Best of Christmas presents (and the last echo of holidays)

I promised, that I will show you some of the presents I/we got for Christmas. But honestly, there were so many of them! This year my parents took us to Ikea to get what we needed in our apartment (there was a budget we had to meet, we used about half of it). So we supplied our kitchen with more teacups, glasses, glass bowls... Then there was new living room lamp, wine rack, wide wooden chopping board, decorative candles, classic Ikea umbrellas and the best part - bed sheets! I bought navy blue and beige fitted sheet (140x200 cm, our bet is 160 x 200 cm, but last time I bought the right size, it was too big for the mattress) and those beautiful white sheets with petite blue leaves (on the right)!

The other bedsheets are every year present from my grandmother (I have no idea what else I'd ask from her and I still lack bed sheets, towels and other everyday things every housewife should have (which I'm not, but I need it anyway). Both prints look lovely, right now we sleep in the blue one with daisies.

I also appreciated the hippie dress from my sisters. When they went on their trip to Vienna Primark, they asked what I needed and I told them I really needed dress with long sleeves that would cover up my belly (I'm a piece of one lazy fat ass, I have to start working out a bit to be the most beautiful bride in September this year!). I also love my new winter boots from my mum (used them in the blue Christmas outfit). I mentioned some time ago how difficult it was to find boots that would fit my calves. It has never been easy and as I gained some weight this year (and stopped smoking), also I used my bike regularly, so its all muscles, which means I can't just stuff my legs into the boot as I used to, getting new boots became even harder. So my mum found ones for wider calves and they look perfect. I have to live with the fact that I have fat girl boots, but it's mostly leather and they should last for some time, which is nice. 

Every year I receive some books, this year it was: 

Neil Gaiman - Black Orchid CZ (my father gets me a comic book every year!, last year he added the greatest edition of Exupery's Little prince); Etgar Keret - Suddenly, a Knock on the Door CZ (from my friend, who works at the publishing house, but picked a great book from a Jewish author - nice to see she remembers my bachelor work theme); Dawn French - A tiny bit marvellous CZ(from another friend, I am not sure if it is going to be my cup of tea, but it's a book and that matters to me, really!); Leon de Winter - The Right of Return CZ (I purchased this one in a sale for 25 CZK. Another Jewish author, yay!)

Then there's this fabulous jewelry organiser from my boyfriend (which is very clever from him, as my earrings and necklaces are always laying around!)

 It could also work as a clock, but as I have too many accessories, there is no room for the clock hands (I might make them shorter so they could work as well). I like waking up and looking at it (it is right across the room from the bed), all my pretty necklaces neatly organised, perfect!

And the best part is my very own sewing machine. See, every year I look in the shopping catalogues and see this one in Lidl. The reviews are good, the price is acceptable, but it is available only before Christmas, which is exactly when I have absolutely no such money to spend on myself. This year my Grandfather gave me and Ales 2000 CZK so we bought a Christmas present. And my love decided to give up his half of the money so I could have this beauty!

He said that at least I won't spend so much time hand-sewing, as I can now make everything much faster. I told him that now I can make much more complicated stuff, not just bags, embroidery and small things but real clothes! And that would take plenty of time.
He also got me the book I showed him, about designing fashion. Very interesting thing it is! Anyway, the sewing machine is great! My mum and grandma only have the old ones and I was never able to use the pedal right. The electric one needs no real strength to function. Also it has a lot of fancy stitches, overlock, buttonhole utility, and other things. It took me an hour to thread the needles properly but then I spent all day examining all the possibilities! Best Present Ever! Okay no, that was the foldable scooter I got from my BF for my 22nd birthday... But thanks to this machine, no one will ever see my face again! :D