THIS MAGICAL EVE.....

Wishing you all a very

Happy Christmas!

Thank you for your visits

and for your sweet comments.

I've made some wonderful

friendships during the year

and I've enjoyed visiting

your amazing blogs.

Christmas Blessings

hugs

Shane

(images of my Nativity set

taken this evening)

Advent, preparation, expectation

I love tradition
and the Advent Wreath
has always been symbolic of
our Christmas preparations.

When our children were small
we made a big event
of choosing the
greenery, pine cones
and candles to make our wreath.

Our advent wreath sat
in the middle of our dining table
and each evening
we lit the appropriate
number of candles,

 We re-told the story of the
first Christmas.

Our children were aware
that Christmas
was not only about Santa Clause.

The first week in December
we bought our Christmas tree.

Then we all decorated
the tree together -
it was such a precious time!

I hope you're all enjoying
the lead up to Christmas day.

Please give a thought
for families with young children
and especially those who are
struggling to meet
their children's expectations
of what Santa
will bring them this year.

Thank you my dear friends for visiting my blog.

I will enjoy catching up with you all
and visiting your blogs very soon.
Be kind to one another

Shane x

LOVE THESE BAGS

Hello dear friends!

I've been such a

 neglectful blogger....

please forgive me!

All of a sudden

Christmas is almost here again

and I had promised

myself last year

that things would be different

for Christmas 2011!!!

I even had a reminder in

my diary...

October - make the Christmas cakes!

One for my daughter and family

in France,

and of course one for us

in New Zealand!

I was going to be so

prepared...

* make Christmas stockings for

my grand daughters

(not finished)

* also make pretty Christmas dolls

for the girls

(not even started, but I do

have the pattern - doesn't really count!)

* make cards for my dear blogging friends

who have been so kind to me,

sending me beautiful gifts,

doing blog posts,

leaving sweet messages here,

when I broke my hand....

(this is a small piece from some exquisite

french lace given to me by Barbara -

do pop in and say hello)

With all my good intentions

I've failed miserably....

 and I don't know why,

but I can't seem to get going

(no excuse I know)

..... until this week..

when all of a sudden,

I've been all of a flurry,

making and creating little cards,

baking Christmas goodies,

decorating the house

and

finally getting that

wonderful

Christmas spirit!

I'm hoping some of you

might feel just like me....

but I'm guessing you've all

been very disciplined

and are completely

organised,

and can now

sit back

and enjoy some Christmas cheer!!!!

The photos are of a

bag and goodies

I made for my lovely

blogging friend Carole.

We finally met earlier

in the year, when she

came to Auckland for

the Vintage Textile Fair!

Thank you my dear friends for visiting my blog.

I will enjoy catching up with you all

and visiting your blogs very soon.

Be kind to one another

Shane