Christmas presents - reviewing my newest achievements

Dear Readers,

I was spoiled with lovely Christmas gifts this year! Besides "normal world stuff" I got also 5 new Sylvanian families sets. 

My boyfriend gave me three sets: the hedgehog family, the dining table set and the triple bunk beds-set :).

The dining table set will go into Highfield farm, it seems that little Alice likes her new place.

The bunk beds will go to the Tuxedo's household, I'm sure the triplets will be happy to have own beds now. What I especially like at this set are the different options to place the beds.

Now to my newest family.The hedgehogs are sooo cute, I love their smiling faces and their fur is very soft. The stings make them look very fluffy, what I think is so adorable!

I will mix their names a bit. So they will be called Mortimer, Eleanor, Franz (because the boy just looks like a cute Franz) and Greta von Stachel (which is the German family name and can be translated as "of sting"). 

The von Stachel's will be the owners of my brand new village store, which I got from my parents.

With the village store came another new villager: Miss Millicent Fisher. I don't yet know if she will work in the supermarket, but we will see :). Millicent is very happy to show you the new shop.
This is it from the front and that's it from the side.

Inside you find tons of delicious food! A nice cart facilitates the shopping tour.

Fresh fruits, vegetables and fish...

What I especially like here is, that most of the fruits and vegetable are attached, but you can use one loose fruit to play with. I know that a lot of people don't like that they're attached, but I always have to carry my buildings in another room when I take pictures and often all the little accessoires fall down in a mess. So it's ideal for me :D.

... ice cream in a freezer...

... cold goods, which are stored in a nice fridge...

...magazines...

... a wonderful baking goods area (love that little bag)...

... dry goods in the cupboard...

...and some more little cans at the cash register. Here kind Mrs. von Stachel serves you.

And a few more pictures through the windows! I'm very happy about the village store and can't wait to write some stories, where it will be featured!

Last but not least, another wonderful villager came to Marigold Creek: Cecil Maces, the professionell photographer! I got this awesome set from Aranera as a Christmas present. We both sent us a little set for Christmas and opened it at the day the donor celebrates Christmas. So I opened mine on the 25th of December.

Cecil comes with some lovely photo accessoires, I especially love the camera!

You can turn the pages in the little photo albums, which is really cool! 

I heard that Cecil will make the photos of Margaret and Pete's wedding ;).

You see, I'm reeeeeeaaaally happy about every single present I got. They're so amazing! :)

I hope you enjoyed this little tour :). I will take new photos of all my villagers soon - I know I have to add all the bios of the new villagers too^^.

Write you soon,

yours Kyra

Wallpapering

Dear Readers,

I once was asked to make a tutorial, how I wallpaper my houses. And without long opening speach, here's my approach:

I use: a set square, a measuring tape, a scissor, scrapbook-paper, double-faced adhesive tape and a pencil.

You see, that I took the pictures while I wallpapered Highfield farm :D.

Step 1: Take your house and choose a room to be wallpapered :D

I chose the childrens room in Highfield farm. Here it is without wallpaper...

  
Step 2: Measure the length and the height of one wall.

Step 3: Transfer the measurements onto the scrapbook paper and draw a rectangle.

Step 4: Now softly push the wallpaper at the wall, turn the house and trace the window shapes from the backside.

Step 5: Add a 5 to 7 mm frame around the windows - so you will be able to see the window frames later.

Step 6: Add the double-faced adhesive tape and stick the wallpaper to the wall :).

But what about oblique walls?

Highfield farm has two of them. I will show you the wallpapering in the grandparents room.

Like before, you have to measure the length of the room.

Then you measure the height from the middle of the wall to the top of the wall.

Now draw a rectangle - using the bottom length and the height of the top.

Divide the rectangle in the middle and draw a triangle, using the middle as the top.

Cut out and test, if the the wallpaper fits to the wall.

Use the same method as before to draw on the round window - add 5 mm, cut out and glue the wallpaper to the wall.

Edith seems to be pleased with the new walls ;)

I hope you enjoyed that little tutorial and I could help a bit. I'm not working professionell, but I always think, as long as it looks okay... :D

Many greetings,
yours Kyra

PS: I will make a post about my newest Christmas achievements soon :)

Advent Calendar: 24th of December

24th of December - Christmas Eve

...................................................................................

Finally it was there - the day all children and also the adults of Marigold Creek had waited for: Christmas Eve.

The excitement at the Buttercup farm was huge. Anabell and Elizabeth got up very early.

"I'm sooo excited! I wonder if the Christkind will visit us, while we are at church?", Anabell said.

"I think so!", Paddock looked down from his bed, "You know the Christkind can just work, when nobody's there."

"Why that?", Elizabeth asked. 

Paddock paused... That was a good question. "Maybe...", he started, maybe she's very shy!"

Anabell agreed, "I think that's it!"

At the same time, Daisy already started to prepare the lunch for today. 

She was planning to make a huge Christmas roast. Elsie and Bessie admired the Christmas tree.

"It looks beautiful, Daisy!", grandmother Buttercup said, "You really got an fantastic tree!"

"Thank you, mum.", Daisy smiled proudly, "Hornbull and the children chose it!"

"A wonderful tree, I can't wait until the lights will glow this evening!", Elsie meant. 

Meanwhile Hornbull and his father-in-law talked about today's Christmas church.

"It was a great idea of pastor Hornigold to shovel the snow from the parc, so we can have the church service outside.", Angus praised, "He's a very nice man!"

"I agree, it was a fantastic idea! The Nativity play will be amazing this evening!"

Soon it was time for the lunch. Together the family enjoyed the delicious roast, Daisy made. As a dessert they had a Christmas fruit cake. 

At around 4 o' clock the Buttercups went outside towards Marigold Creeks parc, where pastor Gabriel Hornigold already prepared the altar.

More and more villagers appeared, chatting about the coming Nativity play. Then the church service began.

But while Gabriel talked about the meaning of Christmas, someone peeked through the Buttercups kitchen window...

It was a little angel, who looked if the coast was clear.

"And?", another angel asked.

"Nobody is there!", the little angel said with a bell-like voice, "You can the tell the Christkind!"

Seconds later four angels entered the farmhouse, the most beautiful of them was the Christkind.

"What a wonderful tree!", she said smiling, "They took so much care in decorating it!"

"Let the lights glow!", the little angel yelled, who held now a teddybear, which was a present for Anabell.

The Christkind laughed, "I will. But let us first bring the presents. They all behaved so well this year!"

While one of the angels kept watch, that no mortal suddenly appeared, the Christkind and the other angels arranged the Christmas presents.

And then they left the house, quietly through the open window - but not without lighting the Christmas tree....

Meanwhile Gabriel Hornigold pushed the altar aside to have enough space for the Nativity play.

"I've heard that wonderful Mrs. Hawthorn prepared a very nice play with the nursery children!", he said good mooded, "And I don't want to say more than: Please enjoy the play and a "Merry Christmas" to all of you!"

Thereupon Katie started to play the piano and Alice, Peppermint, Angelica and Moonlight sang out loud "Silent Night, Holy Night". The play began.

All of the children played their roles fantastic! 

Neither Rose nor Sparky forgot their text...

...the shepherds didn't fall, little Victoria wore the right dress...

  and the crowns of the three Magi fitted perfectly.

(Sorry for the bad quality, I was a bit in a hurry with this picture O.O)

The Nativity play was a huge success and all the villagers cheered loudly. All wished each other a Merry Christmas, but soon it was time to went home in the warm houses. Like all the other families, also the Buttercups returned home. The children were excited and wondered, if the Christkind had visited them.

Anabell was the first, who slowly opened the door.

"The Christkind was here!", she yelled exuberantly happy, "And... And I see there are lots of presents!"

Fastly the rest of the family entered the house. 

Fascinated they looked at the sparkling Christmas tree and the huge pile of presents.

"I got a rocking horse!", yelled Elizabeth and immediatly jumped upon it.

"Congratulations!", Daisy and Elsie said, "It's such a beautiful rocking horse!"

"And I got this amazing train!", Paddock cheered, "Now Lucky and I can play with the trains together!"

Anabell smiled at her new teddy, "And the Christkind brought me this teddybear!"

"What a cute bear", Bessie smiled, "You really deserved it, my dear!" Grandpa Buttercup nodded, "You behaved all so well!"

"There are some presents for you grandma and grandpa!", Anabell said, "You must look, what you got!"

"We will!"

"But I see many more presents with your names on it!", Hornbull, who looked at one of his own presents, grinned, "You must take a closer look! And you too, my dear!" He spoke the last words to his beloved wife, who was very effected by all those presents. 

Daisy kissed him softly, "I will, Hornbull. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas my love!"

...........................................................................

Let's leave the Buttercups alone - they for sure want some privacy at Christmas eve :D.

Thank you so much for accompany me and my villagers through the advent time :). I had so much fun writing those little stories and I'm very happy that you also enjoyed them that much! 

I will have two weeks holiday now, so it can be that I won't be online that often. 

I hope you enjoy wonderful holidays and I hope that you get great presents :D.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

Yours Kyra