It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well it’s been a little while since I last posted.  Things have been a little crazy busy here.  Lots of Christmas planning, making of things, present purchasing, it seems at times like it’s never ending but seriously I love this time of year.

Recently I was tidying up some of my cupboards and came across some half finished Christmas ornaments.  I seriously think that I started them about 3 years ago and for some reason or another they ended up in a cupboard and forgotten about.  But not this year, I am making it my mission to finish them.

So to begin with I finished the crochet pears.  I don’t know what I was thinking putting them away.  All they needed was little bits of thread added so they could be hung up. Tick that off the list.

These little present ornaments where sort of half done.  All they needed were little bows to be added to the top.  This took a little bit longer as the bows were to be constructed out of 3 lengths of ribbon. But here they are hanging nicely on our tree. Tick that off the list.

This Christmas wreath I am still in the process of making.  It is taking a bit longer.  This might be because I am writing my own patterns for all the decorations (baubles and holly).  As soon as it’s finished I promise final ta-dah photos. But here's a few progress shots.

And of course other little projects are being thrown into the mix.  I made a little mattress, pillow and blanket set for my niece’s doll house and some Christmas themed crochet hanging birds.

I have also almost finished some crochet face washers to go with some handmade soap for little gifts. I’m not into soap making, I think I have enough hobbies on my hands at this stage, but at one of the local farmers markets I go to, there is a stall there that sells the most beautiful soaps, using all natural ingredients.  I think my favourite would have to be the lemon myrtle, oatmeal and Manuka Honey.  Every time I open the cupboard that they are in the smell just drifts through the house and it is beautiful.

I am also trying something different with the face washes.  I am making them using Tunisian crochet, which I am really enjoying.  So much so that I no longer even need to look at the pattern.  I am just making it up as I go along, and I am finding this very relaxing.  No stressing about if it is done correctly.

But like with most things there is still a lot more on my Christmas wish list of things to make (and to be honest visiting Pinterest isn’t helping either.  So many creative people out there with fantastic ideas and only so many days to make things in.  Oh well, maybe next year).

How are your Christmas making plans going?

Anna
xo

Trash or Treasure

I love a good market.  Whether it is a local farmers market, art and craft or a trash and treasure, I love going to them all.  Recently I rediscovered a local trash and treasure.  I remember going a few years back but then it was a little one with a few stalls and a bit more on the trash side then treasure.  A couple of weeks ago I saw a poster advertising it and decided I should go back and have another look.  Sometimes C is happy to go on these adventures with me and other times I know he was wishing he was somewhere else, so this time I decided to give him and early Father’s Day present and let him have a big sleep in (which he complains a lot about how he doesn’t get them anymore), and take Little O with me for our own adventure.  Wow! How it has changed.  Besides being almost 3 times as big as it was last time I was there the range of stalls was incredible.  Lots of plant stalls, fresh flowers, homemade jams and chutneys, new products and lots of little trash and treasure stands (and I mean the good treasure).  When I go to these markets I usually go with a limit set on how much money I can spend.  I have been known to spend quite a bit.  So if there is not enough money in my purse, then I can’t buy it.  Only once over my many years of market shopping have I truly regretted this rule, but it does save me from buying a lot of unnecessary things (or dust collectors as I have been told).

So what did I buy this time I hear you say...

well come and view my treasures...

The hand statue being the perfect ring holder for when I do the dishes, bright vintage fabric for only $1 (a meter and a half, what a score!), a perfect pattern book for little people (loving the gorgeous crochet booties), the tiniest  of crochet hooks, a sock darning mushroom (I have been looking for one of these for quite a while, my heart skipped a little beat when I saw it, yes I know very sad, I get excited over the smallest and weirdest things), and finally a bunch of the most beautiful smelling freesia’s I have ever had and the prettiest of colours.  We also stopped and had a little morning tea snack of freshly made cinnamon donuts and lemonade. 

So a successful day for Little O and myself and a relaxing start to the day for C.

What’s your greatest trash and treasure find?

Anna

XO

P.S On a side note I would like to say a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to a very close friend of ours.  Miss A has taken the big step and has moved out of her family home.  She has spread her wings and taken a big leap into adulthood.  Not a big feat some might say, it happens all the time, but for someone who is legally blind and has Cerebral Palsy this is no little thing.  We will be with you the whole way Miss A for whatever help and support you may need.  Love you.