New years eve

The turkey's in the oven.

The table is set.

Soon guests will arrive.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

best project of the year

As the year is closing I'm taking a look back - what was my favourite project?

1. Craddle - January

 I started to blogg regularly in February. 

So for January I take a picture never shown on my blog before.

 I painted the craddle, glued an old music book cover on 

and sewed a bed cover and pillow from antique linnen before I got my latest baby.

2. Nursery - February

 babyboy's nursery

My fifth child - and the first time I designed a nursery.

And the first time I introduced the color aqua to my house.

3. March - laundry room

 laundry room redo

4. April - bathroom

mini bathroom make over

5. May - Kitchen

Read more about this kitchen make-over here and here.

( And I started to make sailboates in May):

6. June - living room

I removed the (pink!) wallpaper in my living room, even though I knew I could not set up new one immideately...

We lived for quite some weeks like this.

7. July - Hut on the deck

I painted the inside of the hut and created a outdoor "kitchen"

8. August - rug&hutch

I got the wallpaper in the living room up, painted a rug...

and gave this hutch a new life.

9. September - fireplace

I made a small faux fireplace for the master bedroom.

10. October - Headboard

A new headboard for our bed.

11. November - Sunburst Mirror

I made a sunburst mirror from drift wood.

It's soon coming up for sale at  Blissful Design!

12. December - school map & picture wall

This old school map got repaired and hung on the wall

and I created a picture wall above the piano.

(To see more of what I did for christmas go here.)

WHAT SHOULD I CHOOSE AS FAVOURITE PROJECT???

I let you choose, of course!

POLL ON THE SIDEBAR!!!

Norwegian tradition

It's a norwegian tradition that in the days between christmas and new years eve children dress up as "nisse".

They knock at doors in the neighbourhood, sing christmas carols and receive treats.

As we don't do halloween, the kids look forward to this the whole year - 

and as long they really sing a song it's fine with me. :)

We have quite some elderly people living in the neighbourhood and I know they appreciate

having some singing children knocking on their door.

And the kids are happy for the treats...

Ahhm - this photo was taken after they ate half of all they had gathered.

How was your christmas? I hope you had a wonderful time together with your family...

We had a very cozy christmas eve.

Babyboy eating a clementine and some cookies after we came home from church.

(His duffle coat is made by my mother in the early 70s)

Unfortuneatly we're still battling some viruses - 

and on christmas day we grown-ups could not enjoy the good food I had prepared.

But now I'm already evaluating this years christmas... and thinking about what we are going to repeat both concerning decorations and family activities...

Forming more and more our own family traditions.

I absolutly loved my small simple tree on the diningroom sideboard, which hold well sitting in the bucket with water...

Now I'm off to watch Heidi together with my little daughter.

I loved the book as a child!

I'm not sure if I like Heidi and her Grandpa to speak English ;)

Lillejulaften

The day before christmas eve is called "Lillejulaften" (little christmas eve) in Norway. It's the day to prepare...

Oh Tannenbaum!

Actually I have a little ambvilant feelings for that thing. 

I mean think rationally... 

getting a huge green tree into the house, 

hanging all kind of stuff from it!?!

But it really makes a huge impact for getting the christmas feeling...

When I  painted my hutch this summer I was a little unsure how it would go with the christmas tree.

I love it. :)

The family bible of my greatparents opened at Luke2.

And with this post I wish all my readers, friends and family a wonderful Christmas!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: 

and the government shall be upon his shoulder: 

and his name shall be called Wonderful, 

Counsellor, 

The mighty God, 

The everlasting Father,

 The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Preparations

I enlarged the dining table in the living room and

put my precious Hardanger-style embroidered tablecloth on.

We will have dinner here on christmas eve.

Tonight we finally will set up the christmas tree - after german tradition it's not to be set up before the 24th.

(And than the kids are not allowed to enter the livingroom before the feast beginns in the evening).

But I like to have it up some days before :)

And gift wrapping is going on everywhere in the house... and many secrets have to be kept ;)

I have used brown package paper for many years - with dried orange slices one year or clay hearts another.

This year - after some bloglandia inspiration - I added some doilies or simple fabric scraps.

Merry christmas!

feeling better

Everyone is feeling better.

And I got the house more or less in shape.

Like many others my kids have been busy cutting paper snowflakes.

We're still having snow - and the odds for a white christmas look good :)

My poorly decorated gingerbread hearts decorating my kitchen window.

(This is really a room with a view!!!)

Three days to christmas!

Ready for christmas

Here in Norway, when  meeting people in town in december you don't ask "How are you?" but "Are you ready for christmas?"... Trying to sound as convincing as possibble I answer "Oh I am as ready as one can be..."

The truth is with five out of seven in the family being sick I spent the last days scrubbing bathroom floors, washing bed sheets and laying in bed myself.

And the house... ehmm is a little in disorder.

Oh it can be fixed within a couple of hours, if I just get around to...

But I'm learning to embrace life as it is having a large family.

Piles of laundry and dishes...

It's worth it. Every single load of laundry. Even the days not everything goes well.