A Proper Portuguese Christmas Eve

Hello Everybody! (Edit: Ok, everytime I read this sentence, I just keep hearing a reply in the back of my mind saying "Hi Dr. Nick!" Too much Simpson exposure I think...)

I hope your Christmas was amazing with family, fun and a lot of great food in the mix.
Ours was very good, actually I felt it went a bit too smoothly, no delays, no running back and forth. Well, actually I ran, but it was before people started to arrive. I closed the shop at 6p.m., ran home to make and almond pie and changed my clothes after the first guests had arrived. But they are not really guests, they are family, so I guess that's ok...

After that it was great, I'm just really sorry it goes by so fast. I think I start getting kind of sad at about noon on the 24th, because it's already close to being over. How crazy is that?

 Now you know what the cube is for.  There used to be about 18 of us, so the presents would cover the tree bottom. At some point I gave up on straightening the tree as my kittens just kept climbing. But they were so stressed with having so many people in their space, poor babies...

Peek-a-boo

The 25th is usually spent eating basically as there is always so much left! It's a completely different vibe, very quiet, nothing much to do. Perfect.

As for presents, the quilts were a big hit, so was the pillow.  And I even got a few handmade presents myself, how lucky am I?? AND SOME FABRIC!  :)

It was so funny to notice that basically we all love the same fabrics. My best friend who lives in the UK made me all those lovely items in the first picture using the fabric I used as the backing for her quilt. AND she made a cathedral window pin cushion! I haven't even tried that, it's so great!
Then my cousin made a tree using the same 12 Days of Christmas fabric I've been using throughoutg the whole collection, which, of course, includes her quilt and her daughter's pillow! And she made me this lovely planner with kitty fabric, which reminded me there's one pattern missing in my stash, kittens!! :)

And now, the New Years Eve. I must say it's kind of a non-event for me, usually just a good excuse to travel. But since I wont be traveling this year, I think I'll have one of those stay at home, watching TV and relaxing kind of nights. People say the way you finish the year sets the tone for how the new year will go, so I'm hoping it will be a pretty chilled out year. I sure need it!