Happy New Year!

I can hardly believe it is 2009 already! This year has flown by. Christmas arrived much quicker than expected (as always!) and I only managed one creative present, a patchwork name for a friend's new little girl and a matching one for her older sister.



I enjoyed thinking it up and seeing it through to completion - I've hardly made anything lately and had almost forgotten how satisfying it is. I appliqued letters using fusible webbing, sewed the centre to a patchwork border, added batting behind it and covered a basic photo frame with it (removing the glass), with the raw edges tucked inside behind the backing board, so it is ready to hang.



I liked the patchwork so much as I was making it for the borders that it was hard to cut it up, but I still have a strip left, which I might use in a cushion.



Thomas and I also made tons of Christmas biscuits, much to his delight. I did the icing and he applied the decorations, although he ate a lot more than ended up on the biscuits!

We had a lovely Christmas with the boys and our family. Now that Thomas is old enough to have some idea about what is going on, it adds a lot of joy and excitement to the day.

He was so thrilled to recieve this cute rocking horse handmade by his wonderful uncle. Little wooden trains were also a huge hit, and he is still playing with them endlessly.

Owen had no idea what this Christmas malarky was all about, but loved all the cuddles and put up with this shameless exploitation with pretty good grace!

We stayed with my parents in Sydney afterwards for a few days, and Owen met lots of friends and relatives. Luckily he only projectile vomited once (this is a particular talent of his), and only on me.

Thomas enjoyed meeting up with old and new friends, and all the love and attention showered on him by his doting grandparents.



We then had a few days in the Southern Highlands, a beautiful relaxing time which ended far too soon. Here is Thomas on the Illawarra Treetop walk. He keeps asking when we can go back to Bowral.

Hopefully I'll manage another post before Christmas comes around again. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and best wishes for a brilliant 2009.