Wow, What a Year!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

Lucky Me!!

I have to share this gorgeous pressie from dd Emma.
How cute is this???

Emma gave me a multitude of owl themed pressies. :-)

Christmas Day!!!

Well as always, one minute it was November, & the next we’re unwrapping pressies. I was very lucky this year, I must have been a good girl.

I hope Santa was generous & you

are surrounded by friends & family.

hugs,
Jan

Thanks to all my followers,
I love your comments. :-)

Perfect Christmas Guests

I thought it would be fun to choose all the people I would like at my Christmas Table. Now I’m sticking with people who are still with us, otherwise I’d need a very large table. :-)

So here goes:

   

First up would be my family, dh Paul, ds Simon, dd Emma, ds Rowan, my Mum, my nephew Shayn & his wife Yun-Mi & of course Molly who just happens to love turkey & ham.

Then it would be the entire Weasley family.
Molly might even give me of her knitted goodies. :-)

Kirsty Allsopp of course, she’s so much fun & we could potter around in my sewing room after lunch. & of course Phil Spencer. :-)

For entertainment it would have to be Kate Rusby, I love her music.

Ok now we need some eye candy.

David Tennant, the best Dr Who.

Colin Firth, swoon, Mr Darcy.

Oh dear staring to get quite warm in here isn’t it???

Ok dh says he needs some eye candy too.

The beautiful & ageless Joanna Lumley.

Time for some comic relief.

Kath & Kim & Sharon.

Oh &

Catherine Tate, she is brilliant, & she cracks me up.

Rowan has chosen:

Harry & Hermione.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten people, I’ll just have to invite them next year. :-)))

Good Golly Miss Molly

This little face watches me everytime I eat in the hope I will share. This was lunch today & yes she enjoyed some ham from my sandwich. Yesterday she shared my afternoon cupcakes. She liked them so much she ate one of the paper patties when I went to get her a drink of water!!

 

She loves a game of tug-o-war,

& enjoys being bathed & clipped.

GF Gingerbread House

I often read out things I find on blogs. Usually nobody’s really interested in the great new bag tutorial I’ve just found or how beautifully someone has decorated their tree, but sometimes they take notice. Ds Rowan does enjoy the cute pics of people’s pets, so do I, & the other day dh Paul was impressed with the idea of baking a gingerbread house & here are the results. All his own work & it’s gluten free. We’ve never had a gingerbread house before that I could eat. :-)

 

There was some mixture left over so he then made some mini gingerbread cookies. We’ve eaten quite a few of those so I can state they are yummy. More cakey than biscuity & very moreish!!!

The recipe came from here, he simply substituted White Wings Gluten Free flour for the normal flour.

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/diy/pattern-sheets/article/-/8412299/template-gingerbread-house/

Sewing & Antiques & Bears, Oh My!!!

Well I did intend posting earlier but I got caught up with last minute gift shopping & gift sewing. I’d love to be one of those people who are organised but it seems I only get ideas at the last minute, so then I have to rush around in a mad panic to make it all happen.

We have been working on the new verandah area, it’s still a work in progress but here is a sneak peek.

Before!!

After :-)

Here’s a close-up of the tablecloth top. I planned to quilt in the ditch but have decided to simply tie it & do some hand quilting. I’m finding it harder & harder to sit for long at the sewing machine, it kills my neck & shoulders.

I have several cushions planned & look forward to getting started on them.

I’m also working on this lap quilt as it’s been quite chilly here lately so I’m sure it will be put to good use. It looks a little insipient in the pic, it’s not quite so pastel.

Close-ups of the stitchery panels.

Antiques

Last Saturday dd Emma came down & we checked out another antique centre. WOW it was great, we were there for hours, just ask Rowan, lol.

I found a few treasures I had to have.

This lovely little embroidered doiley, complete with cute little black dog.

A pretty little pink Meakin bowl.

I couldn’t resist this beautiful blue & white chenille bedspread. I had a pretty pink floral one when I was a kid & I loved it. We finally have a warm, sunny day today so I washed it this morning. It was clean but I just love the look & feel freshly laundered bedding.

I even picked up some quilt magazines & an Ondori bag book. We also bought a beautiful cupboard, pics when it is delivered.

Bears

I found the perfect pressie for Mum yesterday, I’d bought her a range of dvd’s & a pair of jammies but needed that special thing. Then I spotted this little handmade bear. Isn’t she gorgeous??? She even has her own little teddy.

Kirstie

I’ve been watching all the Kirstie Allsopp shows on the  Lifestyle Channel lately, I LOVE Kirstie. I noticed she had a pretty garland in her kitchen with red & white decs. I remembered I had a garland I hadn’t put up, so while her show was still on, my garland was up & decorated. :-)