Birthdays, exams, and baubles!!

We started the week off with birthday celebrations.

How is my baby 25????

It was lovely having Sophie home for a couple of days. She was here for her actual birthday, heading back to Cardiff after tea. So we had a nice mooch around Wells and lunch out....

....then had tea, cake, cards and pressies once Jeff got back from work. 

She and I are off to Italy for a few days in the Spring to celebrate our birthdays.

I took the Monday off but have spent the rest of the week working, invigilating Year 11 mocks. The weather has been terrible. We've been hiding under a blanket of grey cloud for days, so having to work hasn't been too bad, although there are lots of new invigilators, so I'm now considered a pro!!!

My lovely Cornishware Christmas bauble delivery arrived, to brighten things up!! 

These are seconds, not that you can tell, so make them a little cheaper.....

....and I don't mind the price, as I keep them up all year long!

Not just for Christmas.

On a Christmas note....

.......we have had the same Christmas tablecloth for 22 years!!! 

(It's as old as Sam!!)

Considering it's cream, it's done amazingly well to have survived the numerous wine, gravy, and wax spillages and stains over the years.

I have decided to have a change this year! I bought a single duvet set, like the bedding set I'd bought for Sophie's room from Habitat. I had planned to use it as it came, double-sided, but annoyingly it looks gingham with the underside showing through. 

So I've unpicked it and now have two new tablecloths for a bargain £16. I will sweet talk Sophie into hemming around the edges for me and make napkins out of the pillowcase. I bought some green placemats from Primark, so can still use my Cath Kidston Christmas plates and have been collecting various candles, crackers etc.

Fingers crossed, it should all look lovely and festive come the big day.

Jeff and I have also just booked a few days in Italy during his 2025 Christmas break.

The 2025 autumn flights came out the middle of the week, so we booked up Lisbon for the October half term for a few days and then noticed some December flights were out to, so decided on Italy for a few days. Think of all that deeeelicious Panettoni we can bring home with us!! Both trips are with just the underseat bag allowance, so it'll be interesting to see how we get on. Although we have included one extra cabin bag for our return flight from Italy, thinking Christmas presents!!