Thursday's Teddy Bears Picnic with Melody & December's Winners!

Well we are very late to the picnic and it is very damp and rainy here as well so we have decide to picnic inside. Today 's little picnicers are my Christmas Cherished Teddies which I think are very sweet. I think they will enjoy the gingerbread and hot chocolate Mrs Claws is making.

Warm Gingerbread and Trimming the tree with hand made decorations.

Frosty and friends.

Santa Bear and Mrs Claws with yummy hot chocolate.

To see who else was at the picnic visit MELODY'S at the House on the side of the Hill.
DECEMBER WINNERS:
1st draw (Walter & Patterns) is Wivi - congratulations!
2nd draw (patterns) Wendy from Charlie & Wendy.
3rd draw (patterns) Kate from Kate's Show & Tell.
If you lovely people could contact me with your snail mail address I shall send your prize to you.
Congratulations to you all and a big thank you to everyone for always leaving me such nice comments and joining in my little giveaways. It has been a priviledge to be able to share a little of myself with you wonderful people who have now become friends.
Blessings Michelle xx

Festive Fun with Good Friends.

Today was the Christmas breakup of my stitching group and even though it poured with rain all day we had a wonderful time. Jacky was once again our 'hostess with the mostest' and we surpassed ourselves with all the yummy fare we provided. Needless to say I am full up to 'Pussy's Bow' and dinner is a long way from my mind. Hope there is something nourishing in the freezer for No 1 Hubby!

Bevy of Beauties all present for our 25th Christmas gathering

We have a Secret Santa each year and also give the rest of our group a little token of our friendship and affection. Each year I come home with lovely homemade treats, beauitful cards, ornaments and other festive treats. This year was no different. I was making for the Lovely Kay this year and made her a Christmas table runner with stitcheries on it in a patchwork Reindeer tote bag.

Kays Runner

My Secret Santa was Bev and she gave me the most gorgeous Vintage box.............oh so Yum! Inside was beautiful french soap, lip gloss, angel notepad and lovely silk flowers. It was so beautifully arranged which is Bev's unique talent.....it looked gorgeous and I felt very spoilt indeed. Bev is a very special lady to me as she was the one who invited me to join this wonderful group of women after a chance meeting.

My Beautiful keepsake box

Delish Contents inside.

I'm sorry the photos don't do it justice.
It is surprising how much hard work it is laughing, eating, opening pressies.....I think I need to put my feet up and reflect on this lovely day and we get to do it all again next year. Yay!
"Friends are the gift you give yourself"
Blessings Michelle xx

Tuesday's Treasure with Melody

It is time once again for Tuesdays Treasures with MELODY and today mine comes with a little story of course. My obsession with Christmas decorations started many years ago after we cleared out the cupboard under our internal staircase where we had stored our Christmas decorations. We thought we had seen a snake in there....yes a snake! But it turned out to be a very big Eastern Australian Skink Lizard deciding to give me a heart attack. In the haste to be rid of cardboard boxes of junk my husband accidently threw out a large garbage bag which had a large box inside full of all our Christmas decorations....some were very old and had a great deal of sentiment attached to them. Of course we weren't aware of this fact until Christmas rolled around later in the year. Needless to say I was a bit devastated and No 1 Husband felt dreadful!
We bought a few cheapie ornaments that year but the tree looked a bit sad. Because I am a sentimental sop I just couldn't go and throw anything on the tree so I started all over again....a special ornament each year. Friends felt sorry for me and I recieved some lovely pieces from them to help get going again.
Just before the next Christmas a box arrived addressed to me and inside was a beautiful music box that played "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" but was also a Jack-in-the-Box and a gorgeous Santa pops up when you wind it up. My Husband had seen me admiring it in a catalogue and sent for it for me as a way to make up for tossing out all our decos....and the crazy collecting began!!!

What are your treasures today. Share them with us over at Melody's.
Let Christmas decorate your heart.
Blessings Michelle x

Snowy corner is finished!

Well Snowy corner is decorated, the tree is up and decorated, my little gingie tree is also decorated and I think I am as Christmassy as I am gonna get this year.

Did you know I love snowman????

More frosty friends.

No 1 Husband has also bought his two beloved grandsons the ugliest Christmas hats you have ever seen. He has a problem with bringing home 'bad' hats for those  poor boys.
Domestic goddess duties await.
Blessings Michelle xx

My poor Postie.

My poor postie has been at my door nearly every single day either with projects being returned or lovely parcels just for me.....and yesterday yep! she was there again. This time the very lovely Marina from 'maise and the boys' sent me a little parcel which contained 2 favourites for my collection - the most beautifully crocheted milk jug covers. Such a lovely surprise. Much oohhing and sighing has taken place when I saw them. Thank you so much Marina they are truly beautiful and I shall treasure them.

Truly beautiful handmade creations by Marina.

I hope you enjoy your weekend. I am now off to visit Katie the magical Greek Goddess who has the task of turning me from looking like something that has been dragged through a bush backwards into an attractive, well coiffured mature woman.....told you she had magical powers.
I was told by someone the other day when I was talking about blogging they would rather talk to 'real' people and have a 'real' life........I didn't feel the need to respond or defend my posititon but thought to myself "Honey you don't know what you are missing by never knowing the wonderful people I have had the priviledge to get to know this past year"
Blessings to all my 'real' friends out there,
Michelle xx

Favourite things Friday with Shay.

Another week has just flown by and here we are at Friday again. My Favourite this Friday is staying within my Christmas Theme and is one of my all time favourite Christmas quilts. It was one of the earliest I made and I found the pattern in an old American quilting magazine. It is called "Candles in the Window" and I am sorry I have no clue as to it's designer. The candles were all pieced and as I had enough of a challenge making the log cabin blocks I decide to applique the candles.
When all the Christmas things come out I always love to see this quilt. I have no idea why it just makes me feel good when I see it. What is your Favourite thing today?? Visit SHAY'S for hers and others favourites this Friday.

Candles in the Window quilt

It was all made from scraps and the ticking I bought very cheaply in an off cuts bag.

The postie also bought me another surprise package I had won a giveaway on Fiona's blog and I won a yummy packet of charm squares "Little Apples" - Aneela Hoey for Moda....so apt being a lover of Appley things. There was also one of Fionas gorgeous Santa ornaments, a quilt label and some very nice tea which did NOT make it to the photo shoot!!! Thank you so much Fiona for your generosity and Santa will be headed straight for the tree.

My lovely prize. Isn't Santa cute.

I also have a little 'furry' visitor today keeping me company while I stitch....in fact sitting on me while I stitch. Because she rules the world and everyone in it!!! "Miss Sophie" is my daughters black miniature poodle and is a one of a kind. Neurotic, highly strung and manic are words that come to mind but her redeeming feature is she is very cute especially sporting her latest summer "Do" from the Poodle Parlour. She is so very fortunate that I am a huge lover of dogs and I love them all even the naughty ones.............

You try telling Miss Sophie to get off the couch......YOU are NOT speaking to me?????? NO! Didn't think so!

She is coming to visit for a whole week just before Christmas!!!                                                                   I wish you all a great weekend finding time to indulge in your favourite pursuits I hope.
Blessings Michelle xx

Christmas Giveaway

Well folks this is my last giveaway for the year and I decided to keep with a "Snowman" theme as you know I am quite partial to these frosty fellows. So for the first draw I have an extra "Walter" snowman that I stitched (Walter is about 15 inches form top hat to tip of his bow) and 1 copy each of "Skates for Hire" & "Warm Cinnamon Tea". I will have a 2nd & 3rd draw which will be a copy of each of the patterns previously mentioned. I have decided this draw is only open to  my very wonderful and supportive FOLLOWERS who have shown me in so many ways and kind words that they enjoy my blog and like my work.....SO! THANKS!!! Now "Walter" is a very country chap so if that is not your preferred decorating style please let me know so as to give others who do 'fancy' him a chance. I will draw it next Thursday, December 8th 2011. I thought you may still have some 'panic stitching' you need to do. He he! Good luck everyone.

Walter - A very respectable Snowman.

Skates for Hire pattern

Warm Cinnamon Tea pattern

"Share your light.....a candle's light is never dimished when others are set a glow from it."
Blessings Michelle xx