merry christmas...

yes, it is christmas eve & i have only just made my wreath & put it on the front door...excuse the photo as i am banned from going out the door. apparently santa is hard at work on something not for my eyes..and the photo is from my iphone.

frankly i am grateful for the end of this year. it has been a shocker for us & i look forward to starting afresh soon.

but we survived it.....well, 5 out of 6 of us survived it. sadly our budgie died a month ago. and i had nothing to do with it. i am still missing him as we had many great memories with that guy. remember the vindaloo dive, the survival of his pedicure & the cornflour rescue? for those who are new, read my posts about this famous little bird.
the rest of the year went a bit like this:

• hysterectomy - check
• man mid-life crisis - check
• worst in-laws in the world - check
• best kids report cards ever - check
• best friends ever - check
• best boys ever - check
• boosted inner strength - check
• more grey hair - check
• some finished craft - check
• alot of unfinished craft - check

i have a lot to be grateful for & i am blessed with some wonderful people around me.
take care & i wish you all a merry christmas & happy new year.
i am off to finish making the rum punch & maybe have a taste test or two.

pre-christmas meltdown

i warned my husband yesterday i could feel a pre-christmas meltdown coming....you know when you know you are about to be a real bitch but just cannot stop yourself. or is that just me?
i have nothing to complain about really. but i think my hormones are just telling me to tread lightly & a pre-warning for the family is always a great idea wouldn't you say?
my remedy for times like this:

• retreat to my study for uninterrupted craft/pretending to craft time
• coffee & a new magazine
• no household chores.....i can dream!
• no one asking me to do something for them...not even get lunch!!

i tried these remedies yesterday afternoon & i had not longer than 10 minutes alone before i had to be interrupted....so, i fear my meltdown may still happen.
i absolutely adore my family & having the boys on holidays but i am also the sort of girl who needs some space too....unlike a certain gorgeous friend who cannot bare her own company......
anyhow, with the boys already being on holidays for 3 weeks & my man also home on long service leave, i have been managing my time in the car on the way to work. and it's not actually working for me people. i am heading off soon for an hour out alone...just a million other shoppers for company!
like a said.....meltdown coming.....you were warned!

ps...photo from flicker

ho ho ho...& a knicker mystery

well i hope you are all more organized than me for this cheery part of the year. november was full of high hopes but my shopping died in the arse big time....even after my great start.

well i got busy....sydney with my mum for a weekend of cafes, window shopping, shopping for me, dancing in the crowd at mamma mia, drinking wine. and that was just sydney.

then a few days at the coast with my boys and man....tennis, monopoly, movies

and then straight after night duty, a quick sleep & off to our little work xmas party. loads of yummy indian food, champagne, wine & a sleepover for me at a girlfriends house.

and then a 2 day recovery. i am so not wine fit at the moment.

and then straight back into work where i never seem to even get to pee, eat or hang with the other cool chicks. same old story....no staff, many babies arriving.

i figured it must be the silly season though as after work yesterday i found my knickers in my bag i take to work...i know i left the house with a pair on. and i returned home with a pair on......so i have a knicker mystery on my hands....& i don't think i shall go on further about that!

and next week it is a friends catch up for kids, dinner with friends, haircuts, a 40th birthday for my man & hopefully the xmas shopping. i struggle with being in the regular saturday morning crowds at the shops, so i will be needing all the help i can get to brave the shops next week. they tell me it is crazy already.

ps... this gorgeous wreath is from here with the tutorial. if only i had time to sit & make it. it is absolutely gorgeous!

cuckoo & freezer paper....help!

ok blogworld. need your help. i need a cuckoo clock on a budget. so, i am thinking of stencilling one...like with freezer paper...cause i hear it's dead simple. one big problem. no american freezer paper here that i can get my hands on quickly. well, not that any has come to my attention...
so, after emailing one blogger & obviously sounding like a complete lunatic, i am putting it out to the universe. this usually works for me.
so, if you know where i can buy some here in aus, or if you are a blogger willing to do me a favour & post some to me, please email me. i am happy to pay for it!! just not what they charge per sheet as some online shops.
as an aside, i had my appointment with my psychic friend for some questions i had for him...i was wearing my cuckoo clock brooch. as i do. and he tells me his guide is pointing at my brooch giggling & telling him to look...he then tells me i am completely mentally stable even though i am wearing a cuckoo clock. but i knew that already thanks very much!
my friend will be cuckoo too with her little one for christmas....

ps my brooch from from here. love her style & blogged about her before. doesn't it just make you smile...in a mentally stable sorta way!!

hot mess!

no, not britney....me!
i am hot & my house is a mess!
it was about 36 degrees here today & it was so hot i even got in the pool with the boys after school. i am a get in real quick, cool off without getting my hair wet sort of swimmer. you know the type....in & out before i get splashed too much. boys don't get it.
i would much rather head in after dark for a quiet nudie swim when everybody is asleep....well they were supposed to be asleep. we got sprung one night by the kids! very funny story but will spare you the details...at least until another time.
just wanted to say a quick thanks to all the LDS girls who have emailed me/left a comment. you are all so sweet & i wish i could come to one of your crafty sessions....more on LDS again soon.
today was about orthodontists, keeping up fluids, trying the new bakery - choc brownie, carrot cake & cupcakes all winners...it was too hot to cook, cooling down & delaying the housework another day....all in all a lazy day. but i needed it!
ps...photo is not my pool but cool eh? i think it came from realestate.com.au but found it months ago...

tote tote...

tote making. like little handbags. you know. not for the groceries but for a magazine, sunnies, phone & a quick trip to the beach...or shops.
for my shop. feeling nervous about revealing them to the world though.
i have been channelling my inner nanna & rediscovering my crochet skills too. my totes will have a little embellishment to make them extra spesh.
and i am on the job designing some other bits..... like only i can do..... all in my head spinning around.
psss..photo from iphone....batteries dead in camera

LDS...

remember when you were a kid in closed-minded rural australia...well maybe i am reliving my childhood...but you get the idea. well, i remember growing up in a world where there was no other religion other than being a catholic...& you certainly didn't question it or dare to think the hip cute new priest in town was actually cute...i was 18!
as i grew up & saw the locals praying on sundays & banging someone else's husband/wife during the week, i started to question a few things. & no one could really answer my questions adequately. i have no idea why i was dressed up like a miniature bride & confirmed at the age of 12? the best thing about midnight mass on christmas eve was the drinking session at the local pub afterwards...
lets just say i got skeptical & ditched the whole religion thing. instead, i explored the world, different religious points of view & the spiritual world. & i am glad to say i am a better person for it.
the thing is, i keep bumping into the wonderful women of the church of latter day saints. i have been known to hide from answering the door when they come knocking at home, but in the blog world, they are the amazing crafters, mothers & bloggers that i follow & then realise they are LDS. then i pick a new book up & discover a few pages in that it is about a LDS family caught in the middle of the murder of their young daughters....so i am a tad curious. they are quite the community & they have such great support for one another. & big families to share the load......
must visit cjanes site & read some more.....