Let's wrap up Christmas 2011.

Can you believe that Christmas has come and gone again? All the planning, dreaming, arranging.....and finally the eating, drinking and celebrating..... and now we can look back at the festive images and tick off another year in our diaries.

There is something so special about a wreath or garland decorating a front door. I can hardly believe that this wreath has not been stolen yet? One's entrance should always be welcoming and invite your guests into your home, at Christmas time and always. I will make it my mission to post pictures of  front door decorations for the various festivities and celebrations in 2012.

My garden remains my favourite place for contemplation and inspiration....... just spending time close to nature, working with the soil, tending one's herbs has to be addictive. I challenge anyone to discover this wonderful hobby..... you will never look back and you will wonder how you ever managed without your dose of garden delight every day! Make it your challenge for 2012.

A beading order kept my fingers busy with the build up to Christmas..... I was more involved with Christmas beading than Christmas baking this year! What a challenge..... in the end I completed 65 of these delightful beaded serviette rings for Judy's order for Devonvale.

The completed serviette ring eventually only took 15 minutes to complete.... after many attempts!

A delight in my garden.... the first variegated Turkish Delight flowers on my latest Bougainvillea..... the perfect Christmas treat for the garden...and me!

My garden is also producing other flowers which will eventually become Butternut Squash. I already have some baby squash forming....another delight in my garden.

I just love the tight, newly formed baby Iceberg rose buds. Pink and delicate on the outside, will open to reveal a perfect, white Iceberg rose.

My garden travels with me...... a few buckets later and I decorated the Christmas table at our family get together on the 25th.

Scattered between the piles of Christmas crackers, the aroma of the Rosemary, Mint and Cypress brought the Christmas spirit to the table. I even used some Cape Gooseberries in their capes as natural decorations .

Kim and Johan have the perfect patio setting for large family gatherings..... the blinds dropped down kept the breeze at bay. Johan has green fingers and has transformed the garden into a lush paradise.

Another view of the perfect patio setting, complete with a pizza oven..... and the lush, tropical garden around the pool.

A taste of Africa with some Aloe hanging from the chandelier..... just for a bit of fun!

I trust you all enjoyed a 'joylicious' Christmas feast and that you are ready to tackle the challenges of  2012? Cheers to the last few days of  2011.

 

And so this is Christmas.......

How is it that a year can fly by so quickly..... Is it really Christmas Eve tonight?
No matter how much planning one does, Christmas just creeps up on us too soon.....are you ready for the festivities tonight and tomorrow?

He who has Christmas in his heart, will find Christmas under the tree....... This beautiful angel is my connection to a special friend in Germany.....thinking of all my family and friends this Christmas, especially those who have lost loved ones this year.

May your candles burn bright tonight, and forever fill your heart with love and warm feelings.

 

What is the best gift you ever received?
Better still, what is the best gift you ever gave?
Perhaps you will recall that in each instance,
the best gift was one that was tied
with the haertstrings of the giver,
one that included a part of self.
Wanda Fulton.

WHERE THERE IS GREAT LOVE THERE ARE ALWAYS MIRACLES. ( WILLA CATHER)

Remember to find your best, beautiful, natural and organic garnishes in your garden..... this photograph is still one of my all time favourites..... a perfect, ripe Cape Gooseberry and a sprig of Pineapple mint....the classic festive colours, being gold, green and white. How beautiful is nature? Go out and find Christmas in your garden......

May all the creative gifts from your kitchen and workroom be well received. A homemade gift is one made with love.....

I am blessed with another special angel in my life..... strangely also from a special friend, this time a friend from Australia. This delightful angel comes from a store, Posh Pots in Canberra. It is a gardener's delight!  This angel sits on my kitchen counter and is permanently filled with love from my garden.

Wishing you and yours a blessed and peaceful festive season...... May it be surrounded by love and sunshine.

 Cheers!

Some more visual Christmas Inspiration, before we run out of time to celebrate this Festive Season.

My most important message, at this time of the year for gifting, creating and cooking, is GO GREEN and ORGANIC. The following images illustrate my passion for this way of life.

Why use plastic decorations imported from afar when you have beautiful, red, organic gems outside in your garden ?

Candles are always on top of the list to create a festive atmosphere. To introduce the green and organic theme, add mint leaves to a bowl with  floating candles.

Create a sparkling centre piece by floating hibiscus flowers and herbs in a container with floating candles.

Go with a bit of glitz and glamour this Christmas and decorate your chairs as well. Here I tied  a sprig of  Bay leaves. You could also tie small gifts to the chair backs instead of  bought christmas crackers.

Place  blankets or scarves on chair  seats when entertaining outdoors in the evenings.

Use your treasured linen serviettes with an outer serviette layer of  a delicate gold fabric. Tie with gold ribbon. Much more stylish  than cheerful paper serviettes.

Look to your garden for green and organic gifts for use in the kitchen and in baskets and herbal posies.

Wrap and decorate with fresh herbs as well. Both the bay leaves and the rosemary can be dried and used in the kitchen.

Prepare a basket filled with love from the garden. Any hostess would be proud to receive this as a green and organic gift.

Look to your herb patch for your  garnishes..... you will find all the festive, red, green and gold colours that you are looking for.

Another great gift for summer salad day's is a homemade, light, salad spritz to accompany your salad creations.

 

Here is a recipe suggestion for a light, salad splash : Zesty, zingy, Citrus splash.

Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons fresh Orange juice
4 Tablespoons fresh Lime or Lemon juice
2 Tablespoons finely minced Coriander leaves
2 Tablespoons finely minced Mint leaves
4 Teaspoons Cumin seeds
Pinch of Cayenne pepper

To prepare, simply mix all ingredients together in a salad dressing
bottle and shake well.
Seal and store in the fridge.

To dress up as a gift, pour the dressing into an attractive, salad dressing bottle.
Attach a homemade swing tag, making a note of the ingredients and tie off with a bunch of herbs.
 

More from the kitchen next time when we will look at some festive baking.

Christmas starts in my kitchen and then works it's way around the house and garden!

Every Christmas is special........ I always look forward to the moment I can unpack my christmas treasures collected and created over many years.  There are hidden memories and dreams entangled in each item .... be it that it is something inherited from my Mom, or a special piece collected from the magical Christmas Markets in Europe. Each and every item is a Christmas treasure.

This simple, fabric wreath has been a treasure for many years. Each year I create a new version of this original...... as seen in the photograph below.

mmmmm ..... Time to think of a 2011 version of the original. Watch this space for an update!

If you are lacking Christmas inspiration, do yourself  a favour and take a trip to Starke Ayres Nursery in Mowbray, Cape Town for a peek at the best Christmas display I have seen in South Africa in many years.

What cheerful little characters...... how can anyone be miserable during this festive season? May the spirit of Christmas be in your heart today, and always.

Warm summer evenings are here, so embrace the soft light and delicate shadows that dance across the lawn...... take the inside out...... and enjoy the pleasure of entertaining your guests outdoors.

Decorate your home with warm and loving memories...... each item carries its own treasure..... unpack these memories in your heart and keep them alive all year round.

This silver angel comes out of hiding to decorate my jacket every year. It is wonderful to create one's own Christmas traditions and rituals.

More creative Christmas inspiration tomorrow...... happy Christmas dreaming.

Beading Inspiration for Christmas.

My mantra around beading is...."To bead is to live"......... I am passionate about being creative with any craft, but you can lock me up in a room packed with beads any day, and I will be in bead heaven..... as I did today! Here is my latest Christmas inspiration...... especially for you, Judy!

I was asked to be creative with these pins.....so, here is the result, a festive, Christmas beaded tree decoration..... or as you will see later, it has other uses!

And so the beading bug has bitten me again and I cannot wait to make some more of these decorative pins...... thanks Judy!

Since I love to decorate my kitchen as well.... being the heart of the home, these beaded pins are also happy to hang around in the kitchen!

A close up look at the bead selection and threading...... just get creative!

Not only at Christmas time, but all year round will you find a use for these pins. Here I have decorated a plain bag and it looks like a designer piece in an instant.

What was a cheap, factory shop bag...... now has some style and class added to it. I think I will use this one!

Beaded Wine bottle Lariat..... a great way to spark up a bottle of wine to make it more presentable as a gift.

The secret to this piece is to use a three holed spacer..... so simple and fun to create.

Simple and practical beaded wire serviette tie's. Easy to thread and create a colour scheme to co ordinate with any dinner party or event theme. I once made over 100 of these for a dinner party in bright, festive Moroccan colours. It was great to inspire my sister to help get creative to help with this task. Thanks Anneli!

Yes, I am a nutter..... I decorate the garden as well. I actually still have these suncatchers in the tree from last Christmas...... I love to watch the sun catch the facets on the beads.

Do not forget those Christmas cards...... create a Card holding lariat using a piece of ribbon and a decorative feature at the bottom. Use small clips to keep the cards in place. So easy!

Happy beading...... until next time!