Sunday 6 January 2013

Jolly good stuff


Hello everyone, how has your week ending been? I have had such a delightful weekend I feel rather joyous about all the sleeping, baking, walking, reading, playing games and crafting we have done 

Sometimes, it just works out like that and you feel truly rested and that you managed to switch off from work for 2 days to be ready for the next week.

I've had this little idea after seeing this for inspiration. A jar of magical thinking and memories made throughout the year. 

source
And after reading Tania of Sew a Little Love's blog post here about adding some "granny chic" to plain old jam jars yesterday morning it prompted me to do something similar for our own "jolly good stuff" jar for 2013.

So this afternoon Alice and I got cutting and sticking fabric to a kilner type jar. I wanted one with a lid to keep all our memories safe for the year.


We just watered down some PVA glue, cut strips of scrap fabric and got sticking.


While Alice did the sticking to the kilner jar, I joined in by making a French green beer bottle candlestick holder. It was really easy and created instant gratification within a few minutes.

The original idea comes from this rather popular book which a lot of us may have received this Christmas.


There's my beer bottle candlestick holder which was still drying as I photographed it. I think this will promptly go in my bathroom for my Winter candle light baths which are one of my favourite "treat myself" things to do in the dreary Winter.


I then had to add some finishing touches to our magical jar.


I have a thing about old keys, they make me very happy, I collect them because I have always loved keys and old ones that have a history to them make me the dreamer that I am. This lovely rusty key seemed perfect to me.


Some embroidery thread and felt was needed too to finish off our "Jolly Good Stuff" jar.





This year big things WILL happen, we will have many sweet moments to record on little pieces of paper and pop into our jolly jar. We will have little achievements and big thoughts to put in our jar. We will have miracles and blessings to scribble down and close up tightly in our jar. We will have frivolity and joyful snippets which will be squirrelled away on bits of paper in our jar and when the end of 2013 comes we'll open it up to remember, reflect and remind ourself about how we have lived our lives in 2013.

Thanks for stopping and reading.
Welcome to new followers and friends.

Will you have a jar of magic this year? It can be any old jam jar with a lid. I think it needs a lid to keep the precious magic contained for New Years Eve reading.

A nifty, thrifty idea don't you think?
I'm sure I'll be mentioning this jar as the year goes by, why not join in and record all your fun, quirky and special memories.

Cheerio for now
xox 
See you soon.

19 comments:

  1. I really want to join in with this - I have just finished a big fancy jar of coffee - so need to get it washed and re-vamped!

    Helenxx

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  2. Oh Penelope, I just love, love, love this idea! I too saw the memory jar idea somewhere on my travels...Pinterest I think, and thought that is a lovely thing to do, but I adore what you and Alice have done, pouring your own creativity into making a jar that is extra special! I think by doing this, you have already created such a beautiful memory together...Alice is very blessed to have you as a mum who takes the time to be creative with her! The candlestick is just wonderful too...it reminds me of a favourite Mexican restaurant my hubby and I used to visit back in South Africa. What a great idea for those leisurely, cozy winter baths! Enjoy!
    Tania ♥

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  3. Ooh Lady P. I'm thinking young Master T and Little Miss B may have to make one of these each... very exciting! xx

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    1. Mrs. Moomin, it's a MUST with littlies who say the best things which can be recorded and then after reading through them on New Years eve I plan to pop mine in an envelope as a keep sake for us to look back on in years to come when things get tough in the up and coming teenage years :o)

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  4. Such a lovely idea Penelope. I really feel like these are my golden years.....Children still youngish , Mum and Mum in law still in good(ish) health. I've said before I would love to stop the clock ,impossible, but maybe the next best thing is to record all the special times.
    Jacquie x

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  5. What a wonderful idea Penelope. You and Alice have done a great job making the first memory to go in there. I made a jar up one summer holiday in which I popped all the things we might want to do (fruit picking, picnics, toast marshmallows on a fire outside, go stargazing on the beach that sort of stuff). When we needed a surprise kind of day one of the girls would pick a bit of paper out.

    When I'm stressed I also have candlelit baths, but I usually nod off if the house is quiet, which it rarely is to be honest.

    I wanted to ask you a favour too. I wanted it to be private, but can't so I'll have to write it here. Millie wants to join in with my swap as she has a blog now too. She's all excited about it and is already planning what to send, but I think it would be better if she swapped with someone nearer her own age. Do you think Alice might be up for doing a swap with her at all? She's nearly 11 so roughly same ages. Don't worry if not.
    Lisa X

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  6. Very pretty jars indeed and, as so often is the case, the simplest ideas are the best
    Best wishes and every happiness for the forthcoming year
    Jenny

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  7. We've just started our jar today!!! Not a fancy one, plans to sort that out later, but we went on a lovely walk and both girls told me about there aspirations, wrote it all down! You are so creative! :) x

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  8. Oh I am doing that too, still have to decorate my jar. I love the key idea, I have the perfect key.
    xx Sandi

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  9. What a wonderful idea. Hmm, I've got just the jar - just have to find it, my dear OH has a habit of tidying up - but I will find it, I really love this idea - thank you for sharing,x

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  10. Oh this is sooooo lovely. Must put it on my to do list. I think it's a wonderful way of cataloguing those magic moments that all too often get away x

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  11. What a fabulous idea and jolly good make.

    Here's to 2013 and being courageous together.

    Happy New Year

    Nina x

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  12. Hello Penelope! Thanks for your comment and lovely to 'meet' you. In a bit of a rush now as I'm a teacher and back to work tomorrow but I'll pop by later in the week for a proper look.
    Looking forward to the swap. Take a nosey at my fabrics and see what you like the look of.
    How exciting!
    Ellie
    x

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  13. Your jar turned out great! I love this idea, so positive and cheery and hopeful. A wonderful way to start the New Year. I like that beer bottle candle holder too, must look into that one.

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  14. Great idea, and I love what you've done to the jar, Penny. It also brought me up short, as ages ago I resolved....soemwhere on my blog...to count my blessings now and again and think about the good, positive things. this is a great way of making that concrete, isn't it? Lovely post. Lxx

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  15. I LOVE this idea and am determined to make one with my little man this evening. May not be as pretty as yours though!! M x

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  16. Love the idea of the jar...a diary in a jar!! I'm thinking I could encourage my granddaughter to do that she really needs to write more...her calligraphy is very poor!

    keep well

    Amanda :-)

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  17. Lovely idea Penelope, I like bobo bun's idea jar too.

    I am a firm believer in positive thinking, but also speaking out these things too. You are of course going to have loads of lovely, fun and exciting things to put not your jar in 2013!

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