perfect sunday

My sister hosted the most beautiful breakfast and morning tea at her house {as seen in pictures below}.
My small contribution was a plate of devils on horseback {traditional}.
Louise must have been cooking for days... scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, herb and garlic mushrooms, a gigantic platter of fruit. Then coffee, iced tea, chocolates, gluten free fruit mince pies, mini trifles...
We were too full to eat any lunch. We spent the middle of the day quietly at home, playing with our toys.
My three year old niece wore her plastic high heels and crown all day.
I taught myself to play "away in a manger" {calypso style} with two hands on my son's new keyboard. My older son Liam, buried himself away with his new mac lovingly handed down to him by his aunty.
Luke had a mixture of beyblades, pokemon cards and harry potter lego happily jumbled together across our whole entire lounge room floor.
I loved all my presents. Florence and the Machine was on repeat all day. I got a pink hairdryer!
This was probably the best christmas day ever in regards to the weather - sunny, breezy, blue skies and not at all stinking hot.
In the evening was the traditional cold dinner at my parents with lots of salads and cold chicken and ham and christmas pudding, rum balls, apricot balls, christmas crackers etc - perfect!

             

Merry Christmas ~ I hope you all had a wonderful day today wherever you were and whatever you did and I look forward to reading all about it over on yours.

Thank You

A big thank you to Darren Hayes for making this beautiful film (your Mum must have been an amazing person) and to Kane Adrian for sharing it (whose Mum must also have been amazing).
Also to my friends and family who are constantly telling me I am doing a good job on my own xxx

For all of the people who make an effort to be caring towards my boys, thank you for your
much appreciated support this year.

A favourite decoration, he does double duty as a key player in the games of a seven year old boy, which is why he is looking nervous...

Oh Christmas Tree!

"a thrill of hope the weary world rejoices"

the dance of the sugar plum fairy

If you ever danced as a little girl or went to the ballet at christmas you will appreciate the christmassy magic this music conjures up! Beautiful photographs in this film below!

                                  

Sugar Plum Fairy via pinterest  ● The Nutcracker giclée print from Kris Atomic  

snowflake via pinterest ● sugar pink tree via pinterest  ● en pointe via pinterest   

felt garlands via pinterest ●  fairy lights via pinterest 

● glitter gifts tags by my little 7 year old friend ♥

shoe envy

I don't know what exact age having a pair of plastic high heels is a right of passage for most girls but I was scared my little niece, at the tender age of three may be a little too sophisticated to be interested for much longer so I hastily bought her this set for her Christmas present.
I think I was about six when I got a little pair of wedges for Christmas but I thought they were pretty amazing.
Apparently you had to wear socks with them to complete the look as modelled here by my sister and myself on Christmas Day in 1980-something.
And yes, I am envious - I would love a set of plastic shoes and jewels for Christmas and the confidence to wear them.

make something, save something

We put our tree up today! Pictures to come.
I made these memory wire bangles for a lovely friend and my little son helped me make some for his teacher too. I think they're pretty, I made one for myself! I am being as errmm ... thrifty as I can this year particularly where  I can use "stuff" and "talents" I already have. Apart from our new advent calendar {which was admittedly purchased under duress which I then justified by calling it a "reward"} there will be no new cards, tags, wrapping paper, decorations etc. I will be having a lovely time using all the lovely things from my vast stash. As much as I like  love shopping at this time of year, I am keen to simplify and slow right down and not buy {haha} in to the stress. I would rather be sitting on a beach. I think people are in to it... I think it's a trend. Will there be less consumerism this christmas? In the wake of the "occupy movement" will more people be buying from local small businesses or online via etsy etc?
Will Chermside be a ghost town at 2am during the annual all night shop?
I won't know because, breaking with tradition, this year I will be having coffee with my friends somewhere else. {will woolloongabba antique centre be open at that time do you think? }  ;-)

Our Advent Calendar

Anyone would think I'd announced that I was killing Christmas by the outcry of objection from my boys when I presented them with our new advent this year. Sorry boys, no tacky chocolate filled trademarked calendar from the supermarket - NOOOOOO!

They melt in this weather and every Christmas, without fail, my little redhead sneaks in to the fridge in the early hours and eats Dec 4 through to Dec 24 in a few tidy minutes.

My little one begged me to get this Father Christmas advent calendar with the idea, I suppose that I would fill it with candy canes or chocolates or even, over confidently recommended a that pokemon ds game would fit nicely in each of the draws!

Mummy thought that some lovely family christmas activities, written on little scrolls of paper would be such a fabulous, beautiful tradition to start - SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING KIDS!

I had some great ideas, stuff we do every year anyway but this way it's a little more special. I know they'll love it - for sure. I also got some ideas from Pinterest... just type in Advent Calendars. 

There are some fabulous ideas that you can do with your children to celebrate the season. 

Each of my boys will get a turn on alternate days and I will adjust the activity to suit them. 

They can save it as a voucher for another day if they want to.

Some ideas: gingerbread iced chocolate

christmas playdough

visit christmas lights

watch a christmas dvd

christmas baking

read a christmas book

christmas puzzle book {we have a very cool where's wally type christmas activity book}

I even relented and threw in a few vouchers for candy canes.

Ahh the joy of the Christmas season begins...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 Christmas Lights!

 it took a village to make this gingerbread cottage ~ about five adults, four kids and 

three extra adults to take photographs

                                            

the boss lady trying to sweeten me up

late night wrapping and a pretty kitten

Not ready for this Christmas to be over ~ we may have to extend it for a few more days...

Am very full and happy and tired. The boys loved everything they received, lots of lovely presents for me too, a highlight being a new external hard drive {joy! ~ no more cranky messages from my mac}.

Have loved catching up over the last week with friends, doing the crazy last minute all night shop at Chermside, staying up late baking and wrapping presents and spending a chilled out day today with my family. Finishing off tonight with a lovely big family dinner with family from far away who we don't get to see very often so it was extra special, but all over too soon.

Christmas Treats from Flickr

little world, originally uploaded by ohsewpretty.

2010 Snowflakes, originally uploaded by jennlynnette.

, originally uploaded by 2995550.

129, originally uploaded by vanessa.paxton.

maggie's road, originally uploaded by unclear.

Christmas with the boys

This year I have been able to spend a lot more time with my boys during the lead up to Christmas and I am enjoying it so much more. All of those Christmassy things that I love are so much more exciting
and take on a whole new meaning and value when you are sharing them with your children.
Please click on some of the blogs I follow, there are so many beautiful ideas, recipes and activities to discover, too many to mention. So many bloggers have created some beautiful FREE downloadable christmas tags and other tutorials, gift and wrapping ideas etc.

For example ~ Christmas tags & paper in PINK found at Domestifluff, check out her whole blog - there is heaps more and she is so stylish - no excuse for crappy gift tags now!

picture from Domestifluff

Jenny B. Harris from allsorts has, amongst all of her lovely ideas too see on her blog, has created some gorgeous digital christmas activities for children {which I also enjoyed}. A Gingerbread House to decorate and a little doll to dress in Christmas Clothes - so CUTE!!

Amanda Blake Soule, Soulemama, in her beautiful way, is elving with her family.
She never fails to delight and inspire me.

And in my house...

the over-the-road neighbour brought across some HUGE lollipops 

for the boys a couple of mornings ago!

making more tags, this time with hand stamped balsa wood shapes and scrapbooking paper.

 at Christmas my plate of gem stones and sea glass gets a snowflake candle and some vintage baubles

watching "The Snowman"

Christmas Cherries

One of the best things about this season is Cherries!

{photo from blisstree}

I found this cute idea here at Blisstree

My boys will love making these.

Christmas tree is up... pity the rest of the house looks like the 1st of January

 

After  a huge amount of requests to see the tree {ok one person, thanks Leesa}, here it is. I have been holding off on taking photos because the weather has been so dark and gloomy ~ a professional photographer would have come in handy here, perhaps I will have to invite them over for morning tea very soon.....

1957 ~ Desk Set starring Spencer Tracy and Catherine Hepburn and 1984 ~ Falling In Love starring Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep

It's at this time of year that I love watching the sort of movies that are not directly christmas movies as such but a still very Christmassy and sentimental and nostalgic and where are my vintage hankies?

Mostly I love the visual aesthetics of the films and the eras they come from. If I could take screen shots of the sets and costumes that I love... well that would be a whole other blog...

One of my most favourite parts of the epic design sponge site is the living in section capturing the style and visual icons from movies and matching them with real life products you can buy!!! or drool over.. ~ it is absolutely brilliantly done.

Here is one for Christmas, a Wallace Family Classic Must Watch, for you Cath...

A Christmas Story via Design Sponge

image from design sponge