christmas chill 2012

the only chill to be had in Perth on Christmas Day was in our pool or indoors!  The xmas decorations were up, the food was prepared, the lights were twinkling, the presents were wrapped....  What a delightful day to spend with the kids -giving and receiving, laughing, eating, swimming and feeling thankful, lucky and very content...

Now it is all over for another year as we find relief from the heat by any means available....

alan ...... or is it steve....

Adelaide Zoo - what fun we all had on a day visiting Adelaide Zoo.  We took so many photos and saw busy animals.  Scary lions roared fiercely at us as we waited patiently at the fence to watch them devour their lunch.. (in minutes).  There was a hungry tiger dining on horse meat....and flappy fairy penguins with their herring banquet to visit after we gazed thoughfully at the hairy orange orangutangs grazing through vegies for lunch.  The Giant Pandas were delightful and quickly keen for nanna naps after an active morning.  The flamingoes stood on 2 legs....what's going on with that? Perhaps they do get tired after all?  We all laughed at the meerkats on a misson as to which one was Alan and which one might have been Steve....  Some family time to just enjoy the day and each others company.

white wedding

 

16.12.2012  ...weddings are a new beginning......  Good luck to the elegant bride and our handsome man, we wish you all the best in your future you have committed to spend together.  Thank you for sharing.  I wish you good health, smiles and happy memories together as husband and wife.  XXX

christmas cookies

I have been busy this week (nothing unusual....) and squeezed in a little time to make some cookie jars for a xmas gift. What do you give someone who you don't know very well but want to give a little xmas cheer to?   ....christmas cookie jar with recipe and ingredients...  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

year 6 finale

no more primary school for this little black duck!

singapore or bust

This trip to Singapore for A and me was a final celebration in a lot of ways of all the years she has spent upside down and doing push ups in the gym.  For 6 years she has spent hours of her time with gymnastics.  She has made some wonderful friends and so have I....  This competition in Singapore was the last hurrah.... NDP5, 2nd on Beam, 3rd on Floor, 4th All Around Individual and Team first for Spirit Gymsports!  Well Done!  so proud of you.....

Melbourne birthday treat

4 nights, 1 x 80's party, 1 x 10th birthday......lots of fun and lovely memories during another flying visit to see family over East.  Smiley had a lovely surprise that I was taking her to Melbourne to celebrate her 10th Birthday.  She felt very lucky and had a wonderful time.  Madonna had an awesome party too!!  my roller skates were killing me after 4 hours but I did manage to dance in them AND..... I did manage to fall over once! LOL!

 

Yep...things are looking up.....smiley and I rearranged her bedroom last weekend!  She was just delighted to have a change and I was just as delighted to get rid of all that extra 'Stuff'....with a capital 'S'!!!  It felt so refreshing. Luckily most of the spring clean was driven by a little fairy!!!  Thanks Nicola. The little miss would never have listened to her mother.  What would the world be coming to, if a 9 year old listened to their mother!  Even the Max cat was impressed!

Times....they are a changin'....

The time is coming next year for my oldest to leave primary school and move on to high school. She has a head start this semester moving to her new school early, joining theYear 6's and getting to know them before the big change to high school.  Someone left the school and a position became vacant so she is embracing the opportunity.  She leaves behind a gorgeous group of friends which all have a special memory in her heart.  Times.......they are a changin'.......

THE Farm...

everyone loves THE farm. Our escape from the world only 1 1/2 hrs up the hwy.  Got to love it!! Nirranda Farmstay  and our friends Gail and Shayne.  A whole, entire week!! Bonfire, sewing, walking and sleeping.  There is also the dust and hum of boys toys and sheep following each other from paddock to paddock with us steering them in the general direction.  Why is it on a farm when something is finished with, it just stays there and over time turns to dust?  I took some memories on my new camera.....

Early morning peace....

hours of entertainment...

and the locals.....

fabric buttons

I have been busy studying.... no creating....  but I have been dreaming though.... I have a project in mind and this is as far as I have got, to date.  I bought a fabric button kit from Pink Chalk Fabrics and some linen from Calico & Ivy and am inspired by the Perth Craft and Quilt Fair  from my visit a couple of weeks ago.....  oh, to have 48hrs in a day!! 

Anzac Day

For all the memories of yesterday......Lest We Forget....

the next step

The walls are painted, the cupboard door is on, the hooks are up, and so are the floor tiles in part.

The desk is in..... oh happy, happy!!



the last of many...

The last Primary Interschool swim carnival for First Born.... it makes you stop and think.....to reminisce.... to cherish the moment.... time is flying by...

tryathlon

Yep....'First born' still won't sit still...... Got to love it!  x

Orange-possum

I finished my scrappy, leftover, orange-possum cushion today.  It felt very refreshing to finish a project! It was also divine to enjoy spending 5 hrs to myself, to unwind with my sewing.  I now also have a plan.... for my next quilting achievement thanks to some inspiration from a new friend.  Bring on the cold weather, that I will enjoy being shut away in my little sewing abode.....aaahhh for the hummmmm of a sewing machine.

Wednesday's Owls

It has been so long since I have done any quilting!! I am off to visit a new friend tomorrow to start a new project. My mind is spinning with choices of what to do! I finished the lovely Wednesday's Owls from www.hotpossum.com for my little niece CC turning 1 last month. The little prem baby growing so fast now.  So cute....

Canoes on Swan

Smiley, the youngest, had canoeing on the glorious Swan River yesterday evening..... while I had fun with my new camera!  Oh I wish I can remember more often to stop, slow down, look around....and enjoy being here....

ready, set, go.....

Here we are again at the swimming carnivals....go Durack, go Green..... so wonderful to see the team spirit of support from the kids.... and so much fun!!!

Hooked...

I have always been a bit partial to coat racks, hooks and the like.  I think it must be the sense of organisation that it creates when items that might normally end up on a chair or the floor, can find a new home on a coat rack. I have a lovely new coat rack on my lovely new wall.  I spend alot of time these days, when walking around our house, commenting on the simple things I love as we create a home. My newest one......I love my coat rack!

Big Red

Record breaking tomatoes!! This summer the vegies have flourished...nothing to do with me I'm afraid. We have a Grosse Lisse tomato in hubby's crop of over 1/2kg!! WOW!  Check it out.  It is so perfect that I am going to put a photo of it on the wall in our kitchen, above the oven. Our oven too is new......Oh the simple pleasures of something that works so beautifully!

lucky finds

I have added to my growing list of projects for 2012. A perfectly functional sewing table came my way over the weekend. More exciting ideas to paint and create items from my resourcefulness.......or junk as my hubby would interpret....

xmas mayhem..

I am such a terrible blogger..... it always seems to be on the bottom of my list of priorities.... well I wasn't being idle at least. I did a marathon baking session that included these little wonders..... I even impressed myself at how cute they look!.