tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84893850198073035192024-03-13T00:21:22.430-05:00Billy Bobbin `Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-12399778759323507892014-10-06T12:12:00.000-05:002014-10-08T18:13:28.642-05:00The Annual Chaplin Family Road Trip - Day 9<u><b>Day 9 - Lynchburg, VA to Williamsburg VA, via Richmond - 20th July</b></u><br />
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Upon leaving Lynchburg we headed for Richmond on our way to our next pit stop which would be the historic Williamsburg.<br />
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I was very excited to be visiting Richmond, as I am a big fan of the author Patricia Cornwell and her Dr Kay Scarpetta books - set in and around Richmond.<br />
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Mr C was very interested in visiting Richmond because of the civil war as Richmond was the Capital of the Confederacy, a commercial center for the slave trade, and the site of several major battles.<br />
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The drive to Richmond wasn't long, but we were very surprised to find Richmond very quiet, especially as Richmond is the capital of Virginia, we thought it might be because it is a Sunday.<br />
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We did enjoy a walk around and saw the most prestigious <a href="http://www.virginiacapitol.gov/index.php?p=capitol_square">Capitol Square</a>, The Capitol building was designed by Thomas Jefferson and we also saw the large equestrian statue of George Washington. This monument was conceived to honor Washington and to glorify
Virginia's contributions to independence. <br />
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After our walk around Capitol Square, we enjoyed a fantastic lunch and coffee at Urban Farmhouse & Market and afterwards we took a walk along the canal, as we had just missed the historic canal ride, we saw some fab street art and had a lovely walk around. <br />
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There was so much more we could have done in Richmond especially when it came to museums about the Civil War, but we did not have time to do these and we still had an hours drive to Williamsburg.<br />
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We stayed at the <a href="https://www.diamondresorts.com/The-Historic-Powhatan-Resort">Historic Powhatan Resort </a> which was a lovely resort, and after dinner we took the girls for a twilight swim, in the outdoor pools, which they thoroughly enjoyed, before we headed back to our apartment for a night cap with Grannie & Grandad.<br />
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We all said another day at this resort would have been perfect, as there was plenty to do, see and explore, but we had a very busy day ahead of us with visits to Jamestowne, Colonial Williamsburg and Washington DC<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-25868050258152558732014-10-05T15:31:00.002-05:002014-10-05T15:31:58.345-05:00The Annual Chaplin Family Road Trip - Day 7 & 8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><b>Day 7 - Gatlingburg, TN - Boone, North Carolina via the Blue Ridge Parkway - 18th July</b></u><br />
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After enjoying a lazy breakfast on our last morning at the Buckberry Lodge, we packed up for our day's adventure of travelling through the Smoky Mountains, along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway to Boone, North Carolina.<br />
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The weather so far in our road trip has been great, but today it was very hazy, cloudy and raining, not great weather to be traveling the Blue ridge parkway as the scenery is beautiful.<br />
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After leaving Buckberry Lodge, we headed down the mountain to the Sugarlands Visitors Center so the girls could complete their Junior Ranger badges for the Smoky Mountains. We stopped for photos along the way, including a great family photo.<br />
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On arrival at the Sugarlands visitor center we discovered that we'd have to wait a while for the girls to complete their ranger guided tour as part of getting their badge, the guided Ranger walk took us on a walk to a waterfall and along the way told us about the inhabitants and early settlers of the area.<br />
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Once the walk was complete and the Ranger signed off the girls booklets, we went and got those badges, the girls had to do the Junior Park Ranger pledge and after this they were presented with their Junior Ranger Badges and certificates.<br />
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After this we headed to the Oconaluftee Visitors Centre for a look around, a spot of lunch and to start the Blue Ridge Parkway, that would take us too our next pit stop for the evening.<br />
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As the weather was dismal, driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway - we did not see a thing on this first leg, except cloud, which most of the time we were in or above and rain, we knew in all that cloud that there were magnificent views to behold but alas today we were not going to see it.<br />
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After a long, winding drive, and a bout of car sickness from Tilly we finally arrived at Boone, NC and keeping it real we enjoyed a good old dinner of take out pizza and a bottle of red.<br />
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<b><u>Day 8 Boone, NC to Lynchburg, Virginia - 19th July</u></b><br />
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After the disasterous weather yesterday, which was only slightly better today, we set off to Lynchburg on the highway, rather than the Blue Ridge Parkway, after crossing the border into Virginia, we stopped at the Virginia Welcome Centre. Virginia is known as the State for Lovers.<br />
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After stopping at the welcome center and due to the backlog of traffic that had built up we decided to continue our journey to Lynchburg via the Blue Ridge Parkway, as the weather had perked up too we got to see some of the beauty of the Parkway we missed the day before.<br />
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As we were meandering through the parkway we came across this great Mill, Mabry Mill, which happened to have a lovely cafe so we stopped for a late lunch and wander around. Mabry Mill is one of the most photographed sites on the Blue Ridge parkway and it's appeal is so great, you can find pictures of Mabry Mill on postcards representing the rural life
of other states besides Virginia. <br />
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After our late lunch we continued along the parkway until we reached our exit for Lynchburg, found our hotel for the night and caught up with Grannie & Grandad.<br />
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The girls enjoyed a swim in the pool - always their reward for surviving long car journeys.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-46469605968371746492014-08-25T14:24:00.000-05:002014-08-25T14:26:23.376-05:00It's A Special Day - My Littlest Starts School My little buddy Matilda, who has kept me company at home whilst her big sister has been off at school has finally, at last, started school today and it has seemed ages coming.<br />
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She's been excited all summer knowing she was starting Kindergarten and finally at "big" school with her sister, Matilda nearly 6, missed starting school last year by just 29 days, but I am glad of that as she is so ready this year to take it all in and learn.<br />
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So today was the big day, the reality finally came true and although very excited, she was also very apprehensive and shy, it's such a big day the first day of school, all grades went back today, lots of parents around bringing school supplies in and seeing their kids off for another exciting school year, had the new kindergartens a bit overwhelmed. <br />
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In the last 6 years my little girl has gone from this <br />
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To this, in what seems like a blink of the eye</div>
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We had no tears - phew from either of us in the playground anyway, it was a happy moment, we got to school early (which is a miracle in itself) so we could soak up the rather crazy first day atmosphere.</div>
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And it didn't seem long before the school bell rang and the kids lined up ready to go - they really did look a little nervous. I could tell Tilly was putting on a brave face.</div>
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And off she went into school to start her first day in kindergarten, being the brave little girl I know so well.</div>
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I am so going to miss my little cheeky, spirited, funny, gorgeous buddy Tilly being around all day, but I know she is going to have so much fun at school. </div>
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And today Ruby was back at school, entering 2nd grade, she was so excited about being back at school, she is a little social butterfly and couldn't wait to see and be with all of her friends.</div>
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And keeping to our first day of school tradition - we ask the girls what they would like to be when they grow up - Ruby choose working in a pet store and Tilly, well, only Tilly could pick being a rock star - world watch this space.</div>
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And what am I going to do with all this extra free time I have now woo hoo, dancing around the house woo hoo - we shall see, but first I was back at school as a lunch helper (it was also an excuse to see how my littlest was doing on her first day) today, I am also on the schools Evening for the Arts committee, new families & social committee, school lunch helper and no doubt I will sign up for room parent too, this will keep me busy to some degree, but my goal would be to find work and maybe go back to school myself.</div>
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oh and of course I'll keep myself busy with my sewing and knitting too.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-37034836555504534432014-08-13T16:41:00.000-05:002014-08-13T16:41:17.646-05:00The Annual Chaplin Family Road Trip - Day 6 <u><b>Day 6 - Cades Cove Horse Riding - 17th July</b></u><br />
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We started the day again much like the day before, breakfasting with gorgeous views of the Smoky Mountains and catching up with Grannie & Grandad about their day yesterday.<br />
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Today we were taking the girls horse riding and en route up to Cades Cove, we stopped at the Smoky Mountains Visitor Centre to get the paperwork so the girls could complete their Junior Ranger Badges.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.nationalparks.org/connect/npf-kids/junior-rangers">National Park Service</a> run fantastic Junior Ranger Programs to get children of all ages interested in their National Parks and learning how they can protect them now and in the future. It's a great program, where in each of the parks, kids interview Rangers, complete games, and answer questions about the park and the National Park Service. At the end of their experience in the park, they are sworn in as Junior Rangers and receive a special certificate and official Junior Ranger badge.<br />
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We love this program, Ruby completed her first one last year in the Grand Tetons, so she was very keen to get one for the Smoky Mountains.<br />
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They both began completing the booklets on their way to horse riding.<br />
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We arrived at Cades Coves riding stables and put our names down for a horse ride, we were all going to ride, even me, who isn't too keen on horses, Grannie was the only one not to ride, she opted for the horse and carriage ride instead, I was very close to joining her on this.<br />
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Grannie got called on her carriage ride, long before our horse ride was ready and on her way back we were finally called for our turn (it is a come on first basis)<br />
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So we all lined up, the girls eager to mount their horses, me not so, Ruby's horse was called Rose, Tilly had Domino, Mr C had Skye , I had Mindy and Grandad had Kallie.<br />
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Once we were all on our horses, we were off for our trail, this was the first horse ride the girls have had on big horses without being lead, they were on their own and loving it.<br />
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We all thoroughly enjoyed it, we didn't see any bears or deer, but it was just wonderful meandering through the woods on horseback. The girls said it was the best ride ever.<br />
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After the horse ride and a quick bite for lunch, we headed off to do the Cades Cove 11 mile one-way Loop, scattered along the loop are historic eighteenth & nineteenth century buildings such as churches, a working mill, barns, log houses as the first Europeans settled in the cove in 1818.Plus there is beautiful scenery of the Smoky mountains and the chance you may spot a bear or two. We didn't however.<br />
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But on our way back to Buckberry lodge the road followed a gorgeous meandering stream/river an as we drove along side of it, we noticed lots of people veering to the bank with cameras in hand, since our trip last year, we have found out this can mean only one thing, something worth stopping for so we did and much to our surprise and delight it was a bear.<br />
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It was the highlight of the day seeing a wild bear.<br />
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Instead of going back to the Lodge we decided to go straight into Gatlingburg and met up with Grannie & Grandad for an early dinner, after dinner we explored Gatlingburg some more and found the original moonshine shop - Old Smoky Moonshine Distillery.<br />
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It certainly had been a wonderful day and evening, and tomorrow we were moving on again, travelling through the Smoky Mountains to North Carolina to travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway.<br />
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But first we had some Junior Ranger things to do.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-395051643873654832014-08-10T11:53:00.000-05:002014-08-10T13:25:42.979-05:00The Annual Chaplin Family Road Trip - Day 5<u><b>Day 5 - DollyWood, Pigeon Forge, TN - 16th July</b></u><br>
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Waking up to beautiful views of the Smoky Mountains was fabulous, breakfasting on the Lodge veranda overlooking those fabulous Mountains, was just what the soul needed to start another wonderful day.<br>
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Fooling around after breakfast was fun, until you meet a bear, yes we were in bear country too, I prefer the stuffed type.<br>
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So after a lovely breakfast we said goodbye to Grannie & Grandad, for today they were visiting a minister friend and we were hitting <a href="http://www.dollywood.com/">Dollywood</a>, Dolly Partons Theme Park.<br>
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I have to say it would not have been my choice to visit Dollywood, but Mr C really wanted to go, friends had told him it was great and he loves theme parks, and surprisingly we had a great time.<br>
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We went on the cars, got splashed, or rather Tilly & I got soaked on the rapid rides.<br>
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Tilly & Mr C went on the Mountain Slidewinder - Ruby is not a theme park kinda of girl - Tilly however loves the thrill.<br>
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Next stop lunch, we went to a 1950's style diner, and we were treated to a little show whilst we ate lunch.<br>
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After lunch I decided I wanted to take the girls on the Dollywood Express and to the more kiddy theme park area, so Mr C got a pass to go and explore all the big rides he wanted to ride, that the girls were too small for.<br>
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The Dollywood Express was a coal-fired steam engine that took us on a five-mile journey through the foothills of the Great Smoky
Mountains. It was fun and we saw the big rides Mr C had gone on.<br>
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After our little train adventure, I took the girls into Country Fair, an area of rides for the kids, the girls first stop of course was the carousel and while on it, the girls made friends with 2 lovely girls called Ally & Abby and that was it for the next few hours, we went and did everything with Ally & Abby it was lovely. Abby was the same age, size and grade as Ruby. Ally her sister was slightly older.<br>
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We rode the scrambler, the girls had their faces painted together, they rode the junior roller coaster together, they wanted to do everything together. The girls were wonderful and were with their Grandparents so I had a lovely time chatting to them whilst the girls became best friends.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxcBO5O9q1LSm0Ss-1-v7s9_Pe1l8YSMAaV3ffY3BChVfLN6mUz4DFqu5w29_BTFfc7LlymB1FKh4IE-GNyIKkY3-lpEgj_Ktcp0sQisD56L2t5kF9DMsudg93BKB5S5GfMj7lvrnOn1K/s1600/IMG_8433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxcBO5O9q1LSm0Ss-1-v7s9_Pe1l8YSMAaV3ffY3BChVfLN6mUz4DFqu5w29_BTFfc7LlymB1FKh4IE-GNyIKkY3-lpEgj_Ktcp0sQisD56L2t5kF9DMsudg93BKB5S5GfMj7lvrnOn1K/s1600/IMG_8433.JPG" height="266" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby & Tilly with Ally & Abby</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby & Abby</td></tr>
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It wasn't long before Mr C caught back up with us, having been on all the big rides and had thoroughly enjoyed himself, and all of us stayed together to have a bit more fun before the day ended.<br>
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On our way to more rides, we saw the eagle enclosure and it wasn't long before we came across the Firechaser Express - a new rollar coaster recently added - straightaway Tilly and Abby (the younger one) wanted to go on it, so luckily for Nancy & I, the men took the girls on and we waited.<br>
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Then to finish off the day, I offered to take the girls on a water ride (silly me) called River Battle, where we had to shoot water at people not on the ride and they shot back at us, lets just say I got soaked for the 2nd time that day, even though I was using Tilly for cover. It was fun<br>
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As it was now getting late and dark, we dried off and it was time to say goodbye to Ally & Abby, having enjoyed their company for the best part of afternoon and evening, it was a sad farewell.<br>
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We hadn't planned on staying for the fireworks, but having fun all day long, time had crept away from us, so we stayed for the fireworks and found one more ride on our way out the girls enjoyed and we headed home, damp and tired.<br>
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We didn't even see Grannie & Grandad that night to see how their day had been. It was cup of tea time and bed.<br>
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Horse riding in the Smoky Mountains coming up next.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-66172288845423921282014-08-09T10:49:00.002-05:002014-08-09T11:53:34.495-05:00The Annual Chaplin Family Road Trip - Day 3 & 4<u><b>Day 3 - Nashville Tennessee - 14th July</b></u><br />
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As much as we were very tempted to stay and have a relaxing day at the hotel, Nashville beckoned, so after a swim in the outdoor pool we headed into Nashville in time for lunch at the famous Jack's BBQ which was fabulous, after lunch, and completely on the spur of the moment we popped inside a bar to see a country music band and have a quick beer. The band and music was great, near the end they took requests and rather humbly sang a Taylor Swift song for our girls.<br />
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After our little music adventure, Mr C wanted to visit the shop of the <a href="http://www.antiquearchaeology.com/">American Pickers</a>, a TV show we enjoy here, only 8 blocks walk he said, in heat of 100f, 8 blocks soon turned into a few miles of walking in no shade, but we finally made it, in need of a drink.</div>
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The American Pickers shop was great, it was a wonderful collection of American history not all things were for sale but it was good to visit and was very interesting.</div>
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We certainly weren't going to walk back so we took a taxi back into Nashville to visit <a href="http://hatchshowprint.com/">Hatch Show Print</a> - a letterpress printing making company who started their business creating show posters in the late 1800's and they have been famous ever since.</div>
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Not only a retail shop, but you can see into the print side of the company and see them printing up posters, each one unique.<br />
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And afterwards we couldn't resist a quick visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame retail shop - where the girls tried out the (fake) guitars - I think Tilly may be born for stardom.<br />
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After a long but great afternoon in Nashville we headed back to the
hotel for a lovely dinner at Cascades, a restaurant in the hotel. </div>
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We retreated back to our rooms for a night cap of Jim Beam Fire whilst watching the lovely water/light show from our balcony.<br />
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<u><b>Day 4 - Nashville, TN to Gatlingburg TN - 15th July</b></u></div>
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After a quick breakfast and swim we hit the road as we had quite a drive to Gatlingburg, 215 miles, our next stop for our Smoky Mountains adventure.<br />
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Our journey to Gatlingburg was rather uninteresting, we stopped a Cracker Barrel for lunch, then I saw a big sign on the freeway for a Yarn shop and made Mr C drive off to it, it was a lovely yarn shop too and I purchased some wool for a project.<br />
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On our way into Gatlingburg we passed through Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood, passing through Pigeon Forge was an eye opener, full of attractions, on both sides of the road, such as Ripley's Believe it or not, Hollywood Wax Museum, carnival rides, lots of car racing rides, the girls couldn't get enough.<br />
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Once through Pigeon Forge, it wasn't long before we hit Gatlingburg, the gateway into the Smoky Mountains. The <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm">Smoky Mountains</a> are America's most popular and visited National Park, more so than Yellowstone Park and The Grand Canyon put together.<br />
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After a short but winding trip into the Mountains, we reached our destination for the next 3 nights, the elegant <a href="http://www.buckberrylodge.com/">Buckberry Lodge.</a><br />
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After settling in, and checking out the views of the Smoky Mountains from our room, we headed back down the mountain, for dinner in Gatlingburg and a wander around the shops, stopping to see laffy taffy being made, and sampling Moonshine.<br />
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Our visit to Dollywood coming up next.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-75465702302023345892014-08-06T12:43:00.000-05:002014-08-09T11:51:09.572-05:00The Annual Chaplin Family Road Trip - Day 1 & 2 We've just finished our 3rd Annual USA road trip and boy did we have a good time.<br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">This year our road trip was extra special because we had Grannie & Grandad (Mr C's parents) join us so on Saturday 12th July with 2 cars packed to the brim we set off for our annual road trip adventure to cover 10 US states, 2,500 miles over 15 days.</span><br />
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<b><u>Day 1 - Chicago, IL to Louisville, Kentucky 12th July</u></b><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">At promptly 7.30am we left behind the comforts of our home to enjoy life on the road, our first stop today a mere 310 miles away - Louisville, Kentucky. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">After driving through torrential rain coming through and out of Chicago, we finally hit better driving conditions in Indiana where we stopped for our usual annual road trip breakfast stop at the one and only Denny's. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">We arrived in Louisville, Kentucky late afternoon, in time for the girls to have a swim before dinner, which they enjoy, Grannie and I took them in. Friends were also traveling down this part of the country enroute to Nashville and had too stopped in Louisville, so we met up with them for dinner at an amazing eatery called <a href="http://www.louisvillehammerheads.com/">Hammerheads</a> - best BBQ ever I can't recommend it - loved the duck tacos.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><u><b>Day 2 - Louisville, KY to Nashville, Tennessee</b></u></span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">The next day Grannie, Grandad and Mr C took a morning walk around Louisville before breakfast, and before we took to the road.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Kentucky is well known and famous for it's horses and Bourbon, although the girls are more interested in horses, we were more interested in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (even though none of us drink Bourbon) - many many famous bourbon brands are born out of the Kentucky blue grass hills, Jim Beam, Maker's Mark & Woodford Reserve to name a few.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Kentucky takes pride in the fact that</span>, 95% of this
corn-based, caramel colored sipping icon is distilled, aged and bottled
right here in the state’s Bourbon Country - it's big business indeed.<br />
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As we had a long drive to Tennessee ahead of us, we didn't have time to do the <a href="http://kybourbontrail.com/">Kentucky Bourbon Trail</a>, we will do this another time, so we picked one distillery to try and that was the iconic Jim Beam, while we waited for it to open, we took ourselves off to a quaint little town named as America's most beautiful small town in America. It was very beautiful, but as it was a Sunday very little was open.<br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">At noon we ventured back to Jim Beam and had a great time looking around the distillery, learning about the history of Jim Beam, seeing how the barrels were made and stored and of course sampling a little of their finest Bourbon.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Although we aren't big Bourbon fans at all, we were still keen to try a few, maybe to see what we were indeed missing and I have to say, although none of us were too keen on the straight bourbon, we all did enjoy the flavored Bourbons, and they was a lot to choose from, honey, maple, cinnamon, cherry etc, we all loved the Jim Beam Fire - flavored with cinnamon it was delish and a purchase of this was made.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">After our visit to this fine distillery was over, we drove a further 152 miles to Nashville, Tennessee to stay the spectacular <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bnago-gaylord-opryland-resort-and-convention-center/">Gaylord Opryland Hotel</a>, this is a </span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">premier hotel, under
one spectacular glass atrium roof, which is a climate-controlled, there was an indoor river, the place had 9
acres of amazing indoor gardens, cascading waterfalls, lots of restuarants, shops, pools etc, it was truly wonderful, we could have easily spent a day just exploring the place.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">In the evening we explored Nashville, home of America's Country music, had a lovely dinner where they served beer out of mason jars, very country. </span><br />
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We had a great evening out, we didn't see any bands that night as the bars were strictly over 21 after 6pm, but we did enjoy having a good look around Nashville at night.</div>
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More Nashville adventures to come.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-89974129620151675402014-05-10T11:59:00.001-05:002014-05-10T12:02:25.792-05:00Pinterest Challenge meets Teacher Appreciation WeekMy Pinterest challenge is still going strong but it has been awhile since I actually picked something from one of my boards and set to make it, every week I tend to use my pinterest boards for meal inspirations and baking ideas.<br />
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A favorite dinner of ours is <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892713218457/">Roasted Red Pepper and Italian Sausage Pasta</a> and I make it regularly - the girls usually have it without the sausage and I don't complain about that, I am just so pleased they love the roasted red pepper sauce on their pasta.<br />
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And only on Saturday last week I baked these lovely <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892714411531/">Sour Cream Chocolate Chip muffins</a> from my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/karen_l_chaplin/i-love-baking-sweet/">baking board</a>. And on Wednesday this week I baked a batch of these absolutely scrummy yummy <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892713533025/">Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies</a><br />
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But onto what I made this week - as it is Teacher Appreciation Week here in the US, a week spent celebrating our wonderful teachers for the wonderful job they do teaching our kids.<br />
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Our school celebrates the teachers, by buying them lunches, gift cards, presents, door decorating etc etc, our class did a great job of celebrating Ruby's teacher.<br />
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So a quick look through my Pinterest boards and I found the perfect item to make Ms Waller - a <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892714446879/">personalized zippered pouch</a> - tutorial by Make It Perfect.<br />
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Very easy to make and quick to sew up. I made one for Ruby's Teacher and one for Tilly's pre-school Teacher - both girls wrote their teachers name on a little piece of white fabric and both drew a little heart too. I just embroidered over their own handwriting - just to add the personal touch.<br />
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And here they are<br />
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Pouches are fully lined and the front panel is slightly quilted (to some degree). It was the perfect excuse to use up my scraps - most of this fabric is Bella by Lotta Jansdotter with a little bit of Prints Charming Starburst in there. <br />
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I love these pouches so much I'm going to make myself one - I'm hoping I can find enough of the Bella scraps left to do so.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-63740010891624454472014-05-03T17:43:00.000-05:002014-05-03T17:43:01.769-05:00Kids Clothes Week Spring 2014<br />
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I love participating <a href="https://kcwc.herokuapp.com/users/sign_in">Kids Clothes Week</a> (KCW) it's my favorite excuse to hid away in my sewing room for a week, only coming out for cups of tea, well I wish anyway.<br />
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As we were on vacation the actual week of KCW, I had my KCW last week and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Well I was enjoying myself, until my sewing machine decided to get a little playful with me, turns out a good clean of the bobbin area, and a sharper needle solved the problem.<br />
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My first project of the week was a new pattern from <a href="http://www.makeitperfect.com.au/MIP/Make_It_Perfect_-_Fresh_and_Funky_Designer_Sewing_Patterns.html">Make It Perfect</a>, one of my favorite designers, her new pattern is the<a href="http://www.makeitperfect.com.au/MIP/Mini_Shearwater_Kaftan.html"> Mini Shearwater Kaftan</a> for kids and with Summer hopefully not too far away I thought this would be the perfect top to make my girls - it will be great for the beach.<br />
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Here's how I spent my week.... <br />
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Day 1 - I spent the first day cutting out the pattern pieces.</div>
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Day 2 - I started sewing the pieces together, until it was time to sew the sleeves on, and this is when my sewing machine decided to flip out on me, so I thought it was a good time to stop and have a look at it.</div>
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Day 3 - Machine cleaned and a sharper needle put in place, the fabric I was using was very lightweight, I made the bias binding and it wasn't long before the Kaftan was finished.</div>
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Day 4 - I started the 2nd Kaftan and got as far as sewing the sleeves on, which was great progress (and ok I'll admit it I managed slightly longer than 1 hour in my room)</div>
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Day 5 - 2nd Kaftan complete and another one started, I have the Kaftan bug.</div>
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Day 6 - 3rd Kaftan was nearly completed today, pieces all cut out and sewn together.<br />
day 7 - I finished the 3rd Kaftan and got started on my 4th which is a present for a little lady friend of ours.<br />
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And here are the finished Kaftans<br />
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Kaftan 1 - made from a very lightweight fabric I bought in Sydney about 8 years ago that I was going to make myself a top with. I never did get around to making that top.</div>
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Kaftan 2 - as modeled by my gorgeous (if I do say so myself) Ruby - she picked out this lovely fabric from my stash, which again I bought about 8 years ago in Sydney, which I used to make myself a skirt on a sewing course with my friend Lesley (and yes Lesley I still have the unfinished skirt...somewhere....)</div>
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Kaftan 3 - Fabric from my favorite Fabric Designers - <a href="http://printscharming.typepad.com/pc_website/about-us.html">Prints Charming</a> - I love love their fabrics and was lucky to pick up about 2 metres of this fabric, for very little, in one of their fantastic sales. I do miss having them on my door step.<br />
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And if you live in Sydney you have to do one of their screen printing classes - go book it now you will not be disappointed.<br />
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<b>Kaftan Review</b> (after making 3 in one week) - I am totally in love with this pattern - hands down it is probably the best pattern I have ever bought and sewn, the attention to detail is fab, right down to the fact the sleeves have a tab sewn onto the inside so you can fold the sleeves up on warmer days, and it has side slits and a lovely front planket detail - I love it. Pattern is very easy to follow, once I had completed the first one, I whipped out the 2nd and 3rd in no time.<br />
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I would highly recommend this pattern.<br />
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I plan to make the girls at least 4 more each, with summer coming up and long lazy days at the beach these will be absolutely perfect.<br />
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And it has inspired me to get my <a href="http://www.makeitperfect.com.au/MIP/Shearwater_Kaftan.html">Make it Perfect Kaftan</a> pattern out to make up a couple for myself.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-31091826087707706912014-04-21T14:30:00.000-05:002014-04-21T14:30:04.150-05:00Easter Sunday & A Different Egg Hunt Happy Easter All<br />
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Another special time of the year when we spend time with our families and friends celebrating Easter, whether it be at Church or at home, it is always nice to be surrounded by family, enjoying an Easter Egg hunt and family Easter Lunch.<br />
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As we live away from all our family, and being a little family of four, this never stops us from celebrating together and this year we decided to think outside the box and do our Easter Egg hunt, a little differently - we did an Easter Egg Treasure Hunt and it was so much fun<br />
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After breakfast(as I told the girls the Easter Bunny doesn't arrive until breakfast is eaten and they are dressed, this gives Mr C time to go and hide the eggs) the girls were straight into it, finding the letter/clue the Easter Bunny had left in their baskets.<br />
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Ruby read the clue, whilst Tilly tried on the basket for size, and off we went on our treasure hunt, it was fun, deciphering the clues and finding the hidden treats<br />
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They went all over the house, in the attic, their bedroom, even the bath and lego boxes held little Easter treats<br />
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Once all the clues had been read by Ruby, and the treats found inside, it was time to head outside for the garden hunt.<br />
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On your marks, get set,<br />
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GOOOOOOOO............<br />
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and they were off to find the eggs, it was so much fun.<br />
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The girls thought the egg hunt was over once they came inside, but we had one last little surprise - an Easter Egg and a small Lego Friends pouch for them.<br />
I absolutely adore this age they still believe in the Easter Bunny it is priceless. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjOllQ_EccvDmhmoGN1QgOjzo0oAWrXjE0TR04A37ksyPwuyFbIXZldaZH7k8vJyVvA3mTx-hznX1cPas9lQ9gNv-rdY7zevIneWLbLc7ssyzIsohhpjUKMnBhMu7lyrtu59HZmleKYVT/s1600/10256560_10152786211758989_4507792194190920577_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjOllQ_EccvDmhmoGN1QgOjzo0oAWrXjE0TR04A37ksyPwuyFbIXZldaZH7k8vJyVvA3mTx-hznX1cPas9lQ9gNv-rdY7zevIneWLbLc7ssyzIsohhpjUKMnBhMu7lyrtu59HZmleKYVT/s1600/10256560_10152786211758989_4507792194190920577_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Although we don't go to Church, the religious side of Easter is still important to us, for our children to know that Easter isn't just about the Easter Bunny or receiving Easter Eggs and gifts, but that there is a religious reason why is it celebrated and each year we take time to explain this.<br />
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Now on with our Easter Sunday, homemade hot cross buns for breakfast, a play at the park as the weather was so beautiful, Ruby finally mastered the her bike and was off, she did lap after lap of the school playground and proudly so, much to Tilly's disappointment though, as Tilly has been riding Ruby's bike for several months now, poor Tilly doesn't have a big bike to use anymore.<br />
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And to end the day we enjoyed a lovely family roast ham dinner to complete our day. <br />
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Happy Easter. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-20729908278227191322014-04-13T14:59:00.000-05:002014-04-13T14:59:52.184-05:00Pinterest Challenge Keeps Going<br />
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It's been a few weeks since I blogged about my Pinterest Challenge as we've been away for Spring Break to Walt Disney World in Florida so here's a little catch up.<br />
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Before we left for Florida and as it was Mothers Day in the UK, I decided to make my mum a long overdue cover for her Kenwood Mixer - I thought this would be the perfect present for her, especially as I have been promising to make her one for a long time. I followed this <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892709060751/">pin</a> and used this gorgeous Cath Kidston laminated fabric for the outside and a soft blue felt for the lining, my mum loves blue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYxAwqMfv5X_U84Z2eWv8c3jNSEv3wQyfvlH5GtjvFZKdbs3m2qyJwrQQgi8OO1RicdrhVaWSomBrPW_bcqXeB6Yu12n8bAe27N5sxMvLxxNvQ9CwiOxyKk4IDLP6hTNs0aphfShRXRLF/s1600/10255194_10201735472700860_6870925718201176064_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYxAwqMfv5X_U84Z2eWv8c3jNSEv3wQyfvlH5GtjvFZKdbs3m2qyJwrQQgi8OO1RicdrhVaWSomBrPW_bcqXeB6Yu12n8bAe27N5sxMvLxxNvQ9CwiOxyKk4IDLP6hTNs0aphfShRXRLF/s1600/10255194_10201735472700860_6870925718201176064_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIrtmKaJ8B86ja1QLM04UdfiRFuSgDp0sERp9fe-XvBNQ_xAxn5vNinHkLt0JgxwnxDkNWw1DLwGz2f2bJyDouC1Ic2b9vTGDdF6cvb2m43X3X66gAFw8MDi0TxYULYEDYuBx6DRnxXDp/s1600/10011321_10201735473020868_1052994917460082325_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIrtmKaJ8B86ja1QLM04UdfiRFuSgDp0sERp9fe-XvBNQ_xAxn5vNinHkLt0JgxwnxDkNWw1DLwGz2f2bJyDouC1Ic2b9vTGDdF6cvb2m43X3X66gAFw8MDi0TxYULYEDYuBx6DRnxXDp/s1600/10011321_10201735473020868_1052994917460082325_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Shame though I totally forgot to take any photos of the cover - luckily my mum took some for me - her Kenwood Mixer is underneath and she is really pleased with the cover.<br />
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And yesterday, since I have been craving Carrot Cake for a while too, I made this <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892714146181/">pin</a> - a very easy and quick recipe to follow and make, it's from the famous <a href="https://hummingbirdbakery.com/">Hummingbird Bakery</a>. I divided the mixture between 2 cake tins rather than 3 as the recipe calls for and increased the cooking time to 35 mins. I also used the Hummingbird Bakery Cream Cheese Frosting <a href="http://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipe/cream-cheese-frosting/2850">recipe</a> to complete the cake, I did only make one quantity of the cream cheese frosting (not 2 as the recipe requires) and I found it was just enough.<br />
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OK it doesn't look as pretty as the Hummingbird Bakery one (I have absolutely zero cake decorating skills) but it sure tastes delicious. <br />
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And on the agenda this week is <a href="http://blog.kidsclothesweek.com/">Kids Clothes Week - Spring 2014 </a>although officially KCW was last week but as we were away in Florida, my plan is to have my Kids Clothes Week this week and I'm making these - <a href="http://makeitperfect.com.au/MIP/Mini_Shearwater_Kaftan.html">The Mini Shearwater Kaftan</a> - I have this pattern myself and love it, so as soon as I saw Toni had come up with a kids version, I did not hesitate to buy the pattern - I absolutely adore the <a href="http://makeitperfect.com.au/MIP/Sewing_Patterns.html">Make It Perfect Patterns</a> and I love supporting a fellow Australian Designer.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-51652548499370821872014-04-01T15:50:00.000-05:002014-04-10T16:05:03.507-05:00Birthday Celebrations I celebrated my 31st (cough) Birthday on Friday for the 10th time.<br />
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It all started with receiving some great gifts from my family and friends - I am so excited about the interchangeable circular needles and my own Sonos player - this is in my sewing room so I can listen to Radio 2 in peace whilst sewing.<br />
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And look I got some lovely Cath Kidston fabric thanks Lesley - which Tilly has already told me she wants me to make her a skirt out of. And I absolutely love my telephone teapot and cup and British goodies.<br />
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So after school drop off I had a coffee at the Other Brother Coffee shop - my favorite, followed by a free Mani, so I treated myself to a pedi too, it was so lovely to be pampered for an hour<br />
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Then I hit the shops for a spot of retail therapy <br />
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And later that evening we enjoyed the best meal out ever as voted by all of us - we decided to go to a tapas bar in the city called <a href="http://www.cafebabareeba.com/">Cafe Ba Ba Reeba</a> - a true authentic Spanish tapas bar, where we and the girls thoroughly loved the food and they tried so much more than we imagined <br />
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It was a great birthday and a few days later I received a fab present from my lovely Aussie family "The Freemans"<br />
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A treasure box of goodies - chocolate, wine, cheese, meats all my favorite things.... I can't wait to get tuck into these and think of my lovely friends.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-58228662221344910652014-03-24T15:42:00.001-05:002014-03-24T16:20:30.561-05:00Pinterest Challenge - Fabric BasketsContinuing on with the sewing theme for my Pinterest challenge I choose this <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892713835793/">Fabric Basket tutorial</a> for my challenge.<br />
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I already had the perfect fabrics in my stash - they are a heavier weight than a regular fabric, which I thought would be great for this project.<br />
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And here are the results <br />
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This size is the small one from the tutorial finished dimensions 5x6 inches base, 8" high - I used the Ikea Fredricka fabric and interfacing too. Lined in a red cotton from my stash.<br />
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The second basket I made in the large size - finished dimensions 6x7 inches base and 8" tall. This fabric is also from Ikea and I used Pellon 809 interfacing in this one and it stands up so much better. Pink cotton lining from my stash.<br />
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And just to try a different method I followed this <a href="http://imstudiolou.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/fabric-basket-tutorial/">tutorial</a> to make this fabric basket, but I made my own size up. Finished dimensions are 10x5.5 inches, 8 inches tall. Fabric used I bought in Australia, it is a
heavier weight cotton and perfect for this project, I decided to line
the inside with felt and I really loved the results. <br />
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I added a quick oilcloth bag to the mix, lined with hessian/burlap and I added a sturdy woven strap as a handle.<br />
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and lastly, see the little rainbow basket (front left in photo) this was made following this <a href="http://sometimescrafter.com/2009/04/tutorial-fabric-scrap-basket/">tutorial</a> and is probably the most sturdiest fabric basket as it is stitched on all four sides - but I would say the only downside to this is it uses a lot of fabric (15x15") to create such a little basket (5x5")<br />
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All in all each basket did not take long to make - I already have one in use collecting fabric scraps, Ruby has her eye on the Ikea Fredick fabric one (front right), the blue giraffe one will be going to a friend as part of her baby gift and the oilcloth one will get used for our garden.</div>
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This was a quick and easy project perfect for organizing.<br />
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You can find me here on Made By You Monday - <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2014/03/24/made-by-you-monday-196/">Skip To My Lou</a><br />
And check out some other great projects<br />
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I've already picked out this weeks challenge I'll be knitting some <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892710723068/">washcloths</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-5894501613114274402014-03-12T12:49:00.000-05:002014-03-12T12:49:05.322-05:00Handmade Gifts<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1IXWWUaboU4GdifbBKlgD87txfjT0ECIYQomYT32uKynOvJTW29EExwUL0Ti_aIrcByo8kBb2L86Rmx__Q2TWra7TuyCGrfBUMdeyJwW7WJYaHhch1pZyin_grONv1wmTw-8rTLdmVM7/s1600/1525318_10152756462689762_459381914_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1IXWWUaboU4GdifbBKlgD87txfjT0ECIYQomYT32uKynOvJTW29EExwUL0Ti_aIrcByo8kBb2L86Rmx__Q2TWra7TuyCGrfBUMdeyJwW7WJYaHhch1pZyin_grONv1wmTw-8rTLdmVM7/s1600/1525318_10152756462689762_459381914_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love sewing, knitting, baking and just generally making things, so I wanted to share why I love giving handmade gifts and why I love receiving them.<br />
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A handmade gift isn't just made - it's created through a series of small personal steps, a lot of thought goes into the gift and the person receiving it.</div>
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It's about spending hours choosing the right pattern/item to make for that special person</div>
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It's about selecting the perfect fabric/yarn/color/recipe for that special person</div>
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It's about thinking about that person and what they like, what are their favorite colors, what fabrics do they like or you think they will like, what do they like to eat, wear etc </div>
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It's about going out shopping or online to buy the perfect materials you need to make that perfect item</div>
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And then, when all those steps are in place, it's about making that garment/item - every stitch is knitted/sewn/made/baked with love. </div>
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Every step is carefully executed and if it's not quite right, it is unpicked or redone until it is perfect and ready to give.</div>
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And why I love receiving handmade gifts is for the reasons above - the time, effort and thought that is put into each item blows me away every time, it's not just plucked off a store shelf and paid for, it's made and given with love and I take great delight in this.</div>
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Here's a very small selection of my our handmade gifts that we've received over the years<br />
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Hand knitted by Auntie Joan - one of my mums best friends, she knits in her sleep I am sure. Joan knitted this gorgeous cardigan and booties for Ruby which Ruby came home from hospital in - I still have it to this day and plenty more of Joan's hand knitted items we still have - check out that cloth nappy!!!! </div>
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And look at this beautiful shawl that we received for Ruby from Grannie when she was born too - it's just beautiful and I'm only showing a quarter of the size there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwqXbm-pNqEmpYKhFzY_PVD7YrPWiTjNnSjdNzTDJ4VktzM2I27zlUctw8R8_4GYgd-LnhiZE2xbNfYygNHRnXQqHVDf9WiV13NKBdqkW5pwVrYuNBLdwDWb-YygNoZYP50Sm6i-ulq7t/s1600/1554478_10152756461224762_913001930_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwqXbm-pNqEmpYKhFzY_PVD7YrPWiTjNnSjdNzTDJ4VktzM2I27zlUctw8R8_4GYgd-LnhiZE2xbNfYygNHRnXQqHVDf9WiV13NKBdqkW5pwVrYuNBLdwDWb-YygNoZYP50Sm6i-ulq7t/s1600/1554478_10152756461224762_913001930_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are some of the gorgeous cardigans Grannie has knitted the girls - look at how beautiful they are<br />
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And a very small selection of the hats Grannie has knitted us over the years which are still going strong and used so much.<br />
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And it's not always clothes we've received, my gorgeous friend Lesley made this cross stitch for Ruby when she was born, we've got personalized bunting up in the girls bedroom made by Lesley too. <br />
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And we've received so much more which we love, use and are grateful for.<br />
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I am thinking this year I may do one handmade
present for everyone for Christmas, but I'd better get started soon as I
have a lot of thinking to do.....</div>
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Do you like making and/or receiving handmade gifts? what are your thoughts on them?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-72323622115398565452014-03-05T17:35:00.000-06:002014-03-11T10:22:56.852-05:00Last's Week Pinterest Challenge - Dribble Bibs<br />
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Sewing the bibs and burp cloths for Tilly's Preschool Benefit got me looking through my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/karen_l_chaplin/sew-baby/" target="_blank">Sew Baby</a> pinterest board, which gave me the inspiration for the pin I chose last week to execute.<br />
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I decided on this <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892713826686/" target="_blank">pin</a> and this <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892713826688/" target="_blank">pin</a> (as they are nearly the same) for last week's challenge and I had the perfect fabrics for it.<br />
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I mainly chose my British inspired fabrics for this challenge, as along with some bibs and burp cloths these little dribble bibs will be making there way into my Etsy shop at some point in the near future.<br />
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The other fabric I chose to use is a gorgeous blue beetle bug car print - it's a Japanese fabric made by Kokka and again I'm making a baby bundle up, not for my shop though, instead this will be a gift.</div>
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All backed in a soft polar fleece - I chose fleece over flannel as it is thicker, and over terry toweling as terry toweling is a little bulky and can be a bit scratchy. Fleece is nice and soft, absorbent and dries very quickly.<br />
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I also chose a velcro fastener, which I find works well with bibs of any kind. <br />
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You can see the difference in the sizes between the two dribble bib tutorials.<br />
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The dribble bibs on the left are the Bundles and Buttons tutorial and the ones on the right the How Does She tutorial.</div>
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I
loved this little project, the little dribble bibs were quick to cut out
and sew - which makes this a great project to do if you don't have a
lot of time and a great way to use up some of your fabric stash.</div>
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I didn't have my usual camera at hand so I decided to instragram this post instead, I hope you like it.<br />
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And before I go did I mention I accidentally ordered some fabric last night from <a href="http://www.hawthornethreads.com/" target="_blank">Hawthorn Threads</a> (I love this fabric shop) - I
absolutely adore the Children At Play collection by Sarah Jane for
Michael Miller and I have finally ordered the <a href="http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabric/designer/sarah_jane/children_at_play/balloon_in_aqua" target="_blank">Balloon in Aqua</a> and <a href="http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabric/designer/sarah_jane/children_at_play/on_parade_in_multi" target="_blank">On Parade</a> from this gorgeous collection and I can't wait to get sewing with it.<br />
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Now to decide on this week's challenge - just another good excuse to keep pinning.<br />
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And find me here on <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2014/03/10/made-by-you-monday-194/" target="_blank">Made By You Monday - Skip To My Lou</a><br />
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And see me here on <a href="http://ihavetosay.typepad.com/randi/show-and-tell-tuesday/">Show & Tell Tuesday - I Have To Say </a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-37862773534646224242014-02-24T17:32:00.000-06:002014-02-24T17:35:50.082-06:00Sewing & Knitting for Our Preschool Benefit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had our Preschool Benefit on Saturday night, it was such a great night and I donated some handmade bibs, burps cloths and hand knitted cardigans for the silent auction.<br />
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It all started when a lovely friend of mine Anna, suggested I should donate something to the Auction, the seed was sown and I thought it was a great idea. But what could I make and donate, after some thought and not having that long to make the items I settled on making a set of bibs and burp cloths one for a boy and one set for a girl and then a hand knitted baby cardigan each too.<br />
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I've got to say I powered ahead with the burp cloths and the bibs, and really enjoyed making these.<br />
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The hand knitted cardigans took me a lot longer than planned, the first cardigan I made was the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ribbon-edged-cardigan-3" target="_blank">Debbie Bliss Ribbon Edged Cardigan</a> (without the ribbon) in a beautiful dusky purple color so pretty for a girl and I found some lovely rose buttons to match too. Here's my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Littlepud/ribbon-edged-cardigan" target="_blank">Ravelry </a>link <br />
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I had more trouble deciding what to do for a boy, suddenly the weekend before the Benefit was upon me and I knew I had to get started, so all last week I slogged it out, I ignored the housework, the kids, everything, I spent hours sat knitting - but did managed to watch the whole season 2 of House Of Cards whilst I knitted bonus - such a great series I loved it<br />
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I knitted the Debbie Bliss Argyle Cardigan (without the Argyle bit) - here's my link to my cardigan on on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Littlepud/argyle-cardigan" target="_blank">Ravelry </a><br />
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And talk about cutting it fine, on the day of the Benefit, the cardigan was dry from blocking overnight, but I still had the buttons to sew on, but I did it and by lunchtime everything was made, ironed and ready to go, phew I did it. <br />
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And the great news is they got sold that night at the Benefit, I was so pleased as the money goes towards our fantastic Preschool and I was glad I was able to contribute to a fabulous night too.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-25653754512438285682014-02-22T15:51:00.000-06:002014-02-22T15:51:39.495-06:00From The Travelling Chaplins to Billy BobbinI've been umping and arghing for awhile now about changing my blog name to something that reflects more of what I do (being the crafty diva I am) and to compliment/run along side my little Etsy store. <br />
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It was such a task to come up with the name for my Etsy store, I just couldn't decide until my dad blurted out how about Billy Bobbin and I loved it, I loved it so much I ran to the computer and I finally signed up for Etsy.<br />
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With that in mind, and after a lot of procrastination and playing around with my blog, I thought why not, just do it and be done.<br />
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So it's official The Travelling Chaplins is now Billy Bobbin.<br />
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This will be my crafty little blog with a few family moments in between and of course the odd road trip, after all we aren't really travelling anymore and we will be here another couple of years for sure, due to Mr C scoring a promotion here - well done Mr C it is very well deserved.<br />
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So without further ado let me introduce you to Billy Bobbin<br />
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And please follow me if you wish<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11810319/?claim=8sq6uwws3q2">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-84684905840640585592014-02-16T15:34:00.000-06:002014-02-16T15:35:50.774-06:00Pinterest ChallengeI love Pinterest, do you? I have so many boards and pins I thought it was about time to give myself a weekly challenge and make/bake/sew/knit/complete/do at least one pin a week starting last week, so on Wednesday, with both kids at school, I picked this <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892711025805/" target="_blank">pin </a>to start off my weekly challenge<br />
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I'm making some burp cloths, I usually make this <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892709053008/" target="_blank">style</a> when I make burp cloths but I love the simplicity of this style and decided to give this one a go, I also wanted a quick and easy project too.</div>
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I had the perfect fabric in my stash, backing sorted, I went with a fleece backing as my local fabric shop did not have chenille.....and before I knew it I had these little beauties made.<br />
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I cut out all the rectangles and fleece backings in one go, then proceeded to sew them and topstitch them, it took me about 2 hours all together to make 9 burp cloths.<br />
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It was a very productive afternoon.<br />
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These burp cloths will be going in a little baby package for a silent auction at Tilly's pre-school on Saturday complete with matching bibs and some will be making their way into my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BillyBobbin?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">Etsy shop.</a><br />
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And now to start thinking about this weeks challenge....<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-62536177701221639402014-02-03T13:16:00.000-06:002014-02-03T17:21:41.287-06:00Kids Clothes Week - A Week in Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<b><u>Day 1 </u></b></div>
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Picture this it's -2f outside, the wind chill makes it feel more like -24f, school and pre school are closed, hubby is home, we're tucked up inside staying warm and to me it's the perfect sewing day so I manage a little more than a couple of hours hiding away in my sewing room I'm so pleased.</div>
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I got quite a bit achieved on both skirts and finished off after I made 8 buttonholes - 4 on each skirt.<br />
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<u><b>Day 2 </b></u><br />
I have to admit nothing was accomplished today, instead, as the kids were still off school due to the very cold temperatures, we camped out at a friends house all day and had lots of kiddie fun and adult conversions.</div>
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<u><b>Day 3</b></u> </div>
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I decided to get cracking and make up for no sewing yesterday, Tilly is at lunch bunch on a Wednesday so I get an extra 2 hours of play time, so after a few household jobs, and Radio 2 on the Sonos (listening to Simon Mayo Drive time after all it is 5pm in the UK when Simon is on) off I go, before I know it I've got one skirt very nearly finished (minus the buttons) hooray, but I did lose track of time and had too quickly text a friend to pick up Tilly from Pre-school -oooppps<br />
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<u><b>Day 4 </b></u><br />
I managed to get another hour in and I am well on my way to finishing the second skirt.<br />
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<u><b>Day 5</b></u><br />
So sad I did try but I didn't quite make it into my sewing room today<br />
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<u><b>Day 6</b></u><br />
What a day I managed to get several hours of playtime in my sewing room, the snow outside was steadily falling so I took that as my cue to go and hibernate in my there and finish off both skirts completely.<br />
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I made 8 buttons to go on the skirts, out of the fabrics I used for the skirts as I just couldn't find any I was really happy with, these though I love, but not the sewing on part boo to that.<br />
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Once the buttons were on and the skirts ironed I was very very pleased with the results, as two were the girls. <br />
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I love the style of the skirt and the added kick pleat at the back - perfect.<br />
The pattern was super easy to follow and once I mastered the first skirt, the second, I whipped up much quicker.<br />
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Oh and an adult size in the this pattern would go down a treat as I want one too. <br />
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Tilly's skirt is the red/blue one and Ruby's is the other one - both fabrics are <a href="http://www.printscharming.com.au/index.htm" target="_blank">Prints Charming</a> - my favorite Australian Fabric Designers.<br />
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Ps no Day 7 = after all it was the Superbowl final <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-71048989600460426042014-01-26T11:24:00.000-06:002014-01-26T11:24:14.456-06:00Preparing for Kids Clothes Week (KCW)I'm excited to be participating in Kids Clothes Week again - I missed KCW Summer as we were off on our raod trip and I had family staying for KCW Fall, so I am super excited for next week to spend time in my sewing room creating.<br />
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This time I thought I would get myself prepared this week, on what I want to sew so I can hit the ground running. I knew I wanted to make a couple of skirts for the girls and I have the idea of using tweed, so after an intensive internet search on girls skirts I finally settled for this <a href="http://oliverands.com/oliver-and-s-patterns/OLV-OS011SA.html" target="_blank">Oliver + S pattern</a> and I am excited.<br />
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And if you buy any patterns from <a href="http://oliverands.com/SFNT.html" target="_blank">Oliver + S</a> during January use this coupon code JAN2014 for an extra 25% off and don't forget to like them on facebook too their patterns are great.</div>
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I have a feeling if I stick to my 1 hour a day of sewing I may only get 2 skirts made, but if I do manage to get these made and have time on my hands, I may have a go at the top in a nice jersey material.</div>
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As I said I was keen on making the skirts in Tweed until I discovered Harris Tweed is rather expensive and is shipped from the UK so instead I've chosen some lovely wool blend fabric for the skirts, I went with a tweed like fabric from <a href="http://fabric.com/">fabric.com</a> - I love this online shop, lots to chose from and inexpensive too.</div>
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And whilst I wait for my fabric to arrive, I have already got myself started and prepared for next weeks sewing. I have cut out my pattern pieces and for the 1st skirt (Ruby's) I'm using some Prints Charming fabric which I love.</div>
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The second skirt (Tilly's) we are also using some gorgeous Prints Charming fabric and I have already cut out the pattern pieces ready to sew sew sew.</div>
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And with this gorgeous British style fabric I am hoping to get a few bibs, burps cloths and baby things whipped up </div>
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With the temperatures being a rather cold -18c next week I'll be happy to spend all week in my sewing room hibernating.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-50893624060100318302014-01-22T18:41:00.000-06:002014-01-22T18:41:08.461-06:00On the Needles<br />
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Over the Christmas Holidays I enjoyed a spot of knitting and knitted my mum a pair of gloves - I follow the <a href="http://millamia.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">MillaMia blog</a> as I love their yarn, patterns and books and whilst reading, I came across this post on <a href="http://millamia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/christmas-gift-knitting.html" target="_blank">gloves</a> and loved them so I decided to knit a pair. The pattern can be found on Ravelry - it's called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/emilee-dee-mitts" target="_blank">Emilee Dee Mitts</a> by Paula McKeever.<br />
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As I didn't have a pair of size 4 (3.50mm) DPN needles and I couldn't wait to get started I used a size 3 (3.25mm) and cast on 48 st. I also repeated the chart 1 instructions to make the gloves longer in length. Once finished they fit me perfectly and my mum tells me they do indeed fit her perfectly too.<br />
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I used a yarn called Elegance by Loops and Threads in color Earth and one skein was just enough.<br />
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A craft I have been struggling to get the grip of quite literally is crochet, I have youtubed it, watched tutorials, read tutorials followed photo tutorials and still it aludes me, I put it down to being left handed and not quite knowing which hand to use, although I knit fine right handed, Crochet has just had me puzzled and frustrated until now.<br />
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My lovely Mother-In-Law Viv, also more commonly known as Grannie, taught me over this Christmas Break, we sat down together for a one to one and very patiently Grannie taught me to crochet literally one stitch at a time until I got the hang of it. <br />
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And my first crochet project was the <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/triple-layer-flower.html" target="_blank">triple layer flower </a>by Lucy at the fabulous blog <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/" target="_blank">Attic 24</a> - if you have not discovered her blog go now quickly it is truly wonderful.<br />
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Once I had got my first flower under my wing there was no stopping me, or Grannie, between us we managed 8 in one day. <br />
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It's wasn't long before I was crocheting these little beauties all by myself and Viv and I made them into brooches, by adding a pin bar button at the back and jazzed them up with buttons in the middle.<br />
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The last completed project hot off my needles is this lovely pink seed stitch hat - which will be available to buy in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BillyBobbin?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">Etsy</a> shop shortly.<br />
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And now on my needles are a pair (or one of the pair) of the Emilee Dee Mitts for me in this lovely grey.<br />
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I'm hoping to have these finished soon as they are a quick knit.<br />
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What's on your needles? <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-70807741074639277642014-01-19T17:06:00.000-06:002014-01-19T17:06:20.221-06:00A Fun Winter Craft<br />
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We're in the middle of a polar vortex here in Chicago, the temperatures are freezing cold and the lowest it's been is -26c/-15f, which is very cold but with the wind chill, it feels more like -40c brrrrr.<br />
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Today in comparison has been a mild 0c/32f, but it did snow all day yesterday so in weather like this we spend alot of time indoors and to avoid cabin fever today I decided to look through my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/karen_l_chaplin/crafty-kids-ideas/" target="_blank">Crafty Kids Pinterest board</a> and pick something to do and I found <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892713548631/" target="_blank">this </a>and as I knew I had all the items in, I knew we had to do it.<br />
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Armed with toilet rolls, peanut butter and bird seed we set to work to make this Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder.<br />
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We covered our toilet rolls with peanut butter and we slapped it on thick.<br />
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and then we dipped, rolled and pressed the bird seed onto the holders until it was fully coated and more, or not so fully coated in Tilly's case.<br />
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Ruby got busy filling in all empty patches<br />
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then we attached some string to them and went outside to hang them up <br />
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<br />
The girls choose where to put the bird feeders in the garden, and now we wait for the birds (or more likely the squirrels) to eat them, but whilst we waited we decided to have a play in the snow<br />
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and then it was hot chocolate time.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-27407787709288363302014-01-16T16:51:00.000-06:002014-01-16T16:51:32.872-06:00My Hand Made Christmas 2013I love sewing, baking and knitting, and I find Christmas time is a great time to share this love. <br />
This year..... <br />
<br />
.....I made a Christmas Pudding<br />
- Using a Jamie Oliver recipe (sorry Viv, Mum brought me over his Christmas Magazine and I couldn't resist) <br />
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<br />
A Christmas Cake<br />
- again a Jamie Oliver recipe <br />
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<br />
Some Christmas Presents<br />
- A knitted hat with a lovely crochet flower (I can't take credit for the flower, Grannie did this for me) and cord skirt made for our little friend Elodie.<br />
- One cute Royal Tie Onesie made for little Ezra<br />
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Our Christmas Stockings<br />
- made for the family <br />
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<br />
And the Christmas Table Cloth and Napkins<br />
- which we'll also use through the year. Ikea is great for fabric I picked this lovely fabric up at Ikea for $7.99 a yard and used 3 yards to make the tablecloth and 4 napkins. <br />
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And that is my handmade Christmas.<br />
<br />
This year I am determined to make more for gifts as I feel there is nothing quite so special as a hand made gift and now I have my <a href="http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/" target="_blank">Silhouette Machine </a>I can create more.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-60556846399276266322014-01-13T12:53:00.000-06:002014-01-13T13:30:03.308-06:00Christmas Pudding Ice Cream<br />
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<br />
Christmas Pudding is always a must in our family we serve it after our Christmas Dinner and it is truly delicious with a nice rum or brandy sauce, ice cream or custard for that matter.<br />
<br />
And leftover Christmas Pudding is truly scrumptious when made into an ice cream. I did mean to make this last year but never got round to it so this year I just did it.<br />
<br />
I searched for a recipe online and found plenty of delicious ones but they all included making the pudding from scratch, but it wasn't long before I came across this <a href="http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/christmas-pudding-ice-cream-recipe" target="_blank">recipe </a>and in the process discovered a great British cooking website - <a href="http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/" target="_blank">Great British Chefs </a><br />
<br />
Using leftover Christmas Pudding and I think Christmas Cake would work well too and a basic ice cream (custard) base this is delicious <br />
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<u><b>Christmas Pudding Ice Cream </b></u><br />
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<b><u>Ingredients </u></b><br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li class="ingredient">600ml of single cream</li>
<li class="ingredient">300ml of milk</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 <a class="ing-link" href="http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/ingredients/vanilla-recipes">vanilla pod</a>, split lengthways </li>
<li class="ingredient">6 <a class="ing-link" href="http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/ingredients/egg-recipes">egg yolks</a></li>
<li class="ingredient">125g of caster sugar</li>
<li class="ingredient">250g of christmas pudding, crumbled into pieces</li>
- See more at: http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/christmas-pudding-ice-cream-recipe#sthash.YUmelhXJ.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<li class="ingredient">600ml of single cream</li>
<li class="ingredient">300ml of milk</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 <a class="ing-link" href="http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/ingredients/vanilla-recipes">vanilla pod</a>, split lengthways </li>
<li class="ingredient">6 <a class="ing-link" href="http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/ingredients/egg-recipes">egg yolks</a></li>
<li class="ingredient">125g of caster sugar</li>
<li class="ingredient">250g of christmas pudding, crumbled into pieces</li>
- See more at: http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/christmas-pudding-ice-cream-recipe#sthash.YUmelhXJ.dpuf</div>
600ml of single/double/whipping cream <br />
300ml milk<br />
1/2 vanilla pod (split lengthways) or 1tsp of vanilla essence<br />
6 egg yolks<br />
125g caster/superfine sugar<br />
250g Christmas Pudding, crumbled into pieces<br />
<br />
<b><u>Directions</u></b><br />
1. Add the cream and milk to a saucepan and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod and add the scraped pod to the pan (or just add your vanilla essence and stir in) <br />
2. Bring to a gentle simmer and remove from heat (if you have used a vanilla pod then the pan aside to infuse for 30 mins)<br />
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and smooth. Bring the milk and cream mixture back up to a gentle simmer.<br />
4. Whilst slowly whisking the eggs, gradually add the milk/cream mixture to the eggs.<br />
5. Once combined, return the mixture to the saucepan and over a low heat stir continuously until you have a thin custard that coats the back of a wooden spoon.<br />
6. Remove the pan from the heat. Pass the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and allow to cool completely. Lay cling film directly on top of the custard, this prevents a skin from forming. <br />
7. Once cooled I place the custard mixture in the fridge overnight to cool completely.<br />
8. Next day or when your custard mixture is completely cool, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker or attachment (as per the instructions of your maker or attachment) stirring in the Christmas Pudding pieces once the mixture starts to thicken and freeze.<br />
9. Transfer to containers and store in the freezer (4 to 5 hours) until ready to serve.<br />
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Cream & milk mixture heating on the stove.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hVcJOmkUR7Ydp42yR56c3SNWCk1nlV758GJ8QgzwU2UR6XM75xABD9U5ipcQpZ7aTFf8MGoxAtJgkZuXeZz9SBfukCMyp19PQbiKAOV1VEs3mk9FGGMIIM5rcfkMk9g3ZQG8IYVvPpKh/s1600/IMG_6449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hVcJOmkUR7Ydp42yR56c3SNWCk1nlV758GJ8QgzwU2UR6XM75xABD9U5ipcQpZ7aTFf8MGoxAtJgkZuXeZz9SBfukCMyp19PQbiKAOV1VEs3mk9FGGMIIM5rcfkMk9g3ZQG8IYVvPpKh/s400/IMG_6449.JPG" width="400" /> </a> </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Egg yolks and sugar whisked together until pale and smooth </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7htT8XI0oi2tOM7PChGRTNVNCB4aR_ATPBBOrdThWmxZS0dr8wORdJcEoZXaIlh4SeQ_yhNbE6vx7VWUV-WbAnzNYSY4PVr0RzlGxp4L0SH3Uxam8gZmZF7Pc6eBad_fjoKiEZhV-_An9/s1600/IMG_6453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7htT8XI0oi2tOM7PChGRTNVNCB4aR_ATPBBOrdThWmxZS0dr8wORdJcEoZXaIlh4SeQ_yhNbE6vx7VWUV-WbAnzNYSY4PVr0RzlGxp4L0SH3Uxam8gZmZF7Pc6eBad_fjoKiEZhV-_An9/s400/IMG_6453.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Adding the cream mixture to the eggs whilst slowly whisking to combine<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiaUgV1K4ryBUQF0mp55Pn7ED5gYiA9CSDDI374_r03XCg0B7xxVlPXBXpk2pVQ3Y8xC4QwaSCaAh-P-b3NreUjyDfNtm6dtGmCx5tdQUzSCz9WSwKcSJy03x1eq6T_zjhRilfb-fcdvJ/s1600/IMG_6456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiaUgV1K4ryBUQF0mp55Pn7ED5gYiA9CSDDI374_r03XCg0B7xxVlPXBXpk2pVQ3Y8xC4QwaSCaAh-P-b3NreUjyDfNtm6dtGmCx5tdQUzSCz9WSwKcSJy03x1eq6T_zjhRilfb-fcdvJ/s400/IMG_6456.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Return combined mixture (custard base) to a pan and heat gently until you have a thin custard that coats the back of a spoon<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vi3Zcv_mBCLWtm01Qx9hyphenhyphenK7TIEbr0bzyWotIgYEvUQQtZliSm-vG5Qhs7mej8p7tWi4oQcywJ5jWSvUk7ie_SNHKMQMcKu43OjarzUKNAI_0GEcFslPHgFmR_YHDJH2x578QxKocAxxt/s1600/IMG_6460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vi3Zcv_mBCLWtm01Qx9hyphenhyphenK7TIEbr0bzyWotIgYEvUQQtZliSm-vG5Qhs7mej8p7tWi4oQcywJ5jWSvUk7ie_SNHKMQMcKu43OjarzUKNAI_0GEcFslPHgFmR_YHDJH2x578QxKocAxxt/s400/IMG_6460.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Transfer to a bowl to cool completely, cover with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming, and cool overnight in the fridge.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1wDWCfbw1GqaPPZN4YF2Xs80la-HoFKbmdeuQ_Yx2nXpenSUuiCiE5rSk6gFFSS58WNhZSPQu51Yn0QEDjtjSp3-YUDz_Qk3asM2BgvYCjp61SudRQ12lUdfAr-cYxQOTCpg_L9NIa19/s1600/IMG_6464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1wDWCfbw1GqaPPZN4YF2Xs80la-HoFKbmdeuQ_Yx2nXpenSUuiCiE5rSk6gFFSS58WNhZSPQu51Yn0QEDjtjSp3-YUDz_Qk3asM2BgvYCjp61SudRQ12lUdfAr-cYxQOTCpg_L9NIa19/s400/IMG_6464.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Crumble the leftover Christmas Pudding into pieces.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvNeIcVjiNWDVTEmONUZ7daG5fF8y1tFstmFnvKn7Qf9XLzMiH_am4hNp5Txwz9EXHLXIyJPynjzIm8gaX5oM5FzT81qSKN325StJF9_wpAMfvmHRRcXCKp0-7z_8p9YnCikLTZXTiR70/s1600/IMG_6467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvNeIcVjiNWDVTEmONUZ7daG5fF8y1tFstmFnvKn7Qf9XLzMiH_am4hNp5Txwz9EXHLXIyJPynjzIm8gaX5oM5FzT81qSKN325StJF9_wpAMfvmHRRcXCKp0-7z_8p9YnCikLTZXTiR70/s400/IMG_6467.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
And following the directions of your ice cream maker or attachment, as in my case, I have the ice cream bowl attachment for the Kitchenaid start to churn custard mixture.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSZFfHHL872cY1z-vpdYOYp0vSRISCeY0WGnUewZy61IUHWU_8IDSaBjzodFE52FIbRJrVi9J3S4BWihKfDpDjOWsBJhi3AAXEC4jLuMZnmF9oyVT5EBi9TUX-_RWeXXcG1btkvvKCkMy/s1600/IMG_6475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSZFfHHL872cY1z-vpdYOYp0vSRISCeY0WGnUewZy61IUHWU_8IDSaBjzodFE52FIbRJrVi9J3S4BWihKfDpDjOWsBJhi3AAXEC4jLuMZnmF9oyVT5EBi9TUX-_RWeXXcG1btkvvKCkMy/s400/IMG_6475.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
Once the mixture starts to thicken and freeze, add in your Christmas Pudding, with the Kitchenaid attatchement, it advises to add your extras in during the last 5 mins of churning.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfVtDQmuBVwgCGiyAjtct9ad0hhzupllAlP0kWfOx8xkcFfDG9Gm9pGaNKcVpj22Hi2aBJNnNj_epPgRvge_5Cjawf-KJNB5TrSth_OroN5gNyeW1n92qJtN5C5jePCsP1DuL0OwgiGc8/s1600/IMG_6480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfVtDQmuBVwgCGiyAjtct9ad0hhzupllAlP0kWfOx8xkcFfDG9Gm9pGaNKcVpj22Hi2aBJNnNj_epPgRvge_5Cjawf-KJNB5TrSth_OroN5gNyeW1n92qJtN5C5jePCsP1DuL0OwgiGc8/s400/IMG_6480.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Transfer to bowls and freeze until ready to serve.<br />
<br />
With the Kitchenaid ice cream bowl, once the ice cream is churned, the ice cream is soft serve ready, so it will need an extra 4-5 hours in the freezer to firm up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Serve and enjoy<br />
<br />
Unfortunately we (4 adults) did manage to devour this ice cream within 2 days and all of us agreed it was truly delicious, hence why it didn't last long.<br />
<br />
Try it some day you won't be disappointed. <br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-detail">
Add
the cream and milk to a pan and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla
pod. Add the scraped pod and place the pan over a medium-high heat</div>
</div>
<div class="expandable-tip tip-green" data-state="closed" style="height: 40px;">
<div class="et-title">
Back to school</div>
<div class="et-content">
<div class="">
Making custard is a great skill for older kids to pick up. Not
only is it great drizzled over many desserts, but it is also used as a
base for ice cream - as it is here
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
2.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
3.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and smooth. Bring the milk and cream back up to a simmer</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
4.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
While slowly whisking the eggs, gradually pour in the hot cream</div>
</div>
<div class="expandable-tip tip-purple" data-state="closed" style="height: 40px;">
<div class="et-title">
Room for a little one </div>
<div class="et-content">
<div class="">
Two sets of hands will make this step a lot of easier. Ask a
child to keep whisking while you pour in the hot cream – just be careful
not to scald them
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
5.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Return the mixture to the saucepan. Place the
pan over a low heat and stir continuously until you have a thin custard
that coats the back of a wooden spoon</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
6.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Remove the pan from the heat. Pass the
custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and allow to cool completely,
laying cling film directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin
forming</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
7.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Churn the custard in an ice cream maker,
stirring in the Christmas pudding as the mixture begins to thicken and
freeze. Store in the freezer until ready to serve</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/christmas-pudding-ice-cream-recipe#sthash.YUmelhXJ.dpuf</div>
<br />
<br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-detail">
Add
the cream and milk to a pan and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla
pod. Add the scraped pod and place the pan over a medium-high heat</div>
</div>
<div class="expandable-tip tip-green" data-state="closed" style="height: 40px;">
<div class="et-title">
Back to school</div>
<div class="et-content">
<div class="">
Making custard is a great skill for older kids to pick up. Not
only is it great drizzled over many desserts, but it is also used as a
base for ice cream - as it is here
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
2.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
3.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and smooth. Bring the milk and cream back up to a simmer</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
4.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
While slowly whisking the eggs, gradually pour in the hot cream</div>
</div>
<div class="expandable-tip tip-purple" data-state="closed" style="height: 40px;">
<div class="et-title">
Room for a little one </div>
<div class="et-content">
<div class="">
Two sets of hands will make this step a lot of easier. Ask a
child to keep whisking while you pour in the hot cream – just be careful
not to scald them
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
5.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Return the mixture to the saucepan. Place the
pan over a low heat and stir continuously until you have a thin custard
that coats the back of a wooden spoon</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
6.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Remove the pan from the heat. Pass the
custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and allow to cool completely,
laying cling film directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin
forming</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
7.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Churn the custard in an ice cream maker,
stirring in the Christmas pudding as the mixture begins to thicken and
freeze. Store in the freezer until ready to serve</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/christmas-pudding-ice-cream-recipe#sthash.YUmelhXJ.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-detail">
Add
the cream and milk to a pan and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla
pod. Add the scraped pod and place the pan over a medium-high heat</div>
</div>
<div class="expandable-tip tip-green" data-state="closed" style="height: 40px;">
<div class="et-title">
Back to school</div>
<div class="et-content">
<div class="">
Making custard is a great skill for older kids to pick up. Not
only is it great drizzled over many desserts, but it is also used as a
base for ice cream - as it is here
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
2.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
3.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and smooth. Bring the milk and cream back up to a simmer</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
4.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
While slowly whisking the eggs, gradually pour in the hot cream</div>
</div>
<div class="expandable-tip tip-purple" data-state="closed" style="height: 40px;">
<div class="et-title">
Room for a little one </div>
<div class="et-content">
<div class="">
Two sets of hands will make this step a lot of easier. Ask a
child to keep whisking while you pour in the hot cream – just be careful
not to scald them
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
5.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Return the mixture to the saucepan. Place the
pan over a low heat and stir continuously until you have a thin custard
that coats the back of a wooden spoon</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
6.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Remove the pan from the heat. Pass the
custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and allow to cool completely,
laying cling film directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin
forming</div>
</div>
<div class="recipe-step">
<div class="rs-num">
7.</div>
<div class="rs-detail">
Churn the custard in an ice cream maker,
stirring in the Christmas pudding as the mixture begins to thicken and
freeze. Store in the freezer until ready to serve</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/christmas-pudding-ice-cream-recipe#sthash.YUmelhXJ.dpuf</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00284534801592378413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489385019807303519.post-90907237865807957062014-01-08T12:50:00.000-06:002014-01-08T12:50:00.694-06:00An Instragram(ed) Chaplin Christmas <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVU1LV0RiGH3kJUtB7tnn4t_8nIw9nr27aivK7uP_2iVRmBy-GL72XnKVcNdVW59FY9Cu7xJSvHn_9BbJm_KzAz8dpzfBtCyeZJrTRk85LwdcLm3O6IZ01k9SHIs45VGAsALhqtV5ouxlF/s1600/1524564_10152497518278989_420907159_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVU1LV0RiGH3kJUtB7tnn4t_8nIw9nr27aivK7uP_2iVRmBy-GL72XnKVcNdVW59FY9Cu7xJSvHn_9BbJm_KzAz8dpzfBtCyeZJrTRk85LwdcLm3O6IZ01k9SHIs45VGAsALhqtV5ouxlF/s1600/1524564_10152497518278989_420907159_n-1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've said it before and I'll say it again we love Christmas in the Chaplin household, and more than not ours can be quiet ones, with family being so far away when we lived in Australia, it's not always easy nor cheap to visit us over this special time of the year. Although in 12 Christmases there we didn't do bad, and had plenty of Christmas visitors.<br />
<br />
Last year it was just the four of us, but this year we invited Mr C's family to join us and his parents took us up on the offer, so Grannie and Grandad and made the relatively short trip across the pond to spend Christmas and New Year with us.<br />
<br />
On the back of a Thanksgiving visit by my mum, we had the Christmas tree picked bought and assembled before she left and the Grandparents arriving - a short 3 day gap between them.<br />
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Grannie and Grandad arrived and had a special present for Mr C, as requested by Mr C, Grannie had made him a Christmas Jumper (sweater) which everyone loved, we nearly put Grannie into production making more as so many people asked Mr C where he had got it from. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8EmmOg9gAhl3TZo5hHTeCTkIFHVP3rqhJZkLOAMtOsEAwfSjsU_aliqkrMF75N243VXaqjgQe1dJYgukUjV2oOsH5lDpxeYaiDAnbYKBGvjPy6OHblHxIbxVaM3siPH0yhkMflr4-wQU/s1600/1507028_10152527169924762_1129205666_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8EmmOg9gAhl3TZo5hHTeCTkIFHVP3rqhJZkLOAMtOsEAwfSjsU_aliqkrMF75N243VXaqjgQe1dJYgukUjV2oOsH5lDpxeYaiDAnbYKBGvjPy6OHblHxIbxVaM3siPH0yhkMflr4-wQU/s1600/1507028_10152527169924762_1129205666_n-1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr C sporting his Christmas Jumper made by Grannie</td></tr>
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We spent our days prior to Christmas, Christmas Shopping, doing Christmassy things, Christmas Craft, and Christmas baking whilst battling snow and freezing cold temperatures up to -18c with a wind chill factor making it feel -28c brrrrrr. <br />
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The CTA Holiday train was once again doing the rounds and in our area so we were able to ride the Holiday Train with Grandad.<br />
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It wasn't long before Christmas Eve was upon us and we left Mr C roasting a ham whilst we went to the family service at Church and it was such a great service.<br />
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After Church we had our friends round for our Christmas Eve Roast Ham and we enjoyed the meal, their company and Annas most delicious yummy dessert.<br />
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Then it was time to track Santa on <a href="http://www.noradsanta.org/" target="_blank">Norad</a> to see where he was, put the mince pie and glass of milk out for Santa and a carrot for the reindeers and time to do the present from Santa's Elves - Christmas pyjamas and a Christmas book of course.<br />
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Then with the girls in bed it was time to play Santa, we put up the Christmas stockings, handmade and personalized by me for the adults.<br />
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And not before long we had quite a pleasant wake up call from Tilly (not too early either) who loudly and excitedly announced Santa had been. In our pyjamas we all made it downstairs to open our stockings whilst sipping on a cup of tea.<br />
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Then we made the girls wait until after we were all dressed (well the adults) and had had breakfast before they could open the rest of pressies - what cruel parents we are, but they were wonderful and they entertained themselves with their stocking gifts so this kept them busy until it was present time.<br />
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The girls helped collect all the presents from under and around the tree and made handed them all out, then we devoured our piles of presents starting with the girls first. <br />
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And how we do Christmas is, the girls know they get presents from family and friends (this means we can write those thank you letters - which are in the post) but Santa brings their one main present (which we remember to wrap in Christmas paper different to any we have already used). This year Ruby asked Santa for a desk and Tilly asked for Playmobil and Santa delivered.<br />
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Once all the presents were open, Mr C got busy with Christmas Dinner, but not before the tickle monster arrived and tickled (I got Mr C this awesome <a href="http://www.bookworm.com/p/tickle-monster-laughter-kit-book-toy-195857?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_bw&utm_term=HP-3468&utm_campaign=GoogleAW&CAWELAID=1611699523&utm_content=pla&adtype=pla&cagpspn=pla" target="_blank">Tickle Monster Laughter Kit</a> gift as our girls love the Tickle Monster and are always wanting Mr C to play the tickle monster before bed it's a fab gift for any family) and the girls got busy playing with their presents.<br />
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We had a lovely traditional Christmas Lunch - Roast turkey and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the only non instagram</td></tr>
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We spent the afternoon playing games - UNO and Creationary and Mr C and Grandad built Ruby's desk - it was such a lovely day.<br />
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Another Chaplin tradition is to watch one of our favorite Christmas movies, The National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and Mr C sported the very same Moose Mug Clark Griswold has in the movie - classic.<br />
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And after the movie it was time for the girls to go to bed so the adults could watch the Downton Christmas Special and indulge in a little Downton wine too.<br />
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And that was our family instragram(ed) Christmas, and as the girls would say the best day ever.<br />
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