'Tis a new year

Yes indeedy, 'tis a brand new year....well not exactly...give or take a couple of weeks, but as I have been lost in action and meandering around the Tassie countryside for a couple of weeks, with my good husband, we'll consider it new...shall we??

A brand new year where the pages of our stories are yet to be written. A year where our illustrations are yet to be painted with God's masterful brushstrokes. A year filled with anticipation, hope and so many possibilities. A year where God is yet to reveal what will be.....will be.

My husband gifted me this little book not so long ago. It is a Little Golden Book where blank pages have been added making it into a journal, where one can jot down one's thoughts. Isn't it sweet? I guess my husband knows I love to write; just a little. =)

When I was a little girl my mum worked for the printing company that printed Little Golden Books. She would always bring these books home for me, knowing I loved books and more than anything in the world, she knew I loved to read. I would escape into a make believe world of stories far more captivating than my wee, small world. Between the pages of a book existed the most loveliest of places to be. Those pages were filled with magic. Those pages were filled with hopes, dreams and oodles of possibilities. They invited you to imaginary and bewitching travel to other lands filled with intoxicating adventures, without ever having to move from your comfy bed, or squashy sofa or perhaps the tree house lodged in an ancient, gnarled tree.

I actually remember this little book when I was little. It is a book speaking to wee children of the many wonders of God.

Mmm....A brand new page in a brand new journal waiting for my first thoughts. There is always something anticipatory about writing the first word, sentence, paragraph, on a fresh page. A fresh, unwritten page holds oodles of promise.

I wonder what thoughts I will pen. I wonder what this year will bring............

I always loved the beginning of a new school year.....new books.....blank pages on which new title pages were created. Loved, loved, loved spending hours creating title pages with my Derwent colour pencils.....such bliss.

Page after lovely page of lovely words and lovely illustrations reminding me of the wonderful wonderment of God.

The written words on the above page, remind me of the theatre of the night sky that we are fortunate to witness, where I live. Quite often, on a clear and moonless night, my husband and I will go outside and look up at the marquee of luminous stars. Here in the country there are no distractions of the city lights. One is dwarfed by the majesty of the shimmering, flickering stars; luminescent in the ink black, ocean-like sky. There are a gazillion of these twinkling lights. The Milky Way shimmers above. The Southern Cross gleams ever so dazzingly. It truly is one of the most spectacular of experiences. Indeed, this awe-inspiring sight never fails to take our breath away. We quite often stand there for ages, mesmerised by the most amazing of God's cathedrals. We feel we are in an auditorium of an opera house witnessing the most theatrical of all shows. If one listens carefully, one can almost hearken symphonious orchestrations and a mellifluous, heavenly chorus! 

This sweet Little Golden Book induces one to reflect upon God. Page after page, inviting one to dwell upon the simple things of life. As I sit in the early hours of the morning with my journal and pen in hand, and of course drinking a cup of tea from a pretty tea cup, it will be a joy to fill the pages within this sweet book with my thoughts, hopes, dreams and dare I whisper it.....wishes.

Before I disappear I would like to show you another book I bought a few weeks ago. It is titled "Everything I need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book". It is written by Diane Muldrow and it is on the New York Times Bestseller list.

This brilliant book is a cheery and happy trip down memory lane. It takes us all on a heart warming trip revisiting those characters we all loved as children......Tootle the Train, The Saggy Baggy Elephant, Scuffy the Tugboat, The Poky Little Puppy......and so many, many more heartwarming stories. Within the shiny, gold foil spine, is many a fun trip aboard the Nostalgia Express. If indeed, you lovingly owned these wonderful books when you were a wee child, you must, must try to add this delightful book to your collection. I promise you, you will love it!!

Wishing you all the most wonderful week filled with many new possibilities.

As for me, it is a gloriously clear and moonless sky this evening......so I am off to have a front row seat, and partake in a little star gazing! Until the next time........

Linking up with Stephanie's lovely Roses of Inspiration.

Christmas is nigh

The Christmas spirit has once again (albeit a little late) come ever so lightly tapping on my bright pink, front door, but this year I have  opened the door just a little for the Christmas magic to slip in. In previous years I have been that gal who goes all out in sprinkling Christmas glimmer and sparkles throughout our li'l ol', humble abode. Alas, this year, my 'more is never enough' approach to decorating is not evidenced. Is this really me speaking? Me, the gal whose decorating wand crazily sprinkles Christmas dust to each room. Sadly, yes 'tis true. With all that has transpired this year I wanted to speckle just a little Christmas magic to our parlour. The evidential proof of my sprightliness to the subject of 'All things pertaining to the subject of Christmas Decorating, a la Kim Sharman Style', in previous years can be seen here and here......that is of course if you are so inclined to take a few hours minutes to have a bo peep.

But to the parlour.........

The Christmas tree is up and twinkling at me; and all whom should happen upon our abode and sit awhile in our parlour.

Of course, if perchance you should sit in my festive parlour, we would enjoy a cup of tea. You and I would partake in the gentle art of tea drinking; pouring tea from a pretty Royal Albert teapot and sipping from a pretty cup. Oh, I always take tea in such a grand fashion! Would I tell a fib?? Never!!

This year the thought did cross my mind (oh all right, the thought muddled around my brainpan for quite a while) to perhaps acquire a white tree which is a little smaller than my 9ft beauty; and doesn't require a crane to assemble and a ladder to clamber up and down for a weekend, in order to hang each decoration one by one. But no, with my daughter stating categorically that she would never speak to me again if I perchance sent this elegant 9 foot tree to dark and musty environs forevermore, where spiders seem to exist in abundant numbers, it is yet again standing ever so lovely in the corner of our parlour.

It is an elegant tree. It is a tree where family members' names hang, bringing to mind precious memories that stay forever in one's heart. It is a tree where angels abound. Over the years I have crafted all manner of sweet angels. I have a penchant for angels, for these heaven-sent beings. It is a tree filled with many, many hand stitched and embroidered pretties and lovely store bought baubles which have tickled my fancy.

With the tree decorated and sitting rather handsomely in the corner, the next task at hand is to gussy up the mantle.

I haven't bought Christmas decorations for a good while, but this year I wanted to cast an elegant, white look to my mantlescape. These sweet little ceramic houses found their way into my bag. A tea light is placed inside and they burn brightly giving a lovely festive ambiance. They are so very pretty.

This lovely cherubic light has been sitting in our cupboard for 10 years. Originally it was a present for our oldest daughter but as she lives in the USofA, I unearthed it and asked our friendly sparky to install it and....voila!! Originally it was sheathed in gold and as I am not a fan of an over-abundance of gold, I painted it white and then rubbed it back so that touches of gold shine through. I am in love with my cherubic being hovering above.

Christmas isn't Christmas without a few candles shining brightly. Just a 'few' candelabras that I have collected through the years. An old and rusty bird cage stand adds a lovely milieu to my chandelier.

My two babies. So many cherished Christmas memories revolve around my girls' delight and happiness on Christmas morning. It's wonderful, is it not, seeing the magic of Christmas through little childrens' eyes.

Mirrors abound in our home. I think at last count there are 30 of these looking glasses gracing corners of our home. No I am not one of the narcissistic creatures that is forever gazing at one's reflection, quite the contrary........I love how they reflect gorgeous light.

To cover the soot stained fireplace I placed a length of white voile to cover the bricks, a couple of mirrors and of course, candles. I love, love, LURVE the ballerina sashaying across the mirror!

My beautiful angels which is a receptacle for flowers. The roses are abloom in our garden at this time of year.

When decorating for Christmas I love to use things I already have. These angels normally sit above a doorway, looking kindly upon everyone who enters our home.

Are not these celestial beings, beautiful??

A parisian boot, ready to be filled with pretty surprises. I designed and stitched this (and the elf boot) a couple of Christmases ago. This pretty is for me.........

.....and this elf boot is for my good husband.

It's a wrap. The adornment of the parlour is finished. Of course the bedecking of my parlour seemed to take forever! Every year I have to psyche myself up to begin the begin of decorating for Christmas.....but....I am always happy with the result. I love the calming and restful atmosphere of my parlour; it is  a lovely place to sit a while and ponder the meaning of Christmas.

As I sit here in my parlour and reflect upon Christmas, I am reminded of the Christmas story, when Jesus was born that first Christmas morning so long ago, and the love and grace that surrounds it. I am reminded of the depths of God's love for me....amazing really. I am reminded that Jesus is the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

I know 'tis a wee bit early but........

May your Christmas be decorated with much love and precious memories as you gather around your family.

May there be moments when you ponder the Christmas story and the beauty therein.

Wishing each one of you the loveliest of Christmases.

Of Cushions, Flowers and Friendship

Good Morning to you. Another week passes by ever so quickly. Another week of lovely sunny Spring days tempting pretty flowers to burst joyously from their garden beds, weaving blushes of iridescent colour throughout our garden.

As my husband is still unable to do any work in the garden for a little while yet, I have picked up the trowel and shovel and attended to the weeds. Oh my goodness, there are sooooooo many weeds, so many, I fear I will become a little garden gnome. I really am too old for this caper!! I am much, much too venerable to yank and heave and jerk for hours on end at these tenacious and pesky varmints!! But.....persistence is paying off. I am determined not to be overwhelmed by these abominable interlopers, these pesky pains in the proverbial, that persist in trying to overthrow the reign of my kingdom of pretty flowers. With dogged resolve I am determined to banish them to the next world!!

So.....as I have taken residence in the garden, not a lot has been happening in my sunny sewing room; though I did stitch a cushion for a friend whose birthday is just around the corner.

Once again, I buried myself in ribbons and doilies. Yet again, I fashioned another basket of French ribbon work flowers. I never tire of fashioning an overabundance of flowers of the ribbon variety and though I have chatted about making a few of these flower-filled baskets before, one more can't hurt, can it??? And......of course each one is a little different. Besides, one of my dearest friends, for whom this cushion is intended, doesn't have one of these lovelies sitting in her home. With her birthday just a few weeks away, I needed to make something rather quickly. We have been friends since kindergarten and surprisingly enough, although I have stitched her many, many 'Kim Sharman' originals throughout the years of our friendship, I have never stitched her a basket of floralicious delight.

This time the basket of ribbon flowers sit prettily on a background of snippets of doilies randomly placed where they fell. I had a yearning to yet again, rummage through my embroidered pretties. I wanted pretty embroideries with flowers, the odd basket of flowers and butterflies. The fabric I chose for the basket is the prettiest silk fabric of interweaving pastel hues. I brought this lovely fabric a few years ago with the thought it would be an excellent choice somewhere down the yellow brick road of my stitching.

I never, never tire of fashioning these baskets of floral delights! Mmmm....now let me see......which friend can I next stitch a basket of  blossoms for??

One by one, the addition of a pansy here and a pansy there, a fuchsia or two, and blousey roses with leaves peeking from behind, assembling another blooming basket of floral delight.

I chose a fabric with weaving vines of flowers with the odd butterfly fluttering by. A doily with a birthday sentiment is free hand machine stitched on a favourite doily. Aah....bluebirds of happiness casting a little magic on our friendship.

Though one of my joys in life is picking a fresh bouqet of flowers and gifting them to a friend for their birthday, in this case my friend lives two states away, so this cushion of floral delight will just have to do. I don't think my friend will be too unhappy. An over-spilling bouquet of gorgeous french ribbon blossoms which will bloom forevermore.

Although a beautiful bouquet of fragrance-filled flowers will always put a smile in a gal's heart, I fear within a week they always seem to metamorphose into a pongy mass of organic matter. Yes indeedy, me thinks a sweet cushion of an over-spilling bouquet of gorgeous, french ribbon blossoms blooming forevermore, is a more lovely sentiment in celebration of our friendship.

Wishing you all the most wonderful weekend. Take time to perhaps pick a pretty blossom......or two....oh.....and of course drink in their fragrance.

Until the next time........

Linking up to lovely Stephanie's, The Enchanting Rose.