I should be sound asleep right now at Mitzi's house 3000 miles north...instead, I'm in not so sunny Oz at a mere 32 degrees feeling just a tad bit sorry for myself and guilty for not being there for my Mitzi.
Instead I've been laying on the couch whip stitching little magic mushrooms trying to cheer myself up and trying to ignore the pain of the dystonic tremors that have been kicking my tail since before Christmas. Just like that! Mr. Holiday was filling the house with merry, I was hanging in there the best I could and then boom! The north pole was turned upside down and Mr. Holiday got the stomach flu that lasted a week and a half...then we both got a cold/flu....and it never stopped, just round and round we go.... I think the worst thing besides the obvious is the guilt I feel for letting everyone down and not being able to finish things that I start...like posting the last dozen matchboxes! Ughf! But Christmas came and went and so did mine and Mr. Holiday's 25th anniversary, and New Years...the children came, pitched in to help with things to be done...Baby girl has been running around trying to take care of all of my business for about three weeks now...she really is such a sweet and wonderful baby girl....and then she got the flu and is sooo sooo sick right now! Ok God...forgive me, but could we get a break here???? And most disappointingly...I've missed my trip to see my Mitzi and her band of princess'...oh they are so sweet and yummy and beautiful....
Today was one of Mitzi's princess' baby shower...ta da...just like that, it was a blink...I remember the day my niece was born, I remember being really angry because my parents made me go to school, I remember talking incessantly to my best friend on the school bus all the way to school about this new baby ball of wonder that had just been born and gave me a new title...'aunt'. Hmmm...but I'm wondering...Mitzi is not old enough to be called 'grandma', she certainly doesn't look like a grandma...nor I a 'great' aunt...but I could skate with being a 'great aunt'...but what should Mitzi be called? Baby girl has informed me that should my son and his wife have a baby in the near future that I should be called 'memsie', for the reason above...and I quite like that...so maybe Mitzi should be called the same.
Speaking of Mitzi or soon to be 'Memsie'...I've missed out on sharing so much over the past few weeks....this is a glimpse of yummies sent in one of the Christmas pkgs. received. Mitzi's little Em made these adorable 12 day of Christmas felted ornaments for me...so sweet. And I won't tell you that I ate almost that whole tin of the yummiest cookies you ever wanted to taste by myself....
And below, our sweet little Christmas kitty dressed in her Christmas scarf that she didn't even mind wearing because it has been so ridiculously cold here....
And her naughtiness continued with the Christmas tree and presents....
My son and his wife arrived early to pitch in with Christmas dinner...below is the vegetable tray he put together complete with what he called reindeer dip because...well you can see for yourself.
And he set the table beautifully.....
The nutcrackers lined up to play Christmas carols....
And Santa brought baby girl and my daughter-in-law new Singer sewing machines for Christmas and the delight on their faces says it all.....
And then....well, I made Mr. Holiday a sock monkey for our 25th wedding anniversary...isn't that what everybody gets for this occasion? I can not even tell you how excited AH was with this gift seriously!! No I'm not kidding....and he immediately named him 'Jack'.
And just in case your wondering....AH a.k.a. 'Mr.Holiday' tapped the naughty little kitty's toy mice to his mini coopers on his race car track so 'Jack' and the naughty little kitty could watch them go round and round.I hope this post finds you all better than well, with wishes for a bright, shiny and happy new year filled with abundant blessing beyond your wildest dreams!
XO Keke
P.S. I placed a new button in my side bar. A Swap for All Seasons has a new Winter swap started and it is a simply sweet one indeed just as 'Linda' the best swap hostess on the planet intended. You should really come play along if you can....
He's patting his sugar cut out cookie dough into rounds so he can chill them in the fridge...I'll have to share more with you later... It's time for me to rest now...I hope all of you are having a blessed Christmas season!!
The one below is my favorite as he's looking off into the atmosphere determined to make it a blind drawing! 
And look what else she's been up to.... How cute is this large 'Reindeer Food' matchbox. She's planning on filling it with Reindeer Food too! Do you want the recipe?
Look at the other boxes, I just love the one with the snow globe on it...
And I wanted to show you the one I made for her... For those of you that are new to the Cherry Kingdom...you maybe starting to notice I have an obsession with decorating match boxes. What can I say...it's very economical, you can do a million things creatively with them...I especially like making them 3D.
And then there was the afternoon he made 
Mr. Holiday using his cookie scoop to make an assortment of peanut butter cookies...
He made peanut butter and jelly cookies.
And cookies with 
Here's his trail of cookies.... I told him tonight that I will take no responsibility for any holiday pounds added this year!!! 
Ta 
Above is a close up of the print on the bottom of the apron. I chose to make a 'chef style' apron specifically because of the print... I didn't want to take away from the detail of the print with too much ruffle and foo foo. Oh, and what I mean by 'chef style', just in case is.... have you ever been to one of those $50.00 a plate, foo foo restaurants where the waiters come out with their long aprons on with the long ties that wrap around their back and tie in front? Just straight, clean lined simplicity.... It may be my new favorite apron to make, 
AH decided to sting popcorn and cranberry's Saturday night while he was watching holiday movies....sadly, he threw them out today because the cranberries molded????? I don't remember that happening when we made garland as children??? Does anyone have a helpful hint on this?
