Better Late Than Never

Finally set up the Christmas Tree this morning.

Mr HP helped me, it's not often he helps with the Christmas tree but Little Miss Seven is hard to get a hold of these past few weeks. I've had three days of flu so he helped with assembling the tree and adding the lights.  I finished off the decorations while he set up the fairy lights on the verandah.

We'll have a tame Christmas this year as two of our boys and their partners will not be able to visit this year.

Afternoon Tea - Mother's Day

In Australia,

Mother's Day is celebrated on 

the second Sunday in May.

I was lucky enough to have all my children (residing in Sydney) spend the day with me.

In the afternoon we

visited extended family for lunch-which was quickly followed by afternoon tea.

I was also very lucky to receive a surprise in the mail from our eldest son and our new daughter in law, just in time for Mother's Day.

How did you spend Mother's Day?

When is Mother's Day celebrated in  your country?

Linking to Terri's

Teacup Tuesday

and 

Martha's Favorites

Plants of Western Australia - And A Wedding.

We've been to Perth.

For a wedding.

Our eldest's wedding.

But just to whet your appetite...here are some of the beautifully unusual plants of Western Australia. 

Silver Princess (above).

Seven hundred year old boab tree which was transplanted into Kings Park after a 3200 kilometre road trip, in 2008. (Above).

Above three photos: Banksia

Seed pods from gum trees. (Above).

Bed Bugs, Animal Print, Black Velvet and Oatmeal

Wow, what  a week it's been!

After a fairly relaxed Easter weekend with family and a total overload of chocolate (did I tell you I'd given up Chocolate for lent?) my week went into overdrive after receiving a phone call from Youngest Son on Monday night at 23.00 hours to tell me they had bed bugs in the apartment.  Bed bugs! can you believe it? In one of Sydney's most affluent suburbs!

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Apparently Sydney is in the grip of a bed bug epidemic (and it seems has been for some years now).

The real estate agent and strata have not been willing to come to the party with sorting out the infestation even though we have since found out that at least four other units in the block have been treated against them.

I suspect that they hope that fobbing off tenants will be enough to ensure that they will not become liable for remediation but I know a couple who are determined to get their pest extermination fees reimbursed in full.

I spent Tuesday consoling one poor young woman who is devastated - her new bedroom furniture in (what she believes to be) ruins.

Every space possible was vacuumed, pest exterminator organised, clothing and linen hot washed and clothes dryer dried, and the unit left in disarray for the night while our son and his girl friend returned to the mountains for the night and returned home yesterday, Wednesday.

Wednesday afternoon I went dress shopping.

Our Eldest Son is getting married in less that three weeks and I still didn't have an outfit.

I have spent literally, months, looking for an outfit and I have finally decided on a Frank Lyman animal print and a Jersey Girl gorgeous black velvet pencil skirt.

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Here's a sneak peak. I've opted for a black camisole under the flowing jacket with the fitted black velvet skirt coming under the bust in sort of an empire line.

This way I can wear a string of pearls to finish off the outfit.

And the oatmeal? Well this morning I spent an hour and a half, a glorious hour and a half having a facial and boy am I relaxed now!

How is your week shaping up?

Chocolate Overload - A Family Celebrates.

Inspiration for 40th birthday came from here.

In the last four weeks, our Daughter celebrated her 37th Birthday, First Son turned 40, my Baby Sister turned 50 and my Mum, 79.

Not to forget, Niece 'M' turned six years of age and Step-Niece 'A' 21.

In amongst shingles and 'flu we have managed to carry on with celebrations, although poor Mr Honey Pie missed a family get-to-gether to celebrate First Son's engagement last weekend.  (One more thing to celebrate!)

Fiftieth Birthdays are celebrated with gusto in my family of origin so we have a great night of celebration about to begin.

Have you ever tried to organise accommodation for sixteen people?

Five sister, their partners and children and our Mum are about to have the time of our lives.

Here is a peak at our accommodation in lovely Leura in the Blue Mountains.

The house is called Darjeeling House.

The number of bathrooms is too many to count, as are the bedrooms.

Little nooks with armchairs are everywhere, along with a TV room, a lounge room with fire, little alcoves with extra beds, lots of warm floor rugs, interesting vintage items and warm timber everywhere you look.

I've had a little walk through the garden with its flowering cherry trees and bulbs. 

But it is cold and it's time to get a fire going to keep us warm.

How do you celebrate your family
'Big' Birthdays?

Twelve Days of Christmas.

Suddenly, Christmas has lost all its glamour.  First with the news that our nephew's partner has been diagnosed with bowel cancer in her mid twenties, and then when I contracted a stomach bug that afflicted me  not only with vomiting but with the vilest stomach cramps I have ever experienced.  

Now I have laryngitis and just the act of speaking is painful.  My energy levels are low.  My Christmas cards haven't even been written let alone posted and the weather has been appalling.

On the bright side though - our Eldest Son is arriving next week, flying over from the west coast and this has spurred me on to do the Christmas food shop today, before my visit to the GP.

This year we've decided on Kris Kringle for the adults so gift buying has been made a whole lot simpler. 

With only twelve days to Christmas this is the most un-organised I ever been I'm sure.

I can only hope that 2012 is a bringer of better news than what 2011 has been.

Thrifty Thursday.

Wow, what a week it's been for bargains.

First, I picked up this little herbal from a church stall in Springwood, signed by the authors and only two dollars!

Below the herbal you can see two great text books from the mid 1800s.  The top text is titled The Study of Rocks which I will give to my First Son, who is a geologist.  The other text is titled Elementary Botany which I will give to my Second Son who is a jewellery designer and maker.  He is also an avid botanist and is often inspired to design pieces of jewellery with a botanical theme.  I found these at the local Lifeline store and the two cost me thirteen dollars.

On Tuesday I took a trip to Reverse Garbage at Marrickville with Second Son and just look at these finds:

 

Although the gold lined coffee set isn't quite my style, I certainly was taken in by all that glittering gold and at twelve dollars simply couldn't resist. 

Also loved the two little creamers for two dollars each, the one on the left is a Queen Anne piece and the on the right is from Germany. 

And my whole reason for going to reverse garbage?  To pick up some cotton fabrics for my  Hexagon Quilt Top but only managed to find a small amount suitable for patchwork which you can see on the top left of the image.

Also found zippers, twenty five cent each!!! These will be suitable for making little zipper bags.  I think my best find was the swatches and swatches of the most exquisite cottons and silks.  The cottons include a crepe voile and an antique satin.  I stuffed a bag full of these fabrics, and it cost me the grandly sum of five dollars.

But now, I'm left with the problem of making the decision of what to make with these beautiful fabrics.  

Are the fine cottons suitable for making a patchwork quilt?  

I know I could make some very desirable zipper bags which could be used for cosmetics, a bag organizer, etcetera.  Or I could make a patchwork dress for my Grand Daughter.

The colours of the cottons are mostly creams and off whites with a few muted greens thrown in.  So very neutral.

If you can help with ideas for projects for these fabrics, I'd be more than delighted to hear about them.

Aren't the silks just gorgeous?  They include a crepe Georgette.  Most are one hundred percent silk.