What can I say about 2011? After last year, it certainly was welcome relief. It's actually been a little strange, surreal even, for me. This year saw me head to France, something that I have longed for, dreamed for, most of my life. I've felt weird since coming home and have never really understood why. Does this happen to most people when their only dream comes true? France always seemed like that dream that could just never come true, and when it did, left me feeling a little flat. So it's taken a little while to get over, if that makes sense! I felt that this year I wanted to make some changes in my life, reduce some clutter, find my way, and stop sweating the small stuff. I feel I've done that. I faced the first year hurdle of losing my beloved pets, China and Max, and have found love in some new furry additions to the family. I starting making quilts and bunnies again after what seemed like the biggest break ever (and I actually had thought I would never make them again) and really enjoyed it. I've made a great new friendship with a like minded blogger who I am so glad moved so very close to me. And in the last few weeks I've really had a good think about what I want to achieve for myself and my family this next year and it feels really good. I've also come to realise that I'm probably the most contented I have been in a very, very long time. I've always been a happy and positive person, but it really takes a lot of effort to achieve that, this year it has almost felt like a weight has lifted and I'm finally in a place where it just isn't as hard work to be that happy positive person, I just am.
I'm really looking forward to the next year. My eyes are open and things are clear. Thanks for stopping by all year, it has really meant a lot. I hope that 2012 is kind to all of us, happy new year everyone!
XX
image found here
This is it! We've survived the countdown to Christmas!
I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Hug your loved ones, have lots of fun, and most of all, stay safe, we want you all back here again after Christmas.
lots of love,
Selina (and Millie!)xx
Normally by this time I have done a lot more Christmas baking than I have this year! Is it just me or has this year just flown by, I feel like I've hardly had time to scratch myself!
Anyway, I had some time spare on Monday, it's usually a day that I work but the rosters got changed around for the Christmas trading, so it kind of felt like I'd been given a day off that I didn't want to waste, so I set to baking. I made these yummy cranberry almond shortbreads that I haven't made for a couple of years but is always a hit. Recipe here. And I also made a little White Christmas that I had wanted to make last year but for the life of me couldn't find plain old Turkish Delight! As soon as I spotted it this year I bought several packets, and what do you know, I haven't seen it since! Weird! Though for this you don't really need a recipe, here is one from Donna Hay.
So that's probably all I'll mange to bake this year. I have wanted for several years now to make a gingerbread house and haven't had much success the last two years I had a go, so this year I bought myself a gingerbread house kit. Hopefully it will be fool proof, I'll let you know how I go!
I grabbed myself this little Christmas gift the other day when out buying presents for others.
At this price, I couldn't resist! I see some very sweet me-made clothes happening in the new year!
I saw these and could not resist! Every time I see them they remind me of you Car!
Can you believe that Jennie made this just for me? I really have no words. This was the most beautiful and unexpected gift I think I have ever received. Thank you does not even begin to cover it Jen. I love her to bits. And I think her name is Mathilda, what do you think?
I think Bazza is pretty impressed too.
Go and check out Jennie's pics here. They are much cuter than mine!
Well today I think I have finally finished up all my Christmas decorating. The finishing touches being the trees, reindeers and baubles in vintage comports on top of my cupboard. I do normally like to keep all my Christmas stuff grouped together but this year I had decided to spread things out, until Monty reminded me that he is indeed a naughty little kitten. Sigh. So things are up high and out of his reach. Remind me again when kittens grow out of these things?!
Back on day two of the Advent blog-a-long I mentioned how I wanted to go for a bit of a French themed Christmas (with a little vintage twist, as I'm partial to doing!) in terms of gift wrap and tags. That kind of all went out the window once I spotted this awesome Christmas paper at Spotlight, and only $2 a roll too, another Spotlight Christmas Miracle!
So I had a bit of a trawl around the internet looking for Frenchy type printable gift tags that I though might match my super cute paper, and I think I have done fairly well! I found this free printable here, isn't it sweet?!
And wrapping paper and gift tags are sorted! Phew!
Oops again! I missed two days this time!
So I went to my work Christmas do last night, wearing the apple. I loved the idea of a pavlova-like creation, but I'm usually a fairly subdued sort of personality and I didn't think I could quite pull something like that off. This however, I rocked. It's amazing what some pva and 5 minutes can produce! I don't really have any good photos of me wearing it last night, you'll just have to take my word for it!
modeled here reluctantly by Miss 14. oh, and it actually does look a lot better in real life!
Oops, sorry Car! I missed a day!
Anyway, moving on. Today Mum and I went for a little coffee and antiquing date this morning (forgot to take photos! next time...), then somehow wound up at Spotlight. I was looking for different bits and pieces to finish up a couple of projects when we noticed that all Christmas was 50% off! Both Mum and I are a sucker for Christmas, and for a bargain, so we had a little rummage around.
And seriously, look what I found! A box of baubles with The Twelve Days of Christmas on them!
And look at the French Hens! Swoon! And for just over $1 a bauble, it was a Christmas Miracle!
The End.
Ok crafty bloggers, I need your help with this one. We have these gorgeous wreaths at work that have these little polystyrene apples and berries on them. They are just beautiful. When I was at work yesterday I was tidying up and found one of the little apples had fallen off a wreath (or possibly some garland, not sure) and my boss said to just throw it in the bin. What! It's too cute, I had to keep it. My boss thought I was nuts, why would I want it. I immediately stuck it on my head and she cracked up. Now, here is where I need some help. Our work Christmas do is on Saturday night and I want to fashion this little apple into a head piece of some sort to either prove how awesome I am, or how much of a dick I really am. Either way is fine with me.
So, hit me, what do I do with this apple? Add some feathers maybe?? I really am serious, please help!
Well, these guys are it. The last of the custom orders for 2011. Hopefully their recipients are happy with them come Christmas morning! The thing I love about making these guys is the therapeutic nature of stuffing them gets me in the zone so much that I drift off a bit and stare at my chenille hoard collection and start thinking up new colour combinations for bunnies and quilts as well. With putting together three at once there was plenty of time for chenille contemplation! I have a feeling over the Christmas break there may be some bunnies breeding like, well, like bunnies I guess!
Blogging a little later again today, I've been at work all day! Argh!
Thought I'd join in with Flea Market Finds for today's post. I picked up a few bags of vintage Christmas decorations for 50c each during the week to add to a few I picked up last year. I have visions of making one of those beautiful vintage bauble wreaths. I would absolutely love one made from old glass baubles, but have never been able to find them in opppies here, I think it must be more of an American thing. So satin baubles will have to do. Satin baubles are more from my era anyway, I'm vintage 70's myself! Here's hoping I have enough in my collection , and I get enough time to make one this year!
Join in with the Advent blog-a-long here.
Bit late tonight in blogging as I wanted to show off our Christmas lights! I'm not one for lots of flashy stuff, very low key here, but it still makes me smile!
The tree is also all up, though looking quite sparse. I forgot what it's like to have a kitten in the house at Christmas time! In the first hour we already had a bauble casualty, so all the really precious (or really breakable) ones have come off.
Joining in with Vic too for my place and yours.
excuse the slightly dodgy photos, there were taken with my phone.
And I thought for day 2, as it's Friday, why not go for a little Friday French Favourites!
I've been thinking about wrapping, cards and gift tags for Christmas and thought this year I might like to go a little French inspired. I'm sure if I looked hard enough there might be some free printables out there on the internet, but for now my searching has been limited to etsy.
First up, why not print out your own cards and match the tags and paper with some vintage sheet music. I could see this matched nicely with simple brown paper, something Mr Vintage just won't let me do, he loves to stifle my creativity!
found here.
There is also these very pretty gift tags in blue. Nice to add a different colour to your Christmas rather than the traditional red and green.
found here.
And for a little more traditional tags, these very pretty ones that could even be used for Valentines as well.
found here.
Here's another printable that you could use on your Christmas table. Fill the cones with little favours for each place setting, very nice. Or you could even use them for an Advent calendar.
found here.
And finally this set of 4 Christmas cards. Those French hens just kill me!
found here.
I'll be doing a bit more searching I think. I really like the idea of a Frenchy themed Christmas, hopefully I don't run out of time! Sometimes the best ideas hit me with only a couple of days left until Christmas and not enough time to do it in!
Come and sign up here for the Advent blog-a-long!
Do you have the tradition of putting up your Christmas tree and decorations on the 1st of December? In this house we have always done it, and with just the 3 of us in the house it makes for some nice family bonding time together. Over the years we have collected some weird and wonderful decorations that some (thankfully!) have not stood the test of time and have had to be thrown out. But somehow this hideous Yowie Santa just keeps on finding his way into the mix. Actually it's kind of the family "in" joke. Miss 14 found him in a Yowie candy (are they still around?) when she was only about 3 and the Mr insisted he had to be put on the tree. Over the years he has got higher and higher on the tree until last year he made it all the way to the top. A very big part of me would love to have the perfectly colour co-ordinated and styled tree, but then that would mean Yowie Santa would have to go. And we can't have that now can we.
And with that, the official countdown has begun!
Come and join in here with the Advent blog-a-long!
I'd been saying to customers at work this last week about how organised everyone seemed this year in getting ready for Christmas and how early they were all buying their presents. I was getting some weird looks and wasn't quite sure why. Then yesterday I thought I would count down the sleeps until Christmas to see if I could bolster my sales for the day. In counting down it hit me. Holy crap! Now I know why I was getting weird looks, there is now only 26 sleeps people! It's time for me to get moving!
The lovely Car from carrose-creations is once again hosting the Advent-blog-a-long and I for one am in! I know this is a really busy time of year, and maybe blogging the countdown everyday until Christmas seems like a daunting task (though if you miss a day or two no one is going to blame you!) but it's also nice to take that little bit of time everyday to sit down, document your Christmas makings, maybe share a Christmas recipe or two, share some of the crafty presents you've found from other bloggers or crafty websites, or just have a little vent if you like! It's all in good fun! Do you think maybe we could make this as big as blogtoberfest? Let's give it a try! Pop over to Car's blog and let her know you're in, she'd love to have you!
See you back here on the 1st!
If you're looking for something to do tomorrow (Sunday the 27th Nov) in the Ipswich/Brisbane area, why not head out to Wolston House at Wacol for their annual Christmas fair. There will be a couple of art/craft stalls, trash and treasure (which, incidentally, is where I found this treasure a few years ago), food and entertainment.
It starts at 11am and is open until 4pm. Entry is adults at childrens prices, $4. Tour the grounds and house, stay for a devonshire tea and come and say hi to me and my Mum!
Some of the biggest reasons I love this crafty blogging community is for the friendships, the inspiration and the generosity. There is one of these bloggers who fills all of those categories (and many more), Ms CurlyPops. I was on the twitter, admiring her gorgeous range of Go Granny cushions (the grey one in particular) when next thing, in my letterbox was a Go Granny cushion panel, in grey, for me to make my very own! As a "get well soon" present! I truly love that woman!
I thought with such a beautiful panel it really deserved a well made backing, so once again I cheated a little. I bought one of the clearance cushions from work with a lovely black cotton drill backing and well placed zip, unpicked the back from the front and put it all back together again, et voila, my very own Go Granny cushion! And it only took me about 15 minutes and no swearing about zip installation!
Well, it is all getting very exciting now! Betty's Place is set to open this week and Betty and a few little quilts are currently winging their way to join the party! Be nice to me Melbourne, I've put some of my most favourite chenille in these little baby quilts, some I may never get again!
Meet Betty! You've no idea how good it felt to get back in the bunny making saddle again, it has been a while! It's also been a while since I have sold my wares in a retail space, but that's where Betty is headed, to Betty's Place.
Betty's Place is a fabulous new shop opening up in Melbourne next week, and I will be selling a few things there. I'll be madly finishing up little quilts on the weekend to send down to make sure they're all there for the launch party next Thursday. Hopefully I haven't left it too late, Australia Post have been a little crazy with their posting lately! If I post express Monday, surely it will get there by Thursday?!
Well, it seems I may have gone and done something I swore black and blue I would never, ever do. Yep. I joined facebook. Still trying to figure out how to actually work the jolly thing, but I am over there, here to be exact, and looking for "likers". Don't keep me waiting too long. I may just cry.
Wow! I can not believe how long it has taken me to finish this custom order! One thing I have learned from putting this huge thing together is that I am just not capable of making something this big anymore.
This is the biggest quilt I have made (a super king size) and it was just so exhausting! Anyway, it's done now and I'm very happy with how it turned out, hopefully the client is even happier!
