New Year, new...

Happy New Year, dear friends!

I usually have taken a look back to my year around this time, but I think I will leave that for little later. 2015 was a mixed year, in so many levels, that I think I will concentrate on the future. I am so sentimental at times with "what if" and "if only" "maybe I should have" so this time I will say "I so will" instead!

An another thing I am going to do, is to start keeping a "made me happy today" diary. I saw the idea somewhere years ago (thank you so much who ever you were for this!) to write down each day one thing that made you happy. Just one thing. Should not be too difficult, and by the end of the year you should end up with 365 things that made you happy, who could not want to see that? And I firmly believe no matter how bad your day is, there is always one thing to write down. Just one thing!

You could create amazing scrapbook-sort of masterpieces around this idea, but I know myself, and I need something really simple. So I just have my pretty Santa brought (thanks Vivienne for elfing!) pad&most wonderful pen ever (my bil brought this for me from US last autumn, thanks T, if something is me, it's this pen!), and I am going to write the date and my thought down there. Keep it simple always works for me.

Happy New Year 2016, friends, see you often this year!

Yours,

Mia

In-between

Hello friends!

Sunny greetings from cold Finland, and with a little imagination you could say we have blue skies here today too!

Today I feel sort of in-between, you know how it is sometimes in these days between Christmas and New Year? Home is all beautifully decorated, and you could just relax and stay in bed late, wander in your new pj's all day within arm length of chocolate box, but... For me these days quite often bring a little blues - old year almost gone, and uncertain feelings for the new. It eases after New Year, when I start making plans for the new year to come, turn a new, fresh page on my wall calendar and start waiting spring. I think the best thing to do for today is to share a few pictures of those wonderful Holidays we just had, and then take a little knitting under a warm duvet and just... mellow if that can be used as verb.

*

Lovely last days of 2015 to you all, see you soon again!

Yours,
Mia

* I knit the little red cardigan from the pattern "Baby's Lace Cardigan" by Stefanie Japel from the book "Mom&Me Knits", got the book, love it!

December 25th

Someone just told 

under all green and gold

looking close you'll see

sitting inside the tree

someone you know

wearing a festive bow

so please look really close

do you recognize those

happy gray auntie-mouse

and someone new in the house

now I think you can see

Anna and baby-mouse Bree

we've loved meeting you here

friends from further and near

reading stories telling a tale

written in little mouse scale

Riverland we call the place

bringing smile on your face

now I think it's the time

to end this little rhyme

of a happy gray auntie-mouse

and someone new in the house

who else could they be

but Anna and baby-mouse Bree

both now happily waving you 

goodbye but see you soon too! 

❤❤❤

Mia&Anna

December 24th

Merry Christmas, everyone! I can't believe it is the 24th already, the day all the people in Finland and all happy critters in Riverland start celebrating! And that is what we are going to do too, and just take a look at our party-room!

We are all here! And just look what Mia got us for Christmas...

... We got Moomin-mugs!

And Adele opened mail that came all the way from USA too, her and Anabel's sister Alma lives there, and I know she would have wanted to participate, but she has her own big Party to host at Robin's too. 

She sent some beautiful stitch markers for knitting, we will love to use those, and always think of you when we see them!

And everyone got my Christmas-card too!

Remember the pictures we took? This is what we went for:

I think it's pretty, and everyone loved it too! Oh, now Adele is taking out some presents...

...aren't they just packed like her - did you notice her new diamond-belt&bracelets? And oh my, some more presents are miraculously appearing here and there!

I think it is time us to continue our celebrating, and with you all a

Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

And we would love to thank you all reading&commenting, it has been such a wonderful month! And Mia and I also decided, that as there are quite a few of you who still have one window to open in your calendars, we will be back tomorrow again! See you then!

❤❤❤

Anna&Mia

December 23rd

Huh, what a busy day I have had! That is why I am telling you about it this late. It all started early this morning when my doorbell rang. It was Anabel, we had agreed to meet at my house.

- Lovely to see you, Anabel! It is great that there are two of us, I have quite a lot of stuff, these himmelis are pretty tricky to carry, and then all my presents...

- I took all my things to the festivity-house already, just before I came here, so I have two empty paws!
- That was so clever! Let's see, how do we get everything...
- I took a sledge too, so we should be fine!
- Fantastic! And luckily I only got two himmelis left, Adele took one to the Meadow-upon-river Mill and Bernard wanted one for the new Post Office. I think I will leave my basket home and load it all here...

- Oh my, looks a bit... wobbly! But here we go...
- Let me help you too, Anna, and huh, luckily we are quite close already!

We finally got to the Riverland Festivity-house, and it looked great! Bernard and Barney had done great job with the spruce twigs!

We had decided not to have a tree but lot's of twigs, and everyone can hang up their own decorations, stockings and even presents there. I wanted to be the first to go and hung up...

...the stocking I made for my baby niece! We do not know her name yet, but as the tradition in our family goes, Bibi's and Bart's sister will have a name with B!

- That is the sweetest stocking, Anna!
- Thank you so much Anabel, and now let's get busy so we will have everything ready by this afternoon!
- Alright, let's start with this big table...

... and then these chairs!

And from here I think I  will reach the ceiling too to hang my himmelis!

And we worked and worked and had Brita, Adele and the boys helping us too, and by the end of the day we got our Christmas Dinner-room all ready! We will all get together there tomorrow, 24th, and I wish to see you there too!

❤❤❤

Anna&Mia

December 22nd

Hello again! I showed you Barney's tree yesterday, today it is time to see mine. I used some of my old decorations, and also added some new ones, like those hearts I made in Anabel's class last weekend.

Earlier today, when I was starting the decorating, Bernard visited me. He delivered some pretty Christmas cards, and also a Christmas present he had made himself! He said he usually would have given his gift on 24th, but he knew I was decorating the tree today... He is the sweetest pig!

He had painted me some lovely baubles, and up to my tree they went!

I think my tree is so very beautiful!

And as I live in Rosy Cottage, there is a rose on top of my tree instead of star!

I am going to do some last minute crafting today too, and... oh, what did you say? You noticed my new, beautiful necklace? It came from my old friend Peggy the Pig, remember the quilt I showed you the other day? When we opened that parcel, I took the necklace, and put it in my pocket, as I wanted to study it on my own later, when all my friends had gone to their homes. It is just similar flower of friendship we used to have as child, me and Peggy, I love it so! Thank you, dear friend!

And that crafting? My dear sister Amelie got a baby girl two days ago, oh yes, Bibi got a baby sister! They are coming here for Christmas, and what does a precious little baby girl need? A tiny stocking, of course! So I am off to do some sewing now, I got my pink beads and all ready!

See you soon again!

❤❤❤

Anna&Mia