It has become very clear to me that when my life gets super busy, I get very laxe about taking photos and recording what's happening in my world. I've been better at it in the past, and maybe that's something I can work on in the new year.
So, what I'll do is take the last few photos from my iPhone and see if I can catch you up with my last month ... no rhyme or reason here ... just the order they come from the phone:
Mid November meant it was time to put up the Christmas tree. It's our tradition to get busy with this activity on pageant day which was 18th November - a week later than usual due to Remembrance day, and I ended up being even later! Usually it's an all day thing for me, and this year didn't disappoint - doesn't everyone suffer from POPD (Perfect Ornament Placement Disorder)??
I just love how our tree looks, so I like to keep it around absolutely as long as possible. For baffling reasons I forgot to put the wreaths on the front door until two days before Christmas ... but eventually I found my festive spirit!
And of course this shoe loving gal found a new pair of Scarlettos that absolutely had to be mine. I had big plans to wear them on Christmas day, but opted for comfort over style ... not that they're uncomfortable ... just nothing beats flip flops when you're busy on your feet!
This year's gingerbread creation was tackled with gusto. I had great plans to do more elaborate icing designs on the side, but when I ran out of royal icing, I decreed that it was finished. If you're looking for a wonderful recipe for gingerbread house construction, this is the one that I use. It's fabulous because when you cut the shape of the template - that's the size that comes out of the oven after baking. Super important when you're trying to put it all together.
Who knows what kind of gingerbread construction I'm going to work on next year ... I have had imaginings of a gazebo kind of lamp thingy. Make sense? No ... probably not :-)
I like to decorate the table a few days before Christmas ... no-one likes a big rush at the last minute, and it's nice to take time over the details ... we had 12 for Christmas lunch, and all that needed to be done next was to put all the chairs in place. I have 10 chairs in the dining room and always have to steal a few from the family room table.
Blissfully, our apricot tree has been ripening more slowly and after the Christmas rush. This year we've purchased a dehydrator and we're getting ready to make dried apricots. Our first batch is drying as I'm typing this, and I hope they're going to be great. We still have so much jam from years past, and it'll be nice to have something different for a change. I'll keep you posted how they go.
On the stitching front ... before Christmas I made up a whole bunch of the spider-web placemats that I love. Ones for my students, the ladies who work in the shop, and for my Saturday tennis team. Bafflingly I didn't take pictures, so you'll just have to trust me on that. The mats are wonderful for using up small pieces of batting, and when I use leftover backing pieces too, they almost feel like free projects.
And in the picture above you can see a close up of a secret squirrel applique project I'm working on. I'll be able to share more of the project with you soon enough.
Today Marty, Camo and I went to a local tennis tournament - a couple of young lads from our own club were playing. Good results could maybe mean a wild card entry into the Aussie Open, so we went along to show our support. There was great news, and not so great news - Nathan who has coached Camo a few times lost in straight sets - but Brad who is the son of our head coach, he won today and will go further in the tournament. So exciting! I got a little sunburned ... to say the very least - usually I'm so careful about being sun-smart. Now, I'm not saying I've got new superpowers or anything ... but I'm pretty sure my forehead is radioactive right now!!
I know I won't have a chance to post again in the next couple of days, so all that is left for me in these last couple of days of 2017 is for me to wish you all a very Happy New Year! I hope you're able to ring in the new year with those you love, and do remember that what you do on the first day of the new year, will be what you spend the rest of the year doing ... so make sure you do good things, and do them well! xoxox
5 comments:
Everything looks very festive. Yes, your tree is gorgeous. That is great that you all decorate as a family, makes it so special. Gingerbread is to pretty to eat. Your dining table is beautiful. What is your dinnerware pattern? I have Johnson Brothers "Friendly Village". It takes us from Thanksgiving to the end of winter. Can't wait to see all that you have been working on.
HAPPY NEW YEAR and as always thank you for taking me on your journey.
Happy New Year! Everything looks so festive.
Ditto about the apricots, so last year we soaked them in lemon juice then dehydrate them. Then for reasons only apparent to myself I froze them! They kept well (duh!) so well, and so hidden I only remembered to use them a few times, but made wonderful minced pie mix this year :)
Your holiday decorations are lovely. Wishing you a Happy New Year
Hope you had a merry christmas and have a happy new ear. I'm working away on Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt and having a great time this nyd! I love your christmas tree, table and gingerbread. Be good to yourself sweetie.
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