And the clock struck midnight

I’ve just snuck in with my Christmas post before the deadline – I’m actually writing this from my on-call room at work, whilst things are all settled and nobody’s sick [a Christmas miracle!]. Whilst you’re all tucking into turkey and anxiously watching people open your presents, spare a thought for the poor souls who’ve been roped into working the Christmas shifts. Short straws have been pulled, favours promised, and rota co-ordinators bribed to no avail.

Despite having to postpone my Christmas until Boxing Day, I’m full of the festive spirit [as per usual]. I’ve been extra-prepared and had bottles of spiced damson gin, peach schnapps and apple & ginger bourbon liqueur infusing away in a dark cupboard for the past 3 months – turns out my plan of forgetting about them has worked perfectly and nothing exploded or has given anyone botulism [so far].

"I'll have a beautiful Scandinavian-style Christmas" I thought. "Everything homemade! Everything!"

Thanks, unrealistic past-Emily. Once you've started wrapping presents in your fancy homemade wrapping paper, it's very hard to give up half way - even when you end up slicing your finger when cutting your fancy rustic twine and then fancily bleeding all over said wrapping paper. I'm counting it as a Pinterest-induced injury. Did I re-wrap the bloody present? Of course not, that would take too much effort, and instead I've decided it adds a gritty realism. Keeps it from looking too shop-bought, you know?

I'm trying to work out what I've actually been doing this month, but it turns out curing your own salmon and baking pies on a whim takes up a surprising amount of time,  and when you factor in a commute that always seems to take me much longer coming home [easily distracted by giant supermarkets], it's been a pretty uneventful time. Delicious, but uneventful.

I've been thinking a lot about what the next year has in store. Not in the way of resolutions, because I'm terrible at keeping them, as evidenced by the fact that my diaries [which I always resolve to write in] trail off at about March every year. More in the way of smallish, achievable goals. I want to try to be better at updating my blog. I want to hopefully combine my old food blog [which has sadly fallen by the wayside in favour of the easier Instagram] with this blog, and maybe even start to introduce some DIY/craft posts. I want to learn how to play at least one song on the ukulele. I want to get my act together and actually apply for the Bake Off like I keep telling my mother I'll do.

My main goal right now, however, is to finish tying up my packages with string before I fill my sleigh [read: car] tomorrow morning. And with a minimum of bloodshed.

Two delightful Christmas playlists - one all traditional big band music, and one a mix of indie covers and new stuff. 

Merry Christmas.

Old School Christmas

Indie Christmas

[Just click to download]