Stars, The Best Snippits

Stars are by far my favourite ornament at Christmas time, in fact I love stars all year round!I love that the three wise men followed the star and it guided them. So stars always make an appearance in my Christmas decorating. On Friday I wondered why I hadn't yet put my favourite ornament with my favourite colour so I whipped up a batch of fun little felt stars. Ahhhh so good to add some handmade to the holidays, it just makes it feel right.

Around my Home

We are having a fairly quiet time around here right now, the boys are enjoying being together, playing and having lots of fun. Blake is getting excited about Christmas and spending time with family. Its really nice to have that child excitement vibe in the house, loving it! There has been crafting and cooking and even a little scrapping happening. Ive gotten up late every day which is super nice. I am super organised for Christmas and so we are really just going with the flow and doing what we like at this point. So nice after so many commitments towards the end of the year.

Nearly Time

These has been lots happening in our little world in the last two weeks, I'm sure there is lots happening where you are too. Its just that time of year. I have been feeling like there is something missing for my Christmas time this year and this morning I realised what it is- there hasn't been very much handmade Christmas happenings. It was really a result of our trip to the US happening at the time when I would usually be planning what I would be making for gifts and really starting to get organised.

 I have had to buy all of my gifts this year. Which in a way makes me sad because I LOVE to put lots of love into my gifts. But in another way I know that it is just for this year and that's OK. I haven't been excessive with gift buying, sometimes you just have to simplify in this way.

 I don't know about you but I am already starting to think about next year and what I want to get out of it. My year is going to be so different with Luke going to school. Gardening is on the top of my list but it will be far too hot here to be planting until late March. I have also been dreaming about soap making, cupcake making, jam, chutney and sauce making and am also really starting to think about making some clothes for my boys. Luke could really use a new quilt too!  

Have you thought about what your word is going to be next year? Do you have a word for the year? My word for this year- commit felt like a hard slog this year, although it was exactly the word I needed and suited my year in so many ways. From really going for it with Luke to being told four months before our trip and no savings in my bank to come up with enough money to make our trip happen!

Yesterday was Luke's last day of school and Tomorrow is Blake's last day, most of our commitments are almost all over. Paul's work Christmas party is this weekend. Next week it will bee all about having fun with the boys and doing some kids Christmas crafting with them, really enjoying Christmas from there perspective.

December First

December First is one of my favourite days of the whole year, I love putting the trees up and decorating for the Christmas season. Yup we put up both trees and I know to some people that would seem a bit excessive but it is something that makes me truly happy.

 This is the family room tree. After a light emergency and a quick trip to the shops to pick up some new ones (Paul was very worried that the old ones might catch fire, an electrician by trade I trust his judgement) I ended up with some PINK lights

 A few new cheap ornaments to update the look and I felt very spoilt!

 We have a new visitor magically finding his way around our house at night ;)

 The second tree is in the bay window in our bedroom and can be seen from the road. Which is part of the reason we have two trees, because when i was a child we used to drive around on Christmas eve counting the trees in peoples windows, it was my favourite Christmas tradition and I had beloved trees that we would see every year.

Just a little bit of added girlyness some butterflies on the tree.

Life Happens

I know, long time no see. I have had a big computer break. I really have a lot to catch up on, I would love to share my trip to NYC with you. It was the most amazing 10 days of my entire life and I have to say I love New York! Also since we had put out over 100 sprinkle packs and had no response I have updated them, I was hoping to do this before NY but oh well it just didn't happen. The lead up to NY was kinda crazy with stressing about the hurricane then the snow storm and Paul rushing himself off to emergency after he cut his finger wide open. Also we had a diagnosis for Luke ......since all the people in my life who need to know now know I am happy to share with you. It is Autism. I am glad that we now have some direction and I am sure that I will continue to share our journey here. Luke is still the beautiful happy loving healthy boy he has always been, now we know, for me there is a sense of relief and a knowing that we may have a little more support, we can also be more specific about what his needs are and where we will head from here.
I am looking forward to the Christmas season, we always put the tree(s) up on the 1st and I am looking forward to sharing that with the boys this year. Also really looking forward to it because Luke has more of an understanding of it this year. So there is lots to look forward to.....coming soon NYC photos !!!  :)

Rainbow Colour Christmas Stockings

So did you know that it is less than 100 days till Christmas??? And my brain has been thinking in rainbows lately so I thought why not make this Christmas all about a rainbow of colours. I am kinda thinking that each person might have a colour.... anyway I thought these would be cute to add to gifts.

 

Like by putting them onto the bow on the gift or I might attach them to cards with a little choccy treat. Blake might even like to give them to his friends at school with something fun inside. I will add a little white string on them so they can be hung on the tree too.

They have been a fun little something to make at quiet times or at school pickup and are making me feel like I am getting a start on feeling organised for Christmas.

Everything here is becoming "After New York we will do such and such" but our trip is almost half way between now and Christmas so getting a head start feels great.

If you too are freaking how fast the year is going Melissa Goodsell at One Crafty Muma (check her out in my sidebar) has started a series on getting organised for Christmas, go check it out :)

On My Table

Since I haven't done an 'on my table' post in a while and today has been really busy, I thought I would show you our Christmas breakfast table.

Since we weren't entertaining anyone this year I thought it would be nice to make our morning a little special, a little bit of time for just the four of us.

 I was up Christmas eve hanging pink tulle everywhere and not one of my three boys complained that it was all pink. Sometimes Mummy just needs a little pink- or a lot LOL ;)

We had fruit salad and croissants and it was nice being together.

Christmas around here.

There have been pressies wrapped and decorated

In red and blue, wish I would have come across some pink polka dot patty pans then they would go with my tree but they are sweet anyway. 

 There have been more ornaments stitched up. A few have been sold at Blakes school Pasaar.

 There have also been some tags made

I am almost finished all of my wrapping, I am trying to take my time and make them look pretty.

Ahh I love this time of year.

The Gingerbread House

This year I let Blake and Paul decorate the gingerbread house Id bought. Usually I love getting in on the action but Paul is so technical and everything has to be done so perfectly that it annoys me far to much.

So I let them go for it. I think that this is the best we have ever decorated a gingerbread house.

 Gingerbread houses are seriously not easy to decorate! They are always trickier than you think they are going to be.

Our visiting elf likes the house to.. I think she wants to eat all the candy off it!

Today I Made

 We now have owls floating around the house. I am making some kits for Blake to sell at the Indonesian Pasar he is having at his school next week, like there isn't enough going on at this time of year!

Again I did look at the Fa la la la Christmas Felt book but didn't use the template etc. I have kept it simple so little ones can sew these up.

On My Door

Christmas is happening over here, the lights are on the house, both the trees are up (and Paul admitted that this year he prefers the pink tree to the traditional one in our bay window! OMG), advent calenders are in full swing- with one counting down and the chocolate one counting up makes me a confused mummy! There have been some Christmas crafts and we even have an  ELF staying with us until Christmas eve.

 I managed to whip this wreath up right before December First, it is wrapped in glittery aqua fabric and then divine twine around it.

It definitely stands out you can see it from the road! I love this time of year it is so nice to sit down at the end of the day and enjoy the twinkling lights, if only there was snow! Fat chance of that happening here in the middle of summer :)

Today I Made

I have been organising some Christmas tags to put on gifts, if only I could get some plain white wrapping paper! I managed to get my hands on some divine twine so my gifts will probably be wrapped with brown paper and then finished with twine and tags

Blake is so into Christmas this year, so I am going to be taking full advantage of that and we are going to have a few special goings on over here. Its all kinda exciting. The countdown is on!

The Adelaide Pageant

I thought that I would share some of the photos that my mum took while we were at the pageant.

She took lots of floats but not too many with the boys in, lots of the back of there heads. It was a warm day so there were a tonne of people, more than we expected but the boys still managed to squish right up in front :)

 This Santa was in Adelaide Arcade the boys were really excited to see anything christmassy, Blake especially loved being in the city since we don't go there very often any more. Doesn't he look so grown-up here ?? OMG

 Of course I had to add Santa's Sleigh!

We have given in to peer pressure this year and put up one tree (yes we have two!) Usually I put them up on December First but we have family that always put up the tree when the pageant comes to town, I felt like I was missing out especially since I love Christmas so much! 

When do you put up your Christmas tree?

More Ornaments

They are multiplying!!!!!

  Eight of these little babies are headed to my mum for her to give as gifts.

Now I just need to get my hands on some more red felt :)

Today I made ! Christmas Ornaments

I am enjoying making some little babushka doll Christmas ornaments.

I think they are cute :) They are a mixture of  ideas from the fa la la la Christmas felt book and my babushka measuring cups. I am off to make some pink ones for my tree ;) 

Christmas Sewing

For Christmas I am making each child a bag to put some goodies in. I wont be able to reveal what I am putting in the bags because my family read this blog on the odd occasion but I will be able to share with you each bag. My SIL is past due to have a baby so by Christmas there will be 8 children including my own.

 For Ruby I also made her a hat which has a pretty floral pattern on the inside and can be worn either way

So one down and 7 to go, I hope to get all the bags done this week so lots of sewing for me :)

Christmas Ornament #2

AHHHH where have i been????? At the end of last week there was a whole lot of cleaning going on over here and not much to tell. At the beginning of this week Luke has been the complete focus- appointments with an OT and physio and Kindy with a one on one support person. But I did manage to sew this on Monday! I am starting to feel like I am taking some small steps to be on the way to being organized for Christmas!

This was a combination of ideas from the fa la la la Christmas felt book again.