Ring Out The Old Year!

Well ...here we are in the last hours of 2017 & I have to say I'm ready to usher it out the door because it hasn't been one of our best. We've faced quite a few challenges at the Meares' Madhouse this year, work-wise & financially ... Did I mention that I really hate having to be a grown up?! ... & emotionally. We had to say a final goodbye to my gorgeous Grandma, a precious friend from our time in Bourke & a number of the residents of the retirement village where I work in my grown up job. And adding to that list in the last few days was news of the sad passing of fellow designer & gorgeous human being, Rosie Dekker.

However ... It's also been a year where through those things above ... Perhaps even because of them ... I've been reminded that I am surrounded by supportive, encouraging, loyal friends & a loving family, not to mention a Heavenly Father who has helped & strengthened us every step of this challenging year.

So ... Even though it's been a difficult year & we're pretty happy to see its end, I can honestly say that as it winds down ... I feel exceeding blessed!

Thank you to all of you, my lovely blogging buddies, for the richness you've added to my year. I look forward to sharing more creativity, laughs & real life craziness with you in 2018. :0)

I tend not to make New Years resolutions, but would like to share a Celtic Blessing with you for the new year about to start.

May love & laughter light your days,

And warm your heart & home.

May good & faithful friends be yours

Wherever you may roam.

May peace & plenty bless your world,

With joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons 

Bring the best for you & yours.

From me & mine to you & yours ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR 2018!!

BEAR HUGS!

KRIS

There's No Place Like Home!

Holidays are wonderful ... Going to new places, seeing new things ... But sometimes having a 'home-i-day' is just what the doctor ordered. You know ... A 'holiday' at home. :0)

We had a relaxing, low-key Christmas Day with my folks who are house sitting in the local area & our day was topped off with a bit of Christmas magic ...

The biggest, brightest double rainbow I have seen for years! The photo really doesn't show it off properly. Sadly we couldn't see the ends of it so didn't know where to dig for the pot of gold. It's a shame ... Our holiday could have become permanent. :0)

And for the last few days, I've been hanging out at home. There's been some sewing ... Remember this?

Well now it looks like this ...

I'm loving these pretty fabrics. I had originally thought to just add inner & outer borders ... But now I'm toying with appliqué ideas ... I can't help myself. :0)

While my new ideas bubble away on the back burner, I've moved on to a task I've been procrastinating about for a while ...

... Writing pattern instructions. SIGH! The cricket is keeping me company through the day, as you can see in the background, & in the late afternoon ...

... Some of our local wildlife is providing company. This is my view out the dining room French doors where I've been sitting to type. Can you spot them? Black cockatoos. We have a big flock of them living in our area & in hot weather they visit us morning & evening to take advantage of the bird baths & big water pot we have in our garden. They're so interesting to watch & seem to have a better & more orderly system of coming in to land than Heathrow airport. :0) The only drawbacks are they tend to break branches with their strong beaks while they wait their turn ... & the noise! :0)

So ... That's what's happening here at the Meares' Madhouse. Are you enjoying a holiday or a 'homi-i-day' ... Or are you back to having to be a grown up? Whatever you're up to as 2017 winds down I hope you're finding the beauty & joy in the everyday. :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!

KRIS

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Christmas Gift!

Amidst the bustle & craziness that surrounds Christmas it can sometimes be easy to get caught up, uptight & stressed. I found a great reminder the other day that I thought I'd share with you. I don't know who adapted it so can't give credit, but it's actually an adaptation of one of my favourite verses. 

1 Corinthians 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights & shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator. 

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meats & arranging a beautifully adorned table at meal times, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook. 

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home & give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels & crochet snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties & sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on those I love the most, I have missed the point.

... In other words ...

Love stops the cooking to hug a child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried & tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china & table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust.

But the gift of love will endure.

I wish you all a happy, safe & restful Christmas spent with the special people in your life. Til next time ...

CHRISTMAS BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!

KRIS & GB

 

Ready For Christmas!

It's a bold statement to make ... But ... I think I'm ready for Christmas! :0) All of the gifties that needed to be mailed have arrived safely at their destinations (something one can't always rely on!), the Christmas cooking has all been done, all gifties have been wrapped & put under the tree & all gifties to be made have been made ... I've even finished a few projects that weren't originally on the "To Do" list. Now I find myself wondering ... Am I super efficient this year ... Or ... Have I forgotten something! :0)

I'm really hoping it's the first! Tee! Hee! Hee! Some of the extra projects to come hot off the sewing machine included some birthday gifties for my Dad's cousin's wife (that sounds rather more complicated than it feels!) who had my folks & I over for an early Christmas catch up dinner last night on what we found out was her birthday eve. Knowing one of her fave colours is purple was my starting point for ...

... A purple set of kitchen helpers ... Two pot holders/hot mats & a purple-trimmed hanging hand towel. They matched her purple kettle & toaster perfectly. :0)

And since I had a few odd bits & bobs collected up for my folks for Christmas, I decided to save the environment & my sanity all in one move & make a couple of Santa sacks to pop everything in. (I hate wrapping parcels! I used to enjoy it but now avoid it whenever possible ... Gift bags are my wrapping friends! :0) )

The aqua Santa sacks are mine & GB's (had trouble closing GB's when I'd finished! I may have got a little carried away! Tee! Hee! Hee!) The apple green sacks are for Mum & Dad, along with a bigger gift each that didn't fit in the sacks. Christmas is neatly under the tree now! :0)

And speaking of Christmas gifties ... Santa came a little early for me on Friday night at our last Sit n Sew for the year. I fell in love with a particularly pretty layer cake & after consulting via text with the Juggler Of The Budget, it came home with me ...

It's "Guernsey" designed for Moda by Brenda Riddle Designs & features all the lovely soft & pretty cottage/shabby chic colours that make my heart go pity-pat. I'm going to make something just for me & think I'm going to leave the 10" squares whole to show off the pretty fabrics. It's my Christmas giftie to myself. :0)

But right now I think I'm going to put my feet up with an icy cold drink (it's 31 degrees & this summer chook is happy!) & a book on my iPad to enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve. Later we might watch our favourite Christmas movie & help Bruce Willis defeat the baddies ... Yes ... My favourite Christmas movie is "Die Hard"! :0) I hope you're enjoying your Christmas Eve ... I'm popping back in here tonight with a Christmas message so stay tuned. :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!

KRIS

 

 

 

Christmas Shenanigans!!

Well ... Here I sit in my comfy chair with my feet up ... What a day!! I finally ran out of time to procrastinate about the cleaning in preparation for hosting the Christmas gathering of some of the Friday Night Sit n Sew gals & had to get stuck in. Thankfully, I had the able assistance of my Beloved Geek Boy ... What a wonderful man I married! :0)

After several hours of manic cleaning & setting up, we were ready to go ...

...the table was set. I decided to go with the K.I.S.S principle ... Keep It Simple, Stoopid! :0) Sticking with my aqua colour theme, a rustic hessian runner, some spruce branches from the garden, a couple of aqua candle lanterns & some more aqua lights.

I love the pop of the aqua on the white & hessian. I'm kicking myself that I forgot to take a photo after dark. Ah well.

Once everyone had arrived, we spent some relaxed time chatting & enjoying some nibblies before Chriss handed out some little kits for a quick craft project.

That's Chriss on the left giving instructions. The rest of us were struggling with left & right, under & over & through. If you ever want to shut us up ... Give us a project we have to concentrate on! :0) You can see Kim & Gail are determined to get it sorted.

Lynda wondering if she zigged when she should have zagged! :0) But ...

We did it!! YAY! Well done Chriss for walking us through successfully. And what did we make?

... A cute folded star. Very cute, even if I did feel like a bit of a Gumby working it out. :0)

We then had a DEEEEEEEEEELICIOUS dinner of cold meats & yummy salads, followed by one of Julie's cheesecake masterpieces & more chatting over a cuppa.

And there MAY have been some frivolity & shenanigans!! Hmmm ... Julie's halo seems to have slipped! Not for the first time, I'd wager! Tee! Hee! Hee! Thanks for a fantastic night, gals ... & for providing the motivation to spring clean! :0)

I think tomorrow might be a quiet one around the Meares' madhouse ... I shall sit back & bask in the clean surroundings. :0) Whatever you're up to this weekend I hope you get to sit back with your feet up, at least for a little while. Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!

KRIS