The Christmas Chain Swap 2013

I know I have been absent for the last few weeks. The dance academy my daughter attends is rehearsing for the end of year recital at the moment. Her teacher has been teaching for 30 years this year so it is a special event. Not only is our daughter Jamie involved in a number of dances, but my husband and I are also involved this year making appearances throughout the second half of the show as Santa and Mrs Claus. Her teacher asked at the end of the 2012 recital a year ago if we would do it. The things we do for our kids! This is keeping us rather busy. We go to the local costume place tomorrow to get our costumes which will be fun. The recital is on 13 and 14 December. The rehearsals will really be stepping up over the next three weeks so I apologise if I disappear again for a bit. Jamie is super busy as she also has a good part in her school play which is to be staged a week after her dance recital. She loves dance and theatre and being on stage so she is happy. This year is her last year at primary school and she will be going to intermediate school next year.

I am really excited to have received my swap partners today in The Christmas Chain Swap 2013 organised by Fabiola of http://fabiolamiominimondo.blogspot.com

Thank you Fabiola for organising the swap.

My swap partners are:

Francesca of Italy. Her blog is http://miniricamo.blogspot.it/

and

Maribel. Her blog is http://maribel41.blogspot.it/

It will be lovely to have two special little gifts under my Christmas tree this year from the other side of the world.

This weekend will be a very busy but fun weekend organising mini items to send to them.

Happy Halloween My Friends

Happy Halloween (even though in New Zealand it is the evening of 1 November).

We have traditionally not celebrated Halloween in New Zealand, although over the last few years it is slowly being introduced. I wouldn't let my daughter go trick or treating this year, much to her annoyance, but we did all have a witches hat muffin for pudding last night and have a few paper decorations around. While we don't celebrate it here I personally find some of the decorations for Halloween a lot of fun.

I received this postcard in the mail today. I purchased it via an on-line auction so I could scale it down for the wall of my Timeless Treasures project. It shows a baby with what I understand is an old French toy. I am also hoping to make something similar to the toy for my project.

Why am I posting this picture for Halloween? Look carefully at the top left corner and then look at what has landed on the toy. I hope you can see it.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!