Christmas Sparkle

well, I have not been able to decorate with Christmas decorations at home, but just look at all this Christmas spirit at my workplace. It is simply amazing!!! We all took part in a competition for one part of our regional office over this last week, and it has been wonderful watching the work areas being transformed. The imagination of my colleagues has been overwhelming, and everyone has embraced this challenge and had such fun. Each "pod" is made up of 4-6 work colleagues whose desk and work spaces are close together. Being a Government Department - we have an open office policy and plan. So each pod has got together, dreamed up a theme and then got to work. For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, you will need some imagination, and remember that we have Christmas in the sun, hence the BBQ and beach themes. There is even an environmentally eco-friendly theme. Anyway, here are the pikkies;

these are the co-workers from my "pod" - we are known as the Health team as we are all related to Health & Disability issues in some shape or form - we do a lot of serious work, but we also know how to have a bit of fun now and then..

and this is the centre of the Regional office area -

a little fireside corner for the pressies..
this is the BBQ at the river and reflects our summer Christmas camping holidays...
and this is Santa's eco friendly mode of transport - likely to take him a very long time to deliver presents on Christmas Eve on this - hope he is a fit bunny!!!!


and these are just some extra shots...



OOPS, tablecloth a little bit crooked huh!!

and the renovations just go on....

well, slowly, and very slowly things are taking shape - or colour - or lack thereof. Once we get all the furniture and furnishings back in I am sure it is going to look great! What an absolute mess to be living in however, there is just a fine dust that goes everywhere, finds its way into every drawer and wardrobe and cupboard, and coats just everything. If you have ever renovated I am sure that you can associate with this. However, it will all be well worth it and hopefully in the next week or so it will be all back to normal again, well as normal as possible 'cos once this is all completed we will all put out the Christmas decorations up...


who would want to have a baby in the weeks before Christmas - what kind of madness is that... Of course any child is a wonderful blessing at any time of the year. My youngest daughter, Janet was born on the 17th Dec, so her birthday is coming up in the next few weeks, my baby girl will be 26 - where did all those years go!

Anyway, our friend Richard had a 50th birthday party on Saturday night just past, it was a themed party - so we all dressed as wannabees (I wanna be...) - dearly beloved went as a Christmas Cowboy, and I went as Peter Pan's nemesis - Tinkerbell. he he he...
With all the house renovations going on inside I have not really been able to get too much stitching or sewing done, so outside to the garden... it is now looking quite good, lots of roses out, the peonies have all now finished, but all is looking green and gorgeous. Dearly beloved and I barrowed 4 trailers of bark mulch on Saturday, so all is looking good, and hopefull weed free for quite a while. It is raining now, so great for watering!
This is the next area (above) to get a bit of a clean and tidy up - with luck this is where we will have Christmas day - and lunch, if the weather is good. And who knows we may even barbecue yet. I know that must sound really foreign for those of you who spend your Christmas in the Northern hemisphere, and not used to being in summer weather, and hopefully it will be a truly wonderfully sunny day!!