Wednesday, 12 December 2012

Present sense



I'm kind of maybe almost nearly there with the Christmas shopping.

Not written any cards or posted anything yet, of course!




Actually, that isn't quite true. 

I have posted my FH&CS Christmas swap parcel (where are you, Lakota?) and in turn I received my parcel of loveliness from my swap partner Sophie.




Should I have waited till Christmas to open these?



Of course not!
 
A beautifully rich and autumnal pashmina, a little wooden bag (which will be filled with chocolate coins and used as a mini treasure chest at Christmas), a glamorous sequined purse/clutch, a hand-knitted tea cosy, and a Christmas bell, for summoning the servants. 
 
I could train the kids to appear when I ring.
I'd have better luck trying to train the cats...

Thanks so much to Sophie for such great gifts.
 
 
 
 
As you can see, the scarf  is already getting much use, I love it.

For those who don't know, Lakota organised a blogger gift swap in which the maximum spend is £12 for 3 to 5 items, one of which must be handmade, one Christmas-related, and one or more items charity-shopped/thrifted/secondhand.

It just goes to prove that you don't have to spend a fortune to find delightful, thoughtful, appropriate and ethical gifts.
 



It's been very bright and frosty.
 



But I took my coat off to show you my colours.
 I'm so good to you!






Silver fox faux fur, cardigan, bangles, necklace - charity shops
1970s maxi dress and boots - Ebay
Hat - gift from Visa-gettin' Vix
Pashmina - gift from Norfolk-lovin' Sophie
Vintage enamel brooch - Holy Guacamole-eatin' Sarah




Braving the frost and the chill of the garden was totally worth it to see Natural Born Killer* Charlie-Boy almost falling out of a tree - that's what I'm laughing at!
He was not pleased.
Cats do not like to be laughed at.

 
*Update on the guinea pig incident. It died... 
Oh no. Thankfully my nice neighbour was very matter-of-fact about the whole thing.
And I recently found a large dead rat under our kitchen table. 
Charlie is obviously Prime Suspect.

 xxx

42 comments:

Unknown said...

Love your beautiful skirt and that very neat wooden bag.

Lynn Hasty said...

Hey Curtise! How are ya? I love the gifts you received! And poor kitty. No, cats do not like to be laughed at. Love your colors!

xoxo
Lynn

Helga said...

O, no! We have just discovered that our Humpers is a Natural Born Killer...I kept suspecting it was Peepers doing the deed, but it was Humpers all along! Little bugger. 3 birds, and one was a little waxeye, a native sweetie.It might be time for bells.
Ah, the bliss and freedom of not doing Christmas shopping! (GLOAT!)
Instead, G and I are stocking up on treats to eat and drink over our wee break.
Loving your colours, darling.You ARE good to us by exposing yourself to the cold so we can perve proper-like at your finery!
Lovely swap pressie!
Warm loving, Helga XXXXXXXXXX

Louise Mc said...

That dress is gorgeous. I was just thinking the other day how little luck I have with finding vintage maxis, unlike you and Vix. I'm going to make myself a maxi skirt in the new year I reckon. Poor wee cat victims, but you can't change nature. xx

Vintage Coconut said...

I am glad you didn't wait to open up your Christmas gift. I can never wait either!!

Your swapped gifts are lovely.

And Charlie takes such great photos, (must be a Kitty model.)

Anonymous said...

The colours are lovely! You were so brave to take off your coat; I don't think I could have done that today. Fab pressies, the scarf is gorgeous.

two squirrels said...

Oh that skirt is a beauty Miss Curtise. I am not feeling the Christmas cheer this year, maybe it's not having a home???
Tee hee cats really do hate if you laugh at them, proud little monsters.
I just love the pic of you laughing!!!!
Thank you for the lovely comment for a lost wee squirrel.
Love V

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Max said...

Ooh i must have missed the g. Pig incident! We are training the iur cats to steer clear of the new wee bunny by squirting them with a water pistol! Lovely presents and looking lovely, lovely x

Sophie in the Sticks said...

So glad you liked the gifts! The scarf looks lovely on you and I love that coat - must have been reluctant to take that off in this parky weather! x

thorne garnet said...

cats are a hoot. Miss Kini's found a new way to wake me up: knock metal ornaments off the dining room Christmas tree. Clang, clang on the wooden floor gets me up.....at 6:30am. Hey, cat, I'm on vacation!

Unknown said...

Waiting is for suckers! LOVE your outfit - the skirt (dress) is glorious and I love the yummy coat and the hat and new scarf. And hello - I'd forgotten about that brooch!

Uh oh - how did I miss the Guinea Pig Incident? What happened? I need all the goss!

Love you more than funny cats! Sarah xxx

Amber of Butane Anvil said...

Wonderfully bright and frosty is what I was going to say about your terrific ensemble! I adore the close-ups of your accessories and laughing at undignified kitty. Sorry to hear about the guinea pig.

What a lovely gift parcel, and wrapped gorgeously too. As time ticks down I get closer and closer to opting out of xmas altogether, lol. xoxo

Sissy said...

Gee I wish it was cold enough here to wear my vintage furs, you look fantastic, and a red beret too - just lovely!

Patti said...

Whoa, that is a gorgeous scarf! And other treasures too. You are so right, cats don't like ridicule. The give you The Look.

The Goodwill Fangirl said...

Oh, Charlie! I busted Dear Hubby's cat before our marriage carrying what I thought was a mouse but upon closer inspection turned out to be a small, quite alive birdie. Of course, I did the cool thing, and immediately shrieked, causing said cat to drop said bird, which was in good enough shape to fly up into a very high tree. Said cat has not spoken to me since.

Love seeing your wide, beautiful smile, laughing at Charlie. Maybe he will think twice about leaving rats under the kitchen table. Well probably not. Very cool gift exchange, and awesome print on that maxi.

The Goodwill Fangirl said...

Uh-oh, my comment disappeared. Rats. No pun intended. Maybe it was too wordy? Arrrrrgh. You are so beautiful - love the laughing pic best :)

silvergirl said...

what a great maxi and i love it paired with the chritmas red and of course the coat is just too fab
brett

joyatri said...

Forgive me, but in spite of the awesomeness of all your gifties (particularly that lil' wooden box), that exuberant maxi and your pretty boy kitty, I fixated on that necklace. You got it a charity shop? It looks medieval and Indian at the same time -- two of my most favorite looks. I love it so much!
So sorry to hear about the guinea pig. Bad kitty.

The Small Fabric Of My Life said...

This is one of my favourite looks on you. I love the mix of blues and reds topped off with the faux fur.
Your cat is so cute.

Vintage Bird Girl said...

I'm lusting after that enamel brooch! What gorgeous colours in your outfit. I had to giggle at your cat. I love how they hate being watched while doing their business too. Lovely swap pressies too. I would have joined in had I been more organized! Xx

Vix said...

I adore that skirt, it's just beautiful, the perfect pop of brightness on an almost Antarctic day, the fun fur and brooch are wonderful with it.
Sophie chose brilliantly, we all know how much you love and rock orange and that scarf has your name all over it, the two bags are fab and bell will be great when you need the kids to top up your sherry glass.
Love the last montage of photos, you laughing and Charlie looking like butter wouldn't melt. I do love an evil moggie. LOVE!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anonymous said...

Loving your swap parcel and that little wooden handbag/box is very similar to one that I use as my evening/going out bag (not that happens very often..lol)

That scarf certainly has your name written all over, it is beautiful and your skirt is perfect for these frosty days xx I hope it cheers everyone up with its bright cheeriness xx

Melanie said...

There you are all bright and gorgeous! Thank you for this colour blast. I loove to see your laughter.

Melanie said...

I always manage to find the willpower to wait until the day to open things, much to the annoyance of everyone else! But I am terrible at wanting to give gifts to people early, so buying way ahead of time is not my best option!
I love the gifts you were given, the wooden bag is especially sweet.

Flora Cruft said...

What lovely gifts you received. That fur coat looks just the thing for this freezing weather, and I love the red hat from Vix, suits you sweetheart!

I haven't done my xmas cards yet either. Charlie Boy nearly falling out of the tree made me giggle festively though!

mispapelicos said...

Edie and I also have our swapping ended very hapylly and parcels opend, hehehhhe.
Thanks to sweet lakota.
Looking glorious as ever, my dear friend.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anonymous said...

What wonderful gifts you've received!!! I love your outfit--the skirt is gorgeous!!
I have to post to my swap partner. I was ready to send it off and then I got a brilliant idea to make something else for her!!!

Charlie hanging on for dear life is hilarious!!

Brought you a rat, eh?? What a lovely gift!!

Krista said...

I don't think I'll ever get used to loving a little killer, cats are well a mystery to me and mine well they are really Chris's especially when they leave a trail of dead critters...but enough of that. Lovely pressies you have received all so you, I do like the little treasure chest bag.

This skirt looks like the sky and I adore the abstract print. You and Vix have been so rocking the furs, I want one!
Loveyoubunches!
Xxoo

Fiona said...

Little buggers them cats, I had a wet nose shoved in my ear at 7am cos someone wanted some Iams. I also had a present of a deceased rat under my craft desk a while ago, but no furry critters since, thankfully!
Love your cheerful outfit and so glad you opened your pressie so we could all have a look see. Lucky you, the pash is gorgeous and what a delightful little wooden bag.
xxxx Keep warm xxx

Debbi@SheAccessorizesWell said...

What a cool outfit. The jacket looks comfy and stylish. Hard combo to find.
Kitty is the best. How cute is that face?

Annie said...

What a lovely dress!

Sophie's presents are lovely, I particularly like the scarf. I can imagine you will be getting a lot of wear out of that.

Your cat does NOT look pleased at being laughed at. Typical cat! xx

karensomethingorother said...

My last kitty was an outdoor girl, so she wore a bell around her neck. It used to sound so cute when she'd come ting-a-linging in from far away. Ah cats: lovable, and evil all at the same time.

Love your outfit Curtise, and thankyou for braving the frostiness to show us your colours :) What a package full of fun. Who doesn't love a hand-made tea cozy for freak's sake?!? NOBODY, that's who.

MILEX said...

I just really love it

Miss Simmonds Says said...

I just really love it too.

Charlie is in league with The Devil, just like my cat was. They're just so evil and they really do hate being laughed at, yet we love them. Sort of.

You look fab, the scarf is gorgeous, that little box is wonderful. Perfect for Christmas. You know you need that little bell so you can lie on the sofa (on Boxing Day, we know you won't get away with it on Christmas Day) and summon your family to bring you gin and Quality Street.

The skirt is gorgeous, the hat was a great choice by Vix, red looks stunning on you! xxxx



Unknown said...

Hi Curtise!

How are you? it has been a crazy week for me - will post soon!
Nice skirt you have on there, love how you mixed your color - Love the pic of you laughing at the cat almost falling off the tree -

I am behind my x-mas thing but will have plenty of time next week to do that -

Take care

Ariane xxx

Forest City Fashionista said...

So glad I do not have to deal with the Christmas shopping thing. A quiet day and a lovely dinner with friends is all I can deal with. Love the colours of the Maxi! Poor kitty, humiliated, and accused of murder. I must have missed the guinea pig incident as well...

Angie said...

Love this skirt and goes great with white and red accents.

CityScape Skybaby said...

Love the colours in your dress Curtise and your cute hat, I love that hat. Your prezzies are gorgeous, that little wooden case is so cute. I laughed at your comment about training the kids. That wouldn't work in my house either, I think my daughter would probably claim it for summoning me to her room. Love the pic of you laughing at natural born killer too, our Sasha's hunting days are behind her now, thank goodness. xx

bonsaimum said...

Love the colours in your dress.Charlie Boy is so cute.

Lakota [Faith Hope and Charity Shopping] said...

Goodness, middle age must be setting in, I could have sworn I'd commented on this post! Maybe I saw Sophie's version? Anyway, obviously I knew you two would make a great pair of swappers, glad I managed to pair you up with someone you hadn't 'met' before. Thanks for taking part (very belatedly, sorry!)
xxx

Lakota [Faith Hope and Charity Shopping] said...

Your colours are of course fabulous ;-) x