Happy New Year

Greetings dear friends & readers & welcome to a bright, shiny New Year !!

Lets hope 2017 is kind to us all

I was not sorry to close the door on last year but I Am thankful for a fresh new year & the chance to maybe do some things a little differently ...

I would like to borrow a comment my dear friend Willie left on a blog that I felt summed it all up rather perfectly  . . .

"we spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives ... not looking for flaws but for potential."  Ellen Goodman

I loved this Jar idea above, & shall certainly be giving this a go for 2017 !!
With a new grandchild due in March there is much to look forward to & feel positive about this year.

Mum has gone home now & the decorations have been packed away both inside the house & the Cottage.

We had a lovely Christmas shared with various members of our family at different times.

I loved sharing it with a small blue eyed boy who just adores a large purple creature named Barney & who was simply delighted with the sandpit his Mummy & Daddy built for him

AND with the yellow tip truck his Granny & great Granny bought for him (from the SPCA Op Shop!!)

Dear Alec you bring me so much pleasure & joy

Danielle Hawkins is an author who lives in a small rural township not too far from us.

She also works part-time as a large animal Vet & just happens to be the Vet that The Mr uses at the farm.

He came home late last year after having had the cows pregnancy tested, & informed me he had 
"bought my christmas gift for this year"

I knew Danielle was working on another book so it wasn't difficult to work out what this might possibly be.

Imagine my surprise 3 days later when I walk outside thinking I had a customer, to see Danielle in person walking up the driveway with her new book tucked under her arm !!!

The Pretty Delicious Cafe is her 3rd book ... I have read mine already (yes - I know !!) & thoroughly enjoyed it, just as I knew I would.

I LoVe Danielle's writing & after sitting chatting to her I can honestly report, she is a lovely friendly, very down-to-earth person with a great sense of humour.

In the lead-up to Christmas - when I should have been concentrating on my orders - I decided I wanted to make myself a Tilda Tree just like the ones I made here

I had purchased a larger size rustic pot & traced off the largest tree pattern ...  I wanted it NOT to be Christmassy, but something I could leave up all year round.

After walking past it for a few days (as I tend to do ...) I decided it needed some small cream bells hanging from the branches !!

A quick google search took me to an etsy shop that had the exact cream bells I wanted for the princely sum of $3.50 for a packet of 6 !!

Just Perfect !!!

However ... when I went to purchase the bag of bells, etsy promptly informed me it would cost me $28.87c to post the teeny tiny package ALL the way to New Zealand !!

I don't think so somehow !!!
Time for Plan B ... whatever that might be ???!!!

I found a rusty tin heart & spray painted that cream instead . . . .

.  .  .  .  which will suffice until such time as I can be bothered painting fiddly bells myself !!

Well dear friends - it is hot out today but there is a gentle breeze blowing through our deck area - Miss Pippi is asleep in her banana box & Blackie is in the cool of the wood shed

Happy New Year & all that kerfuffle !!!!

I am off to try this delightful tea that my stepson gifted me for Christmas . . . black rose tea which looks rather like potpourri but smells delicious

Thanks so much for stopping by today
with much love & friendship to you ALL
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0x