autumn creeps into Canberra

Autumn in Canberra is finally creeping in--a month late, but nonetheless beautiful. Autumn and Spring in Canberra are so utterly breathtaking. I feel so lucky to live here and be so close to nature--both in the surrounding countryside but also in town.

Tomorrow, husband and I are heading to the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery to douse ourselves in art, then enjoy a brilliant coffee at the many and sensational cafes we have here (seriously--the cafes here at that good, only rivalled by Melbourne in my humble opinion).

I hope you've had a lovely Easter and have enjoyed the breaking of chocolate and spiced buns with loved ones. It's a magical time of year.

snowy village advent calendar

Every year, I love to create a different advent calendar, and this year, I was inspired by the beautiful scenic vistas of some truly creative calendars {see my picks here}, with that almost storybook feel.

I had originally wanted to use some little cardboard boxes, but unable to find any suitable, I decided to use some sweet little cupcake wrappers I've had forever and a day, and can't, for the life of me, offer up to a soggy batter.

For decoration, I used some plastic cupcake toppers I bought on Etsy a few years ago--little deer and trees--so utterly sweet. Some balance on teensy doily mountain tops. Simply snip a small doily from the edge to the centre, curl it around to create a wide cone and stickytape closed. I taped these mountain tops to each inverted cupcake wrapper, and also added white disks of 'snow' to some (above).

The numbers were made by printing out these little flags from Oh Happy Day, and pasting them to miniature straws. You could glue them to toothpicks.

The mountains in the back were made from brown and white paper, curled around, taped and trimmed to sit flat. Very easy.

The garland at the top, which mimics clouds, was simply strung on fishing line and tied to two pieces of dowel. I inserted these into the sides of the basket, but you could anchor them in lumps of plasticine.

To fill in some spaces, I added some little cardboard picks, too--with retro girls in Christmas hats.

The result is a whimsical little scene that makes me want to pack my picture book collection in a little red wagon, and move on in.

When adding the treats to each cup, I simply popped in the chocolates or candy canes, then taped a circle of paper over the top {this is a trimmed doily but you could use card}.

To make the white blossoms, all you need are some small white cupcake wrappers and a glue stick. You'll need seven for each one. Unfold one to make a circle. Fold the rest into quarters, securing with a dab of glue towards the pointed end.

Swipe a dab of glue near the pointed end, and press each triangle to the centre of the open wrapper, below.

Add the last two wrappers, ensuring they overlap, then fluff them all up to create the bloom. Glue to your inverted cupcake wrapper.

And enjoy the fluffiness! You can use upended cups or vases or little cake stands to raise several packages high--this gives a mountainous look.

This was such a lovely, easy creation--just a bit of gluing and poking of sticks! You could use any kind of tray for your display, or simply lay it out on a table top.

I hope you find the time to make a gorgeous advent calendar this year!

happy mother's day

Mother's Day in Australia means autumn, not spring - so here is a bouquet of maple leaves for all the mums I know and love - and most especially for my own dear mum who has been gone far too long. 

I love you, Mum--and words could never express how much I miss you. 

xxx

christmas traditions

I love tradition at the best of times - and of course, Christmas drags a hankering for special things out of the cupboard, and dashes it with sprinkles.

In our house, we have a particular penchant for Advent Calendars at Christmas time. Each year I create a new type of calendar, and it's a lot of fun coming up with new ideas to delight the kids.

Another tradition we have in our house is cookies on Christmas morning. I don't know where this started - I think maybe when Ella was little. I used to make her personalised cookies and, not wanting her to eat sugar before bed, I would leave some of the cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Up early for her stocking, perhaps Ella picked up a left over cookie on Christmas morning and nibbled it under the Christmas tree.

I'm not sure how it all began - but it's a lovely tradition we've kept, and each year I make four special cookies, one for each of us, and we nibble them with coffee (the kids have juice) under the three as we open presents.

The idea for this particular cookie came from - where else - Martha Stewart. Dani Fiori of MS Living created a similar style cookie, but in the style of a snow globe. I made do with what I had, and this is the result.

I simply adore these amazing dragees and sugar sprinkles - found at Spotlight and Woollies at Majura Park (Canberra). I also found these adorable little sugar gingerbread men at La Torta, also at Majura Park.

The initial cookies are also a favourite thing to do - the kids will adore devouring these Christmas Eve, along with purchased stollen and home-made pfeffernusse cookies. More on them soon!

What Christmas traditions do you hold dear?

home-made christmas crackers

I know things get awfully expensive at Christmas - I know that - but I can't help but seriously baulk at the cost of Christmas crackers. They're essentially a cardboard tube with a tissue paper hat and a scrap of junk inside, that will just get scrunched and tossed with the leftovers.

This year, I thought I'd DIY our crackers - and stuff it with treasures we'll actually enjoy.

You'll need:

cardboard tubing
tissue paper
stickytape and string
treats and goodies to stash inside

Start by making a paper hat. Measure your wearer's head {you can make two sizes - one for adults, one for kids} and cut paper to this length + 2cm. The depth of the piece should be around 25cm. Fold the paper lengthwise, so you have a long strip about 12.5cm deep. Fold the strip in half {bringing short ends together}, then in half again and half again. Cut triangles from the 'open' side {ie: NOT the side where the fold is} and then unfold the strip. Loop hat and close with stickytape, as below.

Fold the hat up into a strip and insert it into your tube, along with any other treasures you desire. We added festive poppers, Lindt balls and candy canes - you could also add little jokes, toys, cash, a diamond ring - whatever you desire.

You could also slide a cracker strip into the tube, taping it inside, if desired.

Roll the tube in several layers of tissue paper, and tape closed. Be sure to have side overhangs at each end of at least 7 or 8cm.

Tie off the ends with string or twine, trimming the ends short.

Cut into the layers of the end tufts. Do this in a staggered manner. So, for example, I cut through 4 layers of paper, moved around 4cm and cut again, then on the next 4 layers of paper, I cut every 4cm at a staggered interval.

Unfold the 'petals' and this is what the end should look like . . .

If desired, you could tape a piece of contrasting paper around the cracker body. I like them as-is.

For an alternative tuft, cut fringing at each end, around 5mm wide.

Festive. Quick and fun to make. A fabulous project to make with the kids.

thankful? Oh yes, I bloody well am

I know Thanksgiving is not a time to have a whinge - but please indulge me for just a moment.

I'm a huge believer that being thankful for our lives and showing consistent gratitude is key to living a happier life. I also know I'm Australian and therefore do NOT celebrate Thanksgiving. HOWEVER . . .

Today on Facebook, I responded to a prompt to say what I was thankful for. A Debbie Downer very quickly posted she was sick and tired of adopting too many 'American' traditions and would therefore NOT partake in offering a thankful comment, thankyouverymuch.

???

Has she totally missed the point here?

And just what 'American' traditions have we taken on in Australia? I am MIGHTY sick of the crotchety old humbugs in this country who whinge and moan about Halloween gradually infiltrating this country whilst simultaneously expressing anti-American sentiments. I'll say it again - Halloween is NOT an American tradition; it is a European tradition - a place from whence a very large slice of the Australian population descended. It is also yet another commercial opportunity to make a buck - so if you have a bone to pick with kids dressing up and eating lollies - then please hammer the retail sector, not the Americans.

En plus - since when are we a country that poo-poos the traditions of other countries? Since when don't Australians celebrate our diversity, our incredible multicultural heritage and rich and varied cultures?

We are renowned, worldwide, for being the ultimate model of success when it comes to multicultural, peaceful integration. I am monumentally proud of this achievement - and for such a young country, the {overall} racial harmony we live under is truly stuff of Soul Advancement. Sure, there's always going to be a moron or two who screw it up for everyone, but thankfully morons are usually people of low intelligence, who have the impact of a mosquito bite when all is said and done.

True Freedom from Morons is found within, is it not?

So. No - I do not host a Thanksgiving Day here in Australia but I have to go on record by saying that I think EVERY country should have a Thanksgiving Day. It has nothing to do with America and has everything to do with understanding the incredible power of being grateful. I think Australians are in real danger of becoming complacent when it comes to fully appreciating how fortunate we are. We are not war-torn, we have an incredible medical support system, we enjoy a natural landscape of unique beauty with phenomenal weather - and we enjoy a heart-pounding blend of multicultural differences that can enrich our lives beyond belief.

Poo-poo Halloween and Thanksgiving? Then take down that German Christmas tree. DO NOT, by any means, drink green beer at the pub on 17 March. Go to work on Boxing Day of European Origin. Ditto Shrove Tuesday. Whatever you do, avoid any kind of egg made of chocolate. Are you getting my drift here? Are we not MADE UP of Other Places? All of us? Even Americans?? Why segregate us into Us and Them? Are we not all Earthlings?

Life - to me - is all about celebrating the everyday joys, the differences, the traditions and joys of the WORLD. I would curl up and die if I couldn't enjoy the mind-bending beauty of Other Places and Other People. Our planet is so tiny now - do not forget this 'infiltration' of American culture - or any other culture - is imagined. We are just more exposed to it via our closeness, our instant connection. How fortunate we are to have this. It shouldn't threaten us. We don't have to lose our Australianess to enjoy the riches of other cultures - indeed - the true richness of this country, that which some people strive so hard {and so moronically} to shun, can absolutely be found in the divine history of its Indigenous people and its introduced people.

I TOTALLY celebrate this.

So - happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends - and to anyone else who loves to be thankful. If you do not fall into these two categories, then you absolutely have the freedom to click away. How lucky are you? I hope you're thankful for it.

Today I am thankful for:

• our freedom 
• our stunning weather
• my family's health
• my divine friends and colleagues 
• the ability to travel where I want, when I want
• tradition
• iceberg roses in my garden
• multiculturalism
• advanced souls
• the power to click

Footnote: In light of the content of this post, and due to the unfortunate fact that morons don't seem to be able to read {nor comprehend} very well and seem to spend their spare time hunting down ways to be moronic, Moronic Comments will not be approved {and more to the point will NOT affect me - as morons so deeply hope they will}. You have no power here. Be gone! lest a house falls on you, too.

a pared-back Christmas

We have spent the year squirreling away every spare cent, and in late December, will be heading off on a 5-week OS trip. Can you hear me squealing with glee?

As a result, things will be a little simpler around here this Christmas - not only because we won't be here for part of December and all of January, but because this has been another manic year and we want to just - - - stop.

I ADORE Christmas decorating and thought I'd be in a right state without the full-on shebang, covering every surface with glitz, but I have to say, after spending a few hours {as opposed to a few days - told you I adore Christmas decorating!} kitting out the house with little more than some paper lanterns and fairy lights, this is my favourite festive decorative scheme of ALL time.

I love it.

Here is a little peek.

This feather tree - I had to purchase it from the States. Goodness knows why we don't have them here in Australia, but we don't - or I haven't seen them, anyway, and trust me - I have LOOKED. It only stands about a metre high but it's just the epitome of charm. I've dotted it with ribbon decorations I made 2 or 3 years ago.

On the wall {photo below} you'll see my white paper wreath I made last year {along with several others} and a string of white lanterns found at Spotlight for not very much money at all. The little fir trees - the thinner ones were bought in a $2 shop here in Canberra, and the fatter one was a Beijing find.

The wrapping paper and tags are Kikki-K. Of course, this table will eventually be stacked to the rafters with more pressies!

The rattan angel was found in Beijing and the reindeer hanging with the lanterns are from IKEA, two seasons ago. The stunning fairylights can be found at Bunnings in little white tubs - $34 for a 4m length of trailing sparkle.

This beautiful reindeer was a Bed Bath + Table find - he holds our Christmas cards each year, with little pegs to clip them on. The striped box is from Seed - specifically from their Candy range.

Again, my fabulous collection of fir trees on the piano - I adore them.

These amazing glittery wreaths are from Target, can you believe it. They were on sale well before Christmas and I can see why - they shed glitter at an alarming rate. Lucky I'm a mum who simply loves finding glitter on the souls of her feet months after Christmas. I adore these so much, I'm thinking of leaving them there year-round - least of all for the glitter-drop factor.

In our main living area {below}, under the skylight, I've hung a photo mobile - and pegged Scandinavian straw ornaments to it. They drift gently on no breeze at all. Beautiful.

I also hung more fairy lights, more lanterns and my brand new Provincial Home Living wreath which I've coveted for several seasons now - and just thought 'hang it'. So I did.

You'll also see some beautiful white candle holders - something like $6 each from Masters hardware store, along with orange blossom pillar candles, also from Masters. The faux Christmas tree {a flat wood cut-out + truly something you would find in an Enid Blyton story} is my most heartfelt find this season. It was around $20 from Bed Bath + Table.

The Eiffel Tower picture below is framed fabric + is one of my favourite things in the world.

Another obsession of mine - snow globes - is out in force on the high kitchen counter that separates the kitchen from our living area - I have many + would love to add to the collection over time. Nothing new this year . . . maybe next year.

How are you decorating this Christmas? Simple or all-out?