HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!

I can't believe I have not done a single post for the whole of December. I have hardly had time to scratch myself since the end of November with all the organising of a huge 5 year old birthday party for half of the kindy, (which if I must say so myself was quite a hit with the parents and kids) and christmas parties one after the other and everything else that comes along with Christmas. I can hear you all saying - Don't I know it. Here are some pics of the boys helping decorate the tree and two special packages left for me under the finished tree.

Because Jaden's birthday falls around christmas, we decided to have his birthday party early so he could celebrate it for the first time with special friends. He had been requesting a pool party so Jamie and I decided to organise his party out at our local weir where the council has a free pool and play area. It worked out really well. We all had fun over the road from the pool complete with jumping castle, games and minti man. We had a sausage sizzle and cake topped off with a swim. Good times had by all. I bought the cake from Bi-lo and iced it myself. It was so hot that the icing kept running off the cake. I think you should be able to work out who the cake is???

Jaden and I decided that we would make all his kindy mates a BonBon each this year as their christmas gift. Things snowballed then with Daddy wanting us to get more goodies to help him make some BonBons for his work team and us deciding we would make everyone one that attended the family christmas day lunch and also some friends that we give too. I think at last count we had made about 63 BonBons. We had fun doing them and they were well received but I think we'll think twice about doing that again next year (probably will). Well it's all over and done with for another year. Phew. Here are some pics of Jaden and I making the BonBons for his friends from Kindy. It was about 9.30pm before we got them finished. As we had to start them after poor little Bailey had gone to bed because he would have wanted to help too and then there would have been tears.

I did get to make something crafty before christmas though through out the christmas rush. I made this for my friend Barb. I was quite happy with the way this little christmas angel turned out. This pattern is one of Annie Smith's of Country Keepsakes which was featured in Homespun Magazine No. 66 (vol 9.11) I fell in love with these and had huge plans of making all my craft ladies one for christmas but only got one finished. I have all the fabrics all ready and will get the rest done (definately before next chrissy lol). They are addictive and I can't wait to make more.

Just before Christmas I received my secret santa swap present from Vivien in New Zealand. Thanks so much to Vivien and her grandchildren for putting my lovely parcel together. I was very excited when I received it and was lucky to only have to wait a few sleeps till santa came. It was an effort trying not to open any of them. This was what was inside all these cutie little packages - Some cute little santa tea lights, a lovely soap, cute and handy little torch light (great for the handbag), two cute little washers (Princess and Christmas) to carry in my bag that you just add water to (I use these a lot), a gorgeous handmade oragami box full of choccies (who doesn't love choccies) and a beautiful little handmade sewing caddy (my first one,can you believe it). I just loved everything. Thanks to Viv and her family and to Janette from Wildcraft Farm for organising this swap (also my first). Sorry about the lines in these pics but all of a sudden blogger is not playing nice, as the lines are not in the pics themselves. I will have to try and fix these later.

Here is a pic of the parcels I sent to Viv. I can't show you yet what is in them as I don't know yet if she has received them. Hope they got to her o.k.

I think that was all I wanted to tell you for now since it has been a while.

I will have a few weeks break now until I start my new Job (temporary/part-time) in admin at a High School and Jaden starts Prep (my first child to go off to school, bohooo). Time is just flying by me to quickly.

Hope you all had a wonderful christmas and an even more wonderful New Year!!!

P.S. My Angel Story Quilt and Rosewood Cottage Quilt are being quilted as we speak. Yippeee I can now start another quilt. lol.

My New Years Resolution is to complete my Sampler Quilt Top. Don't know if I've shown you that one yet. A lot of Needle turn applique to be finished. Another quilt, another day.

Happy New Year Crafting. D. :=)