Disaster Strikes - and festivites

The man from the repair shop called this morning to say that my 30+ year old Pfaff sewing machine is irreparable. I'm so sad. It was my mums which she bought when she lived in Germany all those years ago, and its the only sewing machine I've ever really used, I was so familiar with it. Now I am faced with the dilemma of whether to spend money on a new one (that would come fully working with a demo from the sewing machine shop, with a warranty but at a price), to look for a second hand one on e-bay, or to accept the very kind offer of an old machine belonging to my friends late grandmother. I am off to collect the remains of my old Pfaff from the shop tomorrow and may at least let the kind old man show me what is in my price range. I'm told an Elna is a good one to go for.

Perhaps a new sewing machine would be the boost I need to get me well an truly back into being creative with my time. Or maybe it would be an expensive toy sitting in the cupboard collecting dust and playing guiltily on my mind next time money is tight!

To give myself a boost this afternoon I put all my creative energy into decorating the lovely little tree I bought this afternoon. Wesley really enjoyed playing with the decorations and was slightly baffled by the arrival of this large bush to our living room.

I've always been rather precious about our christmas tree, it must always be a real tree, and it must always be dressed with the most beautiful and traditional decorations – no tinsel in this house!! I wonder if this is yet another thing that will slowly change as Wesley grows up! I did let him play with one of the miniature wooden nutcracker soldiers, but only the one I like the least! Some of my decorations, which I have been collecting over the last 6 years, are so special to me that I may become a boring and mean mummy who doesn't allow her child anywhere near the tree! But that doesn't seem in the spirit of it at all! I have a few home made decorations, and I hope that our 'grown up tree; will slowly become a 'family tree' as the years go by, with Wesley adding hand made decorations made out of dried pasta and pine cones, or whatever kids use these days!

I hope to make a few new decorations over the next couple of weeks, so watch this space!