Happy New Year! Here's to 2012

Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Taken tonight at the Family Fireworks Display, 

Yarra Park @ MCG (Melbourne Cricket Club)

Robyn x

A Simple Message

Wishing you and yours a very

Merry Christmas

and Happy and Safe

Holidays!

Thank you for your support over the last year. 

I appreciate each and every one of you.

Robyn xo

An Aussie Christmas Light Show & Gingerbread Bush Hut

 
A friend had told us that the Crown Casino have a stunning Christmas display every year at the Atrium and includes a light show...so of course we had to go and check it out.

Wow! Is all I can say.

 
We weren't disappointed.  Walking around the display was amazing! A 6-storey high Christmas tree with candy canes as the supporting base is a truly original design.

 
 What I thought of first was a crown of sorts was actually a circus tent.

Displays of overly large gifts. They, whoever they might be, say dynamite comes in small packages...I sure wouldn't say no to one of these though!

Even a carousel.

That's all even before the light show! Here's the shots I managed to get of the show itself, though still pictures don't capture the full effect.

Hopefully Santa over there is going to bring me a zoom lens so I can get some better pics next year ;-)

Since we had a some minutes to spare before the light show, we decided to go upstairs and see what was up on offer after spotting this Christmas trees from the bottom of the stairs.

And look what we found...an Aussie Gingerbread Bush Hut!

This was no small display either.


I love that they also used the whole Aussie themed Christmas this year. Having chosen that theme myself, these last few weeks have been full of surprises with kinder also doing an Aussie concert this year...and now this Aussie gingerbread bush hut.


Even the entrance is welcoming with it's Christmas detail...not sure why there are snowmen though. While it does snow in Australia it doesn't where you are likely to find a bush hut.

Okay so it's a bit of a mix of an Aussie theme and the traditional. I haven't seen seen any deer here yet...

Sulphur Cockatoo's and Santa in his "rusty Holden ute"...

Not overlooking details, there is even a joey...

Notice all the "bark" in the above pictures? Broken bits of gingerbread.

Could he be smoking????!!!!

This grass is an "oats so easy" idea...

So much has obviously gone into this whole display and I was one of those who appreciated every little detail.

Wonder who'll get to eat this edible display? Can they top it next year? I'll be back to see.

Christmas Eve tomorrow! Woohooo....

Robyn x

The City of Melbourne Streets @ Christmas Time

The City of Melbourne has come alive over the silly season with many of the buildings and streets being decorated with a load of brand new 2.6 million dollars worth of decorations. Unfortunately we didn't get to see everything we wanted to, but I have a plan in mind for this time next year to show you more.

So let's see what the city streets have to offer, shall we?

I love that Melbourne's Town hall has been gift-wrapped with soldiers appearing to protect it like the Queen's guards at Buck Palace...

And how cute are these gingerbread men?

The tram lines down Swanston Street have been adorned with suspending bright red and green decorations...these same decorations along the streets throughout the city. The City Circle tram was decorated as Santa's sleigh, but I wasn't able to get a picture of it.

No persons named Robyn were injured taking this photo while standing in the middle of a busy street.

"Mistletoe Bridge" pedestrian bridge over to Southbank was gorgeously lit up at night, though I only managed to get this slightly blurred shot. The balloons added a really nice romantic touch too.

Here it is...set in stone...and concrete...that Santa is in fact very most definitely real! And you can box anyone's ears who says otherwise! I give you my permission.

For some reason Blogger will not let me load a pic of concrete Santa sitting on his stone. I will try again in the morning, and hope that whatever the problem is, it's corrected itself.

I also took this random shot of some city shoppers...bet it looks really odd for all of you experiencing a cold and white season to see everyone in shorts?

I was disappointed to see Flinders Street Station didn't have anything on it when we exited it out onto Swanston street. Until we approached it sometime later from a different angle...

How is this for the old blending in with the new?

 

Pop in a coin and get a silly hat! All for a good cause of course! 

You may or may not that finally Zara came to Australia this year with the second store opening in Melbourne a couple of months ago. I thought you might like to see how they did their window this year...

While I'm a modern gal at heart and wholly believe in less is more, I have to say I was a tad deflated at this.

No worries, tomorrow I'm showing you lots of lights!

How has your city decorated Christmas? Same old same old, or something new that cost millions?

'Til then.

Robyn x

Christmas Square

I’ve been itching to get into the city for a few weeks, but this past weekend was the only spare one we had. Specifically I wanted to see the city lights at night. So we jumped on a train after Little Ath’s on Saturday afternoon and headed in.

I have to say I really love the city. The people, the vibe, the atmosphere, the sights and all the delights it has to offer. I was also after some Witchetty Grubs, but that’s another story. I especially love it at Christmas time because the city goes to a lot of effort putting on some grand displays…be it the shops themselves or the city council. 

Last year in this particular spot was a seriously gi-normous Christmas tree. It’s nice to see that they don’t bring out the same old thing year after year. I was impressed with it being our first Christmas last year and more so this year. Looking forward to seeing what’s up next year! 

Most of the streets are tree-lined and this in itself is gorgeous in spring and summer. Decorations aren’t the regular traditional ones all the time either, but have a rather more modern approach. I’m loving the unique way these original works of art are being displayed.

This is one of several Nutcracker soldiers standing guard along the pavement of the square. I remember standing for hours on end at attention when I was a drum majorette in high school. In the stinking heat. With a feather busby, long sleeved uniform and knee high boots. It was fun at the time.

I love this idea of Christmas trees incorporated into a gift box!

Wondering around the square taking in all the details was no problem if you lost your way. Another great design idea. 

Santa must have been taking a cookies and milk break when we came across his gingerbread house, but that didn't phase the little man. He'd already given him the high five's and his one gift request at the local mall. If you have a shed in the back or your kids have one of those cubby's, then this is an idea of what to do next year, so get pinning! Alternatively, you can see a better one in Saturday's post that'll blow your socks away!

Some attention to detail with the window boxes. 

Nothing says Christmas quite like red and green, despite all the modern colours out there these days. And what a statement an oversized red velvet bow can make.

And not forgetting the humble Poinsettia. Christmas just wouldn't be the same without one.

'Til tomorrow...

Robyn x

Aussie Christmas Songs: 12 Days of Christmas

Aussie Christmas Tree
 

This song is soooooooooo long…in any version….so we’re gonna take the short cut. It’s 5:30pm and 30* centigrade outside. My house is hot and I haven’t got all night!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
A kookaburra in a gum tree

On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Two cockatoos, and a kookaburra in a gum tree

Three parakeets.........
Four great galahs.......
Five opals black......
Six 'roos a-jumping........
Seven emus running.......
Eight koalas clinging.........
Nine wombats waddling........
Ten dingoes dashing.......
Eleven snakes a-sliding.......
Twelve goannas going.......

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Twelve goanna going,
Eleven snakes a-sliding,

Ten dingoes dashing,
Nine wombats waddling,
Eight koalas clinging,
Seven emus running,
Six 'roos a-jumping,
Five opals black,
Four great galahs,
Three parakeets,
Two cockatoos,
And a kookaburra up a gum tree.

See? Nice and short. You could of course go ahead and sing the whole long version if you have a lot of time…or if you just want to.

Dictionary:

Galah: rose-breasted cockatoo (gorgeous pink and grey colours!)
Black Opals: the most valuable and widely known type of opal
‘Roos: kangaroo – just making sure there’s no confusion
Emu: ostrich like bird
Goanna’s: lizard – large ones

See also:
Aussie Jingle Bells
Aussie Deck The Sheds
 
Have a great weekend!

Robyn x

Christmas Tree Cake Pops

If someone can tell me a) why I leave things until the last minute and b) try something new when I have left things until the last minute, I would be very grateful. For someone who is not hosting a massive Christmas lunch, did all her Christmas shopping in July and is having a quiet one again this year, I don’t seem to have a lot of time to get things done.

For the past few weeks, the little man has come home from every kinder session with at least 1 Christmas card from his kinder peers. Attached or enclosed with these cards is always a sweet or chocolate. I’m not complaining about that…in fact it has kept his advent calendar well stocked this year. We’ve always done cards to classmates/kinder peers over the years, but this is the first year I have experienced the sweet/chocolate thing. After enquiring if this was the norm, it seems it is also new to a lot of other mom’s too. So someone somewhere has set a trend and everyone has hopped on the band wagon.

Why I couldn’t just do the same I have no idea. Instead I spent all day making these…

 

I discovered Bakerella a few months ago and am looking for any excuse to try out her pops. Who better to use as guinea pigs than the kinder kids!

So they didn’t quite come as as perfect as Bakerella’s, but I think they turned out pretty well. 

The cards are pretty simple with hand-drawn holly leaves and “Merry Christmas” on the front and from (the little man) on the reverse. 

 

All of T’s kinder mates went to the trouble of writing their own names on the cards and some even wrote the recipients name themselves. T wrote his name on one card then wouldn’t do anymore. 

Tomorrow is his last official kinder session, so they needed to be done for then. 

Ok, I’m off to find another excuse to make some more!

Robyn x