Sorted with Style

Serendipity Experience 73 : Create a Christmas Advent Calendar

8:59 PM

This year I decided to create an Advent calendar with a countdown activity list to keep us on track ( and also to encourage us to have some fun along the way!). I used a mixture of handmade and bought decorations to symbolize each of the activities we plan to do each day.

A sample of some of the activities we have planned this Christmas!

Our Christmas Countdown Activities

                                         1.   Decorate the Christmas Tree
                                         2.   Send Christmas Cards
                                         3.   Hang the Stockings with care.
                                         4.   Write to the North Pole.
                                         5.   Build a gingerbread house.
                                         6.   Attend Carols by candlelight.
                                         7.   Make Orange & Cinnamon potpourri
                                         8.   Put up Mistletoe and kiss beneath it!
                                         9.   Sing Christmas Carols.
                                       10.   Make the Christmas Pudding.
                                       11.   Make Cinnamon Hot Chocolates.
                                       12.   Complete the Christmas Shopping.
                                       13.   Crack Nuts and eat Pretzels.
                                       14.   Decorate Snowflake Cookies.
                                       15.   Make Gingerbread men.
                                       16.   Donate to Charity.
                                       17.   Wrap the Christmas Presents.
                                       18.   Do a good deed!
                                       19.   Have Photos with Santa.
                                       20.   Watch Christmas movies - elf!!!
                                       21.   Decorate the Christmas table.
                                       22.   Light the Christmas Angel.
                                       23.   Tour the Neighbourhood Christmas Lights
                                       24.   Attend Midnight Mass.

Linking with Sorted with Style Natasha at Keeping the spirit alive365, Romantic Home, French Country Cottage

Christmas Cloche

Serendipity Experience 72: Create a Christmas Snowscene

3:24 PM

This year we have decided upon a Reindeer snow theme for Christmas. We decided that although we had no chance of a White Christmas here in Sydney, there was absolutely nothing stopping us from creating our own!

We made glitter houses on little trays

Our little reindeer surveys the snow scene

A Coastal White Christmas??

We are having so much fun creating our little touches of a White Christmas! Linking up with sorted with style My Romantic Home,French Country Cottage and Tatertots and Jello

Lavendar

Serendipity Experience 71 : Delight in a splash of Lavender.

9:48 PM

The Jacaranda's are in full bloom and Sydney is awash with colour! Everywhere you turn splashes of purple and lavender abound.

From my window little patches of Lavender are everywhere!

In keeping with the colour scheme I thought it was only appropriate that I add my own interior splashes of lavender to my home, unfortunately the intense heat over the past few days has meant that not many flowers can endure the heat!!

I am joining up with these sites Sorted with Style "Feathered Nest Friday" , The Charm of Home, My Romantic Home , Friday's unfolded and Common Ground They have so many inspirational ideas, pop by and take a look!

Halloween decorating

Serendipity Experience 70: Decorate for Halloween

7:02 PM

Our Family are Halloween addicts, we just love halloween parties, trick or treating and general macabre decorating! This year on my son's insistence we made our own gory apothecary jars. It was a lot of fun sourcing old antique jars, making the labels and finding creative fillings, I'm beginning to think that offering my children "Eye of Newt" peas may finally one way I can encourage them to eat their greens!!!!

Linking up with Sorted with Style French Country cottage and Design Dazzle!

Tuscany

Serendipity Experience 69 : Sit under a Tuscan Sun!

10:59 PM

Winter in Sydney can not be considered harsh by any stretch of the imagination, yet we are all missing the glorious heat of the long summer Tuscan days!

Was it really only just a few weeks ago that we were walking through these vineyards?

Tranquility in Tuscany

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Santorini

Serendipity Experience 68: Serenity in Santorini

1:23 AM

There is something so surreal about sitting on the beautiful island of Santorini amidst the striking blue Mediterranean and the blue domed churches that so typify this little haven. After weeks of travelling, our feet are weary and our bags heavy, yet we seem to have no difficulty sprinting down the steep white stairways to the cool sanctuary of our villa. We are re invigorated and ready to feast on all the beauty and serenity this tiny island has to offer!!!