I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and has lots of big adventures planned for 2010! I have a really good feeling about the year ahead. Lots of changes here with Eloise starting school. It might even mean more time for me once we get our new routine down pat (or am I dreaming?!)!

December slipped by in a flash and was a fun busy end to a great year with lots of laughter and celebrating. It wasn’t me that had the busy social calendar it was the newly five year old!  The montage below shows just a few little snippets from our crazy December.

Top row: Rohan played ‘Santa’ at his work Christmas function and Caitlin was in on the secret calling him ‘Santa Daddy’; Eloise at her kindergarten ‘graduation’ complete with cardboard mortarboard. It was also dress-up day so she wasn’t ‘Eloise’ she was Barbie Thumbelina; more Christmas party fun

Middle Row: Eloise turned five! She had a brilliant party with her friends in the Enchanted Forest at The Magic Castle; Caitlin enjoying some post Wiggles concert icecream in Acland Street; Eloise backstage at the dress rehearsal for her ballet concert

Bottom Row: Eloise enjoying the last day of kindy; Eloise’s highlight was having Murray read out her sign on stage at the Wiggles Big Big Show; Christmas snow in Montmorency, the Recheilt Street lights!

Zine giveaway: Thank you for your lovely comments, I am chuffed that someone is enjoying my little collection of ’stuff’! I actually have enough Zine’s left to give to all of you that left a comment. I think I have everyone’s address except yours Ali, so if you can email me your snail mail I will send it out in the next week.

I had a lovely surprise this week when I went to check the post office box. Thank you Norma for the beautiful vintage Christmas card and teeny tiny felt bears. Such a thoughtful gesture and I am glad you enjoy my posts enough to come back! I really enjoy sharing the things I find.

I am looking forward to a fun blogging year ahead and hope to be much more prolific than in 2009! Maybe I need to ‘nablopomo‘ more often! Hmmm something to think about…

December 25th 1976. I was 3. This was the Christmas I received the ‘Sally and Sue’ orange A-Frame lake house complete with motor boat and log campfire. Oh how I loved this doll house! It was sold at a garage sale when I was in highschool and wasn’t really thinking about having girls of my own to pass it on to. I have never ever seen one again and can’t even find reference to it online anywhere. Where are you Sally and Sue?

This was also about the time I have a very clear memory of walking near the Glenbrook Lagoon and a lady telling my Mum what a “lovely little boy” I was. It’s funny what you remember. And I remember feeling rather mad!

Set those Butterfly Rocket* fireworks alight, this is my 30th post in 30 days! I have successfully completed the Nablopomo challenge for November! To celebrate I am going to giveaway one of my ‘Cut.Paste’ zines. To enter, leave a comment below. I will leave the comments open for 7 days (I will happily post it internationally).

Now this could be rather embarrassing as I have only had several comments in thirty days (Mum you’re in with a shot LOL!). The comments thing doesn’t really bug me as I do receive lovely emails, verbal validation and the site stats reveal a little of what’s going on. I really do blog mostly for my own enjoyment and to share the things I love hoping that someone out there loves them too!

The zine is small, but like the blog full of goodies that I adore including 6 removable mini postcards and a tiny ‘Clown Fairy’ print….

…and three Butterflyrocket badges! I really do love my badgemaker. Love it!

So go ahead, leave a comment below and you might get it by Christmas!

*a butterfly rocket really is a fire cracker!
** The Cut.Paste edition is a variation of a zine I made in this swap conducted a while ago by Nikki-shell. So if you have one of these already it is pretty similar, but a tiny bit different and it was sold during an exhibition earlier in the year.

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COMMENTS CLOSED!
I’ll get Eloise to draw the winner out of a ‘hat’ tomorrow. Thanks for the lovely comments ladies! I have more posts coming very soon, I’ve been a bit caught up with December festivities over the past few days and have a huge week ahead with a certain little birthday girl turning 5 next Sunday!

…but it’s the closest weekend to the 1st of December and two little girls (and one big girl!) couldn’t wait any longer!

I bought the ‘Eloise & Skipperdee Go Caroling’ ornament pictured above the year my Eloise was born. It’s become one of our favourites! (released in 2004 as part of the Heirloom ornament collection by Carlton Cards)

This delicate tree ornament was given to me by my mother inlaw last year. It’s gorgeous and made out of translucent papers. It’s one of a pair of ‘Dancing Fairies’ designed Danish designer Jette Frölich.

We don’t do a colour theme. Our tree is full of ornaments we’ve collected over the years including a couple from my childhood. Lots of surprises hidden in the branches that the girls love finding. They buy one new ornament each year to add to the tree. This year in typical almost five year old fashion, Eloise chose this one. ‘Don’t mess with the dress’ (you’ll get it if you’ve seen the movie haha).

Almost December. So exciting!

Featured Gem 21
Real Photo Postcard

‘Good Luck Black Cat’

Date: 1909
People: Unidentified
Studio: Unspecified
Postcard Back: Blank

Notes: Such a great pose and fabulous costume! (From the same collection as Gem 16) This image is from a series of over twenty postcards from the same old album. Apparently there was a message on the front of the album that read: “To The Mayoress with H Jenkins compliments. 1909 A souvenir of the Childrens Fancy Dress Ball”. What a fancy dress ball it must have been!