Christmas 2010

Well, a belated Merry Christmas to you all! I hope everyone’s had a beautiful Christmas day full of love and smiles! This Christmas was quite lovely. I do enjoy theming everything from wrapping paper to food, and all that’s in between!

Luke and I spoil each other rotten at Christmas, and this year I wondered if that would change when we had kids…? I guess budgets always come into it, but this little (okay, big!) part of me hopes it doesn’t change. I’m just gunna say it. I love presents.

This year I decided to make a Panattone for Boxing Day. Usually someone in Luke’s family gives us a bought one for Christmas, but you know me, I like things home made! I’m pretty happy with how it turned out- though I do need to find a proper tin. This one wasn’t quite as high as it should be, but it was a lot rounder!

Christmas was special this year because my Uncle David, Aunty Judy, and cousins, Leon and Joel came over! It’s been quite a few years since we’ve seen them for Christmas, and it was pretty special to have Nana with her three children there (Uncle David, Aunty Kris and Dad). One year it would be nice to have all the grandkids (and as of yesterday a great grandchild!) as well. I can only hope! I was pretty proud of my quick off the mark idea to take a family snap. Uncle David seems to escape most family photos (including Luke and my wedding photos … grrr!), but I got this one taken! Huzzah!

The presents were opened, and there was lots of great things. I loved giving people extra special gifts this year that we’d picked up on our holiday abroad. We got to repeat this sentence a lot of times: “You can only buy this from this one shop/museum in Paris/Germany/Amsterdam…” etc. you get the drift.

Also, below is our Christmas lunch FEAST. Turkey, and a range of salads (all relatively awesome for my diet, too!). Of course, it is not Christmas without and avo and mango salad! Anyone else have this salad every year?!

Above is my brothers. They’re a crazy bunch. All so unique, but similar as well. We spent the majority of the time we weren’t eating looking at old photos (Mum had got one of those digital photo frames from Dad for Christmas), and it was fun for my aunties and uncles to see old pictures of themselves, and for everyone to exclaim about how much each of thier children looked like either themselves or their parents…

I of course get people staring at me gasping, “Talia, you look SO much like your mother”. This is the story of my life. In fact, I have just now decided that that will be what my memoirs are called.

Above is my Nana and her brother, Martin. It was quite a pleasant suprise for him, his son and family to drop in Christmas afternoon. I took the opportunity again to take a big group photo, cause this stuff doesn’t happen every year, let along every day like the saying goes!

Boxing day was the Panettone I mentioned earlier, with my family, and then a delicious Christmas spread with Luke’s mum and siblings. It was shorter then both Luke and I anticipated, which was annoying, conisdering how difficult and stressful I had found it trying to ‘organise’ the event, but we did it! I use the term ‘organise’ very loosly. It’s more along the lines of getting everyone at the same place at the same time…

Boxing Day night was the most hilarious Christmas time EVER. The two cousins that were there (and their partners) brought their dogs, and so we all had lots of fun laughing at them chasing said dogs around the room, and checking on them and what not. We were quite glad that we left Pepper and Misty at home, or I think we would have had three bloody black dogs, and one white spotty grumpy dog (Misty). Anyway, the two dogs that were there were funny, as were their parents trying to control them!

Marcus suprised us all by being able to figure out the cloth nappy Nana and my aunty were struggling with. Apparently they were doing it inside out… (the pretext to this is that my aunty bought them for my cousin, who, on Boxing Day, was pregnant. I assume they couldn’t figure this one out…). FYI- I say she WAS pregnant, because she’s not anymore. Her son was born yesterday (28th), 4 weeks early and only 5LB! He’s healthy and whatnot, just beautifuly small!

*sigh* so that was my Christmas! We went down to the Gold Coast to see Luke’s extended family on Monday and Tuesday, which technically wasn’t Christmas, but public holidays are a good excuse to go down and see the family!

Thanks for visiting my site again! keep checking back for more updates!

A Sneak Peak… Merry Christmas!

I don’t know if you’re anticipating the little present I promised as highly as I am. But in case you are, here’s a little sneak preview of the FRONT COVER!

Merry Christmas!

Interview: Michelle Giacobello

The other month I stumbled across a beautiful blog, Read Thread. The blog’s owner is Michelle Giacobello, and not only is she creative, friendly and inspiring, but she has a pretty awesome job too! Have a read of the interview here…

Michelle, how did you get started with crafting?

I can’t remember when I was ever not crafting to be honest. I was making things out of the scraps that fell to the floor from my mothers sewing table for my Barbie doll and Santa brought me a toy sewing machine when I was about 6. I was good at recycling junk into toys and always, always had sketchbooks close by.

As a teenager I made my own clothes because I couldn’t afford to buy what I liked, and the thrill of design for its own sake bit me along the way. I started knitting in earnest when my children came along and crafted with them to keep them busy and inspired.

I have crafted from necessity, for relaxation, for the pure pleasure of it, and for gifts. It’s wonderful to get something made with love and passion don’t you think! It’s a big part of my daily life.

You’re the Creative Director at Lincraft, how did you get started in that job?

I’ve actually been here for less than a year. My background is as a Graphic Artist and copywriter, and in the past 5 years as an exhibiting artist (oil painter). I have also been blogging for a fair few years now, and when this job came up I applied for it.

This job combines a lot of my interests – design, writing, and crafting on a very broad base. I knit, sew, embroider, sculpt, paint, and make patterns. I’m not really afraid of anything craftwise. There is also public interaction –getting feedback from a customer who is pleased with the result and feels empowered by that keeps me smiling.

What’s your favourite part about this position?

I should say going shopping – because it’s still a bit special to me to walk into the store, leave with all the supplies for a project and have a chat with the girls (who know so much), but actually it’s the moment when I sit at my desk with everything spread out and a firm idea of what I want to achieve and then being able to just let loose.

You must get to sort through a lot of different projects and craft supplies, do you ever get sick of it?

There are times, when I’m presented with raw materials and can’t think of a stylish or simple solution which is frustrating. I wouldn’t say I get sick of it, but when there seems to be no solution but the very obvious one I do feel like I’ve failed. When that happens I put the project to one side and go on with something else and come back to it hopefully with a fresh take or a way to repurpose the materials and invent something totally new.

Your blog, Read Thread, is full of great tutorials and craft ideas. Where do you get your inspiration?

Thanks! I wish I had more time for it, but our publications schedule gets in the way and keeps me very busy. My aim is to post a new project weekly, or at least once a month. The projects are often things that I have explored out of working hours or things that will become free projects in the store and on our website that I feel the need to share immediately. They are usually my own design – or a credit is linked.

Do you read many craft blogs? What are some of your favourites?

I love reading craft blogs, but have not had a lot of time to cruise lately, I am fortunate to have friends who are bloggers and I tend to keep up with those ones because I care about them and admire what they do. I find Whipup a great way to get an overview of new crafty blogs and see what’s going on in the world outside my door. I also love design blogs like Decor8 to get an idea of the palette for seasons coming up and viral interests (like owls. Owls are EVERYWHERE, and have been steadily taking over for the past 3 years). Daily pleasures are flickr, and ravelry.

What’s one craft you are DEFINITELY doing this Christmas?

My desk at the moment is full of Easter projects. Eeeep! I’m still getting into the swing of having to prepare so far in advance, so it feels surreal to be surrounded by Christmas in the stores and the media when I finished preparing months ago.

We will be making some presents however: I’m planning on teaching my son some macramé skills so he can make keyrings as a gifts. He is very excited about that.

We will also be making some carved eraser stamped Christmas cards and wrapping paper, which is going to be very fun and hopefully not too messy…