James Family Christmas --> The Best One Yet!

Christmas 2013 was easily the best Christmas we have ever had. It was relaxed, fun, delicious and overflowing with laughter and love. It was everything we had hoped for for our first Christmas as a full family.

I managed to finish our family Christmas stockings - 3 days before the big day! That was a huge relief, especially because I'd been searching high and low for weeks for the perfect little gifts to fit in them. And Mum/nanna made a gorgeous little Liberty fabric summer dress for Isla to wear on the big day.

We set the Christmas tree up outside because the weather was supposed to be gorgeous (and it was!). We dug out the Christmas decorations and got started. Logan watched on from his activity centre while Isla 'helped' decorate. And by help, I mean she took off in the opposite decoration with anything she could get her hands on! Until one of the little glass baubles smashed - then she was given the job of hanging the plastic baubles! Here she is trying to hang them on the tree:

I actually got them last year when I was pregnant with Logan. They are 'Baby's 1st Christmas' baubles, and I couldn't resist them. I knew that I would need them both this Christmas and I loved seeing them hanging on the tree together.

Once the tree was decorated and the champers (plural) were chilling in the fridge, we set out the beer and mm's for Santa and finally put our feet up ready for the big man to do his work.

On Christmas morning, we woke up to the sweetest sounds! We could hear Logan gurgling away in his cot and Isla chattering to Bunny (her favourite teddy) as she always does. Hubby and I grabbed a baby each and pottered downstairs to start the day. We laid a quilt out next to the tree and sat down with the kids, whilst Nanna snapped away with her camera. They are still so young (9 and 21 months) so they needed help, but that was half the fun for us as well. We unwrapped books and games and there were a lot of cars and trucks for Logan - to balance out all the pink stuff that Isla got for Christmas last year. Isla got a pram to walk her new Dora doll that Santa dropped off. And Logan got this great trailer that became a fast favourite.

I got spoiled too! Hubby got me a table-top Portable Photo Studio & Lighting Kit and I'm so excited to see how my photos turn out using the little tripod. And mum made up a hamper full of treats for all of us to enjoy over the Christmas period.

But the biggest treat?! Was the food. See, for the last two Christmas's I've been pregnant with our beautiful babies, and therefore unable to drink or enjoy ANYTHING tasty. So this year there was bottles of Champagne and seafood everywhere!

Mum and I set up the table outside next to the Christmas tree.

And for brunch we had the most delicious Smoked Salmon Bruschetta with Champagne and my punch. It was SO yummy and really lovely to sit around the table together. Well most of us. We couldn't drag Isla away from her new toys for too long but Logan sat with us for a little while.

We ate SO much (as usual) but that is what Christmas is all about right? And we weren't going anywhere. We just relaxed and played with the kids until dinner time, which was even more exciting and delicious. We had my request --> Prawn Cocktails:

And for main course, hubby requested Crayfish Mornay -->

Like I said, we spoiled ourselves - but it's been along time coming! Two Christmas's without seafood or alcohol? I had to make up for lost time. And I did. I had, like I said, 'easily the best Christmas we have ever had!!!'.

I hope you did too xx

 

Liberty Christmas Stockings For The Whole Family

Can anyone else believe Christmas is in 3 days? I know I can't!

What a year we have had, with the birth of our son and all the joy that comes with raising young babies. This blog has been my 'time out' and I've been lucky enough to finish 3 beautiful Christmas craft projects. I made the Embroidery Hoop Christmas Tree pictured above and blogged about here. I also made Isla's Christmas Tree T-Shirt for her toddler Christmas party (tutorial can be found here). And then I made these gorgeous Christmas stockings for the whole family.

I had hoped to do more projects, and I even got part way through a table runner and an advent calendar.... but I realised a few weeks ago that I had to focus on getting the Christmas stockings done - otherwise Santa would have nothing to load up for the kids. And it's a gooooooooooood thing I did, because they took a lot longer than I thought they would. What doesn't when you've got babies right?

So here's the fabric I got from Calico & Ivy back in early November.

The fabric is the beautiful soft Liberty of London tana lawn and I don't know the name of the print on the far left - but the next along with the big flowers is Garla. I picked that one for my Christmas stocking because I love the colours and the big floral pattern. Next along is Emma and Georgina and I picked it for Isla because of the smaller pretty floral pattern. And lastly for Logan, on the far right, is the Reuben print. I love this print because it looks like streamers and the colours are still a bit masculine.

It's funny but I can't even remember where I got my template from... ah ha, I just remembered. It's kind of a funny story that I'm sure some people can relate to?! Years ago I bought 2 cross-stitch Christmas stocking kits online from America. It was before I had kids and had a lot more time and space to leave craft projects lying around, ready to be picked up and continued whenever. But these kits were tougher than I thought they would be. Mine was a snow scene and there was so many shades of blue and white. It was hard to keep track and I got bored easily. Needless to say, they got ignored year after year until we started our family. Last year I vowed that I would have Christmas stockings for the whole family by Christmas 2013. And so I said goodbye to my partially completed cross-stitch kits and I used the stocking templates from the kit to make my fabric ones. Here are the Liberty fabrics cut-out.

I used 100% linen on the tops and backs, and used red Kona Cotton from Carols of Midland for the linings and applique lettering. Mum helped me out with the applique - using her spoofy Pfaff machine to stitch the letters on. That saved me a lot of time.

And here are the completed stockings! Hubby, me, ratbag #1, and ratbag #2!

And then there's Nanna! I was half way through cutting out the templates when I realised that Nanna needs a stocking too! Something pretty to hold scotch and chocolates. And of course, I snagged her favourite Liberty print at Calico & Ivy - the red Betsy Ann!

So yeah, I got there in the end. And I can't wait to see what Santa fills them with! I hung them on the hall table near the front door so that he can find them easily ;o)

Merry Christmas x

 

Hanging In The Hall --> My Embroidery Hoop Christmas Tree

I hung this up ages ago and have only just remembered to share how it looks - great right?! It's one of the few areas of the house that is decorated this year. I blame a combination of things including lack of space and time, and Isla's sticky fingers... But really I just haven't had the energy! I've been so busy sewing my little baby quilts together ready for the shop opening, and there's been all the other daily mum stuff. I'm not complaining at all, it's a great time of year and the kids are doing so well. I just think time has gotten away from me. At this rate, I'll probably find myself putting the tree up on Christmas Eve! Oh well, as long as there is a bottle of bubbly and my family around me - what more could I ask for?

 

Hey Hey I've been featured on the DMC Threads Blog! WooHoo!

It's so exciting to be featured on other blogs because it means a) someone is actually reading mine (lol) and b) they like something I've made. And in this case they liked 2 things I made for Christmas!

Emma - DMC's stitching blogger - liked the Christmas Tree Applique T-Shirt I made for Isla AND the Embroidery Hoop Christmas Tree! So cool.

Here is the link to her blog and the post "More Holiday Goodness". Thanks Emma!