Panic Stations............

A few years ago I decided I would prolong the beauty of all the Autumn colour by pressing some leaves and then making them into a wreath to display on the chimney brest.

Well Autumn, may have just finished and I'm a bit slow getting it together, but finally..........

A WIP pic, lots of Blutac is used to attach the leaves.

I arrange them first to see how I like the composition and colours.

Then I carefully move the leaves off the cardboard and use small pieces of Blutac to attach each leaf.

If I need to change something around later on it's not a major problem as they are not glued in place.

This year I pressed alot of different varieties of leaves not just from the trees, but from garden shrubs as well.

You can click on the pic to see more detail.

I love the various shades of colour, shape and texture.

It will stay on the chimney brest until Spring, or until I can bring myself to take it down.

Some male members of the household don't share my interests, but that's OK because I don't share some of his, such as eating mice.........

I'm feeling a little like the above............no I'm not doing a mind reading trick......

I'm a bit at sixes and sevens, trying to get packed and organised for a long weekend away, followed by a holiday O/S and throw into the mix a rather significant numbered birthday and it's all a little bit overwhelming............

My boys are away at a festival at Perisher, brrrrrr...........

They're welcome to it I say, so I am going to head slightly North where it is hopefully warmer bahahaha............ and have a 'girls weekend' (well, not technically as 2 of my 3 B's-I-L will be there as well)

How did it happen? That so many years have passed so quickly?

Please tell me if you know the answer...........

Wasn't it only yesterday I was 3 and now -- years later I'm turning a certain number with a zero on the end of it.

I love this photo, even though we are all squinting into the sun.

I'm the youngest of 4 girls and this photo was taken at the annual show.

I'm the one in the pleated red skirt and jumper and I had my patent leather shoes on.

I remember that little outfit and loved it so much.

My sisters had to wear their school shoes, boring, but back then we didn't have the luxury of half a dozen pairs of shoes each.

Being the youngest I got lots of hand me downs.

No doubt they will all say I was spoilt and got away with murder, but that's not how I remember things.

So I shall be spending the weekend with my eldest sister and the next one up from me (both to the left in the pic)

We shall eat some of the above with wonderful coffee, have a look in some great shops.

Sit around and tell stories of when we were young, laugh till we cry, play pranks on each other. (did I tell you about the time I went away with same two sisters and one of them hid my underwear and swore black and blue she hadn't? Another time perhaps)

Then eat some more cake and complain that we shouldn't have.

This turning fffffffifty (ssssh!!) has had me doing a lot of thinking about all sorts of things recently.

Mainly trying to find the upside of getting older.

If you have any positive points you can share with me please do so............

After the weekend I shall come home and madly repack my bag for ten days in Tassie.........

It's a long overdue annual holiday and even though I love Winter and the cold, what was I thinking..............

I'm hoping our very loose schedule will allow for a catch up over coffee with a couple of wonderful blog buddies.

No 1 is staying home to keep the home fires burning feed the chooks and as he informed me invite some mates out for a jam........... should I be worried?

So, if you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks, never fear I'm not too far away and hope to be back by the end of June if not before with lots of interesting pics and news of our holiday.

So, thankyou all for stopping to say "hi".

If I get a chance over the hols I will pop by and see what's been happening in blog land.

We are taking a laptop, as it seems we can't live without it these days..............

I shall be busy crocheting up some woolly Winter bunting while I'm away, to keep my fingers warm..........

Till next time, take care,

Claire X