wrapping up

So this Christmas, as many before, came and went too, too quickly.  I feel like I practically blinked and it was gone.  Life became so busy in the lead up to Christmas with all the normal prep and then throwing in a series of Christmas craft markets too!  Fun and fast!  Of course that left no time for this little space sadly, which is I'm doing the Christmas wrap up now :)

This year in a bid to be more organised I set up a wrapping station on a sideboard next to the tree,  which made it so much easier to handle the mountains of presents that needed to be packaged up and placed temptingly under the tree.  I loved having ready access to all the ribbons, tapes, tags and tools.  So efficient, which was crucial given my crazy schedule in the lead up to the end of the year.

I have to confess though (especially as my Mum actually knows the truth) that although the wrapping tray looks lovely the rest of the house was completely upside-down! 

There was sewing on the machine, packaging all over the kitchen bench, products were hanging on clothes racks drying, the dining table was totally covered!  Even I was covered, in threads,  and nearly left the house to collect Tigs with my tiny scissors or a tape measure around my neck on more than one occasion.   Just keeping it real here, but not real enough to actually show you the creative chaos! 

We celebrated on the 24th with Greg's family and on the 25th with my family and some of Greg's.  And topped of at my Mum's for Boxing Day.  All three days were lovely and really captured what I love about Christmas.  Children, family fun and togetherness . 

And now it 's over for another year.  Time to tuck all the ornaments back into their tissue blankets and away in the trunk.  I did it today and the house feels a little bare, plain and still but at the same time calm, clear and fresh again, ready for the new year to unfold and reveal itself.

E x

hi-ho, hi-ho

Having had a very successful market last week I was delighted to be invited to join the Bayside Style Group for a two day boutique shopping event.

YAY.

So there's more stress  creative energy  and mess creative activity at my place! 

I do hope you can pop your head in and say hello. 

Ex

my little stall

Nerve-wracking!

Stressful!

Exhausting!

Exhilarating!

Done, E x

snowballs

Black and white Snowflakes transferred onto hemp fabric, with shimmery silver-on-linen backs. The raw edges will soften as they are handled over the years.

 

The illustrations are of actual frozen snow crystals from an early encyclopedia. A bit primitive looking, but so fun!

 

It's often hard to think of Christmas decorations that work well with summer.  I think these are perfect.

Gentle, crisp, nostalgic and calm.

They are packaged in their own calico bag to ensure they stay together and dust free. My hope is that they become heirloom decorations, to be enjoyed for years to come.

They'll be heading to market tomorrow night, but if you can't make it, and would like some let me know (Australia only at this stage).

They'll be selling for a teeny $18.

Christmas

Nite Market

Friday November 18  7:30pm onwards

St Anthony’s Parish Hall

Cnr Neerim & Grange Roads Glenhuntly

Come and shop in style!

Have some fun and get a start on your Christmas shopping.

Precious Touch Jewellery, Metalicus Clothing, Little Shop Of, Bespoke Janik and lots lots more………. including Tiggy Twinkle!

Entry is $7 and includes a light refreshment and ticket in our

raffle with loads of fabulous prizes to be won!

Enquiries to 0400 301 042 or

email stanightmarket@gmail.com

festive fancies

Oh, these are so yummy and super simple. Years ago I was given (by my Mummy) a beautiful Tasmanian Huon Pine pasty presser thingie (don't google it you'll come up against a brick wall). I don't know if it has a proper name (I do now it's called a tart tamper - which sounds and looks borderline rude).  I have a mini-muffin-tray-tart-tamper, say that three times!

The recipe is super easy, deliciously tasty and incredibly moreish.

Making the pastry:
125g butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup flour

Place ingredients in a food processor and run until the pastry clumps together in a ball.
Divide into balls (small hi-bounce ball size) for each mini muffin tin.
Press with tamper - flour between pressing.
Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (I didn't and they worked fine - they just cooked faster).
Place your choice of filling (I made traditional mince pies and  have half a jar left. I could very easily be tempted to make another batch!) in chilled pastry cases and bake 12-20 minutes (according to oven) at 180C (170C fan forced).
Allow to cool in pan then ease out - either by inverting muffin tin and pressing bottom of each tart or by easing edge with a knife.  Oh they're so good. 

Fillings
The choices are endless really but these sound great too:
Mixed nut pies
Chop 3/4 cup mixed nuts and divide equally between cases
Melt 60g butter and add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla essence.
Mix until smooth and gluey.
Spoon over the nuts and bake as above.

christmas 2010

We were woken desperately early by Tigs who appeared to be on Chrissy-Crack!  His excitement and delight was just too infectious to force him back to bed until a reasonable hour, so up we got and stared on giddily as he spun like a top around the house searching for, and finding, evidence left behind by Father Christmas.  We had had to be fairly creative as the 'seccret' has been questioned.  In classically sweet Tiggy-style he stated that he knew that Father Christmas wasn't real.  He assured me that it was true and that he knew it was us who bought the presents and added in hushed tones "Poor Mummy and Daddy having to by all those presents" - ugh he melts me.  I didn't respond, I think I was unable to inhale, for fear of either lying to him, or feeding the lie.  I'm not sure if I'm proud of myself then for out-foxing him or ashamed for not being completely honest with him.  He's only six...  Anyway he was satisfied and reassured by the note Santa left, the dirt from his boots on the windowsill and a couple of his beard hairs caught there too.  And if there was any remaining doubt in his innocent mind, well the mess the reindeers had made on the front garden cleared them up!  

Having had hours and hours of brilliant help  from Flossy and my step-mother "Granny Alice" with all the food prep on Christmas Eve I was free to go to church in the morning, which was Heavenly, followed by the equally stellar bringing together of family to share in a very traditional English Christmas feast.

The kitchen team, Flossy, Me & Alice.

All the important people around one table and a rare shot of my bro Georgie, who spent a disproportionate amount of time concealed behind his laptop, headphones on, oblivious to the goings on around him.  A scary insight into what lies ahead for us when Tigs is a teenager.  Woo, slept right through the whole of lunch .  Such a pity, but, I add guiltily, it was quite peaceful ...

Greg - bad shot - oops.

Momo

Booboo

Dziadziu & Babcia

I could hardly hold Tigs back a minute longer and as soon as Woo was up it was under the tree and into the presents.  I think the children were suitably provided for (oh my gosh were they lucky) and I too was spoiled with some lovely presents.  But nothing quite tops my most precious and treasured gifts, Tigs & Woo.  I hope you had a lovely Christmas too.

Back soon,

E x

Look who has come to live with me! At long last I have a laptop. Courtesy of dear Flossy, who never used it, because she spends all week at work on one and can't bear it on her days off. Thanks Floss.

Her name is Ruby and I love her!!

It's probably not that exciting, but it means I can do this while I sit at the kitchen bench, instead of in my hidey-hole, away from the children who then hover around me, pulling things out of my drawers.

Now, Tigs is happily reading (in the loosest sense of the word) his new Tag book.  His sweet, warm feet are resting on my lap and we're peaceful and harmonious together and immersed in our own thing at the same time. Although I find him irresistible and can't help but watch on as he does things.

Have a lovely day.
E x

christmas wrap-up - Wigilia

So here we are at Wigilia which is held on Christmas Eve at Greg's parents house.  It means I have to be super organised for Christmas Day at my house the next day and thanks to my Mum and Flossy we were pretty well sorted. 

Wigilia starts in the late afternoon.  It's full of wonderfully old and symbolic traditions. 

A bundle of hay is placed under the tablecloth to symbolize the fact that Jesus was born in a manger.

Another tradition is leaving one extra empty place setting for a stranger, called the "Unexpected Guest" so there would be a place for them to sit. It also represents a place for family members who have died or, in some homes symbolizes hospitality for baby Jesus.

Before the meal we celebrate by breaking the Christmas wafer (opłatek) which comes from the Polish Church that Greg's family go to.  It symbolises the sharing of everyday bread.  The opłatek is broken and pieces are given to everyone.  Then everyone breaks off a piece of opłatek off each other's bread wishing them luck and joy in the upcoming year, as Christ has been born.  Then we kiss each other on the cheek three times, no less!

After first star appears in the evening sky and we've shared the opłatek, the supper begins. And oh what a feast it is!  Wigilia is known as a Black Fast, so we don't eat meat on this day, although plenty of fish is served.

We eat mountains of traditional dishes beginning with a clear red beetroot soup, barszcz, with uszka (small dumplings stuffed with wild mushrooms), which is known, rather awfully as "Blood and Babies Ear soup" by Greg, his brother and cousin.  It's an apt name though.  Thankfully it tastes wonderful.

There are four courses, the soup, cold dishes, hot meals and dessert.  Usually we eat each course a couple of times over.  No place for poor appetites here!!  And definitely no breakfast or lunch required beforehand.

After the main meal we need all need a break and the children go off to play.  St Nicholas sneaks in and leaves presents under the tree, requiring stealth, devious tactics and ploys and speed to beat the children to the tree, leave the presents and disappear off into the night sky without being seen! 

It's such a fun evening and we all head home feeling full, tired and filled with the joy of Christmas.

merry crim-as

From our house to yours we hope you have had a peaceful and happy Christmas.

If I'd only thought to ask Tiggy directly and sooner. As I was pacing the house yet again and grumbling over my lost 'Silver', Tiggy piped up, "Oh do you mean your little silver one? Well last time I saw it it was in my dress-up box. And hey presto I'm blogging again. What is a blog without photos.

This pic was taken before Crim-as (Tig word). These were for his friends.

Back soon. Now I've found my camera again.

reverse strip-trees - introducing 'Treesa'

Here she is ladies and gentlemen. 

My naked lady!  Watch as she gets dressed.

Da na na. Da  na, na, nah!

I have always had a

real living/dying Christmas Tree. 

Each year I drag whoever I can to the Christmas Tree farm about half an hour away.  We run through the fields, splitting up, to find the 'perfect' one.  We take it in turns 'bagsing' the best tree and when we think we have it, it is examined thoroughly from every angle before summonsing the always cute, always muscular, always semi-clad (I kid you not and I'll tell you where you can go to see them if you like!) wood choppers!  I think it's part of the job spec!  

Now she's wearing a skirt and some shiny lights

and is protected by her seemingly startled bodyguard.

The strapping lads are then prevailed upon to jam the typically hugely pot-bellied, 7 foot plus beauty into the boot. It's usually threaded right through to the front of my car and although we have remembered in recent years to throw a blanket in to wrap her a little, she and Tiggy usually have the first argument of the festive season. 'Tree' always wins by stabbing poor Tigs in the arm and leg as we drive home.

 

Tigs added one turquoise heart (I think it's hiding round the back now!)

So although I've painted a rather fun picture of our trips to collect the Christmas centrepiece, who am I kidding.  It's always stinking hot, there are flies everywhere, the spiky, sharp bush grass has been cut down at the perfect height to strip your ankles.  The guys are cute but, honestly, I am married to a pretty cute man and they're probably 18 years old and that's just sick Emma!

Really putting on her sparklies now.

This year my vegetarian/vegan, tree-hugging sister, Flossy, implored me to buy a 'faux' tree (Tigs told his teachers we have a 'fake' tree).  She even threatened to boycott Christmas if I chopped one more tree out of the world.   Which just wouldn't do. (Hang on she's Buddhist!)

My hopes for everyone.

This year 'Treesa' has joined the festivities. 

She's actually rather beautiful, not even as far as 'fake' trees go.  She's perfect.  And as you can from my trimming I like it to all look perfect.  She came from here.

Here she is in all her finery. 

We're hoping her jewellery stays on long enough to celebrate Christmas Day.  Woo has a much higher reach than I expected and seems to take joy in removing all that she can, as quickly as she can, before I spot her and then holding my breath and biting my tongue, lest I scream at her, I remove them and return them!  I don't remember Tigs doing it at all (he probably did though).

And so starts the countdown to my favourite day of the year. 

Tree up - check
Decorations around the house - check
Christmas Carols CD on - check
Spicy Orange essential oil burning - check
Air-con on - check!

Have a great day everyone!

E x

christmas is coming

Old style & chocolate free. New style dot-to-dot advent calendars.

robin red background and hammer finish (love it) brilliant white top


dark dove textured background and hammer finish brilliant white top
(not black as it appears to come up here, I need help with my camera settings)

I designed these to be enjoyed by little ones doing one dot-to-dot per day culminating on Christmas day at the star - an exercise in restraint and consideration prior to a day of fun and massive over-indulgence. And for biggies to enjoy just as they are. They are the size of large greeting cards, have red & white bakers twine hangers, packaged in glassine packets, ready to go!

You may have to click on the images to enlarge them.

tags & twine

cards

dots

grid

gingham

Our Christmases are usually so warm that I like to keep things

crisp, clean, fresh and simple in December.