More Christmas Pretties & An Award!

Calling all cars ... be on the lookout for a missing WEEK! Last seen around Monday, owner not sure where she misplaced it!!

WHEW! This week has just flown by and I'm not sure I can even tell you what I've been up to! Lets see - a Christmas party, a Christmas brekkie (one disadvantage of working at a retirement village where most residents get up REALLY early and go to bed REALLY early, the Christmas party becomes a BREKKIE!!! Eek!!) and a trip to Brisbane ... not sure what took up the rest of the week! It just seems to be that time of year where we're all trying to cross things off our 'To Do' list, whilst catching up with people for cuppas or drinkies that we haven't seen for a while and want to see before Christmas. Note to self ... next year, make up a weekly schedule to catch up with friends more regularly to avoid the Christmas rush!!! Can you imagine me asking someone in February if they'd like to catch up and 'avoid the Christmas rush'?!?! They'll wonder if a) I'm running REALLY early for NEXT Christmas; b) running REALLY late from LAST Christmas; or c) gone completely round the bend (for about the third or fourth lap!!) and have no idea what time of year it is! Tee! Hee! Hee! Somehow, I think I can see lots of people voting for c) !!!

So ... last post, I said I would share some more of my Christmas pretties with you, to help get us all into the Christmas mood. Have had some lovely comments back from people about my pretties - that's the nice thing about sharing, it goes two ways! And I've also visited a few of you fellow bloggers to enjoy a peek at YOUR Christmas pretties, so thank you for sharing - you all know who you are! (and if not, ask Santa for a name badge for Christmas! Tee! Hee! Hee!) And those of you who haven't yet checked out Stina's Christmas tree collection that she featured in her most recent post, you really should! I told her it looks like she's taken the forest indoors to enjoy, cos it's WAY too cold at her place in Sweden to go OUTSIDE! Tee! Hee! hee! She's also been featuring some great snowy winter photos.

OK ... more pretties ...


Here's a jolly fellow I made a few years ago - most years I try to make at least one new Christmas decoration, but have been a bit slack this year ... maybe next year! This Santa reminds me of those rocking clowns you see for kids to play with. My brother had one that jingled every time he was bumped to rock - kept him amused for hours! (my brother, not the rocking clown!!!)


What's better than one Santa? A whole SWAG of Santa's!! These little blokes are hanging in the lounge room doorway - actually, most doorways have SOMETHING hanging in them at the moment ... Santa's, angels, wind chimes ... with two shorties in the house, we can do that, but if any tall friends come to visit, they have to learn to DUCK!!


This is one of my favourite Christmas decorations, cos I actually painted it! Under the strict supervision of my folk artist friend mentioned in the previous post! Tee! Hee! Hee! I'm pretty sure it's one of Kerryanne's projects that appeared in a magazine a few years ago. There were two versions of the stocking, but of course, I chose the one with the teddy to paint! And speaking of teddies ...


You just KNEW there would be more bears, didn't you?!! Tee! Hee! Hee! So there you go, some of my fave Christmas pretties that now adorn my CLEAN lounge room!

Now ... the other thing to happen this week that I've been a bit slack about, was me being named to receive a cute blogging award ...


I was given this award by the lovely Jo at Vintage Lane Stitches - thank you sooooo much, Jo!! I feel rather chuffed that you enjoy visiting my blog and find it creative and (hopefully!) inspirational for your own crafting endeavours!! Jo often has wonderful photos of her crafting adventures and if you go to her post here and here, you'll see some of HER Christmas pretties that finally got me motivated enough to drag mine out of the cupboard!! Thanks Jo! Now, I'm supposed to nominate some blogs that I find creative and inspirational, but I think most of my faves have already been nominated!! There's Kerryanne who makes me drool with her gorgeous paintings and delicious faux sweeties; Julia who's spotty blog background I'm in love with; there's Clare who shared the little purse tissue pouch tutorial; Lilly Linda who shares her pretties at Lilly Cottage and Kiss Noises; Jo in Tasmania who's always up to something, Chookyblue who hosted a wonderful Christmas swap; Peg who's just a super stitcher and must have finished about 50 quilts this year; Melly who makes the sweetest stuffed animal cuties (you REALLY need to see her latest version of Magoo the monkey!!) .... OH!!! Just ALL of the people in my sidebar!!! And I'm always discovering more clever clogs'!! All you have to do is take a trip through the list on my sidebar to see what I mean, so I think the award should be passed on to all of these incredibly creative, clever ladies - let's face it, WE ALL ROCK!!! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Well ... time's a-wastin' and I have Christmas gifties that need to be wrapped to be mailed on Monday, so I'd better sign off for now! I'll just add a special cheerio to my bloggy buddy, Kerryanne English. I'm not sure if she's home yet, but she's just undergone a pretty big op, so may not be back on the air yet, but I know she'll be blog hopping when she DOES get home, cos she has to be off her feet for quite a while - which may just drive my very active bloggy buddy round the bend! Tee! Hee! Hee! So .... FEEL BETTER SOON, KERRYANNE!! And if you haven't yet popped into her blog or web sites, you really should make the time to take a peek - but make a cuppa first, cos there are sooooooooo many pretties to look at that you could be there a while!!

I think that's enough from me for today ... hope to show some photos of what I've been stitching soon (still working on the penguins, Judy!!!) and I hope whatever you're doing, you enjoy some time out with friends and family to relax ... and maybe stitch a little! Til next time - Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS