talked about homemade Advent calendars and dogs in here, I thought some of you might enjoy Jenna Marbles and her boyfriend making a couple for their good boys and girls: Well if that isn’t a perfectly good reason to skip dusting, I don’t know what is! |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Dec 10, 2019 12:54:17 GMT
Prompt n°10: After dark
Photographies often capture what happens when the sun is out and the world is bright. But so much of life happens outside of the daylight hours. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, this is especially true as the end of autumn is characterised by ever-shortening days. Document your routine after the sun has set. It can be a favourite moment of your typical December evening or a full report à la Day in the Life: the PM hours. Think about your commute, dinnertime, a TV show you're currently loving and looking forward to watch in the evening, current bedtime stories with the kids, the book you're making your way throught right now, podcasts or music you listen to while cleaning up, the warm blankets you stuff your pet's bed with at night to keep him/her warm, your skincare regimen before going to bed to face the seasonal weather, your flannel PJs, etc. Photo ideas: Embrace the darkness and focus on incorporating all the festive lights you have up in your home for the holidays to help light the photos. Focus on more spontaneous everyday portraits, being your home's reporter for this prompt. Think of alternative glowing sources like the oven turned on with your dinner cooking inside, tablet and phone screens, the porch light guiding you to your front door, etc. Song of the day: |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Dec 10, 2019 13:02:20 GMT
So I am the only one that has never had a minced meat pie? Just me? Ok..I will sit over here in my sheltered corner and let the grown ups talk! LOL just be careful to differentiate between minced meat and Mincemeat ! Who's going to make mom an OG recipe featuring mutton, dried fruit and spices, though?  I'm still amazed this tradition not only survived but actually flourished despite being associated with Catholicism in Britain. It's really *not* a thing outside of the UK (I once brought back a jar of mincemeat from the UK to give to a friend who just couldn't grasp what I'd brought them) and I remember reading about how Puritans were opposed to the tradition because of the Catholic ties dating back to the late crusades but mince pies not only stayed, they became a must-have during the Victorian era. Fascinating! Then again, weren't Puritans also denouncing the celebration of Christmas in general? Oh, if only they'd known...  |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Dec 10, 2019 13:05:41 GMT
Well if that isn’t a perfectly good reason to skip dusting, I don’t know what is! *tells the whole story* "So, Your Honour, I can only conclude I must be let go of any and all dusting tasks for the remainder of my days as I am simply too short. How many more photo frames must perish for my point to be proven? It is morally irresponsible and wrong!"  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2019 18:36:55 GMT
Mince pies are like Twigglets, you either hate them or love them. I like the idea of them and I like the smell when they are baking, but the taste...not so much. Obligatory baking at Christmas as is the fruit cake....
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Post by anniefb on Dec 10, 2019 20:14:07 GMT
Thanks sleepingbooty for another great prompt. I think I'll tweak it a bit to make it about my after work routine, to give me more to write about. |
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Post by lisacharlotte on Dec 11, 2019 0:35:51 GMT
So I am the only one that has never had a minced meat pie? Just me? Ok..I will sit over here in my sheltered corner and let the grown ups talk! LOL It might be an age thing. I only ever ate mincemeat pie at my paternal grandmother's when I was under 10, so the early 70's. |
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Post by mom on Dec 11, 2019 0:51:07 GMT
So I am the only one that has never had a minced meat pie? Just me? Ok..I will sit over here in my sheltered corner and let the grown ups talk! LOL It might be an age thing. I only ever ate mincemeat pie at my paternal grandmother's when I was under 10, so the early 70's. Maybe so! I turn 40 on Thursday so I wasn’t even around til late ‘79. |
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Post by marg on Dec 11, 2019 1:57:51 GMT
Prompt n°10: After dark
Photographies often capture what happens when the sun is out and the world is bright. But so much of life happens outside of the daylight hours. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, this is especially true as the end of autumn is characterised by ever-shortening days. Document your routine after the sun has set. It can be a favourite moment of your typical December evening or a full report à la Day in the Life: the PM hours. Think about your commute, dinnertime, a TV show you're currently loving and looking forward to watch in the evening, current bedtime stories with the kids, the book you're making your way throught right now, podcasts or music you listen to while cleaning up, the warm blankets you stuff your pet's bed with at night to keep him/her warm, your skincare regimen before going to bed to face the seasonal weather, your flannel PJs, etc. Photo ideas: Embrace the darkness and focus on incorporating all the festive lights you have up in your home for the holidays to help light the photos. Focus on more spontaneous everyday portraits, being your home's reporter for this prompt. Think of alternative glowing sources like the oven turned on with your dinner cooking inside, tablet and phone screens, the porch light guiding you to your front door, etc. Thanks for doing these prompts sleepingbooty. I don't always comment but I do read almost every single day and use a lot of your suggestions. |
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Post by joblackford on Dec 11, 2019 6:21:49 GMT
Some will have already seen these photos but here are our awesome front row right cheap seats at the concert. http://instagr.am/p/B5zUVjLgKeV And with my fun-running friends (they are runners, I am not!) We girls were trying to stand up straight because the guy is so tall, but it made us look like we were puffing our chests out  btw my socks have Christmas gnomes on them. Scroll through to see some more crazy costuming. http://instagr.am/p/B5zTm8DgS7p |
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by blemon on Dec 11, 2019 14:31:23 GMT
I have been busy. So much end-of-the-semester grading. Plus I actually did stuff this weekend and that was really nice. Pittsburgh has a huge indie craft show that I went to with a friend and one of her friends and the Boden sample sale was in the same place so score. Sunday the university symphony did their holiday concert and it was lovely. Yesterday my uncle died and I am so sad. I left work early and today we will head to the viewing. He was recently diagnosed with cancer but died of complications in the hospital before he even started chemo. He was the best uncle anyone could have and we will miss him so very much. Gah, loving your horizontal versus vertical strips for the Grinch spread! Very well done (and that fun bit of stitching). Thank you! The idea came to me while watching the movie and I love how it turned out. I've done a few oopsies this weekend: I opened a parcel from Sephora that was delivered to our home when it turns out it wasn't the Cyber Monday sale order I'd placed but the one my SO placed while away with his family so I found out what he secretly got me for Christmas. We aren't telling him, ok, ladies? We're just gonna pretend all is fine. I glued back the parcel and covered it with extra tape. He'll never know. It's not like he orders from Sephora on the regular. Then, I ruined my Advent calendar by knocking a steaming hot mug of tea over it. *sighs in French* And I also broke the glass on a couple of photo frames after I climbed on the furniture to dust. Definitely will keep your secret! I am currently working on Day 7 in the album. Day 8 and 9 are pretty much done. I definitely don't make one page per day as I just don't have time. I usually have a couple of pages in progress at the same time. Then when the semester is over and I take days off, I get caught up and try to finish right after Christmas. If I had a different job where things didn't slow down, I probably wouldn't do the project. On a day that I have to work all day, I'm way too tired to work on it. I do most of the stuff on the weekends. So kudos to all of you who make it work. Thanks so much to all of you for being amazing! I love Christmas but this is a hard time of year, for sure. |
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Post by caspad on Dec 11, 2019 17:09:47 GMT
My favorite Hallmark movie is still The Most Wonderful Time of the Year with Henry Winkler. That is one I actually sit down to watch. Great discussion starter, cheezitgirl ! My fave Hallmark Christmas movies are the contract romances. I still love-love-LOVE Snow Bride from 2013. Mistletoe Promise is a close second. I'll work hard on getting my hands on Christmas In Rome and Write Before Christmas from this year's release. We don't have the Hallmark Channel over here so I have the make some Internet magic happen to watch them. :smirk: Anyone got some early 2019 faves from the preview video they posted? have you listened to the Deck the Hallmark podcast? Three dudes discussing Hallmark Christmas movies. It is hilarious. And they cover every single one. www.deckthehallmark.com/(I'm way behind on this thread so I apologize if it was discussed earlier!) |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Dec 11, 2019 18:05:31 GMT
Prompt n°11: Wish list
If you haven't yet documented the kids' wish lists, this is your reminder to do so. But also consider the childhood classic getting an adult revamp. Take a moment to find some quiet and sit down with your thoughts. What do you wish for this holiday season? Perhaps the coming year? What is important to *you* these days? This prompt can get as reflective as you wish and are comfortable with. You could go as far as give yourself a rough plan to make those wishes come true over the next few weeks/2020 (let go of the need to go all out for Christmas and relax + enjoy the holidays more, financial goals to make travel or home ownership happen, regular exercise regimen). Photo ideas: The children's wish lists, the handwritten draft with your own wishes, a photo that inspires you to work on making one of your wishes happen (your feet up on sofa if you wish to relax more, the pile of books you wish to get around to reading next year, your smart watch step count after a walk if you have a health goal in mind, etc.), a greeting card with season's wishes that spoke to your soul. Song of the day: |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Dec 11, 2019 18:45:06 GMT
If anyone wants to do the DD/JYC concept but w/a more mixed media approach, highly recommend Mike. He's been a great one to watch (and I don't do much mixed media). I like his delivery, he's so calm and soothing. I sometimes put him on in the background when I'm crafting. Excuse you, how am I supposed to focus on the art when there's such a cute dog in the mix(ed media)? Ugh. I hope Mike has a video up about how this adorable snoot came into his life... *boops the screen* (((HUGS)))) sleepingbooty. Here is hoping you can get started on "the most wonderful time of the year" in earnest, and hoping that taking part in some festive activities will revive your holiday spirit. Do you have plans to visit Disney Paris in the next few weeks? Thank you, grammadee . My SO is back home now. We're taking the evening off to just cuddle, watch Elf and enjoy our time together. Disneyland Paris is still on the calendar. Let's just hope our trains aren't cancelled due to the national strike now.  I also inadvertently, spoiled Santa for my youngest daughter.  Now she is 12, nearly 13. Her siblings all stopped believing around age 10. She even caught us putting Santa gifts under the tree one year. She's just the kind of kid who clings to traditions fiercely. I feel terrible about it, but she has enjoyed "being in the know" and asking questions about how we handled Santa over the years. Why feel bad? It's a good thing and she's made it clear to you. Go easy on yourself... I don't think I've ever heard of a child who still believed beyond the age of 9-ish so no worries! She's growing up and probably really looking forward to being part of the adults of the family. It's a page turning for you as your youngest is in the know but it's such an exciting time for her.  Maybe you can celebrate this by taking her out on a hot cocoa date? Sending seasonal vibes in your direction, sleepingbooty!! You share so many of them with us, you need to refill the reservoir  Muchas gracias, friend.  Vibes well received and feeling all seasonal and ready to laugh along to Elf tonight!   So I am the only one that has never had a minced meat pie? Just me? Ok..I will sit over here in my sheltered corner and let the grown ups talk! LOL I do think there is very likely a "British settlers" factor to take into account for the USA. Mince pies are only eaten in the UK and its former English-speaking colonies so I'd guess there are more mince pies to come across on the East Coast/in families of East Coast folks. Thanks for the daily prompts sleepingbooty. Storing them up for future reference but I’ll be using Day 9 this weekend I think as I want to pull out some old recipes of my Mum’s. Thank you for the kind words, anniefb . How wonderful that you're pulling out old family recipes this weekend! Are you making any favourites? Got a party in the works? I will think on it, and then I’ll probably run out of time and eat the fruit mince with a spoon. I made my own from scratch so I know exactly what’s in it. I even made my own candied peel for it because I couldn’t find any in the stores Holiday calories don't count, right, joblackford ? You'd need a card with bags of sugar instead of KP's butter sticks to document that... Oh, the blissful ignorance of buying a jar of mincemeat from Waitrose, I tell ya. Thanks sleepingbooty for another great prompt. I think I'll tweak it a bit to make it about my after work routine, to give me more to write about. Definitely do! These are only inspiration. Modify as much as you want. Especially with your lovely long days down under right now. I'm so jealous!  Thanks for doing these prompts sleepingbooty. I don't always comment but I do read almost every single day and use a lot of your suggestions. Aww, thanks a lot, marg . Means a lot to read your lovely feedback. Happy documenting! Some will have already seen these photos but here are our awesome front row right cheap seats at the concert. Front row seats are the best! I'm sorry to hear your fun run won't be happening next year, however. Do you know if there might be a replacement run by other organisers supporting a different cause, perhaps? Yesterday my uncle died and I am so sad. I left work early and today we will head to the viewing. He was recently diagnosed with cancer but died of complications in the hospital before he even started chemo. He was the best uncle anyone could have and we will miss him so very much. Sincere condolences, blemon . Deaths around this time of the year are particularly difficult. I'm very sorry to hear you lost your beloved uncle so suddenly. *hugs* Take it easy on yourself. If I had a different job where things didn't slow down, I probably wouldn't do the project. On a day that I have to work all day, I'm way too tired to work on it. I do most of the stuff on the weekends. So kudos to all of you who make it work. And kudos to you for making it through all the grading! My friend circle is mostly teachers and professors so I know how much you all give and how much focus and energy it takes to get through grading. That bit of time off afterwards is definitely deserved! sleepingbooty have you listened to the Deck the Hallmark podcast? Three dudes discussing Hallmark Christmas movies. It is hilarious. And they cover every single one. WHAT'S THIS? Must listen! Must add to my podcast list right away! Oh, thanks so much for sharing, caspad . Can't wait to dig in with this year's Christmas Hallmark movies (which I've all found blah so far, alas). |
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Chinagirl828
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Melbourne, Australia
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Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Dec 11, 2019 18:50:27 GMT
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Post by mom on Dec 11, 2019 18:55:33 GMT
blemon I am so sorry for your loss.
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hutchfan
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Post by hutchfan on Dec 11, 2019 19:04:48 GMT
blemon so sorry for your loss, sending hugs.
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Deleted
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Nov 26, 2024 22:16:52 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2019 19:42:26 GMT
blemon I'm sorry for your loss. Sending hugs, too.
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Post by anniefb on Dec 11, 2019 19:56:42 GMT
So sorry for your loss blemon. |
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Post by grammadee on Dec 11, 2019 20:25:43 GMT
Sorry to hear about the loss of your uncle, blemonI have done NO pages of any kind this month but have been posting photos in the photo challenge Picked up some papers and stickers at a LSS in Calgary this morning. Not the ones I drove there specifically to get: “Those are only available in our on line store. If you order today, they should be ready for pick up next week”. Well, I won’t be ready next week: I will already be back home. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2019 20:49:00 GMT
I'm sorry blemon. It often makes it even harder to lose a loved one at this time of year. Hugs. |
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Post by joblackford on Dec 12, 2019 1:07:42 GMT
Oh, blemon, what a sad loss for your family. Hugs all around. caspad how have I not heard of this glorious concept for a podcast?! Thank you for sharing! I have a pretty embarrassing amount of knowledge of the details of most of the Hallmark romances from 2015-2018 at least, so this sounds like my perfect pod. sleepingbooty the run will continue in other towns, including a very big one in Seattle. But apparently our nearby small town wasn’t achieving enough fundraising to justify the closure of roads, and/or the organizer also does another of these runs in a different bigger town on the same day, so our little town was not the priority. We could travel across the Sound to do the Seattle race but it wouldn’t be quite the same. So we’ll have to see. maybe something else will pop up nearby, or we’ll do our own local thing without the national organization. My running friends usually do a Christmas Eve morning fun run, in costume, very informally that we often join, as well as the more organized New Years Prance and Plunge, so maybe they’ll come up with a good alternative for our holiday kickoff. I wore my Christmas tee and red and white striped knee socks to the library today. And mailed another dozen cards. Almost done. |
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Post by marg on Dec 12, 2019 1:40:04 GMT
sleepingbooty have you listened to the Deck the Hallmark podcast? Three dudes discussing Hallmark Christmas movies. It is hilarious. And they cover every single one. Thank you! I cannot wait to listen on my commute tomorrow! Picked up some papers and stickers at a LSS in Calgary this morning. Not the ones I drove there specifically to get: “Those are only available in our on line store. If you order today, they should be ready for pick up next week”. Well, I won’t be ready next week: I will already be back home. That sucks that you made the drive and they didn't have what you really wanted! Many years ago I visited Calgary and went to Treasured Memories. I was new to scrapbooking and I was in Heaven! Is it still around? |
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btw my socks have Christmas gnomes on them. Scroll through to see some more crazy costuming.
Now she is 12, nearly 13. Her siblings all stopped believing around age 10. She even caught us putting Santa gifts under the tree one year. She's just the kind of kid who clings to traditions fiercely. I feel terrible about it, but she has enjoyed "being in the know" and asking questions about how we handled Santa over the years.
Maybe you can celebrate this by taking her out on a hot cocoa date? 
Vibes well received and feeling all seasonal and ready to laugh along to Elf tonight! 
