This week........

Well where did that week go! One minute we are saying our Christmas greetings then all of a sudden we are wishing all a Happy New Year. Our week has been full of playing with stuff received from Santa, drinks with friends and swimming on a desert island.

And there was even a bit of sunset watching with drinks in hand. We have had a few fabulous days away up north with some lovely new friends we have made here. This past year has revolved a lot around friends. Some very dear ones I made when we first arrived left (unhappy) but then there has been some unexpected friendships blossom(happy) and there has even been some made through my blog(very happy).
I have hopes that next year will see me enjoying more of their company........ and them enjoying a bit more of mine.

I hope everybody has a great night tonight. We are celebrating it with friends. How appropriate.

Joyeux Noel.........

To all the lovely people who have visited me throughout the year my family and I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year. Have a great one whatever you do!

P.S On the stereo this Christmas. It's fabulous!

Only two more sleeps.......

Christmas aprons are made, presents are all wrapped, food for the big day is almost organised. We are now just waiting patiently for the clock to tick tock it's way to Christmas day. The kids are so excited this year they can hardly sit still for longer than 5 minutes.We have continuous chatter about Papa Noel, where he comes from, where he goes to first, how does he carry all his toys, what am I going to get, who makes his clothes, etc, etc,etc......
I am going to leave you with all those questions in mind and maybe somebody can get back to me with some answers and I will forward them on to the two inquisitive ones in our house.

Pinapple perfection...............

Yesterday I was going through my google reader and saw that Pip had put up a new recipe for a pineapple tea cake so I made it today to take along to another xmas /bbq catch-up. It sure was a winner with the crowd. There nearly wasn't any left for me to try by the time the cut cake got handed around. So I give this cake a big thumbs up and I give it a score of 10 out of 10 for ease of making and perfect of tasting.
I'd suggest you give it a go!!

Love Friday...........

There isn't much going on around here this Friday. We are one week in on our 2 months break here in Noumea. Talk about a super summer holiday. We have had a week of mixed emotions. Kids tired from a year of school, lots of catch-ups because friends are leaving this island for Christmas's elswhere and just too much Christmas excitement going on. There has been a few tears, some ranting and raving(me) and some sprouting that Santa will not be visiting this house if that kind of behavior continues. Today, though I am happy to say we have had a rest morning with some singing, dancing, movie watching and aren't we all a bit happier. I have even had a chance to pull out my fabric(above) for my apron that I itend to make for Christmas day. If the day continues as is I might even get to get to finish it.

On that note I hope everybody else has a good Friday. I am going to go off now and check up on some other girls Fridays.

What I'm wearing, Wednesday.........

I have on a pair of my favourite shoes. These are one of many pairs of favourites. In my history many years were spent working in the shoe industry so I have a particular interest and vast collection of pretty shoes. I may have to make that a Wednesday theme. 'What shoes and I'm wearing........'. Anybody can join in if they like. You can start by seeing a very cute pair here.

Santas & Angels

There's been a whole lot of Christmas crafting with a whole lot of toilet rolls found at the bottom of the toilet paper basket. Kids are very clever when they put their minds to it don't you think? And at 7 you can leave them alone and tell them to go for it.

Santas by Juliette.

Colourful Angels by Django.

Love Friday & baking.........

It's happened again. It's Friday and I have been baking for weekend events and school endings. Teachers got cookies this year baked with the help of the kids and I made lemon slice only not made with lemons but limes. It's very hard to find lemons here. I will admit that the limes are good in the slice they make it far more tangy. I know this because I have done a taste test already. It's good!!
The slice is to be taken camping to have with cups of tea while which watching children run around to their hearts content.
See you all on Monday, hope you all have a good weekend!

Day 12..........

I finally made my fabric Christmas pom-poms. They are very easy, if slightly messy to make, but gee wizz they look good.

what I'm wearing today, Thursday.........

I am a day late for the 'what I'm wearing' theme because yesterdays outfit was far to terrible to show. Today is much better. Another one of my big floral print summer dresses. I need all the summer dresses I can get as it is already really hot here. I have been watching all the snow falling on the otherside of the world. I'm not sure where I would rather be! Snow/too hot, snow/far too hot, snow/swimming in 26 degree water. I think I'll go the later.

Mail........

I received a parcel yesterday from Sabine who lives in Belgium. It was a very pretty package too. All reds and Christmas like. I signed up on her " pay it forward" post to receive something hand made from her. Now it is up to me to continue on and full fill my end of the deal. Now on my post for getting some recipients for my 'Pay it forward" I only got one sign up. I still have two places if anybody would like to fill them. I think everybody knows the rules but if not you can read them on my post. Please leave me a comment and you to could get a nice surprise in the mail in the next 365 days.

Stitching Sunday..........

I spent a lovely Sunday watching my very tired children bicker with one another and stitching these stockings. Two are gifts and one is for Juliette of course. I'm not sure why is it that everytime I make something for some other child I always have to slot one in for my kids. I think I have complained about this before.
By the way I haven't forgotten about my Advent theme of posting. I have just been a bit slack and the gifts need to pick up a little bit. I can't keep talking about chocolate can I?

Love Fridays=baking............

I have found that there has been a bit of a pattern forming over the last few Fridays and that is Fridays = baking and this one see's nothing different. We have more social events over the weekend and they all need a little homemade goodness. This afternoons effort created more chocolate balls, these are good for big crowds they make many. The next thing to come from the mixing bowl was Juliette's all time favourite meringues. As you may well have worked out the meringues are for the kid's Christmas do tomorrow. Did the 100's & 1000's give that away!

I hope the weekend is relaxing or productive whichever you want it to be. I wouldn't mind going where this blogger will be off too. I do love a good sale.

This is....my life!

Idea taken from here.......not a bad idea.........I'd like to see some others.
P.S I don't know how she gets her photos so large!

Day 3 & what I'm wearing.........

Day 3 for the advent calendar was a bit dismal-chocolate again-so nothing to show there but there is a new Wednesday theme going on called 'what i'm wearing' for a Wednesday. I thought I might join in I like having a Wednesday thing to do. It reminds me it is the middle of the week and this week see's me wearing my most favourite summer dress. I love the style of it and the big florally pattern. It's a Billabong dress and I tell you this because the surf companies do so some great dresses for this warm climate. Loose, bright and fun to wear.

I have included the next photo to show you just what kind of day it is today to have need to wear such a dress.

Day 2........

Day 2...... A little more interesting. Some yo-yo trims for the tree. I was trying to convince the kids the morning that the advent calendar fairy delivers these nic-nacs but they weren't having a bar of it. Probably because they found a piece of stray ric-rac on the ground near where I usually sit and do my handi work!

Day 1.........

Well the day has finally arrived for the children in our house to start the countdown to Christmas eve.The advent calender has become a big thing over the years, they have gotten older and a bit more knowing about all this practise. they like the treats. Django and Juliette have 2 going this year. The first is the chocolate windows- always a winner. The other is a long santa banner with tiny pockets. Everyday is something different. Today though I have no photos as I wasn't particularly organised so they got more chocolate but tomorrow there may well be something to show. The night is still young!
I have looked around and some other lovely blogs today and seen some fantastic advent calenders going on. If you feel inclined have a look at these two.

It's all about chocolate......

Today has gone by in a blur of chocolate. Tiny cakes and another big pot of rocky-road. These said items have been made for school xmas parties and big girls parties that there seem to be many of at the moment but this post has another purpose not just to show you my excellent ability to cook with chocolate . I had a couple of requests for the recipe for the rocky-road so I thought I would oblige. It is super easy and super tasty. My favourite!

What you will need is
- 125 g butter

- 300 g nice chocolate-broken into pieces -
-100 marshmallows-but I use more
- Maltesers

Here is what you do- Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. When melted stir in marshmallows and maltesers. Pop it into a pan and place in fridge till set. Cut into squares,eat and enjoy. You may find that the marshmallows melt a little when mixed into the warm chocolate but that just adds to the texture.

Now how easy is that one. Let me know if anybody attempts to make it I would love to see and hear about your results.

Noisette & her doo-doo........

I have been making a few of the girls for special orders. Yes that's right selling them. I knew there was a reason why I did this kind of thing. Initially I thought it was just to create dolls/softies for my two kids to hoard away in their room. Anyway this lass is 'Noisette' and she is going all the way to France on her own, in a post bag.
So I had to make her a doo-doo to keep her company.

I will have some more to show tomorrow with other fashionable accessories.

On my desk.........

On my desk you can see cute trim. Can you believe I found it here and I bought alot of it. Today I am going to be thinking of all the lovely things I can do with it.

Starting........

We went to our first xmas do on the weekend and this made me think about starting to get things together for Christmas. The idea is to co-ordinate the decoration colours with our pink tree. The kids are wanting a bigger one this year but I may just hold them off one more year as I like the tree. Anyway the first thing I'm going to do is try some fabric pompoms as seen in two magazines so far. If I make enough I plan to dangle them everywhere.

P.S. The rockyroad from the last post was a big hit with all who tasted it. I think it was the maltesers.

Love Friday...........

I know what you are thinking "What the hell has she got in that pot it looks like dog food". Well today I am having a bit of a baking day and I'm trying something new. Rockyroad! I can't remember ever having made it before so I did the search and found a couple of recipes that sounded interesting. One is Nigella's. I followed it excactly up until the biscuits I substituted maltesers for the biscuits. I will let you know what it has turned out like later on this evening. The baking being done today has a purpose and that is that I'm holding a girls night tonight. It happens every now and then here when a husband is away. Well we use that as the excuse I think mostly we just like to get together. So leading up to having some bubbles and roackyroad tonight I will be finishing up tidying the house. There is always good and bad with these thing but only a few hours to go before we hear the pop of those corks.

I hope your all having a good Friday.

Quick........

If you haven't already discovered this fabulous craftser then you need to rush over and have a look at Apolline a Paris website. I have just read, well mostly read an article about her in the new Marie Claire Idees magazine. I do love the way she makes her dolls and the website is so cute and quirky. I'm not going to say anymore. Go, go and have a squize right now!!

On my desk.........

Bigs cats swap parcel

On my desk today isn't about what I am making it's about what I am looking at. I arrived home to some lovely letters and parcels. Big cats parcel was full of fantastic fabrics that I would never find here in a million years. They made me feel so happy considering I had lucked out in the fabric department in Hawaii. They even came wrapped up in brown paper just like what happens when I buy fabric here.


My fabric prize from Prints Charming arrived. They are so lovely and bright. I am thinking of making Juliette a quilt this summer so I might have to order some more after seeing them in the flesh.

Another zine. this on is truly a feat of brilliance. It is all folded and folded and folded again. It is very tricky to put back together once you have opened it all up. You can visit where it come from here.

These magazines didn't come in the mail but have been picked up in various airports on the way home. I am preparing myself to sit with many a cup of tea and flick through them.

Only books.........

Well I went out into the big wide world(Hawaii) thinking I was going to find fabric stores of all varieties but alas I failed. On my whole trip I went into one proper fabric/quilting store and that was in Hilo at the start of our trip. I don't know if any of you are like me but I didn't want to go in too hard at the beginning because I thought I was going to go to even bigger and better stores. I didn't want to load myself up early and then go off and see more interesting stuff and not be able to buy it. I'm not sure what I thinking I was going to find when I got to Hawaii-re fabric stores- but I thought there would be some and there probably are but not in the built up beach area. I had heard that the Hawaiians made beautiful quilts and I did get to see some in many shops but what I really did realise is that your average tourist is not going to Honolulu for new gadgets in haberdashery stores or fantastic fabric but something else.

I didn't come away completely empty handed of craft stuff. I did get a very small amount of time to look into a couple of the bigger book stores and found some books. Golly gee there are alot of craft books out there when you get them in one space. So in the future posts you may see some spiffy aprons or even some cute animals or maybe a bit of Martha christmas crafted stuff.

Tiki's,flamingo's and more.........

We are home from the land of Tiki's and what a good adventure we had. We shopped to our hearts content, lazed on more beaches, took the kids to some new movies, ate some good fish, saw another volcano and all in all had a nice time. Coming from Noumea it always takes us a little while to get into the swing of a busy place. We have to get used to lots of people being around and lots to stop and look at and this makes things take a bit longer but that's ok because we are on holidays.

We visited two zoo's while we were away. One in Hilo which was a rainforest zoo. It had beautiful gardens and lots of colourful birds then we went to Honolulus zoo. It was ok but not great but we did get to see these fabulous flamingos. They are fascinating creatures all legs and necks. Django and I stood watching them for far too long time. We were fascinated with what they could do with said necks and heads.

I won't go on today but feed you in slow dribbles about stuff we got up to. One of the things the kids did love doing was sitting at the counter of a very old diner. We went in mostly because of the look of the place. The kids wanted milkshakes and boy did they get them. They were big and tasty and the kids are still talking about them. We ended up going back to have pancakes there later on the same day just because they wanted to sit back at the counter. The pancakes were equally as good as the milkshakes.

Guess who is going off to her a new home today. I hope she arrives safe and sound all cooped up in a postpak. We are also off on a big adventure in a not so squishy aeroplane. See you all in a couple of weeks.

More zines........

It's seems to me I haven't been doing anything much this week but collecting more zines from the mailbox and boy have they been good. The above one comes all the way from Finland. And did you know it took less time to get here than a parcel sometimes does from Australia!
Sofie has made a little book of puzzles so I am going to take on my holiday tomorrow and do them all. You can find more about her over here.
The next one is truly fabulous. Susannah has put a tremendous amount of time and effort into this zine. It's so beautiful to look I am just lost for words and I don't want to say too much unless others are reading this and haven't received theirs yet. she even put in some badges as a gift.
Last but by no means least is the Relax zine. It has something to take your mind of everything.
It even come with this Yogi tea. Never heard of it before but looking forward to tasting it. Regina has done some lovely illustrating in this zine and you can see more of it over at her blog.

I am going now. I still have a few things to finish up for our holiday before bed.
Goodnight all.

Hawaii lovers................

Hawaii lovers

Originally uploaded by {JooJoo}

We are heading off to Hawaii on Wednesday for a bit more volcano watching and some big city livin'. My dear husband has to go for work so the kids and I thought we might as well tag along. Now the purpose of this post wasn't to make you all jealous but for you to help me. Is there anybody out there reading this that lives in Honolulu and can direct me in the right direction of the right fabric stores? Fabric stores that have a whole range of fabrics and a fab selection of new gadgets for me to drool over and spend all my money on. I have been doing a wee bit of internet searching and that has come up with lots of address but I'm not going to have a whole lot of time to go visiting all. We have about 5 days in Honolulu and as well as visiting these stores there are a few other thing on the adgenda like mega Toys'r'us for the kids. They are so looking forward to going but not looking forward to the 10 hour flight. Hasn't been done before so I'm thinking of all the little entertaining things that can be done. There you go everybody there is another thing you can help me out with. Kids entertainment.

Ok get those thinking caps on. Only two days to go!!

Halloween 2.........

Django made this fab centre piece for our table. An old shoe box with some paint and imagination can go along way.
He is very clever my boy!

Halloween .........

Well the night has come and gone with too many kids running around scaring one another and far too many sweets being eaten. I know this for a fact as Juliette had to go to bed with a bucket. Just in case! We had a small gathering at our place and everybody( I think) had a good time. We decorated the house and had a few games for the kids. Later on in the evening they went off for their first time trick or treating experience and returned with bags full of goodies. We all stumbled into bed at the end of the night exhausted and happy.
That sugar rush does make one feel very good!

Fairies flying forth..........

Estelle

Mathilde

Estelle and Mathilde flew the coop today to go and live with two lovely lucky little french girls.

On my desk.........

Patch of people eating pom-pom pumpkins.

Watch out kids there coming your way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!