Picspam - Christmas gifts 2016

[dieastra]

So, time for my annual showing off the Christmas presents! Like every year, I get the best things. Nothing too expensive, but much cute stuff. Click the cut for all the details!

Previous gifts can be found here: 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011




A calendar of South England:



You never can go wrong with pyjamas:



Sheep! The candleholder on the left is from my brother. It's heavy pottery.



More sheep - one I'll have to crochet myself! Oh boy!



A cute little smoking house looking like a gingerbread house from my mother, and a wooden candleholder moose from my brother:



Also from my brother - a pair of cute little boots:



This Christmas tree ornament is made from original lace from Plauen which is quite famous for doing these, and includes a little wooden Dresden Frauenkirche (Church of our Women). Never seen something like this before! Very nice:



Our local flower shop did a Christmas decorations sale a few weeks ago and I chose these wooden skates for myself:



I think hamsterwoman will approve of this little critter ;) It's a cat toy and both my brother and I got one. The reason behind is that we once talked about wanting to visit Hameln - the town where the famous piper stole all the children. Apparently they have a rats festival every year playing this story and all over the town you can buy rats merchandise.



When we were on Summer vacation I wanted to buy this little cutie in the Görlitz Zoo but my mother said she would pay for it so I had to wait till now to get him. I really couldn't let sit that on the shelf, could I?



A cute reindeer candle holder:



My grandmother usually just gives money but she also included this little teddy dressed as an elephant. I think he'll go well with my wolf in sheep's clothing ;)



A little London tin box (you can never have too many little tin boxes) and some additions for my eraser collections. A tiger, lion, giraffe and horsey, and a whole London display. At first I thought it was one big eraser but it's several. It's the London eye, then St. Pauls cathedral I guess, Big Ben of course and I have no idea what the thing on the right would be? Is it a bridge or a building? Does anyone know?



Backside of the cardboard:



A bookmark where, when you move it, the picture moves as well. The monkeys are walking:



My brother also gave me a canoe in case my figures want to do some canoeing, and a Kuuuuhgelschreiber which is a play of words of the German word for Cow and pen. Also everyone got these red stars and with mine he included little ones for the figures. I have a very considerate brother!



I got this little pottery jug and my brother got a little cake baking form. So cute! I also love the gingerbread man, and the penguin I bought from grandmother's money.



Here is the new penguin with his brethren:

Comments

[owensheart.livejournal.com]

What lovely presents.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Love them! I forgot one, oops: A bookmark, where the monkeys walk when you move it:

(http://s137.photobucket.com/user/DieAstra/media/Christmas/DSC05220.jpg.html)

[sharp2799.livejournal.com]

Love it!

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

Nice gifts! Your family definitely knows what you like to receive!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I love them all! Yes, they know me very well! They also loved my gifts. We are similar that we all love cute little things.

I forgot one, oops: A bookmark, where the monkeys walk when you move it:

(http://s137.photobucket.com/user/DieAstra/media/Christmas/DSC05220.jpg.html)

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

This is exactly my idea how the Christmas presents should look like! Nothing expensive but lots of small cute and lovely thinks - especially those you like but never would buy yourself:-)
And the calendar...oh oh oh!
That structure on your ovely London box looks like the Tower Bridge:-)

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

especially those you like but never would buy yourself:-)

Some of these - the London box, the erasers, the boots - I had indeed seen in shops before but did not buy and then I was happy I hadn't! They know me very well indeed.

I really don't think it is the Tower bridge. This is what the Tower Bridge looks like: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iTBfKfLfmyw/maxresdefault.jpg

And here is a picture of the backside of the cardboard, where it looks more like a building, with windows inside:

(http://s137.photobucket.com/user/DieAstra/media/Christmas/DSC05223.jpg.html)

I forgot a gift, oops: A bookmark, where the monkeys walk when you move it:

(http://s137.photobucket.com/user/DieAstra/media/Christmas/DSC05220.jpg.html)

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

HAha, lovely monkeys!

Well, you are right, I can see it now. But after some thoughts I think that this drawing looks a lot like Battersea power station:-) - the chimneys. I don´t give up!LOL

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

You're right! Thank you! That's exactly what it looks like! I just googled pictures of it.
Is this a famous London thing? I've never even heard of it! Maybe I should go there next time I am in London.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Battersea Power Station was saved and preserved just because of its cultural reference, it was on a famous Pink Floyd album but I don´t remember which one, I don´t listen to PF.:-) I believe it is a symbol of the pop culture in London after the Beatles.I am not sure but there should be a gallery. It is in south London just near the Thames. I saw it several times from a coach:-)

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I definitely put it on my list of sights to see! I am interested in old industry architecture. I also like bridges etc.

A few weeks ago they opened our new operetta in Dresden in an old power station. I have lots of pictures I want to post yet. They left a lot of the old machinery things in. Very interesting!

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

I love the calendar, and among the fluffy ones camel is my favorite! :) (Though it was a tough fight between him and the teddy in an elephant hoodie.)

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

That camel is such a cutie! We were in another zoo the other day and they also had camels on the shelf, but they were not as cute as this one. When I saw it, it was love on first sight. We only buy the cute ones ;)

No idea where my grandmother found the teddy dressed as an elephant. I've never seen something like that before!

I forgot a gift, oops: A bookmark, where the monkeys walk when you move it:

(http://s137.photobucket.com/user/DieAstra/media/Christmas/DSC05220.jpg.html)

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

No idea where my grandmother found the teddy dressed as an elephant. I've never seen something like that before!
Me too! XD

the monkeys walk when you move it
Quite popular in Poland, too, though now a little less than in 90s, I think. Back then, we called this stuff "three-dimensional", before other 3D media came. :)

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Heh, I had wanted to write 3D but then I wasn't sure whether that was the right word in English and if anyone would understand ;)

[alumfelga.livejournal.com]

Lovely gifts! I love the calendar. Good luck with crocheting the sheep!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I love them all! Hope you also got nice ones.
Yeah, the calendar will be with me for the next year.

Hehe, last time I crotcheted was in my teenage time ;) That will be an adventure.

I forgot a gift, oops: A bookmark, where the monkeys walk when you move it:

(http://s137.photobucket.com/user/DieAstra/media/Christmas/DSC05220.jpg.html)

[alumfelga.livejournal.com]

Yes, I gave and got some nice gifts, too.

I tried crocheting once. I was rubbish. My sister tried and of course she got it right away. Life is not fair ;D

You can never have too many bookmarks (do only mine vanish when I need them?) and it's a nice one.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I was more successful at crocheting than knitting. My mother used to knit a lot and very quickly but I never really got the hang of it.

Remember the post I once did with all my bookmarks? I probably should add this picture to it.

For some odd reason, my bookmarks are all in the shelf in the bedroom, and when I sit down to read in the living room, I am always too lazy to go over and grab one so in the end I use any piece of paper that is available. But as I hadn't put this one over there yet, I am using it at the moment indeed. Progress! ;)

[megan-moonlight.livejournal.com]

These are all lovely! The calendar of South England looks amazing, and the little penguins and the camel are especially cute!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I hope you also got nice ones! The calendar will be with me for the next year.

I have started to collect the penguins some years ago, every year I buy another one. There are many more available on the Christmas market. All funny and cute.

And yes, when I saw the camel it was love on first sight! Such a cutie.

I forgot a gift, oops: A bookmark, where the monkeys walk when you move it:

(http://s137.photobucket.com/user/DieAstra/media/Christmas/DSC05220.jpg.html)

[sharp2799.livejournal.com]

You get the best stuff! But...do you crochet? LOL

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I really do, my family knows me well! How were your gifts?

Hehe, last time I crocheted I was a teenager so it has been a long time ;) But yeah, I used to. I never really understood knitting, but I did crotched quite a few things. Hope it'll come back to me.

I forgot a gift, oops: A bookmark, where the monkeys walk when you move it:

(http://s137.photobucket.com/user/DieAstra/media/Christmas/DSC05220.jpg.html)

[colej55.livejournal.com]

I'm a week late, so I'll start by wishing you a happy New Year! I always look forward to this annual post. You get the cutest, most fun presents. While I like everything, the camel is just too cute and is easily my favorite.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Happy New Year to you too!

Yes, my mother collects them all year long. This is the right way to do it, and not just buy something one week before Christmas. I really loved everything.

But yes, the camel is standing out. When I saw it on the shelf, it was an instant like. We later were in another zoo and they also had camels but they were not as cute as this one.

[niviene.livejournal.com]

These are lovely and thoughtful gifts and show how well your family and friends know you!

Here it's so commercial and people just want big 'showy' things rather than gifts with meaning.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Before Christmas, there are always articles in the newspaper how many hundred Euros people intend to spend on gifts. These from my parents and brother all were very inexpensive. We never do huge things. I mean let's be honest, if it's something you really want, you rather want to buy it yourself and decide which exactly (computer, phone, things like that).

And in the end, you already have all the things you really need, so it becomes harder and harder. But a little funny something is always appreciated. Hope you also got some nice gifts!

[niviene.livejournal.com]

That's what I love is that you and your family do lovely little things that have meaning and are fun.

My family & friends don't do presents at all anymore - as you say everyone just buys what they want themselves which makes sense. We just spend time together where we can which is nice too!

When I was working at the office, my close coworkers/lunch group of 5 used to get small things for each other at Christmas but I'm no longer there.


Just one present this year from my best friend which was a lovely painting she commissioned from an artist friend of hers. I posted about it here.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Oh nice painting! I must have missed that one.