Pre-Christmas Slideshow Dec#2

HELLO!!  Remember us??

I apologise for the lack of blog presence this month.  We had wanted to have all the outstanding house posts up by 31st December.  But I am not sure that's going to happen...although we only really have a few left to share, so you never know!!!  (Yeah right! Who am I kidding?!). 

We were always behind, having started blogging long after we moved in and began our reno journey.  But in all honesty we could have caught up in the last part of this year because it has been much slower in terms of reno stuff.  But as we all know, life (in the nicest possible way) gets in the road!  And Christmas (and all the end of year festivities and organising that go with it) got in the way this month.  I have been busy buying gifts, wrapping gifts, writing cards, sewing gifts, posting parcels and enjoying all that comes with the holidays.  This time last year we were having our last cold, snowy winter and Christmas in Pennsylvania.  This year is so different for us...sooooo different.  But we are slowly getting back into the swing of having a steamy hot Christmas instead of the lovely cold traditional (for me) Christmas that we got so used to in the US!  Even Col said he has been 'ruined forever' by having 3 Christmases in the USA.

Christmas for us is about celebrating family and friends and what we have all achieved in the past year.  It's about being thankful for what we have and about sharing; food, gifts and love.  Not just with each other but with others who we may not know but may be in need of a little extra care.  Every year without fail we leave gifts under the wishing tree for children in our community who are less fortunate.  This year as much as every charity is worthy, we decided to do something a little different.  We recently learnt about the LifeStraw and other filtration systems being donated to communities around the world to supply them with clean drinking water.  Col has always held strong links with Timor L'este since working there for 6 months back in 2001, so although the LifeStraw project isn't in place there they do have a rotary project for Rota Pota Filtration systems.  Not only does the money go towards supplying the systems but it's also used for training locals to install and maintain the filters too.  A great choice of charity for our 2013 Christmas donation.  And even though Poppy was disappointed that she couldn't go shopping for a child and give them a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy this year, when she understood the difference between drinking clean water versus drinking dirty, smelly water that could give the child a disease she was totally on board!  Awesome!  There is nothing better than kids giving to other kids because they understand the need is there. Whether the need is for toys or fresh water, it doesn't matter.

And that's about it! 

We may be back with another post before the years end but I am not hopeful promising, so for now I will leave you with a few shots of our Chrissy tree and decorations.  We have had to move furniture around in our little home to be able to house a tree, so please excuse the occasionally crowded shots!!

Merry Christmas lovely readers and in case I don't reappear before years end have a fabulous New Year!

 

 

 

Feliz Navidad is the song we all LOVE from our time in the US at Christmas, it is played every.where.you.go!!  Love it, especially Michael Buble's version.

 

 

We bought these awesome timber tree decorations from the Chicago Christmas markets, the picture doesn't do it justice.

 

 

Love these red glass ornaments, they got left behind in Canberra while we were in the USA so this is the first year we have used them, and they are gorgeous!

 

 

 

 

My fave little 'vintage look' deer baubles.

 

 

My new reindeer wall art, made with an old canvas painted over with white glitter and some dollar store font stickers and black spray paint!

 

My poor attempt at Bokeh.  I'm still learning!

 

 

A close up of our beautiful British chandelier string lights... adore them!

 

Sasha's nutcracker, she loves these things!

 

Our cute Uncle Sam nutcracker from our darling American buddies, the Tuckers!

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!