Christmas is coming!

Woohoo! I actually enjoy the build up to Christmas more than the actual day I think.. maybe.. I can never quite recapture the joy, magic and whimsy of Christmases from my childhood, and am always a little disappointed by that I think - that the day is a run-around mission between three family get togethers, pretty exhausting stuff. But seeing everybody and being together and jolly together makes it worth while :) And I truly do enjoy and love it =D

So a couple of things lately have been striking me as good signs that Christmas truly is right around the corner! It's beginning to look (and feel!) a lot like Christmas!!

(in no particular order)
Christmassy Sign #1:

Our last Library SnB for this year!! I made up a little treat for everybody, and handed them out to all - but luckily I had some spare so some ended up on my tree at the end of the night, and I'm hence able to share photos!! Knitting Baubles!!

I made non-knitterly ones as gifts for my workmates, and of course each time I finished one I'd brandish it to skoota and exclaim whatever I'd glittered onto it .. "Joy!!" ... "Merry!!"... "Peace!!".. so I couldn't leave skoota-roota out, so made him a little anarchy bauble for his punky self!! *grin*

So at the SnB Helen had some stock from the Jacaranda festival she needed to clear, but was also having a CHRISTMAS SALE! Wheeee!!! So I picked up two fabulous goodies (along with the copy of KnitScene she had picked up for me, and a whoooollle bunch of Rowan mags she has loaned me - generous!!)! One of the goodies I've ogled online for AGES but couldn't justify purchasing it at the price with postage included.. but Helen had them at brilliant affordable-ness! Little Sheepie Measures!!

I picked up one like these little fellows above, and the little outcast chap below too! *grin*

The black sheep of the flock!! How cute!! For those of you who haven't seen these little chaps (and chapesses) before, they are actually measuring tapes, in sheep's clothing *huge smile* so much fun!!
And the other exotic and delicious purchase I made, at a laughably low cost thanks to Helen's generosity and Holiday Sale-ings, is this stunning Lantern Moon woven seagrass basket
*drools down chin a little*

Oh. My. Isn't it GORGEOUS?!?! I simply couldn't resist it. It is such a fabulous size, big enough to fit a sheep load of spinning fiber to have beside my wheel, or carry around to spin guild meets etc.. or at the moment, I'm storing some of my yarns in it, as it sits prettily and oh-so-aesthetically-pleasingly in my studio, basking in the love and admiration I'm showering over it! I adore it.

See the inside is all beautifully lined with (my absolute favourite colour) GREEN lining, stitched in diamonds, with two long tails to tie together at the top if needed to hold the basket shut.

And the detail of the weaving.. oh... so lovely :)

Christmassy Sign #2:

The company I work for has had its State end of year "Away Day"! Basically it's a day where we all get togeher (at the Royal Perth Yacht Club no less - la de dah!!) for a morning of the CEO and various others talking about what happened in 2006, celebrating the acheivements of different programs, what funding we've received etc.., what's ahead in 2007 - pretty much a super long and boring staff meeting on a giant scale. I always find the first part of the day completely tedious and long winded, so this time I came prepared! I brought three different knitting projects! Ha HA!! One of which was Skoot's scarf which I have... FINISHED KNITTING!!! WOOHOOO!!

I have now to sew in the ends, mattress the two scarf lengths together, and I'm planning on knitting him up a matching beanie and stubby holder [stubby = glass beer bottle, for non aussies:) ] to make a complete set for him, and then I can give it to him for Chrissie! He knows I'm finished the scarf knitting, but doesn't know my secret plans for global matching set domination!! so Shhhh!!! Don't tell! ;)

One of the lovely and fun things of the meeting part, is the last part before lunch, where they announce the nominees of the Outstanding Service Award, then the winner/s of the award for that year. And I was nominated!!! *proud excited beaming* So many nice things were said about me that I couldn't even take it all in. I was nominated last year and 2004 but this time I tried to take it all in a bit more and absorb what people had said - I was blushing and felt so good inside to have my hard work noticed, and that people appreciate the little things I do to try to make everyone's day brighter and more fun :) It was so SO touching, one lady even said something to the effect of "We have national treasures, I suggest we elect Sasha as our Agency Treasure!" How sweet is that?!

Then we all break for the Chrissie buffet lunch, so we socialise and scoff til we feel like heading home. Everyone kept calling me "treasure" and even at work yesterday people continued to use it - they've adopted it as my nickname it seems!! This year we were also all gifted with a lovely boxed Poinsettia, one for every staff member (and that's State wide so it was an awesome fit out!) - another lovely gesture :)

The Royal Perth Yacht Club is a gorgeous venue for the lunch, check out the views!


Which brings me to...

Christmassy Sign #3:

The weather! Many of you may be surrounded by cold winds, the need for knitted and woolly items, and even some stereotypical and stunningly beautiful snow - a white Christmas. We here in Oz are surrounded by baking heat, the need for fly swats and shade, and even some stereotypical and stunningly yobbo-ish thongs and tiny shorts! An Aussie Christmas! We don't have roasts (generally - though some families do), we have a barbie (barbie-q, not a small plastic anti-feminism icon) or a spread of cold meats, seafood (prawns especially) and salads. Well.. they do, I have similarly cold but vegetarian treats :)
The sunsets have been becoming more and more stunning as Summer gets into gear - these two I took driving home last week, and aren't the full blown colour extravaganza we normally get, but gorgeous none-the-less.

And of course the clear blue skies, and mercifully tall and shady trees to park or sit beneath :)


And lastly, for the moment,

Chistmassy Sign #4:
I have my tree finally up and (almost) satisfactorily decked. I unpacked all my ornaments at the very end of November and was awash with memories and sentimentality :) I've placed all my figurines, and lovely snowgloves etc.. around the house, and hung all my collectibley ornaments on our wonky cheap-as-chips tree! Must look at getting a new tree for next year - over even a real live one in a pot! I share with you one of my favourites - a gift from my Mumma from last year's Christmas :)


And with that I'm off to the couch to finish painting and knitting up some gifties!!
I'm on holidays now until January 11th, so I'll have much more time for crafting and blogging - wheee! =D