catching up

Well, hopefully my blog hiatus is over!

Catch-up:-
Most of the loose ends from the business are finally being finished off. They are frustratingly fiddly. I am still chasing credits from about 7 companies valuing about $3000 (maybe a bit less) never the less worth the ringing around.

We also attended my best friends daughter's (babylou's) namimg day (now my god child - or in fact I am her "mentor" - scary!). I was obsessing over an appropriate gift without breaking our ever-diminishing bank (one wage and all). In the end I chose this

and wrapped it all up pretty to match her eyes.

At the party a group of women decided that it was best to rip off all the wrappings and bin them so my friend could see what everyone gave her. I was horrified! All that beautiful wrapping, expensive, reusable fabric (from me) and ribbon (from my mother and me - it runs in the family) all went into the bin! I could be seen moments later rummaging through scraps of wrappings muttering to myself. I could understand some of their motivations when I came across newspaper and a brown paper bag that had been the wrapping for two of the other gifts (perhaps I need to keep my inner bitch in check) I finally got all my bits together and quietly pulled my friend aside to let her know what it had looked like and that the ribbon was meant for babylou's hair as it grew (a girl can never have too many ribbons). A lesson learnt anyway.

I have also been busy cleaning out our 5 bedroom home's worth of stuff that I have been actively accumulating within our two bedroom unit over the last 3 years. We decided to take all the stuff to a market to retrieve a little money. We did OK but it was hard getting rid of stuff that I would have liked to have kept. (SIGH!) So many good books!

Christmas has arrived! I trawled the thrift stores with a budget of $20 to try and get a smallish re-usable tree. It looks like it could be classed as "vintage". Only one piece missing! No good pictures as it just happens to be the main top piece. Never mind, the girl loves it! Even with lights from our local $2 shop (not $2 of course) we came in well under budget. (decorations came free with the tree and tinsel was thrown in for good measure).

Thrifty Christmas joy!

Photo taken more to show off my early Christmas present found the same day!