Where have I been.....?

Life has been extremely busy, but that's no excuse for not posting here. After all, I have found time to log on to Facebook each day! lol
Much has happened........ playing with my Grandson (now 4 months old), organising and hosting my Son's wedding, working on UFOs, playing catch up reading other blogs, catching up on bookwork.........

So, to get back in the swing of things, I thought I'd share a couple of wins I've had in the last 4 to 6 weeks! :)

The first was a selection of fabrics for an eyespy quilt plus a container of her famous cranberry chocolate cookies from Pennie because I won a comp on the Sydney SCQuilters blog. The cookies were gone before I had a chance to take a photo, they were sooo yummy. Thank you Pennie! :)

The next prize was from Vicki, who has a monthly draw on her blog, called RAK (random acts of kindness). Not advertised, just drawn from the comments made each month. Isn't that a lovely idea?

Such a generous prize! Some lovely fabric that I am thinking of combining with denim or chambray and either making a skirt or a bag. Plus this fab pattern - perfect to make for my grandchildren (one here and one on the way).

I've also been busy lately with fabric, working on some quilts - 2 UFOs (one now finished - photo later), 2 WIPs, and 3 new ones. All this in the last week! :)

I'm spending today doing more, then I have to pack it away for the week, to get tax stuff done. :(

                  

 Cheers,

  

Grandson Number 1

At last I am finding some time to upload some photos of the recent addition to our family!

Due today, he decided to arrive last Friday (4th) at 5.22pm. The happy parents only just got his nursery painted the night before, and carpeted that morning. We had instructed him not to arrive until after it was done. lol We had hoped for a little more time, but he wasn't waiting.

I knew he was going to be named Miles, but the middle name was a surprise for me. They named him Stuart after my Dad. Dad would have been as pleased as punch. :)

Here's the proud new Mum the morning after he was born...

The very proud Dad...

and the babe himself.

Thank you everyone for your good wishes. I have lots of comments to reply to, but have been far too busy to spend much time on the computer. I have been over to help out almost every day (8 hr shifts!) at DDs request. She didn't get to spend the 2 planned days in hospital - there were no available beds in the maternity ward and she was roomed in the delivery ward - NO sleep as far too noisy! - so she came home Saturday. She had a Midwife visit her each day - last time today - but she needed Mum to help set up the nursery and limit visitors. Hey, who was I to object? lol
               

                  

V.I.P. - V.I.P.

Very Important Post about a Very Important Person! :)

More info to come - hopefully tonight. Meanwhile, if you want a hint, look over on the right! :)


                    

Giveaways!

Susan from the CrankyQuilterBlog,  is having a giveaway! Some lovely treasures up for grabs over there. I would love to win, but I'm sharing the goodness. :)

And Gene is also having a giveaway. A fun golf ball carving and some yummy fabric.

Tell them I sent you!

2010

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all the very best for the New Year. I hope it is filled with Love, Happiness, Peace, Prosperity and Good Health, for you all.


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Lyn's Blogaversary Giveaway

Lyn, at Bluebird Quilts, is having a blogaversary giveaway! She has such wonderful giveaway packages. (Isn't that rabbit just sooo cute! and her welcome hanging is simply lovely)
Hop on over and check out her great blog, and enter her giveaway while you are there.
Tell her I sent you, if you haven't been there before.


(Closes friday 15th May)

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I sort of won something!

Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!

Look at what I won here!

Someone (with the initials DJ) is going to be smiling too, very soon! You see, in my comments, I said that if I won, I wanted it sent to this particular person.

happy happy joy joy!



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!My first draw takes place tonight!

Christmas in Our House

Welcome to our house. Come in and see our decorations. The dining room isn't finished yet, but feel free to explore the loungeroom.

As you come in the door, the first thing you notice is our tree. It is a beautiful 6' tree and the decorations have been collected over the last 28 years.

Let me turn the lights on for you.

Isn't it beautiful? Would you like to look closer at some of the decorations?

Most of our decorations have memories attached. Some were lovingly made by friends ~ some of whom are no longer with us. Others were bought to remind us of some particular event or person.

Some were made by my son and daughter when they were in Primary school.

Some were bought while shopping with friends.

This one on the right is made from a seed. I never found out from which tree. You wouldn't happen to know would you?

The one above was a special gift from a cyber friend. Di bought it for me in Israel and it is made from olive tree wood.

The little angel on the left is really a flower fairy, wearing her lovely skirt of Australian Christmas Bells, a beautiful native Australian flower that used to gow en masse when I was a kid.

And of course, we have a Star on top of our tree.

To the right of the front door, we have my GreatGrandMother's old sideboard. Originally polished, it was eventually painted (with lead paint) and used for storage in my Grandmother's laundry (!) until I rescued it. One day, I will get it professionally restored. Until then, the shabby chic style will do!

This lovely stitchery wall hanging was part of my December gift from my Angel (Pat Q) in this years SCQuilters (online group of Aus/NZ quilters) Angel/Mortal swap. Wasn't I spoilt?

And this was part of my November gift from the lovely Pat. She was a wonderful and very supportive Angel, sharing so much of herself and her experience as I struggled with all that was happening in my year. Amazing how things are meant to be. She herself had gone through similar a few years ago.


And here is our Nativity, occupying a central position on my Grandfathers bedside cupboard, (glimpsed above) between lounge room and dining room.

Sadly, our beloved Minka is no longer with us. She loved Christmas. Well, she loved the tree!

My beautiful Minka in the tree when she was young. She would crawl out along the branches and play with the ornaments.

She did this every year until she got too big to push her way through the branches.

After that, she contented herself with playing with the ornaments that hung too low, and sleeping under the tree at night. She loved it when the lights were on.

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