Happy New Year and Welcome to the Funhouse

Happy New Year my lovely friends! I am still away, but look forward to visiting you all in the next month or so xxx
























This post is dedicated to Patricia over at http://papillonbleuuk.blogspot.com/ She loves all things circus and carnival....Happy Birthday dear Patricia - I hope your day is filled to the brim with magic and laughter. Do pop over and say hi! I'm a little early - her birthday is on the 3rd, but I am away at the beach, and this was the only time I was able to get onto the computer!

Merry Christmas Y'all

Merry Christmas from my crazy home to yours...I am full of turkey and pudding and red wine...I hope you all had a wonderful day - see you all really soon xxx

Do you like this parsnip grown in dad's vege patch? He was yummy indeed with some oil and maple syrup! Hope you all had a wonderful day xxx

Home for Christmas

I'm back home after my little birthday holiday...we took off to the beach house for a while and I had a lovely birthday because I had suprise visitors come to help celebrate with me. Mum and dad and my sister and her husband and my niece. They took me out for lunch and then prepared a birthday dinner at the house. We had a little fire outside and sipped champagne, then everyone stayed the night.

It's always lovely to come home again though, because I still have much to do before Christmas Day - I am cooking a traditional lunch for my family, and then my in-laws are joining us Christmas night for dinner...it's always a very big day.

I tend to feel quite overwhelmed at this time of year, so I always ensure that I take the time to slow down and reflect upon what Christmas means to me. I get such simple joy from being at home, listening to carols, watching Christmas movies and cooking shows (love those!) and enjoying all my decorations with my family around me.

Yesterday, I went through some old photos, and decided I would scatter some amongst my holiday decor - memories to make me smile. These are just some of my favourites. The one of me was taken just after my 16th birthday at mum and dad's. Yes, I still had a stocking on Christmas morning, a tradition my girls still enjoy.




















This one of the girls is taken at their nana and pop's - I love this photo! The stocking Georgia is holding is hand-made by mum and is embellished with lots of tokens from our childhood - badges and pieces of broken jewellery, so it is very special. I remember that my parent's had mistletoe hanging in their entrance, and every one that came to our home was greeted with a kiss under the mistletoe...























I would like to thank each and every one of you for all of your lovely words throughout the year. It has been such a pleasure getting to 'know' you all...I am feeling some big changes coming to my world in the next year, and am unsure where they may take me. So, with that, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and will bid you farewell for a while. I may pop in now and again over the next month or two, but intend to try to enjoy some old-fashioned time with family and friends without computers and mobile phones...hmmm, wonder how that will go? Be safe, and remember to enjoy the little things because someday you will realise they were the big things xxx

An Early Birthday Winner!

Drumroll please....firstly I would like to thank everyone who left such lovely comments. I love my little blog, and logging on each day and seeing your little notes makes me smile. I wish you all could have won.



















But alas, there is only to be one winner this time....and that person is.....

Oh, I am so excited! Kiki is a kindred sister who always lights up my days with her beautiful words. Please, if you haven't met her yet, you simply must go and pay her a visit! She is super talented...her paintings are incredible, as is her gorgeous visual poetry. AND she sings! Can't wait until she shares her voice with us! Quick...go say hi at http://heartofawizardess.blogspot.com/

Kiki, please email me igates@editrix.com.au your address so that when I return in a couple of days I can pop your pressie in the post.

Thankyou to everyone that entered and for all your lovely birthday wishes - I wish you could all join me for a champagne cocktail and a piece of cake!

(litte fairy's nest made by me...)

A Slight Change of Plan

Can I ask you a little favour? You know how I said I would draw my birthday giveaway winner on Tuesday 14th December...my actual birthday?

Well, it seems I will be away on a little holiday on that day, so I was wondering, if you didn't mind, if I drew the winner tomorrow - Monday 13th...I knew you would understand xxx

A little birdie has whispered in my ear that my family has organised a little suprise...don't worry - my acting skills are amazing, hee hee, and I shall be sure to act nice and suprised!

Yummy Christmas treats...

Hello beautiful people! You'll be so proud of me...I actually started my Christmas shopping yesterday! I know! The mere thought of beginning this task always freaks me out totally - I am not what you would call a great shopper, and most definitely prefer smaller independant shops rather than the big shopping centres...anyway, I have made a start so that's good.

I wanted to show you my little white tree with my hand made birds, baubles and ribbons...it's a happy kind of a tree!























Also, I really want to share the easiest, yummiest recipe ever! It's called a chocolate ripple cake, and my sister-in-law always makes this for Christmas night, and there is never any leftovers! It seriously is so simple, and doesn't need baking...


CHOCOLATE RIPPLE CAKE


300mls cream

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 packet of chocolate ripple biscuits

1 peppermint crisp chocolate bar



1. Place cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until firm peaks form.

2. Join biscuits together with a little whipped cream lying on side to create a log. cover log with remaining cream. Place in the fridge for 6 hours.

3. Decorate the log with crumbled chocolate bar.


That's it, people! How easy is that? The cream makes the biscuits all deliciously mooshy (yes, that is a word!)



















Ok, now to have some fun with it...you can brush the biscuits (or cookies as some of you call them) with orange liquer for a naughty adult version, or do what I did and throw some double choc chip cookies in the mix, and stir some crushed violet crumble (a chocolate honeycomb bar - do you guys have them?) through the cream, and then crumble over the top instead of the peppermint bar.

Also, I doubled the recipe, and fashioned my biscuits into a circle with a hole in the centre - much more festive and the centre can then be filled with whatever takes your fancy - raspberries, strawberries, chocolate covered nuts, candy canes, whatever!


Also, you can vary the taste by using gingernut biscuits instead of the choc ripple ones for a gingery delight! Try it - you won't be dissapointed!


Oh, and here's some little reindeer cookies I made today - aren't they cute? I dipped the antlers in chocolate and stuck a jaffa on with some melted chocolate - instant little Rudolphs.


















Here is a little mixed media painting I did this week...don't forget you can still leave a comment for my little birthday giveaway which I will draw on my birthday next Tuesday 14th December.

A Whimsical Christmas

"The only true gift is a portion of thyself" - Ralph Waldo Emerson















































We had a visit from the Christmas Fairy who helped us to trim the tree...

Angel Wings....

The magical glow of candlelight...my love affair with silver trays and thrifted glass

A little Christmas village - revamped garage sale finds and a branch collected from my garden, strung with birds, baubles and butterflies...magical indeed.

I have been having such fun decorating the house with Christmas cheer...

"Enjoy the little things in life, because someday you will realise they were the big things."

Don't forget there is still time to enter my little birthday giveaway...the time is drawing nearer...only 7 more sleeps!

A Glimpse of Christmas

Well the tree and fairy lights are up so I thought I would share a few pics with you... I love my collection of Santas - this year I have grouped them together in the loungeroom window.


















And this little guy just makes me happy and sad all at once...Georgia made this little Santa back in kindergarten - so precious...























I put the reindeer ears on Pip and she wasn't impressed...we thought she looks like Max from "The Grinch", which, by the way, we watch every Christmas - I just love Jim Carrey and this character was just made for him to play!

Here's a little glimpse into the loungeroom where our tree is...I love walking from room to room at night with all the fairy lights twinkling...it's like fairyland.

And this is my Christmas chandelier in the kitchen...I am still decorating the white tree in this room with my little birds, but will take some pics when she is done...

I hope you have enjoyed a little glimpse into my home...and don't forget to enter my little birthday giveaway in my last post. I wish I was computer savvy and knew how to link it to this post...if anyone feels like enlightening me I would be eternally grateful.

Ooh, I almost forgot to tell you, I have made a little Christmas village a la Vanessa Valencia of http://afancifultwist.com/ which I promise to show you next time.

I hope you are being nice and not naughty because the big jolly guy is watching and making his list...

A Birthday Wish To Make...

So, I was just thinking....

My birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and I thought it would be lovely to share the birthday love and offer a little gift to one of you gorgeous people out there reading my funny little blog....

It's coming up to Christmas too, not to mention almost my 1 year blog anniversary! Now, doncha think that's a good excuse for a little giveaway?

So, if you please, just leave me a little note in the comments and consider yourself entered! My little gift will be a suprise (I love suprises, don't you?), but I will include a few handmade goodies.

It's my way of saying thankyou to everyone who visits here - I am indeed grateful for this little blogworld.

I think I shall draw the winner on my actual birthday which is the 14th December, so good luck!

Christmas At the Studio and a Beautiful Friend

Just look at this gorgeous gift I received from the beautiful Jo of http://oldflowers4me.blogspot.com/ Aren't I a lucky girl?

On Friday, Jo invited me along to "Christmas at The Studio", a wonderful market with beautiful handmade gifts. She had a little stall with her gorgeous glass domes (these really need to be seen to be believed!) and her whimsical necklaces.

We sipped champagne and shared a lovely lunch..."Close your eyes and put out your hands", said Jo, and placed this gorgeous little nest she had made into my opened hands.

Here are a few photos from the market...inside the little mudbrick studio were the most beautiful treasures handmade by clever artisans.

Thankyou dear Jo for my beautiful gift - it is sitting on my kitchen table beneath a glass dome...and for your gift of friendship - what a wonderful world is blogland x

Colour Me Happy

"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings" - William Blake

I am craving colour at the moment - can't get enough of it. I made these little colourful birds this week with some felt and feathers...thought I would have myself a little boho Christmas tree this year. I haven't picked up a needle and thread in such a long time and now look at me go!

I also saw this wonderful idea - I bought some clear ornaments and filled them with a rainbow of feathers...love them!

It's a bit early to put our tree up yet (we wait until December 1st) but I will be sure to take some photos when we do, with all my new hand-made ornaments.

Spring has finally arrived here and I was just itching to get out into the garden, so I made a trip to my local nursery and picked up some colourful plants. I adore cottage gardens, but where I live is very dry with many gum trees, so I have tried to choose drought tolerant plants - I just love salvias because they come in so many great colours and are very easy to maintain...I have many roses, but only in my front garden because the possums eat them out the backyard - isn't that weird?

Won't you come see my little garden?

Do you see the silverbeet that the possums have nibbled?

I also wanted to show you this darling little charm that came in the mail this week from the gorgeous Mermaiden http://mermaidencreations.blogspot.com/ I was lucky enough to win a little giveaway on her blog a couple of weeks ago...thankyou sweet blog friend - I love it! You must go and have a peek into her beautiful world - her creations are truly incredible!

"The garden is a metaphor for life and gardening is a symbol of the spiritual path" - Larry Dossey

"He who plants a garden plants happiness" - Chinese Proverb

"Trees are poems that Earth writes upon the sky" - Kahlil Gibran

"Lose yourself in nature and find peace" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

And that last quote is pretty much what I did on my Sunday...