Wash the dishes...

I have a couple of posts to sneak in before next year. Firstly I wanted to share with you the loveliness that arrived in my mail box yesterday. I could hear the motorbike stopped out the front and the dog barked and barked hoping the bike would go away. I ran outside, quelled the dog and hopped excitedly to the mail box. For the bike to stop that long there must be a package!

I don't think I have ever been so in love with a tea towel. Lovely linen tea towels, designed and printed by Tania from Myrtle and Eunice. I won one in a giveaway and brought the other for my sister. Aren't they clever and sweet? Thanks Tania! I can't wait to see more of your printing.

"Wash the dishes, dry the dishes, turn the dishes over"

I also wanted to sneak in a pic of this drawstring bag. I ran it up yesterday for a friend who commented on Cohen's new bag and wanted something similar for her baby's blocks. I love this red riding hood like fabric and the red and while polka dots.

Holiday crafting...

It has been raining since Christmas. It's so lovely to get some rain. The weather lends its self nicely to all things humble and homeward.

Building up Lego towers and watching Cohen knock them down. Hanging loads of clothes on the air dryer in the laundry. Pulling things out of cupboards and sorting them out before they go back in again. Using the new sheets and towels we received for Christmas. Cooking up big dinners. And occasionally, while baby sleeps and husband watches cricket, getting in a bit of crafting.

I made a drawstring bag to house all the little cars Cohen got for his birthday. The fabric was from a bundle that was sent to me from Brusselsprouts. I love this retro spaceman fabric!

And when all is quiet you will find me with on the couch, with my feet up, cotton and hook in hand.

The joy of Christmas...

Our day started off with breakfast among family at our house and was followed by lunch with more family across town. We spent a quiet night at home alone, my husband and our little boy and myself playing with Christmas toys and then watching a movie once Cohen was tucked up in bed.

(Notice how there are almost no ornaments on the part of the tree you can see in the photo? Cohen really came into his stride Christmas morning, removing any decorations he could reach!)

Cohen had a fantastic time playing with his new toys and books, although he was less interested in unwrapping them. Once he had one present open he was content to play with it and ignore the rest. He was thoroughly spoilt, so we have hidden some of his new toys so that he can play with them in rotation. I'm a mean Mummy aren't I?!

By the end of the day we were all exhausted, our tummy's full and happy to have spent our Christmas with our family and loved ones.

Thanks to Nana for the two photos of Cohen above.

Thank you for all the wonderful Christmas wishes. I hope you had a fantastic day wherever you are and however you celebrate.

The Eve of Christmas...

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas, full of laughter, love and moments to treasure.

Being reminded...

of the mingled scent of cloves and oranges, and sore fingertips,

as I once more make Pomanders and breathe in their heady fragrance.

Celebrations and cake...

Because one birthday party is never enough, we celebrated into the night with family and friends, food and drink and fun and laughter last night. I was remiss and took not a single photo of anything, too caught up in Mummy and host-type business to turn my camera on at all. Thankfully my family had their cameras in hand and documented the event beautifully, so I will be borrowing their memory cards...

Being picture-less for this post reminded me that I had forgotten to share my contribution to the Mothers groups secret Santa presents. Do you remember this sneak peek?

Pattern from Pip's Meet Me At Mike's book.

The baby has been bathed and is sleeping in his cot. Hubby is at a dinner after his social golf game. And me? I am off to do some more crochet for another little baby that arrived safely into the world yesterday.

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend.

Tuesday...

Loving...

Mixtape

Thaw Magazine

Jodie's Kinder Boy pattern

Op-shopping

Winning giveaways

Zippy storage

Walking around the neighborhood as the sun goes down and the lights go on...

Following in the footsteps...

From December until January each year at my parents house you can see the tips of a huge Christmas tree lit up with multi-coloured lights. Ever since my Mother can remember the tree on the hill has lit up at Christmas. Each year as children we would walk up to the Christmas tree to admire it's beauty and the sheer scale of the tree on the hill. It wouldn't be Christmas for me without this tree.

(I believe the reindeer's and Santa would be taller than a person and the tree looks to be around 7 times taller than the Santa. A very tall tree.)

Following in the family tradition, last night Cohen sat in his pram as we walked him up to the tree for the first time to see the lights blink and glow. Cars slow down and stop to look. Children and adults peer through the windows. Houses in the street join in by stringing lights around their gardens.

I knew he would enjoy it. He is at that age where he is fascinated by lights. He loves to flick the switches at our house while we chant 'light on, light off' to his delighted smile.

He fell asleep on the walk home.

All I want for Christmas...

Five hours at the hospital today really put my Christmas wishes in check and reminded me that all I want for Christmas is a healthy family.

Cohen will be fine with a prescription of antibiotics and cuddles.

(Photos taken of a street full of houses decked out in their Christmas lights, from a moving vehicle.)

Whoosh...

Loving birthday presents...

Happy Birthday Party...

My dear little boy turns one on Friday. I can hardly believe it. 365 days old.

Today we celebrated with our mother's group friends and ate gluten, dairy, egg and nut free cakes and biscuits and played in the yard with the rain water and the hose. There were little circus-y hints around the house and a large bowl of fruit punch. There were babies with handfuls of fruit and lapfuls of toys. There were smiling, laughing mothers and streamers blowing around in the breeze.

Just as it all should be.

I love crochet...

Probably the last thing that I needed was another project.

But I just couldn't help myself.

Every since I first saw Lucy's pattern I wanted to make one.

Tam pushed me over the edge...

Simple and colourful...

Simple. I like simple. But colourful? I'm not really one for all things colourful.

Still, in the Christmas spirit, and as I have an almost one year old now, I though I needed to push my boundaries a bit.

With the sewing machine birthday gift, my Mother also lavished me with fabric, including my first jelly roll - Moda's 'Holly Jolly' by Sandy Gervais.

The weather here does not necessitate the use of a quilt, so I thought a throw for the couch may be in order. I have finished sewing the top and need to rummage through my stash now for an appropriate backing. Maybe something not Christmassy, to make it reversible?

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PS. I do not care about your ugg boots, so please do not spam my comments again. I have reported you as a spammer to blogger.

Humph!

Rainy delivery...

We are having the most delightful rainy weather. It has cooled everything right down and given the grass and the asphalt that just rained smell. Our dear mail man rode through the rain to deliver a package from Amy and her Badskirt shop today. Lots of pieces of gorgeous fabric intended for a little something for a little boy. Aren't they fantastic? I love those little blue people who look like they are dancing! Thanks Amy!

The rainy weather has been perfect for sewing and while the plants are getting a drink I have been working on a Christmas throw I hope to show you tomorrow, as well as making this sweet dress for a lovely friend's little sweetheart. Hope you are having a lovely, productive Wednesday too.

I love op-shopping...

A table cloth, 12 napkins, an apron and a mixing bowl...

were among the haul from the op-shop today.

This was prior to Cohen getting his 12 month needles...

You know that you are trying to do the best for your child. You don't want them to get sick. But holding them while they are given three needles? Watching them hold their breath and scream?

Heartbreaking.

Thankfully it never lasts for long. In moments the nurse had Cohen laughing at a toy.

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He is having a lovely long nap now and I am going to put up the Christmas tree so that he has something interesting to look at when he wakes up.

Seeing things...

Sorry, the sun was on it's way down when I snapped these pictures of a building in the Gold Coast. We were on our way to a lovely dinner in a revolving restaurant.

But tell me, do you see a pattern that looks very quilt like too?

I made this... mess?

Is it the fate of sewing and craft rooms to get messy? Or is it just mine? Can you remember where you put things and never loose anything? Or do you find things by accident?

Me, oh no, never. My room is immaculate and everything organised... ahem...

I found the elastic.

In a perfectly reasonable place...

in with the fabric pens.

"Yes husband, I do need all this junk, yes I can (sort of) find everything. The room just gets messy when I am making things... which is a lot of the time...

Oh look, I finished these yoga pants from Pips book, aren't they cute? Are you hungry darling? Come into the kitchen...."

And, to further justify any mess, this is a sneak peek of a little Christmas present I made yesterday too.

I love a book that you can make two projects out of in two days...

One little fish went out one day...

Yesterday, birthday money in hand and a closet bereft of Summer clothes, I headed to the shops. While I had ever intention of buying a Summer dress or two I sort of happened to buy Pip's wonderful book instead... I did buy two tops as well and then of course things for Cohen... as soon as we got home I poured over the book and started on a pair of navy linen yoga pants for Cohen. Now I just need some elastic...

Also, I have some wonderful mail to share. This yard of sweet Lecien fabric was won in an Octoberfest giveaway courtesy of the generous Ruth. There are a few project in Pip's book that would look great in this fabric...

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Somewhere in Melbourne some one would have found a brand new orange rubber fish that was dropped by a sleeping baby. When we went to the Aquarium in Melbourne we brought Cohen the fish equivalent of a rubber duck. Bright orange with white stripes ala Nemo. Cohen was squeezing and biting and hugging and smiling at his rubber fish until he fell asleep and suddenly it was gone. I was saddened by it's brief stay with us, we had been laughing at his antics with the fish and imagining him playing with it in the bath and it making friends with the rubber ducks and other bath toys. Poor fishy. I thought is was gone forever. I thought there was to be no more bright orange rubber fish in our lives.

Hubby called the aquarium and paid for them to send us another one, addressed to Cohen. So the mail surprise promised by hubby was more for Cohen than for me but who wouldn't want such a thoughtful hubby and such a wonderful baby? Best presents ever.

Loving Summer...

Note to self: Give Cohen ice blocks outside...