And so this was Christmas.

Why oh why do we do it to ourselves each year? Seems just after the event, we swear vow and declare never to have a repeat episode yet a year later, we are handing out invites for Christmas day and looking forward to it.
Oh, us fickle humans!
Before the Big Day, l decided to tackle one of them supermarkets to get in food. l’d knocked off work at the bank early just for that purpose and let me say – l seriously hate those big supermarkets. They make me dizzy with all the over head lights and piped music. l like our small local one where the store keeper walks around with you and tells you what is on special, what tastes nice and has the guts to say ‘Put that back, you won’t like it’.
Anyway, big supermarket, there l was. First off l couldn’t get the trolley out of the line up. You have to give it a gold coin….one of which l didn’t have. A friendly lass working nearby come over to see if l were right. My stare must of said lots as she laughed and pulled some kind of token from her pocket. l could put that in the trolley and later remove it to keep for next time. No charge and it was all said with a smile. Lovely.
She also promised to check all the aisles at 9.30 when they closed, to make sure l weren’t still wandering around lost like. Pfft. Maybe my look said more than l thought.
No idea what on earth l were meant to be buying as Scott wasn’t really specific. He just said to grab a few things if l wanted.
So l hurled 2 cooked chickens in the trolley, along with a big leg ham, a topside roast (that someone would have to cook), a turkey roll thingy, lots of mince pie things and seafood packs and biscuits and…and…l don’t know. Puddings and brandy custard and cream in a spray can and lollies and a birthday cake ( for boxing day) and and…before long, the trolley was full. Felt sure l should of had some kind of vegie in there so doubled back for a bag of spuds, carrots, pumpky and a few white carrots.
Check out lass was very nice, shame she asked for close to $450!
Got the lot home and saw the answering machine flashing. Opps, l’d forgotten to pick up a bus traveller. Flew up to town and found them.
We’d pulled in the use of the spare fridge and freezer from the shed (Ant’s stuff that he hasn’t reclaimed yet). Thank god we did. My shopping trip filled them both. Then the boys arrived and Scott mentions his need for the freezers. Why? Appears he did a big Christmas shop too…say wha? l says ‘but you asked me to shop’.
He says no, he told me to pick up a few things if l felt like it. He’d do the main shop.
Oh.
No shortage of food here!
Christmas Eve was a jolly fun time with 5 of us and two late visitors who stayed the night. Christmas day was lovely…more lovely as l were told to stay away from the food side of things (wise move). The boys cooked up a storm while the rest of us went for a walk on the beach (or fell in the water….* hands up *)
Santa was most kind to me. Got a nice selection of goodies that are all useful and mostly practical.
A craft pasta machine (for polymer clay), 12 blocks of clay and a modelling tool set, a ‘floating lid’ Breville thingy (haven’t sussed that out yet), Old Rose Perfume, Angel purfume & lotion, a set of 12 DVD’s, necklace, two hampers of food (* gasp *), a dolls house (flat packed but looks very Edwardian shape), gift vouchers, make up bag….few other little trinklets that were all well thought out and very much loved.
Oh…and a promise note. Hah! Scott is putting a full sized oven in here because he said its too hard to cook anything without pre-planning on his behalf. (Really? l hadn’t noticed!)
So. That was christmas day. Boxing Day…the wheels started to fall off with a birthday party and influx of 9 other people….

Just checkin’ in.

To let yous know l’m still in the land of the living. A very busy land of the living but alive all the same.
If l thought l had a bit to do in the last few months, l were sadly mistaken. This last week has been totally mind blowing.
So a few thankyous are in order.

Thankyou to the wonderful team of ladies who make sure l have food in front of me. Whatever would l do without you all? And l’m pretty sure l’m right that a lamington and bottle of coke covers all four food groups and is a suitable brekkie?

Thankyou to the Black pony car. Man, that thing is good. Never misses a beat, gets from A to B quickly and looks out for me. l swear it pulls itself into a service station when it looks like going thirsty. Its like having a good horse fully saddled in the drive way, just waiting for me to go out.

Thankyou to the goblins who come down on weekends to clean the swamp house. Sometimes l see yous, sometimes l don’t. But you are the reason l have clothes to wear, clean dishes to use and food in the cupboard (its usually still there each week, huh?)

Thankyou to the lovely girls who are keeping an eye on the horses. l still do a daily drive by to check they are standing, move fences, check water and pat noses. But l know l didn’t put those braids in the Birds mane nor daisy chains along the hot wire (was that fun?)

Thank you to the wonderful courier drivers who deliver pallets of goods here every day. Well, thank you to all but one – whoever dropped the load on my doorstep – l hate you. l don’t own a forklift and couldn’t shift the fucker. Thankyou to the 4 o clock pick-up guys for taking away loads of parcels so l dont have to trudge to the post office each day.

Thank you to my new employee who has seen me roar, rant, cry and laugh…and still fronts for work every day.

Thank you to my IT guy who can never understand that we run five computers and various heat presses / cutters / plotters / printers and still manage to blow summin up each day.

Whew.
Looking forward to Christmas day and Boxing Day. Have declared those two days as holidays for everyone here.

So all my friends, buddys and others, merry christmas to yous all. Stay safe and watch those roads.
See you all in the New Year when things hopefully slow down a bit.

Never say ‘l want…..’

Because if your sister hears you say ‘ l want a dolls house to customise’…you will get a shitload of unsuitable houses rock up.
Try 6 of them.

This thumper can’t even make it in the doorway (not that l want it to). Its currently under a tarp outside. 4ft long and 3 ft high…erm….way over size.

Running joke is that l could stick it on a block of land and charge rent!

The yellow peril….erm….fail!

The pine polished job. Would be adaptable but its too bloody heavy.

Oh oh…getting taller. This one is on wheels. And big…well, l thought it was big until….

She unloaded one even bigger. Oh my!
All fails.

Sigh. Nope. Not that one either.

Must push across the point of 1/12th scale. It is small. Very small.
Those plates of food in the photos below are in scale. Each bowl or plate would sit on a 5 cent piece.
l’ve put a stop to other people buying me houses now. It has reached the stupid stage.

Inside the Tudor Inn

Thought l’d better update the progress not that there has been a great deal due to work committments.

Since there are mongrul windows all the way round, l’ve put in a false wall on one side so l had somewhere to put the fireplace.
From the outside, you see windows. From the inside, you see wall. Works for me.

Air Dry clay, glue and paint does maketh a stone floor.

Erm….dog’s head in door does not maketh a dragon
* shoo dog, shoo *

Of course, an Inn needs food and people.

Most of the food is oven bake clay that l had lots of fun making because no one is going to taste it and tell me its too dry/bitter or yucky. Discovered this wonderful stuff called ‘spices’ on a spice rack in the supermarket so raided such things as peppercorns, mint leaves and juniper berries. They are the right size.
That roast summin on the tray is a pig. Not a mouse. No….even if three people have asked already ‘why a roast mouse’.
Pfft.

Now onto the small people. l’ll use oven bake clay once again but just have to find the time. Been a few weeks since l’ve touched the Tudor inn but hey, at least work orders are flowing in.

The Tudor Inn

Strange thing, this one. l don’t think it was made to be a doll house for several reasons: The size is all wrong. If you put a middle floor in on the ridge around the middle, the bottom floor is only 6 inches high. Too small for 1/12ths scale and too big for 1/48th. Plus you would have no way of access since only the back of the roof lifts off (well, it does now) and the two doors at the front.
Can’t be a railway model house as its too big. Strange.
The maker loved nails. Millions of them.They nailed each shingle on the roof. They nailed each bit of trim wood, where one nail would of done, they used 6.
Argh.
The window panes had a mix of old plastic, perspex, metal fly wire and real old glass. The type of glass that shatters into a million pieces.
The first few days were spent removing bits that were trying to do me in – broken glass, rusty metal nails poking out and metal shards from the old fly wire.
Then it had a bath to remove the pong of old wood and storage. Oh…and the wasp nest that was under the gable, that went too.

A work in progress (slow progress l might add).