Happy New Year!

I spent new year's eve with my family (as I always do =D). We had snacks and drinks at home, before heading down to the local carnival and fireworks display at around 9pm - with the rest of our town! The fireworks were fantastic, and ended a bit after 10pm (as it is a family night) - then we could come home to relax in front of the tv until midnight.

Working on some game art, and eating snacks!

Me =)

Although I'm still struggling to recover after all the illness and awesomeness I have experienced of late, I am sure this year is going to be way better than last year!

I hope everyone else had an awesome Christmas and New Year, too!

~Adrielle =)

Christmas 2!

In addition to decorating everything and making festive art and craft, in the lead up to Christmas, my family also make festive food! This year, we made a Christmas cake (using the recipe we always use), a pavlova for Christmas day's dessert, an ice-cream plum pudding (my aunty's recipe), and some white Christmas! My mum also made a Christmas lolly tree!

Fruit and spices for the ice-cream plum pudding!

Ice-cream plum pudding mixture!

White Christmas mixture!

Pavlova mixture!

Lolly tree!

A piece of ice-cream plum pudding! 

Having a chocolate advent calendar is also a December tradition for me!

One of our other traditions is that we usually go to Carols by Candlelight each year (unless I am not well enough). This year, it was amazingly awesome! I am so glad I was able to go!

(My family also also usually go to the local Orchid Club's Christmas party together, but this year, I was not well enough to go to that.)

    

Christmas eve is the day that my family exchange gifts. The tradition started when we had to go out early on Christmas day when I was younger, and it was hard to give out presents while trying to get ready to go - but the tradition has remained. It is nice to have presents a little bit early!

A Christmas ice pack for a Christmas eve dislocation! 

A bracelet from Ellenya!

Earrings from my parents (to match my birthday necklace)!

More earrings from my parents!

My present for Ellenya!

Another present for Ellenya!

One of my presents!

Some of the presents I received! 

A bracelet from my parents!

Our cats seemed to like their present, too! It was a cardboard box with ribbons and bows stuck onto it - and with toys inside! 

After exchanging gifts, we spent Christmas eve afternoon making festive outfits to wear on Christmas day!

Jasper and Lily helped!

The skirt my mum made for me!

My decorated shoe!

My bracelet!

We spent Christmas day at my grandmother's house with lots of family, and lots of awesome food! I ended up asleep for several hours in my nana's bed, but enjoyed lunch and tea!

Pavlova!

My arm had glitter tattoos!

Morning tea!

More morning tea!

My anklet!

Me!

My nana's Christmas tree! 

Anyway, I had a fantastic Christmas - I hope everyone else did too!

~Ad =)

Christmas 1!

Christmas has always been an amazingly awesome and happy time in my family! No matter what has happened throughout the year, and no matter what else changes as the years go by - Christmas is a time when everything is decorated, there is amazing food, music, singing, and everyone is happy and together!

    

For my family, Christmas is a month-long celebration. We usually put up our Christmas decorations on the weekend before December 1st, or around then. We have accumulated lots of special decorations over the years, from 1980 - when my parents were married, to the present day.

Lily helping us to put up the Christmas tree! 

Some decorations on our tree!

I was putting decorations on the bottom because I needed to sit on the floor. 

Lily liked the decorations near the bottom of the tree... 

She chewed the branches, too! 

Our tree!

Our tree again! 

As well as decorating the main rooms of the house, we also decorate all of the other rooms. (We even have Christmas soap dispensers in the bathrooms!) Below are some pictures of the decorations in my bedroom!

The shelf above my bed, and the bed head was decorated, and I had a mini tree!

Lily helped my sister and I to decorate my room!

The wardrobe door - with window stickers and battery-operated lights!

My bed head and the shelf above my bed were decorated!

Window stickers on my wardrobe doors!

Decorations on my drawers! 

Decorated drawers!

Bells hanging from my curtain rod near the window! (The kittens liked these!)

The curtain rod above my window!

Some ornaments!

Bows and bells below my shelves!

My mum, sister and I also make festive craft in the lead up to Christmas. This year, we made decorations, hats, skirts, shoes, beaded bracelets and anklets!

A Christmas star mosaic!

You can read more about our crafty Christmas creations here and here =). 

~Ad =)