Artful table Ideas: For a beautifully thankful Christmas.
December 17, 2013
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.

Gold Spray painted animals (or possibly nativity characters) with paper luggage tags attached. Image from Style Me Pretty.
Book Club: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
December 8, 2013
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
What’s so Pinteresting about…… Advent?
November 29, 2013
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!
November 26, 2013
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.
- 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……
September 7, 2013
Book Week Costumes.
August 29, 2013
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?
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.
August 11, 2013
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.
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.
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.
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….
July 18, 2013
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.
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.
How was your holiday if you had one?
Also, if you went somewhere close and cheap…..I’d love to hear about that too.
* 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.
May 22, 2013
Sting in the Tale
May 17, 2013
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.