Christmas Gifties From France - SSCS 2013!!

Here we are on Boxing Day ... after a day of kicking-back and relaxing, eating WAY too much yummy food and catching up with the Inlaws and the Outlaws (that would be my family! Tee! Hee! Hee!) my Beloved Geek Boy and I are plonked in the lounge room enjoying the Aussie tradition of the Boxing Day Cricket Test. Cricket is the one sport I enjoy watching, so it's just another thing to love about summer. :0)

Did you all have a wonderful Christmas Day? I hope so! We didn't have much of a giftie exchange as such on the day ... but I DID get to finally enjoy my SSCS giftie from Florence. YAY! Do you remember this parcel that arrived a month ago ...

All of those little gifties tied together to tease me!!!! When I opened them up for Christmas I found I had been SPOILT!!!

Just look at all those goodies!! Florence must have been reading my blog and making a list of my favourite things ... cos she's included so many of them! :0) Do you see that GORGEOUS table mat/centrepiece at the back ... the colours are so sweet and look perfect in our shabby chic decorated lounge room. The stitching in the centre is so beautifully neat!! If you take a peek on the blue patch at the bottom right of the table mat, you'll see some sweet timber buttons just waiting for the perfect project to show them off. There's also a cute Eiffel Tower key ring there ... not only is Florence from France, she knows I love so much about France! :0) There's some lovely teabags ready for me to play Polly and enjoy them while I'm stitching - YUM! And look at that FABRIC!!! Oh Florence! You HAVE spoilt me!!! I'm going to make myself a simple tote bag with it to show off the GORGEOUS designs. It's a fabulous, heavy brocade type fabric, so will be perfect for carrying lots of sewing goodies when I run away from home for a sewing day. Then there's the FABULOUS monogram ready for me to stitch ... I think that will either be a pocket for my new tote or maybe the front flap of a special sewing project pouch to pop inside. OH!!!! I have been so SPOILT!!! Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOO much Florence!! You have been a wonderful secret Santa to me ... if I ever manage my dream of visiting France, I'll catch up with you to give you a big squooshy BEAR HUG in person!!! :0) MERCI MON AMI!!!

This year I was sending to Andrea in Cornwall (another part of the world I'd love to visit!!!) and yesterday (today?? She's behind me in time zones so not sure about that! :0) ) she unwrapped ...

... a Christmas wall hanging version of my stitched hearts design. I had so much fun stitching these hearts and LOVED how they looked with their cheerful red borders ... I hope that when Andrea hangs it in her home, she will enjoy the sentiments expressed in stitching ... PEACE, LOVE & JOY. There were also some chocolatey treats for Andrea that featured some sweet pictures of some of our Aussie native animals and some cute little Christmas card pegs that Andrea tells me will come in very handy because they ran out this year. Isn't it lovely to hear back from someone you've made a special gift for and know that they LOVE it! :0)

A HUGE thank you to the Hostess With The Mostest ... the very precious Miss Chookyblue and her Beautiful Assistant Googygirl for organising and hosting this fun Christmas swap this year. Chooky's SSCS was the very first swap I ever joined in blogland and although I've joined a few others in past years, my busy schedule has led me to the decision to only join one a year ... and this is the one I chose because it is always so well organised and run. We get lots of encouragement (and friendly nudges to get a move on! Tee! Hee! Hee!) and the people who join are so generous with their gifts and time. If Chooky decided (after 7 or 8 months to recover from this year!!!) that she will run it again next year ... I'll be signing up! :0) THANK YOU CHOOKY!!!

Right now I'm off to have a special Christmas cuppa ... GB has spoilt me with a White Choc Mocha ... MMMMMM!!! I'm sure there are some left over Christmas goodies to go with it. :0) What ever you're up to, however you celebrate this special time of the year, I hope you are managing to take some time out to relax, recharge your batteries and remind your family, friends and loved ones just how precious to you they are ... they're the best gifts in life, don't you agree?! :0) Til next time ...

BIG SQUOOSHY BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS