Di Mill

Merry Christmas

The presents are wrapped and under the tree....

 

The table is set....

 

 

and we are about to go to mass - a perfect Christmas Eve.

Wishing you peace and happiness...

and a Very Merry Christmas!

 

Take care...Di

A Real Christmas Tree!

I'm having a break from Tuesday Trackdown for a couple of weeks, to enjoy the festive season.

Growing up in North Queensland, I always dreamed of having a real Christmas Tree. As a child we did have a live tree but it was a Sheoak Tree which looked something like this and had little spikey seeds like this which were great to paint white or silver and hang on the tree as decorations. As good as that was....I still dreamt of a tree like this - a real pine tree that was non existant in North Queensland.

This year my little dream came true - well sort off. My partner lives in Sydney and while I was spending a week with him, we went and bought a real tree! Yep - one that you cut down from the Christmas Tree Farm, throw in the back of the car and spend the rest of the Christmas season with the sweet scent of pine wafting through the house.

looking for a tree.....

 

still looking....

 

 

There it is!

 

Time to cut it down and take it home.

 

See all of those ribbons around the trees??? Well they are there because serious tree buyers, reserve their trees in November! As we are amateurs in the "real tree buying" game, we were a bit lucky as this tree was reserved but the owner had changed their mind.

I love this tree! I love how it's not perfect, I love it's smell, I love how excited we all got bringing the tree home and decorating it (Note: need more ornaments next year).

 

 

It's beginning to feel like Christmas!

Take care....Di

Black and White

I love black and white. It's formal, classic, and stylish. It can be subdued or bold, especially when teamed with a punch of colour.

I also have a confession....I adore a gorgeous table setting. Maybe there is a Martha Stewart inside trying to get out....I'm not sure...but I just love a set table, no matter what style.

For Christmas I chose black, white and silver as my table theme. One of my favourite things to do on Christmas Eve is set the table. I take my time and really enjoy the process. I spend the weeks before Christmas thinking about it and searching for just the right accessories.

 

The white cloths are just single bed sheets - always a great "table cloth" standby.

The black napkins were not easy to find but I finally managed to get them from a party supply shop.

The black vases are inexpensive plant pots from Bunnings. I just popped a glass inside to hold the water and the flowers.

 

The silver baubles on each plate were from Myer - half price on Christmas Eve and I tied narrow black satin ribbon through the top and into a bow.

 

I picked up some tiny battery operated bud lights that were in vine form with silver balls twisted along them, for $5 at Kmart and a $3 pack of small black, white and silver baubles were scattered along the table. I added a black glittery vine that I purchased from Earthborn for $12 and twisted in around the lights as the table needed a bit more "black".

 

The flowers are one of my favourites...lisianthus...and I picked them up a couple of days before Christmas at the farmers markets at Rocklea. Everything else I already had so it was a very cost effective table setting that can be used for any occasion.

Another Black and White story that I am lovin is..."Night and Day" designed by Stepping Stones Studio for Clothworks. This is a great range of fabric that has an even mix of prints...not too much floral...not all completely graphic. Each print has a "night and day" image.

  

 

 A free download of the quilt pattern below is here

 

The Night and Day fabric would look great in bedrooms like those shown in the images below via Fashion & Style

 

 
 

 Night and Day will be arriving in Australian Patchwork Stores in a few months time. Clothworks is distributed throughout Australia by Lloyd Curzon Textiles

 

December 4

December means making plum pudding!

My mum always makes an old fashioned, boiled in the cloth plum pudding. It's the most delicious plum pudding I've ever tasted. It's rich, dense and moist - not cakey like some. This year our family is traveling to Sydney to spend Christmas with my better half and his family. So it finally occurred to me that I would have to make my own plum pudding.

rubbing butter into flour

measuring & grating

mixing

after 6 hours of bubbling away on the stove....it's hanging to dry...and the big question is....will it turn out like this:

fingers crossed!

If there is anyone out there who would like to give this pudding a go, the recipe is below:

Christmas Pudding

3 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

225g butter

450g sultanas

450g raisins

450g currants

grated rind of two oranges

1 carrot grated

1 granny smith apple peeled and grated

1 cup brown sugar

6 eggs

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

2 teaspoons parisian essence

1/2 cup brandy

Sift flour and spices into a large bowl. Rub in butter with fingertips.

Add dried fruit, orange rind, carrot, apple and sugar.

Beat eggs with lemon juice and parisian essence. Stir into dry ingredients alternately with brandy. Mixture should be "dropping" consistency.

Boil in a cloth or pudding basin for 6 hours. Hang to dry overnight. Store in Fridge or freezer. On Christmas Day boil again for 1 hour, remove from pot and remove cloth immediately. Serve flamed with brandy and add custard.

To boil in cloth:

Take a large square of calico, cover with boiling water and boil for a few minutes. Wearing rubber gloves to  wring cloth out immediately and clover cloth with plain flour, enough to coat the calico. Pat flour into cloth. Gently shake off any excess. Place cloth in a colander or large basin. Add pudding mixture. Pull up corners of calico and gather in to make the pudding a nice round shape, leaving room for expansion. Tie securely with a string around the top, adding a loop of string to remove pudding from pot and to hang on broom handle to dry. (I placed the broom handle across two bar stools).  Make sure the wet corners of the calico are kept up out of the way when drying.

NOTE: Keep the water level in the pot topped up with extra boiling water during the cooking process. This is important...don't leave the house! It's also a good idea to place an old saucer on the bottom of the saucepan to keep the pudding from touching the bottom. This mixture will require you to use a very large bowl when mixing the ingredients and a large saucepan to boil the pudding in.

take care...Di

December 3

December in Queensland means....frangipani flowers. I love them - the flowers have the most vibrant colours. This tree is a few doors down and the flowers have the most exquisite shades of pink & gold. They always remind me of my childhood - spending Christmas at our beach house which was surrounded by frangipani trees. I could see them from my bedroom window every morning when I woke.

 

and speaking of flowers....yesterday the most beautiful bunch of flowers arrived from "Dream Man":

There is nothing nicer than being surprised with a big romantic bunch of flowers. All of my favourite flowers are included: peonies, roses, and gerbras. I absolutely love them!

Pop on over to Holly's blog and see what is happening. Her latest range of fabric Doll Dresses 2 & 3 was released in Houston and she's having a "Blog-a-thon", starting this Friday, with 12 designers showcasing their quilts that they have designed using her dolly dress panels. The panels are so cute and I can't wait to see what the designers come up with.

Doll Dresses 2 will be arriving in Australia in March and Doll Dresses 3 will be arriving in May. They are distributed in Australia through Lloyd Curzon Textiles. Click here to see the full range of fabrics.

back tomorrow....Di

 
 
  

December 2

The magic of unpacking...boxes filled with small items that have been put away for 12 months...items that put a smile on your face as you discover them again.

Trimming the tree: ornaments that make my eyes sparkle!

...Di
 

Birthday & Christmas all in one

We had a wonderful Christmas. Christmas celebrations always begin a few days before the actual date as I caught up with a group of my closest friends. We meet once a week throughout the year for coffee and share what's happening in our lives. We've been gathering each week for years, ever since our children were just babes, so it's been lovely watching them all grow and blossom into adults. Our Christmas get together is always a must and our husbands and partners join with us to celebrate another year of togetherness. The group is not without it's ups and downs and this year we were missing one member. It was her choice not to attend but her absence was felt. I did make peace with this friend just before Christmas. The spirit of the season to me, is about forgiveness - and sometimes that means not being stubborn and trying to prove that we are right. I did find this difficult as this friend really hurt me but I had to weigh up whether a 16 year friendship is worth salvaging or not and sometimes it takes one person to make the first move.

We all flew to Mackay on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas on the farm with my parents. My Dad's birthday is on Christmas Eve so we arrived in time to share a beautiful sponge birthday cake filled with fresh strawberries and cream. Mass was at 8pm and it is always sentimental to return to the church that I attended each week as a child. I love catching up with childhood friends that are now married with their own families, and seeing how their children have grown. Mackay in is North Queensland, so the weather was hot and humid. Christmas Day brought rain and a much cooler temperature which was a relief. It also brought an abundance of gifts, too much yummy food, and another year added to my age! Yep - it was my birthday! I've always loved having my birthday on Christmas Day. My parents were always careful to try to separate the two events. I would not get to open my Birthday presents until after lunch. There were never any "joint" presents. I always received separate Christmas and Birthday gifts.This year was extra special as both kids went and bought gifts for myself, their grandparents and each other from their own money that they had worked for. I gave no present lists this year...instead I asked them to really think about the person they were buying for and to purchase a gift that they thought the recipient would enjoy. I was thrilled with their decisions. They had really thought about it and had chosen well. Luke gave me two Kath & Kim DVD's but bundled them up in a t-shirt before wrapping them to disguise their shape. Emma shopped at this store as she knows that I love their products and for my birthday, she gave me a digital photography magazine!

Some of my favourite Christmas cards. 

My Christmas Day lunch consisted of mouthwatering seafood, avocado and mango.

My birthday cake.....plum pudding! My Mum makes the best plum pudding I've ever tasted. I love the fact that I get to have it as my birthday cake.

It's so full of rich moist fruit. Mum uses the traditional cloth method and it's always a surprise to see how the pudding looks when the cloth is removed.

After a day full of fun, family, love and laughter it was sadly time to jump on the plane and fly back home. Both Emma and Luke had to work on Boxing day (for teenagers, the chance to get paid double time and a half due to the public holiday rates was too good to pass up). During the flight we were able to just see the sun set through the clouds...beautiful! 

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas as much as I did and that you relished in the chance to celebrate with the people you care about and love the most.

take care....Di

Christmas Wishes

Wishing you all a Magical Christmas and a New Year that's full of love, hope and joy!

I'll be back in a few days.....Believe!  ....Di

My Sunday

I love Sundays....especially when I get to just potter around the house, doing jobs that have to be done but at a gentler pace than normal. I ironed for a couple of hours this morning while watching Martha and then wrapped all of the Christmas Presents.

This year's colour theme was based around the little gift bag on the left with the red buttons. I bought them while I was in Houston at The Container store. Oh how I would love one of those here! Once I've decided what I'm going to do, I usually start to panic a bit as I'm never quite sure if I can find the right coloured paper and ribbon etc. I'm a bit fussy when it comes to my Christmas present wrapping theme. I know...in the big scheme of things, it's not important and that I should be focusing on the real meaning of Christmas....but it's just my "thing".I can tell already that the kids have been shaking, feeling and shaking some more!! They don't think I know but their presents are not anywhere as crisply wrapped as they were! 

I saw this wreath at this store and I just couldn't go past it...

It's up on the wall and you can often find me standing in the middle of the room just looking at it!

I also finished another stitchery...2 down...38 to go!

And I began on Project number 2....can't tell you yet but it does involve bags and these awesome handles!

All will be revealed in January and it will all begin in February. Until then I have a lot of work to do but could think of nothing better to do this Sunday, than to wrap Christmas presents, do a bit more decorating and stitch and sew....actually I haven't gone for a walk yet, so I'm off. I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Take care....Di

 

Recycled Christmas Tree

Last night my close group of girlfriends got together for a Christmas gathering at Catherine's house. I just had to show you her tree. Catherine is a very creative person and she said she didn't like artificial trees but didn't want to cut down a real tree. So every year they go for a walk in the bush until they find a tree that hasn't survived and she cuts it down and brings it home - decorates it and gives it another life!

The tree is filled with decorations that she has had since her kids were born all those years ago. I think it is just gorgeous!

Just think - this tree - whose life as a beautiful lush bush had ended - now has the honour of being a Christmas tree!!!

I'm off to Adelaide this morning for a few days. I'll Be back Tuesday night.