2013 In Review

I always find myself wandering back through the year as I approach the New Year. How about you?
This year has taught me many life lessons and bought me many joys for which I am very grateful for.
I hope you will bear with me as I reflect on a few of them.
Of course the most important event of 2013 was the birth of our two beautiful little Granddaughters...

and

It is such a delight to welcome them into our family.
This year I became a card carrying member of the "Wise Woman's Club" by becoming a woman of a certain age. I was so humbled and touched by the love and blessings showered on me at this time..

Sooo many candles...

The heat was fierce!!! And of course my beautiful quilt...

S

Thank you to all of you who took the time to show me how much you cared and helped me celebrate this very special milestone for me....love ya!!
I also had a couple of firsts this year...
1st Block of the Month "Christmas Memories" sold through The Patchwork Teahouse

1st ever cover of Homespun Magazine...

1st ever Trunk Show at Star of the Sea Quilters Cleveland...

and that is my 1st ever quilt..
1st ever time my patterns are being sold in the USA...here

Mr R and I had a fabulous camping holiday in the Grampians in Victoria. 1st time visiting there.

Met lovely friends along the way on our trip...

I also discovered that life doesn't discriminate who it gives burdens or loss to and we have also had some of that and shared as other friends and family did as well....that's life as they say. I have to say also how proud I am of my children and the people they have become particularly DD as she has had not only a lot on her plate this year but it just about overflowed....hugs xxx
I have also learnt a huge life lesson and that is...

Thankfully so many people with beautiful hearts have been placed upon my path that I cannot help but feel well and truly blessed and......The laughter of friends is so good for your soul.

I feel truly blessed that I can do the work of my heart, my passion and that so many of you lovely, clever women (and yes you are all clever women) have become friends to me as a result.
Thank you so much for supporting me, leaving me beautiful comments, laughing with me, stitching with me and letting me know that you like my little scribbles and ramblings.
Oh I couldn't forget to mention.....now what was it again ...um?? Oh that's right ****8**** in a row!!!

Happy New Year to you all. I wish you a year filled to the brim with blessings.
I know you have seen it before but I thought I would leave you with my favourite "Tree" wisdom.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Hot Summer Days!

Phew! What a hot day we had here yesterday in the old South East...40 degrees C. and not one breath of wind and very high humidy. So after chores a dip in the pool was necessary and then the A/C went on and I cut out all these little cuties which swap Mama Cheryll kindly gave me the heads up on after I received one from her as a gift...you know how much I love a pretty bookmark to mind my pages...so I fancy making a few to give as gifts too.

The tough part of the day was avoiding these little delicious hip expanders and their friends in the fridge....

I have been trying to tell them that their work here is DONE!!! Move on! I have been wondering whether Yoga mats come in Jumbo size...I am sure there will be spillover on mine. LOL! I really must get that surgery to remove that tube from my lips to my hips! I also indulged another little love too...
One of my very favourite books is Tim Winton's "Cloudstreet". Now you either Love it or Loathe it! So I shan't try and convince you either way. I have read it several times and so was very excited to see the miniseries appear on TV and had saved several episodes until I could sit and enjoy them.....which happened yesterday!

I loved the choice of actors for the show and  am looking forward to the rest of the series.
It is 10 degrees cooler here today thank goodness. I never take my decs or tree down until after New Year (must be that Celtic superstitious nature of mine) so I am using the time to relax and regroup and allow the creative juices time to recharge for when Inspiration comes-a-calling and I have to answer.
Must get back to my little bookmarks.
Enjoy your day,
Blessings Michelle xxx

Swap Gifties and Christmas Celebration

Warning: Heavy photo post!!!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas whether it was a busy or a quiet affair. We had our family celebration on Boxing Day this year and as it was an extremely hot day we did what Santa is doing and hung out in the pool with Children and Grandchildren and various blow up pool toys (thanks to Mr R. of course!!!)
No 1 Grandson Master L. had the chilling out thing down pat....soo cute!

Grampy did a lot of pushing little boys around the pool on the giant thong...and I can vouch for the fact that you know when you have eaten tooooo much Plum Pudding when you cannot haul your butt onto the pool flotation device without half drowning yourself and others..lol (so worth it though)No photo it is too scary!!!

No 1 Granddaughter and Mummy got in on the act too...

Poor baby Granddaughter Miss E. had a very sore mouth (teething) and didn't have a swim and her Mummy was our photographer...she did enjoy her 1st Christmas stocking though!

and don't you just love the sound of ripping paper that reveals...."Superheroes"!!!

or "Lego"!!!

Miss C just wanted to know what all the fuss was about she preferred the wrapping paper..

Of course we ate far too much, DIL's pavlova (no picture because we ate it), Plum Pudding and one of  DD's famous Kit Kat creations....

So all in all we had  a very lovely day with our family and consider ourselves extremely blessed.
SWAP:
Boy was I spoilt by the very lovely Tarnyia from away over in WA. Look at my beautiful table centre...

I could only piece that in my dreams...and it is so beautifully quilted. Tarnyia also included some lovely Christmas fabrics to put in my Chrissy stash... and a beautiful diary with daily affirmations....

ohhh love it all. Thank you so much Tarnyia.
Now I sent to a lovely lady called Carol (no blog) and like a dolt didn't take piccies of the gift completed so I only have a couple of pics. My theme had to be "reindeers" when I saw these cute tags...

So I sent Carol a little reindeer and tree ornament, some sweet smelling soap, some mint leaves (her favourites, got the heads up from our Peg) with some reindeer serviettes and tea towel, a quilt calendar, Lynette Anderson fabrics and pattern and her gift for under the tree was popped into this little bag..

I made a runner with some reindeers appliqued on of course (sticking with the theme) but I only have a snippet to show you...

And when you are considering reindeers you have to have a copy of "Down Reindeer Lane"!

I received a beautiful email from Carol telling me she was very pleased with what I had sent her which makes me very happy! It was joy to put together my parcel for Carol.
Are you still with me???? Well I shall go and leave you in peace now as my house is finally empty of all house guests and visitors and I am going to go and drink in the silence.
Blessings Michelle xxx

Pineapple Fruit Cake Recipe

With a beautiful Angel watching me as I type I have to say a lot of you mistakenly thought the photo of the Christmas cake was my creation in the last post....ahhh! No! I said mine didn't look like that one! LOL!
Anyway a lot of you out there have expressed interest in mine which is actually this one below..

So here is the recipe:
Pineapple Fruit Cake
1 x 450g can of crushed pineapple (golden circle it's their recipe)
125g (1/4lb) butter or margarine
375g (12oz) pkt mixed fruit
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of mixed spices
1 teaspoon of bi-carbonate of soda
pinch of salt
2 beaten eggs
I cup Self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
Boil the first 7 ingredients in a saucepan for 10 minutes. Allow mixture to cool. Add sifted flours and beaten eggs. Place mixture in to a 18cm (7inch) square tin or as desired lined with baking paper.
Cook for 1 hour at 160 degrees C or 320F. Test with skewer. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes then turn on to the rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Decorate with pineapple pieces if you desire.

If you make it I hope you and yours enjoy it as much as we do. It is so versatile...it is our Christmas cake our take camping cake and it is my never fail "have to take a plate" cake. I can take no credit for it as for years it was on the back of the old Aussie favourite tin of Golden Circle crushed pineapple.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of my lovely friends out there, those who leave me comments, and those of you who are too shy to and still  read my ramblings a very Merry Christmas and all blessings for the coming New Year. Your kindnesses have added to the my daily Joy xx

May you have Peace in your thoughts,
May you have Peace in your words,
May you have Peace in your Heart,
Blessings Michelle xxx

2 More Sleeps!!

Only 2 more sleeps to go....today I am going to make 2 festive cakes....I wouldn't say they were Christmas cakes...not like this one anyway.

But I suppose as we have them at Christmas???? I make the old favourite "crushed pineapple" fruitcake as my family are not fond of the rich dark traditional cake. This oldie but goody seems to disappear without a crumb left so I see no need to change it.
I hope your preparations are going well in a non stressed out fashion.

Blessings Michelle xxx

FNSI Results

I actually surprised myself on Friday night and managed to get all the applique and some embroidery done on this little block...

I think my energy levels were definitely sustained by these sweeties..

Big thanks to Wendy our 'hostess with the mostest' for having us at her place for our Friday Night stitchings.
It has been great fun to visit old and new friends to see what they have been up too.
Blessings Michelle xxx

The Pud Arrived, Lovely Mail & FNSI

I am sure you all have Traditions at Christmas time in your Family. We have one that involves a dear friend I have had for 35 years. My friend Karen. She is a wonderful cook and every year at around this time she delivers to our Family as a gift a gorgeous Plum Pudding....last night was that night!!!
"The Pud!!!!"

Being an "appreciator" and not a "creator" of fine foods, I consider myself to be so blessed to have very clever friends and family who are "Master Creators" in the kitchen. Thank you xxx (of course I would be thinner if they were cooks of my standard!!!)
Now my very hard working Postie has delivered to me this past 2 days the sweetest additions for my Christmas tree....firstly a beautiful stitched heart arrived from dear Christine from Macdonald's patch!

and this darling wee Santa's hat from Sisbabe from Sisbabestitching...it is just so cute! I love it!

and my lovely friend Cheryl from Cheryl's Stitchings who shares my love of cute gentlemen made of snow has made this gorgeous Frosty ornie....isn't he handsome x

To top all this off, yesterday I had lunch with my bestie Ann to catch up for Christmas and she very naughtily indulged my love of Jim Shore with this little sweetie...

Big hugs and huge thanks to you all. You have added to my Christmas Joy enormously and I will treasure them all as I do you. I feel very, very spoilt!
Now about stitching...
Tonight I am joining all the FNSI girls over at Wendy's to do a little stitching.

I have had a house guest for over a week so I don't know how much I shall get done or indeed what I shall get done but my intention is to join you all.....I even have "furry roaches" ( Ferrero Roche's) as they are referred to in our household! So hope to see you there.
Blessings Michelle xxx