Thanksgiving

Well even though it's not officially Thanksgiving here yet, our family had it a week early because the Sis-in-law is away this week in Hawaii (lucky duck).  So we had the family dinner last Friday night.  I was in charge of two things.

1.  Decorations & setting the table
2.  Finishing off and presenting the desserts.

Mom had bought the table clothes and placemats and plates, and the rest was up to me.  A trip to Walmart, and $30 later this is what I came up with...

I did the leaf deco on the name tags, the napkins & the floral arrangement.

And then we got to eat all of this...

For the desserts, I had to do three things.  First was the little chocolate cakes.  They were cut in half and we put a chocolate ganache in the middle, then whipped cream on top with chocolate shavings.  Second was the Raspberry Cheesecake squares which is that huge platter.  We put them in the patty cases, and drizzled them with raspberry sauce and put a raspberry on top.  And then thirdly was the pumpkin tarts on the other side of the table, we just had to put the filling in, squirt it with cream and drizzle some butterscotch sauce on top.  Everything tasted amazing.

It was nice to do a little bit of crafting, and to finish off the desserts. 

That's all for now!

Cleanup & Update

I've been having trouble keeping up with all the blog posts.  You see I'm one who likes to read them, cause you're my inspiration and I love seeing how clever everyone is out there.  But lately I have had trouble keeping up.  And I noticed that my blog reader list was beginning to fill up with bloggers whose crafts and creations don't really interest me so much anymore.  So I did a BIG  cleanup of blogs I follow.  I think I "unfollowed" about 50 blogs.  Hopefully now I'll be able to keep up better now.

Well we've been in the USA for a few days now.  I am still jet lagged but my body clock is starting to relent and adjust.  We have been doing little bits of shopping each day.  Husby and I have been saving and have budgeted to buy new wardrobes.  New everything.  Problem is, I can't find much that either fits, or I like!  So we may not have full wardrobes to take home with us, but I suppose something is better then nothing. 

I have itchy fingers.  I haven't crafted for over a week.  I'm going to try and break into the M-I-L's sewing boxes tomorrow.... cause I'm starting to get bored.  When I am on holidays, I relax by doing the things I enjoy.  Sitting around watching DVD's and talking is fun for a day or two.. but then I wanna get my craft on!  I might even see if I can duck down to Michael's tomorrow to check out that 80% clearance basket out that I was eyeing off from a distance today.  I might find some little treasures.

Maybe I'll have piccies for you tomorrow.  But as for now, there's only touristy ones which aren't really too exciting. 

Touchdown!

Well, after about 28 hours after leaving my house in Brisbane, Australia, I MADE IT!!  Husby and I are in Houston Texas visiting with his family.  We'll be here for the next 27 days.  I am jet lagged like I have never been jet lagged before in ANY of my overseas travels.

What I have learnt over the past 48 hours period:
- turbulence is not my friend.
- turbulence makes you feel sick after about 20 mins
- food inside your belly does not like turbulence
- one cannot sleep through turbulence
- turbulence makes you want to pee, even though you just peed
- turbulence hurts your back after a while
- turbulence makes you want to burp
- turbulence is scarier when you're in the BACK of the plane - quite literally the back two seats.
- when turbulence lasts for 3 hours, it can make you mad because you want to be sleeping...


I think you get the message.  We had alot of turbulence.  Husby and I decided we would sleep the last 6-7 hours of the flight so we could try and start to adjust our body clocks, as we landed in LAX early morning.  The turbulence ruined our plans and neither of us slept, so we actually went for a good 36 hour period without sleep.  Today we have been walking zombies saying strange things.

We did manage to buy a few items of clothes.  Much needed clothes.  We only brought with us one set of clothes apart from what we were wearing.  So yeah, we really needed to buy clothes.  But it's really exciting cause there is lots more clothes buying to happen!!  I also hope to sneak into some of the craft stores around here and hopefully find some small treasures to take home.

Anyway, it is super late and my jet lag is being annoying and keeping me awake so I need to go pop some sleeping pills and try and get some sleep :)

I should have some fun things to show you soon!

Giveaway

Check out this giveaway.. full of fabric goodness.  Check it!

6,7,8 & 9

#6 - Favourite super hero/why?

Do the Incredible's count?  "we're deeeaaad, we survived, but we're deeeaaaaad".  I love that movie.  It just makes me laff.

#7 - A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

Pretty self explanatory I think....

#8 - Short term goals for this month and why.

Well, my goal for this month is to RELAX for the first time in YEARS.  I'm going overseas to visit with my husby's family for a WHOLE MONTH.  (If you break into my house I will kill you!)  I will be shopping, crafting, playing tourist, driving, exploring, visiting, laughing, taking loads of piccies, and it is going to be bliss!

#9- Something you’re proud of in the past few days.

I stood up for myself in a way I never have done before.  It absolutely destroyed my nerves but I did it and I don't regret it AT ALL cause I did nothing wrong.  And let me add that I am non-confrontational.

I promise I will have more crafty things to be blogging about soon!!  For now you're stuck with  mumbo jumbo all about me!!

(2 more sleeps till I fly away in a jet plane)

I'll have this in green thanks.

I'll have this bedroom, but in green instead of yellow. 

My Wonderful WIP

So here is what I'm working on.  Remember these guys?...

Well, they're still sitting in a stack and I haven't made them into a wall hanging yet.  Maybe when I get back into the country.

And then there's the music box...

The handle is still not actually screwed onto the lid..

And then there's the magnet pegs..

Yeah, they're still not finished.

Either is the flower clip I asked your advice on the other day..

Whoopsy!

Check out more Wonderful WIP's over at The Clip Cafe.

Few more items.

#3 A picture of you and your friends.

I don't really have friends.  But I would consider this guy sitting next to me my bestest friend...

#4 - A Habit I Wish I didn't have.

I have a habit of telling myself in my mind what needs to be done.  And then having a conversation in my mind about why I can do it later.  So my bad habit is procrastination and it is something that I definately need to work on!

#5 - A picture of somewhere you've been.

Here's a few neat places I've visited.

Washington DC.

NASA - Houston Space Station (with my parents, hubby, hubby's parents & hubby's uncle)

Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah.

What it means.

#2 - The meaning behind your blog name.

When I was little, I wrote in my journal every week.  I also liked writing poems, and drawing and things like that.  Whenever I would finish writing or doing whatever I was doing, I would sign off like this.

(Obviously I would put the year that it currently was.)

I don't even know why I did it.  I guess I was an eccentric kid.  But it was my brand.  My sign off.  And I always did it.  So when I started a craft blog, it was clear what my blog name should be.  A Christy Production.  The products of Christy.

Weird but true.

30 days

30 (non-consecutive) days of me.

I saw this over at Kiwi at Heart.  I'm really busy and super stressed about some things going on in my life at the moment but I think this is an interesting challenge.  I am going to be realistic about this one though, and won't be doing it each day consecutively.  I might even combine a few in each post.  But it is in an effort to show you a little bit about who I am.  I'm a complex creature, and alot of the time people don't get me. 

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself.
Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name.
Day 03- A picture of you and your friends.
Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Day 06- Favorite super hero and why
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why.
Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days
Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14- A picture of you and your family
Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16- Another picture of yourself
Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23- Something you crave for a lot
Day 24- A letter to your parents
Day 25- What I would find in your bag
Day 26- What you think about your friends
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned
Day 30- Your favorite song.

So here we go.

#1 -  A recent picture of me and 15 facts (I kinda did the fact thing recently but I'll try and think of different things to make it interesting).

1. I like it when craft glue dries on my skin and I can peel it off.  

2. I move constantly in my sleep.

3. I hate it when my feet get too warm, cause then they feel like they're burning.

4. I don't like normal sized towels.  I only like using bath sheets.

5. I am a hairdresser who hates getting her own hair done!

6. I have to wash my hair every day or else it looks like a grease pit.  I am grateful every day to my dad for giving me his scalp.

7. At 25, I am still getting zits.  I thought this would have finished at around 18.  But no.  

8. I have a random painting in my craft room that I refuse to throw out.  It's of two cows.  I don't even like cows, but have some strange connection with the painting.

9. I keep just about every scrap of fabric, and I USE it too!

10. I have started dreaming about craft.  They're such lovely dreams.  Last night I dreamt about blue floral vintage sheets in an Op Shop.

11. My have really unattractive toes.  My big toe looks like a Dim Sim.  It's a family joke.

12. I rarely shave my legs.  

13.  I hate two storey houses.

14. I don't like being driven around.  I'd much prefer to be the driver.

15. I have Sri Lankan blood in me.  

Turns out most of the facts are about my body.  Sharing is caring right?  haha... Lucky you!  

I know I said earlier today I might be absent from my blog but tonight I decided my blog is exactly what I need right now so thus the challenge to do the 30 different things.  But reality is also that I am going overseas this week and am working extra days and so yeah, we'll see what happens eh.

See ya :)

Absence

Dear Bloggy friends.

I might be absent until next week, a few days after we arrive in the USA.  I have some things I have to smooth over before I leave the country, along with needing to organise things around my house and pack what we're taking.  Hopefully once we get to our destination all will be resolved and I'll be able to relax and maybe do a little bit of crafting.  I'll be limited in what I can do over there as I of course won't have my stash!  I hope you all have a successful creative week and look forward to reading all about your successes on your blogs!

Giveaway goodness.

It seemed for a minute there that there were no giveaways happening after Blogtoberfest.  But they are back in full swing it seems!!  Here are some awesome goodies.

ZiBagz
She is hosting an awesome giveaway to win a cute little vintage coin purse.

She is one clever lady.  She also makes other cool things like this...

...and this...

Would be wise to check her giveaway and shop out.

JLJ Designs Crafting Blog
She is hosting a fun giveaway of Scrapbooking goodies with the Fall theme.

Craft with Confidence

There's an awesome opportunity to win a hand made scarf!  It's gorgeous!
 

Good luck!

My creative space... did you miss me?

I didn't post for two days straight.  It felt super weird.

I'm making these at the moment...

They're magnet pegs.  There is 80 of them.  This is all I've finished so far.  These are left to be finished...

I'm not half way yet, but that's ok.  The reason I am making them is I have had something really stressful to deal with come up in the past few days, and I needed a creative oulet to help me deal with the annoyance of it all, and this is super easy and I don't even have to think while I'm doing it.

On a lighter note.. what are you doing next week?

I'm going overseas :)

Opinions please.

Ok so I couldn't stay away.  They say it takes 16 days to form a habit.  It was 31 days so thats pretty much double the time to form a habit, so now blogging is a habit - but without the pressure :)

I am participating in a challenge on Really Reasonable Ribbon to create something in a Wintery: blue, white & silver theme.  Firstly, it's Summer here so that's a weird colour combo to be working on this time of year, but I like a challenge, and it's nice to work for a prize for a change.  Anyway, I made this...

And I don't know whether I should turn it into a headband...

A hair clip...

Or a brooch...

I'm leaning towards the headband but could be persuaded otherwise.  If you have any other ideas I'm all ears.

As for now, I am taking my tired little brain off to beddies.  Big day tomorrow!

Oh, did you win any of the giveaways you entered?  There are still a few more to be drawn that I entered.  So far I've won one.  Fingers crossed for a few more!!  Hehe.

Finale: Giveaway winner. More then you bargained for!

#31

Did you see those magic numbers?  I sure as hell did!  31 posts done and dusted!!

So I have a little suprise for my giveaway winner which I have not yet picked out of my trusty hat.  You know how my giveaway looked a bit boring and there wasn't much up for grabs...?

Well I lied.  What was in that picture and what I have been advertising as the prize all month long is a lie.

Because instead you'll be getting this...

Various cardboards and patterned papers, Stampin Up cut outs and gift box dicuts.

And this....

Fabric in various sizes, 2 doiley's, 4 flower clips, craft rope, ric rac, laces.

And this...

4 Christmas cards, scrapbooking rings, 5 bracelet/earring sets of jewellry, tub of buttons, tub of brads, chocolate gift box.

I have my reasons for doing this.  I wanted this giveaway to be something more for my current followers.  Plus a suprise is always fun.

I didn't want it to be a big "let's join her blog so we can win free stuff" deal.  I just thought it would be fun to keep it smaller and have a nice big happy suprise for the winner.  The winner of which I have not yet chosen!  I wrote all the names down on paper earlier and they are ready to go...

And the winner is:  Karyn from Eva Mei and Me!

I have it all packaged up and ready to go so just email me your address Karyn!  Congrats!

Thank you everyone for entering and sharing your favourite Christmas Traditions.  I will do up a post shortly with all of your traditions with links back to your page so that everyone in blog land has an opportunity to read about the special things you do in your families.

I'm going to have to come up with another giveaway in the upcoming months.  They are so fun!

I was just about to sign off and say my typical "Until tomorrow", but you know what, I might take the day off!!  So...

Until next time!