End of year 'blues'

Is it just me or does anyone else feel sad at this time of year?  I think I have been dwelling on the negatives of the year - not just personal but also the natural disaster and other tragedies which we have lived through this year - and need to spend some time on remembering the positives, and there have been plenty of those.

Now is the time to look forward not back - we have many milestones to look forward to in our family in 2011 so i know it is going to be a great year.

I haven't made any resolutions yet but I will over the next few days.  One thing I am committing to is this

If you haven't taken part before - I haven't but it looks like a lot of fun - visit this site and you'll find out all the details.  Then check back here on 30th January when the fun starts.  Now I have to go find a prize to give away.

Merry Christmas

Christmas day at its best - surrounded by family, presents and love given, wrappings and ribbon tidied away, lunch eaten, wine drunk, dishes done and put away.  The sun is shining, tea will be on the deck after everyone has slept off the excess of lunch. Chicken, ham, nut roast, new potatoes, salads, pavlova, trifle and cheesecake for tea. Left-overs - what a feast.

Wishing everyone a peaceful, happy holiday season.  Time spent with loved ones and happy memories created.

Free printables

Have you seen this site - every year the amazingly talented Lisa Vollrath puts together free printables for Christmas.  I'm not sure what I am going to use them for but there are more than a few sheets which I am down-loading for later use.  Go and visit - go on, you'll love it.

Buttons and bows

Well no bows actually but buttons and beads.  I have had a lot of buttons waiting to be used - I had a bit of a button obsession a few months ago and bought them on line.  At the weekend I was catching up on the blogs I follow in Google Reader and came across this  and through that blog I found this. Light bulb moment - finally I have found a use for my buttons.  I found some seed beads which I had been saving for just the right project as well.  I threaded on all the beads and buttons before I started crocheting.  I LOVE the finished result.  What do you think?

I love that the necklace is so versatile - it can be worn short or long

Close-up

Now - I need to make some more in different colours and I might even get some made for Christmas presents.

He's making a list and checking it twice.....

Well actually it is me that has been making lists and checking them twice - then once more for good luck.  I've turned in to a list maker lately and it is becoming compulsive but then it is also helping keep some feeling of control as the festivities start to get underway.
I have a 'Food list' - for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself.  I have almost decided on the final menu.  The there is the present list - haven't ticked many items off that list yet! Then there is the card list - happy to report all cards made and ready to post tomorrow.  Some of them are below

I set myself a challenge of not buying any new supplies until I have used what is in my stash already so all of the papers have been waiting patiently to be used for some time.  Some of the papers and toppers were freebie give aways from various magazines and some I bought last year

More Christmas Traditions

There is one book which has been part of my Christmas since I was a little girl - and that is a long time!  I can almost recite the entire book word for word.  Such memorable lines:
           When what to my wondering eyses should appear
           But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer
And
           Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen
           On Comet and Cupid, On Donner and Blitzen
          To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall
          Now dash away, dash away, dash away all

It couldn't be anything other than -

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C Moore

 

  I have several different copies and every Christmas Eve my children are made to listen delight in listening to the story - again!  (Apparently it is uncool when you are a teenager to have your mother read anything to you, let alone this! They will think differently when they have children of their own one day)

We have other Christmas books which come out at Christmas time such as Dickens' A Christmas Carol - but my favourite will always be the one about " a right jolly old elf"

Christmas Traditions

I admit it - i LOVE Christmas.  I look forward to it every year and I have some favourite things which say 'Christmas' to me.  Every year there are some little rituals that I follow that all say "It's Christmas" - today I'm starting with films some of them are traditional Christmas movies such as:

Then there are the new favourites like:

And the movie that always makes my Christmas complete (although it isn't a Christmas movie):

Just call me clumsy.....

It has been a beautiful day today in the Garden City - started the day rather early, no sleep-in this Saturday  morning.  Took my youngest to cricket - had to step over a very low fence to get to the pitch and didn't quite make it.  What a klutz!!  Spent the rest of the day sitting on the couch as too painful to walk :-(

All I can think of is the number of things I have to do before Christmas

• Finish shopping for presents
• Finish Christmas decorations
• Tidy the garage (at the moment the car doesn't quite fit in it)
• Tidy up the garden
• Clean the windows

And on it goes - I didn't even get round to listing the projects I have on the go which need finishing

Oh well hopefully tomorrow my knee will be feeling a little better and I'll be a bit more mobile

If only I had time ......(there is a song in there somewhere)

There is so much inspiration around blogland at the moment.  These are a few which caught my eye.

I have to admit to attempting the first craft - found here - at the weekend. It was not successful but that is probably because I decided to do it at 11pm and I didn't have the right equipment.

The second craft is from here - I haven't tried this one but isn't he darling?  The candles - the tutorial found here - makes it look very easy.  Finally the gorgeous pinecone - found here Can't wait until I have time to make these!

What are you making for Christmas?

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.....

Now that Starbucks are selling Gingerbread lattes again it is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.  I finally got the Christmas decorations up this weekend - before and after photos say it all.

Somehow this mess will all make sense soon

Tree finished finally

 

When did my kids get too old to want to help decorate?  I was a wee bit sad that they didn't want to help - but I enjoyed it anyway,  with some suitable music playing, I had a walk down memory lane as I unpacked each ornament.

Some of my favourites.
What makes you feel Christmassy?  Yesterday I went to my son's schools annual Christmas Carol service - it is always a lovely part of the lead up to Christmas.

It's Been How long?

April?  How did that happen.  Well actually I know how it happened - I started a new job in April (working for an emergency service call centre) - it was a very rewarding job but the stress robbed me of any creative inclinations.  I didn't really create anything while I was there - the only creativity I was able to muster was to bake.  But sometimes that was even beyond me - I was working shift work including nights.

I made the decision to resign from that job - primarily so I could spend more time with my family but also because I missed and important part of me - my mojo!  I started a new job last week after 3 weeks break and I have felt the creative juices beginning to flow.  I've started making collages again - it feels great.  These are two that I have done - I have some more on the way that I am making for Christmas presents.

 Note to self - work on photography skills!  Any how - I hope there is still someone out there who will stumble across my little corner of Blogland - leave me a comment if you find me here.  I'll be posting more regularly now that my mojo has come home again :-)

Easter

A glorious Good Friday here in the Garden City - been outside all day weeding and having a general tidy up before Autumn finally arrives.

I made Hot Cross Buns for the first time today - used a recipe from here which I tweaked a little.  I added cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, grated orange and lemon rind, and sultanas instead of currants.  They turned out fantastic - even my dried fruit hating son gobbled them up.

Happy Easter everyone - if you are driving near or far - take care, don't be one of the statistics.

Oops - bad blogger

I can't believe it has been so long since I have blogged.  It seems to correspond with the time I started to look for a new job - it just sucked the mojo right out of me!  Now that I have a new job (starting in 10 days time) I am beginning to feel the reawakening of creativity - not sure how much time I'm going to have but I will have do as much as I can before I start.

In the meantime I have been playing around with the new layouts Blogger has released - very pretty.  I love the colour of this one, although I might have a play round with some more.

Went to see this rather fabulous movie tonight.  Tim Burton sure has a colourful imagination - and even with red hair and crazy eyes Johnny Depp still has a certain something about him!

My 12 year old and I went to see the movie - it is always good to be able to spend some one on one time with him, I know it won't last much longer as he enters his teens.  I also enjoyed it as it is pure fantasy, very colourful and creative, crazy!!

Words to live by

Instead of making New Year resolutions - which after years of experience, I know I won't keep - I thought about making something which was visual and would be more meaningful.  I made this from a 12x12 canvas, with scrunched up tissue paper glued to it (use gel medium), painted and then the appropriate words stamped on some tags I had.  I then glued these to the canvas, made a heading and attached it. Voila!  The words I have chosen are Dare, Laugh, Live, Love, Wish,  Dream, Create, Inspire, Believe.
The first photo shows the true colours, the second is the hanging on my wall

I've been planning this for a couple of weeks and I am really pleased how it turned out.  Now I'll have to see if it actually inspires me......

First Project for Twenty - Ten

I came across this post on Ali Edwards blog last week.  It got me to thinking and I have chosen 'Believe' as my word for this year as a reminder to Believe in myself as well as my children and others. 
I had some spare time this afternoon and I made this plaque from some board and Basic Grey monograms I had.  It is hanging over my work table now so it will remind me everytime I look at it to Believe.