Willowberry Designs ~ Alpaca Softies

Happening stuff...

Wanna see wot's doin'?

Preparations are under way for the doings that you'll find here each month in 2011.  It won't be a monthly stitchy doing... more like a 'once every now and then' idea...

'UH OH'... No monthly stitchery???

That's right!  No sequel to Verandah Views and Under the Sea (go visit Linda to see her finished little wallhanging - too cute!).  But trust me, the 'once every now and then' ideas will be good ones... I promise :)  From small items that are easily completed in a day ... to a queen sized quilt... fit for a queen, really...

~ that's not the quilt... I just like this photo... from our days in Nice ~

What's behind all this nonsense?  Well, as you know (because I've prattled on about it for ages), we're building a new home.  The new home will need new stuff.  The French General stash (= YUM) is begging to come out and play... not all of it though... must keep some for a rainy day or two.  The itchy stitchy fingers want to start doing... and making stuff...

So the projects I'm making for our new home will become my 'sharings' for 2011.  Some patchwork doings, some stitching doings, some quilting doings.  For me, the thread that ties them all together will be my love of everything French country.  And because we spent a whole three weeks in France I can be a real smartypants and pretend I know everything about it!  Most importantly, I know I love it and so does the funny little man...  and it will bring back memories of dreamy days in the south of France

ps - If French country isn't your thing, these projects will be just as beautiful in your own choice of fabrics and themes

Another change is that the 'once every now and then' idea will be available as a complimentary download for a limited time only!  That's a biggie... must remember to grab it straight away...

Snippets of what's up first??  OK!

Number one on the list involves 1" hexy papers and a few bits from my Lumiere de Noel fat eighth bundle... gorgeous damn thing...

and just when will all this fun stuff begin?  Next week... maybe Wednesday... if I'm organised enough...

seeya then

Cheryl xx

It's all about the food really......

In abundance!  Loads of it... with the Christmas Dinner Table creaking and groaning under the weight of it all :)

Too much ham and eggs and toast and oven roasted cherry tomatoes and mushies fried in butter... too much roast pork and chook and stuffing... too much trifle... too many crispy roast spuds and pumpkin... too much au gratin... too much trifle... 

silly paper hats pulled from the christmas crackers... time weary jokes on teeny bits of paper... pink plastic lips - funny...  a plastic 'clip on' moustache - even funnier, especially when paired with the lips... a plastic hopping frog... and more...

TRIFLE!!  Loads of trifle... did I mention the trifle?

pressies... prettily wrapped and dripping with shiny gold curls... way too much fun for a ten week old baby kitty who likes to climb christmas trees... and play with shiny gold curls...

  and family... an abundance of hugs and smiles and belly laughs... all day... right through the afternoon board game - 'Spicks and Specks'... board games on christmas day are a must...

And we wouldn't have it any other way... 

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas, fun Boxing Day, lazy Monday and way too much of all the good stuff :)

Today I'm playing with my pencils... seeya when I'm done :)

Cheryl xx

Almost Christmas...

and we're finally getting back into the swing of life here at home :)  The 'Magical' holiday is now a whole bunch of magical memories... so many fun things were squeezed into that 6 week period and we have a hundred thousand photos to immerse ourselves in...

We were spoiled... totally... every item on our wish list was ticked off and there were lots of extra special surprises along the way... things that just happen for no reason other than to make you smile :)

like the talking moose at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park... random...

Then there were the things that required prior planning and research and deposits and lots of emails - and my big sister and brother in law took care of those things perfectly.  Really, we just paid our money and turned up on the day... like I said, spoiled!  Just in case we didn't say it often enough, thanks for everything Bevvy xxxxx

Here they are enjoying one of many toasts to a fab holiday... in a London pub

Now, time for all the Christmas nonsense!  This week will be a mad flurry of shopping, wrapping, baking, cleaning etc...  funny little man has big plans for a big baking day.  The stuffing for the chooks has already been made and is nestled in the freezer.  Like I told Vikki, I've ordered a few extra days this week - Spareday, Bonusday and Playday.  If the order is filled, we might just manage to get everything done in time :)

The kiddies will all be home together and there's nothing we love more... mad times, lots of laughs and of course, the great big traditional hot christmas lunch.  Even if it's 35 deg C, we still celebrate with a roast lunch... and Nana's trifle.  Leftover trifle is a staple for Boxing Day...

This year we have a new little guy to help celebrate with the gang of Goss's

Theodore Norman Chester - adopted by Blossie.  Too cute for words and way too naughty and full of mischief!  They come for a visit every Wednesday and stay for dinner.  Made himself right at home immediately, bossing Ratty around and plonked himself on funny little man's shoulder for a nap.  It's a safe place to be :)

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So, that's it... home again, madly quilting to finish a few orders before christmas... planning the French flavoured new house (that's a bit exciting!) and looking forward to having the family together for a few days.  Our Waterboy and his country lass fly back from Thailand mid week and they'll have lots of stories to tell

Things might be a little quiet in this neighbourhood after christmas, got lots of planning and stitching to do and I'll share some of them in the new year... gosh, we're talking 2011... MAD!!  Where does the time go?  1978 seems like yesterday...

Catch up again before the weekend

seeya

Cheryl xx

ps... It's raining.  Again.  Filling up the tanks and running into the dams.  Beautiful...