Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!!!

Beware

This link was sent to me today. It is so very funny, especially if you own a cat or two like I do.
http://www.catswhothrowupgrass.com/kill.php

When you have read it, do the quiz at the end and find out if your cat is plotting to kill you!!!!

Counting Down to Christmas

The Decorating is done and the presents are wrapped..

The Pecan Candy Cake has been baked.

And the Plum Puddings are ready to go to people to say 'Thank You for a job well done' 

The Lemon Meringue cheesecake and

the Cookies and Cream Cheesecake have been made for Christmas Day.

And in the midst of my baking Dave and his girlfriend mel iced and decorated Marie biscuits just like (?) the ones I used to send to end of school Christmas parties when the kids were in Primary School.
There is little left to do now before Christmas Day  when the Turkey will be cooked and the day will flow into the night hopefully with much food , fun and love.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Christmas Carols and Quilts.

Recently I popped over to some of the Blogs that were participating in the Blog Hop Party to enter in some of the Give Aways. A couple of them asked what my favourite Christmas Song or Carol was and  their was no debating at all because this has always been my favourite since I was a child. Mary's boy Child sung by Harry Belafonte. Every year watching the Carols on TV I am always disappointed in the way this song is sung by anyone else



I have been busy the last two days Quilting the Vintage fabric Quilt and another I started months ago and hadn't quite done the Quilting. They are both finished so my Project Basket is now empty. It is a nice feeling having it all done.

Next week will be getting ready for Christmas. All that baking and cleaning and last minute stuff with the temperature supposed to be climbing everyday!!!!!!

Lavender

Freshly picked from my garden, it should have been picked a little earlier before it opened as much as it did but it is nice sitting on my desk. I wear Lavender scent all the time but since Yardley's stopped making theirs I am struggling to find another that is as close to the real smell of Lavender as it was. I know, you think it is a scent for Nanna's but I love the smell  and nearly every pefume that I have ever tried just gives me a migraine.

LIsa, come get your Caterpillar back!!!!

My youngest turned 18 on Saturday. I suppose that means I am officially the parent of four Adults now.

A few quiet drinks and a BBQ with his mates. There were a few more turned up later and I think he had a good night.
Walking past the garden to take the Cake up to the party I noticed this...........

I instantly thought of Lisa of Sweet Little Pretties and her love of The Very Hungry Caterpillar! I'm wondering if she slipped a caterpillar in the Op Shop Swap Parcel I received from her recently and this is where it got to.  Please come and get your Caterpillar back Lisa  or my garden may not survive it!!!!

Ta Dah!!!!!!

Yesterday Christmas finally arrived at my house. Yes there are three trees! Gold and Silver in the lounge room, Blue and Red in the Dining room and my favourite Prim Tree in the Hall.

The rest is snippets of some of the bits I have scattered around the house.

Makeovers and Steampunk Doll

It's been a busy week here although it should have been relaxed and cruisy. I headed out to the Caravan we use as a spare room the other day to give it a bit of a clean and ended up doing a mini make over. These mini make overs are becoming a bit of a habit I think (Remember the Laundry?)
So I painted all the ugly brown Laminate walls, made new curtains and blinds and pulled out the Queen size knitted blanket I got for $5 at an Op Shop and ended up with this........

The Blanket isn't really the most beautiful thing in the world, Well it would be Ok apart from the Lime green squares but it does the job.
That distracting table was next and I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

Yesterday I was going to sit and play with a heap of photos I had taken. I wanted to see what a few looked like in Black and white. It took me all afternoon to resize the ones on this Post. Photoshop was being very uncooperative to say the least. So maybe today things might go a little better.
I did manage to get the photos of my Steampunk doll done and posted on to Cloth Doll Artistry for the Challenge. She turned out very well.
Presenting Mrs Cog.

There are new photos on a Feast for Crows today as well. Playing with Black and White.

My Place and Yours-Just a hint of Christmas

At our house there are just a few subtle hints to say that Christmas is on it's way.  A few favourite and precious ornaments are already on display.

And there are a few new ones slowly creeping in to the house,

Parcels are being wrapped ready to send to special friends.

And special friends have already sent tempting parcels.

The Christmas serviettes have been purchased

and recipes are being pulled out of the cupboard.

If only I didn't have the distraction of my youngest sons 18th on Saturday or this table we pulled out of the shed and found out it was an extremely old pine table under the laminex that someone in their infinite wisdom glued on it!! Now I have to clean it up and weatherproof it. It is going to be a beautiful table for the outdoor area!!

And maybe I shouldn't have found the pile of Vintage Aprons in the cupboard when I was cleaning the sewing room on Friday. I spent Sunday making this.......

So of course I have to get it hand quilted and the binding on, don't I??????

The two suitcases and box of trees and ornaments will definitely be pulled out on Sunday. Nicky will be home and I hope to get her help. Christmas is slowly sneaking into our house......
For more dedicated Christmas Partying head over to Punky and Me.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!. 

Unexpected Puppy Play Date.

We had an unexpected visit from the neighbours this morning and as soon as they arrived they were locked out in the backyard, much to Rev's delight.  I rang their parents who were still out at the farm.

After a few minutes of wandering around the yard they started to do stuff.

Ty wandered  around the yard by himself most of the time checking out all the new and interesting smells and leaving a few of his own

Bugger and Rev played, they had a wonderful time chasing each other around the yard

And Machicho lasted all of 2 minutes and decided that she would rather watch from her spot behind my chair. Such a sook!!!

Carly and Robert called in on the way home from the farm and picked them up, poor Rev was so disappointed that they couldn't stay and play a little longer.

Lizards

In the Summer a sure sign there is a snake around is if we hear Rev barking under the house. He never attacks, he just follows them and gives out a bark every now and then. Yesterday I heard him under there barking and I quickly ran around gathered up the other animals and brought them inside. Then I bravely went out the back and jiggled the car keys which is a guaranteed way to get Rev to come. Once he was in I walked around inside the house looking out the windows to see if I could see the snake anywhere. And this is what I found......

Poor little thing was only trying to get into the garden. Every time he started to make his way across the pavers Rev chased him back under the house.  Eventually he did get there.

In My Garden Today