festive snippets...

I figure it's not quite too late for some festive snippets from around our parts.
But you know, to make an honest confession...
this Mama was lacking this year in just a little festive cheer.
My heart was just not thumping with that full Christmas-y feeling...you know?
Perhaps my heart was still on our island?
But, don't get me wrong.
It was filled with love watching the smiles and surprise on my little one's faces and feeling the warmth of their gratefulness and pleasure.
And I'm happy our house is filled with new treasure and creative pursuits just bursting with anticipatory making!
And I am joyfully wearing my new gift that I think I may just never...ever...take off.
And there were treats and lights and shiny things.
And there were several celebratory meals.
And there was an impromptu Christmas night in our home with almost the whole neighbourhood and their friends which almost saw the sun rise.
And I am certainly aware that this festive time was indeed filled with many, many blessings.
And, considering I did not have my camera in it's usual position permanently attached to my wrist, I did manage to capture these few snippets of our time...

And with all that goodness set in memory now... I am ready for a little settling down... and letting go of this year and moving with the motion of all the big plans we have for the next.
Happy new days friends.

::: monday's summer pics :::

Week 5.
Anyone for dipping their toes?
A small taste from last week's island escape.

::: monday's summer pics :::

An early Week 4.
I think we may be in a constant state such as this for the next 5 days at least.
Cool and immersed in sea water.... salty and tasting of the ocean.
Sleeping under the stars and waking to the sound of crashing waves.
Bare feet crusted in sand and faces kissed by the sun.

filling our days

You know it hasn't been hard this week to fill in our days.
As the countdown to a certain celebration (and a much anticipated pre celebration escape!) seems to accelerate, we are achieving a lot....and a little.

This Mama has taken on some new projects...a little early for the new year but nevertheless most exciting... and this week amidst the happenings of our days I managed to achieve submitting my first assignment. I have undertaken a new venture in the form of some study again for the moment (of this ...and this for a refresher).
So amidst feelings of accomplishment after a little hard work I feel I can exhale now for a bit....for maybe the next couple of weeks until the festivities have died down and just...

be and make and prepare...

and immerse myself in the filling of our days.

The filling of our days that consists of....

watching the girl while the little one sleeps, set up with all manner of crafty supplies, make things of beauty.

(The angels are for our tree and the chicken is Daddy's Christmas gift. After all what Daddy with 7 live girls in the backyard doesn't need a lovingly made cardboard one...with eggs?)

The filling of our days that consists of...

early morning forays and discoveries in the garden...

of butterflies and kumi kumi blooms.....

of plucking giant Russian cucumbers from the vine and eating them by the slice....

And the filling of our days that consists of...

giant dreams and giant smiles.

And with that there is still more smiling and planning and preparing and dreaming to do here today and tomorrow...as we are venturing off at day break on the weekend to our little island paradise but I will be back hopefully tomorrow with an early Monday Summer Pic for you.

In the meantime, happy filling of your days....

::: monday's summer pics :::

Week 3.
Alfresco dining every evening.
The cool change and small relief that comes with a late afternoon breeze.

narnies

We're a bit *narnied* out here.
Yesterday I froze the last of our banana's that we cut down from the tree the other week. They were being eyed off for a while now by humans and critters alike and finally the day came for them to come down. Some were ready and were of course eaten straight away....others were still green and gave us a couple of more weeks of sweet goodness. But this week, and in this heat they were just ripening faster than we could eat them despite having shared hands with friends and neighbours too.
So some I just froze whole for those baking days and upcoming smoothie days (yum)....and others I sliced and froze in handy bags for a creamy cold treat whenever we feel like it.
And with the forecast today to be in the mid 30C's (just a warm one for here) I think we will be back in the paddle pool this afternoon nibbling on those very same icy lady finger delights.

::: monday's summer pics :::

Week 2.
Bags of warm summer tomatoes....from the garden of course.

the countdown

Today is the 1st day of December... and the first official day of Summer.
There is a lot to be excited about now like enjoying the true spoils of *Summeriness* and the festive season combined.
I have found some time for easy and long desired sewing and creating.
And we have consequently been decking our halls with everything handmade and Christmas-y.

The countdown begins...