The Playgroup.

Last week the family (excluding Chris) headed off to the engagement party of a close family friend. It was a Thursday evening, we were all exhausted from the work week, and not yet embracing the holiday spirit that comes after multiple Christmas parties and social gatherings.

We should have known what an incredible night it would turn out to be. We drove home with grins plastered ear to ear, reflecting on the wonderful evening, spent catching up with friends we rarely get to see.

A little background...

When my mom was about to have me, a group of women (also expecting their first) formed, "The Playgroup". It was a group for mothers with new babies, and served a social purpose for both the women and the children, but was also a means of spelling off one or two while the others looked after the kids. Great idea right?

Well, these women never would have known that "The Playgroup" would have multiple rounds, and 33 years later, the children of the Playgroup would remain friends.

Many of us are still single, but Alli's engagement was the best excuse for all of us to gather, and welcome her fiance into the crew 33 years late.

Here we all are as kids (I'm the classy one in the pink smock with my tongue out).

Oh Christmas Tree...

Wow, has December ever been a bad month for blogging! Rest assured, in a week's time, I'm on holiday and will have no excuses (other than Christmas shopping, which I have yet to start). Are you that surprised?

This week I had sixty-five Art 8 paintings to mark, so what did I do instead? I started to decorate my new apartment for the holidays. Obviously.

Most of my decorations this year are extremely basic, and nothing I am that proud of. My bank account wouldn't allow new festive purchases, and I already had decorating anxiety over the fact that my place isn't quite set up as I would like it (and won't be for some time). As a result of it not being set up, I couldn't have a tree as I realized, with the rest of the furniture arriving part way through December, I wouldn't know where to put it.

Why am I bothering to tell you all of this?  Well, apart from the usual decorations, I tried a little something new. I loved putting it together, and had a goofy grin on my face the entire time.

What's amazing is that I saw something similar on instagram, and already had all of the photos developed as I had used them in my final show at Goldsmiths last year. I was wondering what to do with them (and actually have a more permanent idea for after the holidays), but this meant I could enjoy them now. And what better way to pay tribute to my year? I think this might become an annual  Christmas project.