Merry Christmas Eve!

 My decorating is a bit minimal this year...

and by the front door...

my snowman collection

and a close up!

pork roast is prepped for cooking, 

turkey roll is defrosting, 

pavlova made, cream whipped, fruit ready to go,

fruit platter for boxing Day is cut and in containers, 

all ready for the festivity to begin

table will be set in the morning as it looks a thunderstorm is almost here,

don't want the decorations, table napkins etc to get wet!

Merry Christmas!

(or whatever you do or don't celebrate, do it in style!)

My hippy finally bloomed!

not a stunner by any stretch of the imagination, but a bloom none the less!

some beauties from the garden

the type of traffic jam I love!

slashing done for another year..

boy it was long, almost could of done haymaking!

I got to play with a new toy!

battery powered chainsaw...

so much fun!

and these beauties were picked for my fabulous massage therapist who was getting married

my stall for December at HotchPotch...

(I think interest rates and cost of living has finally hit most people right where it hurts!

sales have been down for everyone, the only ones making profits are banks and supermarkets!!!)

if only more people would shop local,

 support handmade,

 or handcrafted

 or small business owners.

 

busy busy!

been flat out at work, 

but the garden always brings me joy...

more flowers for inside to enjoy

the roses have started and are amazing

treated myself to lunch on Friday after my eye appointment,

 it was delicious, 

will be going back to this place 

Harrow and Harvest in Lilydale

and then an ice cream in Healesville, 

just because...

love where I work these days,

a new view each day...

haha this was my view for lunch one day, 

showers then sun, then more showers

one warmish day and this guy was out but someone squashed him with a car, 

found him on my walk the next day

and this was the view of the walk, 

bit foggy but lifting and the sun coming out,

walked on a bit further around the lake,

 and this greeted me, 

bit eerie but beautiful.

 

new things on the stall

 

lots of angels 

Santa Sack

table centre mat

Snowmen

sewing kits, 

scissor keep with stork scissors, pincushion with needle threader attached, 

thimble and unpick (not in photo)

stall photo from last week

ok back to the making!

who stole my month?

 

can't believe its a month since my last post!

I'm back walking most mornings, 

always a welcome sight...

there are heaps of cormorants at the moment as the dam has recently been stocked with fish, 

snapped this guy drying off, 

but there was still a group of about 9 hunting the fish, 

plus about another 6-7 drying off on the opposite bank.

Well fed I think.

duckling season is here too..

not many families on the dam, 

only 2 or 3.

my waratahs are amazing this year, 

this one was only planted earlier this year,

the blooms are huge! 

my pink one has finally come out....

onlly 1 flower this year, 

it had 6 last year...

oh well, maybe next year it will have more.

and this one is beside the pink one, 

it's about 8 years old, thought I was going to lose it 2 years ago, 

but it has perked up nicely.

the cherry tree is full on blooms,

until the wind and rain came 2 days later...

time will tell how many cherries we get.

my first rose is out too..

about a month early.

the bearded iris's are also putting on a show

the lilacs and snowballs are out too

the mollis azalea is blooming and looks amazing.

my pink orchid is stunning too, 

it has 2 stems on it. 

I've put it on the back verandah table to admire.

start making poppies for work...

all finished!

playing around with some watercolour cards, 

 well all caught up for now, 

hopefully it won't be a month before I post again!

Spring has sprung!

My waratahs are starting to bloom...

this one is only about 2 years old..

just starting to open

a couple of weeks later

and now enjoying inside, 

it's she a beauty?

these followed me home from a lovely client who was going away on holidays and didn't want to come back to a bunch of dead flowers...

so I get to enjoy them!

sunsets have been amazing recently!

some mini daffs made their way inside too

my stall at Healesville Hotch Potch is well stocked again.

almost time to start on the Christmas makings!

saw this gorgeous  cross stitch at a clients house, 

did a google search, found one in the US, 

pattern only=expensive with $ convertion...

popped it up on FB I was looking, a friend who is an avid cross stitcher found this kit in NSW, 

joined the page, messenged the lady and hey presto!

my cross stitch kit arrived!

 the weather has just changed again, 

beautiful today 22 degrees, sunny 

this afternoon, temps plummet, rain and wind

looks like another cold and miserable Friday and weekend!

Oh well I have plenty to do!