Happy 2012

I would like to wish all my wonderful family and friends are very Happy New Year and may it bring blessings and prosperity to you all. Thank you to all who have travelled with me through 2011 I have loved having you along for the ride to keep me company.. I pray that those of my family and friends who have endured loss, difficulties and hardship this past year find peace and ease as the New Year progresses.

Blessings Michelle xx

All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait.

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas and are not too full of Christmas 'Pud'. I had a very nice family time and loved seeing my 'little boys' enjoying the day. I love this photo of the two of them having a chat on my front verandah.

"So what did you think about this Santa guy leaving you all those pressies?"

Kicking back enjoying some apple on their new camping chairs.

Now I want all sorts of 'fairy claps' for delaying gratification. Way back in July I took part in a special friends swap for a Stocking and my partner was the gorgeous MELODY. I recieved the most beautiful stocking from Melody featuring one of my favourites - a snowman. The work on it is exquisite and I loved hanging it up this Christmas. Melody popped some gifts inside with the express instructions that I was not to open them until Christmas day....and I didn't!!! Yes thankyou I can hear the claps...taking my bows now.

My Beautiful Stocking

Gifts left uninterferred with 'til the special day

Aren't I lucky?? Yum!

When I opened my beautifully wrapped  gifts I had gorgeous fabrics, thread and a Gail Pan pattern and also the cutest snowman pencil....I know it will give me lots of inspiration for more 'frosty fellows'. Thank you my lovely friend I love it all and I am glad I was very good and waited even though it drove me crazy. LOL!
My Mum is visiting me for a while so I may be a bit here and there with my posts so you know what I am up to if I go misssing.

My eldest Grandson enjoying a story with his Great GranNan (my Mum)

Blessings Michelle xx

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011

This will be my last post before Christmas and I would like to thank all of you wonderful people who tune in to read my latest meanderings and thoughts. I thank you for allowing me to share myself, my art and experiences with you. I have discovered so many special and generous people this past year and all of you inspire me and make me proud to be an Aussie and give me hope as friendships have been made across the world and made it a much smaller place. So MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU AND A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.  I would like conclude by sharing one of my favourite blessings with you and I send it from my heart to yours.......

May you have Peace in your thoughts, Peace in your words and Peace in your heart.
May the long time sun shine upon you,
All Love surround you,
And the pure light within guide you on.
Namaste,
Love & blessings
Michelle xxx

Gratuitous Chrissy pics

I thought today I would share with you some little Chrissy photos of some more of my decorations just because I feel like it and it will be nice to look back on as I always forget where I put what. If you are bored with it all  you know what to do....

My gingerbread tree it is a bit dark though

I love this sign. I painted it out at Tracey's a couple of years ago.

Old Saint Nick. Some friends and I all made one each together.

Well after yesterday's trip to the shops....madness, madness! I am glad to be staying home today. I have one more trip to make for all the fresh vegies. I haven't produced enough to feed more than G & myself yet. I always wonder at this time of year when I see the trolleys so ladden with food, do these folks have huge family gatherings? Does all that food actually get eaten? Are the supermarkets closing down for a month? Is every one going camping in the bush for Christmas where there are no shops? I am no Christmas Grinch and I love all my holiday food and we always have all our favourites but I always wonder is there some reason for all these heavily laden trolleys and paniced faces that I don't know about??? Maybe I am a closet Grinch after all. I think the madness has rubbed off. Better stop now before all you nice people go screaming from my blog never to return agian. Time for a nice cup of coffee I think.....maybe just 1  tiny little rumball.

Blessings, Michelle xx

Up Up & Away!!

My other half has wanted for as long as I can remember to take a ride in a small plane but it was a luxury we could never afford. Imagine his delight when his boss who is a lovely man and a very caring boss invited him to take a joy flight (he has a pilots license) with him last Saturday. Well he was that excited and had a wonderful time even getting to have a little 'fly' all by himself. They flew out over our beautiful Stradbroke Island in the bay and of course have numerous beautiful photos. So I am sharing just a couple because I wanted to document his absolute delight in having had a wish come true. My husband's language of love is to give to others particularly myself and his children and grandchildren, so I was so thrilled, terrified but thrilled he got to have this experience for himself. Big thanks to Andrew!

Thumbs up at take off just like in the movies!

Now is this the face of "Excitement"

Our beautiful Moreton Bay

Flying over (Straddie) Stradbroke Island

Having a little turn at 'flying'

Home again and photo opportunity with the plane.

I also wanted a record for when I get the 2nd half of my blog printed in a couple of weeks.
It just goes to show you shouldn't give up on these little things on your 'love to do' list because of lack of funds etc. because you just never know when a wish will be granted.
Blessings Michelle xx

Naughty but Nice

Yesterday I had the 'Coffee Club' experience with my friend Ann for a Christmas catchup. As I said in my previous post we exchange an ornament for our tree. Earlier this year Ann was off travelling and called by the USA on her way home. She visited the Thomas Kinkade shop and yep! bought me this gorgeous plaque which is 'techically an ornament (very naughty she never plays by the rules) it is beautiful. Not to mention the gorgeous Christmas card handmade by her as well. Ann has done a lot of travelling and never fails to bring me back  beauitful ornaments as mementoes of her trip. So I am lucky enough to have ornaments from all over the world on my Christmas tree.

Very Naughty!!

To top off a lovely day I came home to find a beautiful card from FIONA from Bubzrugz which had attached one of her beautiful recycled 'snowflake' ornaments I had admired on her blog. I love something that has been re-purposed and given a new life as something gorgeous....it is now hanging very beautifully on my tree. Thank you so much Fiona I love it and will treasure it.....another very Naughty but Nice person. xxxx
I would have to say decorating our tree (after having lost all our ornaments) is the thing I love most to do at Christmas as there are so many memories and keepsakes from so many friends and family and I think about each and everyone of them as I put their ornaments on the tree. So thank you to all those Naughty but Nice people who have contributed so beautifully to our Christmas tree. You put the heart into our Christmas.

Oh so pretty!!

I have still some deadlines to meet so I am going to get off here and take to my stitching chair, put on a DVD and get to work.
"If Christmas does not dwell in your Heart you will never find it under the Christmas Tree"
Blessings Michelle xx

Big Pud!

Every year for many years my gorgeous friend Karen who is the mother of our lovely God daughter Sheridan makes our family one of her scrumptious Plum Puddings. They are just so delicious. She takes pity on my poor family who wouldn't get a lovely homemade pudding if left up to my culinary skills. She never fails to make the 'pudding' run on her way south to her Family for Christmas.
Karen decorates the pudding so beautifully and I know it's a gift she gives with all her heart and it is very precious to our family. So thank you my wonderful friend.....we shall enjoy it.

Isn't it 'pretty'

I hope you are all enjoying your Monday. I am off to have lunch with Ann for a Christmas catch up. We decided no pressies just a little ornament for our tree.
Blessings Michelle xx

Christmas Catchup!

Those of you who read my blog will have read before how I catchup regularly with my 'old' workmates. This one was special besides being our Christmas one as we were celebrating my friend Deb's retirement. Deb and I were job share partners for a very long time and she taught me everything I had to know when I started. We became great mates and remain so today. We never have had a cross word and we were called the 'dynamic duo' because we organised ourselves and took a great deal of pride in our work.
We knew we would be mates when we discovered our mutual love of "Old Country Roses" china. So of course what do your friends buy you to celebrate.....pieces of the aforementioned china. She was so overwhelmed to be on the receiving end for a change as she is always organising something nice for others.

Michelle and Deb best receptionists ever!

Is that an excited 'whats in the parcels girls' grin.

I look forward to having lots of cuppas now she is a free woman.
Hope your having a nice weekend,
Blesssings Michelle xx

P.S. regarding December Giveaway.

As I have had no response from the winner of "Walter" and patterns I have redrawn this prize. The winner is Liz from "My blog this Aussie girl" known to me as Quilterliz... so please contact me Liz with your snail mail address and hopefully Walter may get to hang up for a little while at your place this Christmas.
Michelle xx

Last Favourite Thing Friday for the Year.

                                      

For this last Favourite Thing Friday  over at SHAY'S I am going to probably embarass myself and show my age. I have included a photo of my beautiful Frangipani which has just started to bloom it's lovely head off and smell divine for most of you who will go.....never heard of them!
My Favourite thing this week is that my very clever husband has managed to track down and secure a copy of both Albums on CD of a very favourite band of ours from 1977 (yes you heard correctly). We have literally been trying for about 20 years ever since we wore out the cassette tapes (if you don't know what they are you can google it) to replace them to no avail. The lovely man at the HMV store in the city who I think knows my husband(who by the way needs a 12 step program for CD & DVD purchasing) on a 1st name basis tracked them down for us...one has arrrived and is in our hot little hands and the other is on it's way. Yippee!! You couldn't just buy them back then at the record shop as they weren't mainstream music here. We had to drive to the Gold Coast to the Record Imports Shop to buy them. We were dedicated 'groovers'. No downloading them on I-tunes. We had many a fantastic night with friends listening to them over a glass of wine or 3 or maybe more. We thought we were so cooool. Maybe we weren't but the music was.
The band is called "Sanford Townsend" and the CD is "Duo-glide" the one still coming is "Smoke from a Distant Fire". Has anyone else heard of them??? Anyone??? Ok so no one is as old as me. Don't care this is my favourite thing for quite a while and will be for a while to come and it will certainly get played maybe even quite loudly this weekend.

Gotta love those shirts and the mo.....oh dear!

Frangipani's as promised....the smell of  a Queensland Summer and home to me.

Have a great weekend everyone. If you have to venture out in to the Kringle Madness, keep calm, keep breathing, keep your sense of humour and remember Goodwill toward all men...even the crazy one who runs over your heel with the trolley or pushes in front of you.
Blessings Michelle xx

Jingle All the Way....Santa Sack Reveal Day!!

Reveal Day!!!!

As I had a very lovely visitor early this morning I didn't get to open (rip into) all my lovely gifts from my swap partner TARNYIA  until now. My heart is certainly jing...jingling! I have been so throughly spoilt. Blogger has decided not to let me post all my photos so I am sorry about no good closeups of the items I set out individually for you to see. I think Blogger is tired like me.                                 

Before shot. You will notice untouched (there is no photo of the unbridled ripping)

And look at this gorgeous array of gifts. Cute buttons, lovely notelets in 2 sizes(I love nice stationery), Appley tea towel, Beautiful handmade apron, zippy pouch purse, hand embroidered bookmark, candles, Chrissy fabric, smellies for my wardrobe, pretty individual coffee mug set ( just right for those curling up drawing moments) and an absolutely beautiful appliqued rose cushion with a lovely saying around the edge. Oh MY!

Beautiful cushion...but wait there is more.

This absolutley beautifully sttiched tablerunner.

Close up of Tarnyia's gorgeous work.

I will really be looking forward to placing that table runner on my dining table when Christmas is done. Thank you so very much Tarnyia for spoiling me absolutely rotten. I have loved chatting with you all the way over in W.A. and getting to know you better. You have been a wonderful swap partner. A big thank you also to Cheryll for all her hard work organising this swap. You can visit her blog and see what was in all the other sacks that have been jingling back and forth all over the world.                                                                     

"Friends truly are the friends you give to yourself " Blessings Michelle xx                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

High Tea with the Yoga Girls

On Monday I travelled to a place called Jimboomba which is about an hour from where I live to meet up with my Yoga Friends. We decided to have High Tea as our Christmas celebration at a cute little place called "Cafe on Cusack". There are vintage items on the walls and it has a really lovely atmosphere with High Tea being served on vintage china and the food was beautiful and so reasonable as well. If you are ever out that way do yourself a favour and pop in for a coffee or lunch you won't be sorry.

The Gang's all here!

The beautiful china and food...YUM!

More Yum! Would you believe none of this interested me?? No! I didn't think so!

Myself and my gorgeous friend Helen who just happens to also be our Yoga teacher. Helen is a continuing inspiration to us all. She is also a wonderfully wise woman.

Needless to say a lovely time was had by all and we can't wait til next year to do it all again.
On the subject of Yoga. Another friend of mine has opened a Yoga Studio in Beenleigh for all you local bloggers and that's where I am headed today (hoping it will help before I eat all those rum balls).
When the new time table comes out I will post a link and some photos about it.
I know I sound like some crazy zealot but Yoga really does change your life for the better. If you are still breathing you can practice Yoga.
"We don't practice Yoga to become 'perfect'. We practice Yoga to make peace with our 'imperfections" and love ourselves for just who we are.
Blessings Michelle xx

Tuesday's Treasure with Melody

                                                  
Tuesday's Treasures are here again with the very lovely MELODY over at The House on the side of the Hill where we share the treasures close to our heart.
My treasure today is two Christmas items that once belonged to my Husbands Grandparents.
The first is Old Saint Nick (he was featured at the top of my last post) and we found him in a box under an old divan. So we rescued him. He was in remarkably good condition and my husband remembers him from Christmas's past. Now he helps us celebrate with old fashioned style and he looks quite pleased about it if you ask me.



Old Saint Nick!

The other little treasure is a pair of Christmas Elves heads set amongst gold tinsel which we love to hang on our tree each year. I love that they still get to be seen amongst the branches each year.

Sweet little Elf!

We don't know how old these decorations are and as they were working class folk I doubt that they cost a great deal as they would not have been able to afford it but they are real treaures to us.
Blessings Michelle xx

The Rum Balls are here!

Every year my Mum makes my Brother, Sister and myself a container of rum balls as well as yummy fruit mince pies. They are like no other so delicious. We won't even entertain another opinion. So besotted are we by these treats my Mum has to sticky tape the lids down to 'tamper proof' the goodies so we delivered them in tact to each other....resisting the temptation or giving in......to pinch a couple from each other was loads of fun.

Nannies Rum balls

This year my Mum has come to town and so mine arrived in tact with none lifted by 'lightfingered Louie' otherwise known as my Brother. I of course had to do a taste test for quality control and they passed with flying colours!! Thank goodness she has passed on her 'rum ball' know how to my Daughter with much recipe swapping and phonecalls. She now makes a mean one too.
No one can beat my Mum for the best rum balls, fruit mince pies and her apple pie is a whole other story ( I don't want to have to get the drool off this keyboard)
Happy Birthday Mother and thanks so much for the yummies!!!

Wonder what's under the tree...for ME!!!

Also wanted to show you I have been a good little elf and my pressies are under the tree....unopened!!!
Lastly I need to hear from Kate from Show and Tell and Wivi about their December wins very soon or else I will have to redraw those two prizes......
I am off to put on my 'glad rags' for a date for "High Tea" will tell you all about it later.
Have a great day,
Blessings Michelle xx