Festive Frenzy

Summer is here.. CORN COBS! Yum!

Actually it's not. I'm not really stressed. Busy, but not stressed. 
Christmas is for the kids. That's the thing about it - it's SO exciting for them. And we don't have enough festival action in our western lives I recon.. so we make it a yearly ritual. Traditions.


I thought I'd put some photos up of what's been going on.. as I am one of those people that like to get rid of Christmas on about the 26th if I have the energy! I HATE seeing Christmas related stuff around in the new year..


So..

JOhn gave these to the kids in his class on the last day.. Cute.

TREES AT THE METEOR.. a fantastic event here in Hamilton. Basically as art exhibition - decorate/make a tree. AMAZING every year is utterly entertaining..
This tree won the overall prize - it was called MARBELLS and kids could roll ball bearings down the flowers and it made a tubular bells effect.. Very cool. Iris hung out there for literally an hour.

And this is where my boys hung out for ages! A lego diorama. Such a cool carnival scene. NZers - the white carriage had a ghost selling 'ghost chips' Classic.

Loved this one made of jeans.

The Giving Tree. Op shopped stuffed toys.

This one was called SOCIAL COMMEN-TREE. 

Kids with their free hot chocolates!

There was a great slide show with loads of classic paintings featuring captions like this. Theme of the whole thing was Compassion vs Consumption.


With my family this year (my siblings etc) we are doing MAKE, BAKE, SEW, GROW for presents, so that it what I'm trying to get finished. I leave things to the last minute. It's how I get things done!


Hope YOU'RE all enjoying the festive frenzy and making merry!

No longer Camera-less

I left my camera at my Dad's place in Auckland. Doh! I was just about to resort to using old photos when Dad paid us a surprise visit yesterday.. A good effort for the old fulla as it's a 1 1/2 hour drive and it has been POURING with rain all over the land for the whole week. It was the first time he's seen our house actually, which we've been in for a few months now..

I went out for a Turkish feast last night with some friends. I didn't get any photos of them or the food! What kind of blogger am I?!!

I've mentioned before about how I find it IMPOSSIBLE to get good photos of myself, by myself. And I don't live with a photographer! 
So this was an attempt at a frock photo. Mmm. Not great! I look like a grumpy old housewife. 
You can see a bit of a bump there. I must be nearly 5months. I lose track a bit..
Preggy frock - gifted from my sister-in-law. Love it.
Cardy - had it for years and years. Op shopped. I once wore this when I was about 18 and an ex boyfriend commented that I looked like I was wearing a grown-up version of a baby outfit. He was trying to make me feel embarrassed but I was SO proud and happy!!! Aside: I think I might have been able to do the buttons up back then LOL!!

This was a scene from our Auckland weekend.. I LOVE Iris eating her way through the decorations.


The kids finished school today for the Summer holidays! YAY!! I LOVE the holidays.
So excited today - they could hardly get to sleep tonight. You'd think christmas was just around the corner..

I am hoping to get a few things sorted around this place over Summer... am I dreaming? Probably - but I'll do my darnedest!


Love and light..
x

December - whaat?

Don't you just love this?!! It was on the cover of the sunday supplement that comes with our paper, last year. Dressed in their best, but look at the grim faces. Love it!

I find it a bit too frenzied.. but I do love the traditions and excitement of christmas for the kids.

It was SOOOO exciting for us as kids, and I guess that all comes rushing back to me at this time of year.

I found these at a garage sale for 50c last year. I like to keep them in their box though - they look so nice in there! In an original Swan Lake choc box too.

Summer has arrived here. Lots of sun and getting hot. And the FRUIT!!  Yumness!

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post. Very comforting. xx

My Mum

Yesterday (1st December) was the day my Mum died, 10 years ago.

I didn't think it would affect me as much as it did, yesterday. After all, it's just another day in 10 years..

I was fine until I went into an op shop and a song came on the radio that reminded me of her.

And that was it for me.

Not a great photo of any of us.. but never mind.. 

About 5 weeks before she died. She looks unwell, but was managing a smile, bless her heart.

When I got home I looked on facebook and saw lovely memory messages from my two aunties (Mum's sisters) and one of them had changed her profile pic to one of Mum, in memory.

That pretty much finished me off. It all felt so raw and such a greyness hung over me all day.

I pretty much cried all day, on and off.

I love this quote. It has helped me through times such as this. 

" .. love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign.. to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone,will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin."

(From Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling) 

(Sorry about the misery - next post will be cheerful, I promise!)