Merry Christmas AND....

a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dad!!

Merry Christmas!

Or Happy Christmas if you are in the UK. We just got back from Christmas dinner (or lunch if you prefer) with friends and now Dave is using his new ipad (no more sharing in this household!) and Riley is taking a nap after eating Christmas dinner. No turkey for her, poor doggie, but she did get a lot of treats. Including some apple-bacon ones sent to her all the way from her grandparents in California.

I kept on meaning to post some pre-Christmas pictures but never got around to it, so will post the whole lot today. A Christmas bonus for all my (3) readers! This is our first Christmas tree in London, the past years we were gone (home last year) or traveling right up until Christmas day so no tree was necessary or practical. This year we spent all of December in London save for one weekend in Paris at the beginning of the month and since we have been home I have been trying to make the place seem as Christmasy as possible. I made ornaments, paper flowers, paper Christmas trees, hung the stockings (or "Santa sacks" as our Australian friends called them - such a good name), made Christmas eve dinner, breakfast today, wrapped gifts, bought flowers and generally spread the holiday cheer.

 

Here are some pictures of our Christmas decor:

Stockings, some made by me and two by our niece. Last year she worried that since we would be in California without our stockings Santa wouldn't be able to deliver anything so she made us two for good measure. 

Ornaments, made to fill in our tree. We hardly have any ornaments in London so I felt the need to make some to take up space. I had to make some Wheatens.

 And some tulips just because they have been so pretty and Christmasy red:

This morning Riley got to investigate her stocking, filled with a plethora of doggie treats thanks to my Ocado delivery last week. She sat impatiently as we took some pictures of her, waiting for us to break open a bag and load her up on sausages, cheesy bites and tripe sticks. 

Overall she had a nice Christmas but she won't admit it. 

I have also tried to enjoy the decorations in the city as much as possible. Now that Christmas ends as soon as the sales start, which this year seems to have been about two weeks ago, the decorations are sure to disappear quickly. In fact Peter Jones (a department store) was already switching their window displays from Christmas to "SALE" on Christmas eve. Way to let us enjoy the holiday PJ's. 

Here are some (Hipstamatic) pictures from our neighborhood:

And here is Kings Road on Christmas with hardly any cars or people. I actually thought today was busier than the past few Christmases. More cars, more people out and about, more taxis on the road.

All in all I think London has become more festive just in the four years I have lived here. This year there were little bands playing Christmas music on the street, a trio playing in Peter Jones, more lights in the shops and more Christmas cheer. I appreciate it coming from the US since we are used to Christmas overload back home - all lights, bell ringers, trees, wreaths and Christmas hoopla. The more the merrier for me!

Now that Christmas is over it's time for New Year's Eve, resolutions, 2013 trips to plan, maybe the start of a diet (?), the promise of longer days and eventually summer sun and warmer weather. And all that without having to share an ipad. Can't wait!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Riley Is 6!

Today is Riley's 6th birthday! How time flies. She's a year older and yet no more mature than the day she came home with us. In honor of her birthday I made cookies. For us, not her. I sent them to work with Dave on Friday. They were in the shape of Riley and a dog bone so at least I was kind of thinking of her when I made them. Actually, I think the dog cookie cutter is in the shape of a schnauzer but Riley doesn't know that.

We're not doing too much for her big day, she gets spoiled every day of her life. Besides, Christmas is coming and she'll get presents that day. She can only handle so much excitement in her life, she's getting old and needs to nap it off.

Happy birthday, Riley! You're the best 6 year old Wheaten Terrier in the whole world!!