Artful table Ideas: For a beautifully thankful Christmas.

1. “Glad you’re here” by Making Lemonade. Image theirs.

As I have mentioned before on this blog, I am very sad that we don’t celebrate thanksgiving in Australia. This however gives me the opportunity to think thankfully at Christmas time.

Here are some simple ideas from around the blog world, that can be incorporated in your Christmas celebrations particularly in regards to the table.

Some are beautifully quirky, some ingenious, some worthy of a yearly repeat, some child friendly and some all of the above. Let me know if you get inspired and use some, it’s great to hear from you.

“The Giving Plate” by Adventures of an Orthodox Mom. Image from there.

“Conversation Plates” by Together Counts Blog. Idea and image sourced there.

DIY minimalistic cultery holder. Image and instructions from A Birds Leap.

A sock for your cutlery. Image from Pinterest.

Single place cards. Image from Pinterest.

Gold Spray painted animals (or possibly nativity characters) with paper luggage tags attached. Image from Style Me Pretty.

Another beautifully simple idea from Style Me Pretty. Image theirs.

Carnival Straws on Bottled drinks with tags. Source: Ruffled.

Would work just as well on green leaves. Image from Once wed.

Gratitude Rolls by Beauty and Bedlam. Image theirs.

SImple sensorial details. Image from Vintage House.

What I want for Christmas is thanksfulness! Source: The cottage at 341 south.

Kraft Paper table of thanks. Image from Art Bar Blog

Fruity Place markers. Image from Style Me Pretty.

THe Thankful Tree. Idea and image from Kids Activities Blog.

Or if you prefer pears….. This idea and image from The Knot.

Fairy Lights in jars. Image from Making Lemonade.

…. and if you just don’t know where to start because Finishing School wasn’t part of yours (or my) education…. Layouts. Source: daniellemj-workspace

Alternatively….. Image from Antiquaria Vintage.

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Book Club: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Image from The Book Depository.

Wonderstruck, a review in less than 25 words.

What can I say! 

I loved this book, and so did my kids. It would make a great gift for bookish kids between 6 (would need to be read to) and 15 (especially the artistically inclined)

600 pages.

About 200 pages of text narrating one story and around 400 black and white illustrations telling another. 

It was magic, inspiring and insightful. 

I will read everything Brian Selznick writes…. and give them to others as I have opportunity.

Next month…. Nancy Wake by Peter Fitzsimmons

Image from Book Depository.

What’s so Pinteresting about…… Advent?

DIY Advent Calendar by Design Sponge. Image sourced from there.

Meredith’s got a fabulous idea for fantasticly simple bible content here. Love it especially this close to Dec 1.

Cathy gives insightful day by day content here. 

Nicole….shares some great ideas here.

If you know what you want each day to hold, but need a little visual inspiration, have a look at my pinterest board here. 

This year I have an unusual plan which focus’s on letters….. we will see how that goes.

To see what we have done in previous years look here and here and here.

I just realised that our advent events for 2012 are not collated….. so I will get onto that.

Enjoy, and let me know if you come across anything inspiring.

Fabulous!

Hello hello hello….. yes I am still alive and I am slowly coming up for air. Crazy busy last couple of months. I will share with you over the next few weeks some of the highlights and a few other things I have been slowly saving for you over those months.

But for now….. something fabulous. Poppytalk calls it ‘What happen’s when you give kids thousands of stickers. Take it as a pre-Christmas warning….. or Encouragement …. if you like.

Beginning with an all white room …..

…. in the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane …….

Yayoi Kusama…..

….. gave children stickers ……

…… and over two weeks……

….collaborated with the artist …….

….. by placing stickers anywhere they wanted.

Two weeks later…..

…..The Obliteration Room ….. was complete. 

Hat-tip  Poppytalk,  stuart addelsee, sccart, and heybubbles and colossal).  Via The New Domestic. …. so apologies if you have seen it before. 

I think it appeals to me because it’s how the last half of the year has felt like, but makes it look so much more joyful than it was some days.

Though out it all Tim was fabulous and the kids were great. I am hoping and praying that in the next month leading up to Christmas I can embrace the joy in the chaos….. and get to take the opportunity to serve them, and others, like they have been serving me. 

 

A cast of thousands……

Finale at the Opera House! 1000 kids.

Last week our 10 year old…. and lots of other public school kids …… made their Opera House debuts. What an exciting night of so many talented kids.

Embarrassingly I made her get out her cello and pose standing (oh MUM!) in front of the Harbour Bridge.

Book Week Costumes.

 

Onesies as costumes.

Yes I know I am very, very slack but this year it came down to onesies for the book parade. Judging by just how many I saw on parade day, I am not the only parent enjoying the simplicity.

10 year old , of course is Eeyore from the Winnie-the-Pooh series of books, and 7 year old is the ‘good’ pig from “The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig” by Eugene Trivizas. 

While at the parade a conversation was had about the difficulty getting a good photo during….and sometimes before ….. the book parade. I took some pretty bad ones. Did you?

Mmmmm…..

…this one is fabulous!…

If you took some equally awful pictures at the book parade, and you are happy to share them, please email them to me. … or comment below. I will share them if I get enough. I might even offer a prize!

 

 

Costumes…. book week around the corner.

Hey ! Hey!  Don’t yell at me. I didn’t come up with the book week parade, but I might be able to help yours be more joyful.

I have looked around and found a few interesting ideas.

Guinevere’s Gown by Laura Tolton.

Think:

• Susan and Lucy…. Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
• Ancient Greek and Roman characters …… from the horrible history books….or any history or historical fiction book.
• A witch….. The Witches by Dahl.

Animal costume by Studiotoutpetit.

Think:

• cats and dogs
• mice….. 7 year old is thinking of going as Reepicheep from The Voyage of the Dawntreader by C. S. Lewis…. so I might adapt this one.

Another easy idea….from Pinterest ….and comfortable too.

Think:

• Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
• Little Red Riding Hood’s Fox

I have collated a bunch of ideas on my costumes pinterest board here if you need other inspiration.

Holidays….

Pretty Beach. *

Sorry it’s been a bit very quiet around here lately.

School holidays are alway a mixture of joy and noise (sometimes yelling…not only from the kids) and big projects and rest and fun and movies and organised camp fun and  time with friends and family.

I was aware this holidays, more than ever before, that the girls are spreading their wings and are more able to spend holidays without us, and that they won’t be around for holidays forever. A joy and a sadness because I do love having them around, and mostly they enjoy being with each other.

Racing boats at Pretty Beach…

God has been very gracious to us, and it’s a joy to watch them grow into his love and express it in different ways.

I only took photos on one day of the holidays, for our picnic at Pretty Beach on the Central Coast.

Very 80’s album cover I think.

How was your holiday if you had one?

Also, if you went somewhere close and cheap…..I’d love to hear about that too.

The gorgeous walk home

* I’m loving google+. I take photos on my phone and automatically they appear on my computer (no cords YAY) and even panorama, animate and image select automatically, without erasing the separate images. Give it a go, if you haven’t already.

 

 

 

Happy birthday 7 year old…..and 10 year old.

I know I promised photos of all the girls on the birthdays…. but they were so bad I couldn’t put them through it!

10 year old.

7 year old.

 

 

….but here are the newly 7 year old and the newly 10 year old.

 

 

Sting in the Tale

13 year old is again hitting the stage as part of her school musical (or dancical….as I like to call it).

Although she doesn’t have a main part, she is a ‘significant extra’.

If you are able to get to the area between the 29th of May and the 1st of June, let me know and I will arrange a ticket for you.