Baby Gates, #Christmas Decorations, And #Crafting

It's been quite cold here. A bit stormy at times too. No snow though. There's been rain and hail. But no snow.

One of the flights of stairs we have to go down to get to street level is actually inside our apartment. To stop Lilie running down them when we don't want her to (like when we're trying to get to the door without her) we got a gate to go at the top of them. We did try just getting her to stay at the top, but she's a bit hit and miss with obeying the command. Plus, she's gotten over excited and fallen on the stairs herself a few times, which is not a good thing. So, like I said, we got a gate to go at the top of the stairs. Anyway, our friends, Lorna and Andy, came to help us put it together, and get it properly atatched to the wall, on Saturday afternoon.

The other gate we have used to be in a place in the hallway where it stopped her getting anywhere but the room that was a combined computer room and bedroom, the bathroom, and the laundry area (the latter being where her bowls and puppy pads are). But now we have the computer room and bedroom properly seporated again, we have the other gate on the living room doorway, to stop her getting to the rodent gang when we don't want her to, but allow her access to us regardless of which room we're in. But that left the access to the stairs unblocked too. Hence the need for a second gate.

The old one is a pressure fit gate. But this one is a proper stair gate, and needed to be screwed in. Kelly and me doing it with Lilie's help wouldn't have worked, and shutting Lilie out of the way while we did would have meant upsetting her by putting her in puppy jail the whole time, or letting her be in with the rodent gang without us while we did it. Neither option appealed to us. Plus, Andy is good at DIY projects. So he came to put it together with Kelly, while Lorna and I hung out in the living room with Lilie and the rodent gang.

It took longer than planned... They'd actually made another trip previously to come and sort it, but had to leave before it was done, since they had to be somewhere else, and it was taking longer than expected. After all, neither Kelly nor Andy have had much experience with baby equipment of any kind. But they got it done in the end. I don't think Lilie's too pleased, but I am. So, thank you Lorna and Andy. Especially Andy.

After they left, I put up some Christmas decorations. Only a few, like I said was going to be the case, but here they are.

A little table display involving our little wooden tree, the old Santa ornament I brought my first Christmas not living at home, a polar bear my Mam gave me last year, and several candles (the arch and the two pillar candles are battery powered, but the little one in the jar in front is a sugarplum fantasies scented candle, which I brought this year).

Another new addition to my Christmas decorations collection for this year was this mistletoe ornament, which I hung on the livingroom door frame (with some help from Kelly, because I struggled to reach, even standing on the very tips of my toes). If you stop to kiss under it, watch out for nargles!

A mix of old and new again now, as I show you the two cards we've had so far. You should be able to see that I decorated the door I'm putting the cards on. The bells are old. They were a set belonging to my Mam. The snowflake chain is a new addition this year though. Anyway, the cards are from two of my online friends. Rita and Corinne, and their furry family members. Thanks ladies, and furry types.

The only other decoration I put up this year was this driving reindeer, which is by my computer. It plays "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" when you press the button on its paw. I couldn't not put this one out... Kero used to love it.

That's all I put up this year. We don't have a tree, other than the little wooden tabletop one, and I didn't bother getting out any of the other decorations. I just wanted to have a few of my favourites out, just to make things a little Christmasy around here.

Then, on Sunday, I finished making the Christmas mouse kit. So, here he is:

He wasn't quite done in time to be in his place for the photos, but he's finished in time for Christmas, and does now have a spot among the things on the table. I think he's kind of cute, if I do say so myself.

I do have to admit to something though: I didn't follow the pattern 100%. I just took the stuff that was in the box, and used it to make my idea of a Christmasy mouse. I hope you like him as much as I do.

Now I'm working on the table runner again. I was going to work on the robin needle felt kit next, but I really want to have the table runner finished before the end of the year, even if it means I won't have the robin done in time for Christmas. He can be a new addition for next Christmas instead.