Nearly there

We got the keys to our new house today. hooray! So I will take the most delicate items across to the new house myself. We have packers coming in on Monday to pack the house up and sometimes they aren't always very careful. 

I will take the Xmas tree over too and put it up this weekend so it will be ready when we move in. I love Xmas, who doesn't hey? Oh well, don't answer that perhaps..lol

So... the cake... well cakes... because you know Fox got jealous when I said what I was making for the kids. Men... 

No less than four layers high. I made them gluten free of course. And wow it tasted so good. Only one small piece gave me a belly ache. I'm too used to eating well now since starting Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation back in May this year. More on that later :) I promise.

Also this morning I finished the secret Santa gifts for the twins classes. Just something small, it's supposed to cost no more than $10.

I had to do a boy & girl gift so they are each getting a small zippered pouch with some treats inside.

Now I'm done. I don't have anything else on my craft list although I would love to make another Xmas stocking like the one I made for last years stocking swap but I really think my time is running out. 

Now I'm off to move house. x

Really... Xmas?

Well this year has just gone in a snap. So much happening and not enough time for blogging.

My sisters have been ON MY CASE about my blog. More of it they say.

Truth is, I go quiet when things are not good, and I've had some worries with the kids that are ALL fine now. And we were told a month ago that our lease is being cut short and have had to organise a move prior to Xmas. One more week and my life will be packed up in boxes and into a truck.

In the mean time, I have a mile long To Do list that keeps growing by the day.

But today I have checked off one thing on the list. Teacher gifts.

My sisters can tell you, our mum was not the best cook however she rocked the sweet home cooked treats. My Lord she could whip up a novelty birthday cake in the blink of an eye and look out dentists... her Xmas treats were best only eaten at Xmas. .. sweet and moreish :)

So I though it best to make some coconut ice and wrap it up all lovely in cellophane and give that to the teachers. I had never attempted this before but figured, hey if I can bake a cake and a mean pav, i can do coconut ice.. right?

Not so.  It turned out crumbly and cracked when I tried to cut it. So that idea quickly went out the window at the pure delight of my sugar deprived children (thank you Michelle Bridges - will fill you in soon enough).

I made these cute little gift bags today. they were meant to fit the Xmas ball inside but yet another plan that quickly got changed.

So now the teachers are getting a massive gingerbread cookie that upon closer inspection could very well be a dog biscuit, a candy cane, a chocolate Santa & said Xmas tree decoration that has a bell in it.

Not my best effort, but certainly good enough I say.

My little 'picjacker' loves to jump into the blog pics and do funny faces.

So there you go sista's - How not to make Mum's coconut ice... or is it Nana's... or Mum's Nana?

How to adapt a plan under pressure and a cute pic of your nephew.

xox

Our tree...

We have had this purple Xmas tree for 10 years now. Each year we collect more clear glass balls to go on it. It's not always easy to find them but this year Myer had a great range so I snapped them up while we were in Perth.

I know it's a little weird having an angel sitting up top of our non traditional type tree... but that's the way we like it. My mum had an angel on her tree and so it is that we do too.

last minute xmas gift making

Yeah, I thought I was so organised but have somehow found myself making last minute gifts as you do. I did join in to the handmade xmas meme but had to make a hasty retreat when i realised that some of my family do indeed read my blog...

So I went to ground with it all and totally forgot about it until Sunday, of course!









Last year my 3 nephews received a pair of gorgeous handmade shorts. This year I went with pencil cases because they're quick although I'm still trying to master the side seams near the zip but I think I'm getting it after only 2 quick unpicks :)



the flash has washed out the colour on the denim diaper covers



for my newest nephew. Baby clothes look terrible without a model but trust me these are the cutest ever, It's hard to find cute/cool stuff for baby boys, I think I'll be making more of these.



And I made this crocheted rug earlier in the year and put it away for my little sister . I know she won't read this because she's on holiday's in Sydney and she's either opened her present early or taken it with her to the in laws. Either way, i think it's safe. I hope.

And that's it, I'm ready for Christmas.

Last year we moved house and the twins were in Perth so this is going to be an awesome Christmas with my family together in the one place, not moving house... just relaxing and spending time together... big smiley face

Been busy... you know...

Wow, it seems ages since i last blogged, it's not because i haven't got anything to blog about it's just a busy time, . We had a little trip to Perth, not for a holiday but for a family matter, it wasn't fun but we did enjoy catching up with family and of course i made most of the opportunity and I picked up some lovely glass balls for the tree... will show you these later :)




I seem to go through colour phases with my latest fetish being red white and red white and blue. The stocking I crocheted for Kitty n Kitsch in Selina's stocking swap was Red & White, I borrowed her picture, i hope that's okay, it's dark in my house but glare and super bright outside, being the wet season it's not a great time of year to take good pictures. Well I'm having loads of trouble taking good pictures :)



I made this Santa sack for a little boy who didn't have one. Apparently this is an Australian thing to have a Santa sack I just found out from an American friend that they only do stockings and have never heard of this sack caper. What does Santa do at your place?



And finally a pretty little Christmas outfit for a gorgeous little girls first Xmas. I have to confess that I have never made baby clothing before and let me tell you it's not as easy as you would think. My mind was telling me that little clothes would be easy but trying to sew around arm and leg holes that don't fit around the sewing machine arm is kind of tricky so I am quite pleased with myself .

Teachers gifts

I don't even remember if I made teacher's gifts last year.... oh that's right I moved house last xmas and made quilts for the twins in the weeks before we moved... because that's what they wnated :)
So no excuse this year to whip up a little something for some absolutely lovely teachers. We have been lucky this time round with the kids loving their new school, making friends easily and having great teachers tooo. Can't ask for more than that now can you!



I came across this cute coffee cozzies tutorial and couldn't go past them.



While out xmas shopping yesterday I found some silver star tree ornaments and mini bonbons with truffles inside and thought they would go nicely with the coffee vouchers that all manage to fit inside the coffee cups. Now cross fingers they love a good cuppa!



And here is a sneky peek at the stocking I made for my swap partner in Selina's Great stocking swap of 2010. I had a lot of fun making it, I just hope my partner likes it too.

Christmas Stocking Swap

This delightful package surprised me today when it arrived on my doorstep...
I wasn't expecting a parcel, so it could only mean one thing! It HAD to be from my swap partner for 'The Great Stocking Swap of 2010'



I opened the parcel to find it bursting with goodies and as i pulled out the pretzels i thought - oh that's okay I'll give them to my husband - but wait... it says gluten free... (loud squeal) ... next thought - hey i didn't even know they made GF pretzeles, wow this lady's done her homework... how lovely - !!!



I seriously love this stocking, it's perfect and will fit right in with our crazy purple christmas tree.
The mixed media work is amazing, i have no clue how this was achieved at all but it's ace.



Pam, thank you so much for all the effort you went to putting my special parcel together. You are one clever lady! I feel very lucky indeed.

Check out Pam's blog Cloth to Creation for everything from chenille xmas angel patterns to yummy looking desert recipies!

Meekas xmas quilt... finito

This quilt I call "the teenager's Mind" because it's kind of random & busy. I put a flannel back on it for extra snuggly goodness, like a big hug from mama.

It's actually called the Flower Quick Quilt ( a big lie fyi - NOT quick) by Joy White

















And now it is time to start packing up the house...

Packers arrive on Monday & The truck picks everything up on Tuesday.

Then we drive out of Brisbane early Wednesday, hoping to get to Eumundi Markets before we stop over in Hervey Bay. Stay tuned for some lovely pics of our travels north.

Ooo and I got an early cristmas pressie, fox bought me an awesome camera, now I have to figure out how to use it :)

connor's xmas quilt

After completing this quilt I have promised myself i will never make it again.
I'm sure I said this to myself last time too..

Shefrrif's Star Quilt, Pattern is by Judy Gray



















All done and wrapped up ready for the big day!

Now i've started cutting out Meeka's quilt.
This is her fabric, a bit of Amy Butler a lot Wendy Slotbloom.

xmas ...

this year we will not be putting up decorations or a tree. we are moving out 2 days before xmas.

this is the military life... we wanted to leave earlier and be settled in our new home for xmas but through circumstances out of our control this was not to be the case. yes i'm sad.

nonetheless we will still enjoy it. we will be in a hotel which will require major stealth and co ordination on santas behalf. i have booked in to xmas dinner which is something we've never done before, so i'm looking forward to it although it can be a bit dodgey for us coeliacs.

check this out... i just found this gorgeous online mag, it has the sweetest xmas download. i'm going to use it to make cards for the daycare ladies..

this year i'm trying to do a handmande xmas and so far i think i will achieve most of my tasks. next year i will be better prepared and definately start earlier!

today i will have completed piecing together all 16 blocks for Connor's quilt, i just need to head into spotlight tommorrow and pick up the inners and it should be completed by the weekend.

the piecing of just 1 block takes around 1 hour...