Christmas Presence

At this time of year, it is so easy to think presents presents presents.  What am I going to make or buy for whom?  Have I got enough? What if second cousin Joe turns up?  Should I have some extra chocolates?

I try every year to not be dictated by this giving - receiving frenzy.  Really, it is a consumerism thing in the end.  That is why I tried to go as handmade as possible so that I could inject as much love as I could into each gift.  But I also know that my sons love Lego, and I wasn't about to fashion Lego bricks out of Fimo.  My boys would be horrified!  So giving something that you know the recipient would love is still giving in love.

These verses have been playing over in my mind lately and I thought I would share them with you.

~ John 3:16 ~

For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. 

~James 1:17 ~

Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father who made the heavenly lights; with him there is neither variation nor darkness caused by turning. 

I want to remember that the gift of Christmas is not what Baby Jesus received from the wise men.  The giving and receiving of gifts is actually representative of Gift that God gave this world, our world, His Son Jesus Christ.  And any gift from God is perfect.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas day and enjoy His presence at your table and in your home or out in nature.

Love and blessings,

Fi xxx

Our Christmas Came Early

Warning: lots of photos!

We hosted our family christmas lunch last Sunday.  It was just easier that way.  Here's the wrap up (excuse the pun!)

The Guests

My husband's gorgeous children and their families.  We didn't get to see one of my steppies but he and his girl have promised to visit Boxing Day.  Joy!

The Food

We had a BBQ.  Easy peasy.  Makes everyone happy.  Plenty of vegetables though to eat alongside the mandatory steak and sausages for our meatlovers.  And dessert was the quintessential aussie/kiwi christmas pudding, pavlova.  I covered it in mangoes, strawberries and passionfruit with chocolate to sprinkle to personal measure.

Oops, only got instagram pics of these sides and salads
veggies for chargrilling | Spanish potato salad | tomato basil & boconccini salad with avocado

squeaky cheese (haloumi) kebabs

chargrilled eggplant with paprika served with a garlic feta sauce (not pictured)

Pavlova for dessert of course with extra strawberries and generous dustings of chocolate shavings

The Pressies

I made presents for everyone this year.  Unfortunately I didn't get a pic of the lemon butter but you can grab my recipe here.  It is the lemoniest lemon butter so it is definitely for lemon loving fans.

1. Slippers
2. & 3. Pyjamas for my step grandson.  Using my favourite pattern, well my only patter for pj's!  Oliver&S Sleepover Pyjamas as seen on this blog before
4. And my attempt at the much-done-for-christmas-presents-in-blogland beads (I would have to put a dozen or so links here for where I've seen it before; can I just trust that you have been around here too for a while and know all the places you've seen them?)

My shortbread didn't turn out as I liked so it didn't get gifted.  And to add a bit more value to the presents, gift cards and chocolates were also thrown in for good measure.

We received awesome reading material and yummy-yums, while the boys got toys, toys and more toys.

Getting the kids to sit still and face the camera was next to impossible!  I took dozens but the others are all blurry or not faces!

Yes, this is my tree.  At least it wasn't raided of its baubles or knocked over!

What about the big day?

Well, admittedly Christmas has lost its thunder but it would have been more disappointing on Christmas day to not have had an early celebration.  Rick's older kids have their Mum's christmas breakfast then their partners family commitments.  They live 90 mins from us, it was just easier to grab them early than to not see them at all.

We will enjoy our little family's company.  I love my husband and children to pieces, so to have a lazy morning with pancakes and eggs and tomatoes from the garden, then perhaps a picnic at the beach will be more than christmassy enough for me.

I will bake some special slice no doubt and we will probably eat something from the freezer that night.

Tonight we are off to our cul-de-sac neighbourhood party.  Such fun times!

I hope your Christmas day is full of happiness, of laughter, of special happy memory making.  Wear loose clothing!

Love and blessings from mine to yours

Fi xxxx

Oh My Stars

I had so much fun making these stars!  And I am delighted in them.  I know you want to make them too for your tree or as a garland like I have done.  The free pattern is from Jodie at Jellywares.  Aren't we blessed to have such clever generous people here in the blogosphere?!  I'm blessed for sure.  I have had numerous requests for the pattern and for me to gift them.  I'll be crocheting around the clock I think!

I made these from 4ply cotton thread in true yellow, soft yellow, peach and sky blue.  I used the tiniest hook I had and then joined them with a single crochet to a chain.

I have plans to make more in a thicker yarn as individual ornaments with ribbon and a button like Jodie's, for the tree we may or may not get.  But they will definitely adorn my annual jars of lemon butter!

Blessings,

Fi

xxx

Ravelry

Spoil

Hello

Firstly, I need to say a big sorry to you each of you who have left comments for me these past few months.  I am sorry for not replying.  I can't blame it on a large volume of comments, as I don't get many.  But I have been under the weather for a few months now and have neglected you.  I have really appreciated every comment.  I have been thrilled to read your encouragements and advice.  Sorry for the silence in return!

So today's post is titled Spoil.

 These are the first fruits of our tiny crop of butter beans. I think we have a delightful and surprising early spoil.  They were going to be eaten last night, but we were invited to a lovely Thanksgiving lunch which filled us up nicely.  But tonight, their fate is consumption!

And at the risk of spoiling the surprise of a christmas gift, here are the slippers I have knitted for my beautiful step-daughter.  I am worried they are going to be too small, but they are easy enough to knit up so I can always whip up another pair.

I used the pattern from this book and then ravelled it.

And for my step-daughter's step-daughter, (my step-step-granddaughter?!), I knitted up a smaller pair topped with a crocheted flower.  Poor Liam is modelling them for me, but I have saved him the shame of photographing his face in the pic! Ravelled here.

I seem to be starting more projects than finishing!  I really am not one to like having too many WIPs/UFOs, but right now I do.

This blankie
This dress
This jumper 
This jumper

Then add to that a knitted necklace, more pj's and another baby's jumpsuit.  Oh yeah, and christmas decorations.  Star garlands!  I'm also seeking inspiration for an advent calender.

And I have a head spinning with plans for more quilts, sewing tops for me and zippered bags.  When I review my boards on Pinterest, I am giddy with excitement at all the crafty plans waiting to be hatched.  But where is the time for it all?  I'm starting to think that these so-called Nanna-crafts are done by Nanna's because they are retired and have more time on their hands.  Pah!

As I type my boys are quietly watching a spot of telly.  I think I will seize this opportunity to finish some projects!

xxx

December Baby Quilt

Seeing that this whole hand-making thing is new to me, I am now finding out just how good-planning is necessary for a predominately handmade Christmas.  There are 6 and a bit weeks to Christmas and I have not made any decorations.

I have made one gift. . . with another 4 to go.  That does not include my yearly batching of lemon butter and my hopefully new tradition of shortbreads.  Then packaging them and the trimmings.  I. should. have. planned.  Oh well.

Another slightly annoying thing is I can't show you what I am making as to not spoil the surprise.

But I can show you this little quilt, now that it has been gifted.

I made it for a friend from church who is expecting her second baby early December.  She has opted not to find out the gender which I think is great from my perspective.  Making something for a girl immediately has my brain heading for pink and blue for a boy and I mayn't have ventured into this happy bright combo!

I chose bright colours that I think can go for either type of baby and besides, I made it for what I think my friend would like, not her offspring.

I used some fat quarters from my local quilting shop, leftovers from another quilt and a vintage sheet from my ever increasing stash.  There are 6 x 7, 6" squares and quilting along either side of seams.  Basic.  But I am loving basic as this type of quilting helps me improve my accuracy without getting overwhelmed by bigger challenges.  I will get there one day.  I forgot to measure the quilt but I think that would make it 33" x 38.5".

This is my fifth quilt in little over a year and I am quite pleased with my progression on the binding with particular effort put into the mitres using this tutorial.  Still a ways to go but happy nonetheless.

I'm always at a loss when it comes to wrapping.  So being inspired by all the bloggy, instagrammy, internetpurchasey pictures I see out there everyday, I did my own take on the brown paper, string and doily thing.  The blue part of the gift-tag is one of Dean's paintings that I paper-chain-style cut.  Then I did the same with plain paper in order to have a clear backing for my uninspired message!

Do you get more creative by being creative?  I hope so.  I hope also to get a bit quicker and more enthused.  Perhaps it is just the silly-season pressure.  On a brighter note, I have finished all my christmas shopping already unless of course, I miss my hand-making deadline!!

How is your Christmas planning tracking?  Got any tips?

xx

BTW I'm jumping in here for the first time in aaaaaaaages! Hi creative spacers!! xx  And sorry for the doubling-up in your google reader as I forgot to add the link before publishing.

CHRISTmas - blessings to you

Friday nights we like to catch up with a family that lives near us.  They either come to our place for dinner or we go to theirs.  It is such a lovely evening.  We eat yummy food then read a bible story to the children and sing songs.  All the instruments come out which consist mainly of toy instruments (none are in tune) and make-shift maracas made from containers filled with rice.  We joyously sing "Jesus Loves Me" and "Into My Heart" with as much gusto as we can and laugh and make noise.  This is such a highlight of my week.

I feel like we celebrate Christmas every week!  And really, we do.  Not Santa Claus Christmas and not Shop-til-you-drop Christmas and not "arrgghh we have to go here and here and here on Christmas"-Christmas, we celebrate CHRISTmas - Jesus. 

I was reminded by my friend that although Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, WE get the birthday presents . . . and in fact the presents are often the focus, not the birth of Jesus.



Picture from http://www.lostseed.com/


My prayer this Christmas is that as we give and receive, let us not forget Jesus.

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (& daughters)." Galatians 4:4-5

Merry Christmas and much love,

Fiona (Brave & New!)