Fun, Food and Fripperies

[susie_flo]

It has been a weekend of festive preparations... how nice.   My foolproof (if a little anally retentive) Excel spreadsheet tells me that I have completed a good 80% of my Xmas shopping - hoorah!   So most of this weekend has been relaxed and domestic. 

On Friday night I decorated the tree, while glugging some of G's lovely mulled wine....    purrdy (though a little overexposed).   Only one present under there so far.... courtesy of kissmeforlonger!   I got the little mirror baubles from a posh department store a few years ago and haven't fallen out of love with them yet.  






Now I am halfway through making this recipe for alcohol-soaked mini Xmas puds...   http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/occasions/christmas/christmas-pudding-recipe_p_1.html

(I'm using cranberries instead of glace cherries and Cognac instead of Grand Marnier... but otherwise it's the same).  Yesterday involved soaking the fruit in all of the lovey liquids....  today the puddings will be made, ready for steaming again on Xmas day.   But first I need to go out and get some string... 

Last night, still in full-blown Xmas mode, we watched 'Bad Santa'.   For a film with such a dreadful title and awful-sounding summary (something along the lines of "an eight year old teaches two crooks the meaning of christmas") it was really quite dark and hilarious and well worth a watch.  Definitely not for kids though...   Billy Bob Thornton's leading character pretty much puts paid to that.   More here...  www.imdb.com/title/tt0307987/ 

So what are you all up to?  Santa's Little Helper or Purest Humbug?

Comments

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Just to ramble on some more about 'Bad Santa'... I think this might have been my favourite Santa quote: "I beat the shit out of some kids today. It made me feel good about myself. Like I did something constructive with my life"

[kissmeforlonger.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good film and an antidote to all the hideous syrupy 'family' films around.

I'm in awe of your domestic goddessness!

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Heh, I am rather goddessey this weekend. I can manage it once a year... (the rest of the time G is the Goddess and I am the fat, lazy buddha).

Where are you going to be for Xmas? (I have some posting to do but not ready yet so it might not arrive until near the day - I will send to your home address unless you wanna email me with a diff one). X

[kissmeforlonger.livejournal.com]

I'm at work until 24th, not sure if/when I'm heading over to Windermere.

Have just been out to get the last of the presents, now on with the job of posting them :-O

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Definitely humbug.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Oh dear... (in which case you will probably enjoy Bad Santa even more than I did - it positively revels in humbug).

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Won't a nice christmas Scotchy cocktail get you in the mood? Or how about dressing up your little ones like this... http://www.peacockshock.com/archives/christmas%20cat-thumb.jpg

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

My GOD that's horrible thing. Call the RSPCA!

I'm not anti christmas, it's just for some reason this year my interest level is non-existent.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

I was like that last year... for some reason this year I am bitten by the festive bug again. Put your decs up and roast some chestnuts... that'll start you feeling all christmassy.

[steer.livejournal.com]

Beautiful tree -- the most we have in the way of christmas decor is a santa hat on Stella.

[kissmeforlonger.livejournal.com]

That would be wonderfully Christmassy if you happened to be working in a sex shop.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

"fiiive gooold cockrings...."

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

:-D
I wish I had a copy of that christmas CD...

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Classy! (Is Stella the blow-up-sheep or the human-shaped doll?)

[kissmeforlonger.livejournal.com]

Stella's the human doll. When I was last there she was carelessly left lying next to the sofa in an attitude of abandon. Even with a santa hat she could hardly be described as festive.

[steer.livejournal.com]

Stella is the doll -- she is named after the Interpol song "Stella was a diver she was always down" because she used to wear a wetsuit. The sheep is called Artois after Stella.

[steer.livejournal.com]

I've also got 80% of my shopping done but I had to check against the flat file in my subversion repository.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Tsk! (I'll teach you to out-geek me on christmas!)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01122/h9_1122495i.jpg

[steer.livejournal.com]

Hehehe! Very cool.

[whiteshadow.livejournal.com]

Wiow, that is a wonderful looking tree ... mine is still in the garage waiting to be put up!

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Thank you kindly (Getting the tree up works wonders for your festive spirit... I wasn't feeling v. christmassy at all until i did mine)

[r0ck3tsci3ntist.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I like your flat. :)

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

That's v. kind of you. I am fonder of it than anywhere else I've lived... though it is unfortunately a doll's house when it comes to scale! (Can't have everything...)