Look, look, look!!!!!!

I am a competition junkie!!!! (yes as well as loving trashy tv!) I used to spend a lot of time and $ entering competitions but time got in the way and although I still enter a few a week there is no pattern to it and it has been a long time between prizes. A few months ago Cadbury held a competition in Woolworths stores and the major prize was a trip to the UK Cadbury. As my sister lives in the UK and it involved chocolate I had to give it a go. All you had to do was buy 2 blocks of chocolate (no hardship there) and enter. Well I didn't win the major prize but I was a minor prize winner and won a 10kg block of Cadbury dairy milk chocolate - food of the gods! It was delivered yesterday and I'm not sure who was more excited - the 'horsey' one or myself! She insisted on carrying it for the photo shoot and I insisted she was in the photo to show just how big it is! When you open it there are 5 x 2kg blocks inside!!! Now my biggest predicament is that only 2 days ago I stated that on January 1st I was 'throwing' out anything 'bad' in my pantry, removing temptation as such!!!! Is chocolate 'bad'??? or maybe I didn't say January 1st of which year!!!! Anyone care to visit???

BIg kids!!!!!

This was the first year in many that my Aunt didn't send the kids advent parcels working on the basis that they were getting too old! Of course while shopping one day the 'horsey' one just 'had' to have one!!! It was already well into December and had been reduced so it came home with us. Of course the next day I was back again getting one for HS as he couldn't miss out! They are Geelong Cats football ones and yes they are in prime position on the wall. I don't really mind as I aim to have a 'home' not a showroom and these are the things that make memories. I do giggle each time I walk past though!!!

A little bit further.....

Friday was a very long day. The 'horsey' one had an orthodontist appointment at 9am in Ballarat so we set off nice and early to collect Mum on our way and be on time. After the appointment we hit the shops with a list and a purpose!!! By 3pm we had had enough so hit the road again - exhausted!!! I managed to cross a lot off the list so it was a successful day. When dropping Mum off she produced this table runner which she had made playing with the 'Twelve days of Christmas' jelly roll she bought at the quilt market a few weeks ago.It has suffolk puffs on each end and is quite thin, just perfect for my table. It came home with me, I love it and think I will use it all year around. She is planning to whip up some more!

Yesterday was a puddly day with a bit more shopping and a nanna nap! Today the cards are finished and all on their way. The last of the parcels that need posting are ready to go. We have had a cinnamon candle lit all day and have had carols playing. The glaze for the baked ham has been chosen , a chocolate tart baked and as I type SH and the 'horsey' one are making meringues!!! I have wrapped and sorted all day. There is still more wrapping to do but this will be factored in on the task list for this week which is the last job to be done today before I sit to read the paper and possibly snooze in the chair.

Arrived!

Such a nice feeling when you know your SSCS parcel has arrived safely at its destination! It also means I can show the decoration I made and sent. I have run out of time as I would of loved to have made more of these handbags for Christmas gifts. They are a pattern of Lisa's from 'A Spoonful of Sugar' and were published in a Handmade magazine. Now onto the next list for this morning before an early start at work!!! Last day for the week though and we are a bit scared to say it aloud but neither SH or I have anything in the diary for this weekend!!! I can see lots of cleaning, wrapping and baking while listening to carols coming up! Anyone care to join me??

Friends and celebrations!

I am so blessed to have a handful of friends that I have made around Australia in the different places we have lived that will always be my friends. They are those special people that just 'get' you! There is no pretending, it is genuine. Some I see often, others not so often but it always seems like just yesterday.
A few weeks ago the 'horsey' one and I took a road trip to Adelaide for the weekend to attend the 50th Birthday celebration for one such friend. We had made this friendship in Canberra many years ago when our children were at school together. Anne and I mainly keep in touch by 'texting', we are both busy and rarely at home at the same time to talk on the phone, unconventional but it works for us! The celebration was a 'High tea' at a hotel overlooking the beach in Glenelg. It was a gorgeous atmosphere, yummy food, great coffee and fantastic company!

This is one of the tiered plates of food. All of it was so so tempting.

Just had to share this photo of my gorgeous girl, she looked lovely and even better I got a photo of her smiling without a silly face!

Anne and her daughters, gorgeous girls inside and out!

The Birthday girl and I. (terrible photo of me!!)

At the end of the afternoon the walk back to where the cars were parked seemed so much further and the 'heels' just had to go!!!!
It was a 'huge' weekend but so worth it. Sometimes we need to step outside our comfort zone and make the effort. Life is short and our friends need to know how much they mean to us.

School has finished for the year and my girl is happy about that. She has not much planned for these few weeks before Christmas, sleep ins, reading and DVD viewing!!! In the excitement of the finish we had very sad news with one of our teachers being diagnosed with breast cancer and having surgery last week. She is only 26. Her husband is also a teacher at our school. They were leaving to teach in Singapore next year but now all of their plans are on hold as their lives take a different direction. We hold them in our thoughts and prayers.

Christmas is still coming!!!(surprise surprise!),after a horse competition being cancelled because of the weather yesterday the first batch of shortbread was made (with lots of tastings!) as was a batch of chocolate spice biscuits and a practice lemon tart in preparation for Christmas Day. All the rest of the overseas mail is ready to post today. There were 2 Christmas breakups on the weekend and another 2 tonight. All on schedule at this stage!!!

Christmas is coming......

'Look' - a new quilt for Christmas!!! It is an Anni Downs design from Hatched and Patched. I love it! I put up a little tree yesterday (as we won't be home for Christmas I decided against putting up the big tree!!!), my 'Partridge in a pear tree' , my Advent candles and my quilt. That is all I plan to put up this Christmas, only a tiny portion of what I have but it will be manageable! I have done my first Christmas baking - chocolate puddings and rocky road, the first batch of shortbread will be made this week and wait for it I have even made a start on the Christmas cards!! I got my sister's parcel in the mail to the UK last week so at this stage I may just make it!!

It's arrived!!!

The postie visited me yesterday morning and delivered my SSCS10 parcel all the way from Norway!!! It was so exciting and I extended the excitement by holding onto it until this morning when I opened it and unwrapped my decoration. Oh my goodness they are beautiful.Two felt decorations, the stitching is so fine and I love that one has the year and SSCS embroidered on it ( I did this on mine last year but ran out of time this year!).Thank you Nemo. I will look forward to opening the rest of the parcel at Christmas.