Confessions of a Christmas Shopper.

Hello Blog Chics. Nice to see you back.

I trust you all had a fantastic Christmas and Santa left you something nice under the tree. Or your nearest and dearest did.

This gorgeous mannequin was given to me by "she who is proficient at separating eggs", and her significant other. I love it. I had to rush down to the bedroom with it as soon as the Queen's message was over - even before I did the vacuuming (yes it is ok to be a little OCD about the carpet on Christmas night - all that glitter - and wrapping bits everywhere!)

I knew exactly where to put it, and how to adorn it.

I was so pleased with myself i spent about 20 minutes working out how to take a picture with my cellphone and send it to "she" who was in New Plymouth by then.

Hubby gave me Annabell Langbein's fantastic new cook book, which i had been coveting for ages.

I found a Christmas wish list thingy in a magazine, so I availed myself of it and added Annabel's book to the top, and stuck it to the fridge. It could not be missed!

I was also in receipt of the most magnificent weather vein to adorn my garden.

It has been a source of great consternation to me over the last 28 years that one of Hubby's most interesting idiosyncrasies is the need to know from which direction the bleeding wind is blowing.

In fact his whole family are mildly obsessed with it - and the wind doesn't even blow in Nana's garden!(According to Nana anyhow).

And there's no excuse. It's not as if they are farmers or anything.

The roads are well sign posted, it seems hardly relevant.

So I found it very sweet when he informed me later that he had chosen it because he thought I'd love it, and not because he needed me to be more accurate about the direction of the prevailing wind.

And I do love it. And I still have no idea which way the wind is blowing because I haven't the foggiest if it's the way the cat is coming from or going to... and he's never going to get that mouse!

So now I'm getting to the confessing part. There was another book I really wanted. Cath Kidston's Stitch. But writing two books on the list would have looked a tad greedy don't you think?

Si I bought the book myself. Boxing day is close enough i figure, for it to be legitimate. A prese from me to me.

You see Blog chics, it's the Cowboy. I love the CK cowboy with a passion. He just epitomises what i love about 1950s stuff. He's so masculine. It kind of amuses me, him stuck there with his lasso amongst the cabbage roses. So now I'm going to have him in a tapestry cushion for my very own.

This is inside Annabel's book. It's such a lovely book. The photography is wonderful.


Here's the CK Cowboy cushion photograph from the book.

But wait, there's more... I have a further prese confession. If I'd seen this fab shabby painting before Christmas I'd have definitely wanted that for Christmas too.

By chance I only happened upon it today, in my favourite shabby chic/retro shop in

New Plymouth - Faded Fancy.

The colours just jump out at you. It's in perfect condition. No fading, even the frame isn't chipped. Not that i mind a bit of chipping.

So now i just have to assist Hubby to hang it, facing in the direction of the prevailing wind!

See ya!