Some people are so clever!

My little friends, Chas and Coco, gave me these cute gingerbread biscuits for Christmas - lovingly made by their very creative mummy, Michelle.

Such a clever idea to make them in the shape of buttons!

.... and they tasted wonderful too!!!!

Need some Christmas spirit? - only 2 days left to vote!

Only 2 days to go before the winner of the most Christmassy blog is announced over at Sooziii's blog!

Even if you don't want to vote, take a look at the beautiful blogs on offer by clicking on the links in my post of several days ago (below). Then pop over to Sooziii's place where her blog is looking resplendent in red!

We've all had such fun festooning our blogs with flash toys and wedging widgets wherever we could, glamming things up with glitter and bringing you buckets of bling!

I do hope our blogs get you into the Christmas spirit! (and please vote)

'Tis the season - to eat yummy things!

'Tis the season - to sing carols!

(Double click on the image to see a larger version)

This one's specially for Wendy...

For the last 6 months I've been in an Angel-Mortal Swap organised through the Australian on-line quilting group, Southern Cross Quilters. I had a lovely "Angel" assigned to me - Sue - who sent me monthly gifts and chatted to me by emails, all the while remaining anonymous. Delicious fun!! Before Sue could reveal herself, though, she gave me a little clue and with a little detective work I was able to discover her true identity!

Last week it was time for me to reveal my true identity to Wendy, who has previously only known me as "Angel #2", so I sent her a Christmas gift and asked her to look at this blog today. So, are you looking, Wendy?

Wendy, you've shared some of your everyday interests and your thoughts with me over the last 6 months, and I have really enjoyed getting to know a little more about you. What you didn't know was that we both belong to the Sydney SCQuilters group - though you probably make it to the monthly lunches more often than I do!

I hope we will meet face to face in the coming year, because I've been very happy to have been your 'Angel'!

Most Christmassy blog? - Please vote NOW!

Over at her place Sooziii has been running her annual competition for the best Chrissy-decorated blogs, and now it's decision time.

I barely have time to wrap my family's gifts, clean the house, shop for Christmas food or prepare the bountiful meal expected of any caring mother at Christmas. Yet, mysteriously enough, I've found time to enter into the holiday fun, decking my blog with boughs of holly, swags of lights and glistening baubles. Go figure!!!

Others (as well as Sooziii herself) who've indulged in this seasonal frivolity are:

* Susan in Stitches
* The Faerie Queen
* Jackie's Jam Session
* That Grrl
* Aubirdwoman
* Quilty Threads...
* Come What May
and
* Snippets 'n Scraps (That's me - you're here!)

- and now it's decision time! You are invited to make yourself a hot chockie drink (or pour yourself a cold lemon lime and bitters if you're here in Australia), take a seat and take a long look at these nine beautiful blogs, full of Christmas cheer, creativity, laughter, and a little nostalgia.

If you can possibly choose between them, Sooziii would like you to pop on over to her blog and cast your vote for the best-decorated, most Christmassy blog.

These blogs are written by honest, authentic women, struggling with life's realities yet courageous enough to share themselves with us.

In my my opinion you're all winners, girls!!!

Our Christmas Tree

The door's open, so come on in....

That quilt on your right is the yearquilt I made in 2003, a series of 'bookshelves' with a day for every 'book'.

Just step over our darling doggy... (she doesn't mind those silver reindeer a bit)

And here is our Christmas tree!

I love festooning the staircase with pine garlands every year - even if my family call it OTT!!!

I've turmed the overhead light out

... so you can see how pretty it looks.

Now these are Christmas lights!!!!!

With just a little extra effort, this is what can be achieved!

Welcome!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here - at last!

My blogging pals Lindi and Sheila have started showing their readers around their beautifully decorated homes, and while I haven't gone to as much effort as they have I thought you might like to see just a few of my Christmas decorations.

Let's start with our humble outdoor lights, glittering away in a Christmas tree shape (you can see the 'Christmas tree', can't you?).

This first photo was taken with a flash, and you can see how we draped the lights over the buxus hedges, with our fountain on the wall behind. (The fountain is the source of the water you'll hear running in the background of the video clip.)

The 'real' 12 Days of Christmas!

Sometimes Christmas isn't all tinsel and baubles - so you just have to laugh.....

Today I am thankful for ... The Princess!

She brings joy and laughter to our family every day.

Can you have too many Christmas parties?

I don't think so!

Yesterday we celebrated Christmas with the dedicated little band of volunteers who keep our (quite extensive!) church gardens looking immaculate. Which means our church looks loved. Which means passers by know our faith is an important part of our lives. Get the picture?

Every Friday they roll up their sleeves and weed, lop, cultivate and plant - and we love them for it!

And did I mention that they know how to party too?

From my family to yours - A Happy Christmas Dance!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Before you view the video clip in this next post...

...please scroll right down to the bottom of the right hand sidebar and pause the music. This is better than John Lennon anyway!

Purse tissue covers finished for Christmas!

Last week I gave you a sneak preview of these little silk purse tissue covers I was making as Christmas gifts. Today I hauled out the machine and stitched up the ends. Voila! In no time they were finished!

(Lindi, you were absolutely right!)

Life's Little Mysteries #4 - Somebody's thrown in the towel!

One of the aspects of near-city living I've had to get used to is having the flotsam and jetsum of the neighbourhood abandoned on my stone wall or tossed onto my garden beds. This never happened when we lived in suburbia. You'll have read of other such finds here and here, and today it was this towel from a popular, but rather expensive, gym.

Now why do you think it was tossed onto the top of my 2.5 metre high retaining wall?

Do you think the exercise regime became just too hard for someone? Or perhaps the WEC (World Economic Climate) forced them to cut down on extravagances like aerobics classes or personal training?

'Tis the season - to think of others less fortunate

Another table laden with Chrissy presents, but this time they're toys for some of the 1,700 children who the Salvation Army's Oasis Youth Support Network expects at their giant Christmas gathering at Redfern in Sydney on Christmas Day.

By the way, anyone is welcome at that giant party, so if you are in Sydney and have no-one to spend Sydney with, head on over to Redfern's Carriageworks on the big day.

My exercise class group each year donates a small mountain of toys to this fabulous charity, and this morning we were very excited to hand them over to Robyn Moulds wife of the Director of Oasis, Captain Paul Moulds, at our break-up morning tea .

'Tis the season - for the Kris Kringle!

Today I went to my first break-up of the season, that of my 'bijou' quilt group, Paddington Quilters. Not only are these girls deft with a needle, talented designers, great encouragers, warm carers, generous sharers, and a wonderful way to begin a week, but they are some of the most creative gift-wrappers around.

In the Kris Kringle I chose Charlyn's gorgeously-wrapped gift, but was so excited that I completely forgot to photograph it closely before I opened it.

Hers is that puff of clear cellophane glistening invitingly in the background of the photo above. Charlyn added a tiny bit of opulence - a sprinkling of palest flesh-pink petals from her "Pierre de Ronsard" rose bush, nestling in the folds of the cellophane - delicious!!!

And just look what was inside...

This exquisite little pump-pack not only contains enough delicately scented body lotion to take me through the summer and beyond, but will look fabulous in my 'boudoir'.

Thank you Charlyn, and thank you Paddington Quilters for your friendship!