First time on skis

It was a proud moment for me yesterday when I took mini skiing for the first time.
And although getting her kitted out and walking with all that paraphernalia was tricky once we were on the lift and flying high, she was in heaven.
She stayed upright and on her skis in between my legs and screamed 'that is so cool' all the way down.

Ski lift hitch hikers

First pic is of Tom and my skis having a hug on our way up the Hörnli. We had such great weather today, lots of blue skies and so warm I didn't wear a hat nor any headband either, just my giant Marni bug glasses picked up at Bicester.
After skiing it was off for the first sledge ride of the holiday. Mini and I overtook papa and Phin on the outside curve, winning the race. But what was even more fun was hitching a ride on the Tschuggen hotel's new swanky lift. A double cabin, each with six white thickly upholstered armchairs, a glass roof and a sturdy seatbelt for holding you in place when you zoom up the mono rail.

Ski Time

A little view on one of our runs today. Back of the Bruggerhorn for those who care 🏂❄❄❄

Ski Time

Yay! We're in Arosa our favourite place in the world and today we hit the slopes with gusto.
It snowed over thirty centimetres through the night and although the day started out cloudy things soon cleared and we had a great first day skiing.
Phin joined us in the morning to brush up on his snowplough before going to ski school tomorrow.
We had such fun with him and I can't wait to try and get mini on skis before the end of the week. She's definitely loving the kit though, especially her new red moon boots and goggles.
Phin is wearing his ski jacket by Finger In The Nose and I love that it reminds me of the jackets we used to inherit from my cousins in the seventies. Phin may have to wear a helmet but Tom and I are still sticking to our trusted wooly hats to keep us warm and protected. I snapped this navy retro Moncler number in Rome airport. Now that's chic duty free shopping Italian style.

Our Table Feast

We always love a bit of blue and white china and this year we cut a few sprigs of holly and pine to lay in the centre and placed our newly acquired silver reindeer and a sprinkle if silver stars for a very elegant Christmas Eve table. Now let's eat!

Ye Old Shoppe

And here it is in all it's splendour...

First stop on the Christmas Express

It's the first stop on the Christmas express and we celebrated Christmas Eve in germany with my family. Phin and Mini were beyond excited that Father Christmas had brought them pink Lego (mini) and anything octonaut
(Phin) but the real show stopper was the shop. Mini has now gone into retail thanks to my uncle Bernd slaving away to restore my own hand-made wooden store that my Omi gave to me when I must have been around Phin's age.
My Omi was in heaven Watching five of her twelve great grand children unwrap their gifts with great joy.
After a gorgeous dinner of too much goose and dumplings we packed up the car and headed off to catch the 2.20am Eurotunnel train back to blighty for stockings on Christmas morning. Who will get there first, Us or Santa?
Merry Christmas to you all! 🎅🎅🎅🎄

Knusper Knusper

As most of you fashion filers know I like to make a traditional German Knusper Haus for the festive season, made from gingerbread we decorate them with sweets and feast on them over Christmas and new year.
Last year the small town in Germany where my family live sold out of the gingerbread houses. So I thought laterally, bought 15 bars of chocolate and we made our own. It went down so well my aunt didn't even bother securing a traditional one this year and asked me instead if I minded doing the chocolate construction again.
So this year with more time on my hands and a little hindsight I was able to perfect the building.
Firstly I used royal icing for the construction. It's too hard for sticking the sweets on (you need a chisel to get them off) but as an alternative to cement it's perfect. If you can't buy it, just add one egg white to your icing sugar and it works perfectly.
First I stuck the four bars together and onto a tray and then I let them dry. Next I stuck the second floor together and added to the ground floor and let it dry for a few hours. Then I carved two triangles from the next two bars. The length of the bar should be the longest part of the triangle. This then matches up to form the front/back of the roof, helping to create the perfect pitched roof. Make sure the icing sugar is really thick as it has to stay put on the edges and hold each bar in place. Once these are dry you can add the final four bars for the roof.
I then carved up the 15th bar to make the chimney. It's a little lop sided but looks great with a few marshmallow coming out the top. Don't worry about it not looking neat and pretty, once it's covered in sweets you won't see a thing.
Now it's time to decorate! When I do my own they tend to be colour coordinated and rather twee and pretty but when the whole family gets involved its a free for all! Each person gets a side and covers it with their favourite sweets.
Can you spot the house?

Oh Christmas Tree...

As our followers on Mini's fashion file know, we in the B-E household are partial to a full-on Christmas Tree. Our ten footer at home was crammed with so many adornments from baubles, candy canes and feathered birds to icicles, poinsettias and bells that when we see other people's trees they look a little lonesome compared. Not so with my grandmothers tree.
At ninety three she sits at the rear of the room, quietly sipping the home made schnapps while her children, grandchildren and five of her twelve great grandchildren hang every ornament ever made on her tree.
Each year I buy a few more to add to the collection and it's a trip down memory lane for me as I spot the yellow clay heart my brother George made for her or the brass musical instruments that decorated the tree when I was a little girl and the gold paper angel that i brought home from school.
There's no more room and the tree glows with memories and trinkets and we can sit back and enjoy another great year.

Oh Christmas Tree two

Go go merry go round

I love this merry go round. It sits at the top of the town's high St. and has taken that position since I was Mini's age. My Opi used to buy me a candy floss and a bright orange and silver plastic ticket for the carrousel and those tickets are still the same! And Phin and Mini love to ride those same space ships, fire engines and motor bikes like my brothers and I used to do too! Sometimes it's nice when things stay the same.

Cousins with bows

Mini as we know, is reigning bow queen however she allowed her big cousin Finn Nuala to borrow one of her stash for the day. Finn was in heaven showing off her silver one with great joy while mini sported a coordinating gold one to her Stella cords, Caramel floral blouse and Maan chartreuse cardigan.
Phin meanwhile was in lumberjack mode with his gap skinny jeans, new tan Uggs, JCrew check jacket and Bonpoint beanie. It snowed a smidge last night in Germany and he gleefully scraped every millimetre of snow together to make his boulder. What would Christmas be without a spot of snow.