Catching up.....again!

So much for sitting down to write a blog post in the last month!  Didn't happen.....and Christmas has come and gone and the New Year is just around the corner! Wow...I know I have said this before, but this year has just flown by!

The lead up to Christmas was hectic as usual so it was nice to finish work on Christmas Eve and have a week off to look forward to.  But I digress.....before Christmas was of course the Festival of Loz - another birthday celebrated and even without the kids (who are all overseas enjoying a northern hemisphere Christmas) I had a lovely time with friends who gathered to celebrate with me.  IG is a constant source of fun things and I found a "recipe" for what looked like good summer drink.....so I mixed it up for the Festival....and again for Christmas....it goes something like this.....a bottle of pink Moscato, a bottle of lemonade and a good half cup of Raspberry (or strawberry) Vodka...throw in some frozen strawberry slices and some lemon slices and you are good to go! ...and if you fill the jug too full you may have to resort to a straw for the first taste........

Birthday flowers brightened up the office.....

and this gift from Alison brightened my day......so cute!!!

Then Christmas took over and I dragged the boxes out of the garage and started decorating......the office......

...and home.......I did put up the big tree and pretty much any flat surface was "Christmassed" but my new addition this year was a garland that never quite got put up properly so it became a "long skinny tree" for some of my ornaments collected while travelling......

.....and a pretty set of lights from a friend in the UK.....

this guy was an addition this year.....Rose wasn't that taken with him......but I thought he was fun....I was supposed to be cleaning the house and was looking for any distraction that day, so a few pieces of felt, some blu-tak and a piece of red fabric and instant snowman....

I think it was about 40C that day - and no self respecting snowman would be out in that!

I received gifts from De in our online stitching group.....a stocking....and five advent gifts.....

the brief was for a decoration, a treat, Christmas button(s), a sewing notion and a FQ of Christmas fabric.....the fudge didn't like the heat much but soon brightened up after a little time in the fridge......

the main gift was opened on Christmas morning......and De totally nailed it with this cute bag...who knew....pears!!  

I also received a parcel from Alison...love, love love this!! 

...and a really bad pic of it open......nice and roomy .....

I was surprised by a parcel from Lynda.....little pear lights and a couple of pear tea towels ...very very cute!  

Christmas morning saw me finishing off a gift for a friend I was having lunch with .......no time like the last minute to be stitching.....I have made a number of these pears as gifts this year from a pattern from Heather Bailey that I bought some years ago.   

Christmas morning was busy...off to friends for breakfast....I had been gifted a huge "loaf" of Panettone for my birthday so I took it and we made french toast with what was left after I had been snacking on it during the week! Served with blended (and some whole) berries and Greek yoghurt.........very delicious!

.....and so to lunch!  This year I went with friends to the Novotel Barossa ....not a bad view from the restaurant ....

Don't let the clouds fool you, it was about 38C so the pool was being well used by guests....

So that was Christmas...oh and the Festival!  I think I am almost caught up now! Nothing left to do for the next few days......but the annual jigsaw......

......which you can tell thrills Rose no end!!  

Last but by no means least I am missing these guys ....a lot....but am pleased they are having such a great time together over Christmas/New Year.  Mark and Terri flew out two weeks ago to spend the holidays with Rhiannon and Wade who have been overseas for a year now.......they spent Christmas in Copenhagen......and I was just one lottery win away from joining them....I was  tempted to go, but they will all be home in a couple of weeks so will wait 'til then.....but it was REALLY tempting!....Love them!!!

So.....happy new year!  Rejoice in every day!
Lozx