MERRY CHRISTMAS

Thank you for visiting this humble space of mine this past year and for sharing your lovely thoughts with me.

I wish you and your families a very happy Christmas blessed with love, light and laughter. xxx

A little handmade Christmas gift for family - pure beeswax candles in old jam jars using local beeswax (I made a few for myself, too!)

FOR EVERLY: A WALDORF DOLL

Here she is. Finally, I can show you what I have been making - on and off - for the past six months.

A best friend, a companion, a Waldorf doll - with red hair and brown eyes, just like Everly. Handmade by her Mama with so much love (and the occasional swear word), under the expert guidance of local dollmaker Heidi Thickins, who also made the doll's clothes for me. Gifts for Everly are always simplified (we follow the popular 'Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read' guide), but this year I also wanted the main 'big' present from her Mummy and Daddy to be handmade with love. I sure hope Everly loves her!

'Something she needs' - Stockmar beeswax crayons. I already snuck a couple out for her to play with a few weeks ago as she was constantly trying to steal my notepad and pen. Now she sits and draws at the table next to me while I write shopping lists and meal plans.

A dress I picked up on sale at Target a couple of months ago, then a size too big, will be her 'something to wear'. And 'something to read' - this and this. Plus a little something special in her stocking from Father Christmas - a small wooden car, and a tiny felt ladybird.

I like to think our simple gift giving will begin to instill gratitude and thoughtfulness in our little one, and not of excess and want and greed which is so often found at this time of year. I've been including Everly in our handmade Christmas wherever I can, and I look forward to the many years ahead of Christmas crafting together. Gifts for others have been bought locally or online to shelter her from the manic rush rush rush in the major shopping centres (and for my sake, too!)

This Christmas feels very special as it's the first time Everly seems to really sense that something is happening. Tonight, when we return home from our Christmas Eve feast and Everly is sleeping peacefully, we will carefully place her gifts under the tree and head to bed ourselves for a much-needed rest, dreaming of the joy that tomorrow will bring.

A HANDMADE CHRISTMAS

Our attempts at a handmade Christmas:

1) Making our own wrapping paper
2) Beeswax tea cup candle for my dear friend, Tess, who is a proud tea cup collector. I'm really proud of this and so hope she loves it! (And doesn't disown me for 'ruining' a tea cup!)
3) A tiny knitted cat (not made by me, but handmade nonetheless) for Tess's daughter and Everly's best friend, Dahlia, who is a mad cat lover. I know she will adore it!

I had grand plans to make salt dough ornaments (inspired by Steph), make my own Christmas cards, and do lots of Christmas baking, but all of that has been scrapped for a lazy and oven-free weekend (the very last one before Christmas! Where did December go?!)

I've really enjoyed visiting my favourite blogs each week and seeing what you've all been making for Christmas this year. You are so inspiring! (Hello, tea cup succulents and hand illustrated mugs! Amazing!)

A NEW LITTLE FRIEND

This afternoon, when she woke from her nap, Everly discovered a tiny root baby waiting for her in the kitchen, surrounded by flowers picked from our garden. She immediately tucked it between her cheek and neck for a 'cuddle' and then climbed into my lap to inspect it more closely, turning it over in her hands, and softly touching the fibres of the miniature crocheted hat.

I then showed her the other surprise, the My First Root Children book by Sibylle von Olfers (a simplified board book version of the classic Story of the Root Children). She listened eagerly as I read the story to her for the very first time - a wonderful tale of Mother Nature and the small root children who sleep underground in Winter and come out to play in Spring.

She asked to read it again, and again, until we had read it from front to back six times over.

When we went out in the afternoon to run some errands, Everly clutched her new little friend tightly to her chest for the entire car trip, and continued to hold her for most of the trolley ride at the shopping centre, too. I think it's safe to say she likes her.

I made this little root baby on Saturday afternoon at a darling little shop in the Adelaide hills, under the expert guidance of local Waldorf dollmaker, Heidi Thickins. 

everly's first birthday invites

I still can't quite get my head around the fact Everly will be twelve months old in two week's time!

Our baby girl will be ONE on the 6th June!

With Everly's first birthday nearing, I am thinking more about her birth, which in the past has sent me into a downward spiral of what-ifs and lots of tears. So I am trying to be kind to myself, to go gently, to be positive, and to rephrase negative thoughts.

And I am choosing to embrace all things wonderful about planning a party!

First up, the invitations. I had lots of fun with these! Who would have thought hand-stitching bunting would be so therapeutic? :)

emily green

I've been eyeing off Emily Green's work for quite a while now. Every time I see her mentioned in a blog post I revisit her etsy store and I always find myself returning to this necklace - the ella design.

P.S. If you are reading this husband, this would be a lovely present for your wife this Christmas! 

black + grey

I have been in bed the last five days with a fever and chest infection (my immune system kindly telling me I must take my vitamins every day), so I am feeling a little uninspired.

The postman has been good to me though.

[above: Tiny Mammoth hooded jumpsuit and musical owl from mimishop]

triangles

I'd like to make a quilt like this, either for our bed or as a play mat for the little one who will be arriving in five months.

Too ambitious?

(In other news, I am seeing my gorgeous sister in less than hour. She is driving over from Melbourne with her husband and her two cute puppies Rosie and Poppy. I am just a little excited!!!)

Photo from anne louise likes via where the lovely things are.

oh, what lovely things for my ears

How beautiful are these earrings? By Muntedkowhai, found via the lovely Jenny Butler.

And they are only $35!

Now... whether to buy these myself, or ever-so-(im)patiently wait for someone, anyone, to hopefully buy these for me for Christmas?

Decisions.

bloomin'

Flowers make me oh-so-happy!

I bought this lovely bunch for only $15 from a woman at Bowerbird Bazaar who runs her florist business from home. Why oh why did I not know about her when I was planning my wedding?! (The one thing that was a disaster on my wedding day were the flowers!)

Some more things I brought home with me:



Cards from Able and Game. Absolutely love these guys for their originality and humour.

Cards from Naomi Murrell. I love Naomi's work - I first saw prints hanging in one of our favourite little cafe's Tincat, and she is from Adelaide so of course I have a soft spot for her! (I just noticed many of the photos on Naomi's website are actually taken in Tincat Cafe.)

I have loved these Alphabet Zoo cards from Lola & Bailey since I saw them on a blog a few weeks ago, so bought my initial 'J'. This would be a lovely card to buy for a new mum!

And finally, what do I see but none other than Sharon Muir's beautiful ceramics, which I blogged about last week. Of course I just had to buy this little brown owl. He now lives on my bedside table and holds my collection of earrings.

I saw many other beautiful things from loads of talented people, including a bottle vase from Angus & Celeste, but I will have to put them on my Christmas list. (Oh my, it is almost Christmas!!)

admiring

1. In awe of this beautiful home. From Freunde von Freunden, found via The Seventy Tree.

2. Silver lanterns from the very cute Israel's 1st birthday party (stylishly decorated by his very cool mum Jennifer from A Merry Mishap. You can see more pics from the birthday party here.)

3. Owls from Sharon Muir. LOVE.

4. This lovely Big Raindrop print in pink from the talented Kerry of The Seventy Tree. (I couldn't help myself and bought it immediately!) Go peek at her shop and Etsy shop.

things i am loving

Some things I am loving at the moment (but refraining from purchasing):-

1. ABCs poster by Honey & Bloom, found via Lovely Design.
2. Soft toys by MAIIKE, discovered through Lucy at The Design Files.
3. 'You are loved' garland by Shanna Murray. I could easily buy all of her decals in a heartbeat.

(I really need to get onto painting our kitchen wall in blackboard paint so I have an excuse to buy one of those decals.)

what a hottie

Saturday was spent in bed fighting the flu, but it wasn't all bad - a package arrived from Elk Accessories with the gorgeous mohair blend Hottie water bottle I bought on sale (only $34, usually $88 - Billy took a liking to it, sniffing it curiously then spending the afternoon cuddled up with it). I laid in bed the whole day, enjoying the warmth from the sun on the window, browsing blogs in my pj's and snoozing in between.

I am forever falling ill and taking antibiotics, but this time I visited a naturopath and loaded myself up with olive leaf extract, echinacea, vitamin c and iron, with the occasional Lemsip. I really felt the difference - I was feeling perkier by mid-Sunday so we went out for an hour to check out a bookcase at One Small Room in Croydon (alas, sold!) and buy Dulux paint samples from Bunnings (Lexicon, White on White, Vivid White, Natural White - who knew there were so many whites?!) In the afternoon I cleaned up this little fan I picked up for only $10 in a little shop in Yarraville, Melbourne earlier this month. Not sure where it will live yet, but I'm sure it will come in handy when the warmer weather hits, seeing as we only have one small aircon in our new house. I'm sure it won't be long - the first day of spring is almost here...