Merry Christmas.

We're all home for Christmas this year

which is pretty special

hasn't happened for a few years

so will be savouring every moment tomorrow brings

and wish the same for you. x

The Week That Was

tea frocks ticked off the list

christmas cake made

Recipe

and not shared

op shop outing & catch-up

early Christms presents recieved

watching sisters between dance routines

and the world beyond the front gate 

I've only half a lunch to prepare this year

and a few gifts still to wrap

before the 25th is here

again...

All I Want for Christmas is....

I was only thinking the other day
how great it would be
if all my presents for Christmas came from Op Shops

my favourite Op Shops

and be the sort of presents I'd buy for myself

then I saw this floating around in cyberspace
and thought my wish had come true
some ingenious charity worker
had read my mind

Info here

nearly 
but not quite
because they're only available in Victoria

so now all I want for Christmas is that
 Op Shop Gift Cards be made available in WA...

although it's another reason to move over there...

and then I'm thnking
Oppy Debit Cards would be even better....

Eco Friendly Bias Binding Packs

I'm having a little tidy up

actually

it's more like a Spring Clean!

   

I'm going to be filming for workshops soon so needed to organise myself a bit better

and in the process of moving stuff around in the Studio

I've also been moving stuff round in the Shop.

If you hadn't heard already, yesterday I added the new-hot-off-the-press

REcreate Cards

which are thankfully proving to be very popular

and today

I created

Mixed Up Bias Binding Packs

I've been meaning to do these for a while

as I can offer my beautiful hand made Bias Binding

on fabulous Eco friendly craft card Spools

which can not only be REused over & over again

they've got my name on them!

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*
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All in time for Christmas!

I can't find the Christmas Decorations!

It's been over 2wks and they still haven't turned up.

You know when you go to the place you remember leaving something and it's not there

and instead of panicking and tearing the place asunder

you take a deep breathe, walk away & then casually & calmly go about your business,

with one eye trained for the slightest (in my case) shimmer or glimpse of red.

(a Regina Dudek Beaded Wire Star gifted 10yrs ago which lives in that antique bottle on the kitchen sill - the fimo Koala was found around the same time in an Oppy)

I also seem to be in festive denial.

I'm blaming it on the new Christmas Tree - old decorations hate new trees

and Dan not being here on the day - old habits die hard

and the girls getting older -

did you know it's way harder to buy for 19 & 11yrs olds than

it was when they were 1 & 9, that and it's more expensive.

Mangoes are cheap.

Most days you'll find me sitting in the garden eating them,
thinking I should be out there pushing a trolley round some shopping centre.

While enjoying my Mangoes & bemoaning the cost of Christmas
I've come up with a new present giving idea to add to the regimen -

starting this year we'll each give each other the gift of time.

First comment out of both girls mouths was, "but what about Santa" -

my kids would quite happily forgo baked ham, pavlova & presents
if they could still get their Santa Sacks
at the end of their beds.

Anyway the idea is that you choose 3 things
you would like to do with the other person,
not have them do for you
because as I've said in the past there's no slaves in this house!
The reason for 3 things is because you only get one gift of time

so some negotiating will need to occur

and as I'm writing the word 'negotiating' I'm thinking this wont work...

anyway

I started the ball rolling with Stella by painting her bedroom door with Chalkboard paint.

Eliza has requested I go shopping with her - purely in a consultative capacity

and I'm pretty sure Dan will be wanting the same 3 things.

Have a very Merry Christmas

and if you can find the time

eat a Mango in the garden.

Op Shop Swap Goodies

My parcel from Julie

arrived today.

I love everything in it

and am especially pleased she

included one of her stitched cards.

Thankyou to my fellow OpShopSwappers
for joining in and making this such a success.
I'm looking forward to doing it again in the New Year.

For a look at what some of the others

received in their parcels pop over here.

Merry Christmas!

OP Shop Swap Posting Day is TODAY!

I've had fun finding, working out & creating treasure

for my OP Shop Swap Christmas Parcel

and today, being 21/11, the designated posting day for said parcel,

it's time to check details, like

 the address of my partner

before shutting & sealing the santa sack

for, in my case, its journey to the other side of the world.

  

This is a hectic time of year for most

and the idea behind posting our parcels today 

was so that we'd have one less thing to think about 

before having to think about our own Christmases.

Let your partner know how you are going with regard an EPD (estimated postal date) 

by leaving a message here, on our Flickr site or by emailing them directly. 

By signing up for the Swap we all made a commitment to another person

and the key/secret to any successful relationship is

communication.

Please don't forget or dismiss posting photos of your loot 

over on the Flickr Site 

cos it'll be lonely round that Christmas Tree without you!