Happy New Year!

Here we are with another year coming to a close.  Time flies when you're having fun!  Some of us didn't have such fun times all year.  One of you lost your house to fire just before Christmas.  One of you had your husband undergo an emergency appendectomy just before Christmas.  Some of us lost loved ones this year, some of us lost our jobs, and some of us saw our husbands lose their jobs.  But do you know what?  None of these dear souls are disheartened or discouraged because they have faith.  Faith that they can handle whatever life throws at them, good times and bad.

Gentle Readers, I wish that faith for each of you during this new year that is almost here.  I love you all.  I have made so many new friends since I started blogging this year and I am so grateful for that.  Your comments have led to meeting some great people all over the world and that is truly amazing and wonderful to me.

See you next year!

Dazed and Confused?

Yesterday, TLC had a Hoarders marathon.

After a few episodes, my anxiety got the best of me and I tried to tackle some major purging.

That evening, we tuned in to an American Pickers marathon.

Do I keep it or throw it away? 
Talk about your mixed messages.

I Can See Clearly Now

A few days before Christmas I put some of my old bottles on the ledge in my bathroom.

My bathroom may never be finished but it is functional.  It doesn't have to be pretty does it? sigh

My husband came home from work that day and headed in there.  After a bit I heard him bellowing singing 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.


The next time I went in I found this:

I do try.  Really

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

Everyone is enjoying Christmas at the LC. 

 

Even the wildlife are having fun.

I wish a Happy Christmas to my lovely blogging friends.  May all the joys of the season be yours.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

These may be the only white trees I'll see this Christmas.

Oh Christmas Tree!

This afternoon we had the inaugural  family tree trimming party.  It was a little rowdy.

Obligatory broken ornament actioned by #1.

She's very cute but in various other ways she takes after her father.

Someone's playing with her camera instead of Getting to Work.

The annual Wearing of the Antlers by #2.

I have a lot of my parents' old glass ornaments.  They are tarnished and worn but I love them.

The whole tree is decorated with glass ornaments.  This is the only area where I follow the more is more mantra.

I love my crown.

I have tiny little lampshades to go over the lights.

The men always do the lights.

We enjoyed some munchies.  It was very strange how the boys concentrated more on the food than the tree trimming.

Behold the glory!

This pillow expresses my relief on getting the tree decorated.
 Then everyone went home.

Tout fini!

Broken Item of the Week

Gentle Readers,
May I present to you a seasonal version of the Broken Item of the Week:

In the interest of full disclosure I submit that I may have done this one myself.

I Won Another Giveaway!

I've been blogging for less than a year and I've won three giveaways.  I was never a winner.  Before blogging, I think I was ten when I last won anything.  Then I won a stuffed dog.  Moving on....

Here's the plethora of winnings I received from the wonderful Teresa Sheeley
She's a wonderful artist, crafter, student, wife, and blogger.  I found her blog early on and have followed her ever since.

She designed and sewed all these tea towels.  Aren't they pretty?

This one is my favourite for today.

Teresa also included some lovely note cards and the matted print of her original watercolour painting.  Please visit her blog and Etsy shops.  She sells original paintings as well as prints of her work.  There are lots of other cute things as well.
Thank you Teresa, you are a sweetie!

Bakerella!

Saturday  was spent in a frenzy of Christmas baking activity!  Daughter #1 was never interested in domestic persuits. Until three years ago when she got married.  Since then, she has come over to my kitchen and received cooking lessons from yours truly. The first year I remember showing her how to bake the things she wanted mostly by me doing the baking and she doing the heavy looking on.  As the years progressed,  she became more experienced and confident so this year she did it all herself!

I got to do the heavy looking on this year.  I was the helper and she was the boss.  I dipped peanut butter balls for her, kept a sharp eye on the oven, and did some important taste testing.

Behold the legendary raspberry tarts!  This was my mum's recipe and is #1's absolute favourite.  Mum called them Daffy Cupcakes.  Hmmm.  The tops are covered in icing so the uninformed gets a delicious surprise when they take that first bite.  Yum!

When #1 was just a young lass, she was very upset because one of our good friends polished off the tarts before she felt she had had enough of them herself.  One afternoon when the rest of us were out, #1 felt the need to replenish the tart supply.  Now this is a child who never baked an item before in her life.  She mixed up that recipe and rolled out the dough herself, and baked those tarts to perfection.  When I returned home they were the first thing I saw of course.  "Who made those tarts?" I exclaimed.  "I did" she proudly replied.  "You did not, was Grammy here?" I couldn't believe she had made them all by herself.  "So you can bake when you want to!"  I was so supportive.  I don't think she ever made them again by herself until she got married.  So there is a lesson to be learned.  Where there is a will, there is a way.

Happy Christmas baking!  What is your favourite Christmas sweet?

Broken Item of the Week

M.I. Hummel figurine:

Retail value approximately $300.00.

Mine? Priceless.

The Postman Always Honks Twice!

Today I woke up to the electricity being out.  I was very glad to have our nice warm fireplace in the kitchen.  While I was lolling around in my pj's the postman lady tooted her horn in the yard. She brought me a parcel.

All the way from Australia!  I hear it's cold there this time of year.  My dear friend MMMC sent me a Christmas parcel.  I was so excited I couldn't wait for Christmas, I just ripped into her. The parcel I mean.

What is lurking beneath all the packing?

Pretty packages tied up with ribbon.

Look at this beautiful card.  Can you see the words there in a foreign language?  I wonder if that's Australian.  The artist captured my likeness remarkably well.

First I opened up a box to find a lovely Delft Christmas ornament.  It makes me think of Horsey and Sassy.  You'll have to read MMMC's blog to find out who Horsey is.

She's off visiting her Delft neigh-bours.

Brisbane Breakfast tea.  I'm going to have it for supper though.

Along with these yummy looking biscuits cookies.  Those Australians and their funny language!

See, it says right on the package that I don't have to share.  But I will. Maybe. Just one.  Moving on....

A beautiful silk screened by hand hankie from another Australian blogger. I don't want to take it out of the package.

Then I came upon this guy.  I have no clue who he is but when I turned him over I found this:

A Mid Century Modern dollhouse!!!  I'm on a mission to find one for MMMC

Two large, luscious Australian decorating magazines.  I'm going to try and hold off reading them until Christmas afternoon.  Hubby's going through them saying "Oh look at this!" knowing I'm trying not to peek. He's getting a lump of coal, that's all there is to it.

Last but not least, this wonderful handy dandy fold up shopping bag.  I'm storing my tea, cookies and magazines in it away from you know who.
I can't remember how MMMC and I became good friends. I think I found her on someone's blog list.  I kept stalking leaving her comments until she caved in and started corresponding with me.  She's a wife, a mother to four young children, and a law student.  How you can do all that and still find time to write such an entertaining and educational blog is beyond me.  If you like vintage Fisher Price and Scandinavian design plus the antics of four lovable children, this is the place to be.
Thank you so much MMMC for your lovely gifts.  Your friendship means so much to me. You say it here far better than I can.