Day 24 - Blog Advent Tour

And so we come to the end of this year's Blog Advent Tour and I have to say I think it has been terrific this year! I already am looking forward to next year!

I was hoping to do a recap of some of the posts tonight, but I have managed to get myself a summer cold and I feel terrible so I am off to bed for an early night!

Before I do go to bed though I do want to say thanks to everyone who participated this year, and to announce the final stops on the tour which are with Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings
, Kailana's Written World and Sherry at Semicolon.

One last treat from me. Did you know that you can track Santa as he goes around the world via NORAD - click here and watch Santa as he criss crosses the globe delivering gifts! My son loves watching this, and it is something that we enjoy doing together!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Day 23 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

Well, apart from a few bits and pieces, I think I am done! Tonight I am hoping to wrap the last of the gifts, but I also need to clear the spare room in case my mother does end up staying with me for the next two nights!

We are nearly done for the Advent Blog Tour as well, although there are a few stops yet, including the following blogs today:

Jane from Janezlifeandtimes

Memory from Stella Matutina

Debbie from Friday Friends Book Blog

Cari from Book Scoops


I thought I might put up a couple of classic 80's Christmas songs for our enjoyment!

Day 22 - Blog Advent Tour

Not many days to go, but still quite a few stops on the tour! Here's the list including today's tour stops:

22 December

Think Pink Dana

My Friend Amy

Nicole from Linus's Blanket

Susan from Reading, Raving and Ranting by a Historical Fiction Writer

23 December

Jane from Janezlifeandtimes

Memory from Stella Matutina

Debbie from Friday Friends Book Blog

Cari from Book Scoops

24 December

Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings

Kailana's Written World

Sherry at Semicolon

Day 21 - 2008 Blog Advent Tours

Today on the Advent Tour there are four stops:

Rhinoa from Rhinoa's Ramblings

Melissa from Remember to Breathe

The Bluestocking Guide

Michelle from Fluttering Butterflies


Yesterday I posted about my new ornaments. Today, it is two of my favourites from a couple of years ago. I just love these two, and normally I insist that I need to be the one to put them on the tree! This year my son put one on, and I thought I had lost one of them!

Day 20 - Blog Advent Tour

Day 20 on the tour and today we are visiting Jessica from The Bluestockings Society, Naida from The Bookworm, BookClover and Book Thingo.

Each year I try to buy at least one new Christmas decoration for the tree. Some years it is a ball with the year painted on it. Other years it has been something else. This year, I have not one new decoration but six! The main reason for having six is that when I went to the shops last weekend, one of the department stores already had 40% off of their decorations, so I bought four! The other two came from a couple of family members who went to Sydney earlier in the month and bought decorations back.

The ones that I bought were three wise men and a purple and gold year bauble.





This is one of the gifts. At first glance I thought it was a kangaroo but a closer look tells me it is actually a reindeer. We won't mention my inability to recognise the national emblem okay? The tail should have been a clue!


This one is one that I was given last night. I really need a new bag, although I don't think that this one will fit many books in it, which is the top criteria I have for buying new handbags!

Day 19 - 2008 Blog Advent Tour

Today on the Blog Advent Tour we are visiting the blogs of Laclau from Conversacions de Cafe, Krissi from The Swim Mom, Morgan from Insert Clever Name Here and Mariel from Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops. Laclau's post is in Spanish, but there is a translation tool at the bottom of the blog! I just love that the English translation keeps referring to her panthers, which I suspect might be cats! LOL!

Here's some snippets of Aussie Christmas songs! It should be said that we don't sing any of them regularly, but they are an attempt to catch a little bit of the summer Christmas spirit!



The songs in order are:

1.Aussie Jingle bells
2.Deck the Sheds with bits of wattle
3.Santa's movin' to the South Pole
4.Barry the elf
5.The Holly and the Ivy
6.He's the Aussie Santa
7.Cool Rockin' Santa
8.Here Comes Christmas Bob
9.We wish you a ripper Christmas
10.Boomba the snow man

Day 18 - Blog Advent Tour

A week to go before the big day! Are we all ready? I think I am getting there in terms of things that need to happen on the big day. We just won't think about Christmas cards! Other than that, all under control I think!

Today on the tour we are visiting Alex from Daemonwolf Books, Leya from Wandeca Reads, Julia's Book Cornerand Hope is the Word.

Now for a little bit of fun...

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady Christmas

For you, it's all about sharing times with family. Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Day 17 - 2008 Blog Advent Tour

This month has gone so quickly! Only 8 more sleeps to go before the big day! Today on the Advent Blog Tour we are stopping by and visiting 3M from 1 More Chapter, Stine from The Washingtonium and Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness




Following on from yesterday's post, here's a poem that I received in my email for those of who like to craft as well as to read!



Twas the night before Christmas, I'm glued to the tree.
I'm wondering what Santa brought just for me.
Could it be cardstock or chipboard or lace?
Or a Cricut, I said, with a smile on my face.
And that's when I heard him,

"Hi Santa, " I said
"You know....good little girls
should be in their beds."
"I know I should Santa,
and now I've got caught.
But I was just so excited
To see what you brought."

"Well, let's take a look
in this room where you work.
He shook his head quickly,
And left with a jerk.
I heard him exclaim
as he put it in gear.
"You've got enough crap,
I'll see you next year!"

Day 16 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

Today on the Blog Advent Tour we are stopping by at the blogs of Strumpet from Strumpet's Life, Chris from Stuff as Dreams are Made on and Tammy from Omah's Helping Hand.


Personally, I am rapidly coming to the realisation that unlike last year, I am not going to be able to make all my Christmas cards this year!

I have made some. There are two designs - one made out of the leftovers of the other. I have decided that I am a bit of a magpie really because I love the sparkles!

The only problem is that I only bought a couple of sheets of the red because I hadn't really worked through my design, so then I tried it in green and liked it in both. I am going to try making it in purple as well. The little silver strip is folded so that it becomes like a stand for the card as it is opened up. The silver embossing is done with holographic silver embossing powder so that it really sparkles as it moves around.




The second design I have was one that originally made in the blue because I needed to send it to a secret identity card swap, and there needed to be a clue as to my identity. Because my userid on a lot of forums is 'diamondlil' or some variation of that name, the sparkles will hopefully be a bit of a clue! In this case, the embossing is done with Opalescent embossing powder so that as you move it around in the light you can see all different shades of blue, green and red.



So out of each 12x12 Bazill card I get 4 cards, which I think is pretty good!

Day 15 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

Today we are visiting Natasha from Maw Books, Somewhere in Between and Wendy from Caribou's Mom to see what Christmas treats they have to share with all of us!

The rest of the stops on the tour are:

16 December

Strumpet from Strumpet's Life

Chris from Stuff as Dreams are Made on

Tammy from Omah's Helping Hand

17 December

3M from 1 More Chapter

Stine from The Washingtonium

Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness

18 December

Alex from Daemonwolf Books

Leya from Wandeca Reads

Julia's Book Corner

Hope is the Word

19 December

Laclau from Conversacions de Cafe

Krissi from The Swim Mom

Morgan from Insert Clever Name Here

Mariel from Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops

20 December

Jessica from The Bluestockings Society

Naida from The Bookworm

BookClover

Book Thingo

21 December

Rhinoa from Rhinoa's Ramblings

Melissa from Remember to Breathe

The Bluestocking Guide

Michelle from Fluttering Butterflies

22 December

Think Pink Dana

My Friend Amy

Nicole from Linus's Blanket

Susan from Reading, Raving and Ranting by a Historical Fiction Writer

23 December

Jane from Janezlifeandtimes

Memory from Stella Matutina

Debbie from Friday Friends Book Blog

Cari from Book Scoops

24 December

Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings

Kailana's Written World

Sherry at Semicolon

Day 14 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

Today's stops on the Advent Tour are with Emily from Dreaming on the Job, Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic and with Cindy from Nocturnal Wonderings.

A couple of days ago I talked about the Melbourne tradition of visiting the Myer windows in the city. I haven't always lived here though. From the time I was 10 until my mid twenties, and then another couple of years later on, I lived in Adelaide. One of the major Christmas traditions in Adelaide is The Christmas Pageant.

The pageant was started in 1933, at the heart of the Depression, by the owner of the John Martins department store, and has bought joy to millions of South Australians over the years since. The pageant is held in early November each year, and heralds the commencement of the festive season because the last float is always Santa, making his way to the Magic Cave which is where all the kids can go and visit him. Every year a couple of hundred thousand people line the route, sitting behind the blue line and watch in delight as a variety of floats and characters pass by. I woke up this morning and found that the pageant was showing on TV, so it bought back lots of memories!

Kerrie from Mysteries in Paradise posted some photos of the pageant a while ago, and here is a video of some of the highlights.

Day 13 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

Are you a Stephanie Plum fan? If so, you might enjoy this version of The Twelve Days of Christmas!





Today for the Advent Blog Tour we are visiting Nymeth from Things Mean a Lot (and she has a giveaway as well!), Lisa from Book Ahoy and Suey from It's All About Books

Day 12 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

Christmas at Westminster, 1140

Christmas revelries at Westminster were lavish that year–deliberately so, as if rich fare and dramatic spectacle could somehow validate Stephen’s contested kingship, as if roast goose and spiced red wine and baker’s dozen of minstrels could make people forget the burning of Worcester, the sacking of Nottingham, the newly dug graves, and the uncertain tomorrows that lay ahead. The great hall of William Rufus had been adorned with so much greenery that it resembled the forest in which Rufus had met his death, decorated with evergreen boughs and holly and beribboned sprigs of mistletoe. The meal had been so bountiful that the leftover goose and venison and bread and eel scraped from the trenchers would feed Christ’s poor for days to come. The entertainment was equally extravagant: a woman rope dancer, a daredevil who juggled daggers, a Nativity play that offered not only the requisite shepherds and Magi but even a few sheep as props. Then the last of the trestle tables were cleared away and the dancing began, the irresistible, exuberant music of everyone’s favorite, the carol.

~From When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman.

Thanks to Sherry for reminding me of this passage from one of my favourite authors!



Today, we are off to visit with Bigsis from Through the Eyes of the Creator, Trish's Reading Nook and Julia from A Piece of My Mind

Day 11 - 2008 Blog Advent Tour

One of the Christmas traditions in Melbourne is the Myer store windows. Each year Melburnians are treated to a beautiful display based on either famous stories, or different aspects of Christmas.

The display contents and storylines are top secret until the windows are put on display each year, but I have been able to find some links to some of the older displays.

Here is a link to the 2001 Christmas windows which had a Wind in the Willows theme. The windows themselves are animated so lots of movement and music, but hopefully you will get a fair idea of them from the link!



Today on the Blog Advent Tour we visit Chris from Book-a-rama, Bookwormom and Mister Teacher from Learn Me Good

Enjoy!!

Day 10 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

more animals

I am not sure if I Haz it just yet, but I think we are getting there!



Today on the Advent Blog Tour we are visiting Kerrie from Mysteries in Paradise and Dolce Bellezza.

Day 9 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

Today on the 2008 Advent Blog Tour we are visiting with Raidergirl3 from An Adventure in Reading and Sherrie from Just Books. I hope you enjoy today's contribution, and that you are enjoying the whole tour so far!

You may have noticed that each day I have been trying to give you a little morsel of Christmas cheer when I post the tour details! Today I give you Carolyn Jean from The Trillionth Page's Holiday Gift Exchange cartoons. The idea is that each day one romance character gives a gift to other romance characters. Yes, they are romance based, but I think that people can still appreciate the sentiment, and there are some characters who are more mainstream than others.

Here are a couple from this year's batch (so far):

and one from last year:

Be sure to check the rest of the cartoons out at Carolyn Jean's blog.

Day 8 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

Wow! A week down and there have been some great posts! Today we are visiting Amy from Passages to the Past and Alyssa from By the Book.

I thought that today I would repost what is left of the list, so this is who we are still to visit on the tour over the next couple of weeks:

9 December

Raidergirl3 from An Adventure in Reading

Sherrie from Just Books

10 December

Kerrie from Mysteries in Paradise

Dolce Bellezza

11 December

Chris from Book-a-rama

Bookwormom

Mister Teacher from Learn Me Good

12 December

Bigsis from Through the Eyes of the Creator

Trish's Reading Nook

Julia from A Piece of My Mind

13 December

Nymeth from Things Mean a Lot

Lisa from Book Ahoy

Suey from It's All About Books

14 December

Emily from Dreaming on the Job

Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic

Cindy from Nocturnal Wonderings

15 December

Natasha from Maw Books

Somewhere in Between

Wendy from Caribou's Mom

16 December

Strumpet from Strumpet's Life

Chris from Stuff as Dreams are Made on

Tammy from Omah's Helping Hand

17 December

3M from 1 More Chapter

Stine from The Washingtonium

Kim from Sophisticated Dorkiness

18 December

Alex from Daemonwolf Books

Leya from Wandeca Reads

Julia's Book Corner

Hope is the Word

19 December

Laclau from Conversacions de Cafe

Krissi from The Swim Mom

Morgan from Insert Clever Name Here

20 December

Jessica from The Bluestockings Society

Naida from The Bookworm

BookClover

Book Thingo

21 December

Rhinoa from Rhinoa's Ramblings

Melissa from Remember to Breathe

The Bluestocking Guide

22 December

Think Pink Dana

My Friend Amy

Nicole from Linus's Blanket

Susan from Reading, Raving and Ranting by a Historical Fiction Writer

23 December

Jane from Janezlifeandtimes

Memory from Stella Matutina

Debbie from Friday Friends Book Blog

24 December

Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings

Kailana's Written World

Sherry at Semicolon

If you have been inspired by what you have seen so far on the tour and are thinking that you would have liked to be involved, it's still not too late. Just leave a comment and we will fit you into the schedule as well.

Day 7 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

Did you know Santa is a blogger? I had no idea at all! Thanks to Swimmom I do now, and it is a hoot! Of course, my respect at Santa's time management skills has grown even more - in store appearances, making toys, wrapping the gifts, packing the sleigh, reading all those letters from children around the world and blogging as well! What a guy!

Another fun link is this very cute Christmas themed jigsaw puzzle e-card.




Today on the Advent Blog Tour we are visiting Becky from Becky's Book Reviews and Melissa from Book Nut. Enjoy!

By the way, Ladytink was unable to post on her day due to computer issues, but her post is up now! Please be sure to check it out.

Day 6 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

I am thinking about putting up the Christmas tree and outdoor lights this weekend. What I can tell you is that the outdoor lights will not look like the ones in the video above!




Today on the blog tour we are visiting with Andrew from The View from Arizona, Marny the Bookworm and Kerri from Latte' Buddies.

Enjoy!

Day 5 - 2008 Advent Blog Tour

You Are a Tree

You love every part of the holidays, down to the candy canes and stockings. And you're goofy enough to put a Christmas tree ornament on your tree!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

For today's tour stops we are visiting with Vickie from Scrapbooking and Tidbits and Rob from The Snig's Foot. Looking forward to seeing their posts!