Yellow

One of the many annoying things about Xmas is that you put up the decs and then spend the rest of the festive season picking them up off the floor and sticking them back up again.  So on and so forth ad infinitum. 

Like my yellow and white balls.  They will not stay up.

I've stuck them with rather lovely gingham washi tape but it's pretty hopeless.  The balls are just too big and heavy (ooh er).

I know what you're thinking.  Yellow. 

Not a colour traditionally associated with Christmas.

Well, at J and P Towers, we like to fly in the face of tradition (especially when we find a little pile of yellow card festering in the cupboard).

So, we made yellow and white balls

and yellow and white paperchains

Then I discovered some faux fur craft card in the cupboard.  Following Kat's instructions here, I made these fur card baubles:

Believe it or not, I'm not a great lover of Xmas decs but I do like to make a little effort with our Xmas wreath.  Not for us the traditional or the natural.  In fact, the more unnatural the better.  For two years running we had a plastic bag wreath fashioned from a wire coat-hanger and those transparent plastic bags you get from the supermarket to put your fruit and veg in. 

2010 was a little bit minimalist if you ask me:


One solitary pink bird


but I more than made up for it in 2011:

I added two glittery penguins and a pink flocked reindeer to the mix!


Although, I'm a great believer in the "more is more" school of wreath making (yes, that esteemed school), this year I've gone for a pared down look.  I've ditched the plastic bags, the glittery penguins and the pink bird and instead, it's furry pompoms, a cutesy penguin and the welcome return of the pink flock reindeer (tied up properly this time so that it doesn't knock aganist the door in high winds waking a poor Mr J and P up from his slumber - see here).
 

I wound a furry pompom garland which I'd had for many years around a wire wreath


OK, that's all folks.  Hope you all have a wonderful Xmas.  I don't like to go on about it but we're off on holiday just after Xmas - to Mallorca.  I know!  I can't wait.  Adios amigos. xxxxxxx

They're dropping like flies

There always seems to be some sort of pet related "happening" here at J and P Towers.  They're either popping their clogs - see here and here.  Or, if one has popped their clogs, the other has gone into a steep decline - here.  Or we're finding mangled deer legs in the pets' hay - see here.

Last weekend was yet another pet hoo-ha.  On Friday, Dennis the rabbit who I posted about here, went the way of the fox.  I know!  What a shocker.  We have, for many years, let him run about in the garden and the first time Dennis actually manages to dig his way out, foxy loxy gets him *very sad face*.

Mr J and P and I were talking about him and Mr J and P said that he could never imagine Dennis as an old rabbit and then muttered something about "living fast and dying young."  Y'know, like:

Amy:

Jim:

Kurt:

Jimi:

 and Dennis:

Mmmmmm.  maybe not.......

The next morning, I went to feed the guinea pigs and noticed that Ginny looked very still.  Yup, she'd only gone and kicked the bucket *another sad face*.

Two out of three pets in two days!  I swear when we had to tell Little Miss J and P that another of the pets had died, she looked at us suspiciously as if we were, somehow, responsible for her beloved pets' demise.  It's really not true, I promise!

Here's hoping for a happier, non-pet related weekend this time around. xx