WWF Earth Hour

An important message today ...

WWF Earth hour which is tomorrow, Saturday 29th for us here in Canada. My friend Kathy in Australia sent me a message and video on facebook earlier this week telling me about it. The concept first came about in Sydney, this time last year and was hugely successful. This year it's going Global. Although we don't live in a big city, Halifax being the closest and participating a little, I believe. We will be switching off 'our' lights for the hour 8pm until 9pm on March 29th, probably not the heaters as it will be below zero!

A parcel arrived in my mail box two days ago, another birthday present. This time from my dear friend Keriann in New Zealand. Posted a few weeks ago by airmail, I suspect it ended up travelling by sea instead. It's a beautiful hand made lavender heart sachet, the perfect colours for my bedroom and it's the 'shabby chic' print that I love. Keriann has recently opened a NZ craft webpage Sweetmary where she can sell her items. I am hoping that she will join me on Etsy soon as I am sure her little hearts will sell really well on the International market.

This week I posted another batch of felt tinies off to a Pediatric Doctor in North Carolina for her young patients. She has a heart of gold and loves animals.

My Mum surprised me a few weeks ago by starting her own blog! Living in South Africa many of her relatives are dotted around the world. We used to write long letters to each other, with the internet, skype, facebook, blogs etc. communication methods have certainly changed. Even the humble telephone seems a little old fashioned.

Today I have Amber at home with me feeling poorly. The downside to travelling on an aircraft is that a nasty little bug often gets picked up and this time it was Amber who was unlucky and has a temperature and sore throat. Hopefully by Monday she will have shaken it off (Umm, she was the only one of us to NOT take the Echinacea tablet - but maybe that's just a coincidence!)

Better go and put my nurses hat on and heat some chicken soup!!

Hazel xx

Happy Holidays!

Mid morning on Saturday and I am all alone as Craig and the girls have gone into his office to do some secret 'stuff' before Christmas.

Feeling a little tired after a late, but fun evening, which consisted of Craig's office Christmas party followed by a visit to our friends up at the lake.
I was so excited when a parcel arrived this week from my good friend Keriann all the way from New Zealand! The parcel included a lovely letter, a couple of local newspapers from the village of Havelock North, where I used to live. Also some pretty tissues from Cath Kidston and cute Christmas napkins (pictured above), which I love. The little tissue wrapped surprise has gone under the tree to be opened on the 25th. Such a thoughtful friend who knows my taste exactly. Very sweet Cath Kidston tissues sitting amongst my cookie cutters!
Christmas eve is just around the corner and we will be visiting our next door neighbours for the evening. We all get on so well as families, it does help that the children are the same age. Of course just being a stones throw away it certainly has its advantages at this time of year especially. The snow is still quite deep and the temperatures below freezing almost every day.
Archie our cat is a bit depressed, which I may have mentioned before? He sits looking out of the window with such a forlorn look on his face and is not eating very much. Occasionally he will venture outside a few feet away from the back door, only to do a swift about turn and come rushing indoors with his 'crazy wild cat look'
My shopping is all done and hidden away, with just the wrapping and labelling to do. Lots of small gifts as usual, to compensate for having no relatives around. Each year I get more nervous of getting it right as far as gifts are concerned, anyone with teenage children can relate I am sure to the ever changing fashions and trends, this weeks purple could be next weeks red! I hold on to all my receipts very carefully, just in case :)
My own wish list for material presents this year reads as follows; warm pj's, warm sweaters, warm fluffy socks, warm gloves, warm..... Actually I will be happy just to see happy faces on the day and get a few hugs from my family (even if some of them are only on facebook)
Sunday evening.
I decided to paint the lounge :) A sort of spur of the moment thing! It got finished this afternoon with Craig's help and I am really pleased with it. Previously the wall were a dark dusky pink which was ok, but looking at it for our third winter I decided a change was due. Now a warm cream with just enough contrast against the white ceiling. No longer confined to having pink soft furnishings I can make some nice new cushions for the spring. No photo to show yet as it is now too dark.Happy Christmas!Hazel xx