Flea Market Finds

This week's finds to share are part of my preparation for Christmas ... yes, it's only three months away.

What I've managed to find so far are four op shop tins for Christmas biscuits and sweets.


Those red Santa ones are really ordinary ... the sort of thing you see in every $2 shop. But a couple of them are really cute. I love this crazy Santa ... who wouldn't like Santa to whip up a batch of gingerbread when he drops off the pressies?


But this tin I picked up this week is my favourite. I love the colours and it's so beautifully sparkly.


I'm not sure yet what I'll make ... I'm tossing up ginger biscuits and rum balls, maybe toffee, but I'm open to suggestions.

Any thoughts?

There's lots more flea market finds over at Sophie Isobel's place Her Library Adventures.

Project 365 Sat 26 Dec 09

WHO SAID WORK?
I had quite specific plans this year … I was going to stay in Ballarat until Christmas day, head back to Melbourne for a party on Boxing Day and then mosey on back to Ballarat to send a few more days in Ballarat chilling and wander around the great vintage stores there. I even left my suitcase there intending to head back for it.

But it wasn’t to be.

While I was there Neil emailed to say he’d be arriving on New Year’s Eve and that was the end of me; I didn’t end up going to the party and it’s been time to get out that pen and paper and starting listing what to do.

Cooking, cleaning, shopping … an orgy of work to come when I’d really like to be spending time with my Christmas book pile.


My gorgeous stack of reading goodness ... I can't wait to get my feet wet.

And no, you're not mistaken. I did get a box set of Sookie Stackhouse novels for Christmas as well as a book of short stories about Sookie. And the latest Diana Gabaldon.

Have I said yet I can't wait?

Project 365 Fri 25 Dec 2009

CHRISTMAS DAY 2009
This year we had Christmas Day at Carol's, instead of Mum's, because she had more room and because I think Mum feels overwhelmed by organising the day.

But that doesn't mean Mum doesn't do as much to get the day organised ... because she's boiling corned beef and roasting potatoes and making the pavlova and goodness knows what else for the day.

It was a nice peaceful day ... although we didn't get to see Jason and Tamika this year because Jason was working on Christmas Day and couldn't get away before Horace, Clarissa and I left. His job is a whole other story ... which I'll leave for another day.


The tree and the huge amount of presents underneath it.


Mum opening her presents ... she must have won the prize for the most amount of presents.

We met Debbie's new boyfriend Pete. It's been quite a Christmas for meeting new people ... with Debbie's new boyfriend and then Clinton, Vanessa's new boyfriend arriving later. But it's so nice to see Debbie happy and Pete seems really quiet and Debbie so comfortable and happy with him.


Debbie ... and hiding behind her is Pete.


Horace opening his only present ... we're still to go shopping for a turntable for his records.


Mark was the winner of the most amount of presents on a theme ... fishing!


Carol won the prize for the largest present I've ever seen ... a garden seat in a frame.


And lastly Clarissa and Vanessa together ... they looks so happy and relaxed ... just like the day.

Merry Christmas everybody ... and I hope everybody had a wonderful day.

Project 365 Tue 22 Dec 09

RUBY TUESDAY: Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree ...
I've been thinking about how close it is to Christmas ... only three days to go ... and no post about the Christmas tree or the decorations.

So it has to be fate or kismet ... or something ... when I saw that it's Ruby Tuesday at Work of the Poet.

The trick with Ruby Tuesday is to post a picture of something red taken by you ... which is no difficulty whatsoever given my fondness for red and constant taking of photos ... and my Christmas tree is full of the colour red (and a little green and gold for variety!) LOL

My favourite red decoration is this glitter metal Noel sign ... it always sits front and centre on the tree where I can see it.


This is absolutely my favourite ... and not just because it's red.

And even if it's not red ... I'm going to sneak in this pretty gold and glass cherub I got last year.


I fell in love with this cherub as soon as I saw it ... and I've just realised you can see me taking its portrait in the gold decoration. LOL

And this year's addition ... a gold metal star.


This star is so sweet ... I love getting something new every year.

Don't you love Christmas tree decorations?

Project 365 Fri 18 Dec 09

ARCHIVE FRIDAY: Christmas 1990
I love looking back at old photos and mulling over the memories … thanks Melissa at Emjies Treasures for giving me the incentive to get more of my old negatives scanned.

This week I scanned some negatives from 1990 to share … it was such a brilliant period in our lives when the girls were little.

This particular year my mum, Horace, the kids and I went out to Kirks Reservoir (just outside Ballarat) on Boxing Day for a wander around.

There’s plenty to see there: water storage in the dam, a playground for the kids and a small but very pretty garden.


It’s so green and lush, and at Christmas time too … those were the days.

This photo is of Mum and Wini on the expanse of grass in the middle of the garden. The two of them are so quiet and peaceful together ... which is the personality of both of them to a tee … and that’s what she was like most of the time.

Such great memories.

Project 365 Wed 16 Dec 09

WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT?
It's Wednesday again and time for What's Hot and What's Not ... brought to the world by Claire at Loobylu.

PS Claire is still to put up the joining thingie ... I assume we're still playing this week! LOL
Updated Thu 17 Dec 09: Claire is playing and we're on. Hooray! LOL

What’s hot?

Christmas mail. I finally mailed Wini’s stuff to her today. I got to the post office yesterday only to be told they don’t accept what I put inside … you’ll just have to put up with the crypticness now that the Christmas present has become a birthday present to be offered up in March when Wini visits. So I raced around last night at 6pm to get a replacement gift (which ended up as gifts) and the present was rewrapped and mailed at lunchtime today. Hooray!


Wini's gift before I tried to mail it yesterday ... taken just before I went to the post office.

Flashing Christmas lights. There’s a really cute set above my desk at work … and I’m loving them. Not very carbon footprint aware of me is it?

Work Christmas parties. I’m going to the bare minimum this year and on Friday I’m sloping off early to enjoy the extra time with Horace. Awwwwwwwwwww! Oh, and to the framer’s to organise Tamika’s frame. LOL

7Gypsies. I seriously love 7Gypsies—Debbie Crouse and Paula Cheney are the bomb. It started out with me looking for a punch for the Advent Calendar project they have on their blog ... and they went to the local Michaels to take a photo of the Martha Stewart punch for me because they didn’t have the packaging. What service, what amazing people. If I wasn’t already a 7Gypsies fan already I would be now … wow!

And who wouldn't want to make this calendar ... isn't it amazing? I can't wait to get the bits and pieces of stuff and have it ready for December next year. And if you're interested as well the instructions are on the 7Gypsies blog.


This is so gorgeous I can't wait to see it sitting behind the Christmas display next year.

PS You can also buy a kit with most of the stuff to make the Advent Calendar on etsy. I'm off to get mine now.

What’s not?

Postage from the US. I wanted to order some stuff from the 7 Gypsies Etsy site but it’s USD$60 for a 3lb box. Looks like it’s going to be shipped to Wini and then she can seamail the goodies to me. Patience is a virtue they say … wonder if I can order a little patience for Christmas?

Christmas cards. The sending that is … not the getting! LOL I am so seriously behind this year and I’m still tossing up whether I can be bothered.

The weather. It’s seriously hot outside … with fire warnings in place again. Summer in Australia sure is a scary place to be.

Project 365 Thu 26 Nov 09

CHRISTMAS TAGS
I worked really hard over the weekend on my Christmas tags and managed to make about 4 dozen for the various foodie presents for work colleagues and friends.

These were so easy to make ... a couple of sheets of 12x12 cardstock glued together and cut into rectangles. A few Christmas related punches--star, Santa, hearts and Christmas tree--and the paper left over from Wini's gift glued to the rectangles.


Four of my little pretties ... these babies come into their own every Christmas.

Add a hole punched in the corner of each tag using a standard two hole punch and thread household string through the corner.


A selection of the tags hanging from the my bed head ... the best place I could find to display them.

Now they're sitting on my bedside table crammed into a coffee jar until I use them.


The jar of Christmas tags ... I love how the string cascades out of the jar.

I am sitting here rubbing my hands with excitement and glee at the thought of using them! LOL

Project 365 Tue 10 Nov 09

GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS
Christmas is only six weeks away.

Where has the time gone?

I was so scared when I sat down with the calendar and counted out the weeks ... and it seems even closer with Wini living overseas because I have to mail stuff to her with enough time to make sure she gets it before Christmas.

And it's even more important because I decided to make some stuff for her.


Just a taste of what I'm making ... the paper, paints and other stuff.

However, it's not really going that well ... I sat down over the weekend and was very industrious. I got the project half finished before I discovered that it wasn't easy to put it together and dismantle it.

Not happy ... because it actually looked good! LOL

And I wasn't thrilled at starting over again.

But I've torn it all apart, stripped off the paper and everything is sanded down for a second try.

Hopefully this time success!

I'm glad I started this in plenty of time to post by the end of November for Wini to enjoy.

Tamika on Christmas Day

The only person I have left who isn't camera shy is Tamika, and so I took plenty of photos of her on Christmas Day as she opened her presents. And she got so much lovely stuff:


1. Ripping open the paper on a present; I think this one was her Betty Boop doona set from Vanessa.


2. Opening a present from Horace and I; a High School Musical 3 interactive book.


3. Opening another present from Horace and I; this time clothing.


4. Putting down one of her presents, with a present from Mum (the big stuffed toy) in front of her.


5. Holding up some trousers from Horace and I, with the Betty Boop doona set from Vanessa on her lap.

Christmas Day 2008

The older I get the better I love Christmas Day: the food, family and the time to take it easy.

This year we weren't all together at the same time. Carol and Mark came later in the day but with the exception of them we were all together at lunchtime and had a lovely meal.

I feel bad that we can't have Christmas lunch in Melbourne but we live too far away for everybody to travel here and in any event our place is too small. And besides it doesn't feel like Christmas not being with Mum at her place.

So I try really hard to get there as early as I can, to take stuff with me (this year I took the ham, Christmas cake, fruit and a few other things) and spend a few extra days with Mum to help clear up and eat the leftovers.

This year Mum had a great idea for opening presents. She got the first one and handed it out. That person then had to open their present and then they picked and handed out the next one out. I think Mum had this idea so she wasn't the centre of attention; but it turned out that half the presents were hers anyway!


The only picture of Wini this year I liked.


Clarissa opening a present; a street directory from Horace and I.


Debbie unaware I was taking her photo.


Vanessa opening her present from Mum.


Mum opening her Kris Kringle from Horace; a set of etched glass candle holders.


A quick shot of Horace.