Lotsa chairs....

As Christmas drew nearer, I still hadn't found a gift for DH. Even a 'trawl' through my old favourite, the Red Balloon website didn't come up with any new ideas that I thought DH would enjoy. Then, the day before Christmas Eve, I was tidying up the lounge room and putting out some decorations, when I noticed DH's recliner chair. 

He bought the chair 15 or so years ago and this year we noticed a hole developing in the leather of one of the arms. DH contacted a number of upholsterers with the view to having the chair recovered. None were interested in taking on the job....those who got back to DH said it would be cheaper to replace the chair. Typical attitude I suspect these days. 

Those holes just kept getting bigger and bigger....:-(

Any way after another few months, a hole developed in the other arm of the chair and DH decided that he would buy another chair. But with all that had been happening in our lives in the latter part of the year, we didn't do anything about looking for a chair to buy. So for Christmas, I gave DH a card with some cash and some pages of recliner chairs printed off from from local furniture dealers...not enough to buy a chair, just a deposit! 

So since Christmas, we have been checking out a stores in a few 'Homemaker Cities'...

This one is Aspley...

Usually a coffee before the checking out of the stores...

We went to lots and lots of stores. DH knew what he wanted; leather and a manual mechanism rather than electric. Some shops had little to choose from, some only had electric, one store wanted full payment despite a 17 week wait for delivery and some stores wanted $2000+ for one chair. 

After 2 unsuccessful shopping expeditions, we went online to see what was available. We found some websites of stores that we hadn't seen at Aspley Homebase...we must have walked past them! Lol.

So today we headed out again...

Well Laz-e-boy had a sale and it had lots of variety but still quite expensive. So it's just as well that we went into another store that we noticed as we drove into the centre. 

Plush only had a few recliners to look at, but the customer service was amazing. This was the first of the 3 that DH 'tested'. He liked it!

But we went away for a coffee and then went back to talk about colour, leather quality, price for manual rather than electric. The price was fair/good, we could get the colour we wanted, so DH paid a deposit and the new chair is ordered. It will be a little while coming but not as long as the 17 weeks quoted by another store. 

But it's still a shame that re-covering a chair is not so economical these days...

Shopping trip....

Early in November this year, I had put on my 'Santa list' that I would really like a 2 tier fruit bowl. Having a tiny kitchen with very little bench space I've been finding my fruit bowl can't handle the volume of fruit. We refill it a few times a week with the overflow going into various other bowls. Which means less bench space for food prep. So one day I had the 'lightbulb moment' that a 2 tier bowl could be the answer. 

I remembered those ones from my 50/60s childhood...you know the ones that were a wire framework with thin plastic tubing woven through the wire? I thought a more recent design in wire would be nice, so it went on that list. Now Santa maybe couldn't find one...or more likely, his intermediaries ( the family) couldn't find one????? 😳 Lol.

So today DH and I went to the nearest Howard's Storage World store, and what did we find? Yep...those tiered bowls were there. And now one of them is on our kitchen bench! 

Still lots more room after emptying the contents from the old bowl into the new...

And look what else came home with us...just pure indulgence! Up until now, we've kept the pods in the boxes they come in, but now they have a new home...hmmm, wasn't I trying to clear up bench space???

And instead of 2 small utensil containers, we bought one big one...

So much for decluttering...but I think I have a little bit more bench space. 

(Purely for photographing purposes, the coffee pod holder and the utensils' holder were moved from their 'spots' to get the best light) 

Secret Santa Gifts Unwrapped!

Yesterday, being Christmas Day, I could unwrap my Secret Santa gifts. The first one I opened was from my SS in the Knit for Charities swap. And this is what I got...some fat quarters in the most beautiful colours. My SS knows what I like, clever lady!! ( My SS reads this blog!!) Thank you Secret Santa! 

  Now I was Secret Santa to another member of K4C and I sent her a knitted wreath that I had bought at our Parish Christmas Markets...

  Now back to the unwrapping....

Then I opened the parcel which had come from Michell in New Zealand. Michell was my SS in the Chookyblue SSCS.

And look at the lovely table runner that Michelle made me...the fabrics are gorgeous...the background fabric has gold flecks in it...beautiful! 

And Michelle popped in some other goodies, just to spoil me!

I love the Manuka Honey hand lotion and always buy a supply when I visit NZ, so I'm thrilled to try the lip balm! Thank you so much Michell! 

I was SS to Tonje in Norway. Tonje stitches but she also knits and that's what I focused on when I was deciding what to make her. Yes in the Chookyblue swap the items must be handcrafted by the Secret Santa. I love making Judy Newman's Dillybags and as I have a stash of 'knitting themed fabrics' I combined the two! By stalking around Tonje's blog, I established that she rather liked mice. So now I was combining those 3 bits of info. And this is what I came up with...

Knitting themed fabric hexies...

And a stitched 'Lily Mouse' from a design by Threads on My Socks, on a hexagonal panel appliquéd to the bag.

But that's not all! 

I forgot to take a photo of the two skeins of hand dyed Aussie wool that I placed in the bag. So next time I was at Knitch (a yarn shop in Paddington, Brisbane) I took a photo of the types of yarns I bought for Tonje.

Some sock yarn...

And an eight ply yarn...

Hopefully both ladies who had me as their SS were pleased with their gifts. I certainly loved mine! 

Christmas Day 2015...

The day started with some visitors...

My lovely neighbour Judy and her family came over bearing gifts and decked out in their Christmas finery...

And then we all breakfasted on croissants, coffee and juice for young Jay...and perhaps some brandy truffles may have been consumed too, despite the early hour. 

When our breakfast guests had departed, it was time to make a salad to take to our Christmas lunch date at DH's brother's place. 

A few cars probably heading out to Christmas lunches too! 

Of course lunch was a veritable feast! Beautiful food as usual...

Lining up to load up plates at the buffet table...

Table cleared, and DH and I are pondering whether we will have some of the low sugar trifle that our SiL made especially for us. But of course it would have been rude to refuse! 

The other guests had been remarking on the fancy toilet paper in the downstairs bathroom, so I checked it out and took a photo with my phone! Christmas loo paper no less....

My brother in law and his wife always put on a big afternoon tea a few hours after Christmas lunch but this year DH and I decided we would pass on the second lot of food and head home a bit earlier for some 'Nana and Pa' naps...which we did! 

Then about 7pm we made some snacks...leftovers on baguette/ with potato salad for DH and a bowl of cherries with banana and a dollop of leftover cream for me.

We watched a 'Call the Midwife Christmas Special ' (which was a repeat) and then I headed for bed leaving DH to play cards on the PC. 

So another lovely Christmas Day was over. I have one more Christmas lunch to eat. But it isn't until Jan 3. The Newmarket Mums have their Christmas lunch in January as it's so difficult to get everyone together from late Nov/ through Dec as everyone has so many commitments. It's worked well and even the Secret Santa gifts can be bought at the post Christmas sales! Lol

Hope your Christmas Day Celebrations went well too.  

Christmas Eve...

During the day on Christmas Eve saw lots of finishing off of all those tasks that get done before the family 'descends' on our home ready for the start of Christmas festivities.

But before the family arrived DH and I attended the delightful 5pm Family 'Dressing the Crib' Service at the St James parish church. During this service children are invited to place the Nativity figures in the replica stable which is brought out every year and placed in front of the altar. 

And then the children sit on cushions to hear the Christmas story which is accompanied by pictures on the big screen. My friend Carmen usually narrates the story and here she is about to start. Being an ex teacher, she asks the children lots of questions so they can be involved in telling the story....

Oops, the mic isn't working too well, but that's soon fixed...

So after the service, which included singing lots of Carols, we headed home, ready for our guests who were arriving at 6.30pm. We had a wonderful evening! 

My niece wore her new Christmas dress/my old Christmas dress...and it looked great on her..not too big at all...here's another pic I took of her in the dress...

I had deliberately left the little Christmas tree undecorated because I had a plan...

 And it wasn't long before two little volunteers got on with the job of decorating! 

We didn't take photos of the buffet table, but I can assure you it was well stocked. The young people brought lots of beautiful food, to add to the small 'mountain' of food DH and I had organised. 

And they brought along lots of gifts too...but more about some of them in another post! 

And in a first, I only used china and glass serving bowls and platters. We ate off paper plates and bowls. If my mother in law Elsie is 'looking down' she would be horrified! But each year it's DH ( and very rarely a helper or two from the young people) who deals with the clearing of tables and the 

stacking of the dishwasher and then hand washing the mountain of items that shouldn't go in the dishwasher. So I thought we'd try the 'paper' so DH could have a break. This year we used 'good glasses' and regular cutlery. The family all thought it was a good idea and enthusiastically took garbage bags around the tables, collecting plates and bowls when we had finished eating. 

Just a few small plates and the bowls left...we sent food home with family members, on the leftover paper dinner plates...saves having to retrieve Tupperware later on !!!

All cleared...and Christmas Eve is almost over...

A great night of family celebrating. 

Christmas is close!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, which is when DH and I have our family Christmas. Some previous Christmases...

2012...

This tradition started when I joined DH's family, as Christmas Eve had been when my family gathered to celebrate Christmas thus allowing my mum to join her friends on Christmas Day. In the early days of our new blended family, my stepdaughters used to spend Christmas Eve with their mum and grandma and see their dad on the morning of Dec 25. But after their grandma moved north to Ingham (in North Queensland) they started coming to our Christmas Eve dinner and spending Christmas Day with their mum. 

2009...

Today we have been tidying the house, I have been doing some food preparation, gift wrapping and preparing the spare bedroom for our visitors for the next few days...DsD1 and Dan arrived at about 7pm tonight...they live 6 hours away in Wandoan. 

( in the background Eduardo is asleep on that chair on which I draped a small patchwork quilt this afternoon...he doesn't waste any time sitting on that quilt! He seems to have radar to find quilts and knitted/crocheted rugs! Lol)

Now that the girls are all grown up, organising this gathering has become much easier and less work for me! DH sent out  messages to family a few weeks ago inviting them as usual, and asking them to nominate what food they would bring...

Then I made a list from collating all their answers...DH mailed that to them...

And it's all organised! Done and dusted :-)

The gifts are wrapped and under the tree...DsD1 and Dan added a whole lot of gifts this evening....hmmm I wonder which one is mine! Lol.

I made 2 lots of brandy truffles this afternoon; Dan has sampled them and said they are yummy :-)

This year, 4 of our girls will be here on Christmas Eve. It's a long time since all 5 were here for Christmas. There were working holidays overseas, DsD2 and our son in law spend alternate Christmases  with his family in NZ and my girls have also spent time visiting their dad in Victoria. This year,  DsD3 will of course be again celebrating Christmas in Ottawa so we will Skype her, just like we did last year... 

So tomorrow we will get out the Christmas tablecloths, set the tables, find all the serving spoons etc, bring out the extra chairs, and generally get everything ready. It will be wonderful! My niece, her husband and their 2 children are coming and children always make it special. My 2 nephews are now 17 and 22...it's lovely that they still want to come along and help us celebrate. 

Merry Christmas !!!

Hexie Swap Update...

Hmmm there's been a bit of slackness around here lately...you know the 'I don't wanna do that!' type of nonsense. So the stitching, though enjoyable was in 'fits and starts' as my mum would say when a task took a bit longer than expected. Procrastination methinks!! 

But I have basically finished stitching 15 pairs of hexie flowers...and I'm so glad! 

I lined the flowers up to take photos to put on Instagram, so if they go missing in the mail, at least there is some sort of proof that I made them.( Did I tell you that in the #Round1 Swap, one envelope of hexie flowers did go missing between being posted by the maker and reaching my place!) 

Photos...

And more photos...

I thought they were all rather nice. Many of the hexies were cut from my 'Amelia' (Moda)  jelly roll, as requests for bright, cheerful and modern fabric hexies abounded in this swap. But I also cut into my 'flower fabrics stash' this time too. 

After I photographed all these flowers I started sealing them up in cello bags, which I had found at a local 'cheap/bargain shop'...then I started addressing the A5 envelopes...then I realised that something was wrong! Those centres are quite 'naked'; there should be writing on them...like this! So out of the cello bags they came and I wrote my details on each flower...

I forgot to take a photo of my ones and they're well and truly on their way to their new homes, so the pic is of a pretty hexie flower that I received. 

There is one pair of hexie flowers which weren't photographed and not mailed...they will be mailed in late January as the recipient will be away OS until then. 

So what now with these hexies? Round 3 Swap sign ups will be in January. I don't think I will sign up...but you've heard that before haven't you! 

Is this the end of an era???

I'm referring to the tradition of sending Christmas cards. My mum lived a long way from her family so sending Christmas cards was quite a tradition in my childhood. Even if my mother didn't communicate with her friends and family from the southern states during the rest of the year, she always sent Xmas cards and a letter! 

My parents didn't 'display' the cards like many of their friends who would drape cards over venetian blind slats, stand cards on sideboards or string cards up on cords tied from one corner of a room to another. There even seemed to be some sort of 'competition' of who had received the most cards!!! My friend's grandma always seem to 'win' the 'most cards comp'...which always impressed me as a child. 

Even my local pharmacy has some cards from customers hanging up near the registers...

When I married, my first husband and I compiled our own Xmas card list but it was me who wrote out all the cards and envelopes. When I met DH, we combined our lists but we would each write out our own. DH would put up a cord in our lounge room and we would use little pegs to put the cards on display. In the 13 years we've been together, the number of cards we've received each year, has noticeably decreased. Consequently the number of cards that we send has also decreased. People's habits/traditions have changed...often for economic reasons as well as time constraints. It takes time to write out the cards and address the envelopes and then after Christmas, the cards usually get discarded. 

In light of the rather large increase in postage to take effect on January 4, 2016. I have decided that for us, the 'era' of sending cards will end this year. There will be some exceptions...some elderly friends and relatives who don't have computers, let alone Internet connection, will still get 'snail mail' cards from us. So what will the 'new era' entail?

For quite a few years I have subscribed to the Jacquie Lawson site and for a yearly sub, I am able to send any number of eCards to friends and family...and I do. I recently renewed, but took a 2 year subscription this time for $20, which is great value because I really do send LOTS of cards per year. The company has kept up with the times and I can send cards to not only people's email addresses, but also to friends' Facebook pages or Messenger private messages. This is really handy if I'm not sure if their email address is still current. 

In the last few days, DH has written out cards for his list and  I have written out and posted 17 cards via 'snail mail'. I have also sent 50 eCards and have lots more to send. The animated cards are always so much fun...one friend wrote back to say it (the card I sent) made her wish 'she was a child again!'. 

Now here is one of my 'blasts from the past'...

I have kept a lot of my mum's 'recipe clippings'; she was always cutting out recipes from newspapers and magazines and possibly never making the recipes but that's beside the point! Lol. And I don't know why I kept them either??? Any way amongst the clippings were some Christmas cards and that's what I'm going to share with you...

Some of you may remember when stamps cost 20 and 21 cents??? 

The cards...

The messages...

The card at the top was from my mum's friend Edna who lived in Lake Charm in Victoria. Edna and my mum met and became friends when they were in the army during WW2. Every year, until my mum's death in 2001, they sent Xmas cards to each other. Reading Edna's letter, and seeing certain events mentioned, I can say that her card was for Christmas 1979! A while ago now and that explains the 20 cents postage!!