Happy New Year 2022...and a little bit of Christmas!

Happy 2022 everyone!

I'm hoping it's a better year than the last couple that's for sure.

I didn't manage to get much done for Christmas in the Farmhouse...I made a start 

but as usual time ran out on me.

I also started making things for Christmas in La Maisonette...so that's a small start on next Christmas!

 

The idea of a vintage style New Year's party came to me after Christmas and as there was nothing else that I had to do I started working on making tiny things.

Kim Saulter made the cake...I think it was one of the first things she ever sent me.

I managed to print a teeny tiny banner for the cake topper. 

The trickest part was cutting it out.

More of Kim's stunning, fabulous food.

Pretty pastel colours abound here!

Party poppers had to be made.

The older I get (I just had another birthday in between Christmas and New Year...busy times here!) the fiddlier it seems to be to make tiny things. But it's always worth the effort!

It took days to make the tiny party accessories, hours to set up and photograph and a just a few minutes to remove it all and put it in a box which may never be opened again!

That's the way it is with miniatures. 

It'll take days to put everything back in the room as well because I'll be thinking about whether I should change things.

Here is a little bit of Christmas in the Farmhouse.

Yes...these were fiddly and frustrating to make...but worth the effort!

And that wreath is about as far as Christmas decorating got at La Maisonnette.

The reason I ran out of time to finish Christmas in the dollhouse was because I decided to make these 'Junk Journal' photo books  as gifts for the two little nieces I used to look after. 

I had the idea to make these albums a couple of years ago...and finally got around to it the week before Christmas. I filled them with photographs from when I looked after them.

They absolutely loved them!!

Hundreds of cookies were baked and given to my work colleagues.

I've come to the realisation that I like a production line!

And I had the bright idea to make felt Christmas decorations as I like attaching a decoration to a gift.

I thought it would be a good way to use up some felt I've had since I was a teenager.

Well, the felt was mostly in small pieces. I managed to finish this little deer and I've almost finished another decoration that may be ready for next Christmas. LOL!!

I already have far too many ideas of things to make for next Christmas...most of which I will have forgotten about by December.

So I wish you all a Merry New Year!

I'm not one for making resolutions however I feel this HAS to be a year of change for me.

Whatever your resolutions may be I hope you're successful!

Thanks for stopping by!

A birthday party for ME!

At the end of last year I had a significant birthday!

Earlier this year I celebrated with friends and family.

Being a party planner (perhaps with control issues) I staged my own event in our backyard.

Here's the invitation...all hand made by me...but you knew that!

The invite pulled out of the front of the box.

The details were on the inside.

There's a little switch on the top of the box (I had to make the boxes from scratch).

Of course there had to be miniatures in there!

But what's the switch for you're wondering...

Well, that switch turns on a little flickering light!

And now the party...

 I wanted to create an outdoor lounge.

Fortunately we had a lovely summer evening for the party.

I found the old door in a roadside rubbish collection a few days before the party.

Hubby was away so Liberty and I had to load it in the car ourselves...I have no idea now how we managed it. That door weighs a tonne! 

I borrowed the little tables and chairs from a friend.

There's my tolerant husband standing. 

He kindly told me he would do whatever I asked to make my party perfect!

Those are all fake flowers I found at op shops.

A real life version of the invitation.

Liberty baked and decorated the cake...and cut it!

 The backyard lounge...we were out there until after midnight it was such a warm evening.

Of course I made take-home cookies for my guests!

The couch came from an op shop. In my haste to re-cover it I forgot to take a before pic. But you can see the old upholstery on the bottom of it there.

Hubby painted it for me and I covered it with fabric also found at an op shop...sometimes when you're op shopping things just fall into place!

After! Just what I envisaged for my outdoor lounge.

I hung some of my prettiest decorations inside the house. 

I was looking after my two little nieces that day and they helped by handing me the decorations while I was up the ladder.

Although they weren't coming to the party they were dancing with delight when they realised they were here for the starting of the party - the start of the decorating!

I used a photo of the outdoor lounge to make the Thank You card. 

I had a great time with many friends at my little celebration! 

Ten years old today!

Somehow my little girl is already 10 years old!

I can't quite believe it!

 

These are the party invitations I made.

You pull the rosebud and magically the box opens and you see the invitation inside.

I made all the little dolls to go inside.

 

This year Liberty wanted to take her friends to a place called 'Jump' to play on trampolines!

After that we had an afternoon tea party at home.

 

I made wrappers for chocolate bars to send them off to Jump.

We had her party in the school holidays when three of her friends from the South Island were here.

Liberty had a lot of her own ideas for her party décor and asked for 'bright pastel colours'.

I was happy to oblige!

 

She asked for a chocolate cake with two layers and chocolate icing...as usual I iced it at the very last minute - while the kids were at Jump (hubby took them there - which is why there are no photos!).

 

Liberty wanted the pastel m&m's  to spill out of her cake when it was cut.

 

It was her friend's actual birthday on the day we had Liberty's party so they blew out the candles together.

When I was out shopping and saw those umbrellas in the party colours I had to have them!

 

Once again my fabulous friend Pauline was there to help!

 

The girls all made their own ice cream concoctions - that was fun!

 

 

 

We put together DIY Slime kits for the girls to take home...making slime is one of Liberty's favourite things to do!

And I made the dress cookies Liberty requested...although she thought they looked a little too princessy!

 

The party was a couple of weeks ago.

But this morning for her actual birthday...

 

 I lit these candles just before she got up.

 

Her brother gave her 100's & 1000's chocolate that she had been wanting to try.

Her daddy took out to breakfast on the way to school...it's not every day you turn ten!

After school I took Liberty and her friend to an ice cream bar - Liberty had been wanting to go there!

 

Ten years later and that funny little dark haired baby has grown into a beautiful, fun loving blonde!