Carols by Candlelight

WE had the most amazing time with our friends last Monday night. We went to our local Botanical Gardens for carols by candle light with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra along with the Durban Symphonic Choir and soloists. We all brought our picnic baskets and wine, and just sat and enjoyed our beautiful summer night. The kids were in their own little heaven. first for having the biggest garden in town to play in and secondly, and probably most importantly they got to play when it was past bedtime AND in the DARK too!!!

We handed out gifts for the kids, as we would not be all together again until after Christmas. I make the adorable Kate a ballerina monkey called MURIEL, who is allot like Kate actually... Murial is terribly cute, quietly independent, and a good girl over all, though she does dream of Johnny Depp and being a Debbie Harry impersonator when she grows up!!

I think that it was a great success, apparently Muriel and Kate are inseparable.

I had made super hero capes for Miguel, Mark and cute number two of the night Rachael. But it seems as us 'super moms' enjoyed them more!!

though the kids did finally have a chance to give them ago!!! The boys capes are reversable. Their initials are done in gold satin. And apparently (according to the two super heros) they make you run sooooo fast that hot lava comes out of the back!!!

Sorry about the next photo, but a glass of wine and no tripod does not do camera on a low shutter speed any good !!! But i think that you get and idea of the wonderful atmosphere of the night!!
Goodnight everyone ....

Guess what we did last night ....

Can you believe that it is only 15 days to Christmas ... AAAAAARGH!! We put up our tree On Monday night ... I love our tree it is a mixture of handmade and bought goodies, the best hand made goodie of all, is the gorgeous star that Miguel made for the top of our tree!!

I swear that my son is going to be a really great corporate lawyer with all the wheeling and dealing that he is capable of! Yesterday morning he wakes up and says to me...

Miguel : 'Ma, is it true that God can talk to us in our hearts and heads?'

Me : 'Yes Miguel it is true.'

Miguel : "If God tells you something, you have to do it don't you?'

Me : 'Yes, that is also true.'

Miguel : 'Weeellll, don't you know ...'

It is when you hear those four words spoken that you need to brace yourself for what is coming.

Miguel : 'Last night God told me that the day after you put up your tree is the new Christmas day, so I think that a great plan is to go down stair and open all the presents ... because that's what God told me!'

Remember in the last post I told you that i took the Handmade Pledge and decided to make most of my gifts .. well i get to show you a couple now, as we saw my nephew 2 weeks ago and we decided that we would give him his Christmas gifts then, as we probably would not see him for Xmas ...
I appliqued a rocket man shirt for him, taking into account that according to Miguel no self respecting boy would wear a rocket shirt that did NOT have hot lava spewing out of it. Sp pattern altered and Da Daaa ... Also on Miguel's advice every boy needs a cape with his name on it too, otherwise how are you going to fly faster than a rocket ship?? So i made a reversible cape with Marc's initial on it. As you can see in the photo, I had made the cape so exactly to Miguel's specifications that it has made him a speeding blur!! I have since then tweaked the pattern as I was not too happy with the shape of this one. The last ,was my first dip into the world of Sock Monkeys!! I *heart* them. They are a complete unknown in South Africa and I have fallen for them hard. Sorry Chris the romance is over, I have found a new love .... I cant wait to make more !! I am quite chuffed with this lot ... oooh and thanks to my superb model, Miguel.

A friend of mine Catherine had a sweet baby girl, she arrived 2 weeks early - so I was completely unprepared for little Kira's arrival, so off I shot to get 2 little onsies and i FINALLY had a change to do something in PINK!!! I made these in an hour or so .... No flaming hot lava or bone crunching robots any where ... aaah bliss

And now for you all a little something too ... just two little Christmas tags, using some of the home made Christmas decorations on my tree!!

all you need to do is click on them and then once they are in the new window, right click and Save As ...

love you all ... Later ..