A Vintage Christmas in Pictures

Thank you all kindly for your well wishes for our spotty girls.  They both seem to be coming on nicely now, but still look rather dotty.  No.2 found it rather easy and didn't find the spots to be itchy which was quite fascinating as the doctors have always gone on about how bad it would be for her with eczema.  Not so at all for her.  No.3 has found it all rather tiring and seems to be constantly bawling about something.  I wouldn't recommend you play a board game with her if she is the one to lose at the moment.  My goodness she is quite the colourful one at present!

Anyway, moving right along.  Here are a few snaps, OK perhaps rather a lot of snaps, of our Christmas table vintage style.  All props were found within the family which is all the nicer.  We seemed to have quite a few lovely pieces to play with.   Is this plate not the prettiest you've every seen?  It belongs to my Gran, what a lucky lady.

I made my grandparents Christmas lights into personal ornaments by tying a piece of red string to each one and tying it with a white bow around each serviette. 

This mug was mine when I was a little girly.  A cute Little Bo Peep looking for her sheep.  Why don't they make mugs so pretty these days?

White hydrangeas from my garden.  They were pink and purple ones too but I forgot to photograph them - dilly me!

Have you taken note of all my doilies?  Don't they look super?  The table cloth is extremely old too.  My mother doesn't think it will survive another Christmas party.  It's a great shame as it's so beautiful.

I found a great many old fashioned lollies at the local dairy of all places.  They were a real tasty treat after the first course.  The train looked fab on the table.  It's also very old and my little girls usually play with it on Gran's floor.

I love this stripy string.  It came off something that comes in bags, sugar maybe?   I always keep the strings from my flour bags too and the potatoes.  String is so handy and it's always in either red or white which I love.

My cousin made the fab pav.  It's cooked in a ring shape and looks just like a wreath when decorated.  Clever aye?

And the biggest trifle in the world was made by my big brother.  He researched the recipe and bought all the ingredients and bowl especially.  I think we'll now be having many trifles in the years to come!

The cake was a bit of a treat for me.  I made it using gluten free flour and guess what??  It's tastes great, really great!!  How exciting.  Actually I must have a piece in a minute.  The decorations were a bit of a quick throw together sorry.  I did buy the icing tree and Santa ones especially.  Don't look too closely as the icing was full of air bubbles!  I think it was a combination of high humidity, rolled out too thin and lack of caring.  Is that really bad of me? 

So that was Christmas for another year.  It was lovely but we are so over it.  Now we are very much enjoying our new toys and playing board games.  Jigsaws are popular as well with the third one about to be completed by hubby.  He's the expert at them.  Speaking of the man, it's his birthday tomorrow.  How inconvenient is that??  Honestly it couldn't be much worse really.  Still I am prepared for it so all is well. 

Righty ho.  Off for a hot chocolate and slice of that cake before bed.  Oh guess what time I woke up this morning? 

9am!!!!!!!!!! 

I know I couldn't believe it either.  Fabulous it was too.  It's because we are in our new bedroom now and it's nice and quiet down there.  Now I have a whole years worth of sleep in catch ups to do.  I will enjoy!  Must take some photos of our bedroom too.

From Our House to Yours...

we'd like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!!!

It's Christmas Eve here in New Zealand tonight and I'm waiting for Santa to arrive.  The girls were very impressed to know that our country gets Santa's deliveries first. 

This Christmas is one that we won't forget, ever.  This Christmas two of our girls have the chicken pox.  Yesterday No.3 came down with them after high fevers, and today No.2 has them.  Poor little girls!  They are coping quite well really.  No.3 has them fairly bad but is sleeping well at night so it's more than managable.  Lots of pamol, anti itch medicine, cuddles and stories seem to be working a treat. 

Here are the girls tonight in their new Mummy made nighties (so they look respectible in their Christmas photos tomorrow!)  No. 4 is rather swimming in hers but at least she won't outgrow it in a hurry!

From the Red Gingham family, we would like to wish you a very wonderful Christmas Day, whenever yours arrives.  I hope you made it to where ever you were going safely.  Jolly snow aye?  Who'd have it at Christmas anyway??  Lots of love and happiness to you all and thanks for a wonderful year at Blogland.  Thank you all very much for your welcome visits to my place and your warming comments.  Have a great Christmas.  Love Sarah xxx

More Than Just One Day

This morning I've made eight jars of strawberry jam.  Strawberries are on super special this week so I bought ten punnets of them yesterday for $10.  I'll go back and buy another ten today.  Well after the jolly shower installer man has finished putting in our new ensuite shower!!  So exciting.  That's after he actually arrives I should say.  It's now 10.17am, and after having a super duper early shower, so as not to get caught out, we are still awaiting his arrival...

In the meantime I'll show you what has been filling some of my time of late.  First up we have the teachers presents.  Nothing stitched I'm afraid, due to lack of ideas and organisation.

But we do have pretty jars.  Some are filled with strawberry jam and others with a mix of giant and small jaffas.  I've just realised that most of you won't have had the pleasure of sucking on a jaffa before.  I tell you they are a right treat.  After you suck the red colour off them you get to a hard white candy layer.  Break through this layer and it's chocolate all the way!  So good, especially when pinched from the pantry in secret.  Unfortunately the big ones aren't so easy to hide in one's mouth :) 

I bought a packet of white clay at the hardware store and the big girls and I had fun cutting out decorations with the cookie cutters.  The clay starts out light blue which is a little worrying, but eventually it does fade to white.  I'd quite like to get my hands on some fine silver glitter to coat each piece in to add a bit of zing to the Christmas table.

We attached a decoration to each of their teachers present bags.  They looked quite stylish I thought.

The smart looking bags were only $1 each, super specials they were from Spotlight. 

We spent one morning making Christmas cards.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  The girls all had fun too I think!

I haven't sent them out yet!  The letter is printed and the photos are done.  Have you sent your cards already?  Last year ours went out in January.  I guess they were Happy New Year cards really, with an old letter in them.  Oh well, my intentions are there. 

I really struggle with posting stuff.  The whole addressing thing and waiting in the queue is just too much at this time of year.  I've still been so busy every day, but it's not awful, just busy.  Which reminds me, I still haven't told you of my discovery I promised last session.  So here goes: Christmas isn't just about one day.  Yep that's it!!  For me, and lots of others, it's about the whole of December.  It's the buying of gifts, the list writing, the menu planning, the decorating, the traditions, baking with the children, having people over... 

I always felt a little let down at the end of the 25th until I realised that it's more than one day.  It's about all the fun leading up to that special day.  So stop for a minute... and enjoy this moment because it's part of the big picture.  Gosh is that deep or what??!!  Honestly I must go and have a big cuppa tea after that one!  Have a great day today, enjoy!

A Little Vintage Christmas Time

I'm thinking it might be a lovely idea to show the girls what a vintage Christmas was like.  Not that I've actually experienced one myself of course!!!  So really I should say, to show all of us youngish people what it was like.  Perhaps some candle light, proper cloth napkins, table cloths, napkin rings, old toys, old fashioned sweets...  and on and on it goes.  I've prepped Great Gran to raid her drawers and cupboards this week for all things old and great.

Now I have been super annoyed with myself this past week.  Yes I truly have.  I was very cross that I had given away some very old lights that once adorned my grandparents Christmas tree.  Why is it that as soon as you've given away something that you realise how useful and wonderful it would have been?  I have learned that you really have to look outside the box and think of other ideas for using a product. 

Anyway the Gods must have been looking down on me today, because when hubby was tidying the garage he asked me what on earth was I going to do with all this electrical stuff?  I threw myself at him and then went off with a huge grin.  How absolutely fabulous!  Now do you want a look inside the boxes?  The boxes themselves are rather wonderful in their own right. 

These lights are so incredibly beautiful.  I'm thinking of making them into hanging decorations.  Or maybe napkin ornaments?  My Grandad was a great organised hoarder.  He had a drawer or a place for everything and never threw anything out.  Fabulous!

These ones are not quite as good, but I do still love those pinecone ones.  Look at the metallic blue one.

Maybe these pretty red lights would be nice as a garland?  Loving the reel too.

The perfect flowers are already in my garden.  Absolutely loving these purple and pink hydrangeas.  The fresh new green buds are a lovely addition to the bunch too.  You just can't beat hydrangeas for an old fashioned look.

These white ones are actually quite small and pompom like.  Perhaps an individual bunch at each place setting?  It's their first year of flowering and I'm very impressed with them. 

And to finish off, here's a rubbish photo of our Christmas tree.  Well it's so jolly hot and muggy here that the sun does get in the way.  Although I must admit it's done nothing but rain the last few days. 

I must come back soon and share a new revelation very soon.  I must also tell you that No.2 and 3 received certificates for fab work at their end of year prize givings.  Go them!!  And that No.3 is skipping a year at school because she's so super clever.   Clearly she's my child!  Ha ha, no really, hubby has the brains in the family.  So glad it's rubbing off on our girls.  Oh it's all so exciting!  Anyway the family need food once again so I must go and slice the bread.

Have a wonderful week, the last week before Christmas!!!  Heck!  Off to see all the pretty lights tonight.  It's not dark until nearly 9pm so it'll be a late one.

Oh and our new bedroom is practically finished!!!  Double yee ha!  Right I'm really off now.  See you!

Cookie Swap Tradition

Our Cookie Swap Christmas Evening has become a tradition among my friends.  Dear Glenda has the task of putting it on, which is quite unfair, but she does have the most beautiful English looking house among us. She decorates her house for Christmas and has a pot of mulled wine on the stove.  It's the event of the year and not one to be missed for any reason. 

I think the most fun for me was making these little packages up.  I do like a bit of embellishing!  The girls enjoyed helping me too.

The day before most of us can be found in our kitchen preparing for the big swap.  Our houses are filled with the glorious smells of baking dough.  There are more often than not little helpers either making cookie cutter biscuits or licking the bowls.  It's a really exciting time for the whole family as they all know when they wake up there will be a visual feast for them.

Here are my chocolate macaroons just out of the oven.  Perhaps a little tanned but very chewy and rather delicious.  No.1 was home from school with a cold, so she was a big help to me.  The whole idea of getting my hands in and mixing was a huge turnoff!  Luckily she thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Here are some photos of the table when everyone had displayed their cookies.  All so nicely wrapped with ribbons and looking very festive.

It's the most exciting feeling when you go around the table selecting little packets put together with so much care and thought. 

Take a look at these very impressive tags that dear Glenda made for us.  They are wrapping papers cut to size and mounted on board.  Decoupage apparently.  Very nice and special.  A little momento of our lovely evening together.

 Oh lookie, there are my biscuits!!

And here is my filled basket that I took home at the end of the evening.  Can you imagine how much fun our girls had selecting their favourite cookie in the morning? 

And just look, two of them chose the same one!  Yes Liz, (devoted reader of my blog) they are yours!!!!  You are now a famous cookie maker!

 

And when the girls got home from school they were raving about them.  They have a big piece of peppermint chocolate bar in the middle of them - YUM!! 

If you haven't been to a cookie swap before, I'd say organise one, they are so much fun and completely worth all the baking the day before.  I've taken cookies to my mother, served them to more family members this morning and the girls are provided with a lovely selection for a whole week. 



Thanks so very much for all your hard work Glenda.  You did a brilliant job as usual and we all had a fabulous time.  My pretty tag is hanging on our Christmas tree.  I'm looking forward to next year's swap already.

This and That

I've not done much in the way of sewing lately.  Having a bit of a sewers block I guess.  Probably just need more fabric!  I do love a bit of new fabric to get me going again.  Maybe next week. 

Now I haven't shown you these little birdies I made a couple of weeks ago.  They were rather fun to make.  I just made them up as I went along.  No.2 is very clever and she showed me that she could line up the wings on both sides and iron them on for me.  I put all my trust into her and she came through with flying colours.  I like her helping me.

The wing fabrics are from that marvelous little charm pack I bought at the quilt show.  Moda Bliss.  Gosh I've love to get me another of those!  The white wing fabric is my absolute favourite one. It's so pretty and delicate looking. I see I haven't taken a photo of them with their beady hangers on.  What a bother!

What do you think about this pretty mat I found at the antique store?  I adore it, as does No.4.  We might have a fight on our hands.  Still I should be pleased that at three she already has super taste in home furnishings and antiques.

It reminds me of strawberry flowers.  So fresh and summery looking, just perfect for Christmas in New Zealand.  Speaking of that, I've finally realised that we do have Christmas in the summer and we should acknowledge that by using summery colours in our decorating this season.  We are not living in England with the snow, so traditional Christmassy looks and colours are not really right for us. 

You would not believe the decorating over here.  You have no idea how much we are fixed on the English way of having a hot meal, our fire places decorated, fake snow on the windows and even snowmen at Christmas displays.  Just crazy in the fabulous heat.  We should think ourselves lucky that we can send the children outside to ride their new bikes, make sandcastles with new buckets and spades and kick a brand new ball around, instead of huddled inside around the TV set. 

I've also come to the conclusion that a clean and tidy house is not all it's cracked up to be!  Truly I spent the better part of a week, three hours cleaning per room and then living in fear of mucking it all up.  The girls weren't good at it either and I was so bossy about them keeping it tidy!  I'd rather live in a busy happy house than a show home - not that our house is even close to being of that quality!

The good part of tidying up each room, was the little rewards that I bought. Well why jolly not?!! Can you guess what Beatrice is whispering to Billy? She's saying that it's exactly a month until the BIG day!! Woo hoo, how exciting!!!


What do you think of our new cushions?  I think now we need to have the sofas recovered!  A nice warm beige would look very nice.  In wipe clean fabric of course!

I'm shortening this post now as it didn't save all my hard work before loosing connection!  I'm so annoyed!!!!!!  I have had to redo lots of it and I'm out of time now.  Oh well must be off now.  Lunch to eat, places to go.  Have a great week!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

Christmas!!!  she says, singing like an old bat.  Am I the only one who gets a little bit excited when she realises Christmas is just a couple of months away?  The first week of October is now over so that must make it... about ten weeks away!!!  How exciting is that???  Oh gosh, I hope I haven't freaked anyone out!

Now that the warm weather has arrived in little old NZ, I have been spending the odd hour outside sorting the garden out.  My goodness it's got away on me.  I thought it was about time I watered the Christmas tree and got it into shape for the festive season.

The nursery was paid a visit this morning and these glorious red and white Petunias made their way into our boot.

And how could I go past these red delights?  I do love a pretty dahlia.  There are so many buds on this plant, so hopefully it will flower right into Christmas.  So our front door area is looking like a Christmas bomb has hit it.

And Mr Red Gingham's Pohutukawa is doing very nicely and completely covered in red blooms.  This one is a very early flowerer.  Usually they flower in the summer and put on a lovely show for Christmas. 

Aren't the flowers so dainty with their little golden tips?  They do make a mess a couple of days afted being picked unfortunately.  Little bits of dried redness all over the place.

And I seem to have left this decoration out all year.  How could I put away such a lovely heart? 

My Red Gingham banner garland has made itself at home in our family room.  I think it looks very pretty up there.  Maybe we'll have a spotty and ginghamy Christmas this year?  Although we have had those two themes separately in previous years.

I don't know about the different colour schemes some people do these days.  Could you do pink or blue really?  I'm sure it's not big in the UK with the traditional Christmas such a reality.  But over here in the Summer it's tempting.  Why is the wintry Christmas such a big thing for us in the heat anyway?  We just can't stay away from it.  We love the idea of having a cold Christmas Day.  Heck, the shops spray fake snow on the windows!!  How ridiculous is that?

I often mention doing a different theme but it just doesn't excite the family.  Perhaps we could do red with hot pink?  It would combine both seasons.  I think a little fabric shopping is needed for inspiration.  I need some stuffing for my bunnies anyway.  Plenty of time really, aye?

Handmade Christmas Challenge 1

I've been wanting to design and make something sweet and simple for a little while now.  I was hoping that this bunny might be something I could produce lots of to sell.  But I just don't think I'm cut out for mass production. 

Greta doesn't think that she wants too many sisters either.  She likes special attention, and you just don't get that with having to share with lots of other little bunnies do you?

Poppy quite agrees.  Although having one special sister to play with is very lovely indeed.  And they are the best of friends too.

A big bonus is that they are the same size, so they can swap dresses if they want to.  And dressing up is something they both like to do.

They just can't believe that they used to be a pretty pile of fabric like this.  Gosh isn't life amazing?!

Well... maybe a few more friends might be fun.  We'll see.  Pop on over to KnickyKnacks for more Christmas Inspiration if you fancy.