I received this offer in an email from New Look, can I hear you say “tenuous link”? I wonder if any shop in the US is offering 46% off?

Jubilee tat

I bought these stripey ballerina slippers from George at Asda for the bargain price of £5. I love the pretty flower corsage and they are comfy too.

I’ve finally got round to opening (and blogging about it!) a jewellery shop on etsy – Lady Mondegreen. My evenings have been spent making pieces (well not every evening because I do Zumba, play on the PS3 as well as surf the internet a lot) and learning about selling on Etsy. Mr C even made me a light box so I can take decent photos. I’ve still got a lot to learn about the whole process but I have made one sale which made me ecstatic!

Why the name Lady Mondegreen?
mondegreen [ˈmɒndɪˌgriːn]
A mondegreen is the mishearing of a phrase in a way that gives it a new meaning usually with an amusing result. American writer Sylvia Wright coined the term in her essay “The Death of Lady Mondegreen,” published in Harper’s Magazine in November 1954.

Phrases.org says:
“When I was a child, my mother used to read aloud to me from Percy’s Reliques. One of my favorite poems began, as I remember:

Ye Highlands and ye Lowlands,
Oh, where hae ye been?
They hae slain the Earl Amurray,
And Lady Mondegreen.”

The actual words of the ballad are:

“Ye Highlands and Ye Lowlands,
O where hae ye been?
They hae slain the Earl of Moray,
And hae laid him on the green”

The name Lady Mondegreen is a nod to my own partial deafness and subsequent misinterpretations!

The last day of my Christmas Advent blog features Darwin’s Christmas antics. He has been absolutely loving helping out this year.

Making crackers

Rolling out the pastry for the mince pies with Aunty Shula

Darwin delivering the Christmas cards around the village (we’re staying at Gran and Grandad’s house for the festive season). He’s wearing knitted Postman Pat’s GPO bag!

Decorating the Christmas tree

The bauble Darwin was given from The Wesley Church playgroup we go to on a Tuesday

Click on the photo to see them in their full glory!

I made these gingerbread cottages for a handmade Christmas swap over at The Bundle Jungle. I used these Tando Creative cardboard houses available to buy at the Very Small Company and painted them with acrylic paint and glittery modge podge. I used 3D paint which I though would therefore look 3D and thus like icing but apparently the 3D effect only works on fabric. I made a little wreath and 2 candy canes out of sparkly pipe cleaners.

Pretty glitter house

Glitter cottage with a tutorial to make your own over at Sew Can Do

Very Merry Vintage Style has a glitter house Christmas village display

My glitter houses

I’ve been fascinated by snow globes since I was a little girl. Every year mum and I would unpack the old decorations and I loved seeing my tacky plastic snow globe. I think the allure of the snow globe lies in the fact there’s miniature world where where you can repeatedly make it snow. I was going to make one this year but I’ve left buying the glycerine too late now. Apparently you can use baby oil instead but we don’t have any of that (despite having a baby). I think I will get Darwin to help me make one next Christmas.

Mason jar snow globe DIY from Michaela Noelle Designs

Waterless snow globe tutorial at tidymom

Kitsch snow globe by Peepthread

Charm bracelet diva has a cute home made snow globe soap tutorial

I love this felty ball wreath by Pickles

Yarn ball and Christmas ornament wreath – All Things Heart and Home

Flower wreath at Nest of Posies

Madigan made a wreath out of metal brass tacks

Craftapalooza has wreath made from baker’s twine

How to make a home made birdseed wreath for your feathered friends (contains gelatin so not suitable for vegetarian makers!)