Ahhhhhh... back to the challenges.

This month's challenge over at Inkurable Stampers is "Shabby Chic Christmas". I got to admit I had to google this one! Of course I know what shabby chic is but all I could conjure up in my mind was pink and green. So thats what I did.

My ATC was mounted on pink card stock. The background was from Webster Pages with sponging around the edges. I stamped the christmas tree (from Stampin Up's Lovely as a Tree) in pink pirouette tipped in wild wasabi and added a little sparkle. Not sure where the word JOY came from. Added a little silver charm and some velvet ric rac and a distressed pink star on top. All up I was pleased with the results. Anyone want to do a swap????

I'm a little rusty...What do you think??

It's been a while. The creative juices are seeping drip by drip into my poor parched soul! I love Christmas!!! Squeal!! What better time to get back into it with some gift tags. You have to forgive the photography.

I'm sorry!

Art work in Hoi An

Hoi An pancakes

Us Girls

Where we stayed

I'm so sorry I've been neglectful. Life is just getting in the way. In a good way of course. Even just thinking about what has been happening to me in the last few months is scary. Where to start......Firstly I've moved house, next comes my holiday to Vietnam and to throw into the chaos I'm still going to TAFE and now I have to do some work experience in several restaurants to gain some knowledge from working in the industry. How crazy does that sound! I'd like to share with you, just a few, some photo's from my fantastic holiday with 3 of my girlfriends to Vietnam. It was the best time ever! From the time we got picked up in the Limo (Julie's surprise) to the end. We stayed in a gorgeous place called Hoi An, did a cooking school, ate fantastic food, saw beautiful art and shopped! All in one week.

Just another little treat

Salmon and Prawn Timbale with a Champagne Sabayon

I won't bore you with the whole menu but I'll just show you one of the entrees and that will be it.

Or maybe you'd like chocolate!

This little decadent number is for my gluten free friends. No flour, yes thats right no flour but definately not weight watchers! Oh and it also has a chocolate sour cream icing.

Do you eat your desert first??

I know you all have been very patient with me so every now and then I'll give you a treat! Here's a little sample of what's been keeping me busy and away from my blog! I give you Steamed Pudding with Ginger Syrup and a Lemon Aspen Cream. This is part of my menu for the Preview Restaurant for next year. I'll let you have your desert first if your really really good. Thanks for looking! PS I'm happy to give out the recipe.

So much going on.

At the moment we are negotiating about selling our house. It's such a long and drawn out process to-ing and fro-ing about price. How do you put a price on 22 years of memories? After having a mini meltdown the other morning, I have realized that its the right thing to do and it's time for us to move on. Now its just a matter of getting rid of 22 years of accumulated crap! The photo I leave you with today isn't of my house, instead it's a photo of one of my very favorite places. It's where I escape too when things get too hard.