Breeze-ful Christmas Decorating

My Christmas decoration has been kept simple this year, but after a bit of tweaking, this (below) became........... ......... this (below). I'm finally happy with it.Is it time to reflect on the year 2009? In the music room/ office, still a work-in-progress In the hallway, wreaths and bows oh-so-delightful! Added Christmasy charm to my laundry by hanging a stocking-ed pegged clothesline with pretty bows and sachet a-drying. It's really truly in the laundry (look at the taps)........A few Christmas touches here and there. Hope you breeze through your Christmas preparation.  
Have a blissful week, my dear friends.

Christmas, oh Christmas

It has been a thrill for me to get e-mails from you ladies telling me how much you appreciate this blog, I want to express my gratitude for that here and let you know how much your e-mails have encrouraged and touched me. You ladies are a great bunch. I also wonder how everyone is faring as you prepare for this special Christmas season, I hope you're not too stressed out trying to pick the perfect gifts for your loved ones. I love Christmas, except when I have to do the last minute shopping of course; I really don't like it when the shops get too crowded and the check-out lines are loooong. So the key for me is to get in early and do the shopping in January or June, right? But I know someone who likes that-- the rush, the buying presents with tinsels hanging in her hair, the crowd, the loooong check-out lines and the whole not-so-appealing-to-me scene ............ Mmm! Some people!

At dusk

Daylight At dusk Daylight

This year I opted for "no-tree-topper" for the tree! I can't believe it myself, I guess I thought it wasn't me. (The traditional girl at heart) But I actually really like the look! (After I tried it!) It's oh-so-natural and......... and ........... so chic, like a good hair-cut! Lol! Now you've seen the tree from all different angles, let's change the scene. Don't forget to take some time out for a sit down and a little break from all the busy-ness. and oh, roses too........... I haven't forgotten them! They are always so therapeutic, no doubt. Do you like my chalkboard creation? I painted a $2 canvas board. You know, the sort you get from the Two-buck shop. Then I put it on a $2 metal stand, and there you have it-- Your very important Message for the Season! Our bed needs a bit of Christmas "dress-up" too! And the kitchen/dining area. Simplicity is the key.Have a lovely lovely weekend everyone.

What? December already?

A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month! Wow! It's the first day of December already, which means Christmas is going to be here before I know it. I've barely started decorating, although traditionally we don't start decorating until the first day of December. I've pulled out a few things from their boxes in the shed just to set the scene to celebrate Christmas early with some of my family who visited us two weeks ago, as they can't be here with us for Christmas. The Christmas tree won't be in the lounge room this year, the picture above and below show what a part of the lounge room looks like so far. It's going to be our office (quiet) and music room(noisy), with piano and electric drum kit, and PC and desk. (See the contrast? But we need music to stimulate work and study, right?) The walls have been painted "Coffee Cake" by Taubmans to replace the pink. I love love love that paint colour, it looks delicious enough to eat. Can you see the lampshade? (Read last post) I've also finally written words on one of these metal plaques I got ages ago, which I painted white and antiqued. I just love the word "Patisserie", the thought of cakes, pastries, puffs, tarts and things like that makes my mouth water. The Christmas decoration here has barely started. Often when my kids give me a pinch and a punch for the first day of the month, it will be followed by "a step on the toe for being so slow", and only ocassionally "a flick and a kick for being so quick", which means no matter what I do, I never win. But on this first day of December, I want to give you a big smile and send my regards your way to wish you all the best in everything you do, have a beautiful and wonderful week.

Lampshade Tutorial

Some of you have e-mailed me to ask me to do a lampshade tutorial. Well, it just so happens that I had another lampshade I wanted to do for our music room/office, so I made sure to remember to take step-by-step pictures when I finally got time to tackle it.
You'll need: 1 lampshade frame, fabric craft glue, or hot glue gun, braid, trim or fringing according to your liking and paper for making a swatch.
First up, you'd want to cut out swatches of fabric for the divisions on the frame. Make sure you leave 1cm extra along the sides for glueing and folding. You can trace the shape on a piece of paper and use it repeatedly to cut the swatches out, this way all your pieces will be nice and even. Then you'd glue the swatches onto the frame, piece by piece, making sure the fabric is pulled tight on all sides. This is what it looks like when all the pieces are glued on.Then to make it look better, glue on braid or fringing of your choice. I used dark brown biased binding for this one, (below) and off-white pom-pom fringing for the bottom and top and braid for the sides for this one. (below) Here it is, all finished and lit up at night. Easy peasy, right?

Touches here and there

Life has been hectic around here with many guests visiting and in my limited spare time after doing all that is needed to be done for daily living, I managed to squeeze in a few small projects and touches here and there. This linen cushion cover (the middle one)I made which I adorned with French words really creates an atmosphere that I like, I think I'd like to do a few more of those when I can. I also made a few more cushion covers for cushions on our super comfy new couches. These new couches are in an oatmeal or white sand colour which is the hue of vintage linens. I think it's a light enough colour if you don't really want white. Any colour scheme can go with this colour. They remind me of the beach when paired with blue and white. They are much larger in real life than in photos for some reason. In the hallway, I've finally decided to decorate with chalkboards made out of old picture frames. I really enjoyed making them. The two on each side look like menu boards, but I didn't write any menus on them, the writings are two French Bible verses from Psalms. One says: "Blessed are those whose trangression is forgiven and whose sin is pardoned" taken from Psalms 32:1 and the other one says " Your word is the lamp unto my feet and light unto my path". Psalms 119:105. The one in the middle says, "Pray without ceasing" in French. I just love the fanciness of French words.In the laundry, I've added a few chalkboard pieces as well-- again, digging out old picture frames-- On the shelf, I've decorated with bits and pieces that are laundry related. I love the way they go with each other, they are both decorative and usable. On top of the cupboard.............. "Washed clean, white as snow." That's laundry related too, lol! I like how they remind me of how Christ died so that I could be washec clean and white as snow. And........you'd be right to say I've been very fond of chalkboards............wink!

Pierre de Ronsard Tree Rose

This is what my Pierre de Ronsard (Eden Rose) Weeping Standard (Cascading Tree Rose) looks like on a sunny day. One thing I noticed is that its flowering power is getting stronger every year. I can just see the flowers cascading down more and more as it gets older and stronger each year; or at least I'm excited and expectant of that happening. This is what it looks like against a cloudy sky, on a different day. Thank you all for your lovely comments in my last post, I appreciate and read each one of them. I have been so very busy deadheading, fertilising and putting manure down in the garden. I'll try and visit you as soon as I can. Have a good week, everyone.