Christmas Day 2009......

Decorating

A table ready to share......

Christmas Dinner........

With Family.......

And some fun afterwards........

Hoping all my friends who visit here have had a most wonderful and Happy Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve.........

Christmas Eve has arrived here and I think I might finally be organised.  I have to go into work for just three hours this morning and then our office is closed until the 4th January.  I am so looking forward to the time off.  We are headed to the beach, so long walks on the beach will definately be part of my day as from Sunday.

Christmas decorating began over a month ago now. With Cameron going away, we put the tree up when we had a little family get together for him.  My beautiful boy is well and truly on my mind this morning.  He is headed to New York for Christmas.  With the horrendous weather they have been having and the normal Christmas mayhem, I hope he has arrived safely. 

Christmas decorating has been very much more simple this year.  I really couldn't bear the thought of putting it all away either on Boxing Day before we go away or having it all still waiting for me when we return from the beach.  One tree, instead of five and just some simple bits and pieces around.  I hope next year will be a little different though as we adjust to our new life.

It was still lovely though to unpack my beautiful Christmas pieces that I have made over the years.  Sometimes it feels like it was in another lifetime that I made some of these things.

I finally made some of these very yummy little treats.  A packet of Chocolate Royales with their fluffy marshmallow middles, some melted white chocolate, Red mini M & M's and Green snakes cut into little leaves. Tah Dah - little Christmas Puddings!  My work collegues and the people next door thought these were great!

A roast dinner is planned for tomorrow,  all the shopping is done (I think!), so when I get home today I will start preparing the table decorations, crockery etc.   I am doing main course and my sister-in-law is doing dessert. 

I hope everyone's preparations are coming along well without too much stress.  A very Happy Christmas Eve to everyone..... that is when my friends in the northern hemisphere catch up to us!!

Boys Toys..........

Yesterday was huge.  We travelled to the Gold Coast to pick up BJ's new toy, well, boat at least!!  I had no idea that he ordered anything near this big - so surprised is probably an understatement!! 

Mitchell was at work all day, so missed out on the outing. 

The best bit of the day for me was a walk on the beach, although windy and cloudy, it was lovely to walk on the sand and get my feet wet in the ocean.  One more week today and we will head to the beach for a lovely week of rest.

The boys are dreaming big fish and Alexandra is hoping Daddy can pull one of those big water tyres behind the boat and have fun in the water!!

And as for me - I feel sea sick just thinking about it!

Lovely Outings.........

Do you feel the excitement?

I am blogging regularly AND I've been to two lovely places on the weekend!!

We went for a nice little outing yesterday afternoon, another beautiful shop called The Complete Garden and another little drive out to Highfields - just to show BJ "Christmas Ideas".......

 Hint, Hint - I hope he caught on!!!!  

The beautiful treat above was shared for afternoon tea.   Delightful......

 I could get used to weekends like this.

Simple Things Small Joys.........

Yesterday Alexandra and I ventured out into the madness that is pre-Christmas shopping to try to achieve some gift shopping.  First stop was the hardware store to take care of some of the male variety of our family.  After this was achieved we made our way to Highfields, a lovely little village on the edge of the mountain range near our city.  Two lovely ladies have opened a delightful shop there.......

Can you guess who?

Of course, the lovely Cathy Penton of Simple Things Small Joys and the equally delightful Angela Osment of Chelsea Blue Whispers.  What a wonderful way to Christmas shop.  The shop is as I thought it would be - stunning!  When I find and visit truly beautiful places like this my head spins and I find it hard to concentrate - what to choose, what to look at first!!  I am taking BJ back this afternoon to have a coffee at this lovely little centre and of course visit Simple Things Small Joys again!!

Even down to the most beautiful packaging and a beautiful little surprise in my bag when I got home - a beautifully presented postcard.

So really, my shopping wasn't at all stressful.  I chose some lovely gifts from some lovely people and only had to face the chaos of the large shopping centre for such a short time.

Thank you Angela and Cathy for providing such a beautiful shop!  I hope your venture is both successful and enjoyable for you.  Blessings to you both.

Cameron's Day......

Look who Cameron found in Vancouver today.......

A very cool Santa in a little house in the snow.......

He even had reindeer outside the door.

Now that's a visit to Santa!

December so far......

The month is just flying by.  The extreme heat and dry weather we are experiencing here is making it very hard to feel like preparing for Christmas at all.  I have made a little start though.  I made Christmas cakes last weekend and have finally started shopping for some gift.  Alexandra and I are going today, so hopefully we can fight our way through the crowds and find something nice for our family.

Yesterday my day started like this........

Drive-Through coffee on the way to work......

And ended like this.........

Mitchell has been working full time at Woolworths, but had yesterday off,  my beautiful boy cooked dinner for us.  What a lovely surprise on a Friday night.  Thanks Mitchell.

Cameron is having a wonderful adventure on his trip.  So far he has seen LA, Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle and is now in Vancouver.  He has been uploading to his Facebook page, so it is lovely to see him as goes along.  Skype is also a wonderful way we've been staying in touch.

Some bunnies have been made and also a little other stitching which will be gifts for family, so won't share it here.  One is an order and the others will probably be for sale. 

The weekend is stretching out before me, and I am so looking forward to it.  I just pray that we are sent some rain soon and a respite from the awful heat we have been experiencing.

Adventure.......

How did this boy suddenly become a young man on a world adventure?  I'm not sure because I am sure it was just five minutes ago that he was born on a cold winters night by emergency C-Section under a general anesthetic!!!!!

Cameron rang this morning at 3.40 a.m. to say he had arrived safely in LA, the first stop of his eight week around the world adventure.  I am a total mess - partly scared witless and partly so jealous it's not funny!!  I will pray for his safety and his safe return and I'm sure the 23rd January will be here before I know it, but in that time he will travel across the USA, have Christmas and New Year in New York, travel onto London and Paris and then return home via Singapore.

Clean Up........

Where did October go?  November here already is almost too hard to believe!! 

If I had been told at the beginning of this year all that it would hold, I truly wouldn't have believed anyone.  My life has certainly taken such a change of direction.  My "new" job was certainly something I will forever put down to experience!!  Hence, I am no longer working in Optometry!  Long story, better left unsaid I think!!

The exciting news is that I have a new position, that I will begin on Wednesday this week, with a Solicitor in the role of Receptionist/Secretary.  This is the type of position I was really hoping for when I began searching for work after the sale of our business.  I am really looking forward to this position as it entails much more administration work, which I hope I will find so much more interesting than looking behind people's ears to see if their spectacles fit!!!! 

Can you guess what we did on the weekend?

Our front and back verandas' were an absolutely disgusting filthy mess.  After a long dry winter and three dust storms, my beautiful cream house was a dusty shade of red!!  It was so bad that no one was even attempting to spend any time outside regardless of the weather!!!

What a job!  Everything except the big table was taken either downstairs or inside.  We washed for a couple of hours and then the decks were both oiled.  It took almost all day.  Sunday I put it all back together.

This is the view I now see from the living/eating room.  Much better!

I am so glad I had the couch cover made to be removeable and washable, it came up beautifully.  I had such a fun time making my bolster cushion covers too!  I am really please with how they turned out.

Mum & I had a lovely day out today.  Since my Eleanor and Ruby stall, I was approached by the Gallery in Goombungee, which is a little town nearby, to sell my goods there.  What a lovely surprise!  I made the delivery today and the lady there took all my remaining stock.  She is so confident that it will sell!!  I hope so!  That would be a bonus on top of my successful stall.  I will hopefully continue to make some bits and pieces to sell in the future. 

After Goombungee we travelled through Meringandan and onto Highfields.  The new little shops are coming along and looks like they should be opening very soon - that will be a fun visit next time I hope.   Our last stop of the day was Bunnings for the lovely new little plants that you saw above.  All in all a lovely day out!

E & R Success.....

I ended up with a fantastic result from my stall last weekend.  Most people really loved my style and goods.  It was very encouraging.

I have had an offer to sell my goods at a local Gallery, so will hopefully get organised with that soon.

I worked my first Saturday morning in my new job this weekend.  It went well, and made for a very long weekend.  I seemed to achieve heaps.

My desk is finally clear for the first time in a very long time!!  Woe betide anyone who mucks it up!!!

I am almost finally free of the shop office work.  Our tax return is almost done, do then I can pack up everything for good.

I've really achieved heaps this weekend and it feels so good.  I am looking forward to hopefully getting something done in my studio soon.  I am soooooo missing my sewing!!

Alexandra has been away for the last week visiting Canberra on her school trip.  She had a lovely time, but glad to be home I think!!  She had a lovely time this weekend making a little quilt of her own.  Her very first attempt. 

Off to tidy another dumping ground, where all sort of things seem to accumulate and I can't look at it any longer!!

Pittsworth Craft & Fine Food.......

What a fantastic couple of days I've had selling my goods.  Lots of fun.  So many lovely people buying goods from me.  I am so pleased.

I only remembered to take a picture late this morning after I had already sold lots of things. 

It's funny how the things I thought would be really popular haven't sold at all and others have disappeared so quickly.  The Vintage Doiley magnets and the Pushpins have been a great seller but my beautiful gardening aprons haven't sold at all!  Bags are also going really well too!!

My feet are tired!! But, really looking forward to another day tomorrow!!  It would be lovely to sell just a few gardening aprons - so here's hoping!!!

Fine Food and Craft.......

What a busy weekend I have had.  Thursday night sees the opening of the Pittsworth Craft and Find Food Spectacular at which I have a stall booked.

The quality of the pics is a bit dodgy, but hopefully you can see what I have been up to.  I love the magnets pictures above.  They are a huge button covered with vintage doiley pieces.  I hope the customers love them too.   I really enjoyed making the "Vintage Pillowcase Dresses" too.  So much fun.  I just wish my Alexandra was little enough to wear one.

These little pushpins too were heaps of fun to make.  I used "Hannah Bella" fabric for them.  On Friday night I had such fun making the packaging for my goods.  I hope they look OK!

I finished stitching at 11 last night.  I had bought fabric to make another 10 "Le Jardin" Gardening Aprons and then got my job.  So the aprons had been on hold.  There are another few things I did have planned, but not sure if they will get done before Thursday or not.  Back to school and a very busy week for everyone.

If you live on the Darling Downs or in Toowoomba  (or further afield) it will be really worth a drive to Pittsworth (about 25 minutes from Toowoomba) this weekend.  The Craft and Fine Food Spectacular is always a great visit and the weekend will see the local garden competition and also an Australian Open Garden as well.   

Best get on with the morning now and get to work. 

Dust & Flowers.......

What a few weeks of busyness we have had at our place!!  Work is settling into a nice routine.  I'm not as tired and the job itself is quite easy now I have the hang of it all.  I'm not sure about the checking behind people's ears to adjust spectacles though!!!  YUK! 

Our Carnival of Flowers is over for another year.  We won a second place in the Semi Advanced section this year.  Our garden was open for nine days to the public.  Being a little out of the city always means not many people venture our way.  A little disappointing really for all the work that goes into it all.  We won some cash and also a two night holiday at a lovely resort, so that was a lovely surprise.



We still haven't had any rain and the effects are really starting to take hold.  We are reaching desparation point as our tanks are nearly empty.  There is some rain predicted for during the week.  So, here's hoping.

Since my last post we have endured three dust storms.  This was the first, pictured above.  It was horrendous.  Since then we have had another two, not quite as bad but still awful.  The outside is a mess, and of course no water means no cleaning up.  Some people are saying all this dust must mean good rain on the way and the end of the drought.  I hope they are right!!

It's been awhile......

It seems to long since my last post.  So much has happened.  Spring has well and truly sprung and the garden is looking quite beautiful.

The veges are really romping along.  I've been able to pick lettuce so far.  It is so nice to have fresh vege that you know haven't been sprayed with who knows what.

The biggest news for today is that I have finally gained employment.  I have been working full time for a little over a week now at an Optometrist practice.

On the first day, after a couple of hours I seriously thought of packing up and going home.  My head was just spinning!!!  A fully computerised booking system and so many different types of lenses and contacts!! 

It all makes so much more sense after just the first week, so I am sure I will get the hang of it in no time.

Off to wash my car and water some gardens in the lovely Spring sunshine. 

A happy weekend to everyone!

A Garden View....

Just a few little pics of the downstairs area after a tidy up and rearrange on the weekend.

An old ladder and bag cart.

I love the ornamental kale.  Such pretty colours.

The weather has turned ridiculously hot for the end of August.  It should be still freezing.  I wonder what the rest of the season will bring.  Where did Spring go?  I want Spring before Summer. 

Different Idea....

I have decided to give Etsy a miss at the moment. I have created a new Shoppe - Eleanor and Ruby.

I have finally listed a couple of handbags there tonight - what a process - I think I have the hang of the button thingy now!!! ( wonder if it even works)!

If you would like to have a look at the first two items go here.

More to come - I hope!!

Vintage Pillowcase Dresses.......

Twelve little Vintage Pillowcase Dresses made in the past couple of days. Sizes 6 months through to 3 years. Soooooo cute!! Just wish my baby was still that small.

It's so warm today a little one could almost wear one already. Definately very Spring like today. So dry though, the garden is beginning to sizzle and the water is disappearing fast. I so hope it rains soon.

Off to enjoy some more Saturday fun now.......

Lily.....

Beautiful Lilys from the supermarket this week.

They were tight buds and have burst open in the last 24 hours.

Love the stamens!!

The perfume divine!!

Such a Spring like day here today. I hope it's here to stay!

This Week......

I have been having a lovely time in the sewing room making lots of new bags. If all goes well I will be putting some things into my Etsy shop hopefully before our Internet usage disappears for the month.

I had one huge cutting session yesterday afternoon, so onto the stitching. I so enjoy my time I get sewing.



Now, could someone please explain something to me. The people who live behind us have just recently moved in. They quite obviously are both at work all day and then never make it outside even on the weekends. Now my problem is this. Why do people like this get a puppy, not one but two. These puppies never get played with, walked or bathed. They must be getting fed, but that's about it. Now, these little fellows must be bored out of their brains. They are chewing everything in sight. Yesterday, they dug under our fence and hauled this 20 metres of dripper line completely onto their side and by the time we found it, they had chewed every fitting on it.



I brought it to these people's attention this morning. They were embarrassed and most helpful in wanting to help fix it BUT I still don't understand!!! Rant over!!!!

The pots are coming along beautifully. Hundreds of little buds. I am picking them off at the moment but will let them run into a riot of colour in the next couple of weeks. I still have them all grouped together for ease of watering. Can't wait to "decorate" the outside with them!

I had a heap of fun at the garden centre one morning this week. This little corner was very untidy and ordinary. I had a great time choosing some plants and redoing this area. It has a very purple theme now. Polygala, viola, status and dianthus.

I love primula and have planted heaps of them. Look at these little lovelies just putting up their first flowers.

We've had two birthdays here in the last week. Alexandra turned 12 last Thursday. She had a lovely day and really enjoyed her very big girl gifts - a Pandora bracelet and a Country Road bag. Both very special things that she so wanted.

Yesterday Mitchell turned sweet 16. My beautiful boy is growing up too quickly. Here in Australia he was eligible to try for his Learners Permit. He missed out yesterday, but was successful today. I think they should provide a years worth of hair colours for the mothers of these children. I will be grey for sure with this one behind the wheel. I think he wants his first lesson this afternoon!! Now he has to complete one year with 100 hours of logged driving practice before he can go for his practical test. Good in lots of ways, an absolute pain in many others. Mitchell has also just signed a School based apprenticeship in baking. He will go to school four days each week and then to work one day to begin his trade.

Off to get my boy off the bus now - and have that first driving lesson!!!