Spruce Up Your Interior For Christmas – Living Rooms

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.greengiftsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/1137292-pinecones-xl-285x300.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.greengiftsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/1137292-pinecones-xl-285x300.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 250px;" /></a><br />I'm deliberately going to steer away from all the razzmatazz and commercial side of the festive season for living rooms and suggest that you use your curtain poles or tracks as a means of hanging natural and handmade festive decorations.<br /><br />Combine these with pretty bowls filled with pine cones in various shapes and sizes along with home-made tree decorations, such as gingerbread men, iced biscuits, cinnamon sticks tied with red bows and natural items that you found in your garden or while taking a walk. For those who like to have a more calm festive season these types of decorations show that you have great interior design flair and can turn your hand to create stunning displays which you've made yourself.<br /><br />The great thing about using your <a href=http://www.terrysfabrics.co.uk/cat/curtain-poles/>curtain poles</a> to hang decorations is that you can add decorations to every room in your home in a subtle and whimsical way without having to spend lots of money. You can also use natural or home-made items as tiebacks to your curtains to give a coordinated look to your windows.<br /><br />Think outside the box this Christmas and make your own decorations to suit colour scheme and style of your living room.<br /><br />Image: GreenGifts

Spruce Up Your Interior For Christmas – Living Rooms

I'm deliberately going to steer away from all the razzmatazz and commercial side of the festive season for living rooms and suggest that...

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7 Day Dare: Fair Isle

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SFD83fveJOjqYioK8iXzSuVORfTkuhB1trZf5GzECykXLgl9jUiXVqfzFwVpaYgZx5XY6CiRT3XruIjpD9wbl4jOI0tO3-PFzyo2gfHzEI-l4IUZpanQzAe8BaCpOXg-OKYgroQANAR9/s1600/12.1.11b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SFD83fveJOjqYioK8iXzSuVORfTkuhB1trZf5GzECykXLgl9jUiXVqfzFwVpaYgZx5XY6CiRT3XruIjpD9wbl4jOI0tO3-PFzyo2gfHzEI-l4IUZpanQzAe8BaCpOXg-OKYgroQANAR9/s640/12.1.11b.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just enough time today to do a quick post! Right now I am writing 2 papers so enjoy today's look!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oND8DiwjFeaS3AgYI7V5gwCnn_S2ed2LLYl7_Gbg1UMgeEiEwZ1936ItzNgChZE4Y3c6ofDP1-bcLRLg0WG8yYLDV7Ge0QzPqpyft5XPmEHjBc6K5HzY8-PTEvGMX1uu_L5KVXOh_lCP/s1600/12.1.11c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oND8DiwjFeaS3AgYI7V5gwCnn_S2ed2LLYl7_Gbg1UMgeEiEwZ1936ItzNgChZE4Y3c6ofDP1-bcLRLg0WG8yYLDV7Ge0QzPqpyft5XPmEHjBc6K5HzY8-PTEvGMX1uu_L5KVXOh_lCP/s400/12.1.11c.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1_UNFcKapjh6A31Q4kinS0XOiwa8L03fuPeNO0cvWyB4P-101Z_6YOuZIyZ0ap-IeakFv3mQTJ4LgXsr3BeEhuXisUwSq_gwnW7Z1lpq6D0GCAg7gsmzV2K_Y-eZxvzQq2d60H_y2Lng/s1600/12.1.11d.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1_UNFcKapjh6A31Q4kinS0XOiwa8L03fuPeNO0cvWyB4P-101Z_6YOuZIyZ0ap-IeakFv3mQTJ4LgXsr3BeEhuXisUwSq_gwnW7Z1lpq6D0GCAg7gsmzV2K_Y-eZxvzQq2d60H_y2Lng/s640/12.1.11d.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJIQgx0U1dXq0rrk2jC5KtghI2GNLNhwm-wrx8-Y-6qtw6YbikT-HpivjRausci8-8WJFggzZp30u_o7LyYzMzdSk0s2rMcVyUcAuswTT3ZghgQEVTaqoA6_SzSP2t8UrOk1_oA-t-WK4/s1600/12.1.11a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJIQgx0U1dXq0rrk2jC5KtghI2GNLNhwm-wrx8-Y-6qtw6YbikT-HpivjRausci8-8WJFggzZp30u_o7LyYzMzdSk0s2rMcVyUcAuswTT3ZghgQEVTaqoA6_SzSP2t8UrOk1_oA-t-WK4/s640/12.1.11a.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sweater: <a href="http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=59093&vid=1&pid=885579&scid=885579002" target="_blank">Old Navy</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dress: Target</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tights:<a href="http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=71410&vid=1&pid=886911&scid=886911022" target="_blank">Old Navy</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Socks:<a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=19605922&navAction=jump&isProduct=true&parentid=MORE%20IDEAS&isProduct=true&cross-sell=true&guide-bn=true" target="_blank">Urban Outfitters</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Necklace: Target</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Boots: Ciao Bella from DSW</div>

7 Day Dare: Fair Isle

Just enough time today to do a quick post! Right now I am writing 2 papers so enjoy today's look! Sweater: Old Navy Dress: Target Tights...

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December is National Drunk and Drugged Driver Awareness Month

<br /><div style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqfanZXYhdYFGeB8pKGm_5cucUtCdcwP-EFcSWHBxl3wH1Pdu_s1HmeL5Rk4C8ZUcrOWgNb_20X5kCvAvSsfylKxWKqPUSCDE_wWE56HqJZREkZnX1vHnZYJP1aM07egTdfMnwD9Gh1Gy/s1600/druggeddrunkstats.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqfanZXYhdYFGeB8pKGm_5cucUtCdcwP-EFcSWHBxl3wH1Pdu_s1HmeL5Rk4C8ZUcrOWgNb_20X5kCvAvSsfylKxWKqPUSCDE_wWE56HqJZREkZnX1vHnZYJP1aM07egTdfMnwD9Gh1Gy/s200/druggeddrunkstats.bmp" width="200" /></a>Did you know that every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $51 billion.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><br /><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> People who drink and drive put everyone on the road in danger:</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/images/campaigns/vitalsigns/drinking-driving-150x172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="1 in 3 crash diver deaths involves a drunk driver. CDC Vital Signs. www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/DrinkingAndDriving/" border="0" src="http://www.cdc.gov/images/campaigns/vitalsigns/drinking-driving-150x172.jpg" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; height: 172px; width: 150px;" /></a></div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><u>Certain groups are more likely to drink and drive than others.</u></div><br /><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Men were responsible for 4 in 5 episodes (81%) of drinking and driving in 2010. </li><li>Young men ages 21-34 made up only 11% of the U.S. adult population in 2010, yet were responsible for 32% of all instances of drinking and driving.</li><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">85% of drinking and driving episodes were reported by people who also reported binge drinking. Binge drinking means 5 or more drinks for men or 4 or more drinks for women during a short period of time.</li></ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>What can you do to prevention Drunk and Drugged Driving?</strong></div><ul><li>Do not drink and drive.</li><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8zmgTobSZKfyAnHjOi_2WNLRBnFIr94yx0wWhLHVVMFnLtFPFXYVjna6OtWOqTpudfE6G9L3pxnkwHjlvwYINxvC-N5oeTWvbVSxDroFip1cp85dG09QXYEh5h30d0hmeBgKj3c-oVrG/s1600/drunkdriving.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8zmgTobSZKfyAnHjOi_2WNLRBnFIr94yx0wWhLHVVMFnLtFPFXYVjna6OtWOqTpudfE6G9L3pxnkwHjlvwYINxvC-N5oeTWvbVSxDroFip1cp85dG09QXYEh5h30d0hmeBgKj3c-oVrG/s320/drunkdriving.gif" width="320" /></a>Buckle up at all times when you are in a vehicle</li><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Report drunk or impaired drivers</li><li>Talk to your children regarding driving impaired.</li></ul><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>

December is National Drunk and Drugged Driver Awareness Month

Did you know that every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. Thi...

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december 1...advent pockets to fill with love...

<b><br /></b><br /><b>morning lovely bloggy friends...</b><br /><b><br /></b><br />we had a mid week teacher's strike here yesterday & therefore a house full of extra's...<br /><br />so not all my boxes were ticked- which i'm needing to do each & every day now that we are<b> *in*</b><br /><br />the month of our huge <a href="http://misssewandso.blogspot.com/2011/11/going-homex.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">{move back}</span></a> to the beautiful beaches of sydney...<br /><br /><br />so...after a morning of balance (you know those mornings- & it wasn't the kids!)...<br /><br />the ever patient, every gorgeous husband took all the kids to school...<br /><br />& i'm sitting here, with a strong cup of tea...thinking bout filling advent pockets...<br /><br /><i>not life altering i realise ;) but about all i can manage this morning...one of <b>those </b>mornings people...!</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3VrjwRYripjEAopaJrm0vZ6KCoLWyC5EBSo7JgH3BvhvbiJNO40u79W-EtNnr65pb3crhLAsNokFpacmYUIJHIBasShH9xyPscuOXOOT1dQmqyrQ5_ctlPgkXAR7lwARTFqMvqQT18IH/s1600/advent1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3VrjwRYripjEAopaJrm0vZ6KCoLWyC5EBSo7JgH3BvhvbiJNO40u79W-EtNnr65pb3crhLAsNokFpacmYUIJHIBasShH9xyPscuOXOOT1dQmqyrQ5_ctlPgkXAR7lwARTFqMvqQT18IH/s640/advent1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><br /></i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><b>for our three kiddos, age irrelevant, the *advent calendar* is a special lead up to the big day...</b><br /><b><br /></b><br />they've all gone off to school this morning anticipating the opening of the first advent goodies<br /><br />this afternoon...<br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>some years we've had little fabric squares on string lines across the windows...</b><br /><b><br /></b><br />some years we've done the <strike>desperate</strike> easy <i>quick-it's-the-flippin-first-of-december-store-bought </i><br /><br />chocolate calendar boxes, with the flip open windows...<br /><br />you know the ones...awful, loud, disney inspired {!!??}...yet do the job...<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXgZelBOaVKp9LOLPMxDLle10NIC5KRl6dsYwGDcmBZ-4hzltmTwq8Ubd57K8k_oNDNO2v11cyv5KJLPg4OcDYxUdZlUYbdNhFQlR5d99VtEUFuA5ULrI6Z04YJEVPoo1Da8T3Z_kJGLT/s1600/advent2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXgZelBOaVKp9LOLPMxDLle10NIC5KRl6dsYwGDcmBZ-4hzltmTwq8Ubd57K8k_oNDNO2v11cyv5KJLPg4OcDYxUdZlUYbdNhFQlR5d99VtEUFuA5ULrI6Z04YJEVPoo1Da8T3Z_kJGLT/s640/advent2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>this year</b> we needed something simple...that could survive a mid-advent flight <a href="http://misssewandso.blogspot.com/2011/11/going-homex.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">{home to Australia}</span></a>,<br /><br />whose daily pockets could be filled with more than chocolate coins...& that was made with love<br /><br />by me, for them, in the house we have loved in the english countryside, for so long...<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKNjN6CgjmfQ6hJxuLgxIf-3GQjOCoasp29qY-q6XKm2762dISTZMg8oZFEpYbr_Eyb03u8k4MvwMXXSdWroX-eEwy3Xz-OT0jthfWBsg9Pf9LBVkchaZACpr1GLyS3MJs90u4ItX5SKG/s1600/advent3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKNjN6CgjmfQ6hJxuLgxIf-3GQjOCoasp29qY-q6XKm2762dISTZMg8oZFEpYbr_Eyb03u8k4MvwMXXSdWroX-eEwy3Xz-OT0jthfWBsg9Pf9LBVkchaZACpr1GLyS3MJs90u4ItX5SKG/s640/advent3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>so...the squares were cut...the french numbers stamped...the pieces sewn together...</b><br /><b><br /></b><br />& this morning i am going for a quiet, simple wander to fill those pockets...<br /><br />english sweets...some little english souvenirs...little reminders of our time here together...<br /><br />by Christmas day we will be sitting in the sand, drinking smoothies & wondering what the cold<br /><br />felt like...<br /><br />so taking this advent calendar home on December 20 & opening one day in Dubai & the<br /><br />remaining days in the sunshine just makes <b>this year's calendar all the more special</b>...<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIfWLtk2zczl-bq1G-lse3cdRq1vhoSwFNBNbSyu0HZsYFh2N5FOMHtOt10yg-L6pLFA6Zpb7C9mFDA4FJS88hFGdGDhOwo29YTDqH3f1V97mv12vZ-xbqKHUitZTQ0-PsVGG_bcxsXho/s1600/advent6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIfWLtk2zczl-bq1G-lse3cdRq1vhoSwFNBNbSyu0HZsYFh2N5FOMHtOt10yg-L6pLFA6Zpb7C9mFDA4FJS88hFGdGDhOwo29YTDqH3f1V97mv12vZ-xbqKHUitZTQ0-PsVGG_bcxsXho/s640/advent6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>at this time of year- life can be a tricky balance...</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>remember the simple things are often the loveliest </b><b>memories...</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><b><br /></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYuE1fx-uwW5SmWhu3grFB1D6F3r6j6CdIZQbbgddZmLatD1aUf9qlq_MZc9LZ_6L91R420DJZt3BMYGz2HuqpYFCKxt7t_RPwOek31Yfj99XJ5AOdzvHY6mX315z129Oj7WAkUbFjczm/s1600/advent4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYuE1fx-uwW5SmWhu3grFB1D6F3r6j6CdIZQbbgddZmLatD1aUf9qlq_MZc9LZ_6L91R420DJZt3BMYGz2HuqpYFCKxt7t_RPwOek31Yfj99XJ5AOdzvHY6mX315z129Oj7WAkUbFjczm/s640/advent4.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><b><br /></b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>~~~~~~~</b></div><b><br /></b><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">a shared thought: yesterday an incredibly brave mother from our little school lost her long fight with cancer...</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">her two beautiful children were blessed to have had her guide them for as long as she could...</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">today please just take a moment to look at your children...</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">& to love them that little bit more...</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Karen will always be an inspiration in my mind & though there are many tears- her smile is what i will recall each & every time we passed with school bags, scooters & *good morning's*...</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">thank you for the small *moment* of time in which i knew you Karen- your children will continue to be loved & watched over at school by their many gentle friends...</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">xoxox</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>

december 1...advent pockets to fill with love...

morning lovely bloggy friends... we had a mid week teacher's strike here yesterday & therefore a house full of extra's... so not...

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