'tis the season

...to be working flat out until the last gasp, making presents and baking. And let's face it, some things have been more successful than others.

Here's the first Good Thing:

pair of cushions, to order

With its associated Not So Good Thing i.e. the mess behind the machine and the entanglement of zips, linings and hidden seams:

Here's the second Good Thing:

Second pair of cushions (sshh, don't tell - they're a surprise...)

Then there was the Christmas Cake Fiasco.....

Cake number one:

which was Too Tall and needed its top chopped off, had some marzipan and icing slapped on it and duly eaten, after being dubbed "Pond in Winter":

I'm ashamed, I truly am.  The rest of the cake wasn't that much better, so I was instructed to make another one.  No pictures of that one, but it is a perfection of marzipan and fruit cake, replete with Frosty Peaks (trad).

Then there was the stollen. The stollen recipe that makes two stollen.

Except someone has forgotten the almond paste. Doh!

So then there had to be two more stollen in order to get it right:

That's more like it. Phew.

And finally, some stars (inspired by shenanigans in class playing with the laminator)

And a doorway festooned with buttons, courtesy of Gina

Right, that's it. I'm calling it quits.

This term has been such a long one, and the fact that my cooking skills have clearly deserted me has quite frankly terrified me - more than enough evidence that I need a bit of a break! Normal blogging service will be resumed in the New Year.

So for now, have a very merry one, ho ho ho and all that - I'm off to pour myself a stiff drink and find the cheesecake* and my Christmas Stocking!

xxx

hopefully not in my stocking but knowing how things have been going around here recently...