It's Beginning to SMELL A Lot Like Christmas!!

Now, I KNOW most people are familiar with the phrase ... "It's beginning to LOOK a lot like Christmas" thanks to a popular Christmas song, but here at the Meares' Madhouse, we don't like to be NORMAL, so at OUR place it's ... "Beginning to SMELL a lot like Christmas"! Tee! Hee! Hee! Why ... you may well be asking. Well ...

While I was having my lunch, there came a "THUMP!" on the verandah. Aah ... the delicate sound of a parcel arriving for me! :0) It was a parcel from my blogging buddy, the Lovely Lilly Linda. OOOOOHH!! Special Christmas gifties!! Inside I found ...

Pretty parcels ... almost TOO pretty to unwrap ... ALMOST! Tee! Hee! Hee! No Christmas paper ... no instructions saying "Don't Open Til Christmas" ... WOO! HOO! A fit of frenzied stickytape-unsticking later and inside I found ...

WOW! A shabby chic fan ... for that HOT summer weather that I'm still waiting for!! Hmmm ... I think Linda has joined Marion's quest to "Pink-i-fy" me! Tee! Hee! Hee! A GORGEOUS little sewing caddy, which I'm pretty sure is the work of Cath of Cathron Country Designs ... she had a stall at the same craft extravaganza that Linda did at Mt Tamborine and Linda saw me eyeing off Cath's cute teddies and dollies! :0) There's a country teddy painted on the front, a handy pin cushion set into a timber base for stability (I can always use a little bit of stability! Tee! Hee! Hee!) and a spot right at the back to sit a handy retractable tape measure in. It will be taking up residence on my sewing table ... as soon as the table gets its Christmas clean up! :0)  And last but not least ... as it has contributed to the heading of today's post ... there was a bottle of room/linen freshener mist. Linda very cleverly popped it into a sealed bag to travel ... which was good, as it's had a little leakage. The only catch is ... I can't read much of the tag except that it is a room or linen freshner spray! So I'm playing ... "Guess That Smell!!" Tee! Hee! Hee! It smells a little bit like vanilla, a little bit like cinnamon, a little bit like gingerbread, a little bit like cloves  ... Hmmmm ... in fact, it smells a bit like CHRISTMAS! Tee! Hee! Hee! I'm not sure what the right name for this spray is but it smells so cheerful and makes our house smell welcoming ... VERY welcoming, as I had to do several test sprays to see what it smelled like! Tee! Hee! Hee! THANK YOU LINDA! I absolutely LOVE my special gifties, which are second only to your special friendship!! :0)

And another thing adding to the SMELL of Christmas in the Meares' Madhouse is ...

I discovered a relatively new specialty tea shop in one of our shopping centres recently and I could happily sit in there sipping tea for MONTHS and probably still not taste all of their blends! :0) AAAAHHHH  ... a tea-drinker's heaven!!! However, my new brew is a yummy Christmas blend ... black tea with almond, orange, apple, cinnamon, cloves and cornflowers. MMMMMMMMMM!!!! The smell of it when it's freshly brewed is SOOOOOOOO nice!! Here's my little individual serve teapot ready for an afternoon sip ... and the card is the one sent by the Lovely Lilly Linda. It features a print from one of Gail McCormack's original paintings. If you haven't yet discovered Gail's GORGEOUS artwork, you really should pop over for a visit.

So, with the scent of Christmas in the air, most of the gifts finalised and awaiting wrapping (My Beloved Geek Boy is on wrapping duty ... I buys or makes 'em ... HE has to wraps 'em!!) it really IS beginning to look, smell and seem like Christmas here at the Meares' Madhouse. Off to a carol service at the retirement village where I work tonight ... just THREE more sleeps ... how are YOU coping with the countdown to Christmas 2010??? Hope you're enjoying the ride! :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS