Have yourself a very gourmet Christmas

As you should all know by now, I absolutely love Christmas time, especially the fact that I get a few days off to celebrate the birth of my saviour Jesus Christ!  At this time of year, I also especially love to spoil my friends and loved ones with delicious meals and desserts.  So today I'm sharing four decadent-looking recipes which are perfect for spoiling your family and friends this Christmas season.  Enjoy!

1. Cheat's vanilla star Christmas pudding ice cream sandwiches

2. Roast pork rack with cherry ginger relish

3. Christmas ploughman's pate

4. Salted caramel chocolate tart

Obstinate Janeites

As I sit here wrapping up another "obstinate girl" necklace ready to head to its new forever home, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all the Janeites out there for your overwhelming support of Two Cheeky Monkeys' Austen-inspired creations!

Here are just some of the obstinate necklaces that have headed to new homes in the past few weeks, with customers evenly divided between those who chose plain lockets and those who chose to personalise with a Czech glass bead in their favourite colour.  Let me know in the comments which option you would choose!

Etsy Made Local Melbourne Market

Hi all!!!  Just a quick reminder from me that I'll be at the Etsy Made Local market in Melbourne this coming Saturday, the 25th of November.  I'll be bringing all of our Two Cheeky Monkeys stock as well as some of our favourite Domum Vindemia pieces.  So if you're in Melbourne, please come along and enjoy some Christmas shopping in person!  The market will be held from 10am - 5pm at the Batman Market on Gaffney Street in Coburg.  See you there!!!

Boho chic cuff bangles

I have been madly re-stocking the stores and preparing for the upcoming Etsy Made Local market on November 25th, and today I wanted to show off a few brand spanking new items!  I've been making floral and literary cuff bangles for some time now, and there are finally a few new designs in-store.

These two offerings have a similar design to each other but differ in the colour schemes I've chosen and the text used for the focal point.  The orange bracelet celebrates Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe, with the orange symbolising Anne's hair and Gilbert's "carrots" insult.

The multi-coloured bracelet was an adventure in colour use for me and features darling vintage and contemporary cabochons in bright summery colours.  The central cabochon includes the inspirational "she believed she could, so she did" quote; perfect for celebrating a young lady's graduation or other achievement!  Which bangle do you prefer?

Send my love to your new lover 🎶

I wouldn't call myself a massive Adele fan, though I do like and own quite a few of her songs.  But whatever you think of her music, there's no denying that she has an amazing voice and some stirring lyrics in her works.

Which brings me to a recent bespoke order, created for a customer to give to a HUGE Adele fan as a Christmas gift.  I was commissioned to create a set of wine glass charms featuring six of the recipient's favourite lines from Adele's songs.  Do you recognise any of these lyrics?  And which lyrics would you choose for a set of wine charms?

A Two Cheeky Monkeys and Domum Vindemia Christmas Gift Guide

As the shipping deadlines for orders being sent via standard post rapidly approach, I've put together a quick Christmas gift guide to help you as you shop Two Cheeky Monkeys and Domum Vindemia this festive season.

For the kids:

Let's start with the kids, because we all know that they're most excited about presents come Christmas morning (or eve, or whenever you open presents in your family).

Domum Vindemia's storybook buntings are beloved by little ones all over the world and would also make a sweet gift for a mother-to-be this Christmas.  And for the little or tween girl who loves her bling just like her mumma, Two Cheeky Monkeys has a range of floral-inspired rings and hair accessories.

For her:

Whether you're buying for the woman who loves big, sparkly bling, an avid reader, a lover of shabby chic or the woman who loves to decorate her home, you'll find something for most tastes.

Two Cheeky Monkeys' range of vintage and book-inspired jewellery is customisable to your recipient's favourite colour or piece of literature, as are many of Domum Vindemia's homewares and accessories.

For him:

We haven't forgotten the gentlemen either!

Make sure dad or grandpa never loses his place in his latest read again with a bookmark featuring his favourite character, and snazz up your man's outfits with book-inspired or lusciously vintage cuff links.

I am now stronger

I know I've mentioned many times how much I love working on bespoke creations for customers, but that's only because it's completely true!  This past week I've had a bit of a production line going, working on a delightful custom order of six quote necklaces.

Each necklace features the inspirational words "I am now stronger".  And while I don't know who the recipients of these necklaces will be, I'm sure these words mean something significant to each of them as well as the lovely lady who commissioned the necklaces.  Are you a fan of inspirational jewellery?  What words would you feature in a locket?