Saturday 11 August 2012

Christmas 2012 *Plans*



2008 - Gordons Bay, near Cape Town
During May we bought tickets to go home for Christmas.  I was last home 3 years ago, when Ava was 6 months old.  Flower Daddy was last home when I was pregnant with Ava - so it will be 4 years for him by the time Christmas arrives.  Far.  Too.  Long.

2008 - Hout Bay , near Cape Town
My mother has visited us a few times and the Flower Daddies parents have visited once (just as all-day sickness took residence when I was pregnant with Chloe - eugh).  But, it has been pretty much 4 years since we saw anyone else.  I miss my family.  Especially now that we have our own family to share with them.  I would love for our girls to have a proper and meaningful relationship with their cousins and aunties and uncles and especially their grannies and grandpa's.

2008 - street market in Cape Town
For me, about 3 weeks ago, the excitement started settling in.  I am now just itch-itch-itching to start packing and to see our families.  We know that our time away will be crazy and hectic and far too busy to call a holiday.  We will, with out, doubt be exhausted when we return.  We have 4 different places to visit - (Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg and a teeny weeny town in the Karoo) - 3 of them a 2 hour flight or 10 hour drive (longer now that we have little people travelling with us) away from each other.  The fourth being a 4 hour drive away from one of the other places.  We know that it will be stupid expensive.  We also know that it will be a lot of fun.

2009 - my gran and Ava (6mths old)
So now....I am thinking about Christmas presents.  They need to be inexpensive, but meaningful.  Preferably home crafted.  Light-weight, if I am to make them before we travel.  Or simple and quick and very economical to make if I am to make them when we arrive in South Africa.

What to make - what to make????

The age range is pretty huge - from 18 months to grannies and grandpa's and a very special 90 year old great-granny.  Boys and girls.  Young and old.  What to make?!?

Source
I am thinking that this play mat would be a great idea for Ava and her 6 year old cousin.

Doodled key rings or brooches (made from the copious number of wooden coins I still have left over from Ava's memory coins) a la Happy Doodle Land for aunties, uncles, grannies and grandpa's.
Source
I can think of a little 6 year old boy cousin who would probably love these fun animal hooks for his bedroom...not that I have any spray paint, random animals or wood backing shapes in my craft box!

My 90 year old gran loves photo's.  So I think a special family portrait mounted in an embellished picture frame would be a good idea (something like this one).  Am thinking a simple wooden frame, painted, then colourful buttons stuck all over it.

Eesh!...it's a start, but what to do about everyone else?  Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas?

No comments: