Christmas frivolity

Today we had a Christmas craft and cooking morning at work! I put a notice in our weekly bulletin at church and said bring some ingredients and we'll have some fun! Last year we made honey biscuits and ended up with about 200 between 4 people! It was LOTS of laughs! o we stuck to the same recipe and made some apple and walnut scones too. I was kicking myself because I forgot to take my camera but here are some of the finished product.

We had a small group there, and it was fun! A mum from our church bought her three children along and the older two were awesome helpers with needing and cutting the biscuits out! Jacob made a Christmas sausage out of the mix...which reminded me of Mr Hankie! from south park...I stopped my self from saying that because I knew there would be a lot of questions to follow, they had to leave before the icing process so I told him I would bring some photos to show on Sunday!Miss Y, T and S did an awesome job icing I think!
Ah Bliss. Frankie has arrived just in time for the weekend! I wondered whether she would arrive or not but just before i went to work i heard the posty and there she was sitting pretty!
Happy weekend everyone! xx

A fun week so far...

This week has been really great so far! We have had interstate visitors see exhibit A and B! :)

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

I finally got a Christmas order in the post

A VERY CLEVER friend sent a parcel containing a present for a cute baby I know (again see exhibit A and B) AND a present for me! oooo

I got to have an extra day and a half to play, and because people wanted to see Anna and Belle I got to see those friends and family TOO!! fun fun fun! not to mention yummy hot chocolates, weird movies and yummy treats...

and it's only Wednesday!

she's tooo cute!

we've been hanging out with this precious girl!

and her pretty mum!

She's so active and playful and I am so slow in getting the camera out when she's giving a big toothy grin!I've been walking around with her in a cool sling. It's fun to play Aunty.

my place or yours?...just five minutes peace

This week's my place or yours is fun...and easy! Our apartment is...on the small side...tiny even, but this is where I get five minutes peace on this beautiful comfy couch! It's been mentioned before in "my place or yours!" when I get home from a tiring day of work I can even blob and watch some deal or no deal...but only the last few minutes cause any more of Andrew O'Keefe and I feel like topping myself. Or I can lay on my back and close my eyes for a few moments without one of my shoulders falling off the side...and it is long enough for my feet not to touch the end! There is also great light there because it is next to a window for Christmas card writing, knitting, badge making...well I do that on the floor in front of the couch!

Thank you to Pilgrim for the fun theme this week...check her out. at..http://www.drawpilgrim.com/ and to see more people playing along check out http://meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com/

cuite pa toutie

Yey! Anna and Isabelle are in the same state as us! We got to see them quickly at the airport this morning when they arrived for a kiss and a cuddle before they went to the Barossa to see Anna's Mum and Dad! They will be staying with us for a couple of nights and I am sure there will be a lot of fussing over this little cutie!

Tim even had a cuddle!

my place or yours? where you hang your hat.

This weeks theme queen is Tania at Myrtle and Eunice...this is what she has to say
What are the treasures in your house that signify ‘home’? Is there anything that reminds you of a childhood, a life overseas, a loved one? Is there a blanket you always curl under, a teapot that brews the perfect cuppa? Do you have a ‘Droopy Dog’ like that one above – a twelfth birthday present who fits perfectly in the crook of a sleeping kid’s arm and who may or may not have ventured to Europe in a backpack, ahem, three times?

I have moved... 9 times in my life, 7 have been in the last 8 years! The last time I moved was in with Tim when we got married and it was hard to get all of our (or maybe just all of mine) things in one unit...some things ended up in the shed and some at the op shop. But here are some of the things that make me feel like I am at home.

Whenever I am some place new, photo of preciouss people...usually ones that are far away are put up for me to see and enjoy! This little creature my sister Courtney made for me when she was in...year 1 or 2. She gave it to me and he sits on my desk now...it nearly went out in the discard pile this move. BUT I just couldn't do it. He's so cute and Courty was so little when she made him with her own two little hands!

I've had this money box as long as I remember! It's not so much just the money box itself but it's the memories behind it. Days of being a kid in Perth. It's so ugly that it's beautiful...if that even makes sense! And I just can't bring myself to get rid of it!
Hope you enjoy this week, check out www.meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com for more people playing along!
xx

oh tananbaum

This Christmas will be the first one that Tim and I are together for the entire day! Actually It'll be the first time we will be in the same state together for the entire day! Very exciting! We purchased our first Christmas tree on the weekend and chose some baubles each! It was pretty fun in the end...even though we have different taste on EVERYTHING!! but it came together and now we have a very handsome tree sitting in our living room! now just to have some presents nestled underneath will top it all off! Happy December everyone!

my place or yours? it's nice it's different it's unusual!

I've read a lot of the other posts from people playing along this week with this theme...a lot of people at first found it hard...ME included! So I took a little time...what's noyce, what's different what's unsweseal? We live in an aging apartment...it's got some funky looking (and I don't mean the good funky) cupboards in the kitchen...dating back to the 60's. It used to sleep 4 young ladies in each apartment in the early years. These ladies were studying to be teachers, in the Lutheran School system....and then last night while I was sitting on the couch I saw this!
It's actually pretty similar to the theme queen herself. I mean you could actually plug something into this power point but it's on the roof! Perhaps fairy lights for the balcony. Tim reckons that there was an air conditioner there once and that this was it's power point...that may explain the reset button? anyway this is what I came up with! Thank you Tina for the outside the box theme this week. (check out Tina's blog at www.moderndaypioneers.blogspot.com )

Finished!

This post is inspired by a friend who wrote a similar post a couple of weeks ago when she finished uni!Tim has just finished his final assignment for the year, and for a year. He is taking next year off of study. When we started the week he had 2 x 2000 word assignments to do, 1x 1000 word assignment, a class presentation and a test! he's just about to go hand in the final one...and I don't know whether I am more relieved then him! :) Congratulations Bubba!

Happy 17th!!!

These pretty ladies turned 17 yesterday. Rebecca Marie and Courtney Rachel! We celebrated by having a delicious Lasagna, Moroccan salad and fish...YUM! and a cold rock style ice cream cake. I remember when Bec and Courty were born. I was 8 and a half and we (Jek and I) stayed with our neighbours when mum went into hospital. When they were born we had some champagne...i didn't enjoy it. Last night as I cheers the girls I did! Happy Birthday pretty sisters! you're not so little any more!

my place or yours? collections

When I saw that this weeks theme was collections I was stumped to begin with...but then as I was pottering around home I realised I have quite a few!! :0 two are collections by default because i just own a lot but the other two are because I got a little bit crazed about them! here is what the theme queen Kate asked (she is from Fox 's lane check out her blog!)

I want to see a photo or photos of what it is that you collect.
Then if you feel like it you could let us know what your collection rules are;
Does it have to be green? Does it have to be from another country? Does it have to be second hand or a gift? Does it have to be old or complete?...
What constitutes a collection for you? Is it more than three of the same thing? Is it rare things?
Is your collection ongoing or is it complete?
...what's your story?

Here are some of mine!

These cups are a portion of my tea cup collection. I used to hate going into antique stores with my mum...I used to find it so boring now I love it because I can look at all the pretty china! I have even found some really nice trio sets in op shops...and they are more in my price range!
BADGES!!! Even before I bought my badge maker I had a fascination with badges I love to wear a badge to brighten a shirt! One I have says "Let's knit!" another says "I'm you in disguise!" here is a little sample of my collection

I love music...so I buy a lot of it...enough said!

I love watching and re watching DVD's! and looky there is even a bit of a collection of soft toys under a part of our collection (the DVD collection is spread over 2 book cases...). To answer the question is the collection ongoing or complete...I say they are probably all ongoing!

Some other collections I had as a child was a marble collection. Each year the school would have a time where people just went crazy for marbles!! ha and this is possibly the weirdest collection I ever had...a pencil lead collection, when I broke a pencil I kept the lead and put it in a jar...when it was full it did look very pretty with all the colours!

go past http://meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com/ to check out others playing along!

let's have a craft-a-noon...or night

Last night I had the chance to hang out with my sisters and my mum...ON A FRIDAY night! I don't usually get this chance because i usually have youth. We had the night off and so we took the opportunity to make some Christmas cards.
With cup of teas and chai's beside us we stamped, cut and glued cards to send to loved ones. We all had some different ideas and inspired each other.

Courtney concentrating hard

Mumma and Jek placing the final touches

Bec giving into the crafty goodness and joining in with us. She wasn't totally into it to begin with...she was watching the Hannah Montanna movie when i arrived! We also enjoyed some tasty berry and chocolate muffins that Jek made. YUMMO. We got a few cards made, but mostly it was good to chat and spend time with each other!

the...it's worth it moments

In my job I work with teenagers. Working with teenagers can be either really frustrating or really rewarding. Today I had one of those moments when I was like.."oh shucks". I have been visiting a year 11 class all year, first part of the year was peer support and then the second half of the year turned to studies of religion, the class changed a bit with the students who were in it, but many were the same from the first semester. This semester they have been tackling post modernism and ethical issues. It has been a really interesting class to sit in on and hear what the students have to say. Today was their last lesson before their exams next week and I had been held up in my office talking to another student...when one of the boys from that class came in and said you should come up to our class we're watching a movie and chilling. I didn't get to the class but just before recess three boys came and found me and said "Lauren thank you for coming into our class each week, we've appreciated your input and hanging out with you"...something along those lines.

and they handed me a box of chocolates! it was delightful and then they proceed to all give me a hug! this is a moment when you go..ahh yeah my job is pretty great! and then it made sense what the other guy had said...you should come up to class Lauren! they are total gems!

...look what i found clare!

I learnt German in school from grade 5 to grade 12....that is a lot of eins, zwei, drei! Anyway in year 11 or 12 I can't specifically remember, but my group of friends and I made shirts and made different patches and things to put on them. This was one we made...it didn't make it to the final shirt but i have just found it in my spare room! Mich hat ein pferd gebissen...which means...I have been bitten by a horse! :)

what have you been making lately?

Chair cushions...well i made some for our chairs when we got a new table and chairs...they were wooden and a bit hard and prone to scratching...so i got some really cute fabric and made some...i did a post about it...i would do a link but I'm a bit dumb when it comes to doing that sort of nifty techno stuff! but I am making more out of this fabric...

and this fabric...they are for some special people...i'm not going to say who in case they read this :)

it's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas...and this year it seems like red and white are the favourite colours in the shops! which i think is very nice!(this little cup from Gloria Jeans)...

only 39 sleeps apparently! :)

my place or yours? through the front door

I really love coming home when I have been at work, had a long day or have been on a long trip. There is no place like home as Dorothy says! when I walk through the door I see our comfy couches and they are somewhere to sit whether totally warn out or totally relaxed and rejuvenated! I usually see a lot of other stuff on the floor and about the place too! :) This a picture of the door to our apartment...the picture of the angel came from my old apartment and when we got married I put it up for Tim and I. I think it's a cute hello when you arrive home!

my place or yours?...Secret weapon

I found this weeks challenge a little bit hard... secret weapon....what is my secret weapon. I decided it would be water because it has been so STINKING hot here in Adelaide that I have had to chug down so much water to feel relatively normal! so here's to you crisp cold water!

sewing fun!

Last week i popped past a fabric site i REALLY like to visit! we found it on our honeymoon in Tasmania...check out www.seworld.com.au there are great pieces and because I have been getting excited about the whole making things for Christmas i have a few things in mind for this fabric! when i get the sewing machine off my sister and start sewing I'll post some pictures!

interstate travel

On the weekend i got to travel to Perth and to my uncle's wedding. He got married to Pamela and it was special to be at their wedding. they were both pretty nervous but very happy!

here's the pretty wedding favour...chocolate...YUM

On Sunday I got to hang out with these cute kids. My cousin Mikaela and my cousin Lee and his wife Libby's children Copper and Emma-lee. We had fun! and they are SUPER cute!

All Emma-Lee wants for Christmas is her two front teeth! :)