Happy New Year

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” Eleanor Roosevelt

Welcome 2008
Good luck to everyone on their resolutions, plans, goals, dreams and promises, hope they give you opportunities to succeed soon.

A peek into my list posted on the bathroom mirror, it is glittery & sparkly & full of stars. Pic is from a calendar, sunrise through snow gums in winter.

Important Days

“There is not such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.” Alexander Woolcott

That time of year again when people start making resolutions or finding their one word that resonates for the year coming. Sandi of the Whistlestop Café makes promises instead of resolutions.

A nice idea as we all know if any of these plans were that easy, we would have done them already. Am working on my list of promises & plans, what about you?

Making Magic – takes planning

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Charles Dickens


Participated in the 12 Days of Comfort Bella event over the last few weeks. One of the first projects was a template to create a little note book to hold all the details of December shopping. That got me started on this desk top diary which will be my Christmas Planner for 2008 because as any crafter knows it is never too early to start planning for next year.

The idea to honour Christmas all through the year was inspired by Shimelle and others who host Christmas Journal groups. Now we have someplace to safely keep all the recipes that did not get test driven this year and craft ideas that need to be scheduled. With family & friends scattered all over the globe, one can never start too soon.



The note book will give me lots of space to practice new color combinations and play with ideas.

Thank you for the very kind rak from my friend at Tied Up In Ribbons who’s blog has lots of playful creative things happening there.

And a special thank you for my family for their gifts and supporting my creativity.

Oh so charming

"Of all the beauties, Charm attracts the most lasting admiration, gives the sparkle to every thing we say or do, and renders us amiable in every station and thro' every stage of life." Eliza Haywood

Mary Ann of Follow Your Bliss is hosting a Valentine Swap in the new year that I am looking forward to starting on soon after the holidays, nothing like celebrating a season full of love and caring.

Christmas means. . . . . .

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought,
doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more? "~Dr. Seuss



Christmas means for me a time to remember all the people and things in life that we are thankful for.

This is a card Wendy of Berry Lane created for us during a recent Vintage Stocking Swap.










“ The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.” Francis P Church response to Virginia







When we were small, mum would read Yes Virginia to us each Christmas from this little book that she had thrifted in the early 60’s.


It was a special part of our family traditions to gather under the tree on Christmas eve while she remind us that Believing in Santa, Tinkerbelle & her fairy friends or ourselves was the most powerful force on earth and then sing us off to sleep with Christmas carols.








Christmas Magic, it is in the snowflaked skies of children's wishes. It's in the music of children's laughter. It's in the breathlessness of children's anticipation. It's in the faith of children's embraces. The magic of Christmas is here... In the childlike wonder of us all and perhaps – in gingerbread?

Wishing everyone a peaceful and joyful Christmas.

Christmas Magic

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. Norman Vincent Peale

2 Peas month long blogging challenge has been hard to keep up with while we are on the road, today I am combining 3 prompts
Favorite Gift
Favorite Memory
and When Did You Learn The Truth Of The Magic of Christmas.

Today is our little one’s birthday and is our most special Christmas Gift. Every year as she grows and evolves, it makes me all the more humble to say that she is my best ever creation. Christmas magic is when regardless of the numbers on your calendar you want to grow up to make the world a better place for someone else.

Christmas is a magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance, not seen but felt with all the senses. Christmas may weave a spell of nostalgia for some, it may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a time of remembrance--when we think of everything & everyone we have ever loved. Augusta E. Rundel

Sharing some of my favorite Christmas decorations. Hearts, reindeer and hand crafted textiles.

"The joy of brightening other lives,
bearing each others' burdens,
easing others' loads
and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts
becomes for us the magic of Christmas."
W. C. Jones

And as the Grinch says, “Christmas gifts don't always come with packages, boxes and bows” but some times is kind of nice when it does. A big than you goes out to Nicole of Table Scraps for a huge parcel of her scraps and you Enna of the Scrapbook Room for the Christmas themed chipboard.

Always Remember

“Promise me you'll always remember
You're braver than you believe,
and stronger than you seem,
and smarter than you think.
Christopher Robin to Pooh”

This is my childhood buddy Ted.
My grandmother brought him out from London and as you can see he is quite elderly but well very much loved. Ted is in foster care with my sister as his straw stuffing prevents him from traveling much these days and must bring some leather to repatch him next visit - because I remember.

Christmas Time

Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind.
Mary Ellen Chase

Photo taken at a relative’s place that was decorated with lots of little special trims.

Some of my favourite creations, vintage 1982

We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an good friend. - Robert Louis Stevenson

On the road to my daughter’s place for Christmas on the beach.
















Nothing like being welcomed back to Australia by the native wildlife! I wouldn’t mind if the water dragons if they did not chase me every time I went into the garden.

Home for Holidays

“When I speak of ‘home’, I speak of the place, where for want of a better description, a place where those I love are gathered; and if that place were a gypsy’s tent, or a barn, I should call it by the same good name notwithstanding.” Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

Had the most amazing visit with family and friends in Ontario, White Christmas musical, lunch at Arcadian Court, Christmas window displays, shopping in the main street of St Jacob’s village complete with Mennonites in horse & buggies. Thank you everyone for making it special.

Karla’s Cottage is hosting a blog party on the theme of What I love about my holiday home and 2 peas is hosting a month long challenge on what makes the holidays special at your place.

Do check out the 100 links Karla has collected of people from around the globe all celebrating in their local custom or own special way. Posting some photos over the next few days of our holiday adventures and will keep adding on the way to our holiday destination of the white sandy beach.

Lunch at the Arcadian Court is a special event any time of year with its beautiful Art Deco décor and fantastic food. The room is so pretty; it was hard to take just one photo that captured everything, we tried this one for a fractured mirror view of the huge crystal chandeliers and grand architecture. Shrunk to fit for dial up bloggers some of the details are lost – you will just have to use your imagination

For anyone who loves their Swarovski crystals, this tree is a sparkling attraction at the Eaton Centre. We took a photo up close so you could see how it is simply covered in crystal decorations at from a distance twinkles with a million lights.

The Bay windows decorated for Christmas are a special tradition shared by many other big stores in cities around the world. We tried hard to take photos at an angle that did not include reflections of people walking by but then realised that it was part of the flavour of the day and decided to have fun working with the street scape instead for a layered effect reminiscent of altered art.

One of a kind

How are you doing with your home made pledge? This week I am visiting family in Toronto, in between playing with the snowflakes we will pop into the One Of A Kind Show to see what unique gifts are waiting a new home with us.

For Silver Bella fans there is now an opportunity to attend and event on line full of the usual merriment, techniques and tips

Some of my favourite shops include ........

Bittersweet Soap for the sweetest flavours and special touches

Beachy's Cape Cod Cupboard for vintage pretties with a touch of salt

Berry Lane - A recent swap partner who creates darling things

Faerie Window - for a touch of whimsey

Shabby In the City - her market days are a treasure chest

Please feel free to add your fav's to the list too as there are too many lovely little shops to choose from

still on holidays in the great white north