Time does slip away doesn’t it??? Between my brother and his partner visiting and staying the week, and my sister in law and nephew too, I’d forgotten to tell you all about the gifts I received from
Illene in
Fee’s Advent Swap!!! Honestly, my mind is just like a sieve lately….does anyone else have that problem??????
Well, here are my lovely gifts….. a beautiful Christmas tree wall hanger….don’t know if you can see but there are gorgeous little gemstones hanging within each opening,
….some handmade Christmas cards ready for next year (don’t know if I can give them away though!!!),
…some very pretty fabric and matching thread…. (mmmm….thinking about what I can make!!),
a handmade crocheted doily……(just love it Illene!),
….something I never have enough of…. handcream! In fact, I used some this afternoon whilst machine quilting….great to put on before the cotton gloves,
…the most beautiful Christmas angel, cross-stitched with multitudes of red and green beads…….just gorgeous,
….a very handy notepad made just for me!!
…and a colour wheel….something that’s been on my shopping list for a long time but one of those things you always tell yourself you’ll get “next time”!
They are all so precious and I’m so thankful to have had Illene as my partner
this year last year!!! Illene is such a lovely lady….she even sent me a very special give that I will treasure forever….
…and I was so excited, I didn’t even iron it before I took a photo of it!!! This is a pattern, designed by Fee for Illene, called Lorraine’s Flowers. It is just so special…there are not words to describe…..but THANK YOU Illene and Fee!!!
Now, life is
starting to get back to normal and hopefully that means the ol’ brainbox will sort itself out too!!! I’ve been writing myself some lists of what I want to achieve….things like, blog more regularly, de-clutter everything around the house (not asking for much am I???) and finish at least one UFO a month. Seeing as
Dawn and I had goals of finishing heaps of our outstanding ufo’s last year and neither of us really did do very well, we decided we’d keep going with our challenge this year. If you’re in the same boat, you can see what some bloggers managed to achieve
here and then come join us for a year full of finishes!!!
We’ve decided that 2012 is going to be the year we will….
DELVE, NOT SHELVE!!!
yeah, I know, a little corny, but they’re the only words I could come up with that rhymed with 2012…..! And with that thought in mind, I’m working on finishing a project I started in 2o10. I’m at the machine quilting stage so I can give you a little peek at where I’m up to…
Which reminds me….I must get back to it. My list tells me I want to have this UFO finished by the weekend!!!! I love New Year’s Resolutions (for a while anyway!). Sugary hugs xo Wendy :O)
…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) 
