Let's pretend

Mmmmm.....another fun-filled day
brimming with adventurous play!

Whatever will I wear?

What character will I pretend to be?

Perhaps I’ll be a policeman.

Perhaps I’ll fight a robber....or two!

 Perhaps I’ll don my fireman’s helmet

and bravely climb tall ladders and
swoosh away fires with my fire hose!

  

Perhaps I will be a famous soccer player

and kick the winning goal in the World Cup.

Perhaps I will wear my special outfit

for my friend’s birthday party.....

and eat lots and lots of yummy birthday cake!

 Perhaps I will put on my old blue jeans and

and go to the park, hang out with my friends

and play with my bright, red car!

OR........perhaps I will be a pirate

and hoist the jolly roger and sail the seven seas;
swashbuckling my way through the day!!

But for now, after an exhausting day of ‘let’s pretend’

 I'm a little tired (yawn).
So I'd best put on my jarmies,
climb into bed,

and hugging my teddy ever so tightly;

drift off to faraway lands 
that only exist in the Land of Nod!



I found this wooden doll, hiding in a hidey hole of my home a little while ago, forgetting it's existence! My husband and I made this a few years ago to sell at a market. Pete cut out my designs with a jigsaw and I painted each piece. The doll is made out of 1/2" thick pine and the interchangeable clothes, hair and toys are made from thin MDF. The doll stands about 9" high and the clothes are attached by velcro which have been glued with a super glue. Each article has many, many layers of non toxic, folk art paint, which I sanded after each coat. These dolls take an age to fashion!! Hence, the reason why we haven't made any for a while and perhaps, why  I have filed this idea away in the dark recesses of my brainpan stamped 'file closed'!!

These dolls are reminiscent of the paper dolls that I adored playing with as a wee girl, providing me with many a fun-filled, imaginative day. I loved my paper dolls, styling their homes and playing with them all the time. When out and about shopping with my mum, I was always on the lookout for the next paper doll book that had been published.

The idea for these wooden dolls originated when my daughter was a very little girl, thinking that I would make her a special keepsake for Christmas. I must admit that we have made a few since which have gone to live with other children, hopefully, providing them with many hours of fun-filled play. After the child has finished visiting the land of make believe and playing with their doll, it can then be hung on the wall, sitting ever so attractively in a shadow-like box/frame (which my clever husband fashioned)  becoming a wonderful piece of art! Very versatile if you ask me!!

Here is the girl doll which is very similar to the one that we fashioned for our daughter. Mmmmm....me thinks a very pretty wardrobe, filled with many a delightful outfit, in readiness for a fun-filled hour or two of play in a child's fictive world!

   

A child can have oodles of fun playing with these wooden dolls. They can enter into the land of make believe, dreaming up many an imaginative story; changing the disguises in an instant. 'Tis a wee bit of a shame that we all grow up......one day......is it not??

Lazy days of Summer

Oops....it's been a month since I put fingers to keyboard and waffled on about my existence down here in summery Tassie. Did I say summery............well I told a li'l porky pie, a little untruth. Yes, the calendar lets on that we are midway summertide, but that is the only evidential proof. Indeed, whilst the rest of Australia is sweltering through heat wave conditions, we down here in this tiny isle are encountering much cooler weather.

 

Not that that's a problem to me (.....well it is a little) as the garden is looking a treat. The stage production of our Spring garden has danced merrily into the next act......Summer.

Gorgeous red poppies the size of saucers.

Glorious Water Lillies.

 

 More poppies of the yellow kind.....not my fave colour, but spectacular nevertheless!

 

 

 Beautiful spires of Lupins and Delphiniums.

 Pansies popping up everywhere like weeds.

Orchid-like Impatiens, Cornflowers and Phlox.

I love this photo...it rather reminds me of a Monetesque painting.

 

Orchid-like impatiens.

 Pretty Nigellas....'Love in the Mist'.

 

Gorgeous Buddleias.....a favourite meeting place for butterflies.

 

 

Dinner plate sized Dahlias.

 

 Hundreds of cheery Cosmos.

A secret little 'doorway'

 

And......the piece de resistance....beautiful Hydrangeas. These wonderful mop-head flowers truly do make my heart sing.

 

Each morning, I love to take a li'l wander around my garden and pick a basket of floral gorgeousness.....

and........fill vases of flowers to prettify many a room in our li'l ole abode!

 

Not only does our garden feed the soul, but it also feeds the inner man.....the tummy!! Berries of the raspberry and strawberry kind.

 

Mmmmmm.......berry, berry delish!!

 

This Summer the surrounding paddocks have paid host to  cows who have been moseying around all day long, mooing to their  bovine hearts' content, in a symphonic, discordant din!!

Not a lot of creativity of the stitching kind has been going on here at our li'l ole abode these last weeks, as there have been much more important matters at foot.

 

For the past two weeks we have been entertaining and just hanging out with friends from  mainland Australia, who escaped the stinking hot and humid conditions of Sydney and decided to come and enjoy a li'l holiday in this cooler retreat; this humble, flower-filled B&B!!

 

One tourist must see attraction that we dragged all and sundry to is Bridestowe Lavender Farm, when in January, as far as the eye can see,  is a profusion of gorgeous, purple hued, sweet-smelling lavender bushes in full flower, ready to be harvested. Row upon row of delectable, sensory delight.

 

 

  

January has been a time of relaxing, catching my breath and just 'being'!! It has been a time of lazing about on my swinging seat by the pond, reading oodles of books that I received both as presents and borrowed from the library, whilst the world passes by. One of my very favourite things in life is to read and lookity look through books. Books sweep me up into many worlds, many characters, many memories, many feelings, many inspirations. Indeed for a li'l while, they are an escape, forgetting everything around me.

 

These are just a few of my 'reads'.......these holidays; the local library has been a constant revolving door.

 

As you can see, oodles of inspiration to be soaked up for the year ahead!!

 

Also, lo and behold, Her Royal Majesty's postal representative delivered a wonderful surprise all the way from British Columbia, Canada. The lovely Carla of Grace and Favour sent me a delightful little stitchery book, a gorgeous mug rug, fashioned by her good self and a scrummo chocolate (oops no photo...sorry...but it was devoured instantly by moi......I quite simply LURVE chocolate)!! That is the glorious thing about this blogging caper......I get to 'meet' gorgeous people from all over the world who inspire me constantly! Carla, who works at a patchwork shop, (how lucky is she) said that this little book was delivered to her shop one day and immediately she thought of li'l ole me, all the way down here at the bottom of the world. You must, must, MUST visit Carla's 'Grace and Favour'.......it is a beautiful blog filled with Carla's graciousness and amazing, creative works!! Yes indeedy, this life is full of unexpected joys!!

 

 

January has meant a few visits to the cinema. Love, love, love movies!! I viewed The Book Thief and Saving Mrs Banks. Both movies for different reasons, completely entranced me. Next week it's off to see The Railway Man........can't wait!! Oh....and I must try to fit in '12 Years a Slave' and  'The Monuments Men'!!

 

Oh......and there was a birthday as well........mine. Alas, another year older.....oh dear....it seems to me that my life seems to be whizzing by much faster than I can finish all the wondrous things that I want to stitch!! Of course I was completely spoilt by my good husband. The only reason that I am mentioning this li'l event in human history is to show you something......have a goosey gander at the gorgeous 'wrapping' of my pressie!!

 

Imagine my delight when awakened by this beautiful box filled with oodles of goodies from my good husband!! Firstly, the beautiful hydrangea box (one of my fave flowers); secondly, the gorgeous ribbon tied ever so expertly by him and thirdly, a beautiful card depicting a dresden plate quilt!! I'm guessing he has learnt a thing or two, from Pip, Mary-Kate (our daughters) and his 'good' wife over the years; about how the wrapping is as important as the gift inside!! After all, presentation is everything!!

 

Aaaah yes indeedy........a wonderful, wonderful birthday!!

 

Now from my calculations, I have two more weeks of  complete "I can do whatever I want"! No kiddos bursting through my bright pink front door (oh I do miss them......really I do), no lessons to be planned, no routine, no.............

 

I might even slip in a li'l stitching. I have been reading other bloggers and their 'to do' lists for 2014. Alas, I haven't compiled one, though there are two or three quilts that I would dearly love to finish and a cathedral window quilt that I have wanted to make for yonks, as well as other imaginations swirling around my brain pan.....but as Scarlett O'Hara once articulated (another wonderful book that has carried me off to another world, another time) "fiddle-dee-dee, I won't think about it now, I'll think about it tomorrow.......after all tomorrow is another day"!!

 

 So.......toodlepips for now.......(I can hear many a sigh of relief escape from your lips that this overlong post has come to an end........you may  now be excused).........as for me, my swinging seat and a book or two....and perhaps a li'l stitching await me!!

 

 

A Blessed Christmas to you !!

 

From our li'l ole abode to yours, may your Christmas

be a blessed one,

decorated with many, many happy times

 with your family and friends;

and may your new year be filled with many, many warm and special memories!!

 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree......

........yes it's that time again. The month of December has once again come aknocking impatiently on my bright pink, front door heralding the Christmas season; informing me 'tis time to unearth the Christmas tree and all the decorations and festoon both tree and house; as the festive season is nigh.

For more years than I can remember my family has always enjoyed a real, ridgy didge, pine, Christmas tree oozing with a delicious pine fragrance. There is nothing quite like the fragrance that emanates the home from a real tree. The getting of our Christmas tree, year after year, is one of which fables are written.

Just the very articulation of the phrase "let's go in search of our Christmas tree" is enough to send a shiver down every member of my family's spine and cause them to scurry to some dark hidey hole where they cannot be found!!

We have so many hysterical, rollicking tales of  the search of the perfect tree. So many funny, funny incidences of me, my husband and daughters; and on the odd occasion, some very, very patient and long suffering friends, embarking on the perfect Christmas tree hunt. Of searching acres and acres of pine trees, marking the ones that could perhaps sit rather handsomely in our parlour, then forgetting which couple of hundred that we had chosen, and after many a long hour of searching, wielding the chainsaw, cutting down the 'chosen' tree and lugging it back to the car.

Stories of squeezing the tree through one back window of the car, through to the other window, so that the tree sticks out both sides; terrified of being pulled up by the local constabulary; who would have been perfectly justified to throw the book at us, ummmmmm..........we did violate a few traffic by-laws!! Oh.... and of course, upon arriving home, trying to squeeze the tree through the doorway that all of sudden seemed to have shrunk!! Oops........it's amazing how a tree looks lilliputian in a forest!! The size of the tree really should've been a visual cue when our tree, sticking out of both sides of the car, nearly side-swiping cars in the other lanes, with drivers honking their horns and giving us murderous looks!!!!!! I am normally a law-abiding citizen but the very thought of the perfect Christmas tree, turns me into a maniacal woman!!

So then, out would come the saw and bit by bit, branches were removed in a symmetrical fashion (it had to be the perfect Christmas tree) so that it could fit through the door. Oh and that's not all; once the tree is in situ, after an age of my husband trying to get the blasted tree upright jamming in bricks and sand and goodness knows whatever else; and hours and hours of decorating the tree, it collapses and falls to the ground, with water and sand and bricks muddying the white carpet; and children  happily playing board games close to said tree, flee in all directions in fear of their lives as 'father dear' cries out 'TIMBER'!!

Oh......these are just a few chapters contained within  "The Sharman's Christmas Tree Chronicles"!! I am afraid that our Christmas tree stories do not resemble those movies when the getting of the Christmas tree enhances a symbiotic, happy family outing, filling everyone with a warm and fuzzy feeling. No indeedy....ours always seemed to be somewhat more akin to a Chevy Chase movie....where if anything could go wrong, it most certainly would!!

So.........finally we decided we would buy a faux Christmas tree!!!!!! Oh no!!!!! The earth will stop spinning on it's axis!!!! Unpardonable, I know but we all just decided that enough was enough and we wanted to make our 1st December a little more pleasant!!

Well that was the plan. It's just that our faux, perfectly symmetrical Christmas tree is 9 feet tall!! I must admit it is a beauty.....BUT......it means that I clamber up a ladder and scurry down again, ad nauseum for hours, festooning said tree with lights, beaded garlands and then the decorations which take an age to decide where they would look best......oh alright.......perfect!!!

I have often thought that it would be wonderful if only my husband could build a 9 feet plus cupboard, so that his dear wife could just wheel the tree in, close the cupboard door, and each year, when the season of great joy comes aknocking again, I could just wheel it out fully decorated; ready to go!! Easy!! He, of course says, "but think of all the fun you would miss out on"!!!!!!! Mmmmmm......I don't believe him...........because, strangely enough, after he has connected the cords for the lights and asks if I am in need of his services anymore, he disappears......probably in search of a stiff drink!! Not that I blame him.......as the woman before him on the 1st December, is not the same 'sweet' woman that he married. No the woman before him kinda vaguely resembles that of a shrew-like Shakespearian character!!

But......with Bing carolling in the background and my spirit somewhat calmed with the end of my mission nearing to an end; the tree finally begins to resemble that of which the "Oh Christmas Tree" carol waxes lyrical. It's lovely branches are laden with both handmade and a few store bought decorations. The lights are twinkling and the angel has taken residence at the very top, smiling ever so ethereally down upon us mere mortals!! 'Tis a lovely tree reminding me of the hope, love, joy and  the peace of the Christmas message.

With the tree standing ever so pretty in the corner of the parlour and my mission complete......I'm off to sprinkle a li'l more festive spirit to other rooms of our li'l ole abode!

 

 

Candles and candlelabras abound!

Parisian stockings which I have designed and stitched by hand, are scattered throughout our li'l ol' abode.

 The entry window adorned with doily bunting and a sprinkling of spangles.

  

I love how the floor reflects the shadows of the doilies and decorations.

The kitchen window bedecked with snowflakes and candles in glass jars and bottles.....oh and not to forget the bucolic view of green, green paddocks and the roving kaleidoscope of black and white  bovine.

A nativity scene that my husband cut out and which I painted many a Christmas ago!! It is a timely reminder that Christmas is the 'birth'day of Jesus!

 Done!! Well......almost. There is the matter of a wreath to be made for our bright pink door, but that will have to wait. For now I am just going to sit, put my feet up, relax and enjoy our bedecked home for a li'l while and reflect on the spirit of Christmas.....and then I will begin to think about those mere triflings such as presents, gift wrapping, Christmas dinner etc etc!!

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