Christmas has arrived at Sugarlane….

Finally, finally, finally!!!! Why is it that every Christmas seems to creep up so quickly and everything is left to the last minute in our household….please reassure me…..it’s not just in MY house, is it???? Friday was the day to set up the Christmas tree and decorate the house…..well….in a minimalistic type of way! I think I left half of the stuff in the boxes as, for just a few days, there doesn’t seem much point in dragging it ALL out!!!! So I thought I’d take you on a quick Christmas tour of some of the Christmassy stuff at Sugarlane place!…. Our tree….all decorated with the stockings set out ready for the “Santa fill”…..some special Santa hats which MUST be worn when giving out the presents……a plastic bag……????? Well….can’t give away too much can I???? someone might be reading!!!! *wink* My lovely, new ornie gifted to me by the lovely Fiona nestled in amongst all those baubles and tinsel…. Isn’t Gingie so cute??? He sits alongside my other new ornie I received from Josie in the SSCS this year…. I just love ‘em both! And my precious nativity scene sitting on the beautiful, and just as precious, table runner Jen made for me last year in our swap…. my Baboushka Santas keeping watch over the proceedings… the mini Christmas tree DS made for me MANY years ago with some other little decorations bought from op shops and gift stalls for me by him in his single digit days….. and the lovely white tree which hopefully will bring cool thoughts to our tropical home over the Christmas season. The beautiful runner underneath is one made by Kornelia for me in the 2010 SSCS. The candles have a very special purpose….especially during our cyclone season when the power goes out constantly!!!! One of the first stitchery projects I did….my santa swag….. a gorgeous swap gift I received from Illene last year… and a simple reminder to all that Christmas is all about Hope and Joy! Christmas time is also about the beautiful tropical fruits we are so lucky to have up here……yummy lychees from a friend’s tree….grown in their own backyard and harvested BEFORE the fruit bats and parrots could get them!!! ….even some funny looking ones!…… which remind me of Sesame Street characters, or is it the Muppets, for some reason!!!! hee hee And the beautiful tropical sunsets seen from our own front yard each night….aaaaaahhh……I love this place (but I would love a white Christmas too!!!) Are you ready for Christmas, or are you like me this year, and leaving it to the last minute? Sugary, Christmas hugs :O)

Christmas has arrived at Sugarlane….

Finally, finally, finally!!!! Why is it that every Christmas seems to creep up so quickly and everything is left to the last minute in our household….please reassure me…..it’s not just in MY house, is it????

Friday was the day to set up the Christmas tree and decorate the house…..well….in a minimalistic type of way! I think I left half of the stuff in the boxes as, for just a few days, there doesn’t seem much point in dragging it ALL out!!!! So I thought I’d take you on a quick Christmas tour of some of the Christmassy stuff at Sugarlane place!….

Our tree….all decorated with the stockings set out ready for the “Santa fill”…..some special Santa hats which MUST be worn when giving out the presents……a plastic bag……????? Well….can’t give away too much can I???? someone might be reading!!!! *wink*

My lovely, new ornie gifted to me by the lovely Fiona nestled in amongst all those baubles and tinsel….

Isn’t Gingie so cute??? He sits alongside my other new ornie I received from Josie in the SSCS this year….

I just love ‘em both!

And my precious nativity scene sitting on the beautiful, and just as precious, table runner Jen made for me last year in our swap….

my Baboushka Santas keeping watch over the proceedings…

the mini Christmas tree DS made for me MANY years ago with some other little decorations bought from op shops and gift stalls for me by him in his single digit days…..

and the lovely white tree which hopefully will bring cool thoughts to our tropical home over the Christmas season. The beautiful runner underneath is one made by Kornelia for me in the 2010 SSCS. The candles have a very special purpose….especially during our cyclone season when the power goes out constantly!!!!

One of the first stitchery projects I did….my santa swag…..

a gorgeous swap gift I received from Illene last year…

and a simple reminder to all that Christmas is all about Hope and Joy!

Christmas time is also about the beautiful tropical fruits we are so lucky to have up here……yummy lychees from a friend’s tree….grown in their own backyard and harvested BEFORE the fruit bats and parrots could get them!!!

….even some funny looking ones!……

which remind me of Sesame Street characters, or is it the Muppets, for some reason!!!! hee hee

And the beautiful tropical sunsets seen from our own front yard each night….aaaaaahhh……I love this place (but I would love a white Christmas too!!!)

Are you ready for Christmas, or are you like me this year, and leaving it to the last minute?

Sugary, Christmas hugs :O)

Welcome visitors….

I’ve been feeling much better the last couple of days, thanks to the power of cold and flu tablets, rest and STITCHING!!!!! I’ve made my set of blocks for the applique version of Dawn and my design I talked about here and it gives such a sense of achievement, even though I still have to do the second applique…. …here’s the first one done…… ….but at least now, they’re ready to go! I have been spending a bit of time cleaning up my work area too…..I’m one of those messy workers who pulls stuff out and leaves it out……has way too much stuff and nowhere to put it….no room is enough…..you know the type??? So….I bought myself some more of these plastic drawers to organise myself a bit better and have used the beautiful runner that Illene made me in Fee’s Advent Swap last year to adorn them. There’s my big blue bucket of buttons that I love to delve into and run my fingers through as I pass through the doorway (I’m very tactile!!!), my lovely wooden chest with special treasures which has a glittery fish puppet (from my favourite picture story book….”The Fisherman and the Theefyspray” by Paul Jennings) sitting atop which I just can’t part with, and my hilarious Angry Birds doll that my wonderful bloggy friend Teresa sent me, just because! (We both have a massive addiction to the game!!!!)  It gives me a giggle every time I go past it!  If you squint, you might see the gorgeous owl pins that Amanda made for me, sitting in front of my Angry Bird……I just need to leave them out and look at them…they’re just so sweet! You’ll notice some of the drawers are already bulging……I think I have a bit of a fabric addiction!!!!  Maybe I should work on using some more of it up!!!!!??? Yesterday was a bit of a rainy day…..our first real rainy day of the wet season….. a late start this year! As I was cleaning the house, and preparing for visitors that are arriving today, I noticed this little fellow out the window in my neighbours’ backyard… He’s a wild budgerigar…..so pretty……and so HUGE!!!!  I was surprised!!!  He was feasting, under the tree, on the five corner fruits commonly known as star fruits or carambola, oblivious to my watchful eye……I watched him for AGES!!…..he toddled along and cleaned his feet, then had a drink from the puddle before flying away… Then, I went to the laundry, on the other side of the house, and lo and behold, here was a kingfisher, resting on the fence…. Now you can see why I don’t get much done around here!!!!! We are very blessed with wildlife up here in the tropics! What’s happening at your place?   Sugary hugs xo  :O)