Why?

If I get asked that question one more time today I will explode.

Golden hammer

We don't have many traditions in our little family. A few years ago the Mr and I decided to do away with all the tacko meaningless christmas decs and instead each of us bought one decoration that we really loved or meant something to us. Over the years we've continued to do this and as our family has grown, so has the decoration box. There are only two rules to follow:
1. each person has to contribute something to the tree
2. the decoration has the person's name and the year on it
The 2yo is all about tools. He loves 'fixing' and helping Dad. He is the only 2yo I know with two working drills. This year his contribution to the christmas tradition is the golden hammer. A friend of mine made it for his birthday, originally it was a badge (which he proudly wore) but somewhere in the chaos of this house the pin has gone AWOL. We've turned the badge into his 2009 decoration. It looks great on the tree. Each christmas it will be great to pull out the golden hammer and remember the things he loved to build and fix with his tools. A little trip down memory lane.

My garden

The man who used to own our house had a terrific garden and vege patch. Our neighbour tells us that in the last years of the owner's life he let the garden go because his health was declining.

One thing that survived was this beautiful rose in our front yard. My mum gave it a really good prune and it has been amazing ever since. I'm not sure what variety it is but it smells like a true rose should.

Losing the art

The days of receiving a handwritten letter in the post are pretty much gone. While I'm the first to say that I couldn't live without email, I do love the idea of checkingthe mailbox and opening up a letter on lined paper in somebody's scrawl or beautiful penmanship. The only handwritten letters I get now are from the Mr's grandmother. I really love getting her letters - they are super old school and contain (way too much) info about her health, the garden and her neighbours. Letter writing is therapeutic isn't it? I think the reader gets as much pleasure as the writer.
I always have good intentions on pulling out the lined paper and writing a long letter back but time gets the better of me and I end up typing a letter. Sad to think I can type a lot faster than I can write.
This letter is waiting to be mailed. Hope grandma pulls it out of the mailbox, smiles, sits down at the table with a cuppa and enjoys it.

Can't stop eating

I blame the breastfeeding. Actually, I don't blame the breastfeeding - I thank the breastfeeding. Bring on the sweet food I say! This is one of Nigella's christmas cupcakes that I baked with my 2 yo. Mmmm cranberries are gooood.

Advent

Inspired by Christie, I have finally hauled myself from the depths of craft despair. During my pregnancy I lost all my crafty mojo. No inspiration, no motivation and no energy. But now I'm back on the craft train.

Project #1 was an advent calendar for our little family. Not half as beautiful as Christie's but it does the trick. I'll take a pic of the finished product and post it soon.